"Seiyaaaaa!"
"Haaaaa!"
Two swordsmen jumped over the wall of tank players and attacked the giant machine in bright flashes of light at nearly the same time, draining the last few red pixels of its HP bar. As they both landed back on the ground, the enemy burst into shards of light behind them. But neither player was paying attention to that. Instead, they were focused on the small windows that appeared in front of them because—
"Yes! I did it!" Asuna cheered, twirling around and flashing her companion a victorious 'V' sign with her hand with an accompanying smile.
"No way..." Kirito groaned dejectedly, slumping over in defeat.
—They had a bet riding on who got the《Last Attack Bonus》on the field boss.
The dark haired teenager straightened up and sheathed his sword on his back. He watched the red and white clad fencer with a small smile as she scrolled through the windows displaying the item drops she got during this battle. Some of her guild members congratulated her on the win.
After solving the murder in a safe zone mystery together, Kirito and Asuna had started to restore their relationship into somewhat resembling their initial partnership in the early months of SAO. Back then, both slightly (very) immature middle schoolers, they made silly bets on who would treat whom to meals or dessert based upon things such as racing to defeating 50 wasps first or racing to a designated meeting place. Although they were still not as casual as they had been then—Kirito was still wary of becoming close to other people, and Asuna had the responsibility of a vice commander in a clearing guild—the nostalgia and familiarity of making these wagers offered a rare comfort in Aincrad.
The pair bid goodbye to some of the raid members partaking in the field boss battle that day, and Kirito pointedly ignored the knowing looks Agil and Klein sent his way when he left the field with the chestnut-haired vice commander on his left.
Today, the loser had to treat the winner to dinner.
"I can't believe I finally got the last attack bonus before you today," Asuna remarked when they were finally seated at her restaurant of choice.
"I don't always get the LA, you know…" Kirito replied unconvincingly.
She leaned forward on the table and looked at him doubtfully. "It's one of the great mysteries of the front lines."
"It is?" He laughed nervously. He crossed his arms and turned away from her probing stare.
In his opinion, it wasn't necessarily his fault… His speed-type build and fighting style just gave him an edge over other players in getting the Last Attack. However, Kirito couldn't deny that he occasionally embraced his selfish reputation and stole the《Last Attack Bonus》at the last moment one or two times in the past.
At that moment, an NPC waiter came by their table with a pot of tea and took their orders, saving him from the rest of that conversation topic.
Asuna proceeded to fill both their cups with tea, and Kirito took this opportunity to look across the table at his dinner companion and wonder how he got himself into this situation again. He politely thanked her for filling his tea and took a sip as he tried to ignore the whispers of the other restaurant patrons.
Although he had a bit of an infamous reputation as the only solo player on the front lines, his tendency to keep to himself gave little opportunity to be recognized in most cases. Asuna, however…
"What are you looking at me for?" She asked with a hint of annoyance, crossing her arms over a shiny white breastplate.
Asuna was a rare find in the world of Aincrad as both a beautiful girl and a fierce warrior. As the vice commander of the most reputable guild, KoB, she had a large and shameless fanclub. Even Kirito, who had spent several months in at times very close quarters with the fencer, had to admit that he was still struck from time to time by her appearance.
"No-nothing," he started, desperately trying to think of something to say that was very much not what he was actually thinking about. The first thing that came out of his mouth was: "...I just noticed you're wearing some new armor."
A pause.
She looked at him in disbelief.
How awkward, he winced. Not for the first time, the teenager wished that《Social Skills》was something he could level up in this world. They just fought a field boss together, of course he didn't just notice.
"It, uh, it looks good?"
And it did. Her previous outfit looked nice too, but the new white breastplate (was that mithril?) and boots brightened up the red-and-white knight's outfit compared to her previous equipment. The placement of the red accents were even more flattering as well. He had heard rumors that the KoB custom designed the outfits of their much esteemed vice commander and briefly wondered if they picked their red and white theme just for her as well. After all, it wasn't a very subtle theme, and Asuna herself used to wear a hooded cloak to hide her appearance before joining the guild.
