Author's Note: Fourth chapter is here! Thanks for the reviews, faves and follows everyone! Although I wouldn't mind it if some of you would put some story direction ideas in the reviews O:) This chapter is a mess... My apologies in advance! I rewrote it probably around five times... I've got around 25k unused paragraphs from it that I will hopefully be able to use at some point haha. I'm also deciding on what canon characters to use for this story. Essentially the entire main group could be used, but considering how big it is, I'll probably pick a few of the characters I like best. The focus will of course still be on Kirito and Alice. Feel free to leave a review or a message with ideas, suggestions and the like. And please, forgive me for the perhaps overly detailed fluff chapter!
I've also been considering writing a prequel series set in Underworld. Volume 20 of the Light Novels ended far too abruptly for my taste... The story isn't fully wrapped up. Although I realize that, seeing how there is no official English translation, most people might not have read Volume 19/20. Not to mention that they are side stories. Please let me know if it's something you folks would want to see, though.
Argo sat down with a sigh. She had picked the diviest bar in Arun to drink away her sorrows with something resembling whiskey. Even if it wasn't alcoholic. Seeing how welcoming Kii-bou's group had been of her, the next morning she had bought Alfheim Online. Deciding to once again feel confident enough to wear Argo's hood. She had almost picked Spriggan as her race, but the ears of the caith sith, as well as their Taming bonus, won in the end. After designing a character that somewhat resembled her Argo appearance, she suddenly found herself in the air.
She was gradually falling down to what must have been the Caith Sith capital city. As she was admiring the view, however, black pixels dotted out the sky in front of her, and she started falling. She let out a yelp, and suddenly crashed in a forest. Getting up with a dizzy head she looked around. Where the hell was she?
She opened her player menu, with the other hand as she had already learned beforehand, to check her map. When she did, however, she was drawn to the Skills menu. To her shock, most of her skills from SAO seemed to have carried over... As she was furiously skimming, she even found that all of her notes were still present. All of them...
Realizing this meant she had everything she needed to powerlevel herself through New Aincrad, she couldn't help but grin. But then she realized that her map gave her little idea of where she was. Where the hell was she? At that point there was a sudden and bright flash of light. As she shielded her eyes and blinked a few times, it had disappeared and left a small pixie in hovering in the air in its place.
The pixie girl smiled at her and said "Hello Argo-san! I'm Yui!". Argo stared at her in confusion for a few moments and said "Soo... You're like, one of those Navigation Pixies..? Why did you come to me?".
The girl pouted at her and said "I'm not just a Navigation Pixie, Argo-san!". Argo hurriedly put her palms up and nervously said "Oh eh, s-sorry Yu-chan.. So what are you then?".
The NaviPixie sighed, but then gave her a warm smile and said "In Sword Art Online I used to be EHCP001, Emotional Health Councelling Program, codenamed Yui".
Argo took a few steps back as she started muttering "Why... Are you coming after me?". The memories of being stuck in a death game started appearing again, but the NaviPixie tilted her head and gave her a curious look.
Then in an innocently sweet voice she said "Are you afraid of me, Argo-san? You shouldn't be, daddy said you're a good friend, and from his emotional output I could conclude that was true... Did mommy and daddy not tell you about me yet?".
Argo just shook her head carefully, still confused and said "I eh... No. Who, who are your mommy and daddy exactly...?".
The NaviPixie just giggled and spread her hands. A moment later another bright white light appeared, before the NaviPixie was replaced by a Human girl, maybe ten years old. With a warm smile she said "Asuna and Kirito are my mommy and daddy, of course".
Argo proceeded to dart around Alfheim all day, assisted by the cheerful Yui. She had been a little reluctant at first, but after having the girl explain how Kii-bou and A-chan became her parents, it all made a lot more sense. Not to mention that Yui had access to map data and seemed to have stored pretty much all game information... It was a literal gold mine for Argo.
Aided by her high levels, she quickly shot around the map to collect materials for her equipment. All the while making notes about everything Yui enthusiastically wanted to tell her. Eventually Argo felt a little guilty and asked "Am I asking you too much, Yu-chan?". The girl had given her a curious look, but then giggled "No it's alright Argo-san, I like helping mommy and daddy's friends! A few days ago, Klein even took me to a gamehouse to help him play card games and we won a ton of Yuld!".
Argo couldn't help but feel her whiskers stand up... The next while she spent talking with Yui about all the antics the group had been up to. Yui, innocent as she was... Loved telling her everything.
While Argo was enjoying her future blackmail material, she overheard a few players talking near them. "Yeah man, I'm serious! This new game just popped up out of nowhere. Overworld it's called". One of the other players continued after him "I hear Overworld has far more skills and options. And apparently, the NPCs and mobs are a lot smarter too".
Argo's imaginary whiskers started to twitch at that...
They had spent the entire day just enjoying life together. And they had taken every opportunity to repeat their kiss from the night before... Now, nearing midnight, they were sitting in their comfortable chair again, enjoying the warmth coming from their fireplace. He was just admiring the sight of the napping beauty leaning against his chest. After noticing his first reaction to her blue kimono, she had teasingly proclaimed to wear it almost exclusively whenever they were alone. At least the blanket that was pulled over them covered most of the distracting sight.
Thinking back to how cold she had been when he and Eugeo were first brought before her in chains, he couldn't help but chuckle quietly about how much she had changed. How much both of them had changed... Eugeo. Eugeo had been the one in love with Alice. And he died fighting for her. As that cold realization set in, he started asking himself. Was it really fair to do this? To have fallen in love with Alice... While he had only fought to get back home?
While his mind raced around darker thoughts, Alice must have noticed, somehow. She nuzzled up to his chest and hugged him a little tighter in her sleep. A small smile crept across his face as he was pulled back to Alice. He.. He loved her. It didn't matter anymore. Eugeo would have wanted them to be happy... right?
At that point, his television screen lit up and a ringtone started playing. A video call request from Klein. Alice partially woke up too now and groggily said "Kirito-kunn... make it go awayyy". He chuckled and did what she asked. Without realizing what would happen.
Klein appeared on his television screen with a worried look in his eyes as he began to say "Kirito! Why haven't you answered your phone all da- eh?". For a moment Kazuto assumed there was some lag in their connection. But then he saw Klein blink. And he realized that this was a two way video call. And Alice was lying curled up against his chest.
Speaking of Alice, she was slowly waking up - and realizing what situation they were in. For a moment, the two of them stared at each other. Not really sure what to do now, but then they heard Klein teasingly say "Well, well, well, Kirito... Well done! Although, Alice-san, you could've done better...".
