Episode 67 — Diemond Success
Episode 67 — Diemond Success
Twenty-Fourth Day in the Month of Willow (March 24) in the Year of the Griffon
Floor 35 — Friday Afternoon — Front Line 58
Bladescape could only watch and wait for direction from either Knightstar or Diemond. It was time for Diemond’s clothing sale. They had been advertising it in the paper for over a week and spent a good amount of col to do so. Last night they moved furniture so they could set up the shop. None of their furniture was in the dining room or meeting hall. The clothing racks and display tables had been dropped off this morning so everything could be set out. Also bought were dividers and mirrors, which allowed them to make changing rooms for the customers to try on the clothes or just hold it up to themselves and use a mirror to see how it looked.
The dining room was the men's section. Armor was in the main hallway, separated by class. Inside the meeting hall was where the woman’s clothes were. Diemond had four times as many clothes for women than men, however, her stock of men's fashion was still substantial. The women's clothes were separated by full outfits and individual pieces; skirts, blouses, shoes, sweaters, shawls and shrugs, coats, leggings, miscellaneous items, and fashionable women's footwear.
Knightstar was in charge of armor sales, since she could help the players understand the stats better than anyone else could. Thunderborne and Natora were helping Knightstar. Armor took up more room on a table than neatly folded clothes but it had a lot more duplicates. They had chests under the tables that were filled with the duplicates so the three of them could pull another piece out when one was sold. Kiefer was on duty for the men's fashion. Soryuto and Doombunny were covering the women's clothes. Konpeito was running the kitchen. They had fruit infused water and treats for their customers and she needed to keep the refreshments full. Malus and Reisenki were balancing the front door, to limit who was coming in so they were not overwhelmed. Diemond, as the designer and creator of everything in the sale, was mostly going to be in the women's section, but she would move around as needed. If any VIPs came, Diemond would assist them in any section they would browse.
Bladescape was running "security." She was basically just keeping an eye out for any issues. Players could steal things, but that wasn’t their primary concern. They were letting strangers into their headquarters and some shoppers might be coming just to poke their heads around the headquarters of a top clearing guild and see what it was like to be a Wondercolt. Bladescape was blocking the stairs, which were roped off, but the rope was a passive deterrent. Plus, since many of the pieces were unique, they might have some fighting between players over specific items. Hopefully not, but having an obvious enforcer could prove advantageous. Diemond wanted security and had been the one to assign everyone's role.
On paper it looked like a solid plan. They had members in each section to help customers and make the final sale. Forty players would be let in at a time and anytime someone left, they would let the next person in. In reality, Bladescape, Knightstar, and Diemond were concerned that forty players would quickly overwhelm them for purchases. That wasn't considering answering any questions or consultations, which could easily tie someone up for a good amount of time.
They were opening at 5 pm and it was 4:30. The line outside was already quite long. Players had been hearing so much about the style of the Wondercolts and how they were made in house, especially after their successful "second arrival" and then Natora’s success in leading the floor boss fight on the fifty-seventh floor. That had generated a lot of attention on the Wondercolts, all positive. Plus the marketing campaign in the paper.
Many players didn't want to miss out on the opportunity to snatch elite fashion from the elusive designer of a major frontline guild. Ashley might not take custom orders anymore, but she had a store. Diemond was literally unavailable since she was a member of the Assault Team. Tonight, they would be open until 10 pm, to allow for the crafters and business owners the opportunity to come after they closed for the day. There was no need for them to close early. The clearers had a much easier time adjusting their schedules, but they too didn't have to worry about missing the sale. Tonight wasn't the only time either. All weekend long they were hosting it, unless they sold everything. Saturday would be a fourteen hour day, 8 to 10. Sunday would run them only ten hours as they planned to wrap it up at 6 pm. It was going to be a mentally brutal weekend with little rest, but it would be worth it to have Diemond's clothes out there among the general populace, as well as to help Diemond finally recoup the costs she had sunk into leveling her crafting, including maxing her sewing and light metal armor. She was rapidly advancing heavy metal armor.
The door to the antechamber was closed, but the exterior door was already open. Malus opened the inside door and spotted Bladescape. Clearly Bladescape was the one Malus wanted. The crowd outside was angry. That much was clear from the noise they were making. Bladescape quickly headed over to her friend and Malus slipped all the way inside, closing the door behind her.
"Uh, Fuurinkazan showed up to discuss business, guild to guild," Malus explained. "They're in the waitin room. I told ‘em it ain't a good time, but they pressed that it was important. The crowd thinks they're gettin early access to the sale. Ain't nothin more we can do to make em understand that ain't the case."
Bladescape gave Malus a nod. "Somehow I'm not surprised that Klein picked such a bad time to come talk business. I can speak with him until we open the doors."
"Just him, or all of em?" Malus asked.
Bladescape had misunderstood that it wasn’t just Klein, not that it mattered. "All of them," Bladescape decided. "I know they will leave when asked. Klein may be a goof and the rest are sometimes barely any better, but they are mature enough to follow that simple of a rule."
Malus just nodded and opened the door, telling them all to come in. She held open the door for them, but then headed back out front to back up Reisenki.
"So, what brings you by, at such an inconvenient time?" Bladescape asked. She wanted to get straight to the point.
"Actually the sale," Klein said.
"Malus said you didn't want early access," Bladescape immediately stated. She had to control the situation. They might be friends, but that didn't necessarily make them more important customers. At least not for early access. They could get in line with everyone else.
"We're not," Klein replied. "We figured you could use some extra hands, hence why all six of us are here. Eleven isn't a lot and you made a very big deal out of the sale. The line of players waiting is testimony to the player's excitement, but it's eleven of you. Diemond makes fabulous stuff, which we personally know, and we’re pretty certain you could use some help you can trust."
Bladescape was not ready for such a mature answer, especially after how poorly he started the discussion. She didn't know what to say.
"We certainly could," Diemond said, joining their conversation. Obviously they had been overhead, not that they were speaking quietly. "We could use a few more hands, but this setup doesn't make hiring help easy. You're right, I didn't know who to trust that was not already committed elsewhere, especially since I wanted players knowledgeable in each category and none proved to have that knowledge. That plan may have failed, but I know we can trust you. You are better than nothing and I’m positively certain you will all do a wonderful job. You do know the hours for the weekend, right?"
“Yes,” Klein said with an affirmative nod. “We can be here all weekend for the listed times.”
"I'm in favor of it too," Knightstar said, joining them. "We are stretched thin. Final call is on you, Bladescape."
"Okay," Bladescape said with a nod. If Diemond wanted it for the sale, she got it. "I won’t deny the help, but first we need to discuss the payout. It doesn't sound like you are doing this out of the kindness of your heart."
"That stings," Klein said, acting like he had been deeply wounded by the comment. "Although it's sort of true. We’re trying to get a new place and figured this would be a better way than grinding in the fields for col and items to sell. Easier too. Well, compared to fighting. It's been a rough week. We get a break of sorts and get to help out our friends. A win-win scenario, for us and you.”
"My offer is three percent of the profit per player," Diemond said. "That should be fair. We expect to make a lot. The Wondercolts members are not expecting to get paid, but I was planning on giving them a percentage of the sales as thanks. I'll simply solidify it at three percent across the board. I'll still recover most, if not all, of what I spent on materials. I'm that confident in what I made and our prices, as well as our marketing. Does that sound fair to you?"
"Absolutely!" Klein exclaimed. "We were hoping for a set compensation. I'm not sure whose hand I'm supposed to shake or in what order."
"It would be mine," Diemond said. They shook on it. "Now, if all of the men in Fuurinkazan would come with me, I have ensembles to put each of you in, so people know you are working for us."
"Someone should join Blade on security," Knightstar advised. "And another should swap with Reisenki so he can help Konpeito in the kitchen."
"Klein will go with Bladescape and Dale can help Malus," Diemond dictated. She had already sorted out all of their roles. "You two need to stay in your armor, although I want to put you in sashes."