Asuna released a resigned sigh. "You're supposed to say that first…" she said quietly. A faint blush rose in her cheeks, and she lifted her cup of tea in an attempt to hide it. "Thank you."
The well-timed NPC waiter returned again with their food to save them from this awkward moment. With a quick 'thank you for the food,' they started to eat. Kirito noted to himself that Asuna's restaurant choice wasn't half-bad. Since he was aware that she was training her cooking skill and could personally attest to her skills, he had wondered how often she actually ate out instead.
"Anyway, Kirito-kun," Asuna eyed him, "Don't you think you should upgrade your armor too? You've been wearing that for a while now."
"Ah, should I...?" He looked down at his own attire: a bronze breastplate and trademark black coat.
If Kirito had to be honest, he had been considering it. The front lines were past the 60th floor now, and as a solo player he had to keep his margin of safety as large as possible. Not spending the col on new equipment would be foolish.
"I'd like to, but I haven't found anything I like in any shops," he admitted, scratching the back of his head. Although he didn't like his《the Black Swordsman》monicker, he couldn't deny that he was slightly sentimental about the black coats that gave him that name. The one he was currently wearing was his third. As the front lines moved up to higher floors, high stat items could only be found as rare drops or player-made items. The coats in the NPC shops he's browsed failed to catch his interest.
Asuna nodded and hummed in response. She was fairly sentimental about her equipment as well. The《Lambent Light》equipped at her waist was made from the ingot of her previous rapier, as she had done repeatedly ever since the third floor at Kirito's recommendation.
"Why don't you get something custom made?"
"Custom made…" He considered it with a hand on his chin. "That's a good idea, but I don't know any high level tailors."
"Oh, that's easy!" Asuna laughed.
"Easy?" Kirito repeated.
"There's only one option: Ashley," she responded as if it was obvious.
He blinked. Ashley? The name sounded vaguely familiar, but he couldn't recall anything specific. As a guy more interested in rare items and weapons, he didn't pay much attention to things like clothing.
Taking pity on her dinner companion, Asuna elaborated, "She was the first player to max out her《Tailoring》Skill."
"Ah, I see," Kirito nodded. He recalled hearing something like that before. Training skills was an arduous task, especially for a trade skill like《Tailoring》that couldn't be used in battle. Maxing out something like that certainly deserved respect.
"I can refer you to her shop!" she offered. "I have a little time before my guild meeting… What were you planning on doing after dinner?"
"I was going to do some grinding. Why?"
Since they defeated the field boss today, the assault team was close to clearing the rest of this floor. Accordingly, Kirito had nearly completed all of the quests he had taken on as well.
"Well… Ashley-san is a bit picky about her commissions, so it'll be easier if I introduce you."
Picky?
"Don't worry about it! Just leave it to me." Asuna gave him a reassuring smile.
He returned the smile with a tease, "If you say so, vice commander-sama."
"H-hey!"
After dinner, they headed towards the 48th floor together. Ashley's shop was located in the northern section of the city Lindarth. When they arrived at their destination, where a sign proudly proclaimed its name as《Ashley's》, Kirito was surprised by the size of the shop. It was easily one of the biggest buildings in the area and sported not one but two water wheels. As players on the front lines, Kirito and Asuna both earned more col than the average SAO player, but he doubted even they could afford such a behemoth building.
"Come on!" Asuna grabbed one of his arms and coaxed him through the entrance.
The interior appeared even larger, if it was possible. The walls were lined with overwhelming racks of items. Kirito was a teenage video game addict recluse, and clothing stores like these gave him anxiety both in the Real World and in Aincrad. There were a few patrons browsing the racks, but Asuna led him toward the back of the shop where there were some rolls of raw materials hanging along the walls.
"Yoohoo! Ashley-san!" She greeted merrily, ignoring the rising tension of her former partner.
"Ah, hello, Asuna! How is one of my VIP customers?" A fashionable-looking woman who appeared to be in her 20s came over to greet them. She sported several colored highlights in her short hair. Kirito wondered if she might have been a fashion student in the Real World.
"Good! We just defeated the field boss of the 61st floor earlier, which reminds me…" Asuna trailed off, opening a window and started setting up a trade. "I got some materials you might be able to use."
