Hephaestus laughed and said, "Ah, the fried potato balls here are indeed very famous, but today I didn't bring you to this shop, but rather another one, a recently rising star in Orario."
"When it was built, you happened to be away from Orario, so today also counts as making up for the congratulations."
The goddess spoke while pointing toward a store not far away.
Following her gaze, Emiya saw a signboard that read [Sushi no Sennin]. The storefront was moderate in size, tidy, and exuded a foreign charm.
"This… is the sushi shop opened by Takemikazuchi-sama?"
Hephaestus nodded, "That's right. Yamato and the others also put in a lot of effort during Haruhime's situation, especially [Martial God's Son] Kashima Ouka. He even took on considerable risk back then."
At that time, [Martial God's Son] Kashima Ouka had been sent as bait to lure [Man Killer] Phryne.
It's said that after that incident, Kashima had nightmares for quite a while.
Hephaestus continued, "So I funded Takemikazuchi to open this sushi shop, and it turned out to be surprisingly popular."
The goddess brought Emiya into the sushi shop. The interior decoration was simple and elegant; the wooden tables and chairs emitted a rustic charm.
"Ah, Hephaestus-sama! Emiya-sama!"
A human girl who was wiping the tables noticed their arrival and immediately looked over in delight. She was a member of Takemikazuchi Familia, Yamato Mikoto.
Yamato Mikoto excitedly approached, her eyes filled with gratitude. In her view, it was thanks to the support from Hephaestus Familia that Takemikazuchi Familia was able to overcome their previous difficulties.
Now, Takemikazuchi no longer had to push a cart and sell sushi on the streets, or work side jobs to make a living, but instead had his own store.
Takemikazuchi was now not only able to send money back to his hometown shrine, but even had surplus funds to purchase better equipment and medicine for his Familia members.
Hephaestus looked at Yamato Mikoto and smiled as she asked, "Mikoto-chan, the matter we talked about earlier, have you and Takemikazuchi-sama thought it through?"
Hearing the goddess's words, Yamato Mikoto immediately turned serious. She looked toward Emiya and solemnly answered, "Yes. Takemikazuchi-sama also believes that if I can join Emiya-sama's team, I will surely be of help. Therefore, please allow me to become Emiya-sama's supporter."
After speaking, she deeply bowed to Hephaestus-sama and Emiya, her tone full of sincerity and determination.
Hephaestus explained to Emiya, "Mikoto-chan possesses two very powerful skills."
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[Yatanokurogarasu]
— Enemy-detection skill; can sense the presence of enemies within the effective range.
— Effective only on monsters. Works better on monsters previously encountered. Detection range increases with level. Can be activated at will.
[Yatanoshirogarasu]
— Can sense the presence of allies within the effective range.
— Only works on those who share the same divine blessing (can be effective with special items). Can be activated at will.
[T/N: You can remember it by this trick; Kuro(Black)=Enemy detection(Yatanokurogarasu), Shiro(White)= Ally Detection(Yatanoshirogarasu)]
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"What amazing skills," After learning the effects of Yamato Mikoto's two skills, Emiya couldn't help but exclaim.
Although neither skill had direct combat power, their usefulness in the dungeon was immeasurable.
Sensing the positions of monsters, sensing the positions of teammates, if Mikoto could do both, then even at just Lv.1, she would still play a crucial role in the dungeon.
In a large Familia, with just these two skills, Yamato Mikoto could be brought deep into the dungeon by first-class adventurers.
"However, Miss Yamato should be the main force of the Takemikazuchi Familia, right? In that case, is it okay…", Emiya asked.
Yamato Mikoto nodded, "The Takemikazuchi Familia is currently adventuring mainly in the area before the twelfth floor. That area has relatively low danger and is stable."
"And to be honest, compared to my skills, in that area, it's still the equipment Hephaestus-sama lent us that is more helpful."
She paused slightly, "Whether it was the rescue of Haruhime, or the support for Takemikazuchi Familia, we truly owe too much to Hephaestus-sama and Emiya-sama. So I hope to use my strength to help Emiya-sama as much as I can."
Emiya also realized that another benefit of choosing Yamato Mikoto as a companion was that she already knew about Haruhime's situation, so there was no worry of information leaking.
