After chatting with Tiona and others for a while, Aston exchanged the items he had collected over the past few days into valis and handed over the share belonging to Ais and her companions. He then bid farewell to the members of the Loki Familia and left with Marie.
As Aston hurried back to the Hestia Familia residence, Finn and the others also headed towards the Babel Tower.
On the way, Tione couldn't hold back her curiosity any longer and directly asked Tiona about her weapon, Urga. The rest were also very curious about it. Tiona's Urga was a first-grade weapon, not a magic sword, so they wondered how it suddenly acquired the power of a magic sword. It didn't seem like an enchantment by Aston, as those are temporary and had faded before Aston even arrived.
"Aha, it's another function of the enchantment magic that can use various materials to permanently enchant a weapon," Tiona explained with a smile. "Unlike the temporary enchantment we had before, this permanent enchantment keeps the power active. The magic Aston enchanted on my Urga is his wind magic, which can release wind blades like the ones I used earlier. And, after the enchantment, Urga has the power of a magic sword but doesn't suffer damage like Ais's sword after excessive use."
"Permanent enchantment into a magic sword form without the usual vulnerability? That's incredible!" Finn pondered after hearing Tiona's explanation. Everyone was amazed by the concept of a magic sword that wouldn't deteriorate.
"Does that mean Aston crafted his magic sword himself?" Tione asked in realization.
"I'm not sure about that," Tiona replied, shaking her head. "Aston said it wasn't a magic sword, but he didn't explain further, so I don't know if he made it himself."
"Perhaps we could commission Aston to create such magic swords for us," Riveria suggested to Finn, seeing the strategic significance of having non-deteriorating magic swords.
"I'd also like a non-deteriorating magic sword, but I'm afraid our Familia's funds might not be sufficient," Finn replied with a wistful smile.
Finn also wanted such magic swords, but his Familia's financial situation didn't allow it. Preparing for expeditions had already drained their finances significantly. He knew that such magic swords would be very expensive, and their remaining funds might not be enough. Even if they could afford one or two, purchasing them could mean the Familia might end up in financial distress.
This remark led to a moment of silence among the group. After a few seconds, everyone's gaze shifted to Tiona, who seemed a bit pressured by the sudden attention. She quickly realized what they were thinking.
Holding her arms defensively, Tiona looked at them apprehensively. "What are you planning?" she asked. "Even if I'm close to Aston, I won't do such a thing. Don't even think about getting such magic swords for free from Aston. The best I can do is to ask him for a discount for our Familia."
Finn immediately seized the opportunity and asked Tiona to negotiate with Aston about the price of these magic swords and the possibility of a discount.
Relieved that they only expected her to negotiate, Tiona agreed to take on the task. She cared deeply for her Familia but wouldn't exploit her relationship with Aston. A discount was the most she was willing to request.
"Yes, I'll take care of it," Tiona assured them. Then suggested: "By the way, Tione, you come with me tomorrow."
"Me?"
"Yes, you!"
Tione, surprised, quickly understood her sister's intention and blushed, attracting curious looks from Finn and others.
"Alright, understood," Tione finally agreed.
Riveria, astute as always, noticed Tione's reaction and pondered its meaning.
Half an hour after Aston and the others had left, adventurers dared to approach the site where Tiona and Ais had fought.
"Indeed, worthy of the Freya and Loki Familias. The destructive power of first-class adventurers is truly terrifying. Just in such a short time, they managed to ruin the buildings within a hundred meters," a bearded adventurer remarked with a bitter smile as he looked at the battlefield, which had almost turned into ruins.
His comment was met with nods of agreement from the other adventurers who had gathered around.
Just a few minutes of battle had destroyed such a large stretch of the street, demonstrating the terrifying combat power of first-level adventurers. Everyone believed that the destruction was caused by the first-class adventurers from the Freya and Loki Familias and didn't suspect any other Familia's involvement.
Meanwhile, at Babel Tower, Freya sat at the head of the round table, resting her chin on one hand and wearing a seductive smile. "So, you felt threatened by Aston's strength?" she asked Ottar after his report, a flush of excitement coloring her enchanting face.
In her observations, each time she saw Aston, his soul shone several times brighter than the last. Previously, she was unsure why there was such a significant change. Even with Ottar, the soul's brilliance only gradually increased over time. Aston's transformative change was something she had never encountered before. Now, it seemed that the considerable changes in Aston's soul were due to his rapid improvement in strength, which in turn made his soul shine brighter.
This realization only intensified Freya's desire for Aston, her face glowing with longing. "Ottar, if I asked you to forcibly bring Aston here, could you do it?" she asked, no longer able to contain her desire to have Aston.
"Unfortunately, my lady, I might not be able to accomplish that," Ottar replied after a moment of silence, shaking his head. He sensed Aston's unfathomable depth and doubted his ability to capture Aston single-handedly, even at full strength, unless the top adventurers of the Freya Familia acted together. But given the attitudes of Hegni and Hedin, he knew he couldn't count on them. Currently, only he and Allen were available for such a task.
Understanding this, Freya glanced at Hegni and Hedin, who seemed unconcerned and detached, and sighed in resignation. She decided to take her time with her pursuit of Aston.
At that moment, a member of the Freya Familia entered the room. "Lady Freya, representatives from the Guild are here."
"Ah, the punishment," Freya murmured. "Allen, would you handle this, please?"
"Yes, Freya-sama!" Allen responded, ready to deal with the Guild's representatives.
***
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