Well howdy do. I hope everyone has been enjoying this story and what it brings to the table.
First off, I wanna give a big shout out to Trace Carter. This guy has been beta reading these past couple of chapters to help ensure they are coherent and ready to post. To my partner, I tip my hat to ya.
Second, I encourage you guys to review if this story does catch your eye. Reviews help readers like me get feedback on our work, and give a feeling for how our stories are received. Also, they encourage us to continue doing these stories so you get more updates and these don't sit on the shelf for months on end.
Third, to everyone who reviews, faves, follows, and even looks at this story, I thank you truly. You guys are amazing. Here is to more amazing stuff coming out down the line.
EDIT: Quick thanks to TheDemonSlayer 9 for pointing out some mistakes I made. I have edited those corrections in, and will be careful as I go. Thanks again mate.
Disclaimer: Sword Art Online and all its properties belong to Reki Kawahara, a brilliant man and a fantastic story teller. Thank you, Kawahara-san.
Chapter 3:
Into Their Own
It was close to the end of the year at the Imperial Swordcraft Academy. Along with their page duties, Kirito and Eugeo fulfilled their promise to look after Silica and Pina. Luckily, no one bothered to know what they were up to most times. Whether it be due to them being from such a far-off village or just in their unorthodox sword style, the boys didn't attract a lot of attention from other students. Eugeo hoped that it would remain that way for some time.
Though life had never been so generous for him. As he was walking the academy grounds to the market, he was spoken to by a rather flamboyant individual. "Going to buy a new rag, Eugeo?" The flaxen-haired boy looked to his right to see two individuals he and Kirito seemed to have the worst run-ins with: Raios Antinous and Humbert Zizek. Raios, a high-ranking noble of Centoria's nobility had rather long, wavy blonde hair that went down to his shoulder blades. His companion, Humbert, was a lower rank than he, yet high enough to still hold power over most people, had slicked back, short grey hair. The two eyed him with their narrow eyes as if giving him a subtle challenge to say something.
In response, Eugeo respectfully answered, "Merely going to market to buy food for myself and Kirito, Page Raios."
A vein pooping on his forehead, Humbert snapped, "Insolent mongrel! You will address him as High Page Antinous! How dare you sully his name like some common trinket?"
But rather than get agitated, Raios soothingly said, "Peace Humbert. It is not the commoner's fault he does not know the inner workings of respect in the nobility. After all, I hear they have no hierarchy in that little village he comes from. How could he know such rules to follow in so little time?"
"That's quite a preach," came a friendlier voice to Eugeo. "Shall you join the priests at the Axiom Church next, 'High Page Raios'?" The two nobles turned around to see Kirito leaning against the wall, wearing his usual smirk. Internally, Eugeo began to worry about what Kirito was starting. What did he hope to gain riling up Raios and Humbert like he was? Especially with how he addressed the former rather lackadaisically.
Unperturbed, Raios merely replied, "I shan't, for it would squander my family's prestige and dedication to preserving our mighty custom for the sword. But a truly splendid suggestion all the same, Page Kirito." Humbert seemed to be holding himself back, seething between his gritted teeth like a wild animal. His partner then continued, "I am curious why such a poor student is not committing himself to perfecting his skills at the sword and the Sacred Arts. Surely you would wish to excel to even glance at the level a highborn such as myself could achieve."
"I get by as is," Kirito said with a shrug. "And my style works for me just fine. Heck, the guy who taught us was a noble as well. So perhaps I already have reached for your level and decided I don't need it." Eugeo thought he saw a slight twitch in Raios's facial expression. Perhaps Kirito was merely trying to get under their skin. If he was, he was succeeding rather soundly. But he worried what that would do overall.
However, Raios decided not to pursue the topic further, and commanded Humbert to accompany him to the mess hall. Humbert has no room to resist, as even Eugeo could feel the authority behind his words that dared him to disobey. The two nobles went on their way while Kirito walked over to his friend.
Letting out a tired sigh, Eugeo chided softly, "You need to stop antagonizing them, Kirito. One day they will retaliate in a way you can't fight back."
