Asuna was sleeping in the white light of the morning. A steady melody suddenly entered her consciousness. It's the wake up bell played by the oboe. Asuna felt like she was floating in the air before she woke up and was immersed in the nostalgic melody. Soon, the brisk sound of strings and clarines played the main melody. At this time, there was a soft voice humming a song.
Humming a song?
Asuna was not the one singing. She opened her eyes instantly.
The black-haired girl in his arms closed her eyes and hummed the same melody as Asuna's wake up call.
And it didn't drop at all, but that was impossible. Because Asuna had set the alarm bell to only be heard by herself, no one should be able to sing along with the melody that only played in her mind.
However, Asuna threw this question to the back of her mind. More importantly…
[Kiri-Ren, wake up quickly!]」
Without moving her body, Asuna called out to Kirito, who was sleeping on the bed behind her. Not long after, he heard Kirito's muffled voice as he sat up.
"... Good morning. What's wrong?"
" Hurry up, come here!"
A slight creaking sound came from the floor. Kirito, who had been looking at the bed through Asuna's eyes without a care, immediately widened his eyes.
[She's singing...?]
[Yes, yes…]
Asuna gently shook the girl in her arms and called out to her.
"Wake up... Please, open your eyes.」
The girl's lips stopped moving. Not long after, her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes.
His moist black eyes met Asuna's gaze at close range. After blinking a few times, she opened her pale lips slightly.
[Ah…Woo…]
The girl's voice was as beautiful as striking a thin piece of silver. Asuna sat up with the girl in her arms.
"... Great, you're awake. Do you know what happened to you?」
After Asuna finished speaking, the girl remained silent for a few seconds before shaking her head slightly.
"Is that so... then what's your name? Do you know?"
[... name... word... my... my... name...]
The girl tilted her head, and a strand of shiny black hair slid down her cheek.
[Tie…clothes.] He tied his clothes. My…name…"
"Do you want to tie your clothes? What a good name. I'm Asuna, and he's Kirito."
Asuna turned her head, and Yui followed suit. She looked back and forth between Asuna and Kirito, who had plucked out her upper body, and said,"
[A…house, Tong…people.]」
She stuttered and moved her mouth, making intermittent sounds. The uneasiness she felt last night woke up in Asuna's mind. The girl seemed to be at least eight years old. Adding on the time since she logged in, her actual age should be ten years old. However, the girl's indistinct pronunciation was like a child who had just learned to speak.
[Yui, why are you on the 22nd floor?] Do you know where your parents are?」
Yui looked down without saying a word. After a long period of silence, he shook his head hard.
" I…don't know…I don't know anything…"
He carried the girl to the dining table and handed her warm and sweet milk. The girl held the cup with both hands and drank it mouthful by mouthful. Looking at the girl from the corner of her eye, Asuna and Kirito were discussing at a distance from her.
[Kirito…What do you think…?]」
Kirito wore a serious expression as he bit his lips. After a while, he lowered his head and said,"
" It seems like... she has lost her memory. However, what's more serious is that from her appearance…she might have suffered some mental trauma…"
[You really think so too…?]
[Damn it!]
Kirito's face was twisted, and he looked like he was about to cry.
" Although I have seen many cruel scenes in this world... this is terrible, too cruel..."
Asuna felt something pierce her chest as she looked at the tears in his eyes. She hugged Kirito tightly with both arms and said,"
" No problem, Kirito... There must be something we can help with..."
"... Really? That's true..."
Kirito lifted his head and smiled. He placed his hands on Asuna's shoulders and walked over to the dining table. Asuna followed behind him.
She moved the chair and sat down beside Yui. Kirito said to her in a cheerful voice,"
Yui, who was originally facing the cup, raised her head and nodded.
[I see. In that case, Yui can just call me Kirito.」
[Tong…Ren.]
[It's Kirito. Tong, people."
「……」
Yui's face revealed a difficult expression as she fell silent.
[…Hurts.]
Kirito laughed and patted Yui's head gently.
"This might be a little difficult for you. Otherwise, you can call me whatever you want.」
Yui fell into deep thought again. Even when Asuna took the cup from the table, filled it with milk, and put it back in front of her, she did not react.
Finally, Yui slowly raised her head to look at Kirito's face and spoke in a trembling voice.
[…Daddy.]
Then, he looked up at Asuna and said,"
[Ah Wu…Mama.]
Asuna couldn't help but tremble. She didn't know if she had mistaken her for her real parents, or if she yearned for parents who weren't in this world. However, instead of thinking about it, Asuna tried her best to suppress her emotions and nodded with a smile.
"Yes…Yui, I'm your mother.」
Yui smiled for the first time when she heard this. The moment the black eyes that lacked disgust under the neat bangs shone, the face that was as upright as a doll also regained its vitality.
[-Mom!]
Looking at the hand that was reaching out to her, Asuna's heart wavered.
[Woo...]
Trying her best to hold back her sobs and maintain the smile on her face, Asuna picked up Yui's small body from the chair and hugged her tightly. At the same time, she felt a drop of tears mixed with various emotions flow down her cheek.
After drinking hot milk and eating a small bun, Yui seemed to feel sleepy again and began to doze off on the chair.
Asuna watched her from the other side of the table. She wiped her eyes and looked at Kirito, who was sitting on the chair next to her.
[I-I…]
Although he opened his mouth, he could not express what he wanted to say.
[I'm sorry, I don't know what to do anymore...]
