Episode 105 — Argo
Episode 105 — Argo
Twenty-Ninth Day in the Month of Bush Clover (June 29) in the Year of the Griffon
Floor 61 — Thorn Island — Front Line Floor 64
Bladescape walked down to the gatehouse. When she had gotten back with Kiefer and Doombunny, after testing the site for Argo, she had checked the Headquarters’ status. It was the passive logs, but certain activity was recorded, like a bedroom being assigned. Basic administration stuff, but something their old headquarters was too small to make use of. Bladescape was still working to get a better sense of what the admin stuff was for the castle. There was no guidebook for this.
There was not a lot on the log, so it stood out crystal clear. Someone had entered their gatehouse three hours prior and not sent a request for an audience. Bladescape wasn’t sure if it logged a player leaving too, but she figured she should check in on it before getting her nap in. They had a busy day ahead, so if she needed to head something off, it was better to miss sleep and settle it now than deal with it when their guests arrived.
Bladescape entered the gatehouse. The single lamp they had was off, as well as the overhead ambient lighting. The ambient lighting was never off, but a new member might have turned it down without thinking. Bladescape’s vision adjusted as Search’s advanced capability of Night Vision was activated. Someone was sleeping on their couch. That was incredibly odd, not to mention rude. Whoever was snoozing there had obviously turned both lights off. Bladescape’s two fingers found the switch panel on the wall and slid the ambient lighting all of the way to its maximum.
With the light on, it was easy to tell who it was. Despite her back being towards Bladescape, Bladescape recognized that cloak anywhere. It was Argo.
Argo shifted, rolling over just enough to see who had turned on the lights. “Huh?” she groaned.
“What are you doing on our couch?” Bladescape asked.
Argo’s sleepy eyes narrowed at Bladescape. She was obviously grumpy, but also trying to think while she used her look to hold off questions until her mind had caught up.
“Waiting for you,” Argo finally said. “And napping until it was an appropriate time to knock. Why are you up this early? How did you even figure out I was here?”
“This is my home,” Bladescape stated. “It’s not hard to figure out someone is trespassing. Or tres-sleeping in your case.”
“I was trying to not be rude!” Argo sleepily shot back. It was a weak shot with no bite in the tone.
“Back to my original question, what are you doing on our couch?” Bladescape asked. “And how did you find out we owned this place?”
“You bought the quest info from me,” Argo groaned. “It was not hard to figure out the place was cleared. Ownership was easy to confirm once I entered the gatehouse. It has your guild name and symbol on the announcement menu. But you still didn’t answer me why you're awake this early and leaving.”
“I wasn’t leaving,” Bladescape said without thinking. It didn’t matter. In a matter of hours their guests would all realize they had a private teleport plaza. There would be no denying it. “But that still does not answer why you are on my couch?”
Argo rolled over and propped herself up, still taking up most of the couch. “Waiting for you. It’s no secret that you put a bidding war out to the crafters for several furniture sets and they would come with worthwhile payouts. Crafting teams of all skill levels are getting ready to meet in Mishe’s amphitheater. Except I figured you had moved and wanted to see what you had scored. I didn't expect to see what I did in the moonlight of my early arrival. I wasn't going to wake you, but in here was a good enough place to crash. I didn’t expect to get caught. That still doesn’t explain how you did. Where are you going, in your armor, at this time of the morning? Nothing is open and you can’t be going to the location we talked about, not at this time when you are about to start the bidding war.”
“What makes you think I need to be here for that?” Bladescape asked. “I have other councilors, plus Diemond, who could handle it.”
“I told you that you needed to bring a small team, not run it solo,” Argo growled. She actually thought Bladescape was going back on her word.
“I did,” Bladescape calmly said. “I took Kiefer and Doombunny with me.”
“Oh,” Argo grunted. “So all three of you almost walked past me, but you caught me. I can’t believe it wasn’t Doom. Anyway, how did it turn out?”
"Chaotic,” Bladescape stated. “It has potential, but it also won't make for an easy way to time things. There is no squad potential, no real tactics to the area for squad training. All you do is have a bar fight, against bandits, thieves, and vagabonds, and wenches — depending on which bar you are in — with weapons or without, and in tighter quarters. You just spend hours bashing heads for what quickly amounts to great XP rewards. I wasn't able to calculate the exact rate, but I have the average rate. They turn hostile against all players inside, so no one could observe and count, although they won't turn on any new arrivals. They respawn quickly, making it hard to clear out the tavern solo, and exiting when you are done, but it was fun. We handled it fine. We could train up everyone there to our quotas really quick. Two weeks quick."
"That's good," Argo said, yawning again. Then she sat there, thinking over what Bladescape had just said. "Wait? Quotas! You guys have never had quotas. You've never needed them! You were always on top of the curve. Even your lowest leveled members were above most of the clearers! You were, are, the envy of so many guilds. It all came so smoothly for you. A group of friends who always have it together and never have to work hard to be at the top! That is what you're seen as, even though we both know you work for it."
