Arriving at the workshop it was filled with high-class smithing equipment like his own workshop.

“Like it? it’s actually one of mine.” Said Hephaestus.

“I can tell, everything is so neatly organized for practically and efficiency.”

“Thanks, now can I see that cursed sword Cirrus.”

“…” Cirrus stares at her and remembered Hera asked her to look into the sword. “Alright but I’m sure you know what the curse does?”

She nods her head and Cirrus hands it to her.

“It’s…light?” she said surprised.

“I made it so.” He draws it from her hands and holds it up. The runes glow and fade off. “There it’s now a bit heavier.” He sheathes it back and Hephaestus could feel the weight change.

“D-did you get rid of the curse!?”

“No, I simply endured it for 3 hours. It was utter agony Hera had fun watching me roll around in pain before getting bored and returning to her gardening.”

“So you did get it from Hera…” Hephaestus said looking at the blade carefully on a table. “I’m assuming she knew who you were before you announced your heritage?”

“Yeah.” Cirrus took out the branch he got from Ardi. “She mentioned as I was rolling around in pain that it was when I fought the Hecatoncheires. In the end when I fell unconscious my mask disappeared, and she saw a glimpse of my face before Ouranos forcibly shut the Divine Mirrors.”

“Ah…how did you meet her? Or more accurately where?”

“Melen, she’s under Lord Poseidon’s protection and she asked that if Loki, Freya, Hermes, or any other god who knows of Gram asks where she is to deny them and threaten them with some extortion, well except you of course. Hera seems to be fond of you.” Cirrus takes out two daggers with holes in the handles and throws them up on the ceiling. “(Damocles).”

Cirrus holds the branch and maneuvers a shaving tool to carefully craft it.

“I bet she is.” She then took a seat. “And you better have a dam good reason for stabbing my ceiling.”

“These are a little inventions I made; I call them Sound Eaters. Stab them on a surface and they’ll eat the sound within the room, I have some prototypes in my own workshop since lightning will wake the neighbors.”

“Heh…” she looks at the daggers and finds them rather well made. “You plan on selling them?”

“Not really, in these times these are too dangerous for Evilus to use.”

“Hmm…very well…can I ask how you feel meeting Hera? I mean she was your mother’s goddess?”

“I felt…a bit happy, it was strange to look at her face and be reminded she isn’t my actual mother…but thankful she isn’t. She’s far, far more insufferable.”

“I feel you. I would hate for her to be my mom, trying to impress her to no avail.”

“…I also find it strange how easy it is to talk to you sometimes Lady Hephaestus.”

“I get that a fair bit, after all, I’m not gonna attract people with my eye.”

“So you worked on your personality rather than your beauty, how very healthy of you. Most gods I've seen and met are beautiful but have horrible personalities.”

“Oh? I’m interested to know?” she said with a grin on her face.

“I rather not, I can see the businesswoman in that eye of yours.”

“Fine, I need to get going anyways. See you kid.”

“Wait! Before you leave can you do me a solid?”

“Depends on what it is?”

“Can you tell me the exact details on Gram? And its exact details on Gram’s specs?”

“I could but I would have to take it from you for a bit.”

“So long as you bring it back when I’m done.”

“It’s a done deal.”

Hephaestus took the blade then she took her to leave.

“…She is like a cool older sister that’s always there in case you need someone to talk to…maybe if she was an option back then I would have picked her to be my goddess…oh well. Hecton.”

From his shadows, Hecton places more Sound Eaters in the room carefully so as to not leave any damage.

“Let’s get this fuckin done. (Damocles, Sing)!!”

 

The next morning.

“Here,” said Cirrus handing Shakti the weapon.

“So fast…is this really the sacred branch?” she said looking at its refined and gilded look to it having a mix of a wooden sword and staff with a metal lining.

“Yup, now if you excuse me I need to deliver these two swords to Ottar.

“Thank you, I’ll give this to Ryuu as soon as I can.”

“Hm.”

 

Walking to Babel, Cirrus didn’t know if Ottar was at his Familia’s home, but he does know Freya will be in her room in Babel.

“Hey is Freya in?” Cirrus said to one of her guards.

“Sir Kirin. What brings you here?”

“I came to drop off some stuff for Ottar.”

“Sorry sir he isn’t-“

“Let him in Noga.” She said from her room.

He opens the door and Cirrus walks in.

Freya was watching out the window in a black and red attire that shows off her stomach and breasts with two flower ornaments in her hair.

“Nice view.” He said looking out the window.

“Nice isn’t it. It has the best view in the city.” She turned to see him, and she slightly squinted and got closer to Cirrus. “My you really do have her eyes…I’m glad you only inherited her most charming features.” She said as she sat on her red chair-like throne. “Are you here to drop off the swords I ordered?”

“Yeah.” Cirrus walked over to the wall of books and leaned the swords on them. “They should be more than enough.”

“Tell me Cirrus, how was Hera when you met her?” She said not even looking at him, she simply stared out the window.

“Was it the sword?”

“Yes, I can smell the stench of the one-eyed lunatic's weapons and that arrogant goddess’s liquor on your breath.”

“Is it that noticeable? Dam I need some mint or something.” Cirrus said looking through her books.

“So how was she? Still arrogant as before?”

