Front Line 64
July 2 - Year 2
With Harmonic Salvation being repaired, Bladescape shifted her focus back to Merlin. She made her way from Lis’ shop, down to a nearby bridge over one of the larger waterways that crisscrossed Lindarth. In its shadow, she put the glass ring on. She popped up on the plateau and immediately began to jog to the cathedral. The door was opened for her by a smiling Merlin.
“I would have died if I didn’t have my friends,” Bladescape immediately said. “But it is done. I have the stone and the dragon's head.”
“Yet your heart is heavy over something,” Merlin said. “And on your back is not your greatsword.”
“I need to sit for the tale,” Bladescape said.
“I have lunch ready if you wish to eat with me.”
“Please,” Bladescape said.
She gave Merlin the gem before they ate. After she had filed her stomach a bit, she began to tell the tale. Merlin was relieved to hear that Harmonic Salvation had survived.
Her business with Merlin concluded, she had him send her to the Wondercolts' headquarters teleport plaza. Back on their island she headed inside and to the kitchen. Jade was the only one there at the moment.
She bowed to Bladescape. "Kaisho, what can I do for you."
Bladescape bowed back, but not too low. That was unbecoming of her, to bow as low as someone ranked below her in the guild. "Jade, I know I will need AFCK for parts, and I don't expect her to be too much longer, but I need a late dinner for two. It needs to be the very best this kitchen can make. I am taking the smith, Lisbeth, who cares for our equipment, here in payment for her saving my sword, Harmonic Salvation. It was almost destroyed today. The bet is that if I can provide her with the best dinner in Aincrad, I won't have to pay for the repair."
Jade grinned. "Kaisho, we accept that challenge and I will begin to make preparations. Delton and Ithilian are out shopping for ingredients for food, so they can pick up anything. Do we have a budget?"
"Umm…" Bladescape thought. "No," she decided. "I expect that you can make it the best and be economically friendly. We have plenty of equipment to purchase for the others."
Jade bowed again. "Then I know exactly what to make. Itamae AFCK and I have been compiling a cookbook for oversized guilds. We have a five-course meal designed that I believe will satisfy your bet with our honored guest. I will need Itamae for the main course, as it will be an S class meat, but the rest of the meal is inexpensive and easy to make."
"I trust you," Bladescape said. "Now I need to head out to our trainees and see how they are doing before I am needed at dinner."
"Of course," Jade replied, bowing again.
“I am heading out to check on them, is there any food that is prepared I should bring?” Bladescape asked.
“I have some prepared, but others can bring it,” Jade said. “You should be focused on leading, not running errands.”
“I appreciate that,” Bladescape said. Japanese culture wouldn’t allow someone in her position to run an errand. “However, I do not see it as an errand, or beneath me. It is simple logistics. They are working hard, and we don’t know when the others will be back, so let me take it to them since I am headed there anyway.”
“As you wish, Bladescape-Kaisho,” Jade said, bowing.
Jade had a lot of food cooked. It wasn't the best meals, but it was more than adequate. They were focusing on durability over savoriness, but it wasn’t bad food by a long shot. The better stuff would be made by AFCK when she got back.
Packed with the food, Bladescape teleported to Floor 12. She had had no will to do the long walk out to the training ground. She had a horse and it would be fun and a good way to de-stress after the tough morning.
Boots was out, but Bladescape had access to Plaudit and saddled him. He handled the teleport fine and they rode out to the training ground at a good pace.
She arrived to find a heavy camp set up, including tents. Backbreaker said she could easily set up shelters, but it looked like an army encampment with large, four walled tents. Guards were posted since they were not at a safe zone. They bowed to their Kaisho as Bladescape slowly rode into camp.
She dismounted and Backbreaker walked over to her from the command tent, which was little more than a giant tarp with two walls.
"I have a food delivery," Bladescape said. "I wasn't expecting you to have this done up so seriously."
Backbreaker shrugged. "If we're goin' to do this in less than two weeks, this is what we need. It took a bit to get the materials and set'em up, but it'll be worth it. Our first rotation started right after lunch."
"I trust you," Bladescape said with a smile. "I will be out here tomorrow morning. I have business tonight."
"That quest of yours went alright then?"
