I'm a Sword Master in Sword Art Online

Mochizuki Kaede moved to the side.

Stoleya smiled and said, "Your face screams 'There are plenty of other places to sit!'"

She handed me the black tea: "But this is my room, I'm free to sit wherever I want."

Speechless at this irrefutable reasoning, Mochizuki Kaede could only accept the teacup: "...Fine, whatever makes you happy."

The steaming heat of the black tea swirled between the two of them, and Stoleya swung her legs nonchalantly.

Mochizuki Kaede lowered her head and took a sip of black tea. To her surprise, she found the tea to be elegant and simple, just the taste of ordinary black tea, without any strange additives.

Stoleya observed his reaction, then suddenly leaned closer, her voice as light as a bird's: "Is it good?"

Mochizuki Kaede's fingers paused slightly on the rim of the cup, and the terrifying memory of that bowl of purple fish soup involuntarily surfaced in her mind. Although this black tea was unremarkable, at least it was much more normal than the "culinary disaster" of the last time.

He said, "...It tastes very good."

Stoleya nodded in satisfaction.

Taking advantage of the relatively harmonious atmosphere, Mochizuki Kaede decided to get down to business. He put down his teacup, his gray eyes staring directly at the girl: "Stroeya, with your strength, you shouldn't be unknown. I've never seen you in the frontline raiding group, nor in any floor defense boss battles. You... haven't joined any guild?"

"Guild?" Stoleya twirled her fingers around the end of her hair as she asked, "Hmm—did I say I belonged to any guild?"

A solo player? Mochizuki Kaede pondered to herself, then pressed on, "So, can you tell me where you usually level up?"

“I guess… they’re in all sorts of places…” Stoleya’s gaze suddenly drifted to the window, her voice becoming somewhat dazed, “…Sorry, I don’t quite remember.”

"Don't you remember?" Mochizuki Kaede frowned. "What does this mean—"

"Hmm... what is it?" Stoleya suddenly interrupted him, the confusion on her face vanishing and replaced by a girlish smile. She leaned forward, instantly closing the distance between them. "More than that, I want to know about you, Mochizuki Kaede~ Your body is so slender, so why are you so strong? I really want to know!"

As she spoke, she reached out her finger and gently poked Mochizuki Kaede's cheek.

Feeling Stoleya's breath so close to his face, Mochizuki Kaede leaned back slightly.

"You're too close..." His voice held a helpless sigh. Faced with such an unfathomable girl, he realized that further questioning would be futile. Everyone has their own secrets, and perhaps it wasn't appropriate for him to pry so deeply.

“You’ve gotten along very well with Asuna and the others these past few days,” Mochizuki Kaede said, changing the subject. “However, we’re setting off for the upper levels tomorrow to conquer the front lines. So… we’ll have to say goodbye for a while.”

"Should we go to the upper levels to conquer the front lines..." Stoleya repeated softly.

“Yes.” Mochizuki Kaede nodded, her gray eyes filled with determination. “In order to clear this game and allow everyone to return to the real world.”

The room fell into a brief silence.

Suddenly, Stoleya raised her head, a bright smile returning to her face: "Yes~ We'll meet again."

Her voice was light and cheerful, yet carried a certain certainty: "Maybe... it will be faster than you expect~"

Chapter 171: Lisbeth in a daze

When Mochizuki Kaede and her group returned to the guild headquarters after their honeymoon, Mito and Yuna were speechless with shock at the sight before them.

A little girl with black hair, whom I've never seen before, is affectionately holding Mochizuki Kaede's hand, calling out "Daddy" in a clear voice, then turning to call Asuna and Silica "Mommy." The little girl is about seven or eight years old, with bright and lively obsidian eyes, and her white dress sways slightly with her light steps.

"W-What's going on?!" Mitt's usually calm facade shattered completely. She blinked repeatedly, as if that would help her see through the illusion before her.

Yuna's eyes widened: "President...when did you...get such a cute child?"

Mochizuki Kaede gently ruffled Yui's hair: "This child is called Yui. We met her on the twenty-second floor."

Asuna picked up the conversation, briefly explaining that Yui had lost her memory when they found her, and how they decided to adopt her. Silica occasionally added details, and the three of them interacted so seamlessly that they seemed like a family.

After hearing the explanation, the eyes of the two girls, Mito and Yuna, softened, and their initial shock was replaced by heartache.

Mite nodded, his eyes full of pity: "So that's how it is... What a strong child."

"Would you like to hear Yuna play the lute?" Yuna had already taken out her lute, her fingertips gently plucking the strings, producing a tender melody. Yui's eyes immediately lit up, and she ran over to Yuna's side.

Asuna took the opportunity to give Mito a long-awaited hug, her chestnut hair brushing against her friend's cheek: "I missed you, Mito."

"Ahem..." Mitt turned his face away somewhat awkwardly, and said in a serious tone, "Now that you're back, you should focus on the strategy again!"

"Okay, Mito," Asuna replied with a smile.

Meanwhile, Yuna, while playing the piano, asked curiously in a low voice, "Silica, are you having a good honeymoon?"

