Episode 98 — One plus One equals W
Episode 98 — One plus One equals W
Twentieth Day in the Month of Bush Clover (June 20) in the Year of the Griffon
Floor 35 — Front Line Floor 62
Meigibu had just arrived. Kiefer had greeted them. Bladescape was in her room, mentally preparing herself. She had just finished doing Iaido for an hour on their open roof. It not only passed the time, but it helped focus her mind for the lunch. It was not very relaxing, but it was a decent way to shrug off the stress through forced repetition and slowing down. It was a form of focused meditation as she let everything go except Iaido.
The meeting hall had been transformed into a giant dining hall. They were seating fifty people. It was just going to work. The head table was for the six leaders: Bladescape, Natora, Malus, Lobelia, Kamishi, and Shikiku. They had six tables set up to each hold six members. Only the leaders were assigned seats. A few chairs would be empty, but that was fine.
The evening prior, Bladescape and Lobelia had met up to discuss the meeting. It was a lunch event, where the food could be used to allow players to internally process everything, Meigibu was bringing desserts and drinks.
Konpeito had assured Bladescape that she could pull off a meal for everyone. Reisenki was less sure, but behind Konpeito all the way. Both of them had been up very early to start and they didn't cook breakfast.
Yesterday the Wondercolts had only cleared for half of the day. Diemond needed more time for her requested duties and Konpeito and Reisenki needed an early bedtime. Preparing the meeting hall fell to everyone else.
It didn't matter that they were off the front. The Knights of the Bloodoath, Divine Dragon Alliance, and Fuurinkazan had finally deployed to the labyrinth. The other guilds would be joining the push in a day or two. Natora had distributed the labyrinth map they had. It not only acted as proof of what the Wondercolts had done, but it also gave the others a boost. That was more important. They would likely have a boss raid meeting in a day or two and break out into the new floor in three or four days.
No one was going to expect to see the Wondercolts clearing the labyrinth today or tomorrow, which was good because this whole business with Meigibu was still undecided and also being kept quiet. Nothing was official for a reason. The Wondercolts council had no reservations, but some of their members did. Their concerns were noted, primarily Diemond's points about their armor. They could not simply change colors or their guild tag, as everyone had plenty on them with the emblem — everything from buckles to stitching — plus they were excellent pieces not only in their colors, but using materials that were not cheap or easy to get, and everyone had been enhancing their armor. Bladescape's armor alone was something that would be impossible to recreate. Ashley would not redo it and Diemond was still learning to harden basic leather into moldable plates. That process took time and it only increased for higher quality, rare materials. Plus, Diemond had no idea how Ashley dyed the leather to make it look like metal. At this time, they were backed into a corner in regards to their colors and symbol. Their name was more negotiable, but the final name would need to fit the symbol and colors.
Bladescape put on a dress that Diemond had made her. It was an abstract pattern of maroon, orange, and black, with some teal thrown in randomly. Her usual colors in the real world. The wrap style dress was paired with black heels. Her circlet and jewel matched enough to work and her hair was done up in a smooth bun with braids.
With Bladescape changed and ready, she headed down. She was as mentally prepared as possible. Delaying would look bad, as she was the leader of the Wondercolts and prospective leader of the members of Meigibu.
A little over half of Meigibu had been to the headquarters. Those that had not were being shown around the second floor by Soryuto. Really, as Bladescape passed them, they were done and just chatting in the hallway.
Lobelia was in the meeting hall, speaking with Kiefer and Natora, by the head table. Kamishi and Shikiku were with her. Bladescape approached them and bowed first. She received a bow back from the three guests.
"You look lovely," Lobelia said before Bladescape could say anything. "The colors and patterns are bold yet refined."
"This is one of several dozen dresses Diemond has randomly given me," Bladescape said with a laugh. "I do really like it, but unlike you, we don't usually change after we are done for the day. They only get used on days off. Even most supplies shopping is done by members before they go home. Soryuto leaves the most and always in an outfit Diemond made. You, though, are looking your usual, lovely self. I don't think I have seen this kimono."
"You have," Lobelia said. "But the obi is new."
They were interrupted as Malus came into the meeting hall. She was arguing with Thunderborne. It was the third argument in a week Thunderborne had started. Thunder was against expansion. She liked their current team and didn't want to have it shaken up. She also wanted Knightstar back before they considered a merger. She was not satisfied with the answer from the council and Doombunny only reported that her progress was steady, but slow. Doombunny was always running off and had stepped away three times over the past three weeks, since they didn't have a day off scheduled, and spent a lot of nights away.
"We've told you plenty of times already, Thunder," Malus growled as she came over to the other leaders. "Knightstar is bein taken care of. That's on track. Just cause you ain't seein it don't mean it ain't bein worked on. We all want her back. So drop it before I drop you." The final threat was not said lightly. Malus was deceptively quick when she wasn't in her armor and she could clock Thunderborne hard enough to knock her out and break the criminal conduct code in the process. That was without using a Martial Arts skill.
Malus, like almost everyone else, was in something Diemond had made. So long as it was semi formal, it didn't matter what they wore. The only problem is that Diemond made what Diemond made. Malus was never given things she would typically wear in the real world. It couldn't even be considered cowgirl chic. She looked good, but the skirt and blouse was a Malus style, not an AJ style. Not that Malus ever complained. She had never publicly spoken to Diemond about anything to do with fashion. Armor and equipment design was the closest she got. It was almost as if she was ignoring the topic altogether.
"Welcome back to our home, y'all," Malus said, pushing past the argument with Thunderborne. "Glad to have y'all back."
"It's a pleasure to be back," Shikiku said. "It is nice to see the Iron Bulwark in red and orange, not iron and steel."
"Thank ya kindly," Malus replied. "I'd tip my hat to ya if Diemond would give me one. Well, one that wasn't covered in rhinestones, bows, or feathers."
Everyone laughed. They all knew Diemond enough to understand Malus' poke.
"How are you feeling, Malus?" Lobelia asked. "About this whole thing?"
