After handing the materials to Lisbeth, I followed Lisbeth's instructions and went to the armor shop's workshop.
Lisbeth arranged the materials on the iron table in the armor shop workshop. After arranging the bow, she hit it lightly with the hammer and it was sucked into the bow. Immediately afterwards, the bow transformed into a completely different form of bow and arrow, and the light also weakened.
When the light completely disappeared, special patterns of green, black, and red appeared on the bow that looked like it was made of birch wood. It looked like it was made of two large fangs. Its name is "Fang Jian". When I open the details window to look at the performance, it's worth twice as much as the dagger I used for capture.
Bow, who seemed to be invincible even to the wild boars on the second floor, unexpectedly could be evenly matched with the enemies on the fifty-fourth floor. paddy. At the same time, I also realized once again that Lisbeth’s forging skills were genuine, and she gained Asuna’s great trust.
After paying for Lisbeth's rebirth bow and receiving the bow, we headed to the town on the 48th floor just as Asuna said, and came to a cafe with a slightly luxurious but quiet atmosphere. A tea party for a few.
It looks luxurious from the outside, and I thought it must be quite luxurious inside, but when I entered, I was a little surprised to find that it was quiet and peaceful inside, as if I was in a forest.
"The atmosphere was pretty calm. I thought it would be noisy inside because it was so gorgeous outside."
Lisbeth smiled bitterly and said:
“What’s on the outside doesn’t always match what’s on the inside.”
explain. Of course, in the real world, there was a criminal with a very handsome face, but an extremely cruel personality, so I think Lisbeth's words make sense.
Not long after, Asuna brought us to the table, and we sat down in that order, Asuna, Lisbeth, and me. Also, Asuna often sits next to me and smiles after looking at me, so I smile too.
"Well, what should I order? Liz, do you know anything about this store?"
Lisbeth looked surprised and then said to Asuna with an annoyed look on her face.
"Hey, did you come here without any prior information? Well, this is my home and I come here often, so I know what kind of store it is."
Lisbeth picked up the menu next to her, opened it, and placed it on the table. When I turned my attention to it, I saw that it had black text on a white background and green on a green background, and had some pictures drawn on it, possibly images of menus. This is a very simple way of writing.
Just as I was thinking this, Lisbeth pointed to a certain place and shouted to us.
"What this store recommends is the latte. It has milk and coffee, and the sweetness is also exquisite. What I recommend more is the rare cheesecake. I often eat this combination, but what do you do?"
"Lizbeth said it well, but the menu of this restaurant is richer than I thought. "There are really many kinds of cakes, including shortbread, tiramisu, chiffon cake, chocolate cake, etc. Not only cakes, There are also scones and biscuits.
Additionally, the coffee menu not only features lattes, but also drip coffee, soy lattes and cocoa. It's like a big coffee shop in the real world. No, this is probably a coffee shop designed with that in mind. I don't know what to ask.
"Okay, I think I'll have a caramel macchiato and cheesecake."
Asuna pointed at the menu and told me what she wanted, then shouted to me.
"What does Shino want?"
I was surprised by Asuna's words and quickly flipped through the menu. If you ask me...I'd like a soy latte and tiramisu. I have never eaten anything like this since I came to this world, so it’s just right.
"I'll have a soy latte and tiramisu, this combination seems to work best for me."
Lisbeth said "I see" and shouted to the male NPC clerk next to her, calling out the names of the products that Asuna, Lisbeth, and I wanted to order.
The NPC who received the customer's order said "Please wait a moment" and walked quickly towards the kitchen, but it looked a little strange because he looked like a real coffee shop clerk.
When you live in this world, sometimes you feel as if you were born into this world from the beginning and have lived in this world your entire life. I really think this world is so well made that saying it's a world in a game feels like a lie. Just like water, like the coffee shop clerk, just like life.
But when I saw Lisbeth's hair, I realized that this world was a game world. People with hair like this don't exist in real life.
"Even so, Lisbeth's hair color is still beautiful."
Lisbeth turned to face me in surprise.
"Beautiful? Do you really think so?"
"I guess so, but"
Then, Asuna said to Lisbeth with a proud smile.
"Liz, look, I chose the right hair color correctly."
I tilted my head unconsciously. Didn’t you know that Asuna chose Lisbeth’s hair color?
"What do you mean?"
Lisbeth turned to me. There was a complex expression somewhere.
"One day, Asuna suddenly said she wanted to change her hair color. This was the most shocking thing I've experienced since I was trapped in this game."