Bladescape grinned and then let out an uncontrollable laugh. "We just destroyed that rep today. We didn't know we had it, but we planned that destruction a week ago."
"How?" Argo asked. She was awake, mostly. "You guys are the legendary Wondercolts. You are about to become even more legendary because you have this castle. By tomorrow half of Aincrad will know you guys own a castle on a private island. It's going to make so many players jealous! Not to mention certain guilds, because that is the dream! So how could you blow-"
Argo stopped herself and began to run calculations in her head. She was a lot more animated than usual. Being caught napping on their couch at 4:45 am had her in a surprisingly open mood.
"No!" She exclaimed. "You guys didn't, did you?"
Bladescape chuckled. "Until you actually ask me a question, I can't tell you if we did or not."
Argo was fully awake now, but still more animated than usual as she leaned towards Bladescape, off the couch. "Did you girls add members?"
"Yes," Bladescape nodded. But she wasn't going to feed her more information than that, not without making Argo work for it.
Argo openly stammered for a few seconds. “I can't believe it actually happened! I know there's at least one betting pool that you would add members at one point, and it's still going since only Knightstar dropped out. Wait, does Knightstar know?"
“Yes,” Bladescape nodded. “She rejoined a few days ago, however, they are two separate incidents, unrelated but overlapping. We had intentionally kept the possible expansion quiet. She was unaware of it. Regardless, it's good to have her back. Everyone is happy about that.”
"Awe man," Argo exclaimed, plopping into the couch cushion further. "That means you picked up a bunch of boring support players to help out with crafting and cooking."
Bladescape rolled her eyes. "Well, some will be doing that, but no. We didn't pick up a crafting guild. Although, that may not be a bad idea. Still, Konpeito and Diemond do not need competition. Diemond is stressed enough and I don't want to have to stop another food fight."
Argo grinned from the cushion's embrace. "First, I want to hear this food fight story. Second, that means Diemond is having to create new uniforms. Or more uniforms. Either way, you girls got useful players. Clearers?"
"Of course," Bladescape said, letting a sly grin purse her lips. “Just because we were slumming in Mishe for the past few months doesn't mean our standards dropped. I'm still surprised that Asuna joined the KoB, not us, because we extended a permanent invitation to her after the tenth floor boss was beaten.”
“You gave Asuna a standing invitation?” Argo asked, shocked. “I can’t believe it. Tenth floor means she was still with Kirito. Did you give one to him as well?”
“Yep,” Bladescape admitted, with a nod. “It was public too, right after the boss was beaten. I’m not sure what happened to Asuna. I never could keep track. She just was gone, and then she came back in white and red. Technically Kirito’s invitation is still valid and so is Asuna’s, but I doubt she would leave the Knights.”
Argo was left speechless for a moment. It was a lot for her tired mind to take in. "Well, then, who folded? I'm not always up to date on guild news. Gossip isn't my job."
That statement wasn't exactly true. She did gossip, but only on verified things that she could sell.
“Wait!” Argo exclaimed. “Did Fuurinkazan fold?”
“No,” Bladescape chuckled. “There is some surprise from the original Wondercolts that our addition of members didn’t start with them, but no.”
Bladescape shook her head at Argo, who was tired and stumped. Her mind couldn’t turn fast enough to catch up. "We don’t have any spare beds right now and mine hasn’t been upgraded to a bigger size yet, but I did try to understand my new room’s space better by buying a cheap couch. It’s inside the castle, so safe, and won’t make you look like a bum.”
Argo let out a sigh and dropped her gaze. “That would be appreciated.”
Bladescape had a random idea pop in her head. This was the second time Argo had crashed at their place. “Also, is there a way for a guild member to hide their tag?"
Argo’s eyes flicked back up to Bladescape and narrowed dangerously at her. "If you are meaning me being able to hide your guild tag, maybe? Mo would know. But I'm not going to give a second thought to it at this time of night, er, morning. Wait! Did you pick up Silica?"
"No," Bladescape replied with a shake of her head. "We probably could, she is good friends with Doom and their familiars love each other, but the level difference is still huge. We could support her with a home base, but that's it. I’ve only met her once, officially, and only in passing, even though we bought her dinner. It was at the end of a long day and a chance meeting, but I wanted Doom to have time with her.
“Doom says Silica is rather happy about where she is at. The two of them have talked, but she wouldn't be able to do much with us. It’s unsafe with a legitimate risk to her life. Otherwise she would have joined us ages ago."
"Dang," Argo growled. "I had Silica joining you as my bet. I wanted to see the two top beast tamers tackle Aincrad together."
Bladescape snorted a laugh, remembering their run in with the Feathered Little Dragons. "Besides, you wouldn’t see Doombunny, and not because of Hide. She is fast and efficient, and Colorra adds in a whole other kill count bracket. That snake killed as many tonight as I did."
