DanMachi: Heroic Epic of Emiya the Great Hero

Considering Riveria's whereabouts, it is highly likely that the Loki Familia was conducting a large-scale monster cleanup in the middle layers, causing panic among the monsters. As a result, a Minotaur fled to the upper layers.

Riveria must have followed the fleeing monster to the upper layers. Given the character of the Elven Princess, she would never allow children to be harmed due to her own mistakes.

"With Riveria watching, you took the opportunity to challenge the Minotaur?",Hephaestus made a reasonable assumption.

"Yes, that's exactly what happened.",Shirou nodded.

The goddess was absolutely correct. When Emiya slew the minotaur, "Riveria" was indeed watching from behind.

Hephaestus thought this was a very smart move. With a high-level adventurer watching, even if the challenge failed, there would be no irreparable consequences.

'So, was it at this moment that Riveria took notice of this child?',Thinking of this, Hephaestus's mood became complicated again.

"Strange, did you kill the Minotaur alone? If so, you should be able to level up.",Hephaestus realized a blind spot.

Emiya's agility had already reached D-rank, and with the "great feat" of slaying a Minotaur at Lv.1, although it was impossible to level up immediately, at least his basic abilities should have been trained up. The Blessing of the Gods should have shown a "level-up available" status.

"Perhaps, slaying a Minotaur doesn't count as a 'great feat' for me?",Emiya thought for a moment and said somewhat helplessly,"Due to certain reasons, I should say I borrowed external forces. Killing that minotaur was quite easy for me..."

At this point, he had gained some understanding of the concept of "great feats."

The cow-girl Niran, by single-handedly taking on three orcs as the main force, along with her accumulated adventures in the school district, had gathered enough "great feats" to level up. But for Emiya, it was probably impossible to accumulate "great feats" from actions like "single-handedly taking on three orcs."

Because killing orcs was too easy for him. Orcs have strong vitality but not high defense, lacking the tough hide of a minotaur. So even using only a bow, Emiya could quickly kill a large number of orcs.

As for the dwarf Conny, with his physical constitution and attack power, not to mention Lv.1, even at Lv.2, it would be difficult for him to single-handedly take on three orcs. At Lv.1, taking on a single orc could be considered a great feat for him.

The standard of a "great feat" is not determined by level, but by the individual. A great feat is a challenge that surpasses oneself.

As for the Minotaur, judging from the surge in his status, he should have gained a large amount of high-quality experience. The minotaur should count as a bit of a great feat, but killing just one is far from enough.

"Except for magic power, all other basic abilities increased by about 30 points, while magic power skyrocketed by nearly 100 points at once.",Emiya immediately thought of the reason behind this— because he attempted to project a "Noble Phantasm" for the first time.

Emiya's basic abilities had reached the standard for leveling up. While continuing to train his abilities, he indeed needed to start considering the acquisition and accumulation of [Great Feats].

'Actually, with my current abilities, the Minotaur is not an opponent that can be easily defeated. It's just that at the time, considering the need to protect 'Riveria,' I ended up using unconventional means.',Emiya thought to himself.

The Minotaur's overall abilities completely overwhelmed Lv.1 Emiya Shirou. Even if he was confident he could win with his swordsmanship, it would inevitably be a prolonged struggle.

But after holding [The Sword of Theseus] and entering that peculiar state, the Minotaur posed no threat to him at all. Thus, the battle with the minotaur lost its challenge.

To accumulate great feats faster, he must engage in more difficult battles, and he cannot take shortcuts.

'Not just 'great feats,' I should also start deliberately training my skewed basic abilities.',Shirou thought as he looked at his status.

Despite being a swordsman who primarily uses a sword, Emiya's basic abilities are completely opposite to those of a front-line warrior-type adventurer. His weakest attributes are strength and agility, while his dexterity and magic power are exceptionally high.

Dexterity is the main attribute required for forging, and magic power is the result of Emiya's extensive use of [Unlimited Blade Works] for projection. Following the advice of the goddess and Captain Tsubaki, he has been training these two as his core abilities.

This is also the combat style of the Heroic Spirit Emiya (Archer). Compared to those heroes from ancient times or even the Age of Gods, Emiya has no advantage in physical abilities like strength, endurance, and agility. His strength lies in his endless methods.

No matter what kind of enemy he faces, he can always find a way to counter them. This is why Emiya can achieve splendid results with his not-so-impressive stats.

However, Emiya also truly understands that if his basic strength is too weak, no matter how many methods he has, he will inevitably hit a wall that he cannot overcome. Moreover, many methods themselves require strength as a foundation to be executed.

Just like comparing Heroic Spirit Emiya (Archer) to Heroic Spirit Heracles (Berserker), if Emiya in his previous life could reach the latter's level, he wouldn't have been powerless when his sister was harmed.

Therefore, since he has obtained the miraculous power of "God's Blessing," Emiya will definitely seize this opportunity.

'I need to start deliberate training for different basic abilities. Strength and agility should at least reach C-rank, preferably B-rank.'

'Shirou's will seems stronger than ever.',the goddess Hephaestus sighed as she watched the boy's figure,'Could this be the power of love?'