Bladescape, Malus, and Reisenki were wearing their armor to reinforce the idea that they were in charge, although none of them were carrying weapons or shields. Malus and Reisenki had blue sashes on which matched their guild's colors, but Bladescape was wearing a gold one since the blue would blend in with her armor. It was a good way to tie them into the guild while they played their role. Konpeito was in one of her chef outfits, which was colorful. Diemond was in an elegant blue and gold “robe de style” dress. Everyone else was in blue robes, inspired by Tibetan monks, with golden sashes and ties around their waists. Diemond put Fuurinkazan in the same thing, except the robes were gold and they used blue sashes. Clearly she had made both blue and gold versions in order to decide which to use.
Dale swapped with Reisenki, who switched to his black and red chef outfit and joined Konpeito in the kitchen. Issin was sent to the men's section to help Kiefer. Kunimittz and Harry One were placed in the armor section to help Natora. Diemond shifted Knightstar to help with the women's section. Knightstar would be more useful there than Thunderborne.
Thunderborne and Dynamm were placed in the antechamber. With more hands helping, they switched payment tactics. It didn't take long to set up two checkout tables. The new tactic would help deter thieves as well. Without needing to do the sales, it freed everyone else up to solely assist customers as best as they could. Everything had a price tag on it and they had advertised the sale as priced to sell. There would be no bartering. They didn't have time to go through that process. Everyone was updated on the new plan.
With two minutes until opening, Diemond opened the inside doors. Bladescape quietly observed as she stepped up to the front doors, and took some deep breaths. As soon as the clock changed to the hour, she stepped out of their headquarters to quickly address the customers. “Welcome to the first day of Diemond’s Dazzling Boutique Blowout! Look your best, outside of your best! Please stay organized in line, be patient, and be courteous. We will get to everyone as soon as possible, but for the sake of order and a better shopping experience, we are limiting the number of players allowed to be inside at any given time. As soon as someone leaves, the next in line will be allowed in. To ease the shopping experience, we have several stations with water and a delicious assortment of confections for your enjoyment. As a final note, thank you for coming out!"
Bladescape watched Diemond confidently stroll back inside as Malus and Dale began to let people inside. It quickly became a sea of shoppers. Everyone was wearing a lot of different things. Plenty of players came in their armor, likely needing something besides it to wear. It got noisy, just from the general chatter, but they were not overly loud. Bladescape recognized several members of the Assault Team or clearing effort.
It was quite easy to tell who was surviving and who was thriving. It didn’t really matter, as there was plenty of stuff with prices to fit most budgets. The sale had been advertised as such for a reason and it was bringing in players from all different floors and economic statuses. Knightstar, Soryuto, and Reisenki had scouted what was being sold by other tailors to help set the prices. Diemond’s stuff was much better, both in aesthetics and quality, as most tailors were using the system to make their garments, not free-handing like Diemond was. They also were not trained in fashion. Mishe was a good, central location for this to happen at. The lower level players felt safe on Floor Thirty-Five. It was a popular city to stay at and many were hunting on the floor and the five above and below it.
Bladescape and Klein did move positions as they ran security. Someone was almost always in front of the stairs, but they checked on all of the areas and made their presence known. The kitchen was marked off limits and their two cooks being inside would eliminate any issues. Being posted by the inside doors, overlooking the checkout tables proved to be a good location and it allowed Bladescape and Klein the ability to nonverbally communicate. Whenever Bladescape was by the checkout tables, she tried to track the sales statistics. Her best guess was that at least half of the shoppers purchased something.
Players were enjoying the water and treats available as they shopped. It was mostly a variety of small cookies, things Konpeito could quickly and easily churn out. With Reisenki now in the kitchen, they could do even more, but it was still centered on bite sized baked confections that were easy to hold in one hand. That was another thing Diemond wanted for the sale. It was a common stereotype that bridal shops provided champagne and cake for shopping brides. While some did, most didn't, yet the idea behind the silver screen trope held true: comfortable and happy customers were more likely to buy something. They couldn’t provide a one-on-one experience for each shopper with their small numbers, but they could offset that inability with the bribery foods. It was a simple thing Diemond wanted for the three day sale. It cost the guild very little to fulfill that request and there was no reason not to. It also kept Konpeito in a place where she would be more useful and not be a problem if she was a little distracted.
The craziness of the first few hours dramatically slowed down at nine. The fanatics had been in line early and the news had not had the time to spread by word of mouth. An ad campaign was one thing, but word of mouth recommendations carried more weight. Tomorrow was guaranteed to be busier, all day long.
Bladescape went into the dining room to check on the customers there as she did her security rounds. Two customers were looking at things. One was checking out shirts and the other was looking at some jackets. Both Issin and Kiefer had clothes in their arms, holding them for the respective customer they were helping. Bladescape recognized the one who was checking out a black, long sleeve shirt with gray piping from the shoulders to the cuff.
She walked up right behind Kirito, keeping her voice low. "Don't you think black is a little over done?"
He glared at her from the corner of his eye as he glanced over his shoulder. "What's it to you?" He sniped. "Black is the only color I look good in."
"Alright, alright," Bladescape said, taking a step back. "I'm just surprised to see you here. Glad to see you, but a bit surprised. I figured this would be too high profile for you."
"Have you seen what others are selling?" Kirito asked, still just looking over his shoulder. He wasn't going to turn around. "And their prices? High cost for average quality and lackluster designs. They get away with it because only a few players make decent enough clothes to sell. I refuse to pay their extortion fees. This sale doesn't come with those fees. They are selling crappy socks that cost more than this shirt. I have enhancements and equipment to pay for. You know how expensive those get, particularly when you have to pay for materials to be gathered by others."
"Yeah," Bladescape nodded. "I do. Saving money is never a bad thing, especially when you're getting a better product. I’ve never looked at the price of socks. I think I only own the pair that I started with." Bladescape had to think about it. "They are always under my boots. I'm always in boots. Everything is automated with the menu. Do I even use socks?"
"Yes, Darling, you do," Diemond said as she entered the room. "And no, I've never updated anyone's socks. They are nice for cushioning boots or shoes and can help keep feet warm in cold areas, but they don't have any defensive stats. They are the most energy intensive garment to make and they require a special loom which only can make socks. The prices players sell them at are absolutely ridiculous. I probably need to make some for us. They are just such a nightmare to produce for something so small."
"I'm not even going to ask how socks are made IRL," Bladescape stated. "I'm guessing I don't want to wade into that deep of a pond."
"That shirt will look good on you, Kirito," Diemond said, moving them along. "Assuming you want to stay with the dark and shady scoundrel look. I did actually make that shirt with you in mind. I was playing with emboldening the black motif. The shirt turned out well, however, I still haven't figured out how to embolden the motif. It is a motif for a reason."
"I don't know what you mean when you say that," Kirito admitted.
"Most people don't, dear," Diemond replied. "I'm used to it by now. Pay no heed to my ramblings. Just make sure you have a cookie or two before you go, if you haven’t already."
Diemond walked off, muttering to herself. Bladescape just shrugged to Kirito. She didn't know what to say and Kirito wasn't much of a talker. Bladescape left him to his browsing since Kiefer was helping him. Bladescape did see Kirito leave several minutes later with a few items, all dark colors, including the shirt.
It was just past nine-thirty when another surprise entered. Lisbeth was instantly recognizable, even with the recent change from brown to pink hair. She now had a white pin holding some of it back from falling in her face, a nice touch. The cloaked figure walking beside her was not instantly recognizable. At least not until Bladescape saw the telltale white boots. Asuna's fame was increasing rapidly due to photos posted in the paper and she has been a central figure. The lower floors were not a place she could easily walk around without getting mobbed by fans. The closer to the front, the more normal it was to see her there. With only a dozen or so players browsing, Asuna pulled her hood back to be more comfortable.
"Lisbeth!" Diamond exclaimed, dashing over to embrace her. "Darling, you are looking lovely this evening. Asuna, dear, you are looking your usual, lovely self as well. I love the cloak, it's a wonderful shade of caramel, although you looked better in a brighter red. Yes, I understand why you need it and why you don't want red. Is there anything in particular that brings you fine ladies here tonight?"
"Lis needs something better than these stiff blacksmith clothes," Asuna stated. "Something cute which will tie in well with her hair and be better for the shop."
"This is all Asuna's idea," Lisbeth groaned. "First the hair, now my clothes. It's interesting being on the other side of things with the Wondercolts, but I'm still not thrilled. I look fine." The last comment was to Asuna.