Kirito looked at Asuna with a loving gaze for a while before finally muttering,"
"You want to take care of the child until she regains her memory, right? I know how you feel…because…I want to do the same. But…this is really a dilemma…This way, we won't be able to carry out the strategy for a long time, and the time for this child to return will be delayed…"
[Hmm…That's true…]
Asuna thought that she was a different story. It was not an exaggeration to say that Kirito had a strong presence among the players in the strategy group. Even though he was a solo player, the number of undeveloped areas in the maze area he provided was more than many powerful guilds. Even though it had only been a few weeks of newlywed life, she still felt guilty for monopolizing the Kirito people.
"Anyway, let's do what we can.」
Kirito looked at Yui, who was snoring, and continued,"
"The first step is to go to the Town of Beginnings to look for the child's parents or siblings. After all, she is such an eye-catching player. There should be at least a few people who know her.」
「…………」
This suggestion was correct. However, Asuna realized that she did not want to be separated from this girl. Although this was the cohabitation life that he had dreamed of with Kirito, he did not know why he did not reject the idea of becoming three people. Perhaps it was because she felt that Yui was like her child with Kirito, but Asuna, who had been thinking about it casually, suddenly came back to her senses, and even her ears turned red.
「……? "What's wrong?"
[W-Nothing happened!]
She shook her head vigorously at the suspicious Kirito.
"Just, just like that! After Yui wakes up, we'll go to the Town of Beginnings to take a look and publish it in the missing person column of the newspaper.」
Unable to look at Kirito's face, Asuna spoke quickly while cleaning up the table. He glanced at Yui who was sleeping on the chair. She seemed to be completely asleep. However, she did not know if it was a psychological effect, but her sleeping face looked different from yesterday. It looked more stable.
Yui, who was carried to the bed, slept the entire morning. Asuna was worried that she might have fainted again, but fortunately, she woke up when she was preparing lunch.
Although Yui had baked a sweet fruit pie that she would not normally make, Yui, who had come to the table, seemed to be more interested in the wasabi sandwich that Kirito was eating with relish than the pie. The two of them panicked.
[Yui, this is very spicy.]」
"Wuuu ~ I want to eat the same as Daddy.」
"Is that so?" Since you're already mentally prepared, I won't stop you. After all, he had to try everything.」
Kirito handed her a sandwich, and Yui did not hesitate to open her small mouth and take a big bite.
Under the nervous gazes of the two, Yui, who was chewing with difficulty, swallowed the food and smiled.
[It's so delicious.]
[What a patient child.」
Kirito also smiled and stroked Yui's head.
[Let's challenge the super spicy full meal for dinner!]」
[Really, don't get carried away!] I don't know how to make that kind of thing!"
However, if Yui's guardian was found in the town of the messenger, she would return to the state of only two people when she returned home. At the thought of this, Asuna felt a sense of loneliness.
In the end, the remaining sandwiches were all emptied by Yui. Asuna said to Yui, who was sipping milk tea in satisfaction,"
"Yui, we're going out in the afternoon.」
[Going out?]
Just as he was fretting over how to explain this to Yui, who had raised her head in surprise, Kirito spoke first,"
[I'm going to look for Yui's friend.]
[What is a friend?]
This answer made the two of them look at each other. There were too many incomprehensible aspects to Yui's 'symptoms.' Rather than saying that it was a simple regressing of mental age, it gave people the feeling that it was more like a missing piece of memory.
In order to improve this situation, it's better to find a real guardian as soon as possible…After convincing herself, Asuna answered Yui's question.
" The so-called friend is someone who will help you with your clothes. Come, hurry up and prepare."
Although Yui was still suspicious, she still nodded and stood up.
The girl was wearing a white one-piece dress. Other than the short puff sleeves, the material was also very thin. In this early winter season, just looking at it made one feel cold. Even if it was cold, he wouldn't catch a cold or get hurt because of it--it would be a different story if it was all grown in a snowy area--but he would still feel uncomfortable.
Asuna scrolled through the list of items and materialized the thick clothes one by one. When she finally found a sweater that fit the girl's size, she stopped.
Usually, one had to operate the equipment doll from the status window to put on the clothes. This was because the reproduction of soft objects such as cloth and liquid was the weakest line in SAO. Rather than saying that clothes were independent objects, it was better to say that the system classified them as part of the body.
Realizing that Asuna was at a loss, Kirito asked Yui,"
[Yui, can you open the window?]」
As expected, the girl tilted her head as if she didn't understand at all.
" Then, try waving your right finger. Like this…"
Kirito waved his finger, and a purple square window popped up below his hand. Yui did as she was told without hesitation, but the window did not open.
[... Is there really a bug in the system?] However, the fact that he couldn't open the status window was too fatal…He couldn't do anything like that.」
Kirito could not help but bite his lips. At this moment, Yui, who had been waving the fingers of her right hand, switched to waving her left hand this time. In the next moment, a purple window appeared under his hand.
[It has appeared!]
Asuna and Kirito looked at each other in surprise above Yui's head, who seemed to be very happy. He was completely confused about the situation.
[Yui, let me take a look.]
Asuna bent down and looked at the girl's window. However, usually, only the user could see the status window, so there was nothing on the screen.
"Sorry, lend me your hand.」
Asuna held Yui's right hand and instinctively moved her thin index finger toward the button that should switch to the visible mode.
His intuition was right. A familiar image appeared on the surface of the window after a brief sound effect. Peeking at someone else's status window was a serious violation of etiquette, so even in this situation, Asuna tried her best to avoid staring at the screen and only wanted to quickly open the prop bar, but-
[What…what's going on?]