"Honestly, I'm excited to see where today takes us," Malus answered with a shrug. "The Wondercolts have a diverse set of responses, but the Council has been in deliberations among ourselves. After hearing them out, that is. Natora is right."
"Oh?" Lobelia asked, looking at Natora.
Natora glanced around. A few players were in seats, but most were out in the hallway talking with each other or with the Wondercolts. Or they were in the kitchen, doing final preparations. They did not have privacy, Thunderborne and Kiefer were standing among them, but all of it was about to come out.
"We, well I, have concerns about our size going into the seventies," Natora said. "It's going to get harder. It already is hard. How much we can do as a guild is directly reflected in our size. Safety is another point and larger numbers are safer. Malus has understood my concern, Blade has questioned it herself, but that was the first time either has shared my concern."
Malus just shrugged.
"And your thoughts, Bladescape, about Natora's assessment?" Kamishi asked.
"I'm neutral," Bladescape admitted. "I don't know if that is an issue we will face, but I also don't know if it won't be. It may very well be. I focus on leading in the field and let Natora feed me information I need to make the best decisions. I stand by her, even if I can't directly back it up. Her logic is sound and well thought out. I do wish we had Knightstar to run those calculations by. We could go pay her, but it's not that critical. Not yet. I'd rather let Doombunny finish her plan before we approach Knightstar again."
"I didn't realize it was her shop the other day until I was already inside," Shikiku said. "The Guiding Star name really made sense when I realized it was her books on the shelves. I only knew it was a game guide store and that's why I was there. The NPC store tender took care of me. I never saw Knightstar."
"She took a while to come down right after she opened it," Bladescape said. "I believe she stays in the apartment above unless she needs to see a client."
"Two players entered as I was finishing my purchase," Shikiku added. "I couldn't help but overhear. One was there for a consultation and the other was dropping something off. It was odd. He was quiet about the delivery. The other player seemed clueless, but I noticed the badge hanging off his belt. It was the same symbol as her store's sign."
"Oh, she has a statistics team," Bladescape casually explained. "I've kept tabs on her. She was using most of them prior, but formalized them about a week after she set up the shop. She pays them to get specific information she is missing. The core is four players: Matsasumi, Yang, Daichi, and Yatsuhashi. They are not an official guild. Players that join on and off or run solo are Hakowaru, Failsafe, Scarlatina, Alistair, Monty, Branwen, Taiyang, Weiss, and Blake. Failsafe, Yang, Scarlatina, Blake, and Weiss are all women. The rest are males. They are all solid intermediate players. We actually know Hakowaru. He was in the first few boss raids, but for one reason or another he fell out by floor fifteen. He has since switched from an axe to the Kusarigama."
"He's the only one to use that weapon, right?" Kamishi asked.
"As far as I know, yeah," Natora said. "It's a quest-locked Extra Skill, but he won't share that info. Not even the Skill requirements. I've seen him in action while material hunting. It's impressive. He butted heads with both Lind and Kibaou and was eventually forced off the front. It's a shame, but specialized Skills like his are difficult to use in group efforts like boss raids without a solid team that’s used to working with them."
Konpeito rang her dinner bell. Only she rang the giant hand bell like she did. The chaotic clang and pings were not melodic. They were a warning. Reisenki, if he used it, made the bell sing.
They were doing everything buffet style. It was all laid out on the dining room table. The dining room chairs were either being used at the head table, or in the storeroom. There was enough room to go in, around the table, and out. Of course, the leaders were sent first. Bladescape, Natora, and Malus let their guests be first, then they followed.
It was the distraction they all needed. Lunch was amazing. Konpeito had outdone Christmas. Handheld meat pies, several stews, a dish that passed for real ramen, pastas, and a wide variety of vegetable sides, including twenty pounds of mashed potatoes.
It was wonderful to eat good food and chat about nothing in particular, but eventually the chatter quieted down. Everyone had eaten their fill and they all knew the reason why they were there.
Bladescape stood up to address everyone and the room fell to a quiet never seen in the headquarters. It certainly caused Bladescape to pause as her breathing stopped. The Wondercolts had always been open for discussion. Decisions were never forced upon members. They all had made some big decisions over their time in SAO, but the Council had never forced upon all members a decision. This was not a time to make such a decision, it was a moment to hear the members of both guilds. That was all Bladescape had to do.
"We are glad you all are here today," Bladescape said. "Konpeito and Reisenki outdid themselves on lunch, but now it's time to talk. Not for me or anyone at the head table, we have talked to each other, we need to hear from you.
"We all are on the front lines. It doesn't matter how long or short, we all are there and we have seen and experienced the dangers and horrors. We know how difficult it is to battle on, daily, to free ourselves. Meigibu had been a powerful force in that fight. At forty players strong, you are one of the largest guilds in the game and losing you would be a big hit. This is why this merger has been proposed. Now is the time for us to hear your thoughts, questions, and concerns. I know the Wondercolts have their own. So I will turn it over to you, but please, be kind and orderly or we will be forced to moderate the discussion and that will only hinder voices. All of your voices are equal and valid."
Bladescape sat down. No one opened their mouths to speak. She wasn’t surprised. To open up in such a large group, with strangers, was not an easy thing. Once one person did, more would.
“What do you think?” Bonnon asked. “You all are the ones who decided we would entertain the idea.”
“And that is why I don’t want to speak,” Bladescape calmly explained. “We see things from the perspective of leadership." It was evident that him asking wasn't the push they needed to start talking. Bladescape had to push them all forward. "However, I will tell you my ideological position. As a member of the Assault Team, I have watched our numbers dwindle and most are not from player deaths. Players are giving up, either because they are used to living in Aincrad, or because they have lost hope they can ever get out.
“I understand how tough things are. I might be at the top, but I too get tired. I too see myself not killing the monsters at the same speed as I was on the Floor before. As we climb to Floor One Hundred, the Floor number gets closer to our Level. What we once had outpaced by ten, five, or double, we are now barely above.