'It seems that this goddess can only respect and bless him. However, a brave and determined young man paired with a dignified and elegant Elven Princess... the more you think about it, the more it seems... quite delicious?'

———

[Loki Familia Headquarters, Twilight Manor]

Captain Finn was handling the backlog of documents accumulated during the Familia's expedition in the meeting room, while Riveria was reading a book, waiting for the yet-to-return Ais.

"Achoo! Achoo!",Riveria sneezed twice in a row.

"What's wrong, Riveria, caught a cold?",Finn asked with concern.

"Just a bit of an itchy nose. At our level, catching a cold is long behind us... Achoo!",Riveria said, then couldn't help but sneeze again.

She covered her mouth and nose with her hand from the side, trying to suppress the sound. As expected of an Elven Princess, even her sneeze was dignified and elegant.

"You're worried about Ais, aren't you?",Finn shook his head and pointed out.

"No, that naughty child, there's nothing to worry about.",Riveria said seriously.

Finn looked at her,"That book in your hand, it's been a whole day, and you haven't turned a single page."

At this point, Riveria finally realized her own lapse. She let out a long sigh,"Alright, I am worried about Ais."

The slender elf ears drooped on both sides, reflecting the owner's downcast mood. Riveria gently twirled her emerald hair around her fair fingers.

A trace of sorrow appeared on the elven beauty's face, a visage that even gods would envy.

"That child, she's as stubborn as ever, and her obsession hasn't weakened at all."

Both Finn and Riveria knew that Ais harbored an extremely strong hatred towards the [Black Dragon], to the point of obsession or tragic wish.

This hatred even reflected in her skill— [Avenger]

Greatly enhanced attack power against all monster-type enemies, and super-enhanced attack power against dragon-type monsters. The enhancement effect varies according to the degree of hatred; the stronger the hatred, the greater the effect.

This is Ais's unique skill and the root of her powerful strength and rapid level ascension. As long as she faces monsters, Ais can exert combat power beyond her current level.

[Avenger] was evaluated by the goddess Loki as one of the most powerful output skills in the history of the lower world, something to be proud of. But at the same time, Riveria and the others also knew that this skill reflected Ais's unstable mental state.

During the last expedition, Ais lost her temper when facing a strengthened dragon-type monster, left the team alone to chase it, directly causing the expedition to fail. Riveria was furious about this, but in fact, more than anger, she was worried about Ais.

Riveria didn't want Ais to become a monster controlled by hatred, and she was even more worried that Ais would break herself by pushing too hard.

"It might sound ungrateful, but sometimes I really wish Ais was just an ordinary girl, without such terrifying talent, without [Avenger].",Riveria spoke her mind.

To Riveria, Ais was like her own daughter. Compared to achieving fame and success, Riveria hoped more that Ais could grow up healthy and safe.

"Ais is special, you should understand that too...",Finn said, stopping there,"By the way, did Ais go to the dungeon today?"

"Yes, she did finish her self-reflection and copied the Familia rules ten times.",Riveria said, her eyes narrowing slightly, her fists clenching involuntarily.

Early this morning, Ais went to the dungeon, but it wasn't until daytime when Riveria checked that she found the latter half of Ais's self-reflection was complete nonsense, like ramblings in a half-asleep state.

Moreover, there were unpleasant statements like,"Riveria has gained a lot of wrinkles because of me."

The feeling of maternal love for her "daughter" faded a lot, replaced by the desire to pick up a copper-headed belt and a wet whip.

"Is it really okay to let Ais go alone without sending someone to watch her? Aren't you worried she might sneak off to the lower levels?",Finn propped his chin with one hand.

"Ais has promised me that this time she will listen to me."

Riveria closed her book, revealing a determined look,"I believe in Ais!"

"I also believe in Ais," Finn said nonchalantly: "Not just Ais, I believe in every child in the Familia. Maybe they are still immature now, but one day, they will surely reach heights that even we cannot surpass."

Riveria couldn't help but tease,"And when that time comes, we can put down our responsibilities, and you can finally fulfill your wish of having a big harem, right?"

"Exactly.",Finn answered seriously: "From beginning to end, my dream has been to revitalize the pallum race. To achieve this, successors with courage and will are necessary."

"And having my own offspring inherit the great cause of revitalizing the pallum race is undoubtedly the best choice. Therefore, a harem is a must, and I am still seriously looking for excellent pallum women."

Like most male adventurers in Orario, Finn also had the wish for a "harem," but his situation was somewhat special. Finn's harem plan was just a part of realizing his grander ideal of racial revitalization.

Therefore, Finn only planned to accept women of his own race, the pallums, even though he was actually very popular among other races, especially the Amazons.

From a rational perspective, Finn's idea made a lot of sense. The prerequisite for racial revitalization is having enough members of the race. As the strongest and most famous pallum in the world, Finn intended to lead by example.

The wrong way to revitalize a race: monogamy, single child.

The right way: multiple wives and concubines, a flourishing family.

"It's quite impressive that you can openly say such things.",Riveria commented,"By the way, you've been staring at that letter since earlier, is there something important?"

