Okay, new chapter.
There are a few things regarding the next few chapters that I'd like to say. For starters, they'll be about an equipment upgrade, which is also the reason behind the title for this one. Initially, I've planned for this part of the story to be only two chapters long.
However, when thinking of some lore as background for the quest it will be about, I came up with more and more ideas, and now I've decided to establish a "proper" story with deep lore for the 95th floor, so that I've done that at least once. As a consequence, the chapters will be much longer than initially planned, and there will be three of them instead of two. I might even change that to four, but we will see.
In addition, there'll be a side story about the 95th floor, and the two chapters that come after the part I've just described will also include this floor and its campaign to some extent.
Furthermore, I've noticed that my original concept for the quest Akinym and Sinon will go on was a bit underwhelming, so I've "upgraded" it a little. It's now more complex and based loosely on a certain myth - not on The Emperor's New Clothes, though.
On another note, this chapter will feature one of the probably less known characters from SAO: Ashley, a tailor who - among other things - made the Blackwyrm Coat Kirito wore towards the end of the game. Unfortunately, SAO Wikia, my usual source when it comes to these kind of characters, didn't have much info on her, so I've decided to take some liberties with my interpretation of the character. Just to "warn" you beforehand.
Disclaimer: I don't own Sword Art Online Re:Hollow Fragment or Sword Art Online in general.
The Assault Team cleared the 94th floor without major issues, and on the 95th floor, they found a vast wasteland that was inhabited by goblins and lizardmen. Humans only lived in Celes, the main city, which was build at an oasis in the far north of the floor. It was the plainest central town they had seen in a while. Frankly, Celes was basically just a fortified trading outpost.
Why fortified? Well, it wasn't as if the goblins and lizardmen were inherently hostile towards humans. If anything, both groups depended on their trade relations with the humans at Celes. The wasteland offered its inhabitants hardly anything but bare rocks to eat, so the supply of food Celes provided them at an affordable price was – quite literally – a lifesaver. Alas, the human settlers were afraid that they could get caught up in the local war.
According to the locals, the goblins and lizardmen had been mortal enemies ever since the Great Separation. When Aincrad had been separated from the ground below, and the one hundred floors had been formed, the goblins had got stranded in this wasteland. Vital resources such as water and food had been scarce to begin with, but it was hardly enough for two large civilisations.
After a century-long war, both sides had concluded a fragile peace treaty, which included a number of paragraphs that were supposed to solve their most urgent problems. Aside from regulations such as a strict population control, the treaty assigned the west of the floor to the goblins and the east to the lizardmen.
For a long time, the two cultures had coexisted peacefully, albeit in strict segregation. The relationship between the two races during that period is best described as a cold war. In recent years, however, a severe, above-average drought had made the food shortage even more grave, and the environment really couldn't sustain both the goblins and the lizardmen anymore.
The human merchants couldn't do anything about that either. Frankly, some of the more cynical Assault Team members even questioned how they had supplied the two other races with food, which had to be delivered from a different floor, even though the (supposedly) only route between floors led through the labyrinths. Well, the NPCs gave them just another vague cover story. This time, it was "a trade secret".
Keeping these shenanigans aside, the war between goblins and lizardmen had broken out again, and the entire floor was in turmoil because of it. The Assault Team could absolutely not ignore the conflict… for several reasons.
For starters, the labyrinth was situated in the far south of the floor, and in order to get there, the players had to cross the war zone. Both parties would attack them relentlessly – unless they sided with one and wiped out the other.
Not long after the Assault Team had arrived at the 95th floor, two parties had come across the quests "Side with the Goblins" and "Side with the Lizardmen" at the respective races' main base. By now, the Assault Team members were experienced enough to understand the meaning of these quests, so they had returned to Arc Sophia to report this to the Council. The long-time members had immediately drawn the parallels to the Elf War campaign on the lower floors.
Another reason why the Assault Team had to get involved was the gate that blocked the entrance to the labyrinth. It had two locks, and each side had found one of the keys, which they had shown the players as proof. As the Assault Team had learnt, they could acquire both keys by leading one side to victory. This party would give them their key as well as the one of their defeated enemy after taking it by force.
Furthermore, the labyrinth was guarded by a powerful field boss, which the locals called "the Desert Demon". According to the lore, the goblins and lizardmen had once worked together in the hope that they could defeat the "guardian beast", which would've allowed the goblins to move to the next floor. Alas, they hadn't even made it past the Desert Demon. At least they had learnt a lot about its abilities, and both sides offered that information to the Assault Team in exchange for their help.
Speaking of which, the warring races had also gathered intel on the floor boss. As far as the Assault Team could see, all info quests were related to the war. In fact, the vast majority of quests on this floor were only available after choosing a faction in the war.
It hadn't required much contemplation to see that it would only cause trouble if there were parties joining both sides. In light of the comparison to the Elf War campaign earlier, there was one major difference this time. The Assault Team was organised much better, and they could choose one faction that everyone would help.
Well, "everyone" meant the smaller clearing guilds in this case. After all, they had the priority on this floor. Therefore, Akinym could convince the Council to leave the decision to the smaller guilds. The assembly of their leaders had picked the lizardmen after a fierce debate.
Now it was late June, and the Assault Team had been helping the lizardmen faction quite successfully for a week.
In the morning on the day in question, Akinym and Sinon (as well as Agil, Silica and Lisbeth) had more pressing concerns, though. Well, for now, they had to deal with Klein – a boastful Klein, that is.
Klein: So? What do you say? Looks great, doesn't it?
"It" was a new set of armour Klein had got the day before, and he hadn't had a chance to show it off yet, so he had figured that Agil's inn was a good place to start. It was a set of light metal armour, with black metal plates covering his lower arms, shoulders and abdomen.
Lisbeth [exasperatedly]: Seriously, Klein, I didn't craft that armour for you and your guild so you can brag about it!
Klein [slightly defensively]: Oi, Liz, I'm just appreciating your work! That's not a bad thing, is it?
Lisbeth [sighs]: Well, I should see it as a sign of customer satisfaction, so… [teasingly] wanna rebuke Klein in my place, Silica?
Lisbeth smirked at Silica, who was sitting on the other side of her table.