Kazuto sighed as he tried to regain his composure a little. Alice meanwhile, sat a bit more upright and leaned into his chest. She surprisingly calmly asked "What can we help you with, Klein-san? Especially this late at night".
Klein chuckled and cleared his throat, before saying a bit more seriously "Well, it looks like there's an insane new VRMMO out on the web, completely free". After a few seconds of watching their puzzled faces, he continued "Argo overheard some players talking and she and Yui did some research. Apparently it's far more advanced than ALO. And get this, it's called 'Overworld'... Ring a bell?".
After a discussion with Klein, and the later joining in Argo, they had worked out that there was no credible information about who made it and who owns it. There was a level system, with a very familiar Skills tree in comparison to ALO. Most of the Player Menu looked somewhat the same, although it had gotten an update in appearance. And apparently, you couldn't transfer accounts through the Seed. Meaning everyone starts at the same level.
Argo also mentioned that from what people are saying, the NPCs seem to be much more intelligent than your regular NPCs. And because there doesn't seem to be a cursor over people's heads, people say its weirdly difficult how hard it is to spot other players.
Around three AM and after a long video conference with Klein, Argo and Yui, Kazuto and Alice eventually decided to just go to sleep and log in the next day. As the two of them went to his bedroom. He couldn't help but ask himself 'is this now our bedroom?'. He shrugged it away as his attention was pulled by the golden haired girl standing next to his bed. Lit only by rays of moonlight coming in through his bedroom windows.
Blushing a little, she turned her back and slowly took off her blue kimono. As it fell to the floor she turned towards him. A sweet and clearly nervous voice with a teasing undertone asked him "Are you... Are you just going to stand there, Kirito-kun?".
He did his best to keep staring at those glimmering blue eyes, instead of the frilly white undergarment covering her almost translucent white skin. So much so, that it took a few more seconds than he would care to admit before her question was processed. Somewhat having regained his composure, he started to take off his clothes. By the time he was done, the girl was already lying underneath his blankets, giving him an expectant stare.
The next morning, Alice woke up from a gentle melody being played in her head. One of the few advantages she could find in having a constructed body; the ability to set an internal alarm. She likened it to the alarm function in ALO, and it did make the real world a little less... realistic? Still, since she had shared Kirito's bed, she had loved using it. Why, you might ask? Because it let her wake up before him, and his sleeping face was just adorably innocent...
Leaning on his shoulder, as she had woken up, she was only a hand's distance away from her... friend(?)'s face. As she carefully shifted a little to wrap her legs a little more around him, she noticed he started to wake up. Quickly, she closed her eyes and pretended to still be asleep. She couldn't help but be a bit worried about his reaction. They had cuddled and kissed, but obviously her metallic body lacked certain... parts. And now, she asked herself 'could I really be enough for him, like this?'.
She could hear a cute yawn and a careful stretch. She felt him turn a little toward her, after which he pulled her a little tighter against him. She felt her cheeks redden, but managed to prevent herself from freezing up or outright yelping at the sudden movement. Luckily, he still seemed to think she was asleep. While she felt him stroke a few of her hairs out of her face, she could hear him silently sigh and mutter incredulously "What did I ever do to deserve someone so beautiful?".
Kazuto couldn't help but yelp as the sleeping beauty in his arms suddenly lept up on top of him and pinned him down. Suddenly jarred fully awake, he was staring into those cheekily gleaming blue eyes right above him, his own eyes wide as saucers. She teasingly smiled at him and said softly "Becoming a rebel and fighting your way up to the 80th Floor to save me helped, Kirito-kun...".
He sheepishly grinned and mused "Well... I suppose that was a little heroic...". The girl playfully slapped him on his cheek and pouted "Right up until you made me explode my eyeball, that is".
He stuttered a little. Remembering it had been so painful that she fainted... But then he also recalled what happened next and rebutted "But then I did carry you while I climbed the remaining floors alone". He was getting a little nervous upon seeing her blush and turn her head away.
But then she quietly said "When... When I woke up later, with.. with you above me and your eyes filled with so much worry.. for me.. I-I.. I think that was when I fell in love with you".
Alice realized what she had said only a few moments after it had come out of her mouth. Kirito was still pinned underneath her. Looking up at her with a blush on his cheeks and surprise in his wide eyes. 'I... fell in love with you'. She carefully repeated her last words in her mind. Almost immediately she got up off of him and sat on the side of the bed.
They.. They had kissed, and shared a bed... But they hadn't said anything like that. The same worries she had suppressed seconds earlier, came flooding back in. Slowly growing more nervous she just waited in silence. But then his warm arms hugged her as he came up to her from behind. She let out a sigh she hadn't realized she was holding and leaned back into his chest warm chest.
When he lovingly started stroking her hair she heard him let out a sigh too. After a few seconds, he quietly started speaking "I... I felt guilty ever since... Ever since then. Because I realized that... That Alice Synthesis Thirty... you, were a real person too. A-and I knew that when Alice Zuberg's memories were returned you would...".
He had told her. And Alice had never blamed him for that. It wasn't her body to begin with, it had been stolen away from the real Alice Zuberg, an innocent girl. And given to her, Alice Synthesis Thirty. She hugged his arms and snuggled up against his chest in an attempt to comfort him as she warmly said "I know, Kirito-kun... And I don't blame you. I... I would have gladly given this body back, it wasn't mi-".
She was cut off as Kirito cleared his throat quietly and interrupted her in the same, quiet, slightly hoarse voice. "That's.. That's not it Alice. At t-that moment, when you woke up and looked up at me with such... such warmth. I... I realized I would protect you. I-I wouldn't sacrifice you, I'd find another way. So you would both survive. But deep down I knew that was impossible. That's why I have always felt guilty... That thought was... was a betrayal of Eugeo, my brother. A-and Alice Zuberg...".
Alice was stunned as she looked up into his onyx eyes. They were wet with small tears and showed utter sorrow. After a few seconds she found it in herself to quietly ask "But... why? I-I'm not worth that. Why would you... For me?".
After a few moments, he turned his head slightly to look back into her eyes. He seemed to find some sort of determination in them, as a small smile crept across his face and he softly said. "I don't think I knew it back then, or even for a long time after that. But... But I do now. And now... I think that moment was when I first, truly fell in love with you too, Alice".
As small tears started to roll across her cheeks, she kissed the man she loved. He was surprised, but soon returned it. After a few seconds, Alice pulled away and hugged him. With a soft voice she said "Don't feel guilty, Kirito-kun... They knew you. So, they knew you wish to protect everyone. A-and from what you told me, they would both have helped you to find another way. A-and while I would have given up that body for the real Alice Zuberg... It makes me really happy that you care that much for me... Thank you".
