Chapter Text
Chapter 14
Lisbeth
"Um, excuse me. I was wondering if the shop owner is here? I'd like to get a new sword."
The deep voice of a young man asked for the owner of the weapon shop, his eyes scanning the interior. The solo female player slowly lifted her head, her gaze locking onto the young man's face before her. A simple but sincere face, light brown eyes that shone with a polite glimmer, and brown hair that looked like it had never been styled—this man was...
Kirito?
The name echoed in her mind. Though her lips remained sealed, a torrent of emotions flowed back through her like a tidal wave. He hadn't even noticed her yet, as he was focused on looking deeper into the shop.
She said nothing, merely walking past him quietly, gently pushing open the wooden door and leaving the place. She couldn't believe her eyes; that even now, the young man was still relying on himself.
And more than that, he was still "him," just as he had always been.
But before she could leave, Prairie accidentally bumped into another player.
"Agh! Who just walked into me?"
The young woman, having just gathered her wits, looked up at the person taller than her. The voice of a stubborn young man rang out, slightly annoyed. It seemed this man had followed the swordsman named Kirito. Prairie quickly took a small step back, composing herself as she looked at him.
But judging by the armor he wore, which bore an insignia of white and black wings, it must be the symbol of some guild. In that case…
"I guess I was wrong..." she murmured softly, as if speaking to herself.
"That boy must have a social ...unlike me, still just a solo player, never truly a part of anything."
Her hand tightened on the hilt of her sword for a moment before quickly relaxing. "I hope he hasn't heard the 'rumors' about me..."
Prairie walked away for good, but little did she know that her soft murmur had been perfectly audible to the stubborn young man.
"Huh? What was that woman mumbling about? How weird."
He frowned, glancing back in the direction she had gone. But before he could say more, the gloomy-faced young woman stepped in front of him.
"Just let it go, Eren." she said, her firm tone leaving no room for questions.
Eren looked away, but his eyes still held a trace of curiosity. He whispered softly, "But she looked sad... Mikasa."
"Don't get yourself involved with a stranger like her. Weren't we going to look at the weapons Kirito recommended?"
Mikasa's voice remained cool and flat, but it was laced with a pressure that forced Eren to tear his gaze away from the path the strange woman had just taken. He frowned slightly.
"It's just that... she looked lonely," he mumbled, not entirely pleased, but ultimately followed his friend into the shop.
"By the way... that woman was... um... very beautiful, don't you think, Eren?" Armin, who had been trailing behind them, commented, glancing at where Prairie had walked off. Before Eren could even open his mouth to reply, Mikasa's voice cut in instantly.
"Don't you dare answer that, Eren." Mikasa said at once, a hint of jealousy showing.
"Hey! I didn't say anything, Mikasa! Calm down," he said, raising both hands slightly in a gesture of surrender.
"Yeah, Mikasa, let's all calm down," Armin added with a quick, dry laugh, trying to restore a sense of normalcy, though he felt a little strange himself.
She was just a stranger we passed for a few seconds, so why is the atmosphere so tense...
"Welcome to the Lindarth Weapon Shop! Is there any weapon you're looking for?" The bright voice of the young shop owner rang out, accompanied by a smile as refreshing as the morning sun as she emerged from the back of the shop.
The young man in the black coat turned away from his inspection of the sword rack, a faint smile on his face. "I'm looking for a one-handed sword with good balance. Something to use alongside the other sword I already have."
Eren, standing behind Kirito, began to wonder why he would want another sword when the one he had was already so good. "Hey, Kirito, isn't your sword already fine?"
Kirito glanced at Eren out of the corner of his eye before letting out a soft laugh, deftly twirling the sword in his hand. "It's fine, but in some situations, you need a lighter, faster sword to balance out a heavier one," he said with a faint smile.
Eren scrunched his brow, murmuring, "I get that... but isn't carrying two swords a bit too heavy...?"
When Kirito and the young shop owner made direct eye contact, she, Lisbeth, who had a knack for sizing up customers, found herself hesitating. A young man with a single sword on his back, a black coat, and no armor... she wondered if she should even bother negotiating with this player.
Can he even afford it? He doesn't look like he has enough money to buy one of my weapons... she thought to herself.
"Whoa... Eren, look at this! This sword is beautiful. Try holding it." Armin's voice rang out, causing Lisbeth to whip around from the counter instantly, a proud smile spreading across her face.
"Ah! That sword is one of my limited-edition pieces that I just finished forging last week!" Lisbeth said, walking closer.
"You made this yourself...? That's amazing." Eren said, letting the compliment slip out. Suddenly, a murderous aura emanated from behind him.
"Hmm?" A cool, flat voice cut in from behind, carrying a pressure as immense as the chill in the deepest part of a dungeon. Mikasa stood with her arms crossed, her sharp gaze fixed on Eren with the intensity of a silent assassin.
"Eren."
"Wh-what? I... I was just complimenting a skilled blacksmith, Mikasa! Don't look at me like that!" Eren cried, frantically covering his face. Kirito and Armin, standing nearby, could barely contain their laughter.
Lisbeth herself got goosebumps and almost ducked under the table. From the looks of it, the gloomy young woman was showing signs of jealousy, and the young man seemed to be quite close to her...