"Come on," Bladescape said, stepping over to Argo and offering her hand to the info broker. "Let's get you off this couch and to the other one to sleep for a few more hours. Breakfast is at eight. The Crafters arrive at nine. We will have time for a tour later, but I have to greet them."
Argo took her hand and was pulled up. She stretched with a yawn to get going. "Yeah, but who did you merge with?"
Bladescape began to guide Argo to the door. "You would find out in a few hours anyway, but all of the current members of Meigibu joined the Wondercolts. For most of the players, we have the same vision."
Argo made a few awkward noises as she tried to speak. She finally got her words straight as she was halfway through the lower ward. "You merged with Meigibu! They were stalling out on Floor Sixty-Two! The rumors said they were going to spin out from the front lines, unable to sustain clearer status. They lost players like two weeks ago and they haven’t been seen on the front lines for days."
"Oh we know," Bladescape said. "We ran the labyrinth with them the day after the lost players and were in talks shortly after. They just needed guidance, support, levels, and morale. We couldn’t do that with them being separate. In less than three weeks we can have them at the quotas and once again viable on the front lines."
Bladescape continued to explain the plan as she took Argo up the secret passage. "We will keep up with quotas, in case we need to field everyone, but I don't see more than four squads on the front line at any given time. The rest will grind for Col, materials, info, quests, and dungeon diving. We have a few who are not going back out into the field, who will be direct support, primarily cooks under Konpeito. That vision may change after the quotas are met, we are untested in that regard.”
“Where are you taking me that the system blocked me while I’m inside?” Argo asked as they ascended the stairs.
“The palace,” Bladescape explained. “Most of the rooms are empty, just the Council and some senior staff. Most everyone else is in the barracks, but I doubt we will end up with many more officer roles at our size that warrant moving them to the palace. It's not what we need for the new Wondercolts. Same mission and ideology, just with some more members."
"You make it sound grand," Argo said, snickering.
Bladescape opened the door to her tower and had to extend permission to Argo since she was not a member. Thankfully members could enter the main floor of the tower and palace without an issue, but it was a logistical hurdle for guests she would have to get used to. She guided Argo over to the black couch and the info broker collapsed onto the cushions. Argo immediately keeled over and pulled her feet up onto the couch.
Bladescape pointed to the stairs. "If you need anything, this is just the bottom floor of my room. There is a door at the top of the stairs, and you should be able to knock on it. If you leave, you won’t be able to get back into the building or take the shortcut, not without getting another officer’s permission and no one else knows you are here."
"Got it," Argo said with a moan that turned into a yawn. "This couch isn’t as comfortable as the other, but at least I don’t feel like a bum. But you were getting at something earlier. You scouted that location for me, except it has mixed reviews."
"I have the data," Bladescape said. "We can cover it tomorrow."
"How long would it take to get to your quotas?" Argo pressed.
Bladescape sighed. "We said three weeks to the members, but we can do it in two and a half at the most in the new spot. Uninterrupted and with our schedule, I bet we can have all members done in twelve days. Then we would need to train them in squads, but for raw level XP, fourteen grueling days on a constant rotation should do it."
"I think I can hold that long,' Argo said with a wink. She rolled over so her face was in the back of the cough and pulled her hood into a better position. Bladescape quietly shook her head at Argo and headed up to her bed.
She hung up her armor and put Harmonic Salvation and Bajutsu on their racks. She looked over at the thorned spear where she had hung it on the other wall above the stairs. Her goal was to make it the focal point so she didn't forget the lessons she had learned. She would pass it at least every morning and evening.
Bladescape tossed on her sleepwear, set an alarm, and laid down in bed.
As usual, she felt like she only blinked as the alarm woke her up. At least this time it was only two hours. Still, she missed real sleep. What was worse was knowing that real sleep - restful, comfortable, warm sleep - was something that players could experience, and most did. She just didn't have that luxury.
Bladescape pulled off her sleepwear and descended to her study, what she was calling the second floor. On it was another mannequin, clothed in an outfit for her to wear. She wasn't sure about it, but Shikiku was going to be assisting her. There were details that the game couldn't replicate with the push of a button.
All of the important guild members - Bladescape, Malus, Natora, Lobelia, Kamishi, Shikiku, and Kiefer - would be in formal attire. Konpeito and the kitchen staff all had appropriate and unified outfits; well Konpeito would wear whatever chef outfit she wanted. Diemond would either be a wreck in her “idea dress,” or wearing something fabulous. The rest of the members had a variety of semi-casual attire to wear and they were free to wear anything that fit that description. It was part of the art of being human. The regular members also would be wearing gold and blue shoulder sashes to make identification easy.
To play her part, Bladescape was going to wear a "kimono fusion dress", as Diemond was calling it, which was inspired from all of the images Diemond had seen Meigibu in, both on and off the battlefield, as well as her time in Japan. Only Bladescape would be wearing colors that were not the guild's. Lobelia was going to be in a uchikake kimono, the bridal kimono, that was gold and blue instead of the traditional white and red. Shikiku would be in a traditional susohiki kimono, which Bladescape's dress style was based on. Malus and Natora would also be struggling to get into furisode kimonos. Kamishi and Kiefer would be in formal Hakamas.