Silica [slightly insecurely]: Um… It is strange that you're so excited about new gear, Klein-san…
Klein [taken aback]: What's strange about this? [huffily] Every gamer loves to earn shiny new stuff! Besides, it was about time for a final upgrade, you know?
Silica: Hm… It's true that the enemies become tougher and tougher… [mutters] I've already wondered if I should get new equipment myself after all.
Lisbeth [sighs]: That wasn't much of a rebuke, Silica! I'll give it two out of ten. You gotta work on that!
Akinym and Sinon watched the conversation from the nearby counter. By now, they didn't want to stay on the sidelines, though.
Sinon [dryly]: Well, that's nice and all, but I think I remember someone proclaiming he'd "never give up on the spirit of the samurai". Yet the very same guy is shedding his samurai armour for this one. [slightly teasingly] What exactly happened to that "warrior's honour", Klein?
Klein: Um… Y-you know, that is…
Lisbeth [chuckles]: Now, that is more like it! Nice one, Sinon!
Akinym: What's the matter, Klein-san? I thought a true warrior knows no fear?
Klein [huffily]: Shut up! The spirit of the samurai has become a part of my body and soul, I don't need the armour for that! Besides, [determinedly] I still carry the pride of Fuurinkazan, and that's what truly matters!
He pointed at the insignia of his guild, which was painted with white lacquer on a small ornament at the top of the metal plate around his abdomen. Klein also pointed at the small vest with the kanji for "wind", "forest", "fire" and "mountain" he wore.
Well, you could say that Agil wasn't convinced. He came back from the kitchen, carrying a tray with drinks.
Agil [annoyed]: We get it, but don't bother my customers with your nonsense! At least order something! This is still no place for you to loiter! You're lucky that you're so early that nobody but the residents of the inn are here.
After reprimanding Klein, Agil walked over to Akinym and Sinon to give each of them a cup of tea, which they thanked him for.
Klein: Geez, Agil! What's with all of you?! [grumpily] I'm sure Kem will love it!
"Kem" was Klein's nickname for Kem'Pal, the general of the lizardmen. He was an NPC with an AI at the highest level, so he was capable of complex interactions with the players, and in a turn of events that actually hadn't surprised anyone, he and Klein had basically become sworn brothers (at least that's what it looked like to others) after a few battles they had fought together.
Lisbeth [exasperatedly]: Sure, sure! You and your lizard pal are inseparable after all, aren't you? Ever since you've met him, it's all "Kem this, Kem that" with you! [mutters] I mean, it's still better than your womanising attempts…
Klein [defensively, slightly upset]: Hey, that's because Kem is great! [huffily] He also respects me! [slightly contemplatively] Oh, speaking of him, I should get going. The others and I wanted to help Kem on his missions today. [determinedly] Time to kick some Scaleless Turnips' butt!
With that, Klein rushed outside, so Lisbeth could only shout after him.
Lisbeth: Geez, you're just going on a quest! And those are still "goblins"! Stop throwing around these weird phrases you've learnt from the lizardmen!
Silica [slightly nervously]: He conforms to them more and more by the day. At this rate, he will start licking his eyes before long…
Meanwhile, Akinym and Sinon walked over to one of the many free tables to sit down for their preparatory meeting. They had yet to decide what kind of mission they would go on.
Sinon: Klein and his shenanigans… Leave it to him to make such a ruckus over something like new armour.
Akinym [flatly]: You know, this is actually not a problem of Klein-san specifically. I've seen people go nuts about equipment or items in general in this game.
Sinon: Please tell me you're kidding! [flatly] I mean, having good gear is obviously important, [slightly exasperatedly] but why would you publicly make a big deal out of it?!
Akinym: Beats me. Maybe it's a gamer thing, just as Klein-san said.
Yeah, maybe. Sinon could neither confirm nor deny it.
That said, Sinon noticed that something was on Akinym's mind. Her initial guess was that he was thinking about what quest they should do today. Well… She wasn't completely wrong.
Akinym: Even so, I guess we should put more thought into our gear than his, shouldn't we? We still have… [slightly annoyed] a certain issue.
Akinym pointed on the large ink on his vest. No matter what he had tried, he hadn't been able to wash the ink off. Even Argo (or anybody else, for that matter) had no idea what to do about it.
If it had been just a matter of looks, it wouldn't have been a reason for concern. Akinym had no problem with wearing the Slouch Hat of the Sage in public, so he didn't have a problem with this ink either.
However, this ink was just the visual sign that Nemesis Squid, the final boss of that dungeon he and Sinon had cleared on the 94th floor, had done something to the equipment. Due to the ink attack, all bonus attributes of the affected gear had been removed.
That was a severe issue for Akinym. The ink hadn't just landed on his vest, but also on his pants, and these two parts of his equipment had had some useful attributes such as increased Agility or bonuses for resistances against status ailments. Without these additional attributes, these were just below-average pieces of armour, so Akinym needed a replacement.
Sinon could use better armour, too. She was still mostly using the set she had somehow got when she had got stranded in SAO, and even with all the enhancements, it just wasn't enough on these high floors. Sure, she also had the special archery equipment, but that was mainly for utility, not for stats.
Just the other day, Akinym and Sinon had been forced to abort a scouting mission because of that. They had come across a trap in a storeroom which they had had to investigate, and Akinym hadn't been sure how fast he could've disabled it – or if he could've done that at all. Since they wouldn't have been able to circumvent the trap, they had deemed proceeding too risky and had retreated. The goblins on this floor were a serious threat when they encountered them in large numbers, so it had been sound judgment. Regardless, ending a quest in a failure didn't sit right with either of them, and if they had had better equipment, they might've been able to handle this challenge and to avoid this disappointment.
Incidents like had been troubling them ever since their battle with Nemesis Squid, and they honestly wanted to do something about that.
Sinon: You're right… [slightly excitedly] Oh, right, I wanted to tell you that! I think I know what we can do!
Akinym [slightly interested]: Really? What do you have in mind?
Sinon: I've talked about it with Asuna, and she said that we should try to get completely new sets while we're at it. Player-made sets, that is.
Akinym [dryly]: That's not really ingenious. [flatly] Yeah, of course we should get new stuff, and it would be for the best if it's good, player-made stuff. There's no point in re-equipping ourselves if we can't finish the game with it, at least not here on the ninety-fifth floor.