Just then, a low and gentle voice came from the kitchen, "Actually, I also have a personal reason."
Emiya and Hephaestus turned their heads and saw the god Takemikazuchi walking out from the kitchen, looking serious and speaking solemnly.
"In the beginning, I was the one who took the initiative to tell Hephaestus-sama about Mikoto's skills."
Takemikazuchi explained, "I hoped that Mikoto-chan could use these two skills to join a high-level team under Hephaestus Familia."
He looked at Yamato Mikoto, his eyes full of loving care, "This child Mikoto, her talent and aptitude are both amazing. Not just the skills, back when she hadn't received the divine blessing, just by following me in martial training, she showed the fastest progress."
Precisely because of her solid foundation in martial arts, even though Mikoto had only just received the divine blessing and hadn't accumulated many ability values, in actual combat, there were very few Lv.1 adventurers in the city who could surpass her.
To have tempered oneself to such a degree before even receiving a divine blessing, this alone was proof of potential.
Kahima Ouka, who had reached Lv.2, was undoubtedly a very talented man. However, in comparison, Yamato Mikoto was truly a genius.
Takemikazuchi spoke, his expression slightly emotional, "To be honest, the current Takemikazuchi Familia has already become a limitation on Mikoto's growth."
For an adventurer like Mikoto who excelled in martial arts, the monsters on the upper floors of the dungeon were too easy, while the mid-level floors were too dangerous to face alone.
Takemikazuchi knew very well that for a genius with outstanding talent like Mikoto, the best way to grow was to be guided by stronger seniors to quickly pass through the initial adjustment phase. Just like Emiya's early training matches with Anya and Ryuu.
However, the current Takemikazuchi Familia didn't have such capabilities.
"So," Takemikazuchi said seriously, looking at Emiya, "If Mikoto can follow an outstanding senior like you, Emiya-kun, and grow rapidly, that would be a good thing for our Familia as well."
Emiya nodded, "I see. I understand now."
He also realized that from all perspectives, this was the best choice. Whether for Emiya's team, for Takemikazuchi Familia, or for Mikoto herself.
"This is a badge I forged by blending in Takemikazuchi's hair," Hephaestus-sama took out a small item from her bosom and handed it to Emiya.
"Shirou, you should also be able to use [Mystery] to create items like this."
Hephaestus continued, "Mikoto's [Yatanoshirogarasu] skill can sense the presence of this badge."
This way, based on the existing skill, Mikoto-chan's [Yatanoshirogarasu] would have even more applications.
One could destroy the badge to make its signal disappear, and thus convey information.
With that, the final link in Emiya's party, the supporter, was finally in place.
Of course, the team composition would not be permanent. Lefiya and Yamato Mikoto might need to temporarily leave due to their Familia's missions or expeditions, and other members, including Emiya himself, might also need to act independently at times.
However, in any case, a stable and well-coordinated team always meant higher efficiency and stronger survivability.
"Speaking of which, it's almost dinner time. Shirou, want to see why Takemikazuchi's shop has become so popular?", Hephaestus-sama said.
As dinner time arrived, [Sushi no Sennin], though not a spacious store, was already packed.
Many diners were lined up outside in a long queue, and when they saw there were no seats left inside, some of them showed regretful expressions.
In the center of the shop, there were no ordinary tables, but instead a round cooking counter, or rather, it looked more like a chopping platform.
There, a strong human male solemnly held a massive tuna and walked up.
His steps were steady and powerful, as if the tuna in his hands weighed over a thousand pounds, each step full of ritualistic gravity.
"Who's that?", Emiya asked quietly.
Hephaestus-sama lowered her voice and explained, "He's a fisherman of the Njord Familia."
The Njord Familia was a production-based faction of great importance to the city, second only in scale to the Demeter Familia.
Their main god Njord governed the sea, fishing, and wealth. Thus, the Familia's primary activities were centered around the port city near Orario—[Melen].
The Njord Familia's main business was ocean fishing. They also ran port transport businesses, continuously bringing the sea's bounty back to the city.
That fisherman was wearing a sailor uniform symbolic of sea-god Familias, and his shoulder bore the Njord Familia's crest, an ocean vessel intertwined with harpoons, giving a very professional impression.