"They may, but I won't worry about it," Kirito assured, much to Eugeo's dismay. "Nobles they may be, but I have always thought nobles were supposed to be noble. I mean, that's what the nobles are for, am I right?"
"Well, you're not wrong at least," Eugeo conceded. "We even learned that the nobility is supposed to be the first to go against the forces from the Dark Territory when war breaks out. But those two act as if that will fall to the common folk."
"Even so," Kirito spoke up, sounding serious, "don't take them lightly because of their haughty behavior. Remember in the last exam, they performed remarkably. They've been hiding their skill up till now. If we want to have a chance at making it to the Four-Empire Unification Tournament, they will be the ones we have to beat in the end." Eugeo nodded at this. Either way, those two were going to be a major obstacle on their quest to rescue Alice and Asuna.
At that moment, another voice spoke up, "Oh Kirito. Off to the market with Eugeo?" They turned to look to see Sortiliena walking up with a basket of food in her hands. She was dressed differently from her usual uniform. Her hair was not up in its usual long ponytail, and she wore a pink dress with a purple bottom skirt, along with a yellow cardigan over her top. The sight of her made Kirito stiffen a bit, which still baffled Eugeo as to why his friend seemed stiff around his mentor.
"Greetings, Disciple Sortiliena," Kirito spoke rigidly.
Letting out a disgruntled sigh, the said disciple admonished, "Kirito, I've told you numerous times to call me Liena. You don't need to be so stiff and upright around me." Kirito deflated at those words, but the relative tension was still in his shoulders.
Deciding to step in for his friend's sake, Eugeo asked, "What brings you out here, Elite Disciple Serlut?"
To that, the swordswoman answered, "I was just in town shopping myself. I had honestly been hoping to run across you two while there. I have been curious as to why you both frequent the markets as you do."
Kirito seemed more relaxed when he responded with, "We just wanted to be well-informed about trade among the other territories. There's nothing wrong with that."
"No, nothing wrong," Sortiliena replied, raising an eyebrow. "But to go as frequently as you two do is concerning. Coming from a rural village, I doubt either of you have that much shia to spend." Kirito just chuckled at this, but Eugeo grew a tad worried about if Sortiliena was picking up on why they went to town so often. About the little thief they had decided to take care of despite laws stating such an individual should be brought to the church.
Deciding to avoid such a situation, Eugeo urged, "Well, we must get going now. Farewell." And he pushed Kirito away from the Elite Disciple. Once they were far enough away, the two went about their usual route.
In an alley by Lisbeth's blacksmith shop, grunts and shouts were heard as the girl Silica was practicing some techniques using a wooden practice sword Kirito managed to carve for her to use. Pina watched from atop some old crates, though it appeared more like she was lounging than anything. Kirito and Eugeo watched on as Silica went through basic motions, noting how she was getting much better at handling herself with a blade.
After the last rep, Kirito stopped her to help with one minor adjustment. "When you swing to the side, you don't want to rely only on your arms," he instructed, helping direct Silica's body to the stance for a horizontal swing. The girl's cheeks reddened a tad at the contact, yet she stifled her reaction as much as she could. "When you swing, the power has to come from your hips," the boy continued. "You want to twist your hips to carry that power through."
"Y-Yes!" Silica squeaked in response. Once Kirito backed away, she tried using her hips as he told her to. But when she did, she twisted too much and spun around, losing her grip on the sword in the process and causing it to strike the wall above Pina's head. The dragon shot up at the disturbance and gave a cry of alarm, flapping her wings and squawking while thrashing about on her perch..
"Oh! I'm so sorry Pina," Silica tried to assure her friend. She got Pina to simmer down after a bit of coaxing, then turned to face the boys teaching her.
Eugeo stepped up this time, addressing, "You only want to use your hips to carry the motion, not run the entire strike. Just twist them a little bit, enough that your arms can carry the motion through."
"Right, Instructors Eugeo and Kirito," Silica responded. "I will try it again." Just as she was about to attempt the swing again, Lisbeth came out and caused her to lose concentration. This time, the sword wrapped around and struck her arm. Eugeo went to attend to her injury while Kirito went to talk with Lisbeth.
"Still making goofy mistakes, huh?" she commented.