Sinon: You don't have to tell me that! Of course Asuna and I took that into account. It's just that she knows the right place to go to: the best tailor in the entire game!
About half an hour later, Akinym and Sinon stood in front of a two-story building in Koyornos on the 90th floor. It was rather small compared to most of the others in this city, but that was by no means the only way it stood out in.
The majority of the players who had been to Koyornos would describe it as a neat and elegant town, but they'd also call it simple, if not plain. All buildings had the same white house front. The windows came in exactly two different shapes: arched or rectangular, and the specific kinds were identical from their size to the structure of their glazing bars – throughout the entire city. Almost all the buildings had dark blue tiled hip roofs – in fact, houses with a barrel roof or a red roof were about as unique as they got here.
With the exception of this building in front of them, that is. For starters, this house had a porch, and the sky-blue porch roof rested on two marble pillars. The roof of the actual building had the same colour, which was supposed to look as if the tiles reflected the sky. Furthermore, the house front was decorated with stucco, displaying things such as fleur-de-lis or vines.
Sinon [slightly taken aback]: I honestly didn't know that there were buildings like this in Koyornos…
Akinym: It's the first time I see it, too. I'm pretty sure the owner made adjustments to it.
Sinon [slightly confusedly]: Adjustments? You can renovate buildings in SAO?
Akinym: I've only heard about it, but since I never had a house in this game or talked about it with someone who does, I can only guess that this is what happened.
Incidentally, house owners had the option to make changes to the exterior of their property. However, this required special materials, and they had to pay a fee for more extravagant changes such as the addition of a porch, so it was quite expensive. Hardly anyone had ever bothered to alter their house this way, especially since it was usually much easier to buy a more suitable house instead.
Akinym: Come to think of it, I vaguely remember a request for a workshop in "the most magnificent" town on the upper floors. I think it was Ashley-san who made that request. [slightly exasperatedly] I wonder what this says about her… Hopefully, she's not too much of a weirdo.
Sinon: I second that… [slightly teasingly] although I'm surprised that SAO's walking database doesn't seem to know Aincrad's number one tailor.
Akinym [slightly annoyed]: You can be sure that I know her, and that's the problem. [calmly] All I know for sure is that she is picky – because she can afford it. She only does custom work, and she has pretty high standards when it comes to accepting orders. Most players would never have a chance to employ her services, so there is no point in telling aspiring players about her. Not to mention that she's famous, so people usually already know about her.
Sinon: Well, Asuna had nothing but praise for her work, so I guess she's the real deal.
Akinym: Figures. If I remember correctly, Asuna-san was pretty eager to help Ashley-san to settle in on the upper floors. I think she even found that workshop personally.
Sinon [slightly doubtfully]: Really?! I… [slightly worriedly] I mean, Asuna seems to be one of Ashley's regulars, but would she really favour someone just because of that?
At first, Sinon had intended to deny this possibility outright, but she knew – probably better than anyone else – that Asuna had got quite attached to the friends she had found in SAO, and she was willing to do… a lot for their sake, to say the least. Whether she would go so far as to abuse her position, however, was a question Sinon honestly couldn't answer.
Akinym: You'd have to ask her, but as far as Ashley-san's case is concerned, I think that Asuna-san didn't do anything unreasonable or irresponsible. Ashley-san is still an excellent craftswoman with high skill levels for crafting armour. As far as I know, she had hesitated a long time before she came to the upper floors, but now that she did, it's only natural that the Council supports her.
Sinon: I guess you're right… There is no point in fussing over it anyway, is there? So… Let's see what she will say.
Akinym and Sinon entered the shop, and they were greeted by the chiming of the doorbell. As it seemed, Ashley even had an unusual taste in doorbells: Hers sounded more like a wind chime than an ordinary store doorbell.
The actual shop was rather small. Since there was no display or anything like that, Ashley didn't need much space here. There were a changing room and the actual workshop in the back. Ashley's workshop was said to be really spacious, but nobody but her knew. That area was basically her sanctuary.
The interior design was also exquisite, although over-the-top might be a better term to describe it. In terms of furniture, there was only the counter, which was made from the finest ebony wood. The only lamp inside the room was a ceiling light in the center of the room, which could only be described as a small crystal chandelier. Ashley had even boarded the floor with high-quality mahogany floorboards.
The most noteworthy detail were probably the curtains. Oddly enough, there wasn't even a need for curtains in SAO. In order to look into a house through a window, a player had to be added to a certain list by the house owner. If they weren't, they would only see an empty room.
Thus, curtains were just décor, and Ashley had gone all out with them. There were six windows, and each of them was decorated with lavish drapery, which was tied together using golden tie-backs. The exact same kind of curtain separated the shop from the corridor that led to the rooms in the back and the staircase to the upper floor. Each curtain had a different colour, and together, they were supposed to represent a rainbow.
The walls were decorated in a fashion similar to the facade of the building, but only at the bottom. Pictures of Ashley's "masterpieces" were plastered across the walls.
Akinym and Sinon took a few steps inside. Akinym considered calling for Ashley, but that wasn't necessary. She stepped through the curtain at the back door to have a look at her visitors.
Frankly, neither Akinym nor Sinon had been sure what kind of appearance they should expect from Ashley, but they were at least a little bit surprised that she was a pretty tall, skinny woman. Sinon even went so far as to think she was lanky.
Nobody could say for sure how old Ashley actually was. Her real age might've been concealed by her extensive use of makeup. She could be in her middle twenties or early forties… or anything in between.
Speaking of makeup, this was the first time either of them had seen someone using it in SAO, at least to the extent that it was clearly visible. Most female players, especially those on the front-line, didn't bother to use extravagant lipstick or eyeshadow. Well, but Ashley did.
Frankly, Ashley had used every method to change her appearance that SAO provided, and she had done so in a very… striking way. For instance, she had dyed her hair mostly white, but she also had some red strands.
Her clothes were just as lavish and flamboyant. For instance, she wore a long, lushly red overcoat, and its hem was decorated with fur. The fur collar in particular was quite prominent. It was made from a rare drop of a yeti-themed dungeon boss on the 55th floor, and there were only three items with this exact adornment in the entire game.
Ashley walked around the counter and began to muster her potential customers.
