-354- Lisbeth's Smith Shop

Floor 48, Lindarth.

This is a town with a network of intersecting waterways and water wheels installed everywhere.

The town's scenery is remarkably beautiful. While it doesn't exude the same feeling of a developed steel city like Floor 55's Granzam, it carries a rustic charm that gives off a sense of being far away from the hustle and bustle of the world.

Due to the prevalence of water wheels and related structures, this place is actually quite popular among players specializing in production-oriented professions.

Because player homes equipped with water wheels can utilize the water wheels to power their workstations.

For instance, blacksmiths, who require a furnace for smelting, highly value the power provided by water wheels. Otherwise, players would have to manually stoke the fire, which would not only be bothersome but also inefficient.

The same holds true for other production-oriented professions; many require the use of tools and items to complete their tasks.

As a result, during the daytime in Lindarth, the sound of hammers from blacksmiths' workshops can frequently be heard on the streets, making it one of the town's unique features and selling points.

Led by Asuna, Rozen arrived here.

"Your friend is here?" Rozen looked at Asuna with some surprise.

To this, Asuna simply nodded.

"Her name is Lisbeth. She runs a weapon shop here and have a great reputation. The shop even employs NPC workers. She's quite well-known in this field." Asuna looked at Rozen and said, "Is there something wrong?"

"Nothing." Rozen shook his head and said, "It's just that I'm finally starting to feel at ease."

Even though it was introduced by the vice commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath, Rozen had never met her, so he had some doubts about her skills.

After all, the familiarity of a blacksmith's skills greatly influences the performance of the weapons they forge.

Since Rozen wanted a weapon, he naturally desired the best. Even if it couldn't surpass Kirito's "Elucidator," it should at least not be weaker than it.

Given that, Rozen naturally needed to thoroughly evaluate the blacksmith's abilities.

Now, seeing Asuna bring him here, Rozen felt about half of his worries dissipating.

"If you can afford to own a player home here, then the blacksmith should be quite well-off."

Player homes equipped with water wheels might seem convenient, but they had their downsides, namely the exorbitant cost required to purchase them.

According to Rozen's estimation, buying a player home with an attached water wheel here would probably cost around 3000K, at the least.

Here, "K" refers to the in-game currency unit, where typically 1K = 1000 Col.

In other words, to buy a player home with a water wheel attachment, one would need to spend at least 3,000,000 Col.

A blacksmith with this level of wealth was either a nouveau riche or genuinely skilled to have accumulated that much money.

In other words, opening a weapon shop here was a symbol of status and position. That's why Rozen could finally say he was starting to feel at ease.

"Lisbeth, huh?" Rozen muttered the name in his mind and then said to Asuna, "Lead the way then."

"Sure." Asuna nodded again and walked ahead, guiding Rozen to their destination.

As previously mentioned, it was a house with an attached water wheel.

In front of the house hung a signboard.

On the sign was written: "Lisbeth's Smith Shop."

Asuna went ahead and pushed the door open.

The next moment...

"Welcome!"

A lively voice echoed from inside the shop.

Rozen, walking behind Asuna, immediately saw the source of the voice.

It was a cheerful and energetic girl whose demeanor matched her lively voice.

The girl had pink hair and deep blue eyes. She looked around fifteen or sixteen years old, seemingly the same age as Rozen. She wore a dark crimson puff-sleeved top and a matching umbrella skirt. Over it all, she had on a pure white apron with a red bow tied at the chest. Rather than looking like the shop owner, she gave off the vibe of a waitress.

At this moment, she seemed to be inspecting the weapons displayed on the counter with a very professional smile on her face.

This made Rozen briefly believe that she was one of the hired NPC servers.

However, using the ability of "Mind's Eye" to perceive her heartbeat, movements, and even cellular activities, Rozen confirmed that she wasn't a programmed NPC but a player.

At the sight of this player, Asuna, who had always been reserved, finally showed a smile on her face.

It was a smile of unguarded trust, a smile that wouldn't be possible without regarding the other as a close friend.

Rozen hadn't anticipated that Asuna would ever wear such a smile.

Even more surprising, Asuna took the initiative to speak.

"Hello, Lis. It's been a while."

Asuna showed an unusually friendly attitude.

And Lizbeth was just as warm.

"Oh, it's you, Asuna."

The professional smile on the girl referred to as Liz vanished without a trace, replaced by a natural and carefree expression.

The two of them approached each other and extended their hands, shaking them firmly in a familiar way.

Needless to say, Asuna and Lizbeth's relationship was deeper than mere acquaintanceship; there was a profound bond between them.

"How did you find time to come over?" Lizbeth asked Asuna with a hint of confusion. "Wasn't there a briefing for the Floor 60 Boss strategy meeting today? With your personality, I'd expect you to be unavailable the whole day, right?"

"I brought a guest with me this time." Asuna replied helplessly. "He's someone who knows me and wants a high-performance weapon, so I introduced him to you."

"Well, thanks for that." Lizbeth said with a playful smile. Then, she continued, "So, where is this esteemed guest of yours?"

Saying this, Lizbeth leaned forward and looked behind Asuna, spotting Rozen.

"Hello."

Rozen nodded as a sign of acknowledgement, indicating that the introduction had been made.

However, as Lizbeth saw Rozen, her cheerful expression froze for a moment. Her eyes widened in apparent surprise.

What's going on?

Does this blacksmith know me?

Rozen was instantly puzzled.

While Rozen was still bewildered, Lizbeth grabbed Asuna's arm, and the two of them turned around, huddling their heads together.

"Li... Lis?"

Asuna was taken aback.

Clearly, even Asuna hadn't anticipated Lisbeth's sudden action.

But Lisbeth's expression was surprisingly serious.

"What... what's going on, Asuna?"

Lisbeth urgently asked.

"Why... why did you bring a man with you?"

This single sentence revealed just how surprised Lisbeth truly was.