"She's doing alright," Kirito reasoned. "Better than the time Eugeo sent his sword flying into the woods when we practiced. We ended up having to make a new sword to replace it."
"Sounds like a drag," the blacksmith muttered. As she watched, Lisbeth then mentioned, "About your sword Kirito, I think I should be able to have it finished before the academy year ends. So you can use your own sword for those final trials of yours."
Beaming, Kirito proclaimed, "That's great! You're amazing Liz."
Her cheeks turning a tad pink, the girl returned, "Yeah well, it was nothing. You and Eugeo have the more difficult end of our deal. You have the academy AND training this little runt, while all I had was business galore. It certainly worked out for both of us."
"I thought I had heard your shop was getting more attention from some students recently," Kirito remarked at the news. "Got some more commissions from nobles?"
"Yeah, but just the lower-ranked ones," Lisbeth elaborated. "The higher up ones don't even come down to this level because they already have smiths that are practically part of their family." Kirito could imagine other reasons why they wouldn't pursue Lisbeth for their aims. But that wasn't something he was going to voice, no matter what he thought. "Anyway, about Silica," the girl brought up, looking out to Eugeo helping Silica understand the motions better.
Looking over, Kirito inquired, "What about? She's getting the hang of it."
"That's just it, Kirito. She isn't getting the hang of it," Lisbeth stated bluntly. "It's clear, even without a high Authority, she can't really wield a sword. She wasn't built for such a weapon."
That intrigued Kirito quite a bit, so he asked, "What do you mean?"
Lisbeth crossed her arms, and explained, "You and Eugeo can obviously use such weapons because of your build and strength. You guys are just naturally able to use regular swords. But Silica, she doesn't have that kind of training like you guys do. It's too heavy for her and she can't compensate for it." Kirito hadn't thought about that. Though in truth, it had been Silica who requested they teach her. The boys didn't mind giving her some pointers about how to fight as it helped them develop their own style even more.
Still, Kirito considered her words, and brought up, "So what would you suggest? What could work for a fighter of her caliber." Lisbeth seemed to ponder this question for a bit before going back into the shop. When she came back out, she called Silica over while holding something behind her back.
Once the little girl came up to her, Lisbeth told her, "Silica, I think we might want to try a different weapon from what these boys are teaching you. Something more up your alley." And she drew out a small blade with a simple guard and leather sheath, barely a quarter of a mel long. Silica looked down at the small blade in wonder.
The boys also eyed it, though neither understood what Lisbeth was giving the young thief. So Eugeo spoke up, "Hey Lisbeth, what is it exactly?"
Lisbeth glowered at him as if he was being ignorant to simply annoy her. But she answered, "It's a dagger. Don't tell me you boys haven't seen a dagger at that academy of yours." Neither could deny or support her point, so they stayed silent. "I made this once for a client who gave it back to me the minute he saw it. Even took the money he owed me for the work I put into it," she elaborated. "No one's going to bother since daggers are hardly used by anyone. Besides, this should work better for Silica because she doesn't have all that weight carrying her around."
Silica marveled at the weapon she was given, thanking Lisbeth for the gift. She drew it to marvel at the craftsmanship and test it out with some basic attacks. The three friends looked on at the endearing sight. No matter what may come, they took solace in this small moment.
The following day, Kirito and Sortiliena were in the training hall exchanging sword strikes. It was only a few days before the final trials to enter the next year. Kirito and Eugeo were training their butts off to have any chance of getting into the top twelve seats, so that they would have a greater chance at attending the Four-Empire Unification Tournament. And their training was grueling, pushing them more than usual. Kirito himself had to be careful with Sortiliena. Her Serlut style was certainly nothing to sneeze at. It kept him on his toes as they exchanged blades.
The two paused amid their sparring, standing several mels apart. Kirito was panting from the exertion he had given in fending off her attacks while sending back his own. He really had to marvel at his tutor's ability.
"Well done Kirito," she regarded with a smile. "I must say, you continue to impress me. Particularly with that Aincrad style."
"Your Serlut style is impressive as well, Liena," Kirito returned in kind. "If I didn't know any better, I would think you were holding back somewhat."