Ashley: Welcome at "Ashley's". I hope you… [eyes Akinym, very contemplatively] are aware… of my standards… when it comes to requests… [quizzically, slightly contemplatively] Mister and Missus…?
Both Akinym and Sinon were taken aback by the brisk greeting… well, and by the fact that Ashley kept "inspecting" them while circling around them without even waiting for an answer.
Sinon was the first one to regain her composure after a few seconds.
Sinon: Um, I'm Sinon.
She looked at Akinym, expecting him to introduce himself, too. Alas, that didn't happen since Akinym was still following Ashley with his eyes, staring at her as if she was some sort of extraterrestrial being – which, to be fair, was a notion Sinon could sympathise with.
Sinon [sighs]: And this is Akinym. Asuna – I mean the vice-commander of the KoB – has recommended you to us.
Ashley [calmly]: Oh, so you two are these "friends" Asuna-chan told me about. Yeah, I'll gladly consider accepting your commission since she asked me to. [slightly frustrated] But it's not just that…
Ashley's expression changed. Her face distorted almost as if she was in pain. Then, she suddenly looked fiercely at Akinym and pointed at him in a quite dramatic, accusing fashion. Well, at least, that finally made him snap out of his confused state.
Ashley: You have the fashion sense of a mountain ogre! No, not even that! Someone who wears nothing but a fur loin cloth would have more style! Your appearance affronts anyone who has eyes!
Akinym [dryly, slightly annoyed]: Are insults part of the service here?!
Ashley [crosses her arms, turns away, huffily]: I'm saying this in your best interest. You should actually thank me!
Akinym [upset]: How exactly am I supposed to be thankful when you basically advise me to walk around in a loin cloth?!
Ashley [annoyed]: How?! Just look at yourself! That disgusting grey attire is so dull and unimaginative that just picturing it in my head makes me feel both bored and nauseous.
Akinym: That colour is… [annoyed] Ugh, forget it! It's not as if I'm complaining that [points at Ashley's clothes] this ludicrous get-up makes my head spin!
Ashley [gasps]: How dare you! [poses] This is nothing short of a masterpiece! Apologise to my creation at once! And apologise for your horrible outfit, too, while you're at it!
Akinym: Masterpiece?! You look as if grade schoolers wanted to make a collage for an art project, but then they threw glitter all over it! I've literally seen rhinos who were more elegant than…
Sinon stopped Akinym by stepping on his feet. He was startled, and after a moment, he directed his annoyed gaze at his partner instead, only to see that her expression mirrored his almost perfectly.
Sinon: Stop picking a fight! We're here because we need her services!
Akinym [mutters, grumpily]: She was the one who picked this fight…
Sinon didn't seem to care, and after a moment of thinking, Akinym sighed in defeat.
She was right about one thing: They needed Ashley, so she had a much better bargaining position. Well, they could've turned to a different tailor, but Ashley wasn't called "Aincrad's expert tailoress" for nothing. In the end, Akinym had to acknowledge that someone who could afford to cherry-pick orders also didn't have to worry about their attitude towards customers.
Ashley [slightly huffily]: That's better! Seriously, the only thing that could make this horrendous outfit worse would be an awful hat. Maybe something like a sloppy, worn out slouch hat…
Sinon had to fight back laughter just in order to reduce it to snickering.
Sinon: Oh, about that…
Akinym: Don't you dare!
That exchange confused Ashley a little, and she looked back and forth between her two customers while raising an eyebrow. In the end, she decided to pay it no mind and turned her attention to Sinon.
Ashley: Well, you seem to have a better understanding of style. At least your set has some sort of elegance and appeal.
Sinon [slightly insecurely]: Well, this is actually what I wore when…
All of a sudden, Ashley grabbed Sinon's arms, startling her so much that she just stopped mid-sentence. Ashley began to pull at Sinon's clothes, examining each part closely.
Ashley [slightly contemplatively]: It's missing an overall concept, though.
Sinon: Hey, what are you…
Ashley: I really have to do something about it!
At this point, Ashley's focus shifted from Sinon's clothes to her actual body for a moment.
Sinon: Stop! Is this a body search?!
Ashley [proudly]: A body search of fashion! [slightly contemplatively] I have to say, you have a rather slender figure, which I prefer. It's so hard to bring out elegance in a design for someone with an hour-glass figure or these gorillas among the Assault Team!
Ashley eyed some of Sinon's archer equipment disapprovingly. She even started to tug at Sinon's chest protector.
Ashley: These accessories might be a problem… They just lack any elegance!
Sinon: "Elegance" is not the point! [shrieks] Hands off!
Meanwhile, Akinym watched the awkward scene in silence. He was unsure as to what he should do in a situation like this.
His instincts told him to step in and help Sinon, but he wasn't sure how. He guessed that Ashley was the second most unreasonable player he had ever met, and she still had a chance to come out on top, so he figured that talking wouldn't work. His only other option was to use force, but his mind told him to abstain from choosing that option.
It wasn't as if he couldn't have overpowered Ashley. Akinym figured that he could've restrained her without too much trouble. It was just that he couldn't touch her without triggering the anti-harassment code. In this situation, he could only wonder what Kayaba had been thinking when he had designed this system only protecting women from men, while women themselves were basically free to do whatever they wanted. If Ashley had been a guy, she would've been sent to prison thrice by now…
Sinon: Don't just stand there! Do something!
Akinym [slightly annoyed]: Like what?! Besides, you just told me not to pick a fight, so what is it?! Make up your mind!
Sinon: That is what you have to say about this?!
Akinym: I have a lot of thoughts about this, but as I meant to imply, I can't voice them without reigniting this argument!
Ashley [slightly taken aback]: You two are rather strange clients.
Akinym and Sinon [think]: Like you are one to talk!
Ashley [calmly]: Anyway, [to Sinon, slightly annoyed] I honestly don't understand how you can run around wearing some of this stuff. I mean, what is this actually?!
Ashley tugged at Sinon's ruff (or whatever this red thing around Sinon's neck was supposed to be).
Akinym [contemplatively]: Yeah, I've been wondering about that from day one… It looks awful!
Sinon: Don't join her!
Ashley [contemplatively, slightly surprised]: Hm, who would've thought… You seem to have at least some sense of fashion after all. [slightly upset] But that only makes your own attire even more inexcusable!
