Chapter 19 - Do You Want A Weapon?
"It's just those goblin fangs. You didn't send them to the guild, did you?"
Hestia gave a knowing smile as she spoke, sure that Bell wouldn't do something like that.
She knew that if the guild got their hands on those fangs, it wouldn't take long for othe gods to hear about Bell.
And Hestia trusted Bell to be smart enough not to make such a dumb mistake.
She wasn't wrong.
Anyone with a bit of smartness in Orario knew how to get rid of stuff that could attract unwanted attention.
But Bell had only been in Orario for two days. He had no clue how things worked yet.
So, he messed up.
Hearing Hestia's question, Bell felt embarrassment. He'd stupidly gone straight to the guild with the drops, without even thinking about other options. He thought the guild was the answer for everything.
Hestia's laugh died down when she noticed Bell's awkward expression. Her eye twitched, but she had to ask.
"Bell, you didn't seriously send them to the guild, did you?"
"...Um."
Hestia's eyes widened. She couldn't believe it.
"Umu!?"
How could Bell, usually so sharp, make such a rookie mistake? Was he clueless?
"Bell, don't you know? The guild is full of info. They sell information--not just about dungeons but everything. They'll spill anything for the right price."
"Hestia-sama, I've only been here for two days."
Oh, right. Bell was still a newbie in Orario.
Hestia slapped her forehead. Bell didn't act like a newcomer, so she'd assumed he knew better. She realized it was on her to explain the common sense.
But dealing with the guild could turn into a real pain. If some caretaker in the guild had already tipped off the gods, Hestia would have a serious problem on her hands.
Seeing Hestia's troubled look made Bell feel even more embarrassed.
He'd just done what came naturally--he figured the guild would handle everything. He hadn't stopped to think that the guild itself could be a problem.
Eina had mentioned something before. And thinking of Eina, Bell suddenly remembered.
"Hestia-sama, I also asked Miss Eina for help. She knows some stuff because of the goblin fangs."
"Eina... Eina Tulle? The guild's top receptionist?"
Eina Tulle's image flashed through Hestia's mind. She knew Eina was a half-elf and had seen her around. Eina was serious about her job, but Hestia hadn't expected her to be Bell's receptionist.
"Does that really matter? I've seen her, but I don't know if she can keep her mouth shut. Bell, don't trust everyone in the guild. Some receptionists leak infos. That's why Ouranos told them not to get too close to adventurers."
Hestia remembered the mess the guild had with receptionists getting too close to adventurers. They set up rules to stop that, but rules were made to be broken. Receptionists still spilled secrets, sometimes without realizing it, and gods caught on quick.
This loophole meant the receptionists wouldn't get punished even if they got caught. Eventually, gods started paying receptionists for info, calling it "intelligence fees."
Hestia had learned about this through Hephaestus. To her, the guild was just one big troubles. Once they knew something, it was only a matter of time before it got out.
Still, Bell had faith in Eina.
"Hestia-sama, Miss Eina promised to keep things quiet. She warned me about the risks of selling the goblin fangs to the guild and said she'd help hide my identity. I don't think there's a problem this time."
Hestia still wasn't sure about Eina. She trusted Bell, but not the guild's receptionists. She couldn't say for sure if Eina could keep Bell's secret.
Hestia pushed down her concerns. She didn't want to make Bell worry.
But she'd have to meet Eina herself to make sure Bell's drops were handled.
"Bell, how much did those fangs go for?"
Even though she didn't know about guild prices, she could still make a healthy guess.
"One fang went for 100,000 valis. I sold 264 and kept 20, so that's 26.4 million valis."
"That much!?"
Hestia wasn't clueless about money. Living with Hephaestus had given her a sense of value. Making that much in a single day was crazy.
If Bell kept this up, they'd be rich in no time.
Seeing the sparkle in Hestia's eyes, Bell quickly brought her back down to earth.
"Hestia-sama, calm down. Those fangs are worth a lot because they're sharp and good against monsters on the middle floors. If we go deeper, items that's less sharp won't fetch the same price."
Hestia's excitement deflated fast.
It wasn't realistic to rely on this method for long-term income, especially since selling too many goblin fangs would start drawing too much attention.
"Hestia-sama, we should think about working with Hephaestus long-term."
Hestia's eyes lit up again. Bell's suggestion gave her hope that they could strike a deal with Hephaestus.
Even though Hephaestus' familia wasn't short on drops, having more forging materials wouldn't hurt. Other familias might even buy from them too.
Most adventurers in Orario were Level 1, so materials from the upper floors could still bring in good money.
Hephaestus would probably welcome Hestia's familia as a supplier, especially since Bell's luck meant a steady flow of drops.
And unlike other gods, Hephaestus already knew about Bell's skills, making her a trustworthy partner. Plus, it meant Hestia could crash at Hephaestus' place more often.
Just thinking about it made Hestia glance at Bell. The innocent Bell stood quietly, his red eyes calm, like a rabbit waiting for her response.
She wasn't alone anymore. She had Bell, and her actions represented the whole Hestia Familia.
'In front of Bell, I can't look like a lazy goddess.'
This was the pride of a goddess, the goddess of Hestia Familia.
Hestia didn't know if Bell still saw her that way, but she sure didn't want to come across as lazy, especially in front of him.
"Ahem! Talking to Hephaestus about cooperation is possible. If we do, Bell can handle the drops in future."
"And maybe I can ask Hephaestus to make a weapon for you."
"!?"
Bell was shocked. He hadn't said anything about needing a new weapon. Where did Hestia get that idea? He quickly shut it down.
"Hestia-sama, do you even know how expensive Hephaestus' weapons are? We'd go broke trying to buy one."
In the anime, Hestia had asked Hephaestus for an upgradeable weapon for Bell.
In reality, even 2 billion valis might not cut it.
Hephaestus had asked for 200 million valis because of her friendship with Hestia.
Otherwise, the price could've easily hit 20 billion valis.
Is 20 billion valis expensive? A weapon that grows with its owner, reaching Level 5, or even Level 6 and beyond, is priceless.
It could turn an adventurer into a powerhouse.
Hestia's connections were seriously valuable.
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Sorry we won't be doing gacha pulls for the time being. Let's get him a weapon first.
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[IMG of a Weapon]
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