"I see the larger ramifications of losing forty players. For context, the average boss raid has forty-eight players. No, I am not speaking about any of you becoming members of the Assault Team, just the equatable size. What it would actually mean to lose forty clearers is essentially as bad as if we lost an entire floor boss raid party. I led the rescue mission for the disastrous floor Twenty-Five raid. I've seen what it means for a boss to decimate a raid party. I also was instrumental as we opened up to other guilds after that raid, along with Lind, and Meigibu was one of the new guilds we tested. I was impressed then and I'm still impressed now.
"But, what the real point is, the Wondercolts have always had clearers who would not go into boss fights. Yes, the majority of us are members of the Assault Team, but we are not a guild solely in the Assault Team and we respect the members who have chosen to not go into those fights, mostly. Ultimately we gave an encouraging push and they understood the two times we requested all hands on deck. Even the other time with Doombunny, we could have done it without her, but we are thankful she stepped up because she was the best for the job. Still, it wasn't easy on her and we don't plan on asking a fourth time.
"Anyway, being a clearer is important. Very important. No less important than the Assault Team, at least in my eyes. That's where I expect most of you would end up, still being clearers like you are now, but with support and rest. We are not actively looking for new members for the Assault Team. We simply don't want to see forty good players burn out while clearing. We think we can provide the support and help needed to keep you there, or most of you there, if you so choose, assuming we go through with this."
"You switched to we," Elora pointed out.
Bladescape let out a sigh. She had messed up and crossed the line she didn't mean to.
"You're right," Bladescape admitted. "I didn't mean to. It's not easy leading the Wondercolts. Certainly parts of our direction are a result of who I am and how I think. Others are because I start to think like we decided we need to go. If I don't believe in our choice, we will likely fail, but if I believe in it, we have a much better shot at succeeding. Sometimes the I and We of Bladescape and the Wondercolts blend together."
"Are the Wondercolts united on this merger?" Elora pressed.
"No," Bladescape admitted with a shrug. "Technically, the Council is only unified so far as having this discussion. I could not vote right now. We have talked about the various prospects, but we needed to hear from everyone, to make a better informed decision. Until then, I won't, can't, cast my vote. Which is why it isn't supposed to be me talking, but I understand why some of you want to hear from your leaders first. We just don't want you to blindly follow us or feel pressured by us."
Bladescape sat down again to force them to move forward, into the member discussion.
Eos stood up. "You all have a nice place here, but I know there are only twelve bedrooms. Do you have plans in place if we do merge?"
Natora stood up before Bladescape could. "The Wondercolts need to secure a new place within the next month. Sorry, Thunder, I know you like Mishe and our place, so do I, but we have to. Yes, everyone, this place is great, but the Wondercolts have fallen behind being here at Mishe. The DDA are on their second headquarters while the KoB are on their third. This is our first headquarters. It has served us well, but it's not good enough anymore. Not for our image. Regardless of how we proceed, shortly we will be securing a new headquarters. How today's discussions go will dictate how we go about doing that. We may need to look at a headquarters and housing separately. Or we may be able to secure property that has both. We don't know what is available because we haven't started looking."
Thunderborne stood up as Natora sat down. "Look, I like most of you fine. I've met and fought beside most of you for a while, but I really don't want to expand. I like our group the way it is, or was, when we had Knightstar with us. It's not the Wondercolts without her and I joined to play this game with my friends. Sure, that went sideways the minute the game officially launched, but I still don't want it. It has nothing to do with any of you. I don't want to expand at all." Thunderborne sat down, not expecting a response. She had heard the Wondercolts' counter arguments.
"And if we don't want to fight anymore?" Pyrrha asked.
That was an interesting question, specifically since it came from Pyrrha. She was one of Meigibu's best fighters and a very good lancer. She did not look like a player who wanted to leave the front.
Bladescape stood up to address the question. "I said we are used to having clearers. If everyone joined today, there would be fifty of us. That is a very large size. We would need support staff. By that I primarily mean cooks, but that also means players who can run errands for our crafters and fighters, so they can stay in the field instead of leaving it to do it while the shops are open. Depending on how things play out, that might mean a team formed specifically to hunt materials for upgrades, crafting, or col. Support roles often are pushed down as being less important, but they really are the skeleton of any organization. The Clearers and Assault Team are the muscles, but they need a strong skeleton to be anchored to, to work."
Lobelia stood up so Bladescape sat down. "What she says is true. I agree with everything. I just want to add that having support and family, which is what Meigibu is and I know the Wondercolts are that way too, it is good for us and natural to have those bonds. If you stay just for the family and work in a way that supports the rest, that is not only acceptable, it is honorable and humbling that you would choose to stay in our family. We would not think less of you. Neither will we think less of you if you decide a merger is not good for you for whatever reason. If we go through with it, all we need is a 'yes' or a 'no', from members in both guilds, not a reason why you choose to join or not."
Lobelia sat down but no one responded. Everyone sat in silence as they thought. To Bladescape it didn't appear as if they had any questions. They had already thought through them or had gotten their answers in the time leading up to lunch.
Diamond stood up and clapped a few times in rapid succession. It brought everyone's attention to her. "Kiefer and Soryuto, would you two please be darlings and prepare the presentation?" Both of them got up and slipped out of the meeting hall.
Diemond continued to speak. "Now, since no one is saying anything, I shall give you my thoughts. The future guild name is technically negotiable, but I would prefer to stay the Wondercolts. We built a very strong association with the name and the positive attributes of what players think when they hear it. We have been there since the first floor boss battle. It's not a name to lose from the liberation effort lightly.
"With that stated, as you all know, I am the Wondercolts' designer — I know I saw quite a few of you at our little sale a few months back — and not just for the clothes the Wondercolts are wearing today, but also for most of our armor. I'm still catching up on heavy metal armor. My point is, our armor and equipment are not only some of the best out there, they are actively being enhanced. That is more than what most of the Assault Team can say. We can't just replace it, so we can't change the colors. We would have to stay blue and gold as well as using the same guild tag because a lot of our stuff has our symbol on it. Too much to allow a change. Capes and cloaks would be simple to redo, but stitching and buckles, our horse head symbol is in most pieces. We are both the girl guild and the horse guild, which is fine by me. After all, I designed the integration.