"Fine is not fabulous," Diemond stated before Asuna could argue with Lisbeth. "Or fierce or fantastic. You can continue to look like a boy in those smith clothes, or…wait, do those actually give you some type of protection? I never wear leather or canvas while forging, but all of the smiths do."
"No," Lisbeth sighed. "It’s all to fit the look of a blacksmith, which is why Asuna dragged me here. Better here with you than, well, almost any other so-called designer."
"Lighten up, Lis," Asuna said, gently elbowing the sour smith. "Enjoy the moment."
"Yes, darling," Diemond added. "Enjoy it. We'll ensure you look fabulous and feel fantastic."
Bladescape couldn't help but smile as Asuna and Diemond all but dragged Lisbeth into the meeting hall. Bladescape hadn't previously thought about how Lisbeth looked since she was a blacksmith, but Asuna and Diemond certainly had. Diemond knew where everything was originally put and what was initially available. In no time she would have Lisbeth buried under a mountain of clothes to try on. It was fun having the roles reversed, even though Bladescape wasn't helping or observing.
"Who was that?" Klein asked as he ate a cookie. "I mean the chick with Asuna. I obviously know who Asuna is, although we have never been formally introduced. Somehow that always gets skipped."
"The smith Lisbeth," Bladescape explained. "She enhances the Wondercolts' weapons. She designed all of our weapons too." Bladescape almost reminded him that Lisbeth was at the Christmas celebration, but decided to hold back for the moment.
"So she's the one who made that fancy new sword you're swinging," Klein stated. "She's cute. Is she single?"
And that was why Bladescape held back. Klein couldn't be trusted. Or rather, he could be trusted to inspect every woman he saw and hit on them.
"If you're smart, don't let Asuna hear you ask that," Bladescape warned. "But I honestly don't know. Neither do I care. I have more important things to worry about."
Klein shrugged as he ate another cookie. He had been sneaking them all evening. He probably thought he was clever enough to get away with it, but Bladescape had seen him every time he went to sneak one. He had done nothing wrong, which made it all the more enjoyable for Bladescape to silently muse over his antics.
Malus and Dale closed the outside doors at ten. The only customers left inside were Asuna and Lisbeth. Bladescape could hear that Diemond was currently teaching Lisbeth how to walk like a model as she showed off whatever they had her trying on. Every so often Asuna would laugh. Doombunny and Soryuto were still in the meeting room, helping or enjoying what was happening. The official closing time for their first night didn’t matter since they were close friends. Well, as close of a friend as they could get with Asuna at this time considering the guild dynamics; certainly comfortable and not acquaintances.
“I guess we’ll be back here by seven-thirty,” Klein said to Bladescape. Everyone had congregated in the hallway. They were trying to stay out of the way of Diemond and Asuna. Lisbeth didn't need more of an audience as she tried on all of the outfits. “It’s a bit of a walk to the plaza from our current house. It took us longer to get here today than planned. We wouldn't want to be late."
“Why?” Konpeito interjected before Bladescape could agree to the time.
Klein let out a tired sigh. “I guess we could rent an inn in Mishe, but we are trying to save every piece of col we can for a new place. One closer to a teleport plaza.”
“We have the guest bedroom for a reason,” Konpeito stated. “And there just happens to be six unoccupied beds up there. One for each of you."
Bladescape had been completely focused on the sale. Fuurinkazan was not a part of the original plan. She was rolling with the changes and Konpeito was right. It was why they set their spare room up the way they did. So far, just Lisbeth and Yuna’s team had used it.
Bladescape shrugged. “Why not? This is a good reason to use them and we did choose to make it into a guest room with beds. Six was the most we could comfortably fit. We intended it for friends. It's a little odd since you are currently employees and friends, but you are more than welcome to stay."
Klein flubbed his first reply and had to take a moment to rest. He was tired. The long week, plus the evening, was clearly displayed on his tired face. "We would like that very much. Thank you for the kind offer of your home.”
“I’ll make an extra fun breakfast for us all!” Konpeito exclaimed. “It'll be just like a sleepover!”
“NO!” Bladescape interjected. “Not like a sleepover.” She had to make sure Klein didn’t get any dumber ideas in his head.
“Awe,” Konpeito whined. “Can I still make a fun breakfast?”
“Absolutely,” Bladescape said with a grin as she rolled her eyes. “Make the greatest, most fun breakfast you can. It’s just not going to be like a sleepover. They are our guests, with their own guest room, and we have our own bedrooms.”
“We get it,” Klein said. "Well, maybe not Konpeito, but the rest of the guys do."
“Well, dinner’s ready!” Konpeito added. “Come into the kitchen when you are ready.”
“One moment,” Diemond said, clapping to get their attention. The doors to the meeting hall had been closed. “We’d like to see what you all think of our favorite ensemble for Lis. So, without further ado, presenting Lisbeth!"
Diemond stepped to the side, out of the doorway as one was opened from the inside. A very different Lisbeth stepping into view. There were no hints of her working with metal or around a fire or a forge. Ignoring Christmas, they had always seen Lisbeth in pants and a heavy apron. She was never publicly wearing anything very feminine.
The smith was now in a wine red outfit that looked somewhat like a waitress, except not. Lisbeth certainly did not stand like a waitress. The top had slightly puffy sleeves that ended in French cuffs. The front of the top looked like it was open to display a white blouse, but the blouse was sewn in. The matching skirt had a white underlayer that was slightly longer, giving the top layer a bit of fringe at the bottom. The wine red skirt was paired with a white apron. A red and yellow ribbon was around her neck, making full use of the blouse's collar, and it was pinned in place by a round sapphire set in gold. Lisbeth was in tan, knee-high boots that were laced all of the way up and there was the hint of a red garter on her left leg, peeking out under the skirt.
Lisbeth walked out, a bit shy at first, as she tried to model the unfamiliar outfit.
“Work that runway!” Diemond called in encouragement. Lisbeth blushed as she tried to stride more confidently.
Bladescape smiled as big as she could and clapped to encourage the smith. It couldn't be easy with all of the guys watching. Plus, Lisbeth didn't really know the guys in Fuurinkazan. All she had to judge them by was over Christmas dinner.
“Well, hello gorgeous,” Klein said as Lisbeth stopped several feet away, striking the best power pose she could muster. “Where exactly is this smithy of yours?”
Lisbeth’s eyes snapped to him as her anger flared up. She was putting herself out there in more ways than one and Klein, who was clearly a lot older than she was, had the gall to try his cheesy pick up techniques at one of the worst moments. Lisbeth’s rage was never unleashed as Bladescape's elbow slammed into Klein’s gut, just under the ribs, forcing the air out of his lungs in retaliation for his stupid, boyish ways.
“And to think you were doing so well, too,” Bladescape said as Klein doubled over in pain. “Remind me why we said 'yes' to hiring you for the sale?”
“Cause you needed help?” Klein wheezed as he collapsed onto the floor.
“Yeah, but we could have hired the rest of the guild, leaving you out of it,” Bladescape shot back.
“Good point,” Klein coughed.
"Dude," Dale said with a disappointed tone. "Lisbeth was at the Christmas celebration. Not cool, man."
“You look fabulous, Lis,” Bladescape said, putting her attention back to where it was supposed to be.
“It feels like it’s a little much,” Lisbeth stated. “I certainly don’t look like a blacksmith, or feel like one. I’m not sure if it’s me.”
“Diemond wouldn’t have sent you out unless she was confident that you could pull it off,” Bladescape replied. “Asuna wouldn’t steer you wrong either. It might take some time to adjust to it, but it looks great on you. It's very smith chic. After all, you are not just any smith. You're one of a kind with more heart and soul than most smiths.”
“I don’t always agree with Diemond’s choices for me,” Thunderborne added. “But I’ve learned to trust her because she is never wrong when it comes to fashion. Even if I’m not fully jiving it.”
Everyone else echoed their agreement or gave encouragement.
“I already promised to give it a try for a week,” Lisbeth said. “And with the price, how could I not?”
Lisbeth spotted something on a table and walked over to it. She picked up a metal breastplate. "Diemond, you made this?"
"Yes," Diemond said. "I did. I'm competent in armor smithing. That one was made before I underwent my apprenticeship. I'm even better now. I just need to learn how to forge some more unique designs than the presets in the menu. I can’t freehand metal armor designs, not like I can with fabric, but I won’t let the system dictate my fashion sense. I'm running designs and system mechanics by Knightstar and Natora."