"Not in the slightest," Bladescape chuckled as they entered the command tent. Kiefer was there as well. "Typical Wondercolts disruption before we even got to face the dragon. Where are Lobelia and Kamishi?"
“In combat,” Backbreaker said.
Kiefer went off to get them. They were in different taverns.
"This is workin' well," Backbreaker said. "I haven't gotten to go in yet. I was settin' everythin' up. I did get to see Kiefer's XP after his hour rotation. We're usin' it as our control, and we're chartin' everyone's XP gained. The different levels aren't goin' to cause too much of an issue." Backbreaker and Bladescape nodded to Kamishi and Lobelia as they entered the shelter before Backbreaker continued, "If we can stay deployed as I've set us up anyway. With a heavy rotation, we're on a mark for twelve days. Fourteen at most."
"We can stay deployed," Kamishi said, panting heavily after sprinting from the inn he had been in. "I will make sure they rally. We can do this. The starting morale is high. We have our starting break, and they know they will get white code breaks rolling after this push. It is good for the others to have me in there, encouraging them."
"I agree," Lobelia said. "It was positive for them to see their leaders doing this alongside them. We are an appropriate equal when it comes to leveling requirements."
"I will be back out in the morning," Bladescape said. "I have business tonight. It looks like it will be expensive business, but it will be good."
"What did you do?" Backbreaker asked, wary of the answer.
"I'll explain that in a moment," Bladescape replied. "First off, Astro and I made an executive decision. Actually, it was Joltron and I in the heat of the moment, literally as we hid behind a column for protection against the dragon's fire. He didn't have his shield or axe, and I didn't have Harmonic Salvation."
"Hey, yeah, where is it?" Kamishi asked. "I knew something was off about your look."
"Quite a few things are off," Bladescape said. "The first point is that Astro agrees. All Wondercolts are now required to carry a sufficiently strong secondary battle set and keep it well maintained. That includes a proper shield if applicable. I had Bajutsu to fall back on, but Joltron was forced to spend a good half hour trying to get his axe. It took a while longer to dislodge his shield from the dragon’s mouth as well. All that time, Diemond was our only shield. She did more than admirably.
"But I won't let us end up in that position again. Well maintained weapons should not break, but if we happen to lose them for any reason, we need backups that are not storage junk. Only our preparedness saved us from the opening disasters, and even then it was with a good amount of luck."
"That's goin' to cost us," Backbreaker said. "But it's smart."
Bladescape checked the time in her vision and saw that she had enough to tell them the story from the start. It was her fourth time telling the story of the fight against Elvarg, the Mother of Aincrad's Dragon. This time, she kept the suspense in the story about Harmonic Salvation. They laughed about AFCK being able to cleave the fireballs in half but never being able to block, deflect, or avoid the tail.
After the story, Lobelia spoke first. "Your battle does give a strong reason to ensure that we are always covered with a spare. I think our current weapons will be sufficient for their backups."
"I want to see the statistical analysis from Knightstar, but I believe so," Bladescape replied. "Now, let me tell you the tale of the... well I don't have a name for it. We ran into a guild outside of the entrance to Elvarg's lair. She was not the dungeon boss, but we are lying about that. The others are clearing it and we won't have to worry about it."
They nodded and Bladescape explained the interaction. Backbreaker wanted to go to the prison and beat some sense into him. She still was very protective of Doombunny, despite Doombunny's successes.
"I need to meet Lisbeth," Bladescape said. "I have time, but I want to make sure things are ready. I will be here in the morning."
"Go," Kamishi said. "You spent enough time here today. We will make sure the food you brought is not only distributed, but that the others know you brought it while you came to check on us. It may break from some of our decorum, but they will understand and appreciate it. Go woo Lisbeth into staying our Smith despite our expansion."
"I will," Bladescape said. "And I am sure the message that popped up ten minutes ago from AFCK is good news."
Bladescape exited the command tent and went to where Plaudit was being looked after. He had been fed a few apples and some sugar cubes. She read AFCK's message. It was short and sweet, confirming their acceptance of the challenge.
Bladescape mounted Plaudit. She rubbed his neck. "Let's get clear of the camp and then book it." Plaudit nickered, indicating he was ready to run free. He stayed calm in camp, but as soon as they exited, he surged forward on his own. He had been given permission before they started and he wasn't going to ask.