Ashley accepted the trade. "Thanks, I appreciate it! It's not easy to go questing for materials and keeping up with demand. You're definitely one of my VIPs for a reason, Asuna."
Asuna waved her hand at the compliment, "No, don't worry about it! After all, I'm not going to use them for anything, and I buy so many of your clothes."
During this exchange, Kirito stood awkwardly behind Asuna. In his opinion, it was frivolous in this world to spend money on extra sets of clothes since nothing really got dirty, and he spent most of his time alone in dungeons anyway. But like a good bath, cute clothes were probably something a young woman like Asuna prioritized.
Asuna pulled him forward by the arm again and introduced him. "Anyway, Ashley-san, this is Kirito-kun."
They exchanged quick 'nice to meet you's.
"Kirito-kun was interested in getting a new leather coat made, and I figured you'd be the best person for the job!" Asuna explained.
Kirito nodded in confirmation. "I'd like to please place a custom order."
Ashley looked at him critically from head to toe, then from him to Asuna, and back. She nodded slowly with the look of someone who knew a secret he didn't. "A bit plain, but I suppose if Asuna is making a special request, I can do it."
Plain?
Kirito couldn't decide whether to be offended or not, but Asuna smiled on his behalf with her palms pressed together in a grateful manner. "Great, thank you! I knew I could count on you, Ashley-san!"
She elbowed him subtly. "R-right, thank you for accepting my request."
Noticing the time, Asuna politely excused herself, "I'm really sorry, Ashley-san, Kirito-kun, but I need to leave before I'm late to a guild meeting. You know what you want, right, Kirito-kun?"
He nodded again. "Yeah."
"Okay, then I'll leave you two to it. See you later!" She left with a wave to both of them.
Kirito watched the ends of her long chestnut brown hair exit his field of view out of the corner of his eye before returning his attention to the seamstress in front of him.
"You're the first person Asuna's referred to this shop in-person, you know," she remarked. She gave his attire another once over.
"Is-is that so?" he replied nervously, shifting slightly under her scrutiny.
"Long black leather coat, one-handed sword, no shield… That makes you《The Black Swordsman》, am I right?" Ashley asked perceptively.
"Yeah… I guess so." Kirito admitted. There was no point in hiding it, and he didn't sense any malice in her observation.
"I suppose I can't complain about taking a request to make the iconic item of the famous《Black Swordsman》. I hope you live up to your reputation because I only work with the rarest and highest quality materials."
"Of course," he nodded, regaining some composure. "I can retrieve any materials you need."
"You just want a black leather coat? Any specific design or attributes?"
Kirito thought about it for a moment. From their brief interaction so far, Ashley clearly thought little of his current style, and he honestly didn't care too much about it either as long as the stats were good. "Something similar to this is fine. I'll leave the design specifics up to you. As for stats, I'd prefer something lightweight with high durability. A boost in hiding would be useful too."
"Oh? Sounds like black dragon leather is a good fit."
"Black dragon?" He wasn't sure if he knew where to find those in this world.
"On the 56th floor, there's rumored to be a black dragon that lives in a cave atop the southern mountain. Gather some dragonhide from it, and I'll make the best coat you've ever had."
"Not a problem." At his level, a mid-level boss on the 56th floor shouldn't pose much of a problem.
They came to an agreement about payment, and Kirito made to leave so he could start finding information about the black dragon quest.
"Oh, and Kirito?" Ashley stopped him.
"Yeah?" He turned his head back to face her.
"Maybe you'll find something to thank Asuna with on that mountain too."
Ehhh?
"I normally only take on custom orders on items that interest me. In this case… well, there's definitely something interesting."
"A-ah… yeah, maybe…" The swordsman managed to stutter out, a blush rising in his face.
Ashley winked and shooed him out of her shop.
Three days later, a strategy meeting was held about the floor boss. After the meeting, Kirito was in the middle of a conversation with Agil when he heard a familiar voice.
"Kirito-kun." Asuna came up behind him with her hands clasped behind her. She smiled at the axe wielder next to him. "Nice to see you again, Agil-san."
Kirito and Agil turned to greet her.
"Yo, Asuna."