Asuna couldn't help but scream when she glanced at the top of the screen.
The main page of the menu window was basically divided into three areas. At the top were names in English, long and thin HP bars, and EXP bars. On the right side of the bottom was an equipment puppet, and on the left side was a list of command buttons. Although the options, images, and other designs could be customized, the basic configuration could not be changed. That being said, the top of the Yui's window only showed the strange name " Yui-MHCP001." There was no HP bar or EXP bar, not even the level. Although there were equipment puppets, there were much fewer command buttons than usual. There were only [Items] and [Setting].
Kirito, who didn't understand why Asuna had stopped moving and leaned over, was also shocked when he saw the window. Yui, who didn't seem to care about the abnormality at the window, looked up at the two of them with a strange expression.
[Is this also…a system bug…?]」
Asuna mumbled, while Kirito murmured from the depths of his throat,"
[How should I put this…Rather than saying that it was caused by a bug, it feels like it was designed this way…Damn it, I've never been so frustrated about not having a GM.]」
" After all, let alone a bug, there was almost no delay in the SAO. Naturally, it didn't matter if there was a GM or not... There's no point in thinking about it, right..."
Asuna shrugged and opened the prop bar again. After placing the sweater on the table, the item was put into the window with a flash of light. Then, he dragged the name of the sweater onto the equipment doll.
In the next moment, with the sound of a bell, light particles surrounded Yui's body, and the light pink sweater also turned into an object.
[Wow--]
Yui revealed a happy expression and opened her arms to look at her body. Asuna then equipped the girl with a dress of the same color, black stockings, and red shoes. Finally, she put the dress she was originally wearing back into the prop bar and closed the window.
She seemed to be very happy to change into a new outfit. She rubbed her cheeks with the soft texture of the sweater or pulled the hem of her dress with both hands.
[Come, let's go!]
[Yes.] Daddy, hug me."
Kirito smiled wryly at Yui, who was innocently extending her arms. At the same time, she lifted the girl's body horizontally. Then, he maintained this posture and glanced at Asuna."
" Asuna, it's best to be prepared to be armed at any time. Although I don't have any intention of leaving the street area…it's still within the 'army's' sphere of influence…"
[Yes, it's better to be careful.]
Asuna nodded. After confirming her item bar, she walked towards the door with Kirito. Although Asuna sincerely hoped that she could find the girl's guardian, the thought of separating from Yui made Asuna feel unbelievably shaken. It had only been a day since they met, but Yui seemed to have completely occupied the gentlest part of Asuna's heart.
It had been several months since he last came to the first level of the " Town of Originator ".
Asuna felt complicated emotions as she stood at the entrance of the portal and looked around the huge square and the horizontal street opposite.
This was the largest city in Irongrunt, and the necessary functions for adventuring were naturally more abundant than other streets. The prices were cheap, and there were many hotels and other businesses. If one only considered efficiency, it was definitely the most suitable place to use as a base.
However, Asuna knew that none of the high-level players were still in the Town of Beginnings. The tyranny of the 'army' was one of the reasons, but the most important thing was that as long as one stood in the central square and looked up at the sky, one would definitely remember what happened back then.
At first, it was just a spur of the moment.
Asuna Yuki was born to an industrialist father and a scholar mother. She grew up under the strong expectations of her parents. Her parents were strict people. Although they were very gentle to Aina, the more they were like this, the more Aina was afraid of seeing their disappointed expressions.
In this regard, her brother should be the same. Mingri Nai and her brother both attended the private school that their parents had chosen. There were no problems, and their grades remained in the top few. When her older brother, who was much older than her, entered university and left home, Akari Na's mind was filled with only thoughts of responding to her parents 'expectations. She learned many talents and only communicated with friends that her parents approved of. However, Asuna did not know when it started, but this kind of life made her feel that her world was shrinking and becoming rigid. She was also often afraid that if she went in the direction her parents had decided on--entering the high school, university, and marrying the person her parents had chosen--she would definitely be stuffed into a shell that was smaller and harder than her, and she would never be able to escape.
Therefore, when her brother, who was working at the company his father ran, went home to live, got the NERvGear and SAO through the pipeline, and talked about the world's first " VRMMO " with a rare light in his eyes, Asuna, who had never even touched a TV game, began to have some interest in this incredible new world.
Of course, if her brother only used it in his room, she would probably forget about the NERvGear very soon. Coincidentally, her brother had to go abroad for a business trip on the day of SAO's opening, so Akarina, who was on a whim, asked her brother to lend her the money to play for a day. He wanted to see a world he had never seen before, just based on this mentality.
Then, the world changed completely.
Asuna could still remember the excitement she felt when she transformed into Asuna and descended into the streets and crowds she had never seen before.
However, after that, when the god descended upon her and declared that this world was a game of death that she could not escape from, the first thing Asuna thought of was her unfinished math homework.
If he didn't go back and finish his homework quickly, he would be scolded by the teacher the next day. This was a stain that shouldn't exist in Asuna's life... but of course, the severity of the situation wasn't just this.
One week, two weeks, the days passed by in a state of inaction. However, no external help could reach in. Asuna, who was locked up in a hotel room in the Town of Beginnings and squatting on her bed, kept feeling the chaos for no reason. Sometimes, they would scream or knock on the wall while shouting. It was winter in the third year of junior high school, and the joint examination was coming soon. The new semester would also arrive soon. For Asuna, going off track was the end of her life.
Asuna was so vexed that she almost went crazy every day, but she also had deep and dark faith.