"Your armor is likely not at the same level as what I can make and your colors, as much as I love them, well you don't have custom color pieces like I have made for us. I know how expensive they are to do and adding color is even more expensive due to the required techniques. You have done a wonderful job weaving them in, but you don't have the integration we have established and can establish for you. But! I have two designs to show off to you. They are works in progress and not finalized, but I am satisfied enough to show them off. I never give previews for a reason, but I hope this gets you excited."
Kiefer and Soryuto came back into the room. Each was in a similar, but different, style. Each had an Eastern flair to it, yet matched the current Wondercolt image.
"Soryuto is modeling the women's light metal armor," Diemond explained. "It is splint mail with an Eastern flair. Kiefer is wearing the design for the heavy metal armor, which invokes the image of the samurai. I can make the samurai armor in a more manly cut with better lines for the male figure for those who use Light Metal Armor. Leather armor is much more diverse and I am learning to mold leather plates like what Bladescape wears. You all have seen Doombunny's outfit and she has no armor skill. If anyone is classless, I can make a lot of very high quality pieces in a variety of styles. We have no standard for classless and really lack one for Leather Armor as well, and Konpeito is her own, long, story. Can you all raise your hand if you don't use metal armor?"
Delton, Jade, Helia, Tifa, and Eowyn were the five players who did not use metal armor. Tifa was the only one who was classless. She was similar to Doombunny in her build, a speed based damage dealer who fought up close, except she used claws for her primary weapon. Eowyn was a shieldmaiden with a stout, but short, broadsword. Helia was also a shieldmaiden, except she carried a thick-bladed scimitar. Jade carried a crusader longsword and crusader kite shield. Delton was the only male who didn't wear metal armor and he carried a xiphos and small shield.
"Well, I would not have to stamp out the same design for each of you," Diemond stated. "I can make it flow with your energy and fighting style. For the rest of you, I don't stamp out armor unless I am farming experience. I'm too good to let the system control everything. No two pieces are the same. As unified as we look, if you look at our armor, you will see small differences, ways to bring out the uniqueness of each player. As you can see with what Soryuto is wearing, well I was playing with design and colors, specifically trying to make Fuurinkazan look better than the ragtag group they appear to be. You can see how some of the metal splints are colored differently. Battle and large numbers dictate speed and efficiency, but as a fashionista, as a designer, I make the important pieces each with their own flaunt and flair to make the wearer feel special, for you are. It is a special thing to wear something I made. Even more so if I made it in our colors, for our members. You never see second hand sales of our custom armor for a reason."
No one responded to Diemond, issuing in the second silence of the discussion. Kiefer and Soryuto took their seats in the armor they were modeling.
"Eh," Konpeito said with a shrug. "More members equals more fun. Right?"
"Good," Nora said with a relieved sigh. She wielded a two-handed war hammer. "I'm not the only one thinking the same thing! The guys have always talked among themselves, which was fine, but us girls were a little quieter as we thought about what was best for us, individually and as a whole."
"Us cooks have to stick together!" Konpeito exclaimed. "Oh! My cupcakes are going to burn!" Konpeito bolted out of the room.
"Nothing was in the oven or the stove," Reisenki immediately stated. "I double checked. Unless she snuck back in, but I followed her out."
"It's Konpeito," Bladescape replied. There was no point in hiding her eccentricities, if they were even hidden at this point. "We can only do so much. Still, she cooked a lot of this meal and feeds us all daily, yet is still on point in every fight we have been in."
"We've seen her two sides," Chok said, unphased by Konpeito. He was a sword wielding tank and had fought directly with her in their joint venture in the labyrinth. "Nora alluded to the men talking and we have spoken together. We joined Meigibu for what they offered. Companionship and purpose greater than what we were doing ourselves. We back the merger. Delton was on the fence, but, and he can speak for himself, he likely will transition to a support role, not a fighter."
Delton simply shrugged to back up the statement.
"Well, that means we have enthusiastic members about a merger," Lobelia openly stated to the other leaders.
Osouji, the sole fencer in Meigibu spoke up. “Lobelia, I joined to follow you and your ideas. Where would this merger leave you?”
“A councilor,” Bladescape immediately said before she looked at Lobelia across the table from her. “Unless you don’t want it.”
“I would be honored,” Lobelia replied. “It would be nice to retain some control. I worked hard to get us to this point.”
“And ya would be very welcome to help keep us goin',” Malus said. “You know 'em and ya know how to handle a larger guild. We'll need that expertise. Plus, ya earned it.”
“Just me would give us an even council,” Lobelia pointed out.
“And with the new size, five would be better,” Bladescape added. “It sounds like Kamishi does a lot for you, and I fought beside him the other day. He is fast, smart, strong, and wise. He knows how to lead, and he is your lead man. The others follow his lead too. He knows your guild and it means we would not overshadow you all with a nearly full Wondercolts Council. He would be my first choice to round us out to a council of five."
Kamishi didn’t say a word. He just sat there, reactionless.
Lobelia stood up. “Is anyone going to give us a valid reason to not merge?” She drew the hard line since none of the members were drawing it, or any real lines.
No one responded.
"Just sit down," Kamishi told her, speaking up after not responding to the offer. "They are all followers."
"Excuse me?" Malus snorted.
Kamishi looked across the table at her, locking eyes with Malus. "You heard me. They all are followers. Even the Wondercolts."
Malus was taken aback and offended. Kamishi didn't stop as he explained. "None of that is bad. Every player in this room is a warrior. Everyone can fight on the front lines. It took dedication and spirit to make it where we have. Some of us need some training to stay current, but even without it, we all have proven that we are warriors deserving to be here.
"The world is split into leaders and followers, and there are significantly fewer leaders than followers. You can be a great warrior, but not a leader. That is how the world functions and it doesn't make you any less of a warrior, player, or human.