"This is a really beautiful piece," Lisbeth said. "I can't believe this was just the system. It's styled with a personality that reflects the metal, not a preset design. You're really talented. How do you have time for it all while still fighting on the front?"
"For starters, I barely sleep," Diemond explained, walking up next to Lisbeth and looking over the breastplate, musing. "A lot of it happens at night. Second, I do most of this IRL. That makes it much easier. Fashion isn't just a love of mine, I am a fashion designer. I've been selling clothes and making custom dresses for a while, I just haven't had the capital or time to establish a proper storefront. I'm still a little young for either of those. Over the exchange program, I got to see the Tokyo fashion scene, just not as much as I wanted to. We still had time for me to catch more. I was also in several clubs at school, including the Kimono Club. I was being taught how to make kimonos, not just wear them. I live and breathe fashion."
Diemond sounded more and more wistful the longer she talked, “I put some things on pause to come to Japan. As much as I had already made my mark, I knew it would help me stand out even more, which would help me get the elite internships I want. I would already be a world traveler. A fashion designer must be comfortable with international travel; be it Milan, Paris, New York City, or London. Within the next two decades, Tokyo will be officially declared the fifth fashion capital. They are basically there already, they just need a little more support in the official channels to be admitted into the elite club. Knowing the language, culture, and a bit of the city, particularly the public transit, will be a huge advantage for me, whether it's during an internship or on my own."
"I didn't realize you were that far into the scene," Lisbeth said, sounding a little down as she polished the breastplate. "You make me feel like I've done nothing with my life."
"Darling, get those thoughts out of your head," Diemond said, rather firmly to help shut them down. She softened up. "Yes, I have skill, but I know there have been some key moments that I never could have orchestrated. Call it whatever you want; fate, luck, an unhealthy obsession with fashion for as long as I can remember, but don't try to compare yourself to me. While I typically hate to mention the topic of age, I am a few years older than you. That alone gives me an advantage that you haven't had yet. You will get your moment to shine out soon enough, like a lone star on a cloudless night. Keep putting your best into every weapon you craft and every enhancement you add. It will teach you the resilience and determination that you will need when you find what deserves your heart and soul after we get free."
"Maybe it is as a blacksmith," Malus said.
"Thanks, but I know I don't want to swing a hammer all day long in a hot forge," Lisbeth said. "For one, I don't have the strength for it. The system does most of the hard work for me and I had to push all of my stats to strength to help me do it. It's a fun thing to do, but nothing more than a hobby in a game. A way to get by."
"You and I should absolutely get lunch soon," Diemond added. "Well, it will probably need to be breakfast with my schedule. Or maybe a late dinner. Whatever, we will work it out. Just some time where we can chat a bit more freely and privately. Anyway, let's get you rung up and out of here."
"Thank you for the help," Asuna said to Diemond. "I love fashion but you have a real eye for helping someone out. I understand why now. I'm an amateur compared to you."
"Don't sell yourself short," Diemond said. "You did wonderful and you know Lis in a different way than I do. That perspective was quite helpful. It was you who steered us towards this style, letting me pull us to the finish."
"Thank you," Asuna said. "While helping Lis, there were a few pieces I spotted that I wanted to buy for myself."
"Of course, Darling," Diemond said. "I thought something had caught your eye. I can take care of both of you so everyone else can eat or finish getting ready for tomorrow. I would simply love to do it for you."
The two of them headed back into the meeting room. Lisbeth followed after them. Doombunny and Soryuto came to the kitchen with everyone else, leaving Diemond alone with the two girls so things could be a little more private as they finished everything.
Konpeito and Reisenki had made a wonderful dinner of meat pies and sweet buns that were still warm and slathered in honey. Everyone was tired and hungry so they immediately dug in. It was bittersweet, knowing that they would have a longer day tomorrow. They wanted to get to bed to be as rested as possible.
It wasn't long before Diemond joined them. She was poised and proper as she grabbed her pie. It was clear that she wanted to ravish it, but wouldn't succumb to such brutish behavior. At least not when she was merely hungry.
"I think that was a very successful start," Knightstar said. "Most people bought stuff. And we still have a lot left to sell."
"Tomorrow will be busier," Bladescape said. "We got a great start tonight which will ensure it is busier tomorrow. Word of mouth will be our ally, which is why it's good that Fuurinkazan is staying in our guest quarters."
"Oh good," Diemond said. "I thought of that earlier, but was too busy to bring it up to one of you. That makes things so much easier. I need to tidy up the women’s section, but the rest looked ready to go."
“We did our best,” Issin said. “But Kiefer and I had nowhere near what that section has.”
“Men’s fashion is well regulated with little ability to deviate,” Diemond absentmindedly said. “That’s not a bad thing. There is a lot that can be done within its confines, suits are always a good bet and can quickly be personalized or jazzed up, however it really comes down to pants and shirts for men. But the female figure has a lot more to capitalize on and a variety of standards, meaning there are three times as many styles of dresses than there are for types of suits. Plus other items like skirts and various types of blouses. Anyway, as much as I adore certain trends in male fashion, women’s fashion can keep things fresh a lot easier. Which works out fine. The women in Aincrad are more likely to come clothes shopping than the men are and the game demographics is predominantly males. The men will have a small wardrobe, but the women will shop for more and do so regularly.”
“Lots of words and things I didn’t understand,” Klein stated. “It’s a good thing you are pretty.”
Diemond let out a tired sigh. “In my circle, that was perfectly understandable. I can’t help it that you are you and I don’t hold it against you, or anyone, and not because you called me pretty. That is a fact. What I hold against you is your treatment of Lis and completely forgetting that she was at our Christmas celebration."
Klein started to protest and then let out a heavy sigh. "That's fair. I'm tired. It was a bad week and we aren't exactly making it easier on ourselves by trying to get a better place."
“Then let's head to bed,” Bladescape said. "Everyone needs rest."
It was the push everyone needed to break away and begin that process. Bladescape led Fuurinkazan to the guest bedroom, which was merely a formality since they knew where to go. At least enough for verbal directions. The Wondercolts kept the beds made up, making the process smooth. Bladescape went down to her room and quickly changed into her pajamas before falling face first into her bed.
Konpeito had an incredible amount of energy. She was baking and cooking at the same time and making it look easy. Breakfast was “leaning tower of pancakes,” with scrambled eggs, bacon, blueberry muffins, and fruit. The tower of pancakes was not exactly leaning, but no one cared. What mattered was that Konpeito had fresh 'maple syrup.' It was not easy to get in Aincrad. The Aincrad equivalent of maple syrup was something that was exclusively player made and it was a difficult process to get the sap needed.
They didn’t have a lot of time before opening. While the others were fine tuning their displays, Bladescape and Klein stepped out front with Malus and Dale. Bladescape was shocked by the number of players already lined up.
“It’s twice what it was last night,” Malus said before Bladescape could ask. “At least twice. I ain’t able to get a headcount.”
“If it stays like this, they will clean us out,” Bladescape said. “But that’s what we want.”
Diemond stepped out to greet everyone and then saw the crowd. “Yeah, not worth it,” she said. “I can’t project my voice loud enough to be heard by everyone. Malus and Dale can start it in two minutes.”
Bladescape and Klein followed Diemond back inside. Thunderborne and Dynamm were ready for the rush with paper and pencils to quickly do the math. Every price tag ended in either a 0 or 5, to make adding easy, but several items could quickly overwhelm the mind when time was a concern. Especially after a few hours when every transaction would blend together.
The start was hectic. Malus and Dale had been unable to prevent a slight surge from the enthusiastic customers. They ended up with more than forty. Bladescape had to get a headcount for them so they knew how many to let out before sending more in. Fifty-six was the final count Bladescape had scraped together.
The excitement slowly waned as the day grew older. Many of the players were there to check out the headquarters, what they could, and free snacks didn’t help deter the tourists. At least most tried to look like they were shopping or actually did shop, even if they didn’t buy anything. Bladescape didn't really blame the tourists for wanting to see what it was like in a major guild's headquarters.