This question made Silica's face instantly turn bright red, even her ears turned crimson: "Um... I'm very, very happy..."

Her voice grew softer and softer until it was almost a mosquito's hum. Pina tilted her head on her shoulder, looking at her mistress's behavior with puzzlement.

A mischievous smile flashed in Yuna's eyes: "Tell me, what did you all do?"

Under Yuna's gentle persuasion, Silica finally began to recount, in fits and starts, their time alone on the 22nd floor, how they bought their own cabin in the woods, and how they went boating, fishing, and watching meteor showers together...

"That sounds so romantic..." Yuna's eyes sparkled with longing.

She suddenly leaned close to Silica's ear and asked, "So... how do you arrange your sleeping arrangements at night? Do the three of you sleep together?"

"Huh?!" Silica exclaimed in surprise, her face instantly turning as red as a ripe apple.

In her panic, she instinctively looked to Mochizuki Kaede for help.

Seeing this, Mochizuki Kaede helplessly came over to defuse the situation: "Yuna, don't bully Silica."

He gently ruffled Silica's hair.

Yuna winked mischievously and deliberately drew out her words: "Oh dear~ The president is biased~ Now that Silica is your person, you're being especially protective of her, aren't you?"

"How could that be?" Mochizuki Kaede shook her head with a wry smile.

"Alright, alright, I'm not teasing you anymore." Yuna looked at the two of them again. "But seriously, I'm very happy to see you two so happy."

……

the next day.

Mochizuki Kaede went to Lisbeth's weapon shop for equipment maintenance.

"Ah, welcome, Mochizuki Kaede!" Lisbeth looked up from in front of the forging table, forcing a smile. "Let me finish the final steps on this weapon first..."

Mochizuki Kaede keenly noticed the dazed look in her eyes.

The usually energetic blacksmith looked unusually tired today, with a faint bluish-black tinge under her eyes, and her hand holding the forging hammer seemed to have less strength than usual.

At this moment, Lisbeth was forging a katana. In the firelight, her movements seemed somewhat distracted, a stark contrast to her usual decisive and efficient style. Mochizuki Kaede frowned; normally, she would have wielded the forging hammer with greater force.

“Pouring water on the blade…” Lisbeth muttered to herself, mechanically completing the quenching process. As she raised the forging hammer again—

"boom--!"

A piercing cracking sound suddenly rang out, and the blade on the forging table suddenly exploded, the sharp broken edge flying towards her face at an astonishing speed!

"Lizbeth! Danger!"

Mochizuki Kaede darted forward, grabbed her shoulder, and quickly turned to the side. The broken blade grazed their hair and fell to the ground with a "clang".

"Are you alright?" Mochizuki Kaede helped the still-shaken blacksmith to his feet.

“Hmm… what just flew over was…” Lisbeth’s voice was almost inaudible, her eyes unfocused, as if she hadn’t yet recovered from the shock. It wasn’t until she saw the broken blade on the ground that she snapped out of her daze: “Ah… it must have been the rapid cooling that caused the blade to break… that’s why the fragments…”

Wang Yuefeng frowned and asked, "Does this often happen when forging fails?"

Lisbeth shook her head slightly, her short pink hair swaying gently with the movement: "The knife might break, but this is the first time shards have flown directly at me..."

Mochizuki Kaede looked at her with concern: "This is a safe zone, you shouldn't get hurt, but are you really alright?"

He reached out and supported Lisbeth's swaying shoulders.

“Hmm, thank you…” Lisbeth looked down at the mess on the forging table, “but it’s amazing that such a low-level forging attempt failed…”

"It's just a matter of probability," Mochizuki Kaede gently comforted her. "Don't worry about it too much, Lisbeth."

Lisbeth set the forging hammer aside: "Maybe it's because I'm not in the zone today..."

Her voice was unusually low, a stark contrast to her usual energetic demeanor.

After a moment's hesitation, Mochizuki Kaede decided to ask directly, "Lisbeth, has something happened?"

Lisbeth looked up abruptly, a flicker of panic in her eyes: "...Is it that obvious?"

"Hmm, I noticed you seemed a bit listless as soon as I walked in," Mochizuki Kaede said softly.

"I knew I couldn't hide it from you." Lisbeth said with a wry smile.

"Because Lisbeth is always full of energy and enthusiasm." Mochizuki Kaede's tone was filled with sincere admiration.

The straightforward compliment instantly flushed Lisbeth's cheeks. She awkwardly turned her face away, twisting the edge of her work apron with her fingers: "It's just... a small thing happened that bothered me, nothing serious..."

Mochizuki Kaede keenly sensed the evasiveness in her words. Lisbeth was usually cheerful and straightforward, but now she was clearly hiding something. But since she was unwilling to say more, Mochizuki Kaede didn't press the matter further.

Chapter 172: A Special Partner

Seeing Lisbeth's downcast expression, Mochizuki Kaede asked softly, "...Then, Lisbeth, do you have time now?"