Looking at it on the mannequin was one thing, wearing it was another. The main dress was a bright red. The print was multiple gold chrysanthemums with outlines that were very thin. They were not a distraction, but rather the perfect accent. The wide obi belt was gold. The obijime cord in the center was Wondercolts blue. The cord and its specific knot was a very important detail and said a lot about the intention of the person wearing it. For white kimonos, it dictated if it was either for a funeral or for a wedding. Both being formal, rare occasions.
A knock came at the door and Shikiku announced herself. Bladescape called that she could enter. With the verbal permission accepted, the system unlocked the door and Shikiku slipped in. She didn't even blink at Bladescape's near nakedness. No comment about her tattoo was made either, not even a lingering glance.
“Kaisho, I see we have a visitor,” Shikiku stated.
“I’m still trying to learn what activities the castle logs,” Bladescape explained. “When Kiefer, Doom, and I got back, I checked and noticed the logs said someone entered, but didn’t request an audience or leave. When I checked, it turned out to be Argo, asleep on our couch. She had no clue we had done a merger, but she sold us the quest info for the island. Our request for design bids was not quiet.”
“Ah, I see,” Shikiku said. They all knew Argo’s reputation, although sleeping, uninvited, on someone’s couch was a new one. "I know you are nervous about this, but it is a wise choice," Shikiku told her with a smile. "You have a new role and being seen in formal attire will not only give you the air of sophistication, but it will ensure that you are so confident in everything, that you don't need to intimidate anyone with your overpowering armor. The subtle message it will give the crafters will be powerful. Stronger than anything else you have to wear or any words you could deliver. and word of it will quickly spread."
"Okay," Bladescape said with a nod. "Let's do this."
"Diemond did a phenomenal job with the design and production of this kimono. It is certainly a Japanese dress, but it is more masculine and it will give you an appropriate edge of authority because of it. Kimonos are often associated with passive, quiet women, but you need that authority."
"Talk me through what it all is," Bladescape said. "Teach me what I am wearing. That was on the list with my exchange family, but we never got around to getting me into a kimono, and it certainly would not have been one this fancy. Teach me as much as you can with the short time we have."
"I will enjoy giving you the basics of what you are wearing and why," Shikiku smiled. "Kimonos come in many styles and originally the word just meant clothes. but that was centuries ago. Now it is an established style, and we have different words for other types of clothes. Yofuku is likely what you learned first that meant clothes, but it specifically designates the western style of clothing. This style is a naga-gi, or long kimono. Since you are unmarried, your formal kimonos can have patterned fabric above the waist. Diemond’s main design inspiration was the bright and multilayered bridal, Uchikake, kimonos. We need to dress you up the very best we can."
There were various rules for the layers as well as how to properly fold and hold them in place. The key was the obi, the waist and abdomen sash. Traditional Japanese shoes were not used. Diemond had given her low platform boots, red to blend in, for Bladescape to wear. It also added a bit of height which would not hurt her image on such an important day.
Her hair was done by hand. It had been decided that Shikiku was going to do the shimada mage style. It was a hair up style. Bladescape's hair was pulled back, through a comb. To support and hold the hair, several red ribbons were used along with six Kanzashi hair sticks. It looked like she was wearing chopsticks in her hair, but Bladescape had seen, and was taught, the key differences.
Only a little make-up was used. Blush, eyeliner, and lipstick was all. It was simple compared to what Lobelia would be wearing and what Shikiku was wearing. Both would be pale or completely white. They wanted to let Sunset’s olive skin make a statement.
"All finished," Shikiku declared. "I need to check in with the others, but this will greatly impact our attribution to the guild and show that we had a value that cannot be forgotten. Plus, it makes you look quite Japanese, in a good, strong way. You make a very beautiful bride and young woman, and we haven't even done you fully up. You will make some young man very proud and very happy."
"Shikiku, what do you do?" Bladescape dared to ask. "In real life? Everyone loves you and your company. They look up to and respect you, but they don't know what you do. Or did. Kamishi's grandmother was a geisha. It was a good reason why he was drawn to Meigibu, but what drew you?"
"The crying of a bride to be," Shikiku replied with a sigh as she recalled the memory. "Fate so fell that I was beside Lobelia on that day and comforting her. It was my idea that she anchor herself by wearing traditional wedding attire, and soon, we had a party going. We became famous for that, but we wanted to be famous for the right reasons, clearing the game. We almost caught up, lost some members, ran into Kamishi’s band of boys, and rebuilt ourselves. Now, still carrying on that idea, we are here.
"Back home, in the real world, I am a geisha in training. This is what I love. I’ll likely be in a popular resort, on display for world travelers, but it will mean that I get to share a unique side of Japanese history with them. Fate smiled upon me and gave me players to work with. Lobelia was extremely happy with the idea. She strongly identified with being a bride, rightfully so. For there is little difference in formal bridal attire and etiquette. She took it all farther than I could have. I am very glad she did.