It felt amazing to be on horseback as they rushed across the land. Bladescape knew it wouldn’t last long, but she pushed that aside to enjoy the ride. She needed it, and it relaxed and focused her.
Plaudit hated slowing down for the town, but it was still busy enough and Bladescape didn't want to rush anything in the towns. They got some odd looks as they got onto to the teleport plaza, but they smoothly teleported back to the stable.
Boots was back. She was happy Bladescape had taken Plaudit, instead of not using her property because Boots wasn't there. Bladescape couldn't socialize, but she knew they would go riding together again soon.
Back at the castle, Bladescape met with AFCK in the kitchen. They went over the dinner plan. The preparations were going smoothly. The cost of the meat hadn't been too terribly high since it was a dinner for two. They all agreed; they had to woo Lisbeth, even at the cost.
Joltron and Doombunny were eating an early dinner and were about to head out to the training location. They would not be in rotation often, but their presence would build relationships and make them all equal. It would be a powerful subconscious message that they needed to foster from the very start.
Astro gathered the Elvarg team together in the dining room while Joltron and Doombunny ate. “Bladescape, the rest of the dungeon went smoothly. The boss was sensitive to Doom’s drugs. It wasn’t even fun. But, I really got us together to ask you to show us the Green Draconic Visage.”
Bladescape shrugged and opened her menu. “No problem.”
“That is big,” Joltron said as the head popped out onto the open table. “It is a little smaller than hers was.”
“The Black Draconic Visage is the same size,” Bladescape explained.
Astro looked the entire thing over. “All of the teeth are here,” She declared.
“Why wouldn’t they be?” Bladescape asked.
“Because AFCK caught the tooth that came out with my shield,” Joltron said. “Diemond has it right now, but AFCK stashed it in her hunting pouch. It didn’t shatter. We were thinking the head was missing it.”
Dimond pulled the large tooth out of a pouch. Bladescape just rolled her eyes with a smile. It was more of AFCK being her typical, Pinkie Pie self inside the game. A knock came at the front door of the castle, ending the discussion. Astro went to answer the door and everyone went back to what they needed to do.
Diemond and AFCK were staying at the castle for a few days. Diemond would do her time training, but she was making new armor and that was where her focus had to be. Plenty of tapestries and wall hangings would be made as well, though, to break up the monotony of her work. AFCK would also get her rotations in, but making sure their field team was stocked with high quality food was her primary focus. Food could easily make or break their morale on the long training session.
Astro came back. "Blade. You have a visitor. I put him in our sparsely furnished living room. He knows the state of the guild's furniture, so you won't need to explain it. I think this one is best done by our Kaisho. I'll get water and snacks for you guys."
Bladescape went to meet their visitor. They only had the couch and two chairs in the large room. It was in sore need of the ordered furniture. On the couch was Thinker. He stood up upon her entrance and bowed in greeting.
"I was not expecting to see you personally," Bladescape admitted after she had bowed back.
"I read the note," Thinker said. "I decided to wait until later to come personally. I am glad it had your wax seal or I never would have seen it. I personally took care of the issue. Celtec's time in prison is permanent. I won't tolerate any action like that against members of the Assault Team.
"The rest of the council agreed with my punishment. We believe he is a danger to himself and other players, and would continue to be one if we released him after a few days. Our one concession is that he will be in a joint cell with seven other, less hostile, prisoners."
Thinker sighed heavily. "The truth is, I have lost most of the control of the guild. Yulier is still loyal and so are plenty of others, but we have a weak position for power. Kibaou is only a sub leader, not on the council, but high enough that he has captured the loyalty of many key members. We have become what I didn't want us to be. Taxes, as they are being called, are now being collected by force and the hoarding of hunting locations is now out of control. The Army is officially feared. I am effectively little more than a figurehead they can't remove."
"If there is anything we can do, I would be glad to help," Bladescape offered.
"I appreciate it and I will take you up on that when the time comes. Your assistance to the Highlander Guild today really shows your dedication. Your reputation is very well earned and what you say, you do."
Bladescape looked at the time. She still had plenty, but not enough for a proper tour.