“Hmm…I would say so, I think her arrogance mellowed out because of who my mom was. She does I think have regrets about the fates of her Familia. Her house is filled with bottles of wine…maybe she was drunk when I met her?”

“I doubt it. She can hold her liquor far better than any god I ever met. Anything else?”

“One last thing she did enjoy me rolling around in agonizing pain when I was trying to use the sword.”

“Fufu yes that is like her to do. Did she tell you of what its curse is before you grabbed the blade?”

“She did, she said she wanted to give it to me as a way to remember her and my mother…”

“And does it?”

“No, I will always remember my mother the night she left me as a baby, that experience will be the only thing I have of her. This sword, however.” Cirrus draws it and holds it up. “Is a reminder that I’m going to fucking punch Odin in his other eye that one-eyed bitch!! Gods fucking dammit!! Who in their right fucking minds make a cursed sword where the longer you hold it the more pain is increased!!” Cirrus shouted out.

“Fa-hahaha!!” Freya laughed out for the first time. “Ah…yes, Odin does have that effect on people, If you see Hera again, one I’m very sorry and two do tell her I will win next time.”

“Sure thing.” Cirrus nods his head and sheathes his sword. “See ya.” He opens the door and leaves the room.

“House full of wine huh?” Freya thinks about it for a second. “Well, that’s surprising for you, you old hag. I didn’t think you would drown yourself in your favorite drink. Even you cold-heartless woman have a heart for your children huh?” Freya got up and walked to the great swords Cirrus made and unwrapped them. “Beautiful, I should really ask him to make me something.”

 

Back at Cirrus’s home.

“I’m back!!” shouted Cirrus.

“Did you get my cake!” shouted Nox.

“Yeah, here.” Cirrus holds out a box and Nox quickly gets it.

“Ooooh!!” she then quickly heads to the kitchen.

“So how was the smithing?” asked Ai.

“Eh? I just want to eat and sleep.”

“Well take a bath and I’ll get the food ready!”

“Thanks.”

Cirrus gets some new clothes and heads into the bath.

“Ah…oh well.” He put all of his stuff off and got into the tub. “Ahhh….fuck…I’m hungry.”

Cirrus stays in for a bit and gets out and gets dressed, when he goes to the kitchen he finds a hearty dinner.

“Eat up!!!”

Cirrus’s mouth watered as he feasted, with each bite he could feel his body jump in joy and fill with energy.

“Say where is Circe?” asked Ai.

“Oh, she’s still helping injured people.” Said Nox.

“She is rather hard-working huh? When I was bringing people to get healed I saw her working on several potions.”

“I’ll need to give her something for all the work she has been doing.” Cirrus said.

“So how long do you think it would take for Finn to make a plan?” asked Ai.

“Not too long, Finn has been doing this for years now.”

“That’s true but aren’t you a strategist?”

“Hah!” Nox said. “Strategist!? His plans were good, but they were entirely reliant on his own abilities! He simply ordered his men simple to do orders while he did the muscle work.”

“Yeah I was more of a simple plan guy, brute force and guerrilla warfare were my strengths. If anything did go wrong Nox was my ace in the hole.”

“Yup! Well, I’m finished. I’ll be taking a bath and heading to bed, see ya in the morning! Make sure you don’t make any noise!” She put the plate in the sink and left.

Alone in the kitchen Ai darts her eyes.

“So umm…” Her tail begins to wag, and her ears begin to show signs of fidgeting. “S-shall we head to bed?”

Cirrus finishes his food and places his plate in the sink. He turned to Ai.

“Um…” He didn’t feel up for it, Hera had ruined their first time but Ai didn’t know this and he didn’t want to make her feel bad in any way. “How about we just you know cuddle or something?”

“…” Ai looks at him for a second. “That’s fine!”

It was not fine. Cirrus learned something new about Ai that night, she is very aggressive but he held strong in his convictions.

 

The next morning sitting outside his own home Cirrus looks up at the sky.

“… It's been cloudy for so long that it is nice to see the blue sky.”

“Yeah…” said Eupheme who just got back from work. “Can I get another pour?”

“Sure thing.” Cirrus pours her another cool drink.

“Thanks, Glug! Glug! Ahh~! That hits the spot!”

“Glad you like it.”

“Hm…so what are you going to do today?” Eupheme asks.

“…Probably visit a friend I lost, maybe something else.”

“Ah…I see…do you think this war will end soon?”

“…I hope so.”

“…I’m going to sleep, it was nice to get some cool refreshments before hitting the hay, oh and hey you have a bite mark on your shoulder. See you later.” She said getting up and leaving for her own home.

Cirrus took out a mirror from his shoulder to have found his left shoulder had a bite mark.

‘Did you actually mark your territory Ai!?’

“Haa…” he takes a deep breath. “Nox could you take care of Circe? They have been working hard.”

‘Sure thing and from what I have been seeing or well lack of thereof it seems Evilus are not gonna be doing anything.’

“How nice of them to do that for us, I’m sure they plan on doing something massive.”

‘Well for today they aren’t so enjoy the day.’

“Hm, I will. Ai went to get her status updated so I have some free time.”

 

Arriving at the Adventures Graveyard in the Southeast section of the city Cirrus comes with flowers and a drink.

“Hey there Lydia, sorry I finally came.” He kneels down and places the flowers on her grave. “I even brought you your favorite drink….we never did get the drink together.”