They must be important to each other...
The little heart of the blacksmith. In truth, the reason she opened her weapon shop for everyone, besides meeting and interacting with various people... was partly because she was waiting for 'someone important' who could protect her. It was a small hope, a hope that someone would step into her life, not just to order a sword or polish a rapier.
She gave a faint smile as she placed the newly sharpened sword down on the table, handing it politely to Eren. "I'd be happy if you really wanted it, but it looks like the price might be a bit steep. Maybe—"
"Wait a moment." a soft, deep voice interjected.
"What is it, Kirito?" Eren asked as Kirito walked quietly to the table. His onyx eyes scanned the sword Lisbeth had just handed to Eren before he spoke in a serious but unpressured tone.
"May I compare the performance of that sword?"
Lisbeth's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Huh?... Test its performance... how?"
Before she could ask further, the black-clad swordsman drew his Elucidator, a sword he had gotten as a drop from a 50th-floor monster some time ago. Lisbeth's eyes widened even more. Not only was this sword not from a regular shop, but it was a top-tier magic sword. She watched as he prepared to test the performance, laying his own sword flat and then using his other hand, which held her sword, to strike against his...
Lisbeth quickly reached out her hands, as if to stop him by instinct. "Wait a minute! Are you going to test a sword of that level against one I just finished forging!? If it breaks—"
CLANG!
The sound of metal striking metal echoed through the shop, followed a second later by a horrifying cracking sound. The tip of Lisbeth's freshly forged sword fell to the floor, separating from the main blade before dissolving into faint, scattering pixels in the air.
The atmosphere in the shop froze, as if time had stopped...
"N-no way..." Lisbeth's mouth fell open, her face filled with shock. Her voice was hoarse. "...It broke... Mine... it broke...?"
Noooooooooo!
Kirito was also taken aback for a moment. He looked at the sword in his hand and slowly lowered his arm. His expression wasn't one of shock, but rather a firm look of serious evaluation. His three companions, Eren, Mikasa, and Armin, were just as stunned.
"How dare you come in here and disrespect my work like this!"
Kirito froze instantly as Lisbeth grabbed him by the collar. The small hands gripping his shirt trembled with an explosive burst of emotion. It wasn't just anger, but also disappointment, grief, and the feeling that her heartfelt work had been crushed right before her eyes.
"W-well... I didn't know your sword was that—"
"Oh, I get it. You're trying to say my sword is too crappy to even be sold, is that it!" Her eyes glistened, tears welling up uncontrollably.
"N-no, that's not it at all! Just listen to me!" Kirito quickly raised his hands.
"Let's all calm down... both of you," Armin interjected, raising a hand between Kirito and Lisbeth, as if to block the flames of emotion flaring between them.
"I mean... Lisbeth-san, you didn't mean for it to break, right? And Kirito just didn't expect it to be that fragile."
"You... will be taking responsibility for my work." Lisbeth said, pointing a finger at Kirito, her expression so serious that even Eren took a step back. "You have to go find the metal, or the ore, that will let me repair it or forge a new one."
Kirito sighed softly, raising his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright... Just tell me where I need to go and what I need to find. I'll take care of it."
"Good!" Lisbeth's head snapped up at once. "Right now, it seems there's a rare ore hidden on the 55th floor. Given how hard it is to find, that ore should have abilities comparable to your Elucidator."
She sighed and continued. "That ore can only be found from a specific monster in a single location in an ice mine, deep in the western part of the map... from what I know."
Eren, who was listening nearby, looked dumbfounded. "That doesn't sound easy at all..."
"Of course it's hard! That's why I need you to do it for me!" Lisbeth replied with a slight smirk.
She cleared her throat softly and put on a thoughtful expression, as if she had just remembered something. "But from the looks of it, I'll have to go with you anyway..."
"What...? Someone like you?" Kirito's eyes widened at her bravery.
"I'm a master-level of club user, just so you know. Besides, to collect a rare mineral like that, you'll need a smith like me."
Kirito looked at Lisbeth in surprise for a moment before a faint smile broke out.
"Okay... if you put it like that, I guess I can't refuse," he said, scratching the back of his neck lightly. "But I have one condition... just try not to hit me over the head with your mace along the way."
.
.
.
"You're pretty brave, saying you'll go alone with her. Are you sure you'll be okay?" Eren asked with a hint of concern as the four of them were walking back.
Kirito raised an eyebrow slightly upon hearing Eren's words, then gave a knowing, dry laugh. "Well... I didn't really intend to drag her along, but Lisbeth said it herself. How could I refuse?" he said with a shrug.
Mikasa narrowed her eyes at him before adding, her voice flat but sharp. "You should be careful... She might not be just an ordinary blacksmith."
Kirito nodded. "I know... that's why I'm not underestimating her."
"By the way... tomorrow you're joining the raid with Captain Levi's squad, right, Eren?" Armin asked.
"Yeah... and I can't mess up like before..." he said, clenching his fists at his sides, as if to remind himself that he would not fail again, no matter what he had to face.
"good luck with your hunt on the 55th floor. I trust you,buddy."
"You try not to be too reckless yourself," Kirito, who had been listening quietly from behind, said in a firm voice.
It seemed the friendship between the two of them had grown stronger...
To be Continued.