Akinym [exasperatedly]: Ugh, listen! If you want to talk about "elegance" and "beauty", I'll tell you that these things lie in simplicity and harmony more than anything else!
Ashley turned around and walked a few steps away while she was groaning.
Ashley: Not another one of these "simple is best" fanatics! All these front-line players who only care about stats! What point is there in fighting for your freedom if you drop the pursuit of beauty in the process?! This is just like that time when I was commissioned to craft a Blackwyrm Coat! [very dejectedly] I could've dyed it easily, but Kirito-kun insisted on keeping it black! BLACK! How can Asuna-chan feel attracted to someone who walks around as if he's part of a funeral procession?!
Akinym and Sinon remained silent, mainly because they didn't know anything… appropriate to say anyway.
Ashley [slightly irritated]: That aside, I refuse to listen to that kind of message coming from someone's whose most creative feature is an ink stain on his clothes! That doesn't even make you look special, but rather like a ragamuffin!
Akinym [mutters]: The stain wasn't intended…
Ashley [slightly huffily]: I know very well who you are, and therefore, I have to tell you that a leading figure of the Assault Team should mind their appearance! [determinedly] If nothing else, you should follow Asuna-chan's example!
As odd as it seemed to Akinym and Sinon, Ashley put on a blissful smile and folded her hands. She almost looked as if she was thanking the heavens.
Ashley: Bringing beauty into this war-dominated world is hard, but Asuna-chan fights both with fierce determination and magnificent elegance! She's like an angel that was sent to me in these dire times!
Sinon: That is nice and all… [mutters] and creepy… [says aloud, flatly] but can we finally get to the point where we talk about why we're actually here?!
Ashley took a deep breath and seemed to calm down.
Ashley: Alright. You're here for new battle gear, aren't you? As I've said, I'll consider it, but I won't deviate from my rule that I only work with top-notch rare materials, even if you're friends with Asuna-chan and I'm basically obligated to do something about your looks!
Akinym [sighs, mutters]: Give it a rest. [says aloud, slightly quizzically] So how about this?
Akinym went through his menu and sent Ashley a trade request with a list of all suitable materials they had. Ashley didn't waste any time and checked them right away.
Akinym: Sinon-san has about the same.
Ashley just took note of it. She was too occupied with the list of materials she'd be provided with. Using her high Resource Appraisal skill, Ashley could view additional information on each item. Judging from her expression when she saw some of them, Ashley took an interest in the offer.
When she finished going over the list, Ashley took a step back and began to think. After about a minute, she turned to Akinym and Sinon.
Ashley: Alright, we have a deal.
Akinym and Sinon were relieved to hear that. At least this whole ordeal just now hadn't been in vain.
Ashley: I think I can make some good, fancy gear with these materials if I add something from my own store. I see that you also have some upgrade materials. If you want me to take care of enhancements, that will be no problem. I'll have to check what exactly I'll need, but I suppose I have enough materials in my storage to get every piece of both sets at least to plus five. As regards the price for each set, that will be…
Ashley paused for a moment to go through the crafting process in her head while calculating what she should charge for each step.
Ashley: ...one million col.
Akinym [taken aback] and Sinon [slightly shocked]: One million?!
Ashley [flatly]: Yeah, excluding whatever the enhancements might cost, that is.
Sinon still hoped that she had misheard that. She and Akinym had saved a handsome sum of money by now, which was yet another reason why they believed it was a good time to get new equipment, but even with that, she wasn't sure if they could afford that. If nothing else, using up all the valuable materials they had and spending their entire savings just for new sets of armour didn't seem wise, to say the least.
Akinym shared that opinion. He, however, viewed this problem from the "How can I solve it?" perspective. Negotiating with players was absolutely normal for him. It was just that this would be a price negotiation for once.
Akinym [seriously]: Listen, I know you're a first-rate craftsperson, but a fee of one million col is honestly too much, even for you!
Ashley [slightly upset]: Who is talking about the crafting fee?! No, that is only a fraction of the price! Most of that sum is supposed to cover my expenses for the materials I have to provide.
Akinym [points at the trade request window, sternly]: We have brought you a ton of materials! What do you need to add to that list that would be so expensive? If this is about some sort of decorative addition, I'll have you know that we're still not interested and won't pay this much for that no matter how good you are!
Ashley remained surprisingly calm. She merely shook her head.
Ashley: That's not the point.
She closed the trade request window and stretched out her hand towards Akinym.
Ashley: Would you mind giving me one of these materials? I mean just as an object. One "Ancient Silk of Ankhlur" specifically.
Akinym looked at Ashley somewhat confusedly. He wouldn't go along with the request unless Ashley would explain what this was about.
Sinon, on the other hand, didn't want to discuss this, so she just got the item Ashley had asked for from her inventory and gave it to her.
Ashley: This has been woven from high-quality silk in an ancient metropolis called Ankhlur. It was eons ago, it has to be – because the city has been destroyed during the Great Separation, when the segregation of the land, which formed Aincrad's floors, tore it into several pieces. The remains of the lost civilisation are scattered across the floors where you can find the ruins. This cloth belongs to these remains. It's a relic of unrivaled craftsmenship, so it's extremely rare. Adding this fabric to any kind of clothing makes the interior softer, so it's more comfortable, and it has an effect on the stats, too, of course. Using this material increases both the probability of high base stats and the addition of bonus stats.
Akinym: Nice lore and all, but why exactly does that mean that making armour from this costs us one million?
Ashley [slightly exasperatedly]: The point is that this may be an exceptional crafting material, but it's a supplementary material! I can't craft anything from it. For that, I also need a base material, and nothing you've brought with you can be used that way. [seriously] In other words, I have to provide the most important part, and using such exquisite additional materials without an equally outstanding basis would result in a subpar product – as both a piece of armour and of art.
Sinon: Subpar? How so?
Akinym: You have to keep in mind that the piece of equipment that is produced is determined solely by the main component. You can put in supplements to alter the design, make utility additions or influence the probability distribution of the stats, but that won't change the specified item type – and therefore neither the kind of stats you can get or their potential range.
Ashley [slightly huffily]: Well, it appears that you're at least familiar with the tailoring system, that saves me an explanation. [slightly sternly] I hope you understand my pricing now! I'll have to use some extremely valuable materials from my stock.