Rather than worrying about their child's health, parents must be more disappointed in their daughter who failed because of the game console. His friends should be lamenting, pitiable, or mocking the eliminated team members.
When the dark thoughts reached a critical point, Asuna finally made up her mind and left the hotel. Instead of waiting for rescue, he would leave this place on his own, which meant that he would become the hero who solved the problem. Other than doing this, he had no other way to maintain the hearts of the people around him.
Asuna gathered all the equipment and memorized the reference manual. Then, she set off for the training area. He only slept two to three hours a day, and the rest of the time was spent on leveling up. Once he used his innate intelligence and willpower on the game strategy, it would not take him much time to become one of the highest-level players. The Berserker, Asuna the Flash, was born.
And now, two years later, the seventeen-year-old Asuna looked back at herself with pity. No, it was not just at the beginning of the game. He also had a painful and helpless pity for himself who had only lived in a hard and narrow world before that.
He didn't understand what it meant to be 'alive'. He just kept sacrificing the present and calculating the future that he should have. The 'present' was simply a process leading to the correct future, so when it became the past, it disappeared into nothingness without leaving anything behind.
Looking down at the world of SAO, he deeply felt that these were all indispensable.
People who only pursued the future would be as crazy as their past selves as they were as they were as they moved toward the game. People who thought about the past would only hug their knees and hide in their hotel rooms. People who lived in the present would sometimes pursue the momentary pleasure of criminals.
However, in this world, there were still people who enjoyed the present, constantly creating memories, and at the same time working hard to leave this place. The person who taught him this was the black-haired swordsman he met a year ago. Ever since Asuna wished that she could live like him, she changed the colors of every day.
If it was now, as long as this person was by her side, she could even break the shell of the real world. She even felt that she could live for herself.
Asuna approached Kirito, who was standing beside her and looking at the street with his own emotions. When he looked up at the stone cover in the sky again, the pain he felt became weaker.
As if trying to drive away her sadness, Asuna shook her head and looked at Yui's face in Kirito's arms.
"Yui, do you see any buildings that you've seen before?」
[Woo... 1]
Yui looked at the stone buildings around the square with a troubled expression, but she shook her head not long after.
[I don't know…]
"After all, the Town of Beginnings is too big.」
Kirito said while stroking Yui's head.
"Wandering around should remind her of something. Anyway, let's go to the Central Market first.」
[That's true.]
The two of them nodded at each other and walked toward the street in the south.
Asuna, who found it a little strange, re-examined the square as she walked. There were surprisingly few people.
The transfer gate square of the Town of Beginnings was quite spacious, enough to accommodate 10,000 players when it started operations two years ago. In the center of the circular space with stone floors stood a huge clock tower. Below it was a transfer door that was emitting blue light. The flowerbeds that surrounded the tower extended outwards, and there were several elegant white benches in the middle. It wasn't strange for the afternoon weather to be a little noisy due to the gamers resting. However, all the people he saw were moving towards the transfer gate or the exit of the square. There was almost no one who stopped or sat on the bench.
If it was a large-scale street on the upper level, the transfer gate square would always be mixed with countless players coming and going. Some people were chatting from all over the world, some were recruiting team members, and some were setting up simple stalls to sell. Because of the crowd, it was almost impossible to move forward in a straight line.
[Sigh, Kirito.]
[Hmm?]
Asuna asked Kirito, who had turned around,"
[How many players are left here?」
"Well, about this…There are about 6,000 players still alive, and including the 'army,' about 30% of them are still in the starting town, so there are about 2,000 players?」
"In that case, don't you think there are too few people?」
[Now that you mention it…will they all gather at the market?]」
However, even after entering the main street from the square and arriving at the market area where shops and vendors were lined up, the street was still very deserted. Only the energetic NPC merchants 'cries echoed throughout the entire street.
Even so, Asuna still spotted a man sitting under a tree in the middle of the street. She walked over and asked,"
" Well, I'm sorry."
The man looked up at the tree with a serious expression and replied in a troublesome tone without looking back,
"What is it?"
"Um... is there a place like a missing person window nearby?」
Hearing this, the man finally turned his gaze to Asuna and stared at her face without hesitation.
"Are you from somewhere else?」
" Yes, yes... We are looking for the child's guardian..."
As she spoke, she pointed at Yui, who was dozing off in the arms of Kirito, who was standing behind her.
This man, who was dressed in plain and light clothes and whose organization was difficult to identify, was somewhat surprised when he glanced at Yui, but he immediately turned his gaze back to the tree above him.
"... A lost child? This is really strange…There are many small ghost players gathered in the church by the river in the East Seventh District. I'll go there and ask.」
[T-Thank you.]
Asuna quickly bowed her head and thanked him for the unexpected information. She also took the opportunity to ask other questions.
"That... may I ask what you are doing here? Also, why was there no one here?」
Although the man revealed an unhappy expression, he still replied in a tactful tone,
[Actually, I really want to tell you that it's a trade secret, but since you're a foreigner, it doesn't matter... You should be able to see it, right?] That very tall branch."
Asuna looked in the direction the man was pointing at. The branches of the tall roadside trees were covered with bright red leaves. If one looked carefully, one could see that under the shadow of the leaves, there were a few yellow fruits.
"Of course, because the trees are objects that cannot be destroyed, even if you climb up, you won't be able to pick a single leaf, let alone a fruit.」
The man continued.
