Tsubaki's situation not only did not alienate Hephaestus from Aston but actually brought their feelings closer.
However, Aston did not take advantage of the situation with Hephaestus.
After all, it had been less than a day since he had gotten together with Tsubaki, and Aston was not so reckless.
After chatting with Hephaestus for a while, Aston returned to the Hearth Manor.
The next day, he returned to forge the unbreakable magic swords in the forge. This time, Tsubaki did not come over, as she had her own forging tasks assigned by others.
It was not possible for her to come over every time Aston was there.
Of course, this time Aston was not alone.
Hephaestus temporarily set aside her deity duties to come over and accompany him.
Their relationship warmed up because of the events of the previous day, and Hephaestus also liked to be with Aston.
Compared to Tsubaki's inability to learn enchantment due to her magic creation incapability, Hephaestus, being a deity, saw a lot in Aston's enchantment technique and even seemed to have learned some of it.
However, due to her inability to use divine power and not having magical power like adventurers, she couldn't use what she learned, rendering her new knowledge practically useless unless she violated the lower realm rules to use divine power. Otherwise, the newly learned enchantment technique would be of no use to Hephaestus.
"Give me some time, and I'll make some magical tools that don't require magical power to perform enchantments for you, then you'll be able to use enchantment too," Aston said, supporting Hephaestus's desire to learn. He had no reservations for his loved ones.
If Tsubaki could learn enchantment, Aston would teach her without hesitation, but unfortunately, Tsubaki's magic capability was not sufficient to learn enchantment, so Aston could do nothing about it.
Now that Hephaestus had learned it, Aston would not mind helping her master enchantment.
"Thank you," Hephaestus said happily.
"Oh, and Aston, come to see me before the expedition."
"Okay."
After spending a day forging three magic swords with enchantments like Fire Ring, Hurricane Blade, and Great Fireball, Aston started preparing various supplies needed for the expedition with Riveria.
An expedition is not a simple matter; it requires the preparation of various supplies to cope with potential emergencies.
Sometimes, even with the right supplies, things can still go wrong due to unforeseen circumstances.
In the Dungeon, anything can happen, and adventurers can only do their best to prepare within their understanding and knowledge.
The ease with which Aston and his team previously navigated through the Dungeon's deep levels below the 50th floor was due to their first-class adventurer strength and Aston's exceptional capabilities, making it seem effortless. However, this was only feasible with a small team.
If the number of people increased, even Aston's exceptional abilities would not be enough to handle all unexpected situations.
This is why, knowing about Aston's vast storage space, Tiona's suggestion that Aston alone could suffice as backup for the expedition was outright rejected by Tione. A single person's strength has its limits, unless Aston's power reached an unimaginable level.
However, it seems Aston's strength has not yet reached that point.
Spending every day together, Aston and Riveria's relationship warmed up significantly, almost to the point of discussing marriage.
Riveria's straightforward personality, once decided on Aston, contributed to the rapid progression of their relationship. However, the possibility of them having a wedding ceremony was virtually non-existent.
A real wedding would only be possible back in the Elven capital as Riveria suggested, considering Riveria is the sole princess and heir of the Elf Kingdom, and such an event cannot be hastily arranged.
Riveria herself hadn't really considered marriage, believing that her marriage would compel her to return to the Elven capital, something she wished to avoid.
Deciding to be together was enough for her; she wasn't concerned about titles, which could actually hinder her.
Aston didn't know what to say to Riveria's mindset but simply embraced her tightly, admiring her simplicity and thoughtfulness.
Riveria didn't say much, but Aston knew it wasn't just about the situation in the Elven capital; Riveria was also considering him, Tione, and Tiona.
As Aston accompanied Riveria across Orario, absorbing various expedition knowledge, Hearth Manor became the focus of many new adventurers in Orario, eagerly awaiting the Hephaestus Familia's recruitment.
These adventurers had stayed in Orario mainly because of the Hestia Familia, especially after its fame spread following the last Familia War, eagerly anticipating the recruitment.
The adventurers had hoped the Hestia Familia would seize the opportunity of their great victory in the War Game to expand. However, despite their expectations, days passed without any move towards expansion from the Hestia Familia.
There was activity, with members still venturing into the Dungeon, but no signs of expanding the Familia were evident, causing anxiety and restlessness among them.
Finally, after a long wait, the Hestia Familia responded by announcing recruitment for new members, which led all the unaffiliated new adventurers to gather in front of Hearth Manor. With mixed feelings of joy and disappointment, it was revealed that the Hestia Familia was only recruiting 50 new members, half of whom were to be elves, leaving only 25 spots for members of other races.
This was amidst the few hundred adventurers who had come hoping to be recruited, leaving many disheartened and dejected upon not being selected.
Eventually, the Hestia Familia welcomed 50 new members: 25 elves, 5 Amazons, 10 beastmen, and the remaining 10 were human females. The 25 elf members were new adventurers from the arena during the War Game, who, upon learning of Aston's existence, were determined to join the Hestia Familia.
Their resolve remained firm even when there was no immediate recruitment action from the Familia, gathering outside Hearth Manor the night before the recruitment to wait overnight. Hestia, without hesitation, accepted them upon learning of their dedication.
Besides elves and Amazons, the recruits were exclusively female, including beastmen and humans, and notably, all virgins. Hestia seemed to have a preference for female members and was not keen on male members unless they were as devoted to Aston as the elves. It's unclear why Aston was allowed to join initially—perhaps out of necessity.
Exceptions were made for Xenos, as their situation was beyond control.
The sudden recruitment spree by the Hestia Familia was spurred by Aston acquiring several Faction Cards from the market over a few days, with five appearing consecutively. With these cards in hand, Aston wasted no time directing Hestia to start the recruitment process. Recruiting new members for the now-renowned Hestia Familia proved much easier than Hestia personally scouting for members.
After this recruitment round, the number of members in the Hestia Familia exceeded a hundred, elevating its status to that of a mid-tier Familia based on numbers alone.
***
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