"We can speak more later. I trust the others, but I want to check in on them and how they are handling the dressing of our friends. Malus is probably going to be frustrated and Natora has been pouting over this idea since the start, despite not saying a word to stop us."
Shikiku bowed and left the room. Bladescape looked herself over in the mirror. She had finally gotten a mirror. It was a stunning transformation. As feminine as she felt, she didn't feel restricted as she thought she would. This was more comfortable than a full ball gown, and much more free moving than a skinny black dress that would hug her body. The option to do the Japanese style over a western one was a wise choice. She would make full use of it during the day, and it would be relayed back to the rest of Aincrad to seal this day in infamy. A boost the guild would need when discussing the merger. They needed a strong association and presence, and it would certainly also seal the fate of them being the girl guild. All of the boys were thankfully resigned to the honor of the nickname.
A knock came at the open door. Argo stepped in a bit inside and her jaw dropped before she could say anything.
Bladescape's grin was full of guilty mischief. "I didn't choose it, but I love it. This is what the other players will see me in today, as I invite them in and then make the furniture and decoration decisions for the guild."
"You are certainly going to turn heads,” Argo finally said, still staring. "In a good way. I've seen you in a variety of clothes and Diemond's skill is undeniable. I’ve been wearing her cloaks for a long time now, but she doesn't do Eastern style, or well, didn’t. Despite being a Japanese game, the bulk of the setting and equipment is Western in style. Our political and social ties with the rest of the world cannot be hidden. We get a lot of our culture from outside Japan, but I like to think we also give a good amount back."
"That you do," Bladescape said.
"I'm just surprised you are in red and gold, not Blue and Gold,” Argo added. “You look stunning, but it's not the guild colors."
"Does red have a bad meaning in Japan?" Bladescape asked, slightly concerned with the answer.
"Pink would be a bad color," Argo retorted.
"So, all of what Konpeito would wear?" Bladescape shot back.
Argo let out a laugh and Bladescape joined in.
Argo explained what she meant. "It's a fitting color for her. Humor, femininity, spring, youth, and good health. Also, lingerie is associated with pink. Anyway, you don't need to look humorous today.
"Blue is a cool color, a bit passive, but also means fidelity. People certainly think of your loyalty when they see your blue. It also is the most important lucky color. Yellow is also lucky, but the gold you are wearing is a symbol of wealth and status. It will send a powerful message about the financial stability of the Wondercolts which is always important, but even more so after buying a castle.
"Red is a complex color. It's important and used in many celebrations. It's a joyous and happy color, and it’s also associated with public phones, cherries, and paint."
"You were an info broker in real life, weren't you?" Bladescape poked.
"I do what I know," Argo shrugged. "And being a beta tester, I knew a lot to start and I knew how to find more. But I have a passion for information, history, facts, and learning. You kind of have to, to be an info broker. It’s why I leave the stats to you guys. I'm okay, but you are better.
"Anyway, red. The most important thing you need to know is that red is a passionate color, full of strength as well as self-sacrifice,and, of course, blood. You are all that.
"But while that matters, don't read too much into it. Color association is a cultural thing that we do naturally, but also understand that outside special times, it means little. This is a special time, but most guild colors do not have special meaning. I'm sure you do the same at home where you are from."
Bladescape thought for a moment, reflexively looking at her own culture and what things meant. It wasn't easy to step out of her normal field of vision and be culturally relevant.
"Black is emotional and mourning," Bladescape replied. "It’s also, in the right setting, seductive and alluring. Particularly on the feminine body. All women need to own a 'little black dress.'
"Green is recycling, hippies, and the environment. White is purity. It's also a bridal color, except we have a saying for brides to bring good luck: something old, something new; something borrowed, something blue.
"There is also red with anger and green with jealousy. Blue is a cold color. Pink is feminine. Blue is also masculine. Brown is nature. Oh, and blue is also law enforcement."
"My point exactly,” Argo grinned. “But you use those colors all the time without thinking deeper about them. You wear black, red, and blue without association on a daily basis. Still, they will be judging you today and going with red and gold was a very wise choice. I am sure Malus, Natora, and whoever else is on your council will be wearing Wondercolts colors."
Bladescape nodded in agreement.
"I take back one thing I said," Argo added. "The white and red of the Knights of the Bloodoath is very intentional. Passion, strength, blood, purity, truth, starting on a blank page, and going back to your roots. Their guild is all that, while also invoking the legendary European crusader knights."
"It certainly is," Bladescape said with a nod. "Want a tour? Breakfast is still a bit away."
"Sure," Argo shrugged. “This morning is still hazy, but is there that much more to your tower?”
Bladescape let out a laugh.
"This is my room," Bladescape declared. "Well the second floor. I call this my study. I will be adding more chairs, a bookcase, and some other homey touches. I'm not certain of all of my plans yet."