"However, the fruit will drop a few times a day…Although it will rot and disappear after a few minutes, if you seize the opportunity to pick it up, you can sell it to NPCs at a good price, and it tastes good.」
[Eee-]
Speaking of ingredients and tools, Asuna, who had completely mastered cooking skills, was very interested.
"How much can that be sold for?"
"…Please keep this a secret. One can be sold for five cors."
「…………」
Looking at the man's smug expression, Asuna was momentarily speechless. Other than being surprised that the price was too cheap, he also felt that it was completely inconsistent with the labor of guarding under the tree for an entire day.
"That, that…should I say that it's not profitable at all…If I go to the practice area and casually defeat a bug, I can earn 30 cors.」
As soon as he finished speaking, it was the man's turn to widen his eyes. He almost said,"Is there something wrong with your head?"」He looked at Asuna.
"Are you serious? Fighting monsters in the practice area…could kill people!」
Asuna was speechless. As the man said, fighting with monsters was indeed close to death. However, Asuna felt that it was like walking on the streets in the real world and worrying about getting into a traffic accident. It was useless to worry.
Asuna was at a loss because she couldn't tell if she had become slow to sense the death of Sao or if the man was too neurotic. Neither of the two should be the correct answer. However, in the starting town, what the man said was definitely what ordinary people knew.
Completely oblivious to Asuna's complicated emotions, the man continued,"
"Hmm? What else did you ask? Why was there no one? Actually, it wasn't that there wasn't anyone around. It was just that everyone was hiding in the hotel room. This was because they might encounter the army's tax collection troops during the day.」
"Levy, levy taxes... what exactly is going on?」
[It's a hooligan with a card. You guys have to be careful. Those guys won't be polite to outsiders. Oh, a fruit is about to fall…Let's stop here.」
The man shut his mouth and stared at the sky with a serious gaze. Asuna nodded and thanked him again. She realized that Kirito had remained silent throughout the conversation, so she turned around.
Kirito stared at the yellow fruit with a serious expression that he had never seen in the middle of the battle. It seemed like he was planning to go all out to snatch the next fruit that dropped.
[Stop it, really!]
[Because, because I care!」
Asuna grabbed Kirito's collar and dragged him along.
[Ah, ah ah…It looks delicious…]
Asuna then grabbed Kirito's ear, who still felt that it was a pity, and forced him to turn around.
"Don't worry about that. Where is the Seventh East District? The younger players seemed to be staying in the church. He would go there to take a look first.」
[... Yes.]
After taking Yui, who was completely asleep, and holding her firmly, Asuna walked to Kirito, who was staring at the map, and moved forward at his speed.
Yui looked to be around ten years old. If she was held in this way in the real world, her arms would be sore after a few minutes. However, because of the adjustment of the strength value, the weight he felt on his hand was like a feather.
After walking southeast for more than ten minutes along the wide road that was still deserted, they finally arrived at an area that looked like a vast garden. The colorful broad-leaved trees swayed in the early winter wind.
"Hmm, according to the map, this is the Seventh East District…Where is the church?」
[Ah, it should be over there, right?]
Asuna looked at the tall spire on the other side of the wide forest on the right side of the road, indicating the direction with her eyes. At the top of the tower with a greenish-gray roof, an ancient Egyptian cross made of metal was shining. That must be the symbol of the Church. This was a facility that every town had at least one. The altar inside could remove the monster's special attack " curse " and bless the weapon against the undead monsters. This was the most mysterious part of SAO, where magic elements were almost non-existent. In addition, as long as he continued to pay Cole, he could borrow a small room in the church to replace the hotel.
[Wait, wait a minute.]
Asuna suddenly called out to Kirito, who was about to walk towards the church.
"Hmm? "What's wrong?"
"Ah, nothing... that... if we find Yui's guardian here, we have to leave... Yui here, right...?」
「…………」
Kirito's black eyes seemed to soften as he looked at Asuna with love. He leaned over and gently hugged Asuna and the sleeping Yui in his arms.
"I don't want to be separated from her either. How should I put it…With the existence of the clothes, my home in the forest has become like a real home…I think so…but it's definitely not that I won't be able to see it again. When Yui recovers her memories, she will definitely come looking for us again.」
[Hmm…that's true.]
Nodding slightly, Asuna pressed her face against the knot in her arms and made up her mind to walk away.
The church's building was considered small in terms of the size of the street. It was two stories tall, and there was only one steeple as a symbol. There were multiple churches in the starting town, and the one near the transfer gate square was as big as a mansion.
Asuna walked to the two huge doors and pushed one of them open with her right hand. Because it was a public facility, it was naturally impossible to lock it. The interior was a little dark, and only the candle flames on the altar in front of it illuminated the stone floor slightly. At first glance, there was no one there.
She only put her upper body into the entrance, and Asuna called out,"
"Is anyone here?"
The sound dragged along the echo effect and disappeared, but no one appeared.
[Is everyone not here...?]
She tilted her head and was puzzled. Then, she heard Kirito lower her voice and deny,"
"No, there's someone. There were three people in the room on the right, four people on the left…and a few people on the second floor.」
[... You can use the enemy search skill to know the number of people on the other side of the wall?」
[Proficiency must reach 980.] It's very convenient to use, so Asuna should upgrade it as well.」
" No, that cultivation method is so boring that it drives people crazy... By the way, why are they hiding..."
Asuna stepped softly into the church. Although the surroundings were surrounded by silence, he could feel the aura of someone hiding inside.
"Uh, sorry, we're here to look for someone!」
She raised her voice slightly and called out again. Then, the door on her right opened slightly, and a weak female voice came from inside.
