Early morning, Hachiman visited Asuna's inn.
"Guidebook's done," he said.
"Nice. Heading north tomorrow. Join me?"
"Sure."
"Sorry, but can I have some milk?"
"Uh, yeah, hang on."
As Asuna fetched it, Hachiman mumbled, "Finally… soul… k…"
(Soul?) Asuna wondered, handing him the milk.
"Thanks. Heading out today?" he asked.
"Yeah, checking the church, then exploring town."
"Be careful."
"You too, Hachiman-kun."
Watching him leave, Asuna sensed his good mood. (Something nice happen?)
Feeling uplifted, she headed to the church. Peeking in, she saw elderly folks, kids younger than her, and calm adults, all getting along.
(Good, it's working out.)
Voices came from the entrance. A tall, burly black man spoke to someone inside.
"Egir-san, thanks as always."
"No trouble, just doing what I can."
(Egir, huh? Big guy. Sounds kind.)
Asuna noted his name, picturing a gentle giant, and continued exploring. She browsed clothes, bought street food.
(Food's so-so… Maybe cooking skills would help.)
Deciding to take the skill, she returned to her inn, refreshed from a calm day, and slept early, ready for tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Hachiman, after a day of tinkering, exclaimed, "Finally done!"
He savored his long-awaited drink, ecstatic.
Next day, they headed north, distributing guidebooks in villages along the way, arriving at Tolbana.
"Big town. Split up?" Hachiman suggested.
"Sure, I'll take that side," Asuna said.
"I'll go this way. Meet at that fountain."
"Got it! Later!"
Asuna handed out guidebooks smoothly. At the last shop, a player approached.
"What's that?"
"A guidebook with useful info. Want one?"
Smiling, Asuna offered it. The player, peering through their hood, gasped, "A girl…"
They opened their hood, beaming. "Hi, I'm Lisbeth. Call me Liz!"
"Nice to meet you, Liz! I'm Asuna."
"So glad to meet another girl! It's been lonely."
"Same!"
They hit it off, chatting about game life—debatably true girl talk. Time flew. Spotting Hachiman, Asuna called, "Sorry, Liz, one sec," and ran to him.
"Sorry for the wait, Hachiman-kun."
"Thought something happened. Came to check."
Asuna explained meeting Liz and introduced them.
"Hey, Liz. I'm Hachiman."
"Call me Liz. Nice to meet you!"
"Got it, Liz."
Liz, finding Hachiman shady, asked bluntly, "You two dating?"
"Don't tease, Liz!" Asuna laughed.
Hachiman, unfazed, said, "Just friends. Me as her boyfriend? That'd be bad for her."
"Hachiman-kun," Asuna said, her tone sharp.
Sensing her anger, he apologized. "Sorry, Asuna. Must've upset you."
"You don't get it. I'm mad because you put yourself down to clarify we're not dating. I see you as a dear friend. Stop that, okay?"
"…You're right. My bad. Liz, we're friends."
Liz, realizing her mistake, laughed. "Got it, friends! Sorry for teasing, Asuna. What's next?"
"Exploring and hunting around here," Asuna said.
"Same," Hachiman added.
"If it's okay, can I join? I've hunted in parties, but the guys were creeps…"
"You do seem unlucky," Hachiman teased.
"Hachiman, that's mean!" Liz cried.
"Seiza, Hachiman-kun," Asuna ordered.
As he started to comply, Asuna stopped him, laughing. Liz roared with laughter, her first genuine one in ages.
"So, can I join?" Liz asked.
"Fine by me," Hachiman said. "Asuna?"
"No problem. Welcome, Liz!"
They set off as a trio.
"Liz, know about switching and POT rotation? Got enough recovery items?" Hachiman asked.
"Taught before, I'm good. Items too."
"Cool. Your weapon?"
"Mace. Feels right."
"Nice fit. Maybe try blacksmithing."
Liz blinked, caught off guard. Past advice focused on combat, but this opened new possibilities. She'd never considered non-combat roles.
"Blacksmithing, huh… Maybe I will."
"Good call. Not just fighters are needed. Info brokers, smiths, tailors, cooks—all vital for clearing."
"Right! I'll try hard!" Liz said.
"Let's hunt worms for ingots. You guys okay with tough-looking earthworms?"
"Haha, 'tough-looking'? I'm fine. Asuna?" Liz asked.
"Good here."
"Like whack-a-mole. Let's go."
They tackled quests and leveled up, worms dropping ingots for Liz—a gift for her blacksmithing start. She hesitated but accepted, grateful. Thus, Liz took her first step.
As dusk fell, they returned to Tolbana. Hachiman took a solo inn; Asuna and Liz shared one.
"So fun! I'm proud I approached you, Asuna!" Liz said.
"Your joy made it fun for me too!" Asuna replied.
Starved for girl talk, they chatted endlessly. Asuna, skirting personal details, shared meeting Hachiman, the mix-up, and becoming friends. Liz laughed, calling it a drama.
When baths came up, Liz lit up. "I want a bath!"
"Come anytime," Asuna said, recalling Hachiman's advice about sleepovers.
Liz grew serious. "Asuna, I'm sorry. I thought Hachiman was trouble at first, like you were being fooled. But after today, I was wrong. My bad."
Asuna laughed. "He's kind, just twisted."
"Yeah, a great friend!" Asuna grinned.
Liz felt overjoyed by the day's encounter, cherishing her new friends.