-355- What kind of play is this?

Lizbeth was truly astonished.

No wonder.

As fellow female player, Lizbeth knew very well just how famous this "Flash" was. She was not only the Vice Commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath but also renowned as one of SAO's top Swordswomen, earning the title "Flash." What's more, she possessed rare beauty that could easily be ranked within the top five in this world. In terms of popularity, she indisputably held the top spot.

Without a doubt, in the current SAO news, unless there was major news to report, there was about a seventy percent chance that the front page headlines would feature this beautiful Swordswoman. Even if not on the front page, a significant portion of the news would be dedicated to reporting on her daily activities.

With such fame and popularity, it was evident how well-received this beautiful Swordswoman was in this world.

But that wasn't all.

What was most important was that Lisbeth knew from Asuna that this Flash she had only one focus: clearing. No matter when, she only ever thought about matters related to clearing and never exhibited any laziness or complacency. Within the clearing group, she was known for her coldness.

Given this persona, the fact that she was now bringing a male player here was perplexing.

How could Lisbeth not be surprised?

Of course, Asuna hadn't hesitated to bring male players along before.

When she acted as the Vice Commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath, Asuna frequently had guild members accompanying her.

However, that type of arrangement was at best having guild members as teammates and subordinates. It was a world apart from a situation where a female player was alone with a male player, which held a different connotation.

But this time was different.

Just by looking at this man's lazy and suspicious expression, Lizbeth could tell he wasn't Asuna's teammate or subordinate. Instead, he seemed to have a certain hold over Asuna, as if she were being led by the nose and couldn't resist.

In addition to her surprise, a flame of curiosity also ignited within Lisbeth's heart.

Seeing Lizbeth's secretive demeanor, how could Asuna not understand what her inquisitive friend was thinking?

"It... it's not what you think!"

Asuna quickly shook her head, causing her chestnut-colored hair to sway back and forth as she also vigorously moved her hands.

"He... He's just a friend from the clearing group... No, not a friend, just a teammate... Actually, not even a teammate, just a player I've fought alongside with!"

Asuna hastily explained.

However, this explanation only seemed to complicate the situation even more.

At least, Lisbeth's face had taken on a mischievous smile.

"It's fine, isn't it?" Lizbeth elbowed Asuna playfully and smirked. "Although he doesn't seem to be wearing very advanced equipment, since he's a clearing group player, his strength should be guaranteed. And he's pretty good-looking, a good match for you. I wonder about his personality though. Should I give him a test?"

"No need!" Asuna said somewhat exasperatedly. "Please don't do anything weird, Lis. I really have nothing going on with him!"

"Oh? Really?" Lizbeth said skeptically. "Are you saying that nothing special has ever happened between you two?"

This question left Asuna momentarily stunned.

Something special?

Could she truly say that there was nothing?

No.

Upon closer examination, hadn't this man brought her many unique experiences since they met?

And...

Asuna couldn't help but touch the weapon at her waist.

It was a silver sword with a crystalline transparency, known as the "Lambent Light."

Lisbeth had naturally crafted this weapon, and it was a unique creation that even she herself might not be able to reproduce.

Generally speaking, the performance of weapons crafted by players or NPCs depended on three main factors:

1. The quality and rarity of forging materials.

2. The forger's proficiency in the skill.

3. The excellence of the forging tools and materials.

Doesn't it make sense?

Naturally, rarer and higher-grade materials were better for crafting weapons.

A forger's proficiency was also self-evident—the higher the skill, the better the weapon produced.

As for the excellence of the forging tools and materials, it referred to the external conditions like the hammer and forge. The better the conditions, the higher the chances of crafting a high-performance weapon.

In other words, to craft high-performance weapons, all you needed were good materials, a skilled forger, and high-quality forging tools. The weapon would be produced in the end. However, the exact performance of the crafted weapon depended on factors like the quality of the materials, the skill of the forger, and the quality of the tools. In short, it was entirely random.

Although Lisbeth was an advanced forger and used fine tools, even with the same materials, she might not be able to craft the same weapon twice.

For low-performance weapons, this might not matter much, but for high-performance ones, it definitely did.

Asuna's "Lambent Light" was Lizbeth's current masterpiece.

The performance of this weapon might not match up to Kirito's "Elucidator," but it certainly wouldn't fall too far behind.

However, Asuna absentmindedly touched the sword, not because of its value and strength, but because it held a special meaning to her. Unfortunately, this significance had a connection to Rozen.

Through this, Asuna recalled many things.

Yet, she was completely oblivious to the fact that her actions could spark various imaginative thoughts in the minds of onlookers.

"Hehe..."

An unsurprising mischievous laughter reached Asuna's ears, snapping her out of her reverie.

"I see, I understand now. You don't need to say anything more."

Lizbeth absentmindedly stroked her chin, comprehending everything as she patted Asuna's shoulder.

"Don't worry, leave it to me."

With a smile that showed she got it, Lizbeth turned and headed towards Rozen.

"Wait... wait a minute! Lisbeth! It's not like that!"

Asuna was now thoroughly flustered, rushing after her.

Unfortunately, it was already too late.

"Hello, welcome to Lisbeth's Smith Shop. I'm Lisbeth, the owner and blacksmith. I'm also Asuna's good friend, so please take care of me, handsome."

Lizbeth approached Rozen with a demeanor that resembled an older sister ready to reprimand, even placing her hands on her hips. She seemed anything but hospitable to a customer.

"..."

Rozen was left speechless, looking at this blacksmith who seems like she was ready to scold him, thinking to himself, "What kind of play is this now?"

Even the commander who could command the clearing group with authority and foresight felt perplexed by the inexplicable turn of events.

"You want to forge a weapon, right? No problem! Leave it to me!"

Lisbeth raised her thumb and added with an insinuating tone, "But you better be mentally prepared. You won't be able to get my approval thateasily, got that?"

Lisbeth's words caused Rozen's mouth to twitch, and Asuna, unable to stop it, covered her face.

"Ugh, seriously! I give up!"

A year and a half later, the girl who had been a formidable swordswoman gave in to despair once again.

Things were taking a strange turn.