The frontlines had reached the tenth floor. Progress remained steady, with no major setbacks. Joe from the Liberation Squad stirred trouble now and then, but nothing had escalated significantly. Kirito, despite his strength, seemed slightly distanced from others, though Egil bridged the gap effectively. Asuna, now widely known as "Flash Asuna," had cemented her fame. Her Chivalric Rapier, enhanced to +13, was nearing its limit—likely viable for one or two more floors at best.
"Grr…" Lisbeth groaned.
"How's it going, Liz?" Hachiman asked.
"Even accounting for strength range, the main metal's too weak," she said.
"I've been digging for options, but no luck," Hachiman admitted.
When Asuna first showed Lisbeth the Chivalric Rapier, it had stunned her. At the time, her skill level made crafting such a weapon impossible, and even enhancing it was beyond her. Since then, Lisbeth had worked tirelessly, with Hachiman quietly assisting. Recently, she'd reached a skill level capable of reliable enhancements. Now, they were brainstorming the perfect metal for Asuna's next weapon.
"What if we melt the Chivalric Rapier into an ingot and use that as the main material?" Hachiman suggested.
"That sword's a miracle, but its metal's outdated compared to what's circulating now. It'd only work as a secondary component," Lisbeth explained.
"Got it," Hachiman said.
"I'm in a bind, though—storage is hitting its limit," Lisbeth added.
"You've been prototyping a lot," Hachiman noted.
"So, I'm thinking of opening a street stall," she said.
"Smart move. You'll earn funds and clear excess inventory. This one's pretty solid—someone should use it," Hachiman said, pulling out a rapier. Enhanced eight times, it rivaled the Chivalric Rapier's performance.
"It's my best work so far. Barely frontliner-grade," Lisbeth said.
"Most frontliners rely on NPC-bought or dropped weapons since player-crafted ones aren't widespread yet. This is plenty good," Hachiman reassured.
Merchant and crafter players were growing in number, but material shortages slowed their expansion. Without frontliner allies like Hachiman, progress was tough for crafters like Lisbeth.
"What should I watch out for with a stall?" Lisbeth asked.
"Pricing first. Don't overcharge, but too low causes issues. Set clear enhancement prices and keep enough stock. Decide if you supply enhancement materials or require customers to bring them. Display success rates clearly. Maintenance shouldn't be a problem for you," Hachiman advised.
"Wow, it's a lot," Lisbeth said.
"You could wholesale to merchants instead," he suggested.
"No, I've been thinking about owning my own shop. So I'm gonna give this a shot," she said.
"Cool. Ask me if you need help," Hachiman offered.
"Thanks!" she replied.
"I'll keep hunting for top-tier metal info," he added.
"Got it. Be careful," she said.
"Later, Liz," he said.
"See ya, Hachiman," she replied.
Days later, while aiding the frontline push, Hachiman focused on gathering intel. Lisbeth messaged him that her stall was ready. Having offered advice, he decided to check on her.
Nice, a storage-equipped large carpet. Nezha had one like that, Hachiman thought, observing from a distance.
Lisbeth handled customers well, patiently addressing complaints and avoiding major issues.
There'll always be troublesome customers, Hachiman thought, approaching.
"Hachimaaan!" Lisbeth called.
"Hey, how's it going?" he asked.
"It's my first day, so I'm swamped, but I'm managing," she said.
"Good to hear," he replied.
"Asuna was here earlier, helping set up," she added.
"Asuna, huh…" Hachiman said.
He realized he hadn't seen Asuna in days. Compared to the early floors, their time together had dwindled.
She's probably got her own goals now. With her fame, she's getting tons of invites, he thought.
Unbeknownst to him, Asuna declined all such offers, always asking Hachiman first. He'd turned her down a few times, so she'd acted solo or with Kirito, Nezha, or Egil. Still, they teamed up every three days, but Hachiman's fruitless metal hunt made their last outing feel distant.
"Something up with Asuna?" Lisbeth asked.
"Nah, just need to find that metal soon," he said.
"Any leads?" she asked.
"Nothing," he admitted.
"Gotcha…" she said.
"I'm heading out. Watch out for weirdos," he warned.
"Thanks!" she called.
Over the next few days, Lisbeth honed her craft and ran her stall. A minor issue arose once, but afterward, Hachiman was occasionally spotted napping discreetly behind her stall. Lisbeth didn't notice.
Customers calm down after glancing behind me lately. I checked, but nothing's there. Oh well, keep at it, she thought.
Then, vital info arrived. Nezha's old merchant carpet had passed to Egil via Kirito, and Egil, dabbling in trade, had acquired a rare ore. Hachiman rushed to him.
"Egil, you got a good metal?" Hachiman asked.
"Yup, this," Egil said, revealing a deep indigo ore, shimmering beautifully.
"How much?" Hachiman asked.
"It's rare, and few can process it. This price work?" Egil offered.
"That's cheap. You sure?" Hachiman said.
"You've helped me out plenty. It's above my cost, so we're good," Egil said.
"Thanks, man," Hachiman said.
"No prob. Let's hunt together sometime," Egil grinned.
"Deal," Hachiman agreed.
Suppressing excitement, Hachiman waited for Lisbeth's stall to close and showed her the ore.
"This'll work, Hachiman!" she exclaimed.
"Great. Need anything else?" he asked.
"Catalysts—these two," she listed.
"I've got those. Use them," he said.
"We're set. Tonight's the night!" she declared.
"Tell me when," he said.
"I'll let Asuna know," she added.
"Oh, and… tell Asuna you got this through your contacts, okay?" Hachiman said, scratching his head.
"Got it. Like how you secretly arrange bath-equipped rooms for Asuna every floor update?" Lisbeth teased.
She knew? Hachiman thought.
"Don't worry, I won't tell Asuna," Lisbeth said. "You do a lot behind the scenes, mostly for others, but hate being noticed for it. We've known each other long enough—I get it."
"I'm not that great a guy," Hachiman muttered.
"Sure, some might say you're just playing nice," she said.
"Exactly, that's me," he agreed.
"Nah, I don't think so. Hard to explain, but…" she trailed off.
Hachiman stayed silent.
"You're always helping others, but you should be selfish sometimes," she advised.
"I'll try," he said.
"You don't mean that," she laughed.
"Uh, yeah…" he mumbled.
"See ya later!" she called.
"Later," he replied.
That night, Hachiman, Asuna, and Lisbeth gathered. Lisbeth explained, and Asuna instantly agreed to upgrade her weapon.
"It's like meeting a new sword to carry this one's soul," Asuna said.
"Yup," Hachiman agreed.
"Here we go, Liz," Asuna said.
The hammer's rhythm echoed, and the materials glowed, forming a stunning rapier.
"Perfect! I'm proud of this one," Lisbeth said.
"Thank you, Liz!" Asuna beamed.
Lisbeth's joy at crafting Asuna's sword was palpable. Hachiman felt relieved, knowing Asuna's weapons could now be consistently upgraded. Asuna held the blade, smiling.
"Liz, what's this sword's name?" she asked.
"It's called…" Lisbeth began.
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