Lisbeth listlessly fiddled with the forging hammer: "There's plenty of time... I've cancelled all the orders I received today..."

Mochizuki Kaede nodded, then suddenly revealed a mysterious smile: "Alright, let's go for a walk then."

"Out...out?" Lisbeth looked up in confusion. "Where to?"

“A good place.” Mochizuki Kaede blinked, a gentle light shimmering in her gray eyes.

"Eh?"

Before she could react, Mochizuki Kaede had already pushed open the shop door and waved to her: "Let's go, let's set off."

"Wait a minute!" Lisbeth hurriedly jogged after him.

The two left the bustling town and followed a little-known path. After passing through a lush forest, the view suddenly opened up before them—

A vast plain stretches out under the sun, colorful flowers sway in the breeze, and swarms of butterflies dance among them. A gentle breeze carries the fresh scent of flowers and earth, and most breathtakingly, a magnificent rainbow spans the sky, adding a dreamlike touch to this beautiful scene.

"We're here, this is it." Mochizuki Kaede turned to look at Lisbeth.

Lisbeth stood frozen in place: "Where am I...?"

"A secret location I stumbled upon." Mochizuki Kaede walked towards the flower bushes, her slender fingers gently stroking the petals of a blue wildflower.

Lisbeth cautiously stepped into the sea of ​​flowers, colorful butterflies fluttering around her. She looked up at the magnificent rainbow stretching across the sky, the gloom in her eyes gradually dispelled by the light: "How beautiful! This place really calms the mind."

"And since no one will bother us, it's the perfect place to change our mood," said Mochizuki Kaede, sitting down on the soft grass, her gray eyes reflecting the colors of the wildflowers covering the mountains.

Lisbeth stopped beside him: "But is it really okay for you to tell me about such a special place?"

Looking into the distance, Mochizuki Kaede calmly said, "Because Lisbeth is special."

“Huh…” Lisbeth suddenly turned her head to look at him, her purplish-red eyes widening slightly.

A gentle breeze swept by, lifting the silver hair on Wang Yuefeng's forehead. He continued, "I really wanted to cheer you up, but I didn't know of any suitable places to relax in the city... so I thought of this place. I hope you like it."

A faint blush rose on Lisbeth's cheeks as she looked down and fiddled with the hem of her skirt. "This...this place is wonderful...I'm so happy."

She slowly sat down beside Mochizuki Kaede, her voice gradually becoming lighter: "Although going to the city's recreational facilities with you would probably be fun... but..."

She looked up, a genuine smile playing on her lips: "It's so wonderful to be here. Thank you!"

Mochizuki Kaede turned to look at her, sunlight shimmering in his gray eyes: "If this satisfies you, then I'm relieved."

The two sat side by side in the sea of ​​flowers, neither speaking. Butterflies fluttered around them, and the rainbow in the distance grew ever brighter. Lisbeth stole a glance at Mochizuki Kaede beside her and found him with his eyes closed, letting the gentle breeze caress his face.

“However…” Lisbeth suddenly spoke up, “bringing a girl to a place like this can easily lead to misunderstandings. Usually… it’s only done for special people, right?”

Mochizuki Kaede opened her eyes, her gaze sincere: "I haven't misunderstood you. Lisbeth is indeed a special person to me."

"W-What?!" Lisbeth's face instantly turned bright red, even the tips of her ears were tinged with the color of the sunset. "What you're saying... isn't that the same as saying... that I'm... that... special person to you?"

Mochizuki Kaede nodded, a gentle smile playing on her lips: "Yes, without you, I wouldn't have been able to give it my all in battle. After all, my two extremely important weapons—[Thunder Abyss Judgment] and [Sword of the Earth]—are both masterpieces of your craft, the blacksmith."

"Ah...yes, that's what I mean..." Lisbeth's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible disappointment, but she quickly smiled again. At least this showed that she did indeed hold an important place in Mochizuki Kaede's heart; otherwise, Mochizuki Kaede wouldn't have noticed her unusual behavior so quickly today, and wouldn't have specially brought her to such a beautiful secret place to help her relax.

Mochizuki Kaede's voice was exceptionally clear amidst the sea of ​​flowers: "Sword skills are everything. In the world of SAO, weapons are the most important partners. Every time I hold the [Thunder Abyss Judgment] and the [Earth Sword], I can feel the painstaking effort that the forgers poured into them."

He looked at the pink-haired girl: "So for me, Lisbeth is indeed an irreplaceable and important partner. It's no exaggeration to say that you are the one who supports my life."

"You...you're exaggerating." Lisbeth's cheeks flushed, but the surprise in her eyes gradually softened. She lowered her head, a smile involuntarily playing on her lips: "Idiot...suddenly saying something so cool..."

A gentle breeze stirred, ruffling her pink hair. After a moment of silence, Lisbeth suddenly whispered, "Um... Mochizuki Kaede, could I ask you for a favor?"

"What is it?" Mochizuki Kaede tilted her head slightly.

Lisbeth lowered her head and said shyly, "As... the... reward that sustained your life? Let me recharge a little..."