He looked at her with surprised eyes, but soon his lips formed a warm smile. "Thank you for saying that, Alice... I-I love you". She looked up to him and whispered back "I love you too, Kirito-kun". Before she moved in and met his lips with her own.
An hour or so later, after a short shower and breakfast, they found themselves cuddled up in bed again. After a last kiss, that showed a great deal of longing on both sides, he sighed and put on his familiar NerveGear. He looked at the girl nuzzled up to his chest. She gave him a warm, encouraging smile and whispered "Race you there, Black Swordsman". Right as she closed her eyes to upload herself to the servers, he chuckled and calmly said "Link Start". And the world turned black.
After being led through the usual start up sequence of checking the alignment between the device and his senses, he found himself in utter blackness. For a moment he panicked, but then a bright screen appeared in front of him. "Load Saved Character Data for ID: 'Kirito'? [YES/NO]".
Surprised, as his friends had said you couldn't transfer your accounts through the Seed, he hesitantly decided to prey 'Yes'. After a few moments, he was enveloped by a bright white light. Almost instantly, he found himself in a town square. No, a city square? He found himself looking around at the masses of people traversing the square and leaving and entering along streets leading there.
There were no cursors for NPCs, nor did he spot anyone who stood out as a player... But it was surreal how realistic the interactions between the various NPCs were. Some were loudly laughing and discussing their respective adventures, while others were running and weaving through the masses, trying to get somewhere quickly.
Then he heard a familiar voice behind him on what looked like a Teleport Monument say "K-kirito-kun...?". As he turned to look at Alice with a smile, his eyes opened wide in shock. Standing there was Alice, alright. Integrity Knight Alice Synthesis Thirty. In her trademark golden armour atop her elegant blue and white surcoat and dress, with a familiar sword hanging at her side. Her deep blue eyes and her familiar, long golden hair completing the picture took away his breath for a moment.
She looked at herself with confusion and then at him and carefully asked "W-what are you wearing... Kirito-kun?". He just then realized that he hadn't actually looked at himself. And he had loaded saved character data... As he looked down, his breathing stopped and his mind was pulled back into the past.
After Alice had escaped from Underworld, he and Asuna spent around two hundred years there, due to the time dilation. Seeing how their souls, or brains, depending on what school of thought you followed, simply did not have the 'storage capacity' for so many memories - most of those memories were removed using the STL device used to log into Underworld. Considering how this is not something with a lot of practice runs, they weren't able to accurately determine where the memories were cut off. While Asuna only remembered the first two months of their time together, he remembered almost a year and a half after the war. Albeit in parts and flashes. He couldn't recall all events precisely, but he remembered enough to form somewhat of a clear picture of what happened.
What he was wearing now, was his official uniform as Prime Swordsman of the Human Empire. A black and white coat with gold trimmings that was tailored to him specifically. Seeing how he did not remember ever wearing it with the gleaming, light metal Cuirass on his chest, it must have been saved data from after what he last remembers. He felt a wave of memories flooding over him. The rebellion and consequent unification of the Four Empires, Ronye and Tiese... He was pulled out of his thought spiral as Alice put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a worried look. He cleared his throat and said "This... This is what I was wearing the last time I remember being in Underworld. As the Prime Swordsman of the Human Empire...".
[Author's Note: Look up Illustrations from SAO Vol. 19/20. He often wears the black/white/gold uniform there. As well as still having his sword sheath on his belt]
Then he audibly gasped as he looked down at his belt and with a shaking hand unsheathed the all too familiar longsword hanging at his side. A gleaming black blade, not made of steel, but wood of the Gigas Cedar - is what appeared. He just stared at the blade in his hands, unable to truly process what was happening. Then Alice softly muttered next to him "How... How did they get such detailed information about Underworld?".
Kirito could clearly feel the resonating blade in his hand. A barely noticeable hum that signified his connection to the blade's memory. The Gigas Cedar. He could see Alice inspect her own Fragrant Olive Sword in wonder and awe, clearly feeling the same hum in her own hands. He eventually cleared his throat and said thoughtfully "Well... From what I can tell, this world was not just named after Underworld as a publicity stunt... But they seem to have actual Underworld data...".
She gave him a worried frown and carefully asked "Do you think it's...". Seeing her trail off, he finished for her "Yes. Kayaba Akihiko has to be behind this. He's the only one I can imagine who could get such access. Not to mention we should have suspected something like this when Cardinal-san was transferred to ALO...". He sighed deeply.
As he was trailing off again, absentmindedly voicing his thoughts, Alice suddenly gasped. When he looked over he saw her eyes were wide and wet with tears. In her hands, taken out of her now open belt pouch, were two small Dragon Eggs. "B-but how... They were with me when I... When I left Underworld.. and are... are now in ALO". She slowly muttered incredulously.
Kirito walked over to her and hugged her tightly. Calmly he said "I know it must be hard to have them in two different worlds... But I think your data was copied, before you left Underworld. You don't have to hatch them if it's too weird. Maybe for now just store them back in your pouch".
After a little while she nodded and put them back, before quickly wiping her tears away. She gave him a warm smile as she quietly said "Thank you... It is still strange, the idea of virtual worlds and such... But luckily I have Kirito-kun to help me". He couldn't help but move in for a quick, but passionate kiss.
With a sigh of relief, the two of them found that, even though a lot was similar to Underworld - there was a Player Menu with an Inventory, Skills and a Log Out button, among other common options. Finding the Friends menu, they quickly added each other and noticed it functioned in much the same way as they were used to. There was however one menu option that quickly got both of their attention.
Alice was at first puzzled by the many dazzling options in her Player Menu, which seemed to be called 'Mystical Scribing' in Overworld. While it resembled ALO a lot, she still hadn't really invested too much time into understanding how it all worked. Mostly she just let Kirito explain it to her when necessary. ALO, however, seemed to work rather differently. There were all kinds of different menus, with a lot from the ALO version missing.
Upon hitting the 'Personal' option, she found something that shocked her even more than her equipment. She quickly noticed that her Object Control and System Control authorities she had meticulously trained up during her time as an Integrity Knight, were carried over as well...
'[Name: Alice Synthesis Thirty]
[Title: Integrity Knight] - [Tier: 3]
[Object Control: 70] - [System Control: 76]
[Order: Integrity Knight Order]
[Guild: None]
[Wealth: 304.590 S]'
With an excited gasp she said to the onyx-eyed man beside her "Kirito! Have you seen the Personal menu? My Object Control of 70 and System Control of 76 are both the same as they were in Underworld". Her love looked at her with admiration and said chuckling "That's pretty high, Knight-chan... I'm glad we never fought all out in Underworld". She couldn't help but beam with confidence at his praise and then asked carefully, truly curious to know how they compared "So... What are your authority values, Kirito-kun?".
