With the sound of the waterwheel rattling in the background, I hurriedly finished my morning coffee-it was so good that Ain Grandley had it-changed into my smelter uniform and straightened myself in front of the large mirror on the wall.
Although it was called a smelting shop, the design of the clothes was not work clothes. If one had to say, it was more like a waiter's uniform. She was wearing a dark red top with bubble sleeves, an umbrella skirt of the same color, and a pure white apron. There was a red bow on her chest.
The designer of this costume is not me. It's a girl of the same age as me who is both a friend and an important guest. She said,"Because Lizbet has a baby face, and formal clothes don't suit you at all."」I originally thought that this was simply meddling in other people's business! However, after changing into this uniform, the shop's turnover doubled. Although it was not my intention, I have been using this uniform since then.
Not only did she suggest clothes, but she also suggested hairstyles. My baby pink short hair was also custom-made under her threat. But from the reactions of the people around me, it doesn't seem to be completely unsuitable for me.
I, Lizbet, the owner of the Smelting Shop, was fifteen when I first logged into SAO. In the real world, it often made people feel younger than their actual age, and after coming to this world, this tendency became even stronger. The reflection of me in the mirror had pink hair, big dark blue eyes, and a small nose and mouth. Coupled with the classic apron, I looked like a doll.
On the other side, I was a serious junior high school student who had nothing to do with fashion, so it was hard not to feel estranged. It wasn't until recently that I finally got used to this appearance, but I just couldn't change my personality. It was common for me to roar at my customers and make them panic.
After making sure that I didn't forget my equipment, I walked to the entrance of the shop and flipped over the wooden sign with the word 'Closed' written on it. He showed his brightest smile to the players waiting outside the shop and greeted them with a loud " Good morning, welcome ". He had only recently gotten used to being able to greet guests naturally.
Running a shop has been my dream since I was young. Even in the game, there was still a huge gap between dreams and reality. The difficulty of receiving customers and other services had already reached an annoying level when he set up a stall in a hotel.
I realized that I wasn't good at putting on a smile, so I decided to use the quality of the goods to decide the outcome. Therefore, he had started to focus on raising the level of his weapon-making skills very early on. In terms of the results, this was the right choice. Ever since I opened my shop here, there have been many regular customers who love to use the weapons I made.
After I greeted them, I left the task of receiving customers to the NPC shop assistants. I hid in the workshop next to the mall. There were still about ten special orders that had to be completed today.
Pulling up the control lever installed on the wall, the bellows powered by the waterwheel began to send air into the furnace, and the rotating whetstone also made a sound. He took out expensive metal materials from the prop window and placed them into the fiery red furnace. After the temperature rose sufficiently, he picked them up with pliers and placed them on the anvil. He knelt on the ground with one knee and picked up his usual hammer. After selecting the item he wanted to make on the automatic menu, all that was left was to knock on the metal a fixed number of times to make a weapon. This assignment didn't have any special techniques or anything like that. Although the quality of the weapon I completed was completely determined by a random number, I believed that the momentum of the hammer would affect the result. I still focused as I slowly raised the hammer. Just as he was about to strike the metal material for the first time-
[Good morning! Liz!"
[Wow!]
Because the studio door suddenly opened, my hand fell off. The hammer didn't hit metal, but the corner of the anvil. Sparks flew with an embarrassing sound.
She looked up and saw the intruder scratching his hair and laughing with his tongue out.
"Sorry, I'll pay more attention next time.」
"I'm already tired of hearing your lines... Forget it, it's already good that you didn't do this after you started to beat.」
I sighed and got up. After placing the metal back into the furnace, I placed my hands on my hips and turned around to look at the girl who was slightly taller than me.
"... Asuna, good morning."
As my best friend and also an important guest, Asuna, the rapier, automatically walked around the studio and sat down on a round chair made of white wood. She then combed her chestnut-colored hair that reached her waist with her fingertips. Her every move was like a movie. Even I, who had known her for a long time, couldn't help but be fascinated.
I sat down in the chair in front of the anvil and leaned the hammer against the wall.