"Doombunny and Tifa are perfect examples. They are amazing at what they do. Few have the guts they each, individually, have. A dagger is arguably the fastest weapon in SAO, but the closeness required to use it is dangerous to a front-line soldier and requires nerves of steel. Claws are a close third for speed and close second for daring attitude. Despite those steel nerves and undisputable skill, when we teamed up the other day, Doombunny stayed with Malus. Tifa stuck with Nereid. You wouldn't ask either to lead a unit on the front lines. That would be dumb. Their strength is to be led and pointed to the job. Then they use their unique skills to quickly complete the task.
"Diemond might have been leading some of us, but she isn't either. She was more of a cheerleader. A really good one who can see the potential of a player and help pull it out. As a Tank, she has learned to direct others in battle since they rely on her for protection. She can do some, but you wouldn't send her to lead a team every day from here on out. Why? Because she isn't a leader. A fierce fashion designer who is a leader in that regard, but not for this stuff.
"Kiefer is learning and has good potential. I am sure he has matured a lot since this game started. His youth is being hidden well. I wish he didn't have to grow up as suddenly as he did. However, he has become a good, strong man from it.
"Thunderborne has pep, but it's sports pep and leadership, not death game and soldier leadership. Being a captain of a sports team isn't the same as being captain of an army where each decision made will only dictate how much blood is spilled. Not if it will be spilled, only how much. That is our reality.
"Natora had game leadership experience with guilds, that is obvious, but she doesn't have quite the gall to keep everything going without support. Again, none of that is bad.
“The girls in Meigibu are great warriors too, but most of them default to the guys. Pyrrha is the one exception. Everyone else follows the model and direction of the others. A few stand on their own and have good leadership potential, but they are not aggressive enough. Which is fine. The fact that they made it to the front line is what is important. They have done more than most players to free us all and they will continue to do more, because each of them is a strong woman of great honor and they deserve the utmost respect for it.
"The bulk of the Assault Team are followers. The bulk of the clearing effort are followers. Tenacious vanguards, but followers. The leaders stick out, especially the good ones."
"And me?" Malus asked.
Kamishi shook his head slowly. "Sorry, but you are a follower."
Natora saw it coming and yanked Malus back into her seat as she tried to stand up.
"You can lead a good bit, but you are a grounder," Kamishi explained. "You are a strong support for the leaders. You keep them even keeled. You keep them honest and you keep them realistic. But you can't keep leading at the very front day after day. That is shown in the boss battles. Everyone needs you to be the cornerstone, the Iron Bulwark who doesn't bend. Not a leader though. Sometimes you direct the tanks, a small group, but that always comes back to your role as the cornerstone and them helping you be that cornerstone. You know what you need better than anyone else.
"Lobelia, who I swore to follow, is nearly burned out from leading her warriors. She did an amazing job, but unfortunately this game is taxing and the war is difficult to sustain. We can't just train up replacement soldiers. She put up a very good fight. She certainly isn't the only one unable to hold on under the pressure. After all, that is why we are here, meeting with you and discussing this merger."
"And you are a leader," Malus snipped.
Kamishi laughed heartily. "I'm the leader of the followers. I prefer to be the supporter of the leader, just like Natora. I can lead, but I find I am best as the second. I can keep going better and longer if my energy is put into the second or third position. Daily responsibility, but not on point the entire time. I know my limitations, and I led a guild from the beginning to floor eighteen.
"This game is brutal and many of us have been fighting on the front line since the start. That means over eighteen months of no breaks. In the real world, many countries no longer deploy soldiers for more than a year because of how taxing it is, yet here we are, unable to get a real break. If we took one we would fall behind and be unable to catch up to the fight. There is no rotating out or being on reserve in this reality.
"There is only one way we are all getting out of here alive."
"Fight," Thunderborne said with conviction.
"No," Kamishi said, shocking Thunderborne and plenty of others. "The only way we get out of here is to find the real, true leaders and follow them. They will have an answer for everything. They will know how to use each of us to our full potential, including how many we can lead and how often we can. They will be ambitious; at the top. But the difference between the lone wolves who are great warriors — Kirito is the king lone wolf — the difference is that the true leaders do it to be stronger for those they lead. They do it to be the example and they spend every minute they can making adjustments to be the best or to take their followers to the next level.
"There is one leader in this room." Kamishi looked at Bladescape who had her hands folded in her lap and was sitting up straight. "Bladescape is one of those real leaders, and it’s the reason she is at the head of the table. You know it and so does she. It is what she has been doing since the beginning, even if she didn't fully understand it. You even instinctively asked her what she thought at the very start. No matter if she knew from the start of this game or not, she found she needed to be in charge because it was what was best for her friends. For people like Bladescape, they are just natural leaders."
The room stayed quiet as all eyes were on Bladescape. She sat there, not saying anything. She was waiting for any final arguments. She had realized where Kamishi had been going since almost the start of his speech. When they had teamed up she had fought with him. Despite it being her day off as leader, her leadership still naturally came out. She had noticed him watching her when she took charge, but it was never in a bad way.
Bladescape slowly stood up. She was firm. She was the leader they were looking to, so she made the decision. "No dissenting opinions have been given with substantial evidence or reason as to why this merger should not happen. We need no new deliberation. In a week from now we will have the ceremony here in our guild hall to take in the new members.
"All of you are welcome. I know we have those who no longer want to fight. I understand and respect that. This so-called game has whipped us all hard, and Meigibu has lost friends and companions to it. I hope you will all join us and play a critical role in the guild and front line fight. Cooking for fifty players is not easy, but knowing we are going back to a warm dinner is very important for morale. I don't know how to even express the depth of how it will keep us going. Keeping a sword on the front line is just as important as being the one to swing it, if not more so. We will be an oversized guild. Not all of us have to fight to clear this game. We need every weapon and shield available, but we also need support comrades. Konpeito won't fully let go of the kitchen, but she earned that role. Today is yet another example of how she earned it."
"Question?" Suiko nervously asked. She stammered out her question after Bladescape gave her a reassuring nod to ask. "If we don't know if we want to join the Wondercolts?"