"Now what would I gain from something like that?" she spoke, almost teasingly. Before Kirito could enact a response, she charged at him again. This time, he saw her draw a whip from behind her with her free hand and launch it at him. Undeterred, Kirito parried the whip away and rushed forward to attack once again. The two locked blades, trying to overpower the other on sheer will. But before long, Sortiliena disengaged and caused Kirito to stagger forward. He turned back to see her put away her practice sword and retrieve her whip.
"I thought we were recapping everything I had to know for the final trials?" he spoke, clearly confused by his mentor's behavior.
"We have," Sortiliena replied. "And I see there is nothing to worry about with you." Her comment caught Kirito off-guard. Even though they had sparred quite a bit, he hadn't expected such high praise until he had done well in the final trials. To hear that now baffled him. "You have grown Kirito, since I first chose you as my page a year ago. But I can sense that is not the full extent of your sword style." Baffled further, he was struck when Sortiliena mentioned, "You seem to have a hidden power in this style. Power not even my Serlut style can match." Looking to her hand, she lamented, "I admit, I am plagued with doubts regarding my style of fighting. Compared to those like Volo's High Norkia style. I find myself questioning if these fights were not with wooden swords, but real steel. I could use my whip and other tools however I pleased like you saw just then. But that will never come to pass. There is no true battle."
"B-But you have trained so diligently in the Serlut style," Kirito commended hastily. "It's such a unique style compared to the others. I'm sure it's strong in its own way."
"Perhaps, but not in the way that matters," she responded wistfully. Then, her face became firm, and she spoke, "Kirito, I want to see your hidden inner strength." Before Kirito could answer this, Sortiliena continued, "I want to see it… To know it. I want to know everything that makes you the swordsman you are before I graduate."
At this, Kirito was in a predicament. Kayaba had taught him and Eugeo about sword skills beyond the ones he regularly used like Sonic Leap or Vorpal Strike. But he had stated only certain weapon levels could pull it off. He never showed any to them, nor did he have them learn with their practice swords. He merely taught him the principle of the Aincrad style and its related skills. That was all Kirito had to go off of. But it was due to this that he and Eugeo practiced using the Blue Rose Sword, though it was more Eugeo than he. And they managed to figure out these higher techniques using such a high ranked weapon. Until he got his own sword from Lisbeth, he couldn't acquiesce to his mentor's request.
With that in mind, he told her, "I'll show you before you graduate. Give me a day so I may show you the greater skills in the Aincrad style."
Sortiliena smiled at that, and assured, "That is all I could want. Thank you, Kirito." With their training concluded, the two left the hall. But Kirito veered off for the gardens to check on something he had been working on.
Kirito had gone into the gardens, passing various plots of different flower species: super rare ones like roses, to seasonal ones like the blue anemones, to more common flowers. He went to a rather small plot where several small buds were rising above the ground, all blue in color. He had been cultivating these for a year now, and this batch was his last hope.
Eugeo came up from behind him as he bent down to check on these flowers, speaking, "I thought it was you coming over here." He hunched over a bit, and asked, "So these buds are the zephilia flowers you had been growing."
"Yep," Kirito replied, nodding his head. "This is the last batch from those seeds I bought from that merchant. If these fail to bloom, I have to wait until the fall for the next shipment."
"Three attempts," Eugeo recalled. "It took you three attempts to get this far. Considering we were told these grow from the Wesdarath, it is amazing they are even budding here in Norlangarth."
"And if I want to give these to Liena for her graduation gift, they have to bloom," Kirito murmured. "After I heard about how these were her favorite flowers while cleaning her room one time, I knew what to give her as her page."
Kneeling beside Kirito, Eugeo assured, "I'm sure she will love them." The two looked on, but one's mind wandered a bit. For looking at these flowers, Kirito remembered one day back in Rulid when he had made flowers a gift for someone.
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It was 9 years ago that Kirito recalled rushing around on the onset of autumn. He was out in the nearby woods to look for something to get Asuna for her birthday. The worst part for him was that everyone else had already gotten her something. Alice was 'preparing' food for the celebration and Eugeo had been working on carving a new wooden practice sword for Asuna. The parents had their gifts, and even Suguha had something for the birthday girl. Kirito had nothing and he was out in the woods panicking.