"Aren't you from the 'army'?」
"No, we came from the upper levels.」
Asuna and Kirito were not equipped with swords or defensive equipment for battle. Because the players who belonged to the army often wore heavy equipment as uniforms, it should be possible to determine that they were not related to the army just by looking at their appearance.
Not long after, the door opened and a female player appeared, trembling.
He had short, dark blue hair and wore large black-rimmed glasses. The dark green eyes that hid his timidity were wide open. She was wearing a plain dark blue dress and holding a small dagger in her sheath.
"Really…not the army's tax collection brigade…?"」
Asuna smiled and nodded to reassure the woman.
"Yes, we came down from the upper echelons today to find talents. It has nothing to do with the army.」
At this moment-
"From above? So you are real swordsmen?」
Accompanied by the teenager's sharp cry, the door behind the woman opened wide, and a few figures ran out in a mess. Then, the door on the left side of the altar also opened, and several figures also ran out.
Asuna and Kirito stared at the bespectacled woman in shock. Two rows of young players, each of whom could be called a teenager or a teenage girl, stood on both sides of the bespectacled woman. He was about 12 to 14 years old. Everyone was observing Asuna and Kirito with great interest.
[Seriously, didn't I tell you to hide in the room!」
The woman who hurriedly asked the children to return to their rooms looked to be about twenty years old. However, none of the children listened to her orders.
However, the first to rush out of the room was a young man with short red hair who immediately cried out in disappointment,
" What? Why didn't you take a sword? I say, you're from the upper echelons, aren't you? Don't you have any weapons?"
The second half of the sentence was directed at Kirito.
[Ah, no, it's not like there isn't…]
The surprised Kirito answered, and the children's expressions lit up again. They shouted," Let me see, let me see."
[How can you speak in such a rude tone to someone you've just met? I'm really sorry, because there are usually no guests visiting…"
Seeing the bespectacled woman lower her head in fear, Asuna hurriedly said,"
"No, it's okay. Kirito, I remember there are still a few things that have been placed in the prop bar. Let them see them."」
[Yes, yes.]
After agreeing to Asuna's suggestion, Kirito opened the window and moved his fingers. Not long after, there were more than ten weapons and props piled up on the long table. This was an item dropped by a monster in a recent adventure. It was placed there because he didn't have time to sell it.
After Kirito took out all the items except for their equipment and closed the window, the children gathered around them with thunderous cheers. One by one, they picked up their swords or war hammers and kept saying,"So heavy!」[So handsome!] Waiting for cheers. Although this was a scene that would definitely make overprotective parents faint, as long as they were in the street area, no matter how they used weapons, they would not be harmed.
[I'm really... very sorry...]
The bespectacled woman shook her head as if she was having a headache, but she still smiled and said so because of the children's happy looks.
"…Ah, this way please. I'll go make tea now..."
Asuna and Kirito, who were brought to the small room on the right side of the chapel, finally heaved a sigh of relief after taking a sip of hot tea.
[You…are here to look for someone…?]」
The bespectacled female player sat down on the chair opposite her and asked with her head slightly tilted.
"Ah, yes. Ah…I'm Asuna, and he's Kirito.」
[Ah! I'm really sorry, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Saka."
Then, they nodded at each other.
[This child is Yui.]
Stroking her hair that was still sleeping on her knees, Asuna continued,"
[The child lost his way in the forest on the twenty-second level. It seems that he has lost his memory…]
[Is that so…]
The woman named Saka widened her dark green eyes behind her glasses.
" Other than her clothes, she had nothing on her. We don't think she's living in the upper class... We were wondering if we could find her guardian in the Town of Beginnings... or someone who knew her. Later, we heard that this church gathered many children to live together..."
[I see…]
Sasia held the cup with both hands and looked at the table.
" There are about twenty children living in this church, ranging from primary school students to middle school students. This should be all the young players in the town. At the beginning of this game…"
Even though her voice was weak, Sasia began to speak in a clear tone,"
"Children at that age almost all have mental problems due to excessive panic. Of course, there were still children who adapted to the game and left the town, but that should be an exception.」
This was something that Asuna, who was in her third year of junior high school, had experienced. Hiding in the hotel room had indeed pushed him to the point of mental collapse.
"That's only natural. They were still at the age where they loved to act coquettishly to their parents, but they were suddenly declared unable to leave this place. They might even never return to reality…Most of the children fell into a state of exhaustion, and there seemed to be a few among them…They were cut off just like that.」
The corners of Sasia's mouth stiffened.
"A month after the game started, I also set the game strategy as my goal and kept leveling up in the practice area…One day, when I saw such a child wandering around the street alone, I couldn't help but worry, so I brought him back to live with me in the hotel. From then on, I felt uneasy at the thought of such a child, so I began to look around the town for a child who was alone. By the time he came back to his senses, it had already become like this. So, how should I put it…There were people like you fighting in the upper echelons, but I couldn't follow up and help. I'm really sorry.」
[Quick, quick, don't say that…]
Asuna shook her head and tried to find words, but her throat was stuck. Kirito seemed to be replacing her and said,"
"That's not the case. Saka-san is also fighting hard…and much harder than I am.」
[Thank you. But I didn't do it out of a sense of obligation. It was very happy to live with the children.」
Sasha smiled and looked at Yui, who was still in deep sleep, with a worried expression.
"So…for the past two years, we've been patrolling every district and every house every day, looking for children who need help. If there was such a small child, we should have noticed. Unfortunately…I don't think she's a child from the City of Beginnings.」
[Is that so…]
Asuna lowered her head and hugged Yui tightly. Then, she looked at Sasha's face as if she had perked up.