"A good question," Bladescape said, smiling at her. Malus had come up with this answer in their council deliberations. "The Wondercolts' Council believe the best course of action is to allow those who are unsure about permanently joining to have the status of 'probationary Wondercolts.' You, Suiko, have a lot of friends here, and plenty of new ones to gain. Friendship isn't something I want any of you to lose and I know everyone, Wondercolts included, don’t want to leave their friends. You have been through so much together, too much to easily throw away. Keep that in mind. We will know ahead of time of your decision, so you can either directly join up, or try it out. We will begin by training you, no differently than any other Wondercolt. If you don't like it, fine, you can leave with no need to give a reason. Every player in this room understands that a guild is a personal choice and a family, especially in SAO. I think you will be pleasantly surprised though.
"We will need to work out a strong structure for our expanded Wondercolts. One that reflects our new numbers. We need a chain of command. The Wondercolts have been able to get by with just a council since we had eleven at most."
"I can solve that," Lobelia said. "I was personally reflecting on that yesterday. My father is an officer in the Japanese Self Defense Force. I know the ranks and organizational structure very well. I already have a basic idea of how to best organize us."
"I would love to discuss it," Bladescape said. "But that deliberation is best done in private. Everyone can continue to hang out, or leave. Go craft or do anything you need or want to do. Lunch is over and so is the open discussion. You have no obligation to stay."
Bladescape stood up and the others followed suit. The regular members stayed seated. They could stand and bow, but the relaxed setting kept them in their seats to quietly let the leaders leave first, out of respect.
The best place was a room Bladescape had not been in for a while. It was Knightstar's study. Now unused and empty, it was the perfect place to meet. Malus grabbed a couch from the main room on her own, while Natora and Kamishi grabbed a second.
“That was a harsh push, partner,” Malus said as they sat down. “I reckon ya just shoved some of em out the door.”
“Maybe,” Kamishi said with a shrug. “For players like Thunderborne, she needed the push to see the situation properly. Bladescape was softer and pulled them in, relaying the foundation of the support roles we need and the probationary status. Most, if not all of them, don’t want to give up, they just need to be inspired, revitalized. That’s why we are having this talk. You know we don’t want to leave. If we did, we would have split up before you could have caught us. Jade, Delton, and Ithilien are done fighting. We all know that and they made it clear. The others will come along in the hope that they don’t have to leave, that Bladescape and the Wondercolts are the solution.”
“That inspiration will be important,” Bladescape said. “I am a little concerned about being able to inspire them and about having all of the solutions.”
“It’s not all on you,” Kamishi said. “That’s why you have a council. You are at the head and the general everyone follows, but you don’t plan or execute the strategy alone. You have a team to do that with. That way you can confidently walk out of the strategy meeting and lead them into battle and they will follow because you have the confidence and you have inspired them to follow that confidence. It will require all of us to ensure that the confidence and inspiration is there for the members to grab onto.”
That was good to hear. Bladescape was feeling better, but it would be rocky. She just needed to hold steady at the helm and lead them through the transition.
Bladescape looked at Lobelia. "So, structure?"
"Every unit should have a lead and a secondary officer," Lobelia explained. "I'm mostly familiar with the Maritime Self Defense Force ranks, so we can use those ranks as our base. They will have ‘kai,’ ocean, in their name. Our senior officer ranks can go to the council, but we will have enough parties that we will need the extra leaders. Most ranks have itto, nito, and santo added to further separate the group. Players won't think much of it if we do it right.”
“Our primary color is blue,” Natora pointed out. “Like water. No one will think twice about us using naval ranks.”
“I had not considered that, but you’re right,” Lobelia said. “We can have several leaders with the same rank, there does not have to be a single chain of command. We need something simple and clear. At the head, kaisho, admiral. Below that, kaisa, captain or commander. Then kaii, lieutenant. That will give us a three-tiered council which will be robust and strong enough for our needs.
“For the other party leaders, we can keep it very simple. Itto, first rate, and nito, second rate. It gets us away from kaiso, petty officer, another very similar sounding rank. Fast and efficient.”
"Where does that leave Shikiku?" Bladescape asked. "She is in these deliberations for a reason, even though she is not a councilor."
"I don't want to be a councilor or leader," Shikiku said. "I understand that I am looked up to, but that is a very different role."
"You deserve a special position," Lobelia said. "You have a good rapport with the members. You always know what is going on and have given me guidance that way. Socho is the senior most rank applied to the Self-Defense Force. It won't require you to lead, but it will set you apart. We will likely become less accessible to the general members, but you should be able to maintain your connection with them and act as their emissary. It is an honorable position to take."
"I can accept that," Shikiku said.
"Sounds good," Bladescape replied. "We need that connection with all of our members, but I understand how this will really separate us. What else?"
"Who takes what ranks," Natora said. "As Lobelia pointed out, there are plenty of times where it will matter."
"May I propose the order?" Shikiku asked. "As best seen by the members and by your talents."
"Please," Bladescape said. "That is a good place to start and better than possibly letting egos get in the way."
"Bladescape should be kaisho," Shikiku reiterated. "Natora's leadership and tactical skill should place her as kaisa. She has led a floor boss raid. Lobelia needs to be higher up to promote unity in the new venture, plus she is a skilled leader, just tired, so she shall be our second kaisa. Malus and Kamishi lead less but are important in their own rights. They shall take the rank of kaii."
Everyone sat there for a moment and reflected on the proposed order. To Bladescape, it provided a give and take for the merger. The original Wondercolts could not be seen as superior or more important than their new ones. Plus it was focused on strategic and leadership skills. She did agree with that order.
It was clear no one was going to speak first, so Bladescape did. After all, she was their senior leader, their Kaisho. "I like it. It balances skill yet shows that the new members are not valued or looked down as less. We are merging together, not overtaking.
"What about other roles?" Bladescape asked. "Like a training officer or senior cook? Kiefer had become quite skilled at leading the training session we run. He knows our tactics and what has brought us success."