Bladescape led Argo up to her bedroom. "Self-explanatory. The bath and sink will soon be hidden behind a screen.”
"I see you use armor stands and even hang up Harmonic Salvation and Bajutsu," Argo commented.
"It gives me security," Bladescape replied. "It means I am not in danger. I can relax. There are days I don't, or can't hang them up, but days like today I can. It also means I'm not fighting the next day, so that really helps me relax."
"This is the thorned spear that ran you through?" Argo asked, taking a step back down the stairs.
"It is," Bladescape replied. "I keep it as a reminder for several things. Private things. I snapped and it keeps me grounded. Or that is the goal."
"I got the details from Mo,” Argo casually stated. “She filmed a good chunk of it. She never released it though. It was best buried. Snapping or not, you had a spear from a known killer through your chest. That looked good for you. Or at least didn't hurt your image."
"This is what I really wanted to show you," Bladescape said as she grabbed Argo’s cloak and pulled her up the stairs to the top floor. Argo gladly followed her out onto the balcony.
"Wow," was all Argo could say for a while. “You can see Selmberg and your place is amazing. The whole thing is yours, right?”
“Yep,” Bladescape said with a grin before she gave Argo the visual tour. A personal one would happen later.
They climbed back down to get breakfast, but Bladescape stopped Argo. Argo was in a very good mood, so now was the time to pull information out of her. Bladescape opened her items chest and pulled out the Black Draconic Visage.
“What do you know about this?” Bladescape asked.
Argo didn’t move closer or examine it. “How did you get that?”
“The long story is complicated and has its secrets,” Bladescape said. “But the short version is I ended up killing the King Black Dragon. It is an S-Class item, but we don’t know what we can do with it.”
“It is one of the secret quests in SAO,” Argo explained. “It isn’t an official quest, but it has clear parameters. There are five great dragons in Sword Art Online. Yes, there are regular dragons, and some others are bosses and flag mobs, but they still are not one of Aincrad’s Five Great Dragons.
“Once the greats are all killed, well I don't know what happens, maybe nothing, but they each drop their head, and you can have it mounted. That is the purpose, to display the head. The King Black Dragon is, or was, the first to show himself. Then you have Elvarg, the Mother of All Dragons in Aincrad. I doubt it will be much longer before she appears. I’m missing two names, but the last of the greats is Droz’l the Chaos Drake.”
“He sounds like a Floor Boss,” Bladescape said.
“Yes, he does,” Argo agreed.
“How many players know about this secret quest?” Bladescape asked.
“Mo, and maybe a few other Info Brokers,” Argo replied. “At this point, everyone thinks the King Black Dragon is alive, but I gather it's been a little while.”
“Almost three weeks,” Bladescape replied. “We didn’t go hunting for him. He surprised us.”
“Do you want the others?” Argo asked.
“Yes,” Bladescape replied confidently. “I have one and the others are up for grabs. Whenever they show up, I will hunt them down and take their heads.”
“You have the skills and numbers to do it,” Argo replied. “I’ll keep you posted when I find the locations of the others. Killing dragons is risky, as I am sure you fully experienced. The other major guilds don’t worry about them. They don’t reap enough of a reward. Certainly not with the risk involved.”
“I almost died a few times,” Bladescape commented, leaving it there.
“Good luck,” Argo said. “You will need it. They are going to get tougher. He was the warm up.”
“I’ll have a full raid party with me for the rest of them,” Bladescape replied. “I don’t think we will have a problem.”
Argo obviously had more questions she wanted to ask, but she turned and headed down the steps instead. Breakfast was ready and Bladescape was going to be needing her full attention for the day. She didn’t need to worry about Argo.
Breakfast was buffet style to speed things up, especially with their limited seating. The only open seats were at what was being seen as the head table, which had six chairs, but only had the other councilors seated at it. All of them were in very formal and traditional Japanese clothing. Meigibu brought the full formality of Japan, especially about how to treat those above you, like them sitting at a special table. It would take time to adjust to some of those differences. Natora was used to a more lax house. Argo followed Bladescape. There was room for both of them and Argo was a high profile guest.
“What has you here?” Natora asked, surprised to see Argo.
“I sold you the info for this place,” Argo replied. “I wanted to check it out.”
“At two am?” Natora pushed with a sly grin.
Argo rolled her eyes. “I didn’t expect to get caught. Crashing on the couch was the best choice from where I was at.”
“It is a pleasure to have you here,” Lobelia said. “I knew you are highly esteemed with the Wondercolts, but this morning I have been hearing just how highly esteemed you are.”
“We have a great relationship,” Argo replied. “I may have clued them, I mean you, you all are Wondercolts now, I may have clued you into this place, but you guys cleared it and then had the cash to buy it.”
“Clearing it was interesting,” Malus admitted. “We almost lost Natora to the giant praying mantises.”
“Soryuto was the only one who avoided the last attack of the King Flash Bee,” Bladescape added. “And she scored the LAB from it.”
“Was it worth it?” Kamishi asked.