As Kirito opened the Personal menu with some interest, he was wondering how all of his Underworld statistics would translate to game mechanics. He was a little shocked, to say the least.
'[Name: Kirito]
[Title: Prime Swordsman] - [Tier: 1]
[Object Control: 78] - [System Control: 82]
[Order: None]
[Guild: None]
[Wealth: 1.112.938 S]'
Something that seemed nearly impossible to Kirito, was his title. Was his character save data custom made? And how much was an S worth? It looked like he was insanely rich... He made a mental note to look into the how and why. Not to mention what 'Tier 1' meant. It took him a few seconds to say something, but then he carefully said "Well... eh. Before I tell you, you should realize that my data, judging by my equipment, was copied at least a year and half after the War...". She gave him a questioning glance and said "So? What are your authorities...?".
He sighed and carefully said "Object Control 78, System Control 82...". The wide eyed stare of shock he received was enough to make him feel uncomfortable. He never liked showing off... Seeing her pout a little he quickly added "But... I did battle and defeat Administrator and Vector... I mean, that must have raised both of my Control Authorities by quite a lot".
That seemed to calm her down a little, as her pout turned to a small smile and a sigh "Oh Kirito-kun... No need to make excuses. You more than earned your power, after all. Now...". She finished by carefully looking around "Shall we play this 'game' and determine how much of Underworld was stolen?".
Kirito nodded in relief and said with a teasing smile "Lead the way, my Knight-chan". She gave him a playful punch to the shoulder and sighed, before picking a seemingly random direction and hooking her arm together with his. Together they walked into a busy street of... the first city of Overworld. They failed to notice a short, cloaked individual watching their arrival, and carefully following after them...
After half an hour of searching through various shops, they had learned only a few things. Nobody really seemed to like them and was generally brief and to the point. Eventually, they found their way into a smith's workshop. An old man slowly got up a from a chair and walked over to his counter. "How might this old smith be of assistance, youngsters?".
Kirito calmly walked up to the counter and tried "Greetings, master smith, I am looking to buy a powerful, one-handed longsword and was wondering if you might be able to help me with that?". The man rubbed his chin for a few moments and seemed to inspect the both of them carefully.
"Well, since I'm not part of the Smith's Guild I'm not allowed to purchase any of the rarer materials... Best I can offer you is a sword with a priority of 32. Would that be high enough?". The old man asked carefully. Kirito frowned a little as he considered the 46 Priority of the Night Sky Sword, but then did his best to politely decline "My apologies, master smith, but I would be using it together with my current sword... If one is of a considerably lower priority, the blades would only damage one another...".
For a moment he cursed himself internally for saying something that would no doubt be too difficult for an NPC smith to handle - but then, to his shock, the smith frowned for a little while and hummed in thought. Then he carefully said "Well... If your current blade is truly so much higher in Priority, then perhaps you could acquire some rare materials yourselves in the Wild Lands outside the city limits. With higher quality metals I could fashion you a sword worthy of the strongest of Knights".
Alice just sighed as Kirito fell into a lively discussion with the smith about sword types and sheathes, before it spiraled off into the smith talking about his grand children. After thirty minutes, Alice suddenly noticed Kirito and 'Harold', the imposingly large and very old smith, had even started calling each other by their first names.
Eventually she herself hastily denied needing any new equipment while he bought a sword belt that allowed him to sheath his weapon on his back. She never truly understood why he did that, seeing how it is generally easier to unsheathe a sword from the hip, but it seemed to work for him nonetheless.
"So now what? Do we just go exploring outside of the city...?" Alice asked carefully. She noticed Kirito had spiraled into his thoughts during their walk, but then he carefully said "Well... Did you notice how... 'Real' that blacksmith was? He didn't seem to be like an NPC at all. I tried my best to get him to resort to an 'I don't understand the question'-response, but he quite naturally responded to everything".
Alice then realized she hadn't even thought about that, seeing how this place reminded her so much of Underworld it had only seemed normal. But she did understand that no 'game' should be able to be this advanced. She calmly stated "So that's why you kept talking to him about unrelated topics... I truly was about to pull you out of the shop with me". Before giggling a little.
He chuckled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck as he nodded "Yup... And.. Well, he liked me so I think he gave me a discount too! But seriously, this place reminds me a lot of Underworld so far, apart from the mechanics that clearly show this is a game. Such as the menu and inventory". Alice nodded slowly and asked "I do not see any quests like in ALO, so what is our goal if this is still intended to be a game..? Surely something similar to Underworld is in itself ill-suited to be a game".
Kirito thought about her words for a few seconds. What was their goal at the moment? They came to this world, appeared in a square. No tutorials were given, nor were there any quest markers... At that point Alice suddenly tugged his arm and pulled him out of his thoughts. "Hmm?".
As he followed Alice her intrigued gaze, he too now noticed a small crowd of Knights with a large variety of heraldry making their way out of the courtyard of a large, if simple building. "I believe that is a combat Academy. We should see if we could take a look around".
He was a little confused and carefully asked "Not that I mind seeing some duels, or even dueling myself, but why the sudden interest?". The girl sighed and said "Uhm... I know! Wouldn't it be wise to know how skilled the residents of this world are?". He couldn't help but see the logic in that and sighed. "Fair enough I suppose. Although I'm not even sure they'll just let us walk right in".
As the two of them made their way to the building in question, they noticed all of the Knights had already left. There was a large plaque next to the gate, reading 'East Caestus Swordsmanship Academy'. "I suppose you were right..." Kirito mumbled. Alice poked him in the side "No need to be so surprised...".
At that point they noticed a handful of kids gathered near the gate. They seemed to all be around fourteen/fifteen years old and wore similar, black uniforms that strongly reminded him of the ones worn at the North Centoria Sword Mastery Academy he himself had attended together with Eugeo.
As they casually walked into the courtyard, looking around at the buildings, one of them spotted them and hurried over. The girl, who had red hair and brown eyes gave them a quick bow. When she got up, she sounded noticeably nervous as she said "W-welcome! Are you here to attend the Exhibition Duels?".
The pair gave each other confused looks, but then Kirito hastily spoke up "Ehh.. Thank you! And yes, I suppose we are...?". Turning to Alice, it was clear she was excited. As a knight, he realized, obviously she would be interested in a display of fighting styles. "Greetings, I would be honored to attend the exhibitions!".