Hephaestus whispered, "Th e main reason we invited someone from the Njord Familia was to enhance the sense of ceremony."
She paused briefly and continued, "These arrangements were all the idea of that little Pallum girl."
———
"To support Takemikazuchi-sama"—for a task like this, a typical executor might only need to deliver the funds approved by the goddess to Takemikazuchi-sama and the mission would be considered complete.
However, Liliruca Arde would not settle for that. For her, someone with "ambition," this was a rare opportunity, a perfect chance to move up, to showcase her ability within the Familia.
Lili: "I want to grow so badly."
The Pallum girl knew very well that only by completing this task in a way far beyond Hephaestus's expectations could she gain the goddess's approval and earn a higher position.
And this was a necessary step to approach that person. Her goal wasn't just to be a store manager or supervisor, she wanted to become someone who could stand beside that person, shoulder to shoulder.
Lili decided to personally investigate the situation of Takemikazuchi Familia. During her research, she even tasted the sushi made by Takemikazuchi himself.
Then, the girl immediately realized that the two most crucial elements in sushi and sashimi, ingredients and knife skills, were both at top-tier level in Takemikazuchi Familia.
In terms of ingredients, the city had the support of the Njord Familia, who could provide the freshest seafood.
As for knife skills, Takemikazuchi, being the God of War, had unparalleled blade technique. Those who learned the sword under him also possessed excellent skills.
Lili approached Takemikazuchi-sama and seriously presented her plan.
However, the honest god Takemikazuchi only wanted to open a simple street-side shop, cheap and stable.
As a result, even Takemikazuchi himself, along with all his Familia members, were scolded into silence by the tiny Pallum girl.
"So lacking in ambition! Never mind. You guys just stay out of it, I'll take care of everything," Lili said this, and in front of the tiny but overwhelmingly imposing Pallum girl, the god didn't even dare open his mouth to object.
Under Lili's meticulous direction, [Sushi no Sennin] quickly began construction.
From location selection to renovation, from marketing strategies to event planning, from dish design to supplier negotiations, every step was personally overseen by Lili.
And now, seeing the bustling store, Emiya already understood why [Takemikazuchi Sushi] had become so popular.
In the center of the store, the Njord Familia fisherman hung the fresh giant tuna on an iron hook.
His face solemn, he bowed toward the hanging tuna and solemnly declared, "Thank you for the ocean's gift."
The fisherman's prayer was sincere, his attitude devout, even evoking an indescribable sense of reverence and emotion, the surrounding diners watched with bated breath.
Without a doubt, this was part of the performance, and the fisherman's acting certainly earned the sushi shop's pay.
After the fisherman stepped down, the real performance began. Yamato Mikoto, dressed in samurai attire, took a deep breath, firmly gripped her katana, and stepped onto the cooking stage.
Culinary preparation showcase, the Blade Dance of Fish Slicing, this was Lili's genius idea.
Lili perfectly leveraged another advantage of Takemikazuchi Familia. Despite their small size, nearly every member was highly attractive, especially the 190 cm tall, imposing Kahima Ouka and the beautiful Yamato Mikoto.
With Takemikazuchi present, it was easy to design a spectacular "fish-slicing blade dance" for them.
Building on this, Lili divided [Sushi no Sennin]'s seating into two parts. One half by strict reservation, the other requiring queues.
At this point, it had become art.
Today, Yamato Mikoto's appearance excited many of the guests.
The twice-weekly "Blade Dance" performance rotated among Takemikazuchi Familia members, but the most popular was undoubtedly this beautiful girl.
She was dressed especially formally today, with less exposed skin than usual, clad in a full samurai outfit that radiated heroic spirit.
However, today was a little different. Just as Yamato Mikoto prepared to take the stage, Takemikazuchi-sama stepped forward and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Today, let me," Takemikazuchi said gently.
"What the hell? We came to see Mikoto-chan!", Some impatient male adventurers shouted when the god appeared instead of the pretty girl.
However, in the next instant, the entire shop fell silent.
All the noise ceased in a heartbeat, because Takemikazuchi-sama had drawn his blades.
Not weapons for battle, but two ordinary kitchen knives.
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