After the third trip around the grounds, he let out a moan as he plopped onto the grass. "What do I do?" he whined. "I'll never find a birthday gift for Asuna." In distress, he flipped over to stare into the sky. He felt so defeated at his lack of success. He didn't have money to buy something for Asuna, not to mention he had been a bit brash when declaring he would get Asuna the best gift ever in all of Rulid. Now here he was lying on the ground, with nothing to give her tomorrow. He began to wonder if his run of luck was ever going to improve.
It was then Alice came upon the grove he was in, where she placed her hands on her hips at seeing Kirito lying on the ground. "Kirito, what are you doing?" she admonished. "If you just lie around, you won't find a gift to give Asuna tomorrow for her birthday." Kirito said nothing in reply, not even uttering a moan or anything. And this gave Alice pause. Looking at his defeated expression, she let out a sigh and asked, "What's wrong Kirito?"
"I'll never find a gift that's perfect for Asuna," he told her.
"If you say it like that, you won't," the girl pointed out. "I'm sure there could be something you can do."
"What good could I do?" Kirito griped. "Suguha's got some secret gift, you are cooking her a feast, and Eugeo is giving her a new sword. What's there to give her that she doesn't already have?" Giving a defeated sigh, Kirito muttered, "It's hopeless." He expected to hear Alice lecture him about his attitude and how Asuna would feel. He expected a lot of big, adult words being thrown at him to make him wise up. Yet, nothing came. No scathing remark, no 'this is what you get' statements. Just silence and the forest. He looked over to see Alice had come over and was just sitting down next to him.
She seemed to contemplate something when she then spoke, "I don't know how Asuna will feel, but I think you should know." As his curiosity piqued, Alice went on and said, "The other day when Asuna and I were coming to bring you and Eugeo lunch, she told me that she felt unhappy about her birthdays at home. It was always the same things for her: new clothes, big parties, and her parents reminding her about her duty to the family. She said that she wants this birthday to be different."
Kirito leaned up, enraptured by what Alice was telling him. He certainly had noticed Asuna rarely talked about her family all that much when the four of them were together. He also saw, whenever they went home for the day, how sad Asuna seemed to be going back. There were times he even saw her looking at him like she was sending a silent message to him. Thinking back on it, Kirito felt shameful that he never noticed before.
"She told me hearing you proclaim to give her the best birthday gift in all the village made her so hopeful," Alice continued, unaware of Kirito's quick lapse in attention. Upon hearing that, Kirito heard her mention, "She's never looked forward to any birthday like she does for this one. She told me that she didn't care what present it was you got her. She was just happy you were the one giving it to her."
"She really said that?" Kirito asked earnestly.
With a bright smile, Alice replied, "Without a doubt. As long as you put your heart into it, I'm sure it will be the most wonderful gift Asuna ever got. Eugeo and I think so too." Kirito began to feel a smile grow on his face. All this time he had been worried about not finding the right gift for Asuna. Now he didn't need to work too hard for it. He then took notice to where the two of them were, and a stroke of inspiration came down upon him.
"Happy Birthday!" Everyone cheered at the party. Asuna smiled politely at everyone celebrating, seeing many of the villagers who could leave their Callings and general business to join in the festivities. Her parents stood to either side of her chair, meaning she had to resist the urge to drop her smile until the party ended. Her older brother had given her new books to read, most on sword forms and training practices. Suguha had given her a new dress that was sewn by her and her mother. Eugeo gave her a new practice sword he carved from a tree near his home, reminding her of another one like it that he was given before. And all before them on the table was food Alice said she cooked for Asuna, though the birthday girl knew she had been helped by her mother. It was a lovely party in appearance, but it wasn't what Asuna truly wanted. It was just the same thing as before.
Eugeo and Alice came over to her, both showing concern at their friend. "What's wrong Asuna?"
"Nothing's wrong Eugeo," Asuna replied almost out of habit. "I am just enjoying my birthday party."
"But you look a bit miserable up here," Eugeo pointed out, earning a nudge from Alice that made him wince. But he was right. Asuna was miserable. Aside from her friends, Asuna felt so isolated from everyone here. It was mainly adults and older youths attending, including some older gentlemen who would talk with her mother and father on something. When they talked, they always seemed to look at Asuna in a way that made her uncomfortable.
