Shido looked at his sword that shattered into countless shards of light in his hands, and said, "Good work. Thank you for your support until now."
It might have been just a starting piece of equipment, but it had been a great help to him all this time, so he felt a twinge of loss at seeing it destroyed.
Still, his expression quickly returned to normal, even showing a hint of satisfaction as a notification of the Field Boss's defeat appeared, followed by a window displaying the item drops and rewards he had received.
Looking at the rewards, Shido nodded in satisfaction and said, "Not too bad."
He was lost in thought when Lisbeth's amazed voice rang out from behind him. She had already walked over.
"...You're strong… that was amazing!"
Lisbeth's eyes shone as she gazed at Shido, but in her excitement, she seemed to have forgotten about personal space. Her face was now just inches from his, so close that even the slightest movement could cause them to bump noses.
"Well… before I say anything else, could you step back a bit? You're a little too close," Shido said, he didn't feel embarrassed keeping his gaze locked on her eyes.
Realizing her mistake, Lisbeth's face turned bright red, embarrassed at having gotten carried away. She quickly stepped back to put some distance between them and let out an awkward laugh.
"...Ahahaha, sorry about that."
Watching her flustered reaction, Shido couldn't help but smile. Lisbeth really was a bit of a clutz. He shook his head gently and said, "No, it's okay. I was just a little surprised."
"But you should be careful around guys next time, otherwise they might misunderstand your action, okay?"
"...Un, I'll keep that in mind." Lisbeth lowered her head, her cheeks flushed with shyness and embarrassment. Still, she didn't really mind if Shido happened to misunderstand her.
"Still, you're okay, right? You almost got yourself killed just now," Shido asked, glancing at her HP, which was now safely back in the green zone.
"Yes, I drank an HP potion, so I'm fine now. Anyway, thank you for saving me. My name is Lisbeth. And you?" she said, smiling as she introduced herself.
"My name is Setsuna. Nice to meet you, Lisbeth." Shido replied.
Lisbeth's face lit up with a bright smile at Shido's words. "Likewise, Shido!"
Shido nodded, smiling in return, but couldn't resist asking, "By the way, what are you doing here alone? This place is far too secluded for players to just wander into."
Lisbeth felt a little awkward. The real reason she had come here was that she'd been too bored to wait for her party and had decided to charge in by herself. Then an idea struck her, and she asked, "Wait… aren't you here alone too?"
Unsure of how to react, Shido finally sighed and began to explain his situation. "Actually…"
…
"I see. So you were new to the game, got transferred to a different area, and then got lost." Lisbeth asked again as if to confirm everything.
Shido nodded. "...Well, that should be about right."
"Now that's weird. Shouldn't you have been transferred to your hometown? Why did you suddenly end up near the Sylphs' territory?"
"...That's exactly what I want to know." Shido replied.
If only he knew the reason, he wouldn't be so confused. However, his failed transfer might be related to the recent update of the game.
"Hmmm… well, there's no use overthinking it. By the way, since you don't seem to have any plans right now, do you want to come with me to my shop?"
"Your shop?"
"Yes, I'm a blacksmith, after all." Lisbeth explained.
Shido listened with curiosity and replied, "Well, I don't particularly mind."
Hearing his response, Lisbeth's face lit up with happiness and said. "That's great!"
Still even though she was quite excited that Shido would go with her, Lisbeth remembered her purpose in the forest. "Ah! Wait a moment, I'll just mine this item."
With that, she retrieved her pickaxe from her inventory and began working on the ore she had come for. Shido, on the other hand, stood silently behind her, watching her work with curiosity. Lisbeth focused on mining the amethyst-like crystal, carefully striking at the rock.
Lisbeth had now grown serious as she mined the crystal, but even in her focused state, Shido could tell she was enjoying herself. It might have been just mining, but to her, it was a source of joy and fulfillment, especially knowing that she could use the materials she gathered to forge quality equipment.
It didn't take long for Lisbeth to finish mining the crystal as her <
Once she had gathered all her items, Lisbeth turned back to Shido with a bright smile. "I got my materials. Let's go."
Shido nodded in agreement, and the two began walking out of the cave. Along the way, they talked about many things. Lisbeth was especially curious about how Shido could be so strong despite just entering the game, though she wondered if it might have something to do with his real-life abilities.
Their conversation was light and playful. Shido even teased Lisbeth, making her puff her cheeks in annoyance, but deep down, she didn't really mind.
Unknowingly their relationship became much closer without both of them noticing. Lisbeth cheerfully told Shido about herself and her friends, her excitement evident on her face as he listened. She might be a bit clumsy, but her bright, happy smile was undeniably cute, and Shido had to admit it to himself.
"Right, I remember your sword should be destroyed, right?"
"Yes, it got destroyed after I landed my final strike on the boss."
Hearing his words, Lisbeth thought back to Shido's 10-hit OSS and her lips twitched in as she recalled that Shido might probably became the current holder of the stronger OSS.
He just entered the game, yet he had already created an OSS and a 10-hit OSS at that. Even Kirito might not be able to do that so easily.
But Lisbeth still said, "I see. Then, as a thank-you, I'll use the materials I gather to make you a new sword!"
Surprised by her declaration, Shido raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? Making a custom weapon must be pretty expensive, right?"
Lisbeth waved her hand nonchalantly. "Don't worry, don't worry. I'll give it to you for free, as a token of my thanks."
Thinking she had misunderstood his words, Shido smiled wryly. "That's not what I meant. I meant… wouldn't it be a loss for you?"
"Oh, that's what you mean. You don't have to worry about that, it's not actually that expensive to make," Lisbeth said dismissively, then added, "By the way, what kind of sword do you want?"
Since Lisbeth said that it's okay, then it would be rude to reject her anymore, especially since she was doing it to express her gratitude so Shido replied. "I prefer using long sword."
"Long sword, huh? Got it! I'll make your sword when we go back to my shop." Lisbeth pumped her fist in excitement at the thought of making Shido's sword. Her enthusiasm was somehow amusing, which Shido found cute, and he couldn't help but chuckle.
"Thank you."
"No problem. I'll make you a good sword."
Along the way, they encountered the same type of golem-like monsters and easily defeated them. Shido cleared most of the enemies, using an axe that Lisbeth had lent, though Lisbeth managed to take down a few herself. Still, she was left speechless as she watched Shido effortlessly massacre the rest of the monsters.
Even though he was new to the game, Lisbeth had to admit that Shido's mastery and skills were exceptional, so much so that she even thought he might be stronger than Kirito. Yet, she quickly shook her head when she thought back about Kirito.
Lisbeth suddenly felt a twinge of guilt for some reason as she thought of Kirito. She had originally liked Kirito, but after meeting Shido, her heart began to sway. Being with him was fun, and she found herself wondering if it might be better to be with Shido instead.
On top of that, Kirito was already in love with Asuna. Perhaps it was time to let go of her feelings for him and be with someone who could make her smile so brightly.
Their meeting might have been brief, but she knew Shido was a kind person, and it was genuinely fun being with him.
At this point, their relationship was quietly growing closer, though Lisbeth didn't realize it as she was too busy enjoying her time with Shido. Still, she had to admit, it was really fun talking to him.