The girl gave them a hesitant glance, but then seemed to confirm something for herself. A few moments later she nodded and said "Alright then! I am Junior Trainee Ellea, please follow me". As the girl hurriedly made her way further into the courtyard, the pair followed behind her. Eventually they turned a corner around what appeared to be a dormitory, and found themselves on the side of a large training field.
As they walked over to the center, they spotted the previously noticed crowd standing in between three dueling fields. The girl escorting them said "My apologies, by my estimate over half the duels have already taken place. But I can still inform you on the remainder".
As they watched two of the duels, Ellea explained that these were all Senior Trainees and gave them brief descriptions of the participants. Eventually Alice asked her carefully "Is there a specific reason why these exhibition duels are held? Or is it simply to display the Academy's students?".
The girl gave her a strange look and carefully asked "B-but, are you not aware? These duels are held as displays for recruiters". Kirito, whose interest in the rather lackluster fights currently held soon faded, absentmindedly asked "Recruiters? For what?".
The girl seemed even more puzzled now "For Knight Orders, of course... I assumed you yourself were such as well, judging by your attire". She seemed to notice the amused look the two shared as she nervously added "I-I did not mean to make assumptions, my apologies!".
Kirito chuckled and tried to put the girl at ease "It's alright. We were interested in watching the duels, so if you don't mind, we would rather stick around anyway". The girl seemed to think it over, but then nodded "Very well. I... eh think regular spectators are allowed entry as well".
After another few duels, Kirito couldn't help but note how eerily similar these styles were to those of the Human World in Underworld. Although there appeared to be two clear distinctions. One style was focused around heavy, two-handed swords. While the other used a longsword and varying types of shields.
A little absentminded again, he asked "There seem to be two prevalent fighting styles among the students, are those the only ones taught at the Academy?".
The girl nodded and with a hint of sorrow in her voice replied "The two-handed style is called the Caestus Style, named after our city, of course. Only those of higher Tiers are allowed to practice it. While the other one is called the Delris Style. There are no restrictions on who can practice it, but it is considered the 'lesser' style".
Hearing the girl talk about 'Tiers', he asked inquisitively "Say, what are the different Tiers in Caestus exactly?". The girl gave him a weird look and carefully asked "You.. don't know about the Tiers?". But then she seemed to think it over and quickly added "But of course, you must have meant what titles go with what Tier! I heard those might vary from region to region...".
He shared a quick glance with an equally confused Alice, but then cleared his throat and tried to calmly nod. The girl then seemed to do her best to remember the exact details as her eyes narrowed and she started listing the tiers.
"Tier 1 is reserved for Royalty, of course, so the King and Queen of Caestus, as well as their children. Tier 2 is for the ones directly below them. The Knight Commander of the Royal Order and the General of the military... Tier 3, 4 and 5 are for high nobility, and 6, 7 and 8 for lower nobility. With 9 through 11 for various commoner standings".
As the two of them discussed the topic a little bit further, while Kirito did his best to avoid the subject of their own tiers, they eventually noticed a large portion of the crowd leaving. While there were still a handful of duels left to be held. "Why is almost everyone leaving?". His partner asked equally confused next to him. While he tried to rationalize it, Ellea explained it for them.
"Well, you see... The duels are held from highest to lowest tier of the participants. And these are the last ones, so generally very low nobility or common birth". Alice only quietly said "How sad, to judge one's talent by the status of their family...".
Kirito felt the same. But tried to cheer her up by pointing out the remaining recruiters. "I don't think I'd even want to be recruited by the high and mighty Orders that only care about status... There are still a number of them left".
Ellea sighed quietly and softly said to them "That's true. And while some of them are honorable, most could only be described as mercenaries. Few Trainees want to join them, as it usually means a quick path to death".
The couple both frowned at that realization. But seeing how there was little they could do, they continued to follow the fights. While some were... rather lacking in skill or talent, they were relieved to find that most of them were recruited by the 'more honorable Orders', instead of the ones she had described as mercenaries.
The final fight had only a handful of spectators apart from the three standing at the side. The two participants nervously took their places. As a referee gave the start signal, Kirito noticed the one taking charge was a girl, maybe sixteen years old, shooting forward with the simple Horizontal Sword Skill. He had noticed that, like in Underworld, most people here only knew the basic one-strike Sword Skills. Some of the better duelists had shown a single two-strike Skill here or there, but he concluded that once again his 'Aincrad Style' would be somewhat of an anomaly.
The girl participating was dressed in the same black Academy uniform, although he couldn't help but notice hers was visibly older. Several patches of slightly off-shade cloth could be seen. The longsword and shield she wielded were equally worn out. The blade had been sharpened and well-maintained, that much he could tell instantly.
However, the grip was old and a little tattered. The shield seemed to be repaired many times, and small dents and scratches still remained. It didn't look all that sturdy. He found it a bit odd. While there was a visible distinction in the quality of the Trainees their equipment, they were all essentially the same. Then why did this girl's shield look like it was pulled from the 'discarded' pile?
She furiously charged her opponent, her curious lilac hair trailing behind her. Her opponent, a boy around the same age, also wasn't wearing top of the line equipment. But at least his seemed to be capable. Not the same could be said of his skill. He was hastily blocking the incoming strikes with his shield, barely having been able to block that first Horizontal.
The girl had a clear advantage in skill, but as he had feared, her inferior equipment eventually betrayed her. The boy had barely been able to get in a counter-attack, but during the girl's cooldown after a particularly well-performed skill, he swung out with a Slant. His blade glowing a bright blue, it slammed diagonally against his opponent's shield. Normally, her shield would have absorbed the blow and allowed her to finish the duel with one more strike. And he could clearly see her preparing to do so, taking the stance for another Horizontal.
Her shield, however, did not absorb the blow. With a loud cracking sound, it very nearly shattered completely and she was pulled out of balance. While she crashed to the floor due to the impact of the skill, the boy stared at her for just a split second. Clearly surprised his attack didn't fail. And then he quickly put his sword up to her throat.
Seeing there was little left for her to do, he could hear a quiet voice mutter "I yield...". After the fight, Kirito had expected to find the recruiters very interested in the clearly talented young girl. Even though she hadn't won the fight, she was clearly the overall victor. The opposite was true however. They all crowded around her for a few seconds, but then quickly drooped off. The girl seemed very disappointed, and quickly left.
As Kirito and Alice slowly made their way back to the entrance of the terrain, Alice asked Ellea "Say, would you happen to know why that girl wasn't recruited? She clearly had ample talent". Ellea sighed a little and quietly said "Well... the last orders to remain are generally not too wealthy. So they require all their recruits to purchase their own equipment before joining. And... eh, Senior Trainee Halia is an orphan, she can't afford it".