Akinym couldn't argue with this reasoning. However, he knew a potential different solution. It was just that he had to think about the details first… while Sinon simply voiced that proposal.
Sinon: So how about we get you a main component? That should lower the price, shouldn't it? Significantly, that is.
Akinym glanced at Sinon in bewilderment. He didn't even have an idea as to what they could try to procure for that purpose, so he hoped that this wasn't an ill-conceived bluff on Sinon's part – because that would backfire under any circumstances.
Alas, to Akinym's surprise, Ashley may have knit her brows for a second as if she became suspicious, but she suddenly began to brood over something.
Ashley: There is one thing you could get…
Sinon: Okay, so… What is it?
Ashley: There's this item called "Fleece of the Ancestral Ram". I need to have it!
Akinym and Sinon were a bit taken aback by the determination – if not desperation – in Ashley's voice and expression. Seeing that, she figured that she should elaborate on this matter.
Ashley: You two are Assault Team members, aren't you? So you should know about the war between the goblins and the lizardmen on the ninety-fifth floor.
Sinon: Well… Yes, so...?
Ashley [slightly exasperatedly]: So you should also know what makes each race special!
Akinym: I suppose so. The lizardmen are physically strong and well-adapted to the wasteland, even living in some of the hottest, most inhospitable areas. Goblins, on the other hand, are agile and intelligent, using various tactics such as…
Ashley [annoyed]: Argh, we won't get anywhere this way! I mean in terms of craftsmanship!
Akinym had to bite back an indignant reply.
Akinym: Fine! The lizardmen run various mines, and they are experts on refining and processing ore as well as smithing, whereas goblins excel at… [slightly suspiciously] producing fabrics and all kinds of textiles…
Ashley: I assume you start to understand. There are many excellent tailors and weavers among the goblins. For instance, there are these goat-like animals on this floor, which are supposedly extremely wild, but the goblins managed to domesticate them. Their wool is almost impossible to get and extraordinarily hard to process, yet the goblins mastered both.
Sinon: And now what? Do you want to get your hands on their work or resources? Or what else is it?
Ashley: Yes and no! I'm a creator myself, but the goblins allegedly know textile processing techniques that exist nowhere else, which means that they possess incredibly rare materials that can't be found anywhere else, I guess. Now, you certainly know the goal of the war campaign. What do you think this means for the goblins?
Sinon [hesitantly, slightly frustrated]: They… They'll probably be wiped out somewhere down the line.
Ashley: Exactly, they will vanish, and so will any access to their products.
To be honest, that was one of the reasons why the debate about the war campaign had been so fierce. The various groups among the Assault Team had different interests regarding which materials they'd need the most.
Ashley: That only makes them even rarer! The only chance to get our hands on them are drops and treasure chests during the campaign. However, that's nothing compared to the Fleece of the Ancestral Ram!
Akinym: So, could we get to the part where you explain what that actually is?
Ashley: A customer has told me about it the other day. Apparently, his party stumbled across a quest that rewards whoever completes it with a legendary fabric: [slightly excitedly] the Fleece of the Ancestral Ram. I don't know any details, but if I understood him right, it's a one-of-a-kind treasure of the goblins, and once the goblins are gone, it will stay that way forever. [dreamily] This could be the once-in-a-lifetime chance to work using a unique ingredient! Not just rare: unique! That would make my creation on par with Last Attack bonuses of floor bosses and the like! [determinedly] I'd do anything to get my hands on it!
Regardless of their opinion on Ashley's… obsession, Akinym and Sinon figured that this could work in their favour.
Sinon: So… If we get you this "Fleece", I guess we could expect a… favourable deal?
Ashley: If you bring it to me, I'll craft your armour from it for free!
Akinym was surprised that Ashley went all out instantaneously. Pleasantly surprised, but surprised.
Sinon: Admittedly, that sounds good… but didn't you just say you'd do "anything"? I think there have been some enhancements on the table, so… What about that?
This time, Akinym was surprised rather unpleasantly. Was Sinon seriously trying to bargain like that? He had the feeling that Sinon was ignoring an important principle of negotiating: Never overshoot the target! She seemingly wanted it all, but Akinym figured that greed might ruin a good deal, especially since they couldn't even guarantee that they'd be the first ones to get their hands on this ominous "Fleece", so Sinon tried to dictate the terms without an actual bargaining chip.
Oddly enough, it seemed to work, though. Ashley looked at Sinon uneasily. She hesitated, but not for long.
Ashley: Well, alright! I'll throw in five enhancement attempts for each piece! You already have plenty of materials, and I'll contribute enough for a constant success rate of at least ninety per cent. [sternly] That's, however, as far as I'll go!
Sinon: Sounds good.
Ashley [mutters, slightly dejectedly]: What a losing deal this is… [says aloud, determinedly] But it's gonna be worth it if I can make a design for the ages with the rarest of all materials!
Sinon [slightly worriedly]: Design for the ages? We're still looking for battle gear, just so you know. This "design" will better not be too frilly and extravagant.
Ashley [upset]: That's a violation of my dignity as an artist! What is this job good for if I can't make an attire whose beauty matches its tangible value?! [sternly, slightly huffily] I won't compromise on that!
Sinon wasn't pleased to hear that. It was bad enough that – for whatever reason – Asuna wanted to dress her up, so she really didn't want an actual tailor to join in on top of that.
Alas, she had no idea what to do about this. Passing on this opportunity seemed downright insane – so Sinon was torn between "being insane" and (probably) losing her dignity…
Meanwhile, Akinym… made the best of the situation.
Akinym [slightly contemplatively]: I don't know… Sure, we can't do anything about how you'll design our armour since that's entirely your job, but what if we don't like it? I mean, do we look as if we'd equip something – as Sinon-san said – "frilly and extravagant"?
Ashley: You don't have to rub your lack of fashion sense in my face!
Akinym [annoyed]: That's not the… [takes a deep breath, calmly] What I'm trying to say is that it would be a shame if nobody would get to see this "design for the ages" because those who it has been bestowed upon… [flatly] just don't wear it.
Ashley's expression distorted in shock.
Ashley: You can't be serious! Even you shouldn't pass on such high-class equipment!
Akinym [slightly upset]: Hey, I've told you that I want something modest and fitting, and I certainly won't walk around in some sort of carnival costume, even if that means that I'll have to lock it away in my storage cabinet and look for something else!