“It is a much better longsword than what she was using,” Bladescape replied. “Sort of surprising considering the sword she was using was player made and high quality."
Kiefer and Soryuto approached the head table. “We are going to head out. No teleporting till nine, but that is in fifteen minutes.”
Bladescape wiped her mouth on a napkin and stood up. “I need to make final preparations. Me, my mind, preparations that is.”
“I’ll hang out with Malus,” Argo said. “The silent observer. At least for a bit."
“Okay,” Malus shrugged. “That's typically my role on the Council.”
“But when you speak, it's with authority,” Bladescape said. “We know that if we get you to talk, what you’re saying is important.”
Argo leaned back in the chair as Bladescape left and let out a big, content sigh. “Today is going to be fun.”
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 81 — Two-Handed Spear — Purchase Negotiations — Sales Negotiation — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Acrobatics — Armor Pierce — Sprint — Extended Weight Carry
MALUS: Level 81 — One-Handed War Hammer — Greatshield — Heavy Metal Armor — First Aid — Extended Weight Carry — Battle Regeneration — Fishing — Search — Martial Arts — Rend — Sprint
THUNDERBORNE: Level 81 — Rapier — Sprint — Acrobatics — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Armor Pierce — Martial Arts — Blade Throwing — Search
KONPEITO: Level 81 — 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 81 — Mace — Greatshield — Sewing — Heavy Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Light Metal Armor Forging — Heavy Metal Armor Forging — Extended Weight Carry — Jewelry Creation — Rend
DOOMBUNNY: Level 82 — One-Handed Dagger — Hide — Fighting Spirit — Blade Throwing — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Familiar Cooperation — Mixing — Listen — Reveal — Main-gauche — Search — Sleight of Hand
KIEFER: Level 80 — One-Handed Curved Sword — Slash Weapon Forging — Light Metal Armor — Weapon Defense — First Aid — Katana — Battle Regeneration — Slash Weapon Forging — Blade Throwing — Armor Pierce — Martial Arts
SORYUTO: Level 78 — One-Handed Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Music — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Fighting Spirit — Armor Pierce — Acrobatics — Extended Weight Carry
REISENKI: Level 80 — One-Handed Axe — Greatshield — Heavy Metal Armor — Equipment Repair — Metal Equipment Repair — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Cooking — Metal Refining — One-Hand Weapon Creation — Two-Handed Weapon Creation
KNIGHTSTAR: Level 74 — One-Handed Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Equipment Appraisal — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Acrobatics — Extended Weight Carry — Armor Pierce — Search
LOBELIA: Level 62 — One-Handed Curved Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Search — Meditation — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Acrobatics — Painting
KAMISHI: Level 64 — One-Handed Curved Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Katana — First Aid — Extended Weight Carry — Battle Regeneration — Reveal — Trap Dismantling
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...uh, you listed Knightstar twice in that list of guild members at the end of the chapter; good work otherwise though
12112576
Thanks. I did not realize Knightstar was double listed. I don't know how that happened. I have to go in and fix the crap out of the endings. It can be hard between the time of edits going out and chapters being posted to make sure they are up to date. A copy error in one can screw up consecutive chapters very easily. It all got knotted up on me and I have to figure out how to sort the mess out.
'Little Back Dress'
Oopsie
12112595
Dang! Ouch. That one hurt. lol. Thanks!
12112588
you're welcome: just glad I could help :)
Yep.
Sometimes I wonder just why they're friends with her.
Kirito will join the kob when a certain someone finds out what he's doing with his second in command.
hold that long,"*
I could get used to that.
meant clothes. But*
I sure do love a good luck package. Learned about it from one of my favorite tv shows from childhood.
I think you meant to say Couch and not cough lol
Knightstar finding Argo crashing in her base was funny, especially how they just talked afterwards. No big deal that a friend trespassed.
With how often Argo assists the Wondercolts, part of me wishes she would just officially join them.
12112766
They are friends with Argo because... well Knightstar. Argo uses them to get field data. Everyone else is too much of a meathead to do basic calculations for ROIs. They go to her to find the best training spots, and other rumors or info, not to help her find them. A good secret to life is being kind and at least friendly to the people who can stop you from getting what you need. No matter what job you work, that usually is someone, be it logistics or accounting. When they need info from Argo, they want to be on good terms.
Also, you haven't seen Argo and Knightstar. You will see them team up later for some epic-ness. It will be quite fun.
I missed that one dialogue end only having an apostrophe. I'm shocked the grammar check did not catch it. The other is supposed to be a comma. It is accurate. There are times for, in dialogue, to run a full stop, but typically you follow the grammar rules which require a comma before a "but" in a paragraph (starting it does not, although there are better alternative starting words than but). Ig you have not learned a language and then gone to a place that predominantly speaks it, what they teach is often not how language is used. It can't be. "Kimono" historically translates to "clothes". With the advent of the importation of Western attire, yofuku became the main word. Kimono referred to the historical Japanese clothing. English uses attire for nicer clothes (business attire, black tie, white tie, etc.) and general unspecified garments are classed as clothing.