As they rounded a corner, they could see a young girl sitting against the wall about a hundred meters away from them. While they walked to the gate, Kirito noticed one of the recruiters walking over to her. He put his hand on the wall above her and leaned in just a little too close for comfort.
The girl seemed a little startled but didn't get up. Training his hearing on that direction, making use of the handily available Search Skill, he managed to pick up part of their conversation. A young girl's voice said nervously "N-no, my apologies master Knight, but I have to refuse your offer".
The man had slicked back, greasy black hair and his greyish steel armour clearly bulged over his overweight body. The slithery voice gave Kirito shivers as he continued to listen in. "There's no shame in being a Knight's... Attendant. And if you work hard, maybe you'll even be allowed to join the Apprentice Knights...".
As the girl excused herself, Kirito was a little relieved. If she had accepted that... clearly suggestive offer, he might just have had to intervene. Making sure the 'Knight' himself didn't follow after her but also made his way towards the gate, he gestured for the waiting Alice and Ellea to continue.
"What was that all about?" Alice asked him a little confused. He just shrugged "It's nothing, really". Quickly changing the subject he asked Ellea "Say, where can we find some good food around here?". The girl seemed to think for a moment and then her eyes shot open, a smile forming on her lips "I know a tavern nearby with the most delicious honey pies".
Alice sighed as she saw Kirito's face glaze over. His eyes gleaming. He looked at her asking for permission. Scratch that, begging. She couldn't help but chuckle at how he could sometimes just revert to a little boy. She turned to the girl with a smile "Alright then, where might we find this tavern?".
The girl gave her a cheeky smile and said "I'll show you! For the price of one honey pie". Before she could argue, Kirito jumped up in joy and shouted "DEAL!". With a sigh she followed after the two, almost having to run to keep up with their excited pace.
Ellea had been a little nervous when the Instructors at the Academy had selected her to be a part of the group of students that attended the recruiters. Most of them were known to be very... handsy with their attendants, and most girls at the Academy tried their best to avoid such duties.
She had stayed a little to the side, preventing the spotlight and the need to pick a recruiter to escort. Halfway through the exhibitions, they had assumed all recruiters were present and relaxed a little. When those peculiar two strolled in, one of the others had pushed her forward and she had nervously made her way toward them. The woman's armour was expensive and very high priority... That much she could tell instantly, not to mention how beautiful she was. Almost radiant.
The man she was with seemed a little disinterested, and he wasn't wearing much armour, if any. So he probably wasn't a Knight himself. Was he the recruiter and she his escort? His coat looked expensive anyway... When they explained they weren't actually recruiters, she knew she had to send them away. But part of her was relieved as well, so she decided to just enjoy the free time. After talking to the pair, who were very familiar with each other and generally open to her as well, it hadn't taken long for Ellea to become curious.
They talked about unknown places and Styles. And they themselves were dressed in high Priority equipment. From what she could tell at least. The golden armour of 'Alice' stood out of course, but there was something about the man with his dark hair and onyx eyes. While he was only wearing a light chest plate, his coat seemed to project a feeling of power all on its own the longer she looked at it.
Now she was sitting at a table in the Portus Tavern, the closest one to the Academy and well-known for its honey pies. She was still a little in shock. She had warned them that they were five shears each, but Kirito just waved her warning away and proceeded to order sixteen honey pies. She stared at him with wide eyes, but Alice had just sighed and said "Always, Kirito-kun... And afterwards you always regret it, saying they aren't as good as the ones from Centoria".
As they were waiting for the large batch of honey pies to arrive, they enjoyed some drinks and talked a little about life at the Academy. They had seemed very interested in both the Styles taught and the Academy itself. She had thought that all Academies were more or less the same, but apparently they both had wildly different experiences, and the names of their Styles were unknown to her.
Alice had enthusiastically replied to her question. "I myself practice a variant of the High Norkian Style. Which was intended for two-handed swords, much like your Caestus Style".
Before Elleas could reply, Kirito added surprised "Honestly I never knew that. Your Style is so different from what they taught at the Academy". The blonde Knight gave her partner a slightly offended look, after which he quickly added "I mean that as a compliment, of course! The High Norkian Style is meant to be on display in one on one duels... Your Style is just a lot more fluent and flexible in actual combat... Not to mention that it is far more elegant".
Alice seemed to be content with the answer as the warm smile returned to her face, but then she sighed and admitted "And yet it's still essentially a dueling Style. Meanwhile, your Aincrad Style developed out of actual combat, thus being far more practical...". As Ellea was about to ask more about what the High Norkian and Aincrad Styles entailed, she noticed the Tavern door opening and a familiar figure walk in.
The lilac haired Halia, who just suffered a defeat in her exhibition duel... She couldn't help but notice how sad she looked as she shuffled her way down to the bar and collapsed on a stool. She was a little startled when Kirito suddenly asked "Hey isn't that one of the last duelists?". After steadying her breathing she quickly said "Yes, Halia! We're actually pretty good friends, so would you mind if I try and console her a little?".
Without skipping a beat, however, the black haired swordsman said with a warm smile. "Just have her join us! We've got plenty of honey pies coming up after all". She looked at him with wide eyes. Giving her one honey pie was one thing. But now they were inviting a friend of her as well? Most people kept to themselves, and especially the wealthier residents of the city barely spared the common folk a glance. And these two certainly didn't look like they were poor...
Eventually she managed to mutter "I-if you're sure... I don't think either of us could really afford it...". But she was stopped by the blonde knight, who quickly said with an honest smile and a chuckle "It's alright, my partner's buying".
She had been disappointed at how few recruiters were left by the time her fight started... While she knew she shouldn't expect too much, she had hoped to join the Fairwater Order. They weren't among the higher Orders, and she had heard they didn't seem to mind what one's background was, as long as they were skilled.
Sadly, their representative left two fights before hers. A little defeated, she took her opening stance at the start of her duel. But she noticed her friend, Ellea, with two strange individuals. A beautiful woman, with hair that would have appeared golden, if her actual golden armour hadn't shone even more fiercely. Clearly a Knight, she realized from her appearance.
The man who she seemed to accompany seemed absentminded, as if he was only paying a little attention to the duels. Still, if Ellea accompanied them, they must be recruiters... And judging by how her friend seemed to enjoy herself, they probably were nice people. That was enough for her to steel herself. If they were, she would need to give it her all. Show them why she was worth recruiting!
After her miserable defeat, all the left-over recruiters seemed to be interested, but most just asked about her curious appearance. After nervously confirming she was a half elf, they drooped off. The two recruiters with her friend weren't even coming over... Ellea shot her a worried look, seeming to say 'sorry', as she led them back toward the gates. Utterly defeated, she decided to get out of there.
