Chapter 14 – Forging the Blade
After receiving the blacksmith's address from Asuna, Kamikawa Hikaru made his way to Lindarth, the main city on Floor 48.
"This should be the place."
In front of him stood a small wooden building shaped like a windmill. As he stepped inside, he was greeted by rows of weapons neatly displayed on the walls.
"Welcome to Lisbeth's Smith Shop!"
A cheerful voice called out. A girl with pink hair came out from the back room, wiping her hands on her apron. The moment she laid eyes on Hikaru, her expression shifted to one of shock.
"Y-You're the Red Black Sword?!"
"Huh?" Hikaru raised a brow. "How can you tell?"
He was dressed in plain black clothes, no visible weapon in sight. There was nothing particularly flashy about him today.
"Easy. Asuna told me all about you," Lisbeth replied proudly, pointing a finger upward. "I'm Lisbeth! So, Mr. Red Black Sword—what kind of weapon are you looking to forge?"
"You can just call me Hikaru. As for the weapon... I want you to forge the strongest longsword you can possibly make with your current skills." He smiled and opened his inventory, pulling out a pile of rare materials and placing them in front of her. "Use whatever you need. I want something razor-sharp."
"These... these are all rare ores!" Lisbeth's eyes sparkled as she gazed at the shimmering materials. Her heart pounded in excitement. Just touching them felt like holding buried treasure.
"I'll give it my best shot." She thumped her chest with confidence. "To be honest, if I can't forge you something worthy with these, I don't think anyone else in SAO can."
"That confident, huh?"
"It's not just confidence. I'm the one who upgrades all of Asuna's and the assault team's gear," she said with a proud grin. Then, gesturing toward the back room, she added, "Come on in."
"Sure." Hikaru followed her into the forge behind the storefront.
"Place the materials here." She pointed to a large wooden table. "I'll analyze what can be used."
With a swift motion, Hikaru laid out all the rare ores on the table.
Lisbeth stared at the sparkling minerals with a borderline lovestruck expression. Hikaru couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable.
"Ahem—" Lisbeth snapped out of it and quickly changed the subject. "So, what kind of sword are you envisioning? Speed-type? Power-type?"
"Can you do both? Actually... just make it better than this."
Hikaru drew his crimson sword and placed it on the table.
"May I?" Lisbeth reached out, but the moment she grabbed it, her eyes widened. It was so heavy she could barely lift it. With great effort, she managed to slide it onto the workbench and open its stats screen.
She froze.
"...Lisbeth?" Hikaru waved a hand in front of her face.
"Ah?! S-Sorry!" she stammered. "I didn't expect this! These stats... This sword is several times stronger than most Demon-tier drops from Floor Bosses! To outdo this one would be... honestly, borderline impossible."
No wonder the rumors about the Red Black Sword were so widespread.
"But…" Lisbeth turned her gaze back to the rare ores and grinned. "I might not be able to surpass this completely, but I can get close. After that, you can enhance it further. I'll help you with the upgrades—no charge."
"Then I'll leave it in your hands."
"Come back in two days," Lisbeth said after a quick estimate. "It should be ready by then."
"I'm counting on you."
"It's me who should be thanking you. Working with this kind of material is a blacksmith's dream." She smiled to herself as Hikaru turned toward the door.
But the moment he opened it—thud! Something slammed into his chest.
"Ow...!"
A familiar figure held her head, groaning.
"A-Asuna?!"
Looking up, she blinked in surprise. "H-Hikaru-kun…?"
"Wow, talk about timing," Lisbeth said as she came from behind, pulling Asuna into a warm hug. "What brings you here? Need a repair or upgrade?"
"Just an enhancement today," Asuna replied with a soft smile. "Been a while, huh?"
"You're the most frequent customer among the assault team," Lisbeth teased. Her eyes sparkled when she noticed the emerald earrings dangling from Asuna's ears. "Are those... earrings?! What's with the glow-up? Is this really the Asuna I know?"
"L-Lisbeth!" Asuna nudged her away with a flushed face.
Hikaru finally noticed the earrings too. "They suit you," he said genuinely. "You look... really elegant."
"You really think so?" Asuna's eyes widened slightly. Seeing him nod, her lips curled into a happy smile.
Lisbeth, who had been quietly observing them, narrowed her eyes in suspicion. Then she muttered, "So the new look's for him, huh?"
"By the way, aren't you joining today's assault?"
"No. After what happened yesterday, the leader gave me a day off," she replied. "Oh, and he sent a message—he wants to meet you."
"Him?" Hikaru narrowed his eyes. "Tell him... I'll come in two days."
"Alright, I'll let him know." Asuna glanced at the ores on the table and gasped. "Did you bring all of these?"
"Yep. I asked Lisbeth to forge me a sword, so I gave her everything. They're no use just sitting in my inventory."
"I knew you were loaded, but this much rare material... That's insane."
"Don't compare yourself to me," Hikaru chuckled. "You'll never win."
"Hmph..." Asuna crossed her arms with a pout.
"Lisbeth, I'm leaving my rapier with you," she said, unfastening her weapon and handing it over. Lisbeth took it with a nod and began working.
"Hikaru-kun, mind if we sit and talk for a bit?"
"I don't mind."
They moved to a wooden bench and sat down, casually chatting while Lisbeth worked.
Watching them, Lisbeth murmured with a smile, "Looks like she's found something important…"
—
"You handled all that on your own?" Asuna asked, eyes wide in disbelief.
"You're amazing too, Asuna," Hikaru replied, laughing.
Just then, Lisbeth returned and handed over Asuna's upgraded rapier. "Here you go. All done."
"Thanks so much," Asuna said, her voice soft with gratitude.
But Lisbeth's eyes drifted toward the entrance. "Looks like we've got another visitor."
Hikaru and Asuna exchanged glances and followed her into the storefront.
There, standing in his familiar black outfit, was someone they both recognized.
"Kirito-kun?!" Asuna blurted out.
Kirito turned and grinned. "Oh, hey! Fancy seeing you two here."
"You're here for an upgrade too?" Asuna asked.
"Yeah, just some quick enhancements," he replied casually.
"Alright, we'll leave you to it," Asuna said, waving. "Hikaru-kun and I still have things to do."
They left the shop together.
"…They disappeared fast," Lisbeth muttered with a faint smile.
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