[So, why are you here so early? What's the matter?]」
"Ah, I'll have to trouble you to deal with this.」
Asuna unsheathed the scabbard at her waist and gently threw the rapier and scabbard over. I took it with one hand and pulled the blade out slightly. Although the light had weakened due to continuous use, the sharpness should not have decreased.
[It's not to the point where it can't be used. Isn't it a little too early to use it to polish it?]」
"That's right, but I want to keep it shiny.」
[Hmm?]
I reevaluated Asuna. A knight's suit with a red cross printed on a white cloth and a miniskirt was no different from usual, but his boots were as shiny as new, and he even wore small silver earrings on his ears.
[It's really suspicious. Thinking about it carefully, today was a normal day. How was the guild's strategy reservation going? Didn't he hear that checkpoint 63 was quite troublesome?」
When I said that, Asuna smiled shyly.
" Well, I'm taking a day off today because I have an appointment with someone later..."
[Eh eh eh--?]
I ignored the rattling of the chair and took a few steps closer to Asuna.
"Tell me the truth! Who do you want to meet!"
[Secret, secret!]
Asuna's cheeks were getting redder and redder as she turned her head away. I crossed my arms and nodded deeply.
"I see. That's why I feel that you've been inexplicably cheerful recently. It turns out that you have a boyfriend.」
"That's not the case!」
The blush on her cheeks became even more obvious. Asuna cleared her throat and looked at me from the corner of her eyes.
[Am I really that different from before?]」
"Well, when we first met, whether you were asleep or awake, your mind was filled with the maze. I was still wondering if you were too tense, but since spring, you've become a little different. At the very least, I can't imagine that you would skip your usual guide activities.」
[Is, is that so... I was indeed affected...]
"So, who? Do I know him?"
[You probably…don't know him…probably.]」
"Next time, bring her here for me to take a look.」
[It's really not what you think! It's just…unrequited love…"
[What-!]
This time, I was shocked from the bottom of my heart. Asuna was not only the vice president of the strongest guild, KO B, but she was also one of the top five beauties in Aingrunt. There were countless men who wanted to pursue her. I never dreamed that there would be a day where she would pursue her instead.
"How should I put it? He's a weirdo.」
Asuna murmured as she looked at the sky with a smile. If this was a girl manga, the background would definitely be a large number of flowers flying around.
"Should I say unpredictable... or do things my own way... and it's so strong that it's messy?」
[Aiya, stronger than you?]
[He's so much stronger. If it were a one-on-one battle, I wouldn't even be able to last a minute.]」
"Oh, oh-that will reduce the list to a certain extent.」
The moment I started to flip through the strategy team roster in my mind, Asuna waved her hands in panic.
[Wow! You don't have to imagine!"
"Alright, I'm looking forward to the day you bring him to see me. But if there's a chance, please help me promote it.」
" Liz is really trying her best to promote it. I'll introduce you to someone-ah! Oh no, quickly help me grind it!"
[Ah, yes, yes. I'll do it immediately. Just wait a moment.]」
I stood up with Asuna's rapier and moved towards the rotating whetstone in the corner of the workshop.
He pulled out the thin sword from the red scabbard. The weapon type is 'rapier' and its proper name is 'Flickering Light'. It is one of the highest grade swords I have ever forged. Even if he used the highest grade materials he could obtain now, coupled with the highest grade hammer and anvil, because the value was completely random, the quality of the weapons he made would be uneven. It would be a miracle if he could make such a sword every three months.
He supported the blade with both hands and sent it to the slowly rotating whetstone. Grind weapons did not require any special skills. It could be completed by pressing against the whetstone for a period of time. Even so, I still don't want to do anything casually.
He carefully slid the blade from the handle to the front. Orange sparks flew out with a sharp metallic sound, and at the same time, the silver light gradually awakened. When the grinding was completed, the rapier also returned to its original state of pure silver, which would shine and reflect when the sun shone on it.
He sheathed his sword and threw it at Asuna. At the same time, he used his fingers to catch the 100-col. silver coins that she had flicked over.
[Thank you!]
"I'll ask you to help me repair my armor next time. I'm in a hurry, so I'll be leaving first.」
Asuna stood up and hung her rapier on the sword belt at her waist.
[It really makes me care-I'll go with you.]」
[Hey! No, I can't!"