"This question might be a little rude, but how do you earn your daily living expenses?」
" Ah, about that, other than me, there are a few older children guarding this place... With their levels, they will definitely have no problem roaming around the training areas around the town, so they can easily earn food expenses. Although it's not a lot."
"Oh, that's amazing…From what we heard on the street, the people here think that fighting monsters in the training area is suicidal.」
Saka nodded in response to Kirito.
"Basically, I think all the players in the Town of Beginnings think so. I couldn't say that this was wrong. After all, there was nothing I could do when I considered the risk of death…However, it was also because of this that we had a higher income than the average player in this town.」
Indeed, if he wanted to rent a guest room in this church, he would have to pay 100 cors a day. This was several times higher than the daily salary of the man who had picked up the fruit just now.
[So, we've been targeted recently…]
[... who is targeting you?]
Sasia's calm gaze instantly turned serious. Just as she was about to continue-
[Teacher! Teacher Saka! This is bad!"
The door suddenly opened with a bang and several children rushed in.
"Really, this is very rude to the guests.」
[Now is not the time to talk about this!」
The red-haired youth cried out with tears in his eyes,"
[Brother Silver and the others have been captured by the army!」
"Where?"
Saka stood up and asked the boy, as if she had become a different person.
"The empty space behind the item store in the fifth district. The army sent ten men to surround the road, and only Gerda escaped.」
" I know, I'll be right there. Sorry..."
Sasha turned to face Asuna and Kirito again and lowered her head slightly.
[I have to save those children, so let's talk later...]
[Teacher! We want to go too!"
The red-haired youth shouted, and the children behind him also agreed. The young man ran to Kirito's side and spoke in a very serious manner.
[Brother, please lend me your weapon!] If that was the case, even the army would immediately escape!」
[No!]
Sasia reprimanded loudly.
[All of you wait here!]
At this moment, Kirito, who had been silently watching the development of the situation, raised his right hand as if he was trying to persuade the children. Although he usually maintained a carefree attitude, at this moment, he displayed an incredible sense of presence, making the children all quiet down.
"--Unfortunately--"
Kirito spoke in a calm tone.
"That weapon requires too much ability and quality. You can't equip it. Let us help. Don't look at this sister like this, she's so strong that she's a mess.」
Kirito glanced at Asuna, who nodded vigorously in response. She stood up and said to Sasha,"
Please let us help. At least it's better to have more people."
"Thank you, then I'll do as you say.」
Sasha bowed deeply and adjusted her glasses."
"Then, let's run.」
Sasha rushed out of the church, swinging the short sword hanging on her waist as she ran in a straight line. Kirito and Asuna, who was carrying Yui, followed behind her. Asuna glanced behind her and saw a large group of children following behind her. However, Sasha had no intention of chasing them back.
They crossed the forest and entered the city street of East Sixth Borough, then passed through an alley. It seemed like he was taking the shortest shortcut. When he ran past the NPC shop and the courtyard of the civilian's house, he saw a group of people blocking the path ahead. Judging from the greyish-green and iron-colored equipment, the group of at least ten people was from the " army."
When Sasia, who had rushed into the alley without hesitation, stopped, the army players who noticed her also turned around and smiled maliciously.
"Oh! The nanny is here!"
[... Release the children!]
Sasia said in a stiff voice.
"Don't make it sound so bad. We only taught them some common sense and they would leave immediately.」
"That's right, that's right. After all, paying taxes is a citizen's duty!」
Then, the man let out a shrill laugh, which made Sasia's clenched fists tremble slightly.
[Silver! Caine! Mina! Are you there?"
Saesha shouted to the other side of the men, and the girl's frightened voice was immediately heard."
[Teacher! Teacher…save us!"
[Don't worry about the money. It's okay to give it all to them!」
[Teacher…it's useless…]
This time, it was a teenager's voice that seemed to have been forced out.
[Hehe.]
One of the men blocking the road let out a convulsing laugh.
"That's because the taxes you owe are too high... It's not enough to just hand over the money!」
[That's right, that's right. We can't not hand over our equipment. In addition, we can't lose any of our defensive equipment!]」
Seeing the men's despicable smiles, Asuna instantly realized what had happened in the alley. This group of " tax collectors " probably wanted the children, including the girls, to remove all their clothes. This made Asuna's heart filled with anger that was close to killing intent.
Saesha seemed to have expected this as well, and she approached the men with an imposing manner that was just short of beating them up.
[Immediately…get out of the way! Otherwise…"
"Otherwise, what would the nanny teacher want? Are you going to pay taxes for them?」
It was impossible to tell that this group of laughing men had any intention of moving.
In the town, which was the protection circle of the street area, a program called the crime prevention command was running at all times, so it was impossible to harm other players or move them. On the other hand, it was impossible to eliminate the players who were obstructing the way, and it also created a " barrier " that blocked the path, or even a " encirclement " that directly surrounded the other party with several people, making it impossible for the other party to move.
However, this was only possible when moving on the ground. Asuna looked at Kirito and said,"
[Kirito, let's go!]
[Ah ah.]
He nodded in response and kicked the ground casually.
The two of them used all their agility and strength to jump up, easily flying over the heads of Sasha and the army members who were looking up in surprise, and landed on the empty space surrounded by the wall.
[Woah!]
Several men on the spot revealed shocked expressions and retreated.