"Is there anything you wanted to speak to me about for the case?" Bladescape asked, trying to appropriately run some of the time off the clock.
"No," Thinker replied with another sigh. "I came because I needed to assert my position. Me being aligned to the Wondercolts is going to be key. Kibaou and his friends are going to be certain that disposing of me will bring the Wondercolts down on them. And even at eleven, they could hurt those who took over."
"We have eight squads of full parties," Bladescape casually stated. "We merged with Geigi Clan last week. Their joining with us means that we could more than knock some sense into them if we need to."
"Interesting,” Thinker replied. "Casually reporting that information will give me a lot more leverage."
"Good," Bladescape smiled. "Kibaou's attitude always had me on edge. He was never very polite, and he was rash. He led his guild to their doom on Floor Twenty-Five trying to be the top guild, rather than work together like we obviously needed to. I would personally break the harassment code to drive him and the others into the prison cells if need be."
"I truly hope that does not become a reality," Thinker solemnly replied.
Bladescape checked the time. "I would love to give you a tour, but I can't personally do it. I will be meeting our smith shortly, and bringing her here for a very nice dinner. She has no idea we upgraded or merged. Astro is our Nisha, our third Councilor, and she would be glad to give you a personal tour of our castle."
"That would be wonderful," Thinker replied. "This place looks amazing. I want to see more. Plus, the longer I stay, the more powerful our alliance looks."
"Then stay for dinner with Astro-Nisha," Bladescape said. "You can report that you confirmed the story, and learned about the changes that have significantly strengthened us, and then were shown about our new headquarters before having dinner with the Counselor on Duty."
"I like it," Thinker said with a grin.
Bladescape got Astro. She was happy to give him the tour and dinner. She understood perfectly what they needed to do to get Thinker into a stronger position in his guild.
With that delegated out of the way, Bladescape headed to her room and changed into something nice. Diemond kept giving her clothes. She was really into Kimonos at the moment. Bladescape chose a semi-formal one. It was red, with a pretty floral design on it.
At the last moment, Bladescape decided to ask Diemond to fetch Lisbeth. Diemond was happy to take a break and assist. She switched out of her idea dress into another fashionable ensemble and was gone.
Bladescape waited in the private dining room. Two weeks ago, she would have also sent a runner for the important guest. It didn't bother her that it was Diemond. However, if any of their new members had suggested it, she would have accepted, but felt like she was using them. She would feel like they thought she was more important than them. She wasn't, yet she was.
She had to get over that. Her job meant she had different things to worry about. Right now, she had to woo Lisbeth. She was the only one in the guild who could do it. She would also, under normal circumstances, be the one giving Thinker the tour of their castle, since he was another guild leader. It was her, their head councilor, who should be building the guild connections, along with helping him regain the control of his guild. Torgus had said it perfectly only a few hours prior when he called her "The Wondercolt." That was her status and she couldn't break from it.
They all needed her to be “The Wondercolt.” Sunset had a role to play, and it was crucial to play it right so they all got out of here. Sunset Shimmer was gone, at least in SAO, and all that was her, didn’t matter. The only colors that mattered were blue and yellow, the only symbol that mattered was their horsehead.
The last thing she needed, as their Kaisho, was worry about where she would sit for breakfast. She was making sure they all got into the right squads and sent off to do their daily jobs. She didn’t need to worry about the small details. Ultimately, even with their structure, she had to think about most of the small things and be ready to respond as their Kaisho. They shouldn't need the council looking over their shoulders, but she had to be ready to assist and adapt. Today was a perfect example of that. The plans shifted and she needed to get a team together to assist her on the quest.
Bladescape heard the doors from the guest chamber open. That meant it was time for her to perform. At least, a little bit. Her relationship with Lisbeth was getting closer. Bladescape was thankful that this wasn't their first dinner together. She never would have chosen here for the bet if it was.
Bladescape heard Diemond outside the door. "And here you are, your table and Bladescape-Kaisho are waiting for you inside."
Bladescape stood up to greet her. The door was opened for Lisbeth and she stepped inside. Lisbeth was carrying a carefully wrapped Harmonic Salvation. She stopped just inside as she looked over Bladescape's kimono.