Finding a shaded spot at the side of one of the campus buildings, she drooped down to the floor and silently sobbed for a few moments. She had almost yelped when she suddenly felt a presence hovering over her. Looking up, she saw one of the slimy recruiters near the end. His proposal to become an 'attendant' to him, was far from appealing. She was just glad he didn't insist as she hurriedly made her way back into one of the main buildings of the Academy.
After confirming the recruiter had left, she was sitting by the window of her dormitory. It was empty, apart from her, with most of the other Senior Trainees having been recruited. The remainder was probably out applying to Orders by themselves. But why would she? She was a 'filthy half-blood' after all. She checked her pouch and found, as she had expected, only about a hundred shears.
It had been the last of the money she had saved up before joining the Academy four years ago. Most of it was from her allowance at the orphanage she grew up in. Most of the others used it to buy treats or items. But she had always tried to save as much as possible, knowing she would need to pay the Academy's tuition and eventually buy equipment.
But she hadn't had enough to properly fix up her shield before the duel. The cheap blacksmith who had done the last repairs said it would hold for at least a few more fights... Not sure what to do anymore, she got up and decided to eat away her sorrows with a honey pie. Sure, they were expensive... But one every once in a while wouldn't be too bad. And she needed to cheer herself up a little after that defeat.
Slumping down on a stool at the bar, she had been a little startled when Ellea suddenly hugged her from the side. But then she couldn't help but hug her back. After a little while, she had calmed down a tad due to her only friend's comforting presence. Then Ellea asked her a little nervously "I made some new friends, I think, and they wanted to invite you over to our table... If you want to, that is?".
When Halia was about to reject their offer, she noticed Ellea point at those two people who had been at the duels. Seeing her hopeful glance, her friend carefully explained they weren't actually recruiters. With a sigh she had slumped back down on her stool, but after slipping that they had just ordered sixteen honey pies, however, she couldn't help but accept.
Kirito was too distracted by the arriving honey pies to really pay attention to the conversation. After exchanging a quick greeting with the Senior Trainee Halia, he started to devour honey pies with a passion. They were just... perfect. Almost exactly like the ones in North Centoria. As he reveled in his virtual lunch, he eventually noticed Alice smiling at him with a little blush. "What?" he asked carefully.
She laughed a little and teasingly said "You're enjoying them I see?". He stopped for a moment, looking at the honey pie in his hand. This was his... fourth? No, third. Probably. A little ashamed he looked at the two girls, sitting opposite them. They were each just finishing what must be their first.
He sighed and shrugged, before continuing with the one he held. He did however notice the two girls longing staring at the pile of pies. Not stopping, he just gestured for them that it was alright. The excited smiles on their faces as they immediately rushed to get another were enough to make his partner laugh again.
After a little while of silently enjoying their treats, there was one honey pie left. Kirito couldn't. He wanted to, but he just couldn't. He was stuffed. When he first started playing SAO, he had been utterly confused at how virtual food could be so fulfilling, but he had soon started enjoying it with a passion. Getting trapped in SAO had only made it worse. It had been one of the few truly enjoyable aspects of the experience.
He could see Alice and Ellea were equally stuffed. Slouched down in their seats. But when he glanced at Halia, he could see the hopeful glimmer in his eyes. But she clearly didn't want to take the last one... He chuckled when she glanced up at him. "It's all yours". She hesitantly moved in to take it, but seeing nobody object, she happily started eating.
Eventually he became a little worried again. Halia had been fairly excited while they were eating all those honey pies, but now that they were done she fell a little silent. While Ellea and Alice were discussing local sights, he turned to Halia and asked "So Halia, my apologies if I'm intruding, but I was wondering what you're planning to do now?".
She seemed a little embarrassed as she looked up and quietly said "I don't know... I could try again next year, stay enrolled in the Academy and hope to do better". Alice and Ellea had also started paying attention to them now, with the later putting a comfort hand on her friend's shoulder. Before he could say something himself, however, the girl quietly continued. "Not that it will matter anyway...".
Alice frowned a little and asked "Why not? You clearly have talent, and I'd say more than enough skill". Halia just stayed quiet, but Ellea carefully said "Well... Most of the guilds that remain at the end aren't very reputable. And as commoners our fights are always last".
The young girl sighed and continued "My parents have a small shop, but even I don't think they would be able to pay for the necessary equipment by the time I am up for my Exhibition Duel next year...".
Halia at this point had seemed to steel herself a little. He couldn't help but be impressed by the determination burning in her lilac eyes. This is the first time he noticed those were the same curious shade as her hair. Then he remembered who she reminded him of. Kizmel. Although without the pointed ears. Halia's slightly darker (than what seemed to be average in Caestus) skin colour was a little lighter than his old friend's, but she looked eerily similar, if a little younger.
"I'll just attend part-time the coming year a-and I'll find some employment to save up for the equipment. There are always some decent Orders left, if you've got enough to outfit yourself". She sounded determined, but there was a tinge in her voice that seemed to ask 'right?'. Ellea immediately said "You're right". Although she didn't sound too sure of it herself.
The whole situation pained him. He felt he should do something to help them, but what could he do... Oh. He was filthy rich! Or at least, judging by the price of honey pies. Glancing at Alice, she seemed equally concerned, and at a loss for what to do, so he calmly said "Well, we could sponsor both of you...?".
They both looked at him with wide eyes. Eventually Halia started stuttering "N-no, I could never accept that! That is far too much and you don't even know us... We already ate your honey pies too!". Ellea just nodded nervously.
"Surely not! And I think it would be a waste of talent otherwise". Alice retorted. But the girls wouldn't have it. Eventually Kirito sighed, rejected, and asked "How much would a full set of appropriate equipment be?". Halia looked glum as her eyes shifted down towards the table. She quietly uttered "W-well, maybe 5.000 shears, if you're lucky..".
He did his best to persuade them it was no problem for them to sponsor them, but the girls wouldn't budge. They just couldn't accept it. He shot a hopeful look towards the silent Alice. She realized what he was asking and seemed to think about it herself. Then she perked up a little with a satisfied smile as she suggested "Well then, how about you earn it?".
At the girls' their hesitant looks, she quickly added "Well... eh.. We could use some guides to show us around the city?". She shot Kirito a hopeful glance, who stuttered a little but then added "Sure. Might as well check out the town a little before we head out? If you girls known some interesting shops, I'm always up for item shopping".
He leaned back and started to think about what they might need. More to himself than to the others, he started "We could use maps of the area... Maybe we could find a shop that sells a high priority sword too... And I don't know if potions exist, but if they do, we're buying them..". Trailing off, he noticed Alice sigh and he quickly added "A-and I'm sure you need some things too...".