Throughout the course of the day, Bladescape saw quite a few players she knew. She greeted who she could. Triston, Inge, and Photizo made appearances as intentional buyers. Lobelia, Shikiku, Yori, and Babs from Meigibu came and bought some things. They were on a mission, looking for something specific, which indicated a friend, likely in Meigibu, had shopped their sale last night. Meigibu had been growing recently. It helped that they had mostly backed out of being in boss raids. Lobelia and Kamishi still showed up when they could, hoping to be selected to fill a slot. They were in a decent number of raids.
Yulier from the Aincrad Liberation Force was another shopper Bladescape knew. Her Army uniform quieted the shoppers, something that clearly disturbed Yulier, until Bladescape exuberantly greeted her. Diemond had come out of the men’s section because of the silence that had fallen over the crowd and treated Yulier to her personal attention. Their happy greetings and acceptance of Yulier was enough to break the spell silencing the shoppers.
Tioga and Arroya, who had worked with Yuna before she fell in battle, came in together to shop. Bladescape was able to greet them since she was posted by the transaction tables. Shaka came a little while later, with a girl Bladescape didn’t recognize on his arm. He was clearly still trying to impress her, so Bladescape greeted him. The girl, who was an impressionable woman at least as old as Bladescape, was dazzled by him being known by a Wondercolt.
Hakowaru was someone Bladescape hadn’t seen in a while. He was typically running alone or in small groups. The Wondercolts had given him an axe before the first boss fight. He had defended Natora after the duel. He no longer was using axes. Instead, Hakowaru used a Kusarigama, which was a very difficult weapon to use, let alone get access to. Less than six players used them and Hakowaru was the first and rumored to be the best. Bladescape couldn’t speak with him because she was by the stairs, but Natora struck up a conversation before helping him with their armor selection.
Diemond greeted someone Bladescape didn’t know, Hikari, who was clearly a smith and who Diemond knew more than just by name. Diemond showed her into the women's section. Meanwhile, Natora greeted someone she knew, Failsafe, and she used English for the initial greeting and exchange before switching to Japanese. Failsafe was a two-handed swordswoman who was looking for new boots that matched the obsidian armor she was wearing. Her green boots did not pair well with her black battle dress.
The rest of the shoppers mostly blended together in Bladescape's mind. She could only remember so many of the faces as she sought to also keep an eye out for thieves. Players stood out from time to time for various reasons. Sometimes it was the armor or clothes they wore, other times it was for being really tall or having brightly colored hair.
A young girl, who couldn’t be more than thirteen, stood out; not because of what she wore — although her red combat ensemble was very high quality and noteworthy — but because of who she was with. Or rather, what she was with. On her shoulder was a Feathered Little Dragon. She was a beast tamer and it was an impressive beast to have tamed. The tiny dragons were not to be trifled with. A small group of them had tried to tear apart the Wondercolts after either Thunderborne or Natora, possibly both, upset one of them. They were fast, agile creatures and had healing abilities, making it a difficult fight. This one was quite docile and not rattled by the crowd, but that likely would change if its master was in trouble.
Lunch and dinner were handled in the same manner. Klein or Bladescape would rotate from security to covering the position of the next person on break. If the player was actively working with a customer, things got complicated. The transaction tables were another bumpy place. The easiest switches were the door guards. Everyone got their well deserved break and meal, albeit both were short.
The evening saw more players from the front lines coming in their armor. Bladescape was by the inside doors when one of her favorite players stepped through.
“Godfree!” Bladescape exclaimed in greeting.
“Bladescape!” Godfree replied, smiling as they bumped fists. “Fancy meeting you here.”
Bladescape laughed at the corny joke.
“Did you come to get better armor?” Bladescape shot back.
“I wish,” Godfree said, shaking his head. “I’m sure it could give my current set a proper challenge, but the guild rules dictate I must get it from the same guy who gave the biggest bribe to Daizen. That can only change if someone new bribes Daizen even more.”
Both of them laughed heartily at the comedic bits.
“I'm here partially to spy on you,” Godfree added. “I wanted to check out your place. It’s nice. It could use some seating, but you have plenty of room to work with.”
Bladescape laughed. Godfree always brought a smile to her lips and heart. And not just because of his orange-brown curls and beard. He was the friendliest member of the KoB. When their level training crossed, he was very willing to swap training information, or just chat, while both of them waited to get into rotation.
“You guys are on Floor Thirty-Nine, in Nolfret, right?” Bladescape asked. She had never visited their headquarters.
“Actually, yesterday we moved,” Godfree said. “Now we occupy a spot in the all steel city of Granzam. It fits what we need better, but I hate that city. It’s windy, cold, and there are no trees or greenery.” Godfree let out a single laugh. “I was thinking of getting a Bonsai tree to brighten my space up and then I realized I don’t even know where to get one!”
Konpeito stopped in front of them, balancing a tray on her head and one in each hand. “Grown tree, seed, or seedling?” she asked Godfree.
“Uh, tree?” Godfree said. “I’m afraid I wouldn’t have time to grow it from a seed. But do you need help with the trays?”
“Nope!” Konpeito exclaimed, popping up on one foot. Despite their wobble, she didn’t spill anything. “You should really try the snickerdoodles.”
“Which ones are those?” Godfree asked.
Bladescape pointed them out since Konpeito couldn’t remember. They were on the tray balanced on her head. Bladescape also took one.
“Kotai recently moved his shop to Algade,” Konpeito explained. “He sells both trees, seeds, and seedlings, whichever way you decide to go. He also sells cacti, aloe vera, ferns, orchids, and potted bamboo. Anything and everything you need for a kokedama you can find at his shop. He will even help you set one up, for a price, which I found reasonable, but then I remembered I kind of need my bed. I settled with a rock garden instead. Much more comfy to sit on.”
With that, Konpeito was gone, dancing around the customers with practiced ease while not spilling anything. She set a tray on an empty one, then used the free hand to shift items from the other two, before pulling out the empty tray and heading to the next station to continue refilling them.
“She always amazes me,” Godfree said. “Her agility, how hard she can hit with that axe, or punch. Somehow she stays on point, despite having no focus. It's an interesting balance she finds. These cookies are amazing. What did she call them?”
“Snickerdoodles,” Bladescape answered, chuckling. He was right about Konpeito. “It’s a sugar cookie rolled in a lot of cinnamon sugar before it's baked.”
“So this is how people get diabetes,” Godfree said with a laugh.
Bladescape let out a laugh of her own. “It certainly doesn’t help. Moderation is key. Konpeito has been able to make almost anything she could normally bake. The only two she hasn’t figured out yet are marshmallows and ice cream. The ice part of ice cream is her biggest issue. No NPCs sell it either.”
“Huh, I hadn’t noticed, but you’re right,” Godfree said. “Now I want some.”
“Sorry,” Bladescape said with a shrug. She held up a spare snickerdoodle as an offering. Godfree took it without hesitation. “Other than spying on us, did you have something in particular that you were looking for?”
“Well, I’m looking for a few things, but the most pressing is red socks," he explained. "I noticed during this move that I only have one pair of socks, so I figured I ought to fix that oversight.”
“Join the single pair club,” Bladescape said with a sly smile. “I learned last night that I only have one pair too. Apparently they are a giant pain to make. Diemond doesn’t make socks.”
“Darn!” Godfree exclaimed. “The prices the others want for them are exorbitant.”
“So I hear,” Bladescape replied. “You’re not the first person who has had them on their list and complained about their going rate.”
Diemond stopped in front of them. “Would you two be sweethearts and take three steps to your left?” she asked, as she directed them with her hands. “So you are not blocking half of the entrance.”
“Oh, sorry,” Bladescape said as she stepped to the side. “I should have paid attention to that.”
“And the price they are selling their threadbare socks is tantamount to thievery,” Diemond added. “I will endure the torture and start making some socks. What color, Godfree?”
“I was looking for red,” Godfree said, surprised. “But if it’s that much of a hassle, don’t worry about it.”
“Don’t think anything of it, darling,” Diemond said. “I may hate their production, but I want to rescue whoever I can from their greedy hands. Besides, it makes it all the sweeter when the recipient receives them and I know they really appreciate it.” Diemond was gone without another word.
Godfree looked at Bladescape and she just shrugged. “You said those were your first. What else were you looking for?”