"Wow," Lisbeth said. She couldn't resist a sly grin. "You cried on my floor today and I see you in not just a dress, but a formal kimono. Quite a few treats for me today."
"Still your sassy, usual self," Bladescape grinned back.
"This is heavy," Lisbeth said, walking over to the table and setting it down on the other side, which didn't have dishes on it.
She unwrapped it. The sword looked the same, but Bladescape felt like she was seeing a miracle. A resurrection of the dead.
Bladescape gingerly picked up the sword. It lasted only as second as her hand involuntarily gripped the handle with familiarity and strength.
"I still have trouble believing she is here," Bladescape said. "I couldn't get her free from the floor. And then I watched her get stomped on by an angry dragon. We all heard her shattered."
Lisbeth shook her head in disbelief. "When you first got her to me, she didn't have ten minutes before she was out of durability and would have been gone. I spent the first five minutes stalling the decay. For every ten points I added, I lost nine. It was a tough battle. Don’t make me do it again!” They both laughed. “I was so mad that you thought you were better than my other customers, but then I saw the horror on your face. I saw how ragged you looked. It was like you had been tortured all morning. I get why now."
"Your customers understood," Bladescape assured her. "Your reaction showed them how important it was. Torgus directly stated he wished he had a sword to cry over and that would make the smith freak out. I think he got one."
"I'm pretty sure he did," Lisbeth winked. "Especially thanks to your assist. I was down to the lowest I could go for him. I was barely covering the price of the materials. I didn't make any profit off his sword, but you inspired me to be generous. Especially after he stepped out of line to just be by your side."
Bladescape pulled up her menu. She removed Harmonic Salvation's sheath. "You said you knew what that was like? A sword breaking." Bladescape said as she sheathed her Hope.
Lisbeth snorted under her grin. "Yeah, but first I deserve some answers."
"Please, but let's sit. Dinner will be brought out momentarily."
"Kaisho?" Lisbeth asked. She was fully aware of how much sass she was applying. "All Diemond would say is that you would explain it. All she ever said to any question is that you would explain it. I didn't expect a personal castle for your new Guild Headquarters, but I dig it."
Bladescape smiled as she nodded. "I am the Kaisho of the Wondercolts because we needed a firm structure for our new Wondercolts. As head, I was given Kaisho as my title. We based them on the JSDF ranks."
AFCK brought out the first course. She was wearing her formal Itamae attire. The first course was a soup. She used small bowls so they wouldn't fill up before the main course.
Bladescape continued in her explanation. "We would like you to be able to assist in weapon enhancements and we will most likely need a large quantity of weapons made. Much of the normal upkeep can be done by our crafters, but for our boss battle teams, I would still like to use you. I think the system favors you for our equipment."
"That is the other thing," Lisbeth said after a spoonful of soup. It was just at the right temperature. Not too hot, not too cold. "I know the Wondercolts has eleven members. How many are there of you?"
"Fifty-one,” Bladescape replied. "We merged with Geigi Clan, but kept the Wondercolts name, colors, and symbol. That officially happened four days ago. Only fourty-eight are combatants. We have three non-combat Wondercolts."
"Of course you had to," Lisbeth stated. "What is the front line, especially the Assault Team, without the Wondercolts?"
It was a serious statement. They were important, but Bladescape suddenly felt like she didn't understand how important they were, at least for morale. That added pressure to a lot of things they were doing.
"Most won't fight bosses," Bladescape explained. "And usually half will be off the front lines. Still, that is four full squads on the front. We have the crafters and they have the levels to do the base work for keeping our armor in tip-top shape. But our initial belief is that we will need to upgrade our new members' weapons. We will need a smith who can handle that."
Lisbeth was having fun playing coy and sassy. "Let's see how good your meal actually is. If your cooks are as good as I have heard AFCK is, that might be worth my future headaches."
It was a fun remark. It didn't last as Lisbeth got serious.
"I can certainly provide you what you need. But metal prices are high. If you could help me out by putting some Col down to cover the materials I know I will need, it will speed things up."
Bladescape nodded with a grin. "We can do that and I would be happy to. That's a normal business practice. My turn though. You said you knew what it felt like to lose a weapon?"