Slowly ticking off items on their shopping list, they spend a few hours letting the girls guide them around. They noticed quite a number of places that might come in handy later. From various shops to the Caestus Royal Bank. The Hunter's Lodge, a somewhat rundown tavern, was pointed out as well. Apparently it was where Orders would go to pick up jobs and assignments. Kirito made sure to make a mental note of that, a potential questing location is always good to know in a game.
The maps they bought confirmed that the entirety of Overworld consists of shattered, floating islands. They were currently on a central one, much larger than most. Kirito also made sure to stock himself with all the necessary adventuring gear, seeing how they had an inventory after all. He couldn't help but silently thank Cardinal-san for making Overworld a lot more like a game than Underworld...
Eventually they found themselves without anything to visit and the girls looked around a bit nervously as they were thinking about where to lead them next. Alice came up to his side and quietly said "Don't forget your body in the real world needs to eat too, Kirito-kun". He cursed a little under his breath. "You know, it feels so much like Underworld, I keep forgetting...". She gave him an understanding nod, but it was clear this was non-negotiable so they agreed to log out in two hours.
He sighed quietly and said to the girls "I think you've shown us everything we could need. Thank you, truly. This would have taken a lot longer without you". They nodded a little embarrassed, but looked happy nonetheless.
Halia had felt a little better about accepting so much money after having shown them around town. She knew it was still just a sham, but at least she felt sure they wouldn't ask them for a 'favour' later... After having spent some time with them, she could tell they were honestly just being friendly.
As an orphan with Elven blood, and with her Elven hair and eye colour, few people ever wanted to even talk to her. While it had been difficult, she had quite quickly after joining the Academy found a good friend in Ellea. The younger girl was always so kind. Such a shrill contrast to the more 'noble' students.
She was a little lost in thought, but when a male voice suddenly asked her "So Halia, where should we go for your equipment?" she jolted a little. She started stuttering "I-I eh... I don't r-really know any good smiths".
He seemed to be thinking something over for a bit, before a wide smile formed on his face. "I know just the place". The blonde Knight sighed and just said "Please, Kirito-kun, not there again... Last time we were there for an hour".
After a short walk they found themselves back at 'Harold's Forge'. As the four of them entered the man stood up and said a little surprised. "Kirito, back so soon?". Kirito shrugged sheepishly and said "Not for myself this time, though". He thought he noticed a hesitant look on the man's face at seeing Halia, but it disappeared as quickly as it came.
Turning to look at Halia, he could see she was a little nervous, but not sensing anything immediately wrong - he opted to ignore what must have been nothing. "Say Halia, did you have any specific equipment in mind?".
The girl soon confessed that she knew little about armour because they were only taught how to fight with their given weapons, armour was most often dictated by the Orders. "But that's mostly just the more esteemed Orders, I won't get into those anyway. So I could use some advice...". The girl blushed a little as she confessed that and Kirito couldn't help but chuckle at the prospect.
Alice sighed with a short laugh behind him "Now you've done it... There's nothing Kirito-kun likes more than selecting equipment...". He shrugged and said "It's not so often I can shop with my equipment. Especially this set-up...". He glanced at his coat and chestplate and sighed a little. He couldn't deny how high level the items were, but like every gamer the thought of new 'loot' always stayed with him...
It barely didn't register as he was thinking about old finds, but then he heard Ellea ask carefully "Alice I understand, but you don't really wear any armour, except for that chestplate...". He shrugged sheepishly and said "Well, that's because my fighting Style is based around parrying and dodging... A full, heavy set of armour would do me no good".
They seemed to accept it, albeit questioningly, but Alice supported him by saying "Sadly, I have to admit I never managed to beat him in a duel...". That seemed to perk the girls interest. A little embarrassed he turned to an amused Harold to start discussing Halia's equipment. Subconsciously, a smile crept over his face as he was shown around the shop's inventory.
While Harold was fitting a nervous Halia for the half-plate set he had picked, he heard Ellea carefully ask Alice "M-might I ask what Order the two of you are part of... It seems like an Order that I would like to j-join one day. If that were possible!".
Alice replied calmly with a Knight's salute "I am part of the Integrity Knight Order. Integrity Knight Alice Synthesis Thirty, at your service". The girl had wide eyes, but then seemed to frown a little as she said a little confused "I-I don't think I've heard of that Order, what part of the city are you in?".
Seeing Alice look a bit sheepishly to him for help, he cleared his throat and said "Well, we're not really in Caestus on official business. We're from... far away. The Integrity Knights don't really operate here". The girl seemed a little saddened by that, but soon asked "Are you an Integrity Knight too, Kirito?".
Before he could deny it, as he wasn't technically a Knight in Underworld, Alice proudly spoke up "Actually, Prime Swordsman Kirito is the head of the Council that the Order serves". A little embarrassed he stuttered "S-serves isn't really the right word... And I really only stepped in if there was a problem...".
At this point Halia interrupted them and asked curiously "M-my apologies, but does that mean you came through the Travel Portal?". Clearly reading the confusion on both their faces she carefully continued "The monument on the large central square? T-that lets people travel great distances...?".
Eventually after sharing a look with Alice, he sighed and said "I suppose so... Do you get many foreign travelers around here?". Halia seemed to think for a moment but then added "Well, some, sure... But the ones I've seen almost all looked like novices, especially recently. A-and they didn't have equipment like yours".
Kirito realized that 'recently' meant other Players. Probably... Sensing how this could lead to another 'Beater'-scenario, he sighed and asked Harold "That's... good to know. Do you happen to sell any cloaks?". He was relieved to find that Harold diversified his business... At least with cloaks they wouldn't stand out too much.
After Halia's equipment was fitted, it was time to pick her weapons. Remembering that Harold seemed to know of the Stacia menu and Priority numbers, he carefully asked Halia "So Halia... What priority Sword are we looking for?". A little nervous, the girl drew a familiar S shape above her hand.
He and perked up, seeing how one's stats are generally very personal. A small, slightly translucent and purple-coloured screen popped up in front of her. She nervously showed it to him. '[Halia] - [Senior Trainee, East Caestus Swordsmanship Academy] [Tier: 10] - [Object Control: 27] [System Control: 12]'. Alice also carefully came over and took a glance. They were both a little surprised that the Stacia window showed more than just OC and SC, but included name, title and tier.
He couldn't help but hum in thought. Tier 10... That's the second to lowest tier, meant for commoners. He would've guessed the girls were around the lowest tiers, but still, he felt guilty considering his own Tier. Upon seeing their glances he cleