9 Hephaestus

As I set off alongside the dwarf, I gave one final nod to the elves that had accompanied me, causing them to bow deeply once more. Then we were off, walking down the long, cobbled streets of the city. Alongside us, the other members of the Hephaestus familia hauled the supplies they had brought for recruitment in the square. Looking at them, I noticed that there were no elves among them, which I found odd. There were members of almost every race present in the group, minus amazons and elves. 

"Does the familia not get a lot of elves joining?" I asked the dwarf, who was leading me to the goddess. 

 "No," he said after a moment, "Many are put off by the high number of dwarves and humans within the familia."

"One of the problems with my race, I'm afraid," I said, truly annoyed since elves are basically natural-born crafters due to their longevity, which gives them time to master their craft. 

"You can say that again," he said with a chuckle before pausing and eyeing me, probably realizing I am elven royalty, "I mean no offense by that,"

"None taken,"

After that, we lapsed into silence once more as we marched down the street. People on the street moved out of the way as we approached. The banners of the Hephaestus familia carried enough weight to make the crowds part. Even as we headed toward the tower of Babel and the crowds increased people still parted and curiously gazed at us as we passed. I saw many elves bow, eyes going wide as they caught sight of me, but other than a few subtle waves to the larger groups, I ignored them. 

By this point, my dwarfen and human escorts were too curious to resist asking questions, "So you are some kind of royalty?" one woman hesitantly asked.

I turned, locking eyes with her, causing her to blush a brilliant scarlet, "I am a prince of one of the more prominent forests. Famous parents don't help my notoriety either."

"Not all of these elves can be from that one forest." One man called from the back, telling me that everyone present was listening, so I turned and spoke so everyone could hear.

"To elves, it doesn't matter what forest a High Elf comes from. A High Elf is still a High Elf and thus royalty. Of course, they would be even more fanatical if I was a prince from their specific forest." I explained.

By the time I had explained that and fielded a few more questions, we had arrived at Babel. Most of the group broke off, heading for a nearby warehouse to store the supplies while my escort and I moved into the tower. I couldn't help but be drawn to the sight of a row of elevators placed into the wall, giving visitors easy access up the tower. It was bizarre to see something so modern in a medieval world where it took me a month to cross distances that would only take a day or two by car. 

However, I did concede that it would be strange if the presence of magic hadn't increased the level of technology somehow. Plus, items like these elevators are powered by magic stones from the dungeon, which is one of the reasons why adventuring is such a lucrative business. I eventually just dropped the whole train of thought as we called an elevator and got in. We quickly started our ascent to the eighth floor in a ride that was much smoother than I might have initially anticipated.

Soon, the elevator came to a stop, and we moved out onto a floor filled with shops that contained every manner of crafted item, from armor to swords, spears, axes, and even clothes. The only similarity between the shops was the outrageous prices for all the items on sale. 

We wove through the floor and eventually came to a more secluded area where the shops faded away, leaving only a large and ornate door with a single guard posted in front of it to guide people away if they approached. Since I was with the dwarf, we were waved through easily, though the guard did give me a quizzical look, to which I just returned a simple nod. In response, he just shrugged and sat back down in the chair he had pulled up and went back to lounging.

Approaching the door, my dwarf escort knocked with surprising softness. After a few moments, the door opened to reveal a tanned woman with long black hair, red eyes, and an eyepatch over her left eye. I instantly recognized her since this was Tsubaki Collbrande, captain of the Hepeastus familia.

I spared a single glance for her well-endowed figure, but unlike most reincarnators, women were not the only thing I cared about. She gave us both a quizzical look before turning to the dwarf.

"What brings you here with a guest, Thorin?" she asked.

"He's a possible new recruit, but his magic is something I thought best to bring to the goddess directly." The dwarf, Thorin, responded seriously.

That caused Tsubaki to turn her attention back to me, so I bowed smoothly and spoke, "Thranduil Tyrion at your service."

She gave me a bland stare in return, "Tsubaki Collbrande. Remember it, especially if you do join the familia. I'll be the one you come to most of the time if you have a problem,"

I extended my hand as she introduced herself, surprising her and the dwarf beside me. Handshakes, much less touching the skin of other races, are a big no-no for most elves, but I didn't care about that stigma. That display caused Tsubaki to smile widely and clasp my hand in her iron grip. We shook, thoroughly numbing my hand, but I didn't show any of that on my face. Then, we heard a voice emanating from deeper into the room. 

While the voice was nothing particularly interesting, its air of command and power instantly reminded me of my father's. I turned and looked into the room past Tsubaki and spotted possibly the most beautiful woman I had seen in my life, and that was saying something since I was an elf. The goddess Hephaestus wore a simple leather vest and white shirt as she sat behind her desk. Her mundane clothes only served to highlight the rest of her appearance. Her crimson eye and red hair reaching down to her neck, her sharp face, and her slender body with an eyepatch over her right eye. 

"A 'possible' new recruit, eh?" Hephaestus said, rising from her desk and walking over.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, goddess," I said, giving her a deep bow.

"None of that formal stuff needed here. I'm not one of your prissy High Elf kings or queens," she said, then noticed Thorin's expression after those words left her mouth and corrected her statement.

"That is unless you are a High Elf prince, which does indeed seem to be the case now that I give you a closer look," she said, a blush washing over her face alongside her embarrassment. 

Her cheeks burned scarlet, and a laugh escaped Tsubaki's mouth, even as she tried to cover it. Thorin simply sighed and gave me a 'this is what to expect if you become one of us' look, to which I laughed as well. My laughter seemed to cut through the small amount of tension in the room and get us back on track.

"So," Hephaestus said with a cough, "There is talk of magic that needs to be shown to me?" she questioned, her tone more serious. 

"Yeah, I figured it has implications for the familia that are too far above my pay grade," Thorin said with a shrug, building the two women's anticipation.

"Well, out with it then," Hephaestus said, gesturing for me to begin. 

So I strode to the large desk, which undoubtedly weighed at least 500 pounds, and placed my hand on it. Then, I stored it inside my Spatial Storage. For a moment, Tsubaki and Hephaestus stood there silently. Then, Tsubaki let out a long, low whistle.

"Well, that's just unfair. Some of us get crap after half a dozen level-ups, and before you're even blessed, you get infinite storage at the touch of a hand," she said with a loud and dramatic sigh.

"No use complaining, Tsubaki. Some people are destined for greatness," Hephaestus took a long pause, eyeing the younger woman, "And some are not,"

"Haha, very funny. Don't forget who you push half your work onto. Things that are taken for granted may suddenly disappear," Tsubaki reminded the goddess with a raised brow.

They continued to banter back and forth good-naturedly for a few minutes until Thorin coughed loudly. When that didn't work, I had no choice but to step in.

"I don't want to interrupt, but does this mean I'm in?" I asked as I released the desk from my storage in the exact same spot it had been before.

"Well..." Hephaestus began, looking at me intently.

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Sorry, I meant to release this much sooner, but my dad and I were watching LOTR: Return of the King extended edition.