"How are you, Asuna?"
"I'm doing well! How is business at your shop?" She asked the merchant kindly.
"It's going great!" Agil boomed, "More and more players are reaching the higher floors every day, so there are a lot of customers looking to buy new equipment."
"Really? That's great to hear."
Even though it had been almost 1.5 years since all of the players were trapped in SAO, not many were willing to risk their lives and level up enough to reach the front lines. Since the floors were getting more and more dangerous, they needed to continue recruiting as many members as possible in order to finally clear the game.
"More like more and more players are getting swindled by you every day…" Kirito mumbled sourly.
The merchant looked offended. "Don't go spreading any false rumors now."
Asuna giggled at their exchange.
"Well, I should go back to tending to my shop. It's almost the busiest time of the day, " Agil said, eyeing the two of them. "I'll see you both at the boss fight. Come by if you need to stock up on anything!"
"Yeah, yeah…"
"Sure thing!"
After Agil left, Asuna turned her full attention to Kirito and eyed him critically. "It suits you."
He looked down at himself self-consciously. She was referring to his new outfit, carefully crafted by Ashley from the materials he gathered. His new coat called the《Blackwyrm Coat》kept the same general shape of his previous coat with a high collar and long length, but she accented it with light grey piping and a belt. She also crafted a pair of boots with a few stat bonuses and matching straps for a new breastplate that doubled as a baldric for his scabbard out of the extra leather. Kirito wore a new black V-neck shirt and pants to match the more monochrome set of armor. He had to admit that he really liked the new look.
"Ashley did a really good job. Thanks for the referral." Kirito took a pouch out of his inventory and held it out to Asuna.
"Eh?" she exclaimed, surprised. "Wha— for me? Why?"
"Just take it." He took her hand and placed the object in it. "You gave me the referral, and you provided her with this breastplate, didn't you?"
Sensing that he was getting a little too close, he retracted his hands and tapped at the strangely shaped piece of metal over the right part of his chest. The seamstress said it was called《The Heart of the Relic》, and Kirito had recognized it as possibly a component of the machine-type boss they defeated earlier in the week. It must have been one of the drops Asuna received after the battle and among the items she traded to Ashley when they went to see her.
At this point, Asuna was very red in the face. "And this…?" She held up the pouch.
"W-well… the dragon I defeated to get the materials for this coat hoarded a lot of treasure. That was among the items I got for the quest, and I figured since I had no use for it…" He pulled at his collar nervously, feeling his ears turn warm.
The Blackwyrm residing on the southern mountain of the 56th floor seemed to take inspiration from some famous dragons in Western fantasy novels. It lived in a cave inside the mountain and slumbered on top of a brilliant mound of treasure. Accordingly, because the rewards were so great, its difficulty level was so high that the swordsman resorted to using his secret skill in order to defeat it. Kirito ended up selling most of the items after he returned to drop off the dragonhide at Ashley's shop, but this particular item caught his eye and reminded him of the tailor's suggestion for returning Asuna's generosity.
Curious, the girl opened the pouch to reveal a pair of silver earrings with purple gemstones hanging from them. "Oh! How pretty…" she admired them in the open palm of her hand. The metal and gems glittered prettily in the sunlight.
Kirito felt a huge sense of relief that the gift was received well. "They give a pretty hefty agility bonus too," he remarked.
Asuna sealed the earrings back in the pouch and clutched it to her chest. "Thank you so much!" The beautiful smile she gave him shined more brilliantly than the earrings did.
Later:
"Neh, Kirito-kun, with these I'll definitely get the next LA before you again."
"Eh?"
"Maybe we should wager that new lemon raspberry cheesecake at the restaurant near the lake."
"Eeeh?!"
Kirito wondered if he could get another referral out of her after this new bet. He could use a new sword.
A/N: The latest episodes of SAO have made me nostalgic about the Aincrad arc, and I recently read all of the Progressive novels. Some inspiration was also taken from the Sound of Water, Sound of Hammer short story. Ashley is only ever mentioned, so writing her dialogue was hard. Kirito almost had me write his black dragon quest too, but this fic was only meant to be a one shot. Maybe I'll write that story some day…