"Yeah," Lisbeth chuckled. "The other day, Kirito came into my shop. He was..."
Lisbeth stalled out. Bladescape realized she probably knew why Kirito was looking for a new sword, and that it was a secret. However, Bladescape couldn't be certain of that and she wouldn't betray his secret.
Bladescape finished for her. "He is looking for the next sword. I fought beside him the other day. It was looking rather weak compared to what he was capable of dishing out."
"Yeah," Lisbeth agreed. "So I gave him my best sword that I had just made. It was my masterpiece. He was annoyed at the light weight. He decided to test it against his Elucidator and struck mine on his. My masterpiece broke like a piece of uncooked noodle."
Bladescape grinned. "And then he said something bumbling and stupid?"
"How'd you know that?" Lisbeth asked. “He totally insulted my sword and my smithing skills, not meaning too, but still!"
"Educated guess," Bladescape smiled. “I have a few years on both of you, and probably a lot more dating experience. Guys are pretty standard in the models we get to choose from. They don't always think."
Both of them laughed.
"When did you run into Kirito?" Lisbeth asked.
Bladescape explained their impromptu fight against the King Black Dragon. She left out the dual wielding and his sword breaking, as well as her Greatsword skill. She also left out the dragon dropping his head.
"So that is what Thunderborne is using now," Lisbeth remarked. "I finished Azule Aculous a while ago. I actually was starting to get concerned about her weapon status.”
"Yep," Bladescape nodded. "Plus, she wasn't the only Thunderborne we met. We met another today."
"Another Thunderborne? How? Two players can't have the same name."
"She spells hers with an E on the end of born. He tried to, but she beat him to it."
Lisbeth laughed, enjoying the confusion that ensued during that story. Bladescape avoided the rest where Celtec snapped.
Things stayed calm and fun. For the main course, it was a dream. Bladescape admitted she hadn't ever had S class food. Lisbeth was very vocal about her impression. She couldn't believe they got a hold of S class ingredients for this meal.
Bladescape didn't state it, but she knew Lisbeth understood they did it to ensure they had her as their smith. To be that wanted, especially by a very large guild, was any smith's dream. Lisbeth would never have to worry about her finances. She would be fine because of the constant income from 48 players. Busy, but financially stable. And that stability would mean she could work on her own projects for fun and make a new masterpiece. Something truly worthy of being named a masterpiece.
After dessert, Bladescape gave Lisbeth a tour of their headquarters. It was dark, but still visible with the lights the castle had outside. Lisbeth was practically drooling over their personal smithy. It was like a factory from the duplicates they had for hardware, like anvils and grindstones. They just had to do it all by hand, while she had the water wheel to power everything.
Bladescape took Lisbeth up to the top of her tower. As they passed through her room, Lisbeth had a few questions.
"Are these shields the ones you made with Rendil?"
"Yes," Bladescape nodded. "Not too bad for my first shields and first time doing heraldry. But not my thing."
Lisbeth stopped on the stairs. "Is this the spear that Laughing Coffin guy stabbed you with?"
"Yes," Bladescape replied. "I keep it as a reminder. I snapped in anger and beat him further than I should have since we were in a safe zone. This way, I won't snap."
"It's scary," Lisbeth said. "The thorns, the entire design, it’s maximized for damage against a player target. You don't need them for monsters. This wasn't made to be removed easily."
"Klein pulled it out of me,” Bladescape said. “It was swift and clean, like I expected from the expert swordsman he is. Plus, we were in the Town of Beginnings, so it didn’t exactly hurt. At least for it being drawn out. Otherwise it would have hurt and been difficult to remove.”
“That’s good,” Lisbeth said as Bladescape directed her to the ladder.
“Wow,” was all Lisbeth could say as she saw all of the island. “And it is all yours?” Lisbeth said in shock.
“And a safe zone,” Bladescape added. “Private island, private teleport plaza, private castle, and all in a private safe zone.”
“I can hardly believe it,” Lisbeth sighed as she leaned against the ramparts. “It’s beautiful. I love my home in Lindarth. It is quiet and nice. The mill is everything I need for my smithy and store, but it isn’t a castle.”