"Hahaha, I'm just kidding, but you have to bring him next time.」
[We'll talk about it when we have the chance.]
Waving her hand, Asuna ran out of the studio. I sighed and sat back down.
[... That's great.]
I couldn't help but smile bitterly when I heard the words that came out of my mouth.
After coming to this world for a year and a half, I was born with a straightforward personality. I invested all my passion in making my business prosper and have come all the way to this day. He had almost completely learned the smelting skills and even opened his own shop. Recently, it seemed that because she couldn't find a target, she sometimes wanted to fall in love.
Because women were the overwhelming minority in Aingrunt, it wasn't as if I hadn't been pursued before, but I just couldn't muster up the energy to do so. 'It's better to take the initiative to fall in love with someone.' I thought. So in this sense, I really envy Asuna.
[Can I trigger an event like 'Gorgeous Encounter' too?]」
As I spoke, I shook my head like a wavy drum and got rid of this strange thought before standing up. He took out the red-hot ingot from the furnace and placed it on the anvil again. Thinking that this was temporarily his lover, he raised his hammer and knocked it down.
The rhythmic knocking sounds that echoed throughout the studio always made my mind go blank. But only today, something that made me anxious, I couldn't get rid of.
The man came to the shop the next afternoon.
Last night, I barely managed to complete all the orders for the special weapons. Due to lack of sleep, I fell asleep in the big rocking chair placed on the porch of the shop.
I even had a dream. It was a dream I had when I was in primary school. Although I was a serious and quiet child, I always felt sleepy during the first class in the afternoon. I was often woken up by the teacher in a half-asleep state.
I admired the young male teacher who had just graduated from university, so I felt that it was very embarrassing to be caught dozing off by him. However, I also liked the way he woke people up. He shook his shoulders gently and spoke in a low and steady voice.
" Um, sorry to bother you..."
[Yes, yes! I'm sorry!"
"Wow?"
In front of me, who was jumping up and shouting loudly like a spring, there was a male player with a shocked expression and a stiff body.
[Huh...?]
I looked around in a daze. This was an elementary school classroom with tables side by side. There were a few surplus trees, a wide stone path, a canal that surrounded the area, and a courtyard that was covered with grass. This is my second hometown, Linda's Street.
It seemed that she had not slept for a long time. After coughing twice to hide her embarrassment, she greeted the man who should be a guest.
[H-Welcome.] Looking for weapons?"
[Ah, yes.]
From his first impression, he really didn't think that he was a high-level player. He should be a little older than me. He has black hair, a simple black shirt, long pants, and boots. He only has a single-handed sword on his back. Almost all the items in my shop require high ability points, so I'm really worried about whether this man's level is high enough. Having said that, I still led him into the shop without changing my expression.
[The one-handed swords are all on this cabinet.」
When I pointed out the cabinet that displayed the mass-produced weapons, the man revealed a troubled smile and said,
" Ah, this, I want a special weapon…"
This made me more and more worried. The lowest price of a special weapon made from special materials would be more than 100,000 Cole. If I were to show the price and make the customer angry or scared, I would be very embarrassed. Therefore, I had to avoid such a situation no matter what.
[The price of metal is a little expensive now, so the cost should also increase...]
Even though I said this, the black clothed man still put on an indifferent expression and even replied with a shocking answer.
"You don't have to worry about the budget. I just want you to make the best sword you've ever made.」
I could only stare blankly at the man's face for a while before finally saying,"
"... Although you said that... you didn't give me a specific performance target..."
Even my tone became a little disrespectful, but the man nodded without caring at all.
[That's true. Then…"
He took down the single-handed sword that was hanging on his back with a thin sword belt and handed it to me.
[It has the same performance as this sword. How about this?]」
From its appearance, I don't think it's a very impressive weapon. A handle made of black leather, and a scabbard of the same color. However, just as I took it with my right hand-
So heavy!
It almost fell to the ground. The requirement for this was terrifyingly high. As a blacksmith and warhammer user, my strength is quite high, but I still can't wield this sword.
He pulled out the blade with trepidation. The almost pitch-black blade reflected light. One could tell at a glance that this was a rather sharp sword. He tapped the menu with his fingertips and called out the automatic menu. Type: "Longsword/One-handed", proper name: "Illustrator", creator's name does not exist. From this, it could be seen that this thing was not from the same industry.