"Having a dedicated position to keep us informed is wise," Lobelia said. "Plus, they can run those operations without needing one of us to be present. Meigibu has no one in a position to do that. Kiefer will be a good choice. He too can receive the rank of santo, basically ensign."
"Can we stop Konpeito from taking over the kitchen?" Natora asked. "Or better put, is anyone better than her?"
"None of our cooks are anywhere near her skill level," Shikiku said. "They are good, but none are maxed. Even if they were, she has a knack in the kitchen that rivals her fighting ability."
"You didn't see her in the Necromancer fight," Lobelia said. "I still can't believe how cold and ruthless she was over killing her clone. In front of everyone and with a smile on her lips. I think she was laughing too, or had just stopped. With such fighting skill, if she truly is a better cook, then she is a legendary chef."
"That flip was disconcerting," Natora said with a chuckle.
"She almost has Reisenki maxed in cooking," Bladescape added. "I swear, it's like her cooking experience that her skill no longer needs gets transferred to him. We probably don't need to designate kitchen positions more than that though."
"Itamae will place her above the others, as she deserves," Lobelia said. "She doesn't do much with sushi, and she is in pink, not white, but she deserves the title."
"That will make her day," Malus said with a chuckle.
"Anything else?" Bladescape asked.
"One more thing," Lobelia said. "We will need to standardize who is in what party. That way they go to their officer first, who then can come up the chain of command with any questions. You, Bladescape, will have a lot to do, but you will always have a lot of people to delegate to so it runs smoothly."
"Right," Bladescape nodded. "But every day is different. I am not sure I like locking everyone into a single party. If we have a boss raid, Field or Floor, we will probably have to pull members from multiple parties."
"Back up plans," Lobelia immediately answered. "We certainly don't have the numbers of a regular unit. In the real world, all of us would be under the command of a single officer in one platoon. We will need more flexibility since we are not a modern army and the rules are different here. Our guild will need the flexibility of a regiment or battalion, not the focused energy of a platoon. Or better put, we are on a ship, but we need the most comprehensive fighting ship, like an aircraft carrier with a lot of different aircraft for different roles. The point is, we can gain that flexibility if we integrate defense conditions into our structure."
"Defense conditions?" Malus asked.
"Commonly called DefCon," Lobelia explained. "Usually they come with a color. Green is no threat, yellow is a little heightened threat. Orange is threat but no war, yet troops are ready to move. Red is an active war. And blue typically means nuclear weapons have been launched."
"That's no good," Natora said. "Blue is our color."
"We can make the colors our own," Bladescape said. "Blue can be for regular parties. Gold, or yellow, can be the secondary ones, where we have our raiders separated into two groups. We can make internal changes between those two as we need. We should probably have a color for special assignments. Assigning fifty to parties will take time, but we need the ability to do so."
"Then I suggest BluCon, YelCon, RedCon, and WhiteCon," Lobelia said. "Red means 'meet up for special assignments' and white is for the day off. We can put up color boards and set the color for the day. At least one in the dining hall so everyone can easily see it. That will be clear and concise and not require us to track each member down for notifying them of the day's assignment."
"If not a few others to make it easier on everyone," Natora said. "Tactical redundancy."
"I like it," Lobelia replied with a wink. "Now you are thinking like a soldier. Especially a kaisa."
"Natora Kaisa," Natora said, nodding her head with a sly grin. "I like it."
"Good," Lobelia smiled. "Because it will get used a lot, but we need it to be used to pull off a guild of forty-ish clearers with ten members of the Assault Team. If we need to fine tune it, we will. But this will give us a great base to start with."
"Don't soldier units usually have numbers and names? Or symbols?" Malus asked.
"They do," Lobelia nodded. "We could give designations to the parties. It probably would be best to have them based on the senior officer of that party. If they don't change between BluCon and YelCon, that would be wisest. Then the others just fall under their officer for that day's color."
"How long have you thought about this?" Bladescape asked.
"I have played with this for a few months," Lobelia admitted. "But I didn't have the council or officers to pull it off. It all fell on my shoulders. I just set the parties, and if we needed to change up, okay. But we never needed to make big changes. If any were done, Kamishi oversaw a lot of those changes."
"Okay," Bladescape said, thinking. "I think... I think this is wise. We will go with this to start. We have a course set. In a week we will do a ceremony of some sort to officially bring us together."
"We can set that up," Shikiku said.
"And we will secure a new headquarters," Natora said. "And fight the floor boss."
Bladescape nodded, approving of both. "Okay, then we will also need stats for every member in five days. Give them the time to think, but we will need to know to make our final leveling preparations."
"What do you need to know?" Shikiku asked. "That will probably be best gathered by me."
"Total Level, exact XP, and their combat skills,” Bladescape said. “We need to know what armor class, weapons, and if they use a shield, as well as how far along each Skill is." Bladescape turned to Kamishi. "Kamishi, I want to know what each member is fighting wise: Tank, Forward, or Damage. I know I saw some Lancers and Shield Users, give me all the role data you can."
"I'll get you that," Kamishi said. "Lobelia and I will also come up with a ranking for suggested party leaders. Outside of Kiefer, are there any Wondercolts who you want to see as potential party officers?"
"Thunderborne," Bladescape immediately said. "Let's not waste that peppy sports leadership she has. Plus, she can make really good rally speeches and pep talks.
"Otherwise, they are too busy. Konpeito will be running the kitchen, but even if she wasn't, she would not be someone I would assign to lead a party. Diemond does too much work for us as our Armorer to even be considered. Reisenki is in the kitchen too often and also repairs our equipment."
"Noted," Kamishi said.
"We have a few who maintain things for us as well," Lobelia added. "We will also get you a list of support skills, not just combat. We might as well get all the skills for each member, with full details so we can sort them out."
"Good idea," Natora said. "I know Skills and Stats are personal, but we will need it all to get things situated properly and find the perfect place for each of them. It's not about what they chose, we're not assessing that, just trying to make sure who they are fits properly with everyone. We need all of us, together, to assign everyone, but this lays a very good foundation, and we don't know all of the Meigibu members. This info will be crucial to ensure we build a safe guild that is strong. We will compile ours as well and swap them so everyone is on the same page."