"Because Liz always chose plain colors like black and brown. Since I was going to be a blacksmith, I chose bright colors because I thought it would be easier to serve customers."
Lisbeth put her elbows on the table.
"Yeah but it's not pink. Because of that, every time I look in the mirror I wonder if that's really me."
Asuna smiled again.
"But Liz, you haven't changed your hair color since I gave it to you. Does that mean you like it?"
Lisbeth smiled bitterly.
"Well, that's it. I think it's a striking color, but I don't hate it. I kind of appreciate you."
"a little?"
"slightly"
"Yeah." Asuna said. I feel like I've heard this conversation before in the real world, but it's not as bad as it was then, and it feels very comfortable.
"Hey, Shino, don't you want to change your hair color too?"
Just when I wanted to hear more, Asuna called me and I suddenly came back to reality. I quickly thought about the color of my hair.
“Well, the color of your hair I don’t think you want to play with.
Lisbeth shouted: "Ah!?"
"Shino, are you living with someone else?"
"Yes. With a man."
"Yeah, does that mean you like that person?"
"I'm as shocked as Asuna. "Or rather, if a girl lives with a guy, it seems normal to treat him as a couple or something.
Still, I can't say I'm in love with Kirito.
"It wasn't like that. I got help from that guy. That guy gave me a place to live, so I was content to live there. I didn't have any feelings of love or anything like that."
Lisbeth said "Hmm", lowered her head slightly and said something. I was worried that I couldn’t hear clearly, so I asked Lisbeth again.
"What's the matter, Lisbeth?"
"Oh, no, it's nothing. But you living with a man means you're in some kind of trouble, right? If that happens, talk to us. Consult us. I'll give you a ride."
Lisbeth's words made her eyes widen, and Asuna next to her also laughed.
"I feel the same way. I thought there might be something after this, so if it happens, why don't you talk to me? Yeah."
When I looked at Asuna and Lisbeth's smiles alternately, I suddenly felt a warmth in my heart. Until now, well, from the beginning, I've lived a life without friends. Whether it's primary school or junior high school.
No, I said I knew some people in middle school and high school, but they weren't good friends, so they weren't my friends. Now I really want to know why those people with such strange and ominous eyes are my friends.
The only people who really listened to me were my mother, grandfather and grandmother, and the psychiatrist who cared for me.
——These people are not counselors or anything like that, but they want to get to know me. Unknowingly, Asuna next to me has already regarded me as a friend, and even Lisbeth is talking about me. It creates the feeling and atmosphere that they will listen carefully.
"No matter which eye I look at, there is no such ominous black light." Instead, there is a very warm and comfortable light floating around.
"This is the first time I have met such a person"
"Hey, Shino, what's wrong?"
I heard Lisbeth's voice and turned it towards her. I could see Lisbeth's surprised expression, but it was a little blurry in places. It didn't take me long to realize the cause was my crying.
I rubbed my eyes with my sleeves, tears welling up in my eyes and I couldn't stop them, but I immediately felt a hand on my back.
"Shino, what's wrong? Did we do something bad to make Shino cry? Do you hate messing up your hair so much?"
I shook my head unconsciously and raised my head. I tried to speak, but the hiccups were mixed in with it.
"No, no. It's not like that. Until now, I haven't met anyone like Asuna and Lisbeth, so I don't have any decent friends, so I'm really happy to hear you say that." "
"Even if I tried to stop the tears, they wouldn't stop at all." I thought I wouldn't cry in public, but my body just couldn't stop crying. Total disregard for my wishes.
When I heard the "ah" sounds from the two of them, my body felt like it was wrapped in something big. Looking around, I saw Asuna hugging me.
"Yeah. Sorry Shino, I didn't notice you."
Lisbeth's face showed a somewhat sad expression. It's vague, but that's all I know.
"You're not doing well, are you?"
"I instinctively nodded on Asuna's chest." Lisbeth said to me with a smile.
"I may not be what you'd call a decent guy, but I want to help in any way I can. Snapper"
Asuna's hug became stronger and stronger.
"I'll help you if I can, Shino. I've been treated this way too, so people may think I'm not a decent person, but I'm Shino and I want to. "Be friends with you. That's why I want you to rely on us, and I want you to talk correctly about the things you think you can talk about. "
"Until now, I have always thought that everyone else is ice." The voice and words he spat out made people feel cold. But these two are not ice. Everyone’s voice and words are warm.