“Floor Sixty-One was bugs,” Bladescape said, leaning against the ramparts beside her. “We had to clear this place out with a quest before we could buy it. And it was a mess before we bought it. Grass everywhere, windows dirty, broken stones, everything. But we beat the bugs and we got to buy it. We needed something bigger for the merger. Actually, Lessa beat the flag boss and got a sword out of it. A better sword. You will see that weapon soon enough.”
“Hey, yeah, where is everyone?”
“Out training,” Bladescape replied. “I will be joining them tomorrow morning. We are running an aggressive leveling push. The new members need to meet our quotas. Well, we created quotas to bring them up to a better level so they would not struggle as much as they were. We are not leaving the field until they are at the quotas. It’s a Twenty-Four/Seven operation.”
“That sounds horrible,” Lisbeth retorted.
“We have a solid camp set up, with guards, and the rotation will give them the rest they need. As soon as we are done, they get a day off. It will be worth it. They know it and they are ready for it. And it is an all Wondercolts operation. Astro will be here for the next two days, to receive the new furniture, but then she will join us and one of the other councilors will step back.”
“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised,” Lisbeth said. “I know how intense you guys are. I hear all of your levels have outpaced most of the other clearers.”
“We are focused and intentional,” Bladescape replied. “Which is why we need a good smith. One we can run ragged with requests but who understands just how much she is doing to free us all from the game.”
“I never saw it that way,” Lisbeth admitted. “The work I do for Asuna, Kirito, and a few of the other clearers, along with you guys. I am freeing us from the game, aren’t I?”
“Absolutely,” Bladescape said, smiling at her. “You are not swinging the swords, but you are keeping them swinging. it is very important and that is something to be proud of.”
Lisbeth’s eyes sparkled with mischief in the low light. “If I am going to be doing so much for your guild, can I claim it?”
“You can,” Bladescape nodded, grinning. “Make yourself a copy of our symbol to put on your wall and declare that you are the official smith of the Wondercolts. Own it. You deserve it.”
Bladescape (SS): Lvl 83 – Two-Handed Sword – Search – Weapon Defense – Leather Armor – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Sprint – Acrobatics – Blade Throwing – Extended Weight Carry - Greatsword
Thunderborne (RBD): Lvl 75 – Rapier – Sprint – Acrobatics – Armor Pierce – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Leather Armor – Weapon Defense – Extended Weight Carry – Search
Backbreaker (AJ): Lvl 78 – Heavy Shield – One-Handed War Hammer – Extended Weight Carry – Heavy Metal Armor – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Fishing – Search – Martial Arts – Acrobatics
AFCK(PP): Lvl 75 – Two-Handed Axe – Parry – Cooking – Weapon Defense – Martial Arts – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Light Metal Armor – Thrown Weapon – Musical Instrument
Diemond (R): Lvl 75 – Heavy Shield – Mace – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Heavy Metal Armor – Tailoring – Light Metal Armor Forging – Heavy Metal Armor Forging – Jewelry Making – Extended Weight Carry
Doombunny (FS): Lvl 78 – One-Handed Dagger – First Aid – Hide – Search – Listening – Battle Regeneration – Fighting Spirit – Familiar Communication (Colorra) – Drug Mixing – Reveal -- Fencing
Astro (PS): Lvl 75 – Two-Handed Spear - Purchase Negotiation – Armor Pierce – Acrobatics – First Aid – Light Metal Armor – Battle Regeneration – Weapon Defense – Parry – Extended Wight Carry
Kiefer: Lvl 73 – One-Handed Curved Blade – Parry – Weapon Defense – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Light Metal Armor – Slash Weapon Forging – Katana – Martial Arts - Search - Armor Pierce
Lessa: Lvl 72 – One-Handed Sword – Shield – Light Metal Armor – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Equipment Repair – Metal Equipment Repairing – Armor Pierce – Search - Acrobatics
Joltron: Lvl 75 – One handed Axe – Heavy Shield – Heavy Metal Armor – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Metal Refining – Cooking – One Handed Weapon Creation – Two Handed Weapon Creation – Extended Weight Carry
Knightstar (TS): Lvl 69 – One-Handed Sword – Shield – Equipment Appraisal – Parry – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Light Metal Armor – Search – Armor Pierce