“I’m hunting for a good coat or cloak that will keep me warm in that iron monstrosity they call a city,” Godfree explained. “Also, I now need warmer clothes. My room just feels colder now. I have been able to keep Heathcliff from sending me to a place of my own, because I do too much with training and our general members. I need to be there. He set me up with the second nicest room, his being the nicest. Anyway, that’s part of the reason why I noticed I only had one pair of socks. I never noticed while packing, but when I tried to kick back and relax last night, well I usually did that without socks to stretch my toes. But it was too cold. Not that my socks smell or are dirty, but it felt wrong putting them back on.”
“Slippers,” Diemond said as she walked past them again. “Specialty footwear.”
“She had made so much,” Bladescape stated. “We didn’t realize just how much she had until a little over a week ago.”
“With all I can see, I hope she is close to maxing sewing,” Godfree said.
“First or second to max it,” Bladescape said. “She didn’t let fighting on the front slow her down. Apparently, while I was doing my overnight runs, she was doing the same but making clothes. I don’t know where she is for metal crafting, but she has to be steadily progressing in those skills. Sometimes her fashion sense doesn't pair well with armor, which isn't her fault. They are two different fields for a reason.”
“Clearly,” Godfree said. “I know who made your snazzy new armor. They did a good job and Diemond should be very proud of taking care of all that she does. Needing help on a few pieces, well I was only half kidding about the armor earlier. I don’t believe there was ever a bribe, but we have our maker. He isn’t part of the guild. She is. That’s very impressive.”
“We probably need to say it more to her,” Bladescape said. “But, let’s get you into a pair of slippers. I happen to know where the specialty footwear is. We can start there.”
“Happen to know?” Godfree asked.
“Klein and I are doing security,” Bladescape explained as she walked to the other end of the hallway. “We keep people from fighting over one of a kind pieces and watch out for thieves. Also we make sure no one tries to sneak upstairs.”
“Have fights broken out?” Godfree asked.
“Thankfully, no,” Bladescape said. “But a lot of what is being sold are one of a kind pieces or very limited runs, so it is a valid concern.”
“And thieves?” Godfree asked.
“As far as we know, no one has tried to proliferate anything under our watch,” Bladescape replied as she stopped in front of the table with unisex boots and shoes.
Nothing out were slippers. Bladescape checked the chest under the table and found them in the inventory list. Quite a few. Bladescape couldn’t tell what the names meant, so she had to pull each pair out. She put them on the table, one by one, for Godfree to examine. There were a variety of styles and materials; open heel, closed heel, clogs, moccasins, and even boots.
Bladescape stood up and found Godfree examining a pair of black moccasins with fur lining. It looked like the Alder Furmus Fur Bladescape had gotten while getting her dagannoth hides. “I have to say, I love the one size fits all policy.”
“It is handy,” Bladescape said with a grin. “Especially for a man of your size.”
“Daizen pushes the limit with everything he puts on,” Godfree shot back with a laugh. “I have to drag him out into training in a few days so he stays with the level quotas. He’s great at finances and bad at everything else. I would love to say that he would get in shape if he could, but even I don’t believe that!”
There were a number of portly gamers who had gotten caught in their real bodies when Kayaba changed the rules. There was no way to trim down or bulk up in SAO. If there was a fitness program or way, someone would have found it by now and capitalized on it.
Godfree settled on the black pair of slippers as Bladescape quickly organized them on the table. They went to the men’s section, but none of the coats found his fancy and the cloaks were as light as his normal one was. They did find a few different pairs of warm lounge pants and shirts. He chose two matching pairs, green and blue. Godfree didn’t want to wear the KoB guild colors all the time, especially in his private room.
As Godfree left, Agil arrived. “Man, I can’t believe the buzz about this sale,” he immediately said, laughing. “I had to come down and see it for myself. I’ll need to speak to Diemond about letting me sell some of her stuff. That would be a huge moneymaker.” Bladescape rolled her eyes at Agil. “That was Godfree of the Knights. He’s third in command and he came here in his armor, not even trying to hide it.”
“He was hoping we had reasonably priced socks,” Bladescape stated, taking down Agil with logic and facts. “And he didn’t care who saw him because he and I are pals.”
“Look at you, networking,” Agil prodded. “But do you have socks? I can’t find a pair that isn’t either way overpriced or barely together.”
“No, we don’t,” Bladescape said. “Diemond hates making them. Apparently it's time consuming. More than you would think. She always preferred a needle and thread, not yarn and looms.”
“I guess that makes more sense about why they're priced so high,” Agil stated. “Maybe I should start sewing so I can sell decent pairs in my shop.”
“With the rest of the cardboard items?” Bladescape asked.
Agil just rolled his eyes at the joke. “So, you actually hired Fuurinkazan to help?”
“That’s the gist of it,” Bladescape said with a shrug. “They showed up, offering to help, and we were short handed. It’s worked out well.”
“You know, there are some rumors going around,” Agil quietly said. “They say either Klein is trying to snipe Kiefer and Reisenki, or that he is trying to court you.”
“Ha ha,” Klein sarcastically said as he came up behind them. “What’s the cardboard sword swindler doing here?”
“I can come for clothes,” Agil replied. “Plus, I’ve been friends with the Wondercolts longer than you have been; since the first boss raid. I really came to see if the rumors are true. So, are you sniping their members or pursuing Bladescape?”
“You think you’re clever with that second one?” Klein asked.
“I think I know you and you dog on most of the girls in this game,” Agil shot back. "If not every single one."
“He may not be that smart, but I am,” Bladescape stated. “Besides, he literally hit on someone last night with me standing beside him. A young high schooler.”
“Whatever,” Klein said, waving his hand as he walked off, rather than be verbally reprimanded by the kindly giant.
“I’m going to have to come up with a better fake rumor,” Agil said. “I’m not sure what would be better to bug him with.”
“I’m not thinking straight,” Bladescape said. “You know Lisbeth, the smith. She came in to get a new outfit. That’s who he tried to hit on, as she modeled what Diemond had helped put her in. While she was clearly nervous about the choice. We still haven’t told him where her shop is.”
Agil grimaced. “Ouch, that’s really poor form, even from him.”
“I put him in his place,” Bladescape added with a shrug. “Otherwise, he has been well behaved. Enough so that they are staying in our guest room. This has been a tough two days for us and we still have tomorrow to go.”
“Good luck on that,” Agil said. “Since you don’t have socks, I’ll get out of your way. If Diemond ever decides to make them, I’ll pay a fair price!”
“I’ll let her know,” Bladescape said as he started to walk away. “Grab a cookie or two on your way out and have a good night.”
“Will do,” Agil said as he snagged a few cookies from a tray he passed. “Catch you later!”
During her usual rotation, Bladescape saw Diemond greet a few people personally. They definitely were designers. They were seeking her out and also wanting to see what she had done.
Another player who came by that surprised Bladescape was Phainda. She stood out partially because she was looking for Diemond. There was something deeper happening, but Bladescape had no idea what and had not been close enough to covertly listen in. Phainda was in the relatively new look of the AMC. It was based on some British guy’s idea for men’s fashion in the early nineteenth century. Bladescape only knew that because of her last contract, when she inquired about the formation of their new look. Whoever their designer was, they did a wonderful job making the AMC stand out yet look professional, however, they had used an unknown designer. Phainda’s accent colors for her boots and fancy cravat tie was red, while Siel was in blue. The warehouse staff were in green. They had launched a few brokers under Phaindra who were able to also submit contracts and they were in gold.
Things stayed busy until 9:30. They hadn’t been worried about restricting people for a few hours, but it suddenly went dead, with the last few customers in line to check out. Bladescape turned around to survey the current stock she could see to get a sense of how much they had sold. She didn’t start as several gasps came from the players. Bladescape turned back around and saw Argo brazenly walking between the two lines. Her hood was down, openly displaying her whiskers.
She came right up to Bladescape, getting into her personal space. “So, having a little sale? Kind of cheesy doing it out of your house.”
“Well, The Rat would know cheese,” Bladescape retorted.
“Dang!” Argo hissed. “I walked right into that one.”
“If you’re here for socks, Diemond hasn’t made any,” Bladescape added. “That was why Agil stopped by. That and to see the event with his own eyes. He wasn't the only one, but the others had more items they were looking for.”
“Dang, I don’t have any extra socks, do I?” Argo growled. “But that isn’t why I’m here. I’m actually here to shop. Believe it or not, I don’t always wear this. I wanted to come last night while the pickings were fresher, but I got caught up with…work troubles. Enough about me. Let’s see what’s left.”
Argo stepped around Bladescape and headed into the meeting hall. Bladescape just shrugged and went back to surveying what was left. The best of the armor was gone. There were still plenty of intermediate pieces left. The men’s section was about a third of its original size. The women’s section was about the same. It was harder to tell because it was significantly larger in both number of articles and the layout.
Knightstar leaned against the wall beside Bladescape. She looked worn out from helping customers all day, without the chance to sit down. They watched Argo browsing different sections. It looked haphazard, but Argo never did anything haphazardly.
“The women in SAO have been dying for fashion,” Knightstar finally said. “They are each buying a lot to compensate for the missed opportunities.”
“Anyone asking you about socks?” Bladescape asked.
“Stockings, but we only have leggings,” Knightstar said. “Why?”
“Apparently socks are super overpriced, poorly made, and everyone needs them,” Bladescape explained. “Actually, it was always the guys mentioning them.”
“That makes sense,” Knightstar said. “Have you seen the shoes Diemond has displayed? Most don’t need socks. You don’t want to detract from them by wearing socks. Men’s and Women’s shoes are very different entities.”
"I know that, but it's so easy to forget that stuff while living in Aincrad," Bladescape said. "I only ever wear combat boots. But, an important question, if you are willing to speculate-"
"Yes, Diemond has made up for all of her material costs," Knightstar answered. "Even with the cuts she is giving out, it's more than enough. Our sales estimates were to have this much left tomorrow evening. We are in a very good position. The pickings are getting slimmer, but there still is plenty of variety. I'm honestly glad Asuna brought Lis. Asuna can vouch that we aren't milling around, doing nothing. Also, it happened last night while the selection was better."
"So can Godfree," Bladescape said. "He came by. He wanted socks and some warmer clothes. They just moved to Granzam."
Knightstar shivered. "Ugly city, and cold. I can understand why they would though. Their guild has considerations that we don't. Size is a major factor. I like this place, but the Knights have moved twice now. We can't afford to get left behind, even if this is a stellar place. Image matters. We have to project strength and stability. That includes financial. We did a good job at that with our new armor and equipment, but the best way to show off financial stability is to get a newer place closer to the front. I like Mishe. It is quaint. I have no problem with the residents, but we are technically starting to slum as the front line moves away from us."
"It's important to think about, but not an immediate issue," Bladescape said. "Thanks for the input. I shouldn't be surprised at some of the people we know who came, but I was. Even Argo is a surprise."
"Well, she does love Diemond's work," Knightstar said as Diemond was advising Argo over a dress. "I have lost track of how many times Diemond has remade her cloak, updating it with newer materials and better stats. That woman from the army was a big surprise."
"She silenced the whole place," Bladescape said. "Just by entering. That's odd and concerning. I know Yulier is a good person, so what is going on down there?"
"I don't know," Knightstar said. “Did you catch the dragon tamer?”
“Do you mean the girl with the Feathered Little Dragon familiar?” Bladescape asked.
“Yeah,” Knightstar nodded. “I had only heard of her, they call her Dragon Tamer, but what is more interesting is that Doom and her are not merely acquainted, they know each other quite well. I was on the other side of the room with a customer, but she made a beeline for Doom once she spotted her. I didn't get the sense that it was a newer friendship, I think it goes back much further, before they had familiars. The dragon is so comfortable with Doom that it hopped onto her shoulders, so it could watch its master as she gauged clothes that caught her eye. Doom even opened her inventory and pulled out whatever treats it eats and fed it. As in she already had some with her.”
“I had no idea,” Bladescape said. “I never saw any of that, but Doom has always been good at disappearing and being quiet. Konpeito knows everyone and everyone knows she knows everyone. Diemond is more subtle, she knows the people in her line of work. Doom sneaks friends in. No one realizes she is even gone, let alone has made friends.”
It was fun finding Fluttershy’s hidden friends, in either reality. It was always a marvel to Bladescape. There was something to the quiet kindness that was both selective and intimate. She chose her friends well and they never were surface level friendships. If she chose to invest in someone, she became good friends with them.
“As clear as their friendship was, it was equally clear that they had not seen each other in a while,” Knightstar added. “Which makes sense considering the developments on the front since the new year. But that is information and news that I keep track of. The Dragon Tamer is an intermediate player, someone within the scope of my work. You know the entire Assault Team by face, half of them by name, and many of the clearers too. Certainly all of the leaders and their guild names. Anyway, Who else did you see?"
Bladescape and Knightstar compared lists. Bladescape had missed a few people they both knew, as they went straight to the women's section. A good number from Meigibu had shopped their sale. It was fun to know that they were not just a sideshow, but seen as a legitimate sale that everyone should pay attention to.
Argo bought several pieces and disappeared into the night. Everyone celebrated the day’s success over cake and went to bed. They could quickly tidy up in the morning before they opened.
Natora stopped by Bladescape's room briefly to debrief in private. "I'm glad you helped Godfree. Not only did it give me a much needed break, you two are getting along well. We need that relationship to grow and stay strong. Asuna's been distant for a while, not that she was ever great pals with us or that I'm blaming her. She is much closer to Lis than any of us. I'm glad she came and brought Lis, but we need a solid anchor with the Knights. Godfree is that anchor. Without either of you, the relationship doesn't exist. As a guild, we need that pretty badly since the Knights are running the show. Kindly running it, but running it."
"I'm still stuck on socks," Bladescape admitted. "But yes, it's good to see that relationship maturing. He is a cool guy. He always gives me the time of day and leaves me with a smile. Asuna is friendly, but not like Godfree. I know I can get a hold of him if we need to talk. Kirito snuck in last night. I didn't see him enter."
"But you ticked him off pretty good," Natora added, chuckling. "Wait, didn't he also want socks?"
"Yeah, that was something on his list," Bladescape said. "It's on a lot of people's lists. High demand, high prices, low supply, and subpar quality. I do find it funny that Diemond hates making them."
"Huh, maybe I need to pick sewing next," Natora said, thinking. "And start my own sock empire."
"You could," Bladescape said with a laugh. "I'm not sure if you would really want to, but you could. I know Diemond is going to force herself over the next week or two to rectify our sock shortage. She seems to be mentally racking up the orders for the important players to the Wondercolts."
"Well, I hope she gives herself a break before starting," Natora said. "She is doing a good job not showing it, but this whole thing is coming down to her. We have just enough hands on deck, but all of us are subpar for Diemond's quality. Doombunny is her most qualified sales rep. I never realized how much she knows about fashion and sewing. Still, Diemond is running around more than we realize, dropping comments and suggestions, helping so many customers. Thankfully armor is more or less straightforward, she can leave that in my hands, but today I noticed her bouncing back and forth between the men's and women's sections a lot."
"I saw some of that," Bladescape said. "She stopped and spoke a few times to me and someone else. I know she stopped by when Godfree was there. We were accidentally blocking the doorway. I didn't know she had made slippers and they seemed to be what he needed, since we didn’t have socks. He left satisfied and with several other things.”
"At least they didn't cost him a lot if they don't work out," Natora said as she headed to the door. She paused. "Hey, do you think Ashley has been spying on us? During the sale?"
"Well, Argo showed up and was incredibly confident. Abnormal confidence level," Bladescape stated. "But I wouldn't be surprised if Ashley did send a team and had them make some purchases. After all, Diemond could topple her empire. I understand there are few decent designers, but none that rival Ashley. Except for Diemond, who is both not a threat and a threat. We will end up doing this again. Probably only a single day with less stuff, but Diemond will eventually have to move what she produces. That makes her a threat. One with less access than Ashley because Ashley at least has a store she keeps stocked with pieces she makes."
"That she will," Natora said as she opened the door. "We will keep a better eye on Diemond's production. I'd rather do this for a single day, not a weekend. Let's keep them shorter, even if that means adding a few more."
"Agreed," Bladescape said as Natora left.