All the weapons that existed in Aingrunt could be roughly divided into two categories.
One is the "Player Made Type" created by us Smelters, and the other is the "Monster Drop Type" obtained during adventures. Because the Smelters naturally didn't have a good impression of the dropped weapons, the nameless and miscellaneous names were also rampant.
However, I feel that this sword is also a very rare item among the drops. Generally speaking, if one were to compare the quality of a player-made item with a monster-dropped item, the former would be superior. However, there would occasionally be such a " magic sword "-probably.
In short, this thing greatly stimulated my sense of resistance. I'm betting on my pride as a blacksmith. No matter what, I can't lose to a drop!
After returning the heavy sword to the man, I took down a sword that was hanging on the wall at the back of the shop. This is my best work of art. It was refined half a month ago. The unsheathed blade had a faint red glow on it, as if it was wrapped in flames.
[This is the best sword I've made so far. It shouldn't lose to that sword.」
He took the red sword from me without saying a word. He waved it a few times with one hand and tilted his head.
"A little too light?"
[... That's because I used a speed-type metal...]
[Mm-]
The man put on an expression that he couldn't get used to it and waved his sword a few more times. Finally, he looked at me and said,
"Can I test it a little?」
[Test...?]
[Yes, durability.]
He pulled out the sword in his left hand and placed it horizontally on the counter. He stood in front of him and posed. His right hand slowly raised my red sword.
Sensing the man's intentions, I said in a panic,
"Wait, wait, your sword will break if you do this.」
"If it's broken, it means that it's not qualified. We'll talk about it later.」
[Too...]
I swallowed the words " too messy " that were about to come out of my mouth. The man who raised his sword above his head had a sharp look in his eyes. Instantly, the blade was surrounded by a light blue effect light.
[Drink!]
Taking advantage of the momentum of the attack, the sword swung down at an extremely fast speed. In the next moment, the swords collided with each other, and the sound of the collision shook the air in the shop. The explosion was so blinding that I narrowed my eyes and took a step back.
The blade broke perfectly in half and flew out.
The blade of my best masterpiece.
[Ahhhh!]
I screamed and ran towards the man's right hand. I snatched the lower half of the sword that was left in his hand and desperately observed it from all angles.
It was impossible to repair.
[You…You…]
My lips trembled as my right hand grabbed the man's chest.
[What the hell are you doing?!] You actually broke my sword!"
The man also replied with a stiff expression,
"S-Sorry! I didn't expect the sword that launched the attack to break..."
In an instant, a fire rose.
[So you mean that my sword is more vulnerable than you think?]」
"Eh-ah-hmm, that's probably it.」
[Ah! He actually admitted it!"
She let go of the man's clothes, put her hands on her hips, and puffed out her chest.
"I'll say it first! If I have the materials, I can forge as many weapons as I want that can easily cut through your sword!」
[Oh oh.]
After hearing what I said, the man revealed a malicious smile.
"Then I'll seriously ask you to make a weapon that can easily cut this sword.」
I watched as he took the black sword from the counter and sheathed it, and all my blood rushed to my head.
[Since you said so, I'll play with you to the end!] Let's find the metal material first!"
He thought," Ah, this is bad." I blurted out the words, but I had no way out. The man raised his eyebrows and observed me for a while with an unbridled gaze.
"... That's not necessary. It's better for me to go alone. I don't want to be in your way."
[Woah-!]
How annoying was this man? I kept waving my arms, protesting like a child.
[No, don't underestimate me! I'm a skilled warhammer user!」
[Oh oh--]
The man whistled. He treated me like a joke.
[In that case, let me see your strength. Anyway, I'll pay you for the sword first.]」
"No need! On the contrary, if I make a weapon stronger than your sword, I'll make you pay for it!」
"Please go ahead, I'll pay you however much you want. My name is Kirito, please give me your advice before you make the sword.」
I crossed my arms and deliberately turned my head away.
[Please take care of me, Kirito.]
[Wow, you've saved the title.] Forget it, it doesn't matter. Lizbet.」
[Ah!]
For a teammate, this was a terrible first impression.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。