--- Lisbeth ---
Sword art online, the death game.
Many people call our new reality in such a way.
Personally, I don't really have the urge to call this game such a thing.
Maybe it's because I'm not like those insane people that fight with their lives on the line.
All I know is that in here, I am free to do whatever I like without having to worry about anything else.
Certainly, it is unfortunate that we cannot log out, I do understand it's a terrible situation to be in.
But even then, all the people that were trapped in here are hardcore gamers, who wouldn't have a problem playing for days on end without stopping.
I'm one of such people, which is why I can tell—
My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening, pulling me back to the present.
I turned to greet the new customers, but before I could speak, they were quicker.
"Is this the shop that the [Death Reaper] has been going to for his weapons!?"
'Another bunch that came because of him. Seriously...'
Lately, this kind of thing was the usual here.
'Even so, it's kind of annoying that people only come to my shop for this reason as of late.'
"Yes, this is the place," I replied, keeping my tone neutral despite the weariness I felt. The customers' curiosity was immediately piqued, their eyes lighting up with excitement as they looked through all the displayed weapons.
I was annoyed, but I couldn't exactly blame them. His reputation was unmatched.
The acknowledged strongest player.
Only a handful of people in this game can keep up with someone as crazy as him.
Unlike what one might think after hearing this nickname for the first time, it's not just because of his strength or the fact he almost cleared all the Bosses in this game with only a party of two people, making it also the strongest party in the game.
This nickname actually originated from the [Player Killer Incident] that happened a few months ago.
To be more precise, it's the story of how a newly formed orange guild, [Laughing Coffin], was destroyed barely one day after its creation.
But that wasn't the end.
The news spread, quoting his declaration after the fact:
["All orange guilds will be wiped out by me without question. If you want to become the second Laughing Coffin I destroy, please feel free. For the individual orange players, if I see you in my line of sight, consider yourself already dead."]
Such enormous arrogance would normally provoke a grand reaction among the players, but knowing it was him who said it, everyone accepted it as the new law.
The game already treated all orange players as criminals, but now, with the strongest player openly declaring war on them, the concept of Player Killing became widely known as something only an idiot would attempt.
Moreover, since all the major guilds wanted to curry favor with him in hopes of gaining the [Withered Rose] party under their banner, a new [Anti-Player Killing Act] was formed, aiming to make Player Killing extremely difficult.
Just like that, an issue that could have become a huge problem in the future was taken care of in one fell swoop.
As for how he became a regular of this shop, honestly, I have no idea.
It just...kind of happened?
---
"The total for this weapon will be 102,500 Cor," I said, finalizing the negotiation with a customer for a custom-made axe. He nodded, pleased with the deal.
"That's a fair price," he said, reaching for his menu to start the transaction, when the door of my shop opened.
"Ah, just one second," I said, holding up a hand to pause our conversation. I turned to welcome the new customer, ready to inform them that I would be with them shortly.
Before I could speak, though, my eyes fell on the newcomer—
Wait.
Dark hair, red eyes,
It's impossible, right...?
But then, I saw it.
His nickname hovered above his head.
[Haru]
[🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩] 100%
I was shocked beyond belief.
Haru, the strongest climber, here?
Before I could gather my thoughts, my current customer turned to see who had entered. His eyes widened in recognition as there wasn't a single person unaware of who Haru, the Death Reaper, was.
"D-Death Reaper!" he stuttered, clearly startled.
Haru shook his head, a small smile on his lips. "I'm just a customer like you, no need to make such a fuss."
The customer's eyes darted between Haru and me. "Is this... is this the regular blacksmith shop you go to?"
No! I've never even seen him in person!
Haru seemed to ponder for a second, then smiled. "How did you know?"
That's not true!
The customer was stunned. He turned back to me, his decision made before I could even deny it.
"I'll absolutely take this order," he said, paying all the Cor upfront before practically bolting out of the shop, no doubt eager to spread the news everywhere.
...
As the door closed behind the fleeing customer, I finally managed to calm myself. I sighed and looked at the lying customer left.
"Why did you do that? You had no reason to spread such unfounded rumors."
Haru chuckled, approaching me before leaning casually against the counter. "Why do you think it's a rumor? From now on, this really will be my regular blacksmith shop."
His words left me momentarily speechless. I couldn't believe my luck. It would be no exaggeration to say this man was a legend among the regular players and even most veterans.
Having him as a regular would be a jackpot. But it felt too good to be true. There must be some kind of hidden motive!
"...Hmph! Even if you do this, I won't offer you any discount," I declared, crossing my arms defiantly. "If you think you can use me just because I'm an easy target, dream on!"
Haru pouted, aiming to tease me. "That's not fair. What I did just now will surely bring you a lot of customers. For that, and considering I'll be a regular from now on, I at least deserve a little discount, don't you think?"
His words made me falter slightly.
Even though he seemed a bit shady, he hadn't actually done anything wrong.
Yet.
But how could I treat a customer like this...?
I fiddled with my hands, feeling a bit insecure. "Do you really have no hidden motives? It just doesn't feel like you're treating me seriously..."
In response, Haru reached into his inventory and pulled out a weapon I recognized immediately: [Blood Nightshade], his well-known main weapon.
My eyes widened in disbelief.
Don't tell me...
Haru's smile took on a slightly sinister edge. "I want this weapon to be +25 within two weeks. Specifically, +15 damage, +5 accuracy, and +5 durability."
I nearly shouted in shock. "Are you mad? Reinforcing a weapon to that level depends heavily on the forger's skill. There are blacksmiths with higher refining skills than mine. Why trust me with something this important?"
Haru paused for a moment before replying, "I decided to trust my intuition."
His response made me sigh in defeat, but then a spark of determination ignited within me. "Fine," I said, my eyes shining with resolve. "I'll do it."
Deep down, I loved a mad challenge like this one.
This was exactly the kind of work I lived for.
As such, a contract was formed.
---
Author's Note:
More details about Akira wiping out player killers will be explained next chapter. If you think about death, PoH is actually one of the main problems in SAO that had to be purged.
Also, no post yesterday because I am sick. I hate life.