12112879
Dang. I swear, Google screws up my documents when I copy them over. Mer, that makes sense as I know what I intended to write, my mind expects to see the word, making catching what you write harder. Hence why you get others to check and also should read your work out loud. I have an editor and a beta reader. Simple stuff like this should not get passed us. I blame Google for hating that I copy over. I don't import the chapter through FimFic's system, they often have notes which get screwy.
12112942
You should check out my latest blog with the meme of it.
Also, you never know. Maybe there is an item to hide guild association? We already saw one that changes the name displayed, even to include names other players use.
Since the eight of them expanded to eleven, is it really a surprise it will happen again? Especially now that their place has over 60 unoccupied rooms? An entire barracks is unused! There is so much potential there! They also have a at least ten rooms untouched in the Crescent Barracks and more in the Palace. The question is not "will they," it is really "when, who, and why?" Also, Konpeito is absolutely not satisfied with their current size.
12113028
Gotcha
12113031
Haha no worries, it happens!
I forgot how long the Merger Arc was, lmao.
I kinda love Argo because she's like the eyes of the Wondercolts, she's one of the most interesting characters in the story and she has some of the best chapters and chemistry with Bladescape. I love her and would love to see a chapter on her POV.
I'm excited about the crafter guild and the continuing arc of the improved guild.
12113123
In the Aincrad story, it was 22. Oh, I just counted 22 for Ruby Palace, but there are big differences to the arc itself. This time, Magic Spark happened before the bar brawls and crafters. In Aincrad, Argo got caught as they entered the only way into their little fortress. In Ruby Palace, Bladescape checked the logs and headed down, catching her. "One plus One equals W" is 2 chapters in Aincrad, but 1 in Ruby Palace. I have one of my favorite chapters coming up that is brand new. And another brand new chapter too. Ah! Found the other difference! In Aincrad, Dawn of a New Era and Castle Mania are two different chapters, they were together in Ruby Palace. Meigibu was not just a name change, a lot of the players got reworked. More will play bigger roles since I have time to actually use them. The upcoming commercial break will have all of those details.
For the POVs, I have more from the main characters at different time. Diemond has one fast approaching. More from Doom is coming. Natora too. Thunder will get three almost in a row in her own little arc (I had to slide another in between due to timing). More from Malus (another personal favorite), plus another really fun one. Now that it think about it, quite a bit more for Diemond and not all about her designing stuff. Konpeito will have some of my favorite chapters. Her POV is tough for me (Thunder is my toughest), but when I get something good for inspiration, I can run with it and nail epic. It certainly is Sunset/Bladescape centric, but there is plenty for the Japan Eight (we have Main Six, Young Six, Human Six/Seven, but Ruby Palace needed the 8th, Natsuki/Natora, so Japan Eight).
Outside the RP main caste, for the SAO caste POVs, we will get Silica, Lisbeth, Klein, Kirito, Asuna, and even Heathcliff. Heathcliff is quite a ways away, during Floor 89. I need to sort out Agil. I might have an idea for that.
Since you asked, I have an idea, at least one, for Argo's POV. You helped snap together an older idea with a newer one, right up her alley. Besides that, Argo will get into some dedicated adventures with the gang. Or almost all of the gang. Plenty of fun to be had with her.
12113187
Interesting that this Arc has some pretty big changes and other that are small, but I do wonder how things will go in this version later on, principally with the Sirens Fight and the Horseback Fight, I am excited to see those fights expanded, principally because we didn’t see much after the Siren Fight as it ended right after.
What was Maigibu original name? Why did you change it?
I’m excited to see what else you have planned, and to see how things will unravel from here!
12113547
In Aincrad, they were Geigi Clan. In Niigata, Geisha are referred to as "geigi," while Kyoto they are known as "geiko." I adjusted some key aspects of who they are so it was not so heavily implicated to the gaisha, but rather warrior artists. "Bu" (武) has several meanings, all related to martial arts, warfare, and strength, adding in the military aspect since they are (predominantly) warrior women clearing the game. "美江" (mei) means beautiful. "技" (gi) means skill, technique, or art.
I dove deep with the change. Very deep. lol. As close as some things are, many of the changes are much deeper. I still maintain the belief that the girls will do almost the exact same things. They would choose Wondercolts and those colors, they are who they are, some things can be much more different, but they still have the same mission. My question changed, from just placing them into SAO (naively thinking 10 chapters max), into them being an ALT-U, where they could really influence things and be themselves. Now, remembering all of the depth of the changes, that is another thing because I have written so much and many are very long plays, starting much earlier even if readers didn't notice. lol. And I love some of the designs I did. It's not a rewrite in the traditional sense, but some of the elements were really cool, like certain bosses. It isn't easy coming up with them and I'm adding many more floors with Ruby Palace, before and after 75.
There will be some really epic and fun times to come with Plaudit. Even more after 75. You are guaranteed that!