In the corner of the empty space, two youths who looked to be less than fifteen years old and a young girl were leaning against each other, standing stiffly on the spot. His protective gear had been completely removed, and he was only wearing thin underwear. Asuna bit her lip, walked over to the children, and said with a smile,"
"It's fine now. Put your equipment back on.」
The surprised teenagers immediately nodded their heads vigorously. Then, they hurriedly picked up the equipment at their feet and began to operate the window.
[Hey... hey!]
At this moment, one of the army players who had regained his senses shouted,"
[Who are you! Do you want to hinder the 'army' from carrying out their mission?」
[Wait.]
A man with equipment that was one level higher than the others stepped forward to stop them. It should be the captain.
[Although I haven't met you, do you know what it means to be hostile to the People's Liberation Army?] Shall I take you to the headquarters for a good talk?」
The captain's eyes were filled with a fierce light. He pulled out the huge broadsword from his waist and made a deliberate move to let the blade make a clapping sound as he walked over. The surface of the saber reflected the setting sun, emitting a flickering light. It was the unique luster of a weapon that had never been damaged or repaired.
"Or do you want to go outside the circle? Ah?"
The moment he heard this.
Asuna gritted her teeth. Although she wanted to settle the matter steadily, her anger was beyond her control when she saw the young man and young woman trembling because of her uncle.
"... Kirito, I'll leave Yui to you.」
After Kirito took Yui, he threw Asuna's thin sword, which had materialized at some point in time, out with one hand. She caught it and unsheathed her sword, then quickly walked towards the captain.
[Oh... oh...?]
Asuna suddenly stabbed the man's face with all her might.
The surroundings were instantly dyed with purple flashes, followed by an explosive sound effect. The man's stiff face instantly leaned back, and he fell to the ground with his eyes wide open.
[If you really want to fight, you don't have to go to the practice area.」
Asuna walked up to the man and waved her right hand again. Then, there was a flash and a loud bang. The captain's body bounced back.
[Don't worry, your HP won't decrease. But in contrast, I will continue.」
Looking up at Asuna, who was approaching with firm steps, the captain seemed to have finally understood her intentions, and his lips trembled.
When attacking players with weapons in the crime prevention command circle, even if the attack hits, it will be blocked by the transparent barrier and will not cause damage. However, there was a hidden meaning to this rule, which was that the attacker did not have to worry about being labeled as a criminal.
" Battle in the circle " was built on this point, and it was usually used for simulation battles during training. However, as the attacker's ability value and skill increased, the system colored light and impact sound effect when the command was activated became too intense. Moreover, depending on the power of the sword skill, although it was not much, it would still cause the attacker to be repelled. For those who weren't used to this feeling, even if they knew that their HP wouldn't decrease, they still couldn't bear it.
" Ehh... stop, stop..."
The captain, who was knocked to the ground by Asuna's sword, let out a high-pitched scream.
[You guys…don't just watch from the side…stop her.]」
The army members who came back to their senses because of the cry drew their weapons. The players who were guarding the north-south passage also ran over because they sensed the unexpected situation.
Asuna stared at the men in the semi-circle formation with her bright eyes as if she had returned to the era of berserkers. Without saying a word, Asuna sprinted forward and slashed at the front of the group.
In the next moment, a series of loud noises and screams filled the narrow open space.
About three minutes later.
After calming down, Asuna stopped and lowered her rapier. Only a few players from the army were left on the ground. The rest of the players abandoned their captain and fled.
[Phew...]
He took a deep breath, sheathed his rapier, and turned around to see Sasha and the children of the church standing there in a daze.
[Ah…]
Asuna held her breath and took a step back. Thinking that she might scare the children with her anger, she lowered her head dejectedly.
However, the red-haired iron-headed youth who was always in charge of leading the group suddenly shouted excitedly,"
[Amazing…Big Sister is really amazing!] That was the first time I saw that!」
"Didn't I say that this big sister is so strong that she's a mess?」
Kirito smiled as he walked over. His left hand was holding onto the robe, while his right hand was holding onto the sword. It seemed that a few people had just run over to be his table tennis factory.
[... Hey, hehehe.]
Asuna laughed as if she didn't know how to react. The children all cheered and rushed over. Sasia also clasped her hands in front of her chest, tears welling up in her eyes as she smiled and cried.
At this moment-
[Everyone…everyone's heart…]
A faint but clear voice sounded. Asuna immediately raised her head. Yui, who had woken up in Kirito's arms, looked up at the sky and extended her right hand.
Asuna quickly looked in that direction, but there was nothing there.
[Everyone's heart... is...]
[Knot! What's wrong with you, Jieyi!"
Yui blinked a few times when she heard Kirito's voice, and a terrified expression appeared on her face. Asuna quickly ran over and held Yui's hand.
[Yui…do you remember anything?]」
[…I…I…]
She frowned and lowered her head.
" I... don't live here... I've always been... alone... in a very dark place..."
Yui frowned and bit her lip as if she had thought of something. Then, suddenly-
[Waaa」
She raised her face and screamed loudly from her small throat.
「……!」
The first rustling noise she heard in SAO rang in Asuna's ears. In the next moment, Yui's stiff body began to tremble violently as if it was about to collapse.
" Tie…Tie clothes…!"
Asuna also screamed and hugged Yui's body tightly with both hands.
[Mommy…I'm so scared…Mommy…!]」
Asuna took Yui from Kirito's hands and hugged her tightly. It was only after a few seconds that this strange phenomenon disappeared and Yui's stiff body relaxed.
[Just now…what exactly happened…]
Kirito's empty voice flowed through a quiet empty space.
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