Sinon glanced at Akinym with a slightly doubtful expression. She knew from experience – or rather a certain slouch hat – that Akinym would probably wear just about anything as long as the stats justified it.
Regardless, she could tell what he was aiming for, and since Ashley looked almost as if she had received a ransom letter after her family had been taken hostage, it seemed to work perfectly.
Sinon: I concur on that matter.
For a brief moment, Ashley whimpered in pain – or rather as if she had been been in pain.
Ashley [frustrated]: Alright, I won't just force a design on you! [sternly] But I'll make the draft myself, and all you'll do is to give it your okay or not!
Akinym and Sinon exchanged a glance, and Akinym tried to convey with his expression that this was a good deal.
Sinon: I'd say we have a deal.
They quickly bid each other goodbye, and Akinym and Sinon didn't waste any time leaving Ashley's shop. Frankly, Ashley was just as glad that these two had left as they were.
When they stood in front of the store, the first thing Akinym and Sinon did was to take a deep breath and relax.
Sinon: She was even more of a weirdo than I had thought…
Akinym: By a landslide! [slightly contemplatively] But we've struck a good deal.
Sinon: Yeah… Good job with the bargaining, by the way.
Akinym [slightly exasperatedly]: Frankly, I kinda wish you hadn't started with that! We've actually overexerted our bargaining power on this matter.
Sinon [slightly confusedly]: What are you talking about? I'd say it worked pretty well.
Akinym: Yeah, but if you ask me, that's only because Ashley-san was blinded by greed. The fact that she instantly agreed to enhance our armour for free as well says that quite clearly. She wants that item – [admonishingly] so if we want our deal, we better find it before she figures out that she could also ask numerous other people to get it for her on better conditions!
Sinon grimaced at the thought. Right... In her eagerness to strike the best deal possible, her annoyance at Ashley's attitude and the heat of the moment, she hadn't even thought about that…
Akinym: Anyway, now that it has come to that and we went all out, we should do the same with this mission we have on our hands now. As I've said, we better hurry and secure that "Fleece of the Whatever Ram" before somebody else does!
Sinon [slightly exasperatedly]: Ancient Ram. Seriously, it's not even like you not to listen carefully to such information.
Akinym [dryly]: Ashley-san is too quirky for me to listen to her carefully. And honestly, she didn't even know that much about this item. At least nothing of great interest such as where to find it… or if it's even feasible for just two players to obtain it.
Sinon [slightly worriedly]: Well, alright, let's focus on that. [slightly contemplatively] I guess if we do it, we have to consult a certain someone who should be more knowledgeable about this, right?
Shortly thereafter, they were back in Arc Sophia, talking about the Fleece of the Ancestral Ram with this "certain someone".
Argo [slightly contemplatively]: Ya know, ya could try yer hand at info broker business yerselves if ya already know 'bout the Fleece. I've learnt 'bout the thing just yesterday.
Sinon: So you have information on it?
Argo: Yup. [slightly boastfully] I'd even say pretty good info. [seriously] It'll come at a price, though. We're talkin' 'bout some seriously nifty item here.
Akinym: It's not like we have many options here, so what sum are we talking about?
Argo pondered what would be an appropriate price for a moment.
Argo: A hundred thousand.
Akinym seemed a little displeased, but Sinon even looked somewhat shocked.
Argo [slightly upset]: Hey, ya know that I don't charge a price that my intel isn't worth, especially ya, Akinym. Believe me, ya're gonna run into some trouble without it.
Akinym: Well, to be fair, given what's on the line, the price seems reasonable. [glances at Sinon, slightly exasperatedly] I'd rather not start another inadvisable haggling.
Sinon [slightly annoyed]: Give it a rest! It's not as if I'm holding it against you that you were watching like a creep when that weirdo downright assaulted me. [grumpily] Although I'm actually still a bit mad at you. [annoyed] But speaking of what Ashley did, after that move, she honestly deserves to have as much of her stock squeezed out of her as possible!
Akinym [slightly annoyed and sternly]: I sympathise with the last part, [upset, slightly sternly] but I "watched like a creep"?! Most certainly not! And seriously, what did you expect me to do?!
Sinon: Oh, you can't tell me that you couldn't have restrained that crazy woman, Mister Judoka and Aikidoka!
Akinym: Believe me, if I had seen a possibility to tackle that lunatic to the ground [very sternly] without triggering the anti-harassment code, [annoyed] I would've done it long before I had to watch a grown woman groping a teenager!
Sinon [upset, slightly embarrassed]: Don't remind me of that! It's bad enough as it is, so you don't have to say it so blatantly!
Akinym wanted to retort, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Argo watching with a seemingly odd expression. He turned towards her, and Sinon followed suit a moment thereafter.
Now that he got a clear look at her, Akinym saw that Argo's expression was one of astonishment with a glint of awkwardness.
Argo: I've missed quite the party, haven't I?
Akinym and Sinon didn't reply, at least not with words. Their expressions, however, clearly brought across that neither of them was in the mood to talk about it.
Sinon: You know what, Argo? While you're at it, do you actually know another qualified tailor? One who isn't a nutjob, if possible. I know it's a bit unfair to Asuna, [exasperatedly] but this woman...
Argo: Oh, I could, but ya already have the best one for the job. With maxed-out craftin' skills 'n Sewin', not to mention that Ashley got the perfect mods for the job.
Sinon: I don't wanna badmouth her skills, but she can't be the only tailor with high skill levels on the upper floors, can she?
Argo: True that, but don't underestimate poor Ashley, Sinon! I could tell ya 'bout it, [grins] but how 'bout I leave that to the Hollow Instructor?
Sinon gave Argo a slightly angry look, which confused her a little, especially since Akinym didn't seem to mind what she had said.
Akinym: Depends on the mods. They can increase anything from success rate of actions such as enhancement attempts to the probability of good stats with the skill proficiency. As for Sewing, I only know that aside from crafting non-combat clothing and other things, the skill allows to make alterations to armour designs, and with a high enough proficiency, there's a chance to get a third bonus attribute in addition to the two you can get depending on the crafting skill.