Maintaining her smile, Asuna told Eugeo, "I'm doing fine. It is my birthday after all." This didn't convince her friends and she knew it. But she couldn't say how she really felt unless she wanted to be admonished by her mother.
Out of nowhere, Alice complained, "Where is Kirito? He should be here with us." Asuna had also noticed Kirito's absence at the party. It disheartened her that he was nowhere to be found, especially after he declared to get her the best birthday present in the village. She worried that maybe some of the other boys had done something to it or him. She began to resign to the fate that this would be like any other birthday.
When the five o'clock bells began to toll, everyone went about getting ready for the end of the day. Eugeo had to leave because of his Calling and by insistence from Asuna's mother. Alice chose to stick with her friend, seeing as how their families were rather close. The two walked with Asuna's parents back to their home, with the birthday girl hanging her head.
Before they had reached the door, they heard a boy cry out, "Asuna!" The voice alone made Asuna whirl around immediately. And she spotted Kirito running up to them as fast as he could. He reached them before long, stopping to catch his breath. He then said, "I haven't given you your present Asuna. You still have one more gift."
"Kirito, I am glad you want to give something to Asuna," her father spoke gently. "But the day is at an end. You should have been at the party."
"I was making sure it was ready for her," Kirito defended. "And I need to give it to her. I can still do that." Asuna smiled at Kirito's determination. Suddenly, she was pushed towards him and nearly crashed into him. She looked back to find Alice wearing a cheeky grin.
"Go give her your gift Kirito," she instructed. "We'll be here for you when you are done Asuna."
Bowing, Asuna informed, "Father, Mother, I will be with Kirito for now. I will return before the sun sets." Her parents seemed to be scrutinizing the two, which made her think they weren't going to let her go.
But her mother told them, "Come straight back once he has given your gift." The birthday girl nodded and turned to Kirito for her gift.
"Come with me," he told her. "I'll take you to it." This made Asuna inquisitive to what kind of gift Kirito had in store for her. She followed regardless, wondering what she would find.
They had walked into the woods for a time. Asuna wasn't sure what Kirito had in mind, though being in this place made her perplexed. She even started questioning if Kirito was just taking her out here to apologize. Though she quickly squashed that notion. Kirito may have been many things, but he was also honorable. Whenever he did something wrong, he always accepted what came of his actions. It was a trait she admired about him.
He stopped by a bush between two trees, making her stop behind him. Facing her, he said, "I had been trying so hard to find the perfect gift for you Asuna. But I didn't want to give you stuff you already had. I wanted it to be different, unique, something you could remember from this day alone. I almost gave up finding anything like that." He broke into a grin, and finished, "Then I found it. The perfect gift just for you." He pulled away the bush blocking the path, and Asuna's breath caught in her throat.
It was a hidden grotto of flowers of numerous colors and shapes. Yellow, pink, white, blue, green, and so many others. They were all so gorgeous to see. Asuna walked in as she marveled at the hidden place. She didn't know how to describe what this made her feel.
"Happy Birthday Asuna," Kirito said behind her. And with that, the birthday girl began to let tears fall down her face. This made the boy begin to panic and stiffen until she turned and showed a smile under her tears.
"This is the best birthday present ever Kirito," she told him happily. "Thank you." This made him ease up and smile back. Asuna bounded over to him and stretched out her arms as if to hug Kirito. But stopped short as she snapped back to her senses. She retreated a bit and looked away. Kirito picked up on why she did this and muttered about the Taboo Index and such. But Asuna was still happy to get a birthday present like this.
That's when Kirito surprised her by suggesting, "Come over to this tree." He led her to a tree off to the side and had her stand on the opposite side. "Go ahead and hug it on your side," he instructed.
"But why?" Asuna asked at the bizarre statement.
"It's not violating the Taboo Index if we both hug the same tree," Kirito brought up. "It won't count as touching you without permission." She saw the logic in that concept, even if it was rather silly. But Asuna was so grateful to him for his thoughtfulness. She hugged her side of the tree, while Kirito hugged his side. They both were just inches away from touching, yet it felt like they were not even apart to Asuna.