"Sounds good," Lobelia replied. "We should probably head out."
"Nonsense," Bladescape replied. "Let them have their time away from the leaders to think. The six of us, let's go out for an early and extended dinner. We should give the Wondercolts a break, as well as Meigibu. Not every Wondercolt is thrilled after all."
"Alright," Lobelia replied. "Lead on."
"I hope Konpeito didn't plan on making dinner," Natora said. "She can go overboard sometimes and I won't be there to eat my half. Neither will Malus. It will all rest on Thunder's shoulders."
Members of both guilds were spread throughout the headquarters. Not every Wondercolt was there or easy to immediately locate; just Diemond, Konpeito, and Reisenki. Konpeito and Reisenki were in the kitchen with the other cooks in Meigibu. The meeting hall had been put back in order.
The leaders headed out to their dinner. It would be the first of many dinner meetings to plan the guild's activities.
BLADESCAPE: Level 85 — Two-Handed Sword — Searching — Weapon Defense — Leather Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Sprint — Blade Throwing — Extended Weight Carry — Acrobatics — Greatsword
NATORA: Level 80 — Two-Handed Spear — Purchase Negotiations — Sales Negotiation — Weapon Defense — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Acrobatics — Armor Pierce — Sprint — Extended Weight Carry
MALUS: Level 80 — One-Handed War Hammer — Greatsword — Heavy Metal Armor — First Aid — Extended Weight Carry — Battle Regeneration — Fishing — Search — Martial Arts — Rend — Sprint
THUNDERBORNE: Level 80 — Rapier — Sprint — Acrobatics — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Armor Pierce — Martial Arts — Blade Throwing — Search
KONPEITO: Level 80 — Two-Handed Axe — Cooking — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — Martial Arts — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Music — Blade Throwing — Bard — Extended Weight Carry — Rend
DIEMOND: Level 80 — Mace — Greatsword — Sewing — Heavy Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Light Metal Armor Forging — Heavy Metal Armor Forging — Extended Weight Carry — Jewelry Creation — Rend
DOOMBUNNY: Level 81 — One-Handed Dagger — Hide — Fighting Spirit — Blade Throwing — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Familiar Cooperation — Mixing — Listen — Reveal — Main-gauche — Search
KIEFER: Level 79 — One-Handed Curved Sword — Slash Weapon Forging — Light Metal Armor — Weapon Defense — First Aid — Katana — Battle Regeneration — Slash Weapon Forging — Blade Throwing — Armor Pierce
SORYUTO: Level 77 — One-Handed Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Music — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Fighting Spirit — Armor Pierce — Acrobatics — Extended Weight Carry
REISENKI: Level 79 — One-Handed Axe — Greatsword — Heavy Metal Armor — Equipment Repair — Metal Equipment Repair — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Cooking — Metal Refining — One-Hand Weapon Creation
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I didn't know the RWBY cast got stuck in Aincrad too
12079622
I enjoy fun callouts. RWBY is a great show. It has masterfully blended and adapted so many fairy tales. The level of subtlety for many of them is impressive. The worldbuilding is topnotch too.
I have over 400 logged character names. I need to pull from somewhere. lol.
Edit: I'm actually listening to music from RWBY right now. lol.
Okay, I'm a little behind, but if we're sticking to the same basic timeline as SAO itself, then we're about a week away from when Kirito gets his Dark Repulsor sword.
Oooo!
Just what we needed.
I can so picture that.
Quite the shame.
It might be hard to tell via here but there's a space needed to separate the two characters dialogue.
12079645
I even saw my character again! I'm happy to see she's coming in slowly.
And I noticed the RWBY names immediately, and find them absolutely hilarious. In a good way, of course. As a writer myself, I understand that it's kinda hard to create new names for multiple characters that are going to be recurring, and so using base personality and names actually goes a long way to helping any writer out with making a character that they can come back to.
I look forward to the next chapter, and to them possibly getting their castle back, or even a new building. Whatever it is, it's going to awesome to read.
great update! I look forward to seeing what kinda new place they move into!
Absolutely LOVE the "RWBY" references! But a couple names I do not recognize....notably "Hakowaru." Is this a pure OC or from another series?
More progress on the merger. A new and improved headquarters certainly sounds like a good idea. There are bound to be better ones on higher floors where the action is.
I loved the reference to RWBY that was thrown in.
I agree that there are more followers than leaders since not everyone can handle leadership. Though some of what Kamishi was saying felt like it was coming off as rude.
12079722
Roughly. That may have moved up a little bit after breaking the other sword on The King Black Dragon. Many things line up, but some definitely shift a bit to fit with the impact of the girls.
12079818
I'm guessing copy error for that. space. I'll fix it. Thanks!
12079826
Yes, the characters who were pitched to me have been rolled in. They have their moments. Whenever I can get them.
I have enjoyed RWBY. It was fun to some of them into the series. After all, many new gamers will name characters after RWBY because they are fans.
I did a ground up build for their next headquarters. Y'all are going to love it.
12080131
np
12079988
He is an OC from the character sheet AstralFlare42 gave me for Ruby Palace. I got a few and have been integrating them. Also in this chapter is Failsafe, by Failsafe99.
12079991
Yeah, it was a hard push and stance Kamishi took. Yes, the RWBY characters were/are a blast. You will love the new headquarters. I did a ground up build.
12079830
Y'all are going to love the new place. I did a ground up build to suit their needs and looking further, towards the future. Aincrad I knew my cap was 75. I did something cool, but limited with Thorn Island.
I’m interested to see if the new HQ will be the same as before or a new one, and I’m rather excited to see the Assault Team Reaction to the Expanded Wondercolts as well. Things are progressing smoothly from now on and I am excited to see the Floor Boss battle with the new parties!
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Ground up rebuild for Ruby Palace. They don't need what was done for the Aincrad story. You're going to love it.
I heard taiyang, and thought my website change the fic to something else.