Argo: Well, ya got that right, but that's far from everythin'. Details would cost ya, but if Sewin' is high enough, ya can choose mods to add more supplements to an armour craftin' process or to pick what the bonus attributes will be if ya get them. There's even a fancy mod for really high-level Sewin' that allows ya to add special metal components to leather armour, ya just hafta make them using high Metal Refining. Well, 'n good ol' Ashley can do all that – while hardly anyone else can.
Akinym: You sure know a lot even about these specific skills. Not that I'm too surprised.
Argo: Nyehehe, naturally! I could tell ya a lot more 'bout that if I'd check my database, but ya ain't here for that, are ya? [seriously] But ya should know that there's one more major thing Ashley has goin' for her. Ya already mentioned how ya can modify craftin' skills with mods, 'n Ashley did that in a special way. For example, there's this point when levelin' craftin' skills at which ya can choose to increase either the chance to get bonus stats or the numerical values of said bonus stats. Most crafters get the former. Ashley is 'bout the only tailor I've heard of who chose the latter.
Sinon: But why? I mean, there has to be reason why the other option is so much more popular.
Argo: Well, ya're a smart girl, ain't ya? So, what do ya think?
Sinon [contemplatively]: Well… I'm not sure. The only thing I can think of is that the chance to get better bonus stats doesn't matter if you don't get them at all in the first place.
Argo [winks]: See? Ya got it! [seriously] To answer yer question, there's still a point in Ashley's choice. It's just that if ya don't boost yer chance of gettin' those attributes with skills, ya hafta do it with the input. Extremely high-class input, that is.
Akinym [slightly contemplatively]: I see. Yeah, that wouldn't be a problem for Ashley-san.
Argo: It sure isn't. Ya see, she's basically built her character to be a first-rate custom tailor, 'n she did so from the very beginnin'. There's a lot more. For instance, Ashley is one of the few players who's leveled both Sewin' 'n equipment craftin' to such a high value, 'n the mods she's chosen... I could give ya more details, [playfully] but ya won't get the guide to tailorin' for free! [slightly sternly] But seriously, if nothin' else, I'd call her one hell of a devoted crafter.
Sinon [slightly hesitantly]: I see… Well, anyway, thanks for… for clearing this up. I… didn't actually expect such an in-depth explanation. [slightly hastily] I'm kinda glad, though. I guess this proved that I can trust Asuna's recommendation.
Argo: Nyehehe, don't sweat it! Assurin' a client that my intel is gonna get them anywhere is part of guaranteein' customer satisfaction.
Akinym: Well, now that you've done that, how about we get back on track and talk about this weird Ram Fleece?
Sinon [slightly exasperatedly]: That's still the Fleece of the Ancestral Ram. Why don't you bother at all to get that right?
Akinym [dryly]: That's because I don't really care about the name of a piece of wool.
Sinon [sighs]: Anyway, I agree, so let's get this under way, Argo.
Argo: Sweet!
Akinym opened his menu and send Argo the trade request with the payment. While they were taking care of that, Argo began explaining.
Argo: 'kay… There's this shipwreck in a dried-up riverbed 'round the border between goblin and lizardmen territories. In the war, it's an outpost of the goblins. Now, here's the secret 'bout the place: There's a war prisoner locked up in the last intact cargo bay, which is on the starboard side just beneath the upper deck, 'n that fella happens to know 'bout a secret treasure of the goblins. Ya hafta free him 'n get him some food from a mid-boss that will spawn flying above deck. My informant 'n his party had to fight it when it comes down, but I'm sure our archer will make short work of it!
Sinon just nodded firmly. It would by no means be the first flying opponent she caught flat-footed, and certainly not the last one either.
Argo: I'll give ya more details in a second, but I'll finish the summary first. Once ya defeat the boss, ya hafta ask the prisoner why the goblins caught him, 'n he'll tell ya that he's a spy. He'll also tell ya 'bout a secret treasure he's discovered, and that the goblins keep it at a fortress in the south. It's that fortress that's also the passageway through the mountains you'll have to get past to get to the labyrinth. Dunno if ya already know 'bout that, but ya hafta use teleport stones to get from one section to the next one. The catch is that there are several of them in each teleport chamber. Ya hafta choose the right one to progress, but if ya pick the wrong one, it'll shatter 'n send ya back to a save point in the current area. What's worse, it apparently causes this particular quest to fail, which is why my informant gave up at that point. Ya probably somehow hafta find a way to guess right every time till ya reach the end.
Sinon [sighs]: Great… Seems like we have a lot lying ahead of us.
Akinym: Apparently… Alright, let's go over the details so that we can start.
Well, they shall do that calmly. You'll see this "start" in the next chapter.
Some of you might recognise Klein's new get-up. It's supposed to be his "default" gear from HF, which he wears during events.
Kem'Pal's name was derived from "K'mpec", a Klingon chancellor from Star Trek: The Next Generation. It just happens that I associated a lizardmen general with a leader of the Klingon race, and among the Klingon politicians I've seen, K'mpec was one of the few that I've respected from start to finish.
The "Scaleless Turnips" part will be explained in the next chapter. The same goes for Silica's line about "Klein licking his eyes".
When I read the article on Ashley at SAO Wikia and saw the one picture of her that I've managed to find, I had the impression that this had to be an eccentric artist, so that's why she's so... well, as I've described her in this chapter.
The way the anti-harassment code is designed in the SAO console games is terrible and sexist. Period.
Resource Appraisal is a skill I came up with based on the canon skills Equipment Appraisal and Tool Apraisal. I'm just mentioning that in case Reki Kawahara will establish a similar skill with a different name in the future.
The conversation about tailoring between Akinym, Sinon and Argo might come across as an info dump, and to be fair, it kind of is, but I wanted to include some ideas what might make Ashley a special tailor, and this is actually the least info-dumpy way that came to my mind. Furthermore, there's also a bit foreshadowing in it.
Some of you might've noticed some... conceptual changes I've made to the fundament I've taken from HF. For starters, you actually have to fight both goblins and lizardmen on the 95th floor, but I thought that this scenario similar to the Elf War in Progressive or IF is more interesting. Moreover, the thing with the teleport stones Argo mentioned is actually on the 96th floor, but I have a certain idea for it, so...
Little Preview: The search for the legendary Fleece shall begin! Akinym and Sinon (and unexpected allies) will have to pass many trials, but the prize they desire awaits them at the end of this journey.