Sunday proved to be very much like Saturday, except breakfast was quiche, scones, jam, and cheesy grits. The hype tapered off quicker than any other day, with only about thirty customers inside and no line at the door once the sale started, but it was all customers who wanted to buy stuff. A quarter of them were repeat shoppers. They often brought friends who hadn't come yet. The shoppers were almost exclusively intermediate players who could afford the day off.
The evening finished strong. They had a few customers inside when they closed the exterior doors. It was nobody important and the Wondercolts were not hard set on them leaving. They didn't kick them out, they had been let in before closing. They did their best to help them finish their shopping. They wrapped up a little over thirty minutes after their closing time, which wasn't bad. Especially since they ended much earlier than the previous two nights.
Everyone gathered around Diemond to hear what their leader, at least for the sale, had to say. "I'm very happy with the turnout and sales. So brava to you for working so hard and well over the weekend. We sold about ninety percent of everything! While I tally up the final sales in order to distribute payments to everyone, please, feel free to browse what is left and take anything that catches your eye. You deserve it."
"Payments?" Soryuto asked.
"Yes. Darling," Diemond said. "I'm giving a three percent cut to everyone who worked. I was planning on some monetary compensation for my friends and then Fuurinkazan showed up, looking to be hired. I struck the deal with them and I won't cheat my friends just because we are in the same guild. So please, if you have been eyeing something, feel free to take it. It doesn't count against you for your cut."
Everyone split up. Bladescape had seen a leather jacket in the women's section that fit her usual style. It was still there. She grabbed it and a pair of shoes she had eyed several times. Most of the boys went to the men's section, although Kunimittz wanted a pair of combat gloves and boots, plus a pair of slippers. Everyone got something and met up in the center hallway again.
"Well, we far exceeded our goal!" Diemond happily exclaimed.
She began to hand out their payment, starting with their guests. Six players in Fuurinkazan, plus ten Wondercolts, made sixteen members. They had a forty-eight percent cut of the profits while Diemond took the last fifty-two percent. It was well earned all around and what Diemond pocketed more than covered what she spent on her Skills.
Fuurinkazan took home eighteen percent, a very hefty chunk of what they needed to upgrade their home. They were going to reexamine the properties for sale to see if their profits would be enough to get someplace nicer.
Before they left, Konpeito had cake for everyone to share, to celebrate the success of the sale. Then she brought out dinner, since they had only rotated for lunch breaks. The Fuurinkazan boys were not going to say no to Konpeito's cooking. It was nice to relax, knowing they wouldn't be facing crowds of customers. Tomorrow they would go back to facing monsters and enemies in their quest to conquer Aincrad.
BLADESCAPE: Level 79 — Two-Handed Sword — Searching — Weapon Defense — Leather Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Sprint — Blade Throwing — Extended Weight Carry — Acrobatics
NATORA: Level 75 — Two-Handed Spear — Purchase Negotiations — Sales Negotiation — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Acrobatics — Armor Pierce — Sprint
KNIGHTSTAR: Level 70 — One-Handed Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Equipment Appraisal — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Acrobatics — Extended Weight Carry — Armor Pierce — Search
MALUS: Level 74 — One-Handed War Hammer — Greatshield — Heavy Metal Armor — First Aid — Extended Weight Carry — Battle Regeneration — Fishing — Search — Martial Arts — Rend
THUNDERBORNE: Level 74 — Rapier — Sprint — Acrobatics — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Armor Pierce — Martial Arts — Blade Throwing
KONPEITO: Level 74 — Two-Handed Axe — Cooking — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — Martial Arts — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Music — Blade Throwing — Bard — Extended Weight Carry
DIEMOND: Level 75 — Mace — Greatshield — Sewing — Heavy Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Light Metal Armor Forging — Heavy Metal Armor Forging — Extended Weight Carry — Jewelry Creation
DOOMBUNNY: Level 70 — One-Handed Dagger — Hide — Fighting Spirit — Blade Throwing — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Familiar Cooperation — Mixing — Search — Listen — Reveal
KIEFER: Level 72 — 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 70 — One-Handed Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Music — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Fighting Spirit — Armor Pierce — Acrobatics — Extended Weight Carry
REISENKI: Level 72 — One-Handed Axe — Greatshield — Heavy Metal Armor — Equipment Repair — Metal Equipment Repair — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Cooking — Metal Refining — One-Hand Weapon Creation
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Quite the visitors list they had here. I wonder what kind of socks Diemond will end up making? As much of a pain as they are, they are a truely untapped market.
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Yes, it was a great place to show a whole lot of faces and such that we will see more of later.
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The socks was a fun bit I came up with. I know people who can knit socks. They are not easy. The invention of socks is really ingenious. They are not easy to make.
I had a lot of fun improving the entire chapter and polishing it into the fashionista's dream.
It's awesome to finally see my character! And I agree, Green does not go with black.
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This was the perfect chapter to start working many of them in. It was a real joy.
Loved the chapter, it was quite a fun read. I also loved that Silica made an appearence
Here's hoping she pops up more often. Now speaking of her, the following popped into my head as I read this!
Colora eyed the board for a few minutes studying her peices before using her tail she pushed a peice foward. Pina in responce moved a piece of her own with a paw and captured a pawn. Colora studied the board a moment before making her eyes go wide and pointing behind Pina with her tail, the feathered dragon turning to look only to see nothing and by the time she returned her attention to the board the peicces positions had all been altered. Pina glared at her opponent as Colora moved another peice. They continued to play a bit more before Pina let out a startled chirp and pointed behind the snake who actualy turned to look only realzing their mistake moments later and by the time she turned back the board had already been altered. Colora rolled her eyes and noddded giving a look that clearly said "well played"
Meanwhile Doombunny and Silica could only watch their town familers as they played Shogi. "I do not know why, but I find this oddly amusing" Doom commented earning a nod from Silica.
"Yeah, and it feel like somethng you would see in some anime or manga" replied Slica with a laugh
The new bain of Ainkrad. SOCKS
It would be very funny for Sunset's first LAB to be a boss-themed pair of socks
After all, Kirito got himself swimming trunks as a LAB so it's not impossible.
Honestly socks really were great at making this chapter different. Cause at first I had a feeling of "I already read this".
Socks are the MVP of this chapter
It's official: Rarity can make a fashion empire anywhere, even in a Death Game. Who knew socks could be such a seller?
To be fair to Klein, Lisbeth is pretty cute.
Also, seeing all the warm fuzzy banter with Godfree was mind of painful, considering his fate in the anime
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now i have a mental image of him giving his life to save Bladescape from a hit from some monster
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That is a funny image. Silica will be seen more. I have some fun things planned for Pina too. Both master and familiar.
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I did not edit the base, I rewrote the entire thing and it is not in the same order as the Aincrad story, as it happened before her apprenticeship in the other story. Fuurinkazan's motivation for helping is much clearer. Lisbeth officially gets her new outfit from Diemond, it was rather vague in the Aincrad story. I used it to showcase or introduce more characters that will come up later. Godfree got a very nice spotlight as well. And yes, the socks were fun, totally a whim, but epic. It was fun to have a clothing bane in Aincrad. Diemond can certainly take over the fashion industry in Aincrad.
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Yes, Lisbeth is cute, but Klein totally forgot she was at Christmas.
And Godfree would absolutely sacrifice himself for Bladescape, but this is an Alt-U tale. Kirito was targeted because Kuradeel is a creep and put in his place. Plus Kirito lost the duel, meaning he joined the KoB, therefore requiring an evaluation and Godfree was in the way of Kuradeel's creepy revenge. Just saying, that is how and why Godfree dies in SAO canon.
This I should gonna be a long weekend for them.
Figures.
Never heard that saying before.
He had it coming!!
Nice to see Silica again.
Yep.
What a surprise.
I was waiting for this chapter and ngl, I should've guessed from the start it would be this long...
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Great commentary, as usual. It has one of Klein's greatest pickup moments and the cheese bit with Argo was a blast. I feel like the Rat look and whiskers is not remembered. It's always really fast moments with her and info packed, because she sells info. I'm really glad I got that joke in.
I am always looking for ways to keep chapters manageable and split the longer ones, but sometimes it cannot be helped. Slicing it in half killed the pacing.
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For a good while I forgot Argo existed until she'd end up having a big role in the second progressive film.
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She is, sadly, an easy to forget character. As important as she is. She isn't a main character.