And under her breath on her side, she whispered, "I love you, Kirito."
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Kirito came back to the present as the memory faded. He really had to hand it to Alice to help him out of a jam then. The thought made him become stern again. He looked back to the Central Cathedral, with Eugeo following suit as he saw that expression he gave. Their goal seemed so far, so distant from where they were now. Even so, they couldn't give up. Not now that they had come so far.
"We'll rescue you. Asuna, Alice," Kirito murmured.
"And we'll bring you home to Rulid," Eugeo added. "We promise."
The following day, Kirito and Eugeo went down to Lisbeth's blacksmith shop to retrieve the sword she had promised to make them. What they hadn't expected was for said blacksmith to be absolutely fuming when they arrived. Kirito had to duck and avoid what he thought was a pebble. When he picked up what it was after it clattered to the ground, he found it to be a small, square-shaped stone.
"Six grindstones," Lisbeth uttered through gritted teeth from the countertop. "Your stupid little sword cost me SIX grindstones. Those were supposed to last me for three years each. Now they are nothing but husks because of your idiocy!"
Coming up to her, Kirito tried to reason, "Hey, I'm sorry. We were told to come to you so we could get the sword made. Why are you getting mad at us now?"
"Because I am losing revenue thanks to you," Lisbeth accused. "Do you know how hard it is to come by grindstones like that? Do you?!"
"Liz, calm down," Silica tried to urge on her end. "Kirito and Eugeo didn't know the sword would be that bad." Lisbeth seemed to simmer down after her initial outburst. She then bent down and brought up a bundled item with some difficulty.
Once she slammed it onto the ground, she regarded, "Here's your sword, as promised. Made from the branch of the Gigas Cedar." She opened it up to reveal what they sought.
The sword was roughly equal in length to the Blue Rose Sword but was slightly thinner in width. The hilt was a small cross-guard with a black handle and pommel. It was quite a blade to see for Kirito and Eugeo.
Looking back at the craftswoman who made it, Kirito said happily, "Thanks so much Liz."
"Don't thank me yet," she told him. "I'm lucky being a blacksmith grants me Terreria's blessing of strength, but even I had trouble pulling that thing out here. I wouldn't get my hopes up until you proved you can wield it." They realized she made a good point. If Kirito couldn't use the sword, all their effort was for naught. The true test would begin when the sword met the wielder.
Accepting the test, Kirito gripped the handle. A jolt went down his arm upon grasping the sword, as if accepting Kirito in some unknown way. It felt like a piece of him had just been returned that had been lost to time. He picked it up and grabbed the sheathe with his other hand. He drew the sword, marveling as the blade gleamed of black steel. It was a small but weighty blade, with a near-rounded tip. Already Kirito could feel the connection to the sword he now held. Eugeo and Silica stood back as Kirito held the sword out in front of him. He drew it up above his head before swinging down mightily. When it was in front of him once more, he halted its progress partway. The sword rang softly in the air as it stopped mid-flight. With it, the result could not have been clearer.
"Well well," Lisbeth spoke with a smirk, "it appears that sword is just right for you after all. Difficult to wield, but quite mighty."
Kirito returned the sword to its sheath and faced the blacksmith once again. "So how much do I owe you for this?" he asked.
Lisbeth just shrugged and replied, "You already pay for Silica and Pina, so that debt is paid. I just have a couple favors now that you have that sword." Despite their being puzzled at the request, she continued, "The first is that you make sure to let everyone know about Lisbeth's blacksmith shop being the best in Centoria. Use that sword as proof of my ability to make quality swords."
Kirito nodded at that, before asking, "And what else?"
At this, Lisbeth's face softened, as if recalling a tragic memory. "The other is more personal," she admitted. Then she told them, "If you guys get into the Axiom Church, I want you to find someone for me. She was my best customer, always spending time with me and even helping me look after Silica. She would talk about her village and her friends who promised to bring her back someday. Then, she just stopped coming a year and a half ago. I don't know why, but I'm worried."
"Who was this customer of yours?" Eugeo asked.
Resting a hand over her heart, Lisbeth answered, "Her name was… Asuna Yuuki."