Finn folded the envelope in his hand and handed it to Riveria,"If you must know, it is indeed quite important, take a look."

The back of the pure white letter paper was stamped with a gilded emblem, the pattern of which was a volcano and two crossed forging hammers—this was the emblem of the Hephaestus Familia.

"A communication from the Hephaestus Familia?",Riveria took the letter,"Apart from joint expeditions, we don't have much interaction with the Hephaestus Familia."

In terms of equipment production and maintenance, the Loki Familia mainly cooperates with the Goibniu Familia. The Goibniu Familia is smaller in scale and not good at mass-producing equipment, but they have more experience in the field of high-end custom equipment.

"Rather than a communication, it's more appropriate to call it a notice.",Finn said,"The Hephaestus Familia definitely didn't just notify us."

Riveria opened the letter and began to read its contents. Soon, her pupils slightly contracted, and her expression showed obvious surprise.

"This thing... if it's real, it has the potential to change the city's landscape.",Riveria said in a surprised tone.

"Ah, yes, the Hephaestus Familia has really created an extraordinary piece.",Finn nodded in agreement.

The letter introduced the latest masterpiece of the Hephaestus Familia's captain, also the city's strongest blacksmith, Tsubaki Collbrande—[Magic Sword: Spiral Sword].

Magic swords are weapons highly valued by all Familias in Orario, big and small, because they have two extremely important characteristics: they do not consume the adventurer's magic power, and they can be activated instantly. They are often used as trump cards or key life-saving tools.

Even the Loki Familia, which boasts the city's strongest mage [Nine Hells] Riveria leading a group of elven mages, prepares a large number of magic swords for each expedition. Because even the mighty [Nine Hells] requires chanting to cast spells, and the more powerful the spell, the longer the chant.

Magic swords, although their power is far from that of high-level mage's artillery spells, can be activated instantly, and even the weakest supporter in the team can use them.

Even the lowest quality magic sword, capable of firing only a few fireballs, costs hundreds of thousands to millions of valis, while high-level magic swords can easily cost tens of millions of valis.

To date, the most powerful attack-type magic sword to appear in Orario was created by [One-Eyed Blacksmith] Tsubaki, with power equivalent to a Lv.4 mage's artillery spell, priced around forty million valis, and it's hard to come by.

And now, the Hephaestus Familia's magic sword has finally achieved a breakthrough, and a qualitative leap at that—

[Magic Sword: Spiral Sword] can be used three times, with power equivalent to a Lv.5 mage's wide-area attack spell. It can be overloaded by guiding it, increasing magic power output at the cost of consuming all uses at once, in exchange for an even more powerful attack.

The power is equivalent to a Lv.6 mage's long-chant wide-area annihilation spell.

"If this is true, it's too exaggerated, a high-power wide-area annihilation spell without 'chanting'...",As a mage renowned for her spell power, Riveria felt particularly complex emotions.

"This is the result of the goddess Hephaestus's evaluation, it must be true. The judgment of the Forge God is beyond our doubt.",Finn said.

"You realize it too, don't you, Riveria."

"Yes, with this 'magic sword,' our expeditions can definitely reach deeper levels."

"But..."

"Ah, I understand..."

The captain and vice-captain of the Loki Familia exchanged glances, each silent, not voicing the frustrating conclusion—they couldn't afford it.

The exploration-oriented Loki Familia has never had an advantage in economic strength. Every expedition, even if they earn funds, quickly invests them in various ways into the members, transforming them into the Familia's strength enhancement.

And not every expedition can earn valis; the last one didn't, because of Ais's loss of control, not only did they not earn, but they also lost quite a bit.

Hephaestus's letter was not only sent to the Loki Familia but also to other Familias with the ability and need to purchase magic swords.

Finn could probably guess who they were: not only would there be powerful factions like the Loki Familia, Freya Familia, and Ganesha Familia, but also economically strong Familias like the Ishtar Familia and Dian Cecht Familia.

The Ishtar Familia runs the pleasure district, and the Dian Cecht Familia runs hospitals. The Loki Familia is strong, but in terms of making money, they can't compare to them no matter how hard they try.

Riveria sighed,"Hephaestus wants to have the various Familias bid against each other to get the highest benefit, what a cunning move."

Finn: "Because unlike ordinary equipment, this is a 'seller's market' where they completely dominate."

"I don't know how many of these magic swords the Hephaestus Familia has forged, but only one is on the shelf."

"Regardless, we must try our best to get it. A Lv.6 power magic sword is too significant for our expeditions.",Finn said, rubbing his slightly sore right thumb,"I have a feeling that this [Magic Sword] might be the prelude to a new era."

———

In the dawn light, a whistling sound could be heard.

The occasional sharp sound resembled a grass flute, similar to a bird's call. The melody that stirred the silent darkness was produced by a wooden sword creating a gust of wind.

In a corner of the town where the moon had set and the sun had yet to rise.

A slender female elf wielded a wooden sword almost as tall as herself.

Her sword movements, in stark contrast to her delicate limbs, were both agile and sharp. First, a standard downward slash from above, then with a twist of the wooden sword, she executed an upward slash and a diagonal slash comparable to a draw-cut technique.

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