"That's what friends are for."
"We're really friends."
"Thank you thank you, you two"
Asuna stroked my head as I wiped away my tears with my clothes.
"I have gained a lot since I came to this world." My lover Kirito is with me, and my true friends Asuna and Lisbeth. This world is abominable, it's just in the game, but if I hadn't come to this world, I wouldn't know it, and I wouldn't have it.
"Although it's a little imprudent, it might be a good thing that you came." I thought at that moment.
"But Asuna."
"What?"
"Shino what is that?"
Asuna let go of my hand, but her face was blank. I was surprised that someone asked me such a question.
"Well it's a nickname you came up with on the spur of the moment, isn't it, Shino?"
"I've never been called a nickname before." That's right, I don't have any good friends. But now, I have made good friends like Asuna and Lisbeth, and even got a nickname. I can't help but be happy about this. Shino-non sounds really great.
"That's not bad. On the contrary, I'd like you to call me that."
Asuna looked slightly relieved. "Maybe he was nervous because he thought I would reject him." Lisbeth looked at our expressions with complicated expressions, seeming to be a little surprised and a little relieved.
"You must be too aggressive when you gave Shino a nickname you just met. How about falling in love with her?"
Hearing this, Asuna suddenly turned towards Lisbeth. When I saw it, my face turned red.
"Hey, honey!? No, no, I don't have a partner like that!"
"Goodbye. Asuna can find you, the best opponent."
"No, no, no, no, no, no"
"I think I can do it. If it's Asuna, I'm sure."
After interrupting, Asuna looked at me.
"It's already Shino——"
“Because Asuna is a good person.
Asuna said, "I think so," and looked forward.
I wanted to look at Lisbeth in front of me, but I couldn’t help but stare. Because Lisbeth suddenly lowered her head. In front of her eyes was the menu on the table, but in Lisbeth's eyes, she could see neither the menu nor the table, as if she was seeing a void. No, it should be said that what Lisbeth is seeing now is the void itself.
"Li, Lisbeth. What's wrong?"
Lisbeth didn't react at all. Not only that, he seemed to be mumbling words like "that's great", which made me feel suspicious.
"Wait, Lisbeth."
When I called again with a slightly louder voice, Lisbeth turned her face to me, as if she was finally back here.
"What is Shino?"
"I feel like I'm just confused."
Lisbeth looked surprised again, then shook her head.
"No, it's nothing. I was just thinking about it. Don't worry."
"I tilted my head unconsciously." Now Lisbeth seemed to have a heart other than this. It was the same face Asuna had when she couldn't believe the world.
Just when I was wondering what happened, Lisbeth opened the window as if she had realized something. His expression suddenly turned surprised.
"Oops, I forgot to lock the door! A customer is here!"
Lisbeth suddenly stood up, shouted out the coins in a panic, and slammed them on the table. I thought this number was the same as the price of drinks and sweets written on the menu, but I quickly realized that this number was enough for two people.
"Shino, this is for me and for you!
"Uh, wait a minute, Liz—"
"What did you suddenly say——"
Lisbeth ran out of the coffee shop before she heard our voices. I think I walked back to my shop on those feet. People often assume that if you walk into a store without locking the door and know there are customers, your items will be stolen.
"Or, when customers come into the store, can they understand Lisbeth?"
"I wonder if the store will sound the alarm when a customer comes."
"Maybe so. I can't speak for others, but Liz seems to be committed to blacksmithing for the long term, so I hope she's interested in things other than blacksmithing as much as possible. That's Kirito-kun., Lilan, Sinon taught me this What the world should be like, with warmth.”
It seems Lisbeth doesn't understand this either. Maybe that was the reason for Lisbeth's expression at that time.
Like Asuna before her, Lisbeth doesn't know much about the world, or her understanding of the world is different from the real world. The beauty of this world, the warmth, the way life should be, everything.
"I have to teach Lisbeth that. I think the world should be a better place.
“No, that girl didn’t just think about the store but her interests were narrow.
As soon as I finished speaking, two NPCs came over with cakes and coffee. In front of me was a set of soy milk latte and tiramisu, in front of Asuna was caramel macchiato and cheesecake, and in front of Lisbeth , I left the latte and rare cheesecake in. . Asuna and I blinked when we saw the empty latte and rare cheesecake in front of Lisbeth's seat, but Asuna immediately opened her mouth.
"I'm sorry about Liz, but can we eat?"
"I nodded."
