The Blacksmith and the Warrior

End of SAO Part 1

November 7th, 2024, Floor 48, Lisbeth

"Heathcliff messaged you?" Lisbeth questions as she works on the knife Jaymes gave her. She recognizes it and knows why he has it, but in the nine months they've lived together, she has never seen the knife in his possession. But who is she to deny servicing the Crimson Warrior...although she could, he doesn't pay anything for her work.

"Yeah," Jaymes says from his favorite spot in the smithy. "Kirito and Asuna are alive, no one else has messaged me about the boss, so I'm not too concerned about the message except that he sent me one. That's how important it is. Me, one of the last if not the last solo player on the front lines. Scratching his black hair, he chuckles to himself. "Maybe he's desperate to have me join the KoB. He has Kirito and Asuna, so having a third member of their level will solidify his guild as the strongest on the front."

Lisbeth smiles along with him as she finishes upgrading the knife. She stares at it reminiscently, remembering the girl she originally crafted it for. "What would Koharu say?"

"I don't know. She always said that we should join a guild eventually, and it'll be better to join the KoB since we know Asuna. While the Divine Dragon Alliance and I have worked together since the first floor, I am not too fond of them as a whole. There's the Army, but Kibaou just made our bad blood thicker."

"Yeah. What a jerk. Anyway, here." Lisbeth hands the knife back to Joshua, watching as his face drops while taking the weapon back. That knife is a painful reminder of the day of Koharu's death, for it was the very reason Jaymes was out with Lisbeth instead of his partner. He wanted to give her a brand new and powerful weapon, but neither had the materials for it. Hunting for material drops took longer than they expected, then when she finally crafted it, Jaymes had gotten the doomed message from Koharu. The guilt of a lost friend is forever forged on that blade. Maybe that's why he continues to carry it, maybe that's why she readily accepted to upgrade and strengthen it.

He puts the knife back in his inventory. "Thanks, Lis. Anyway, I shouldn't keep Heathcliff waiting any longer, not that he has much to do. Probably sits in that chair all day and...plays blacksmith with his sword."

"I would like it if you didn't lewd my profession."

Jaymes shrugs. "Sorry, but that was a good one. I hope Kirito and Asuna are there, I'd hate to be with His Divine Blade-ness alone. Something about him just doesn't sit right with me still. But whatever it is... I just hope it is not bad news."

Lisbeth nods. After the Gleam Eyes incident, and even further back, the raid on Laughing Coffin, she's been worried for the swordsman's life. She will not convince him to never return to the front, that's been his whole life here, but all she can do is make sure his equipment is prepared to preserve him. As she steps up to him, she inspects his armor from head to toe, and checks on the sword and shield on his back. With everything good in her eyes, she smiles faintly. "Everything checks out. Be careful, will you?"

"'You better not die out there or I'll hate you! I'll never forgive you!' is what you mean?" He nods and heads for the door. "I know."

As he departs, Lisbeth feels a deep feeling swell up. It was initiated when he delivered Philia's message of "'to stop waiting.'" Jaymes has no clue what the treasure hunter means, but Lisbeth knows all too well. The last two weeks, with Jaymes gone and Asuna sharing her love life through their messages, Philia's words ignited the spark within her. If Kirito and Asuna can finally come to terms with their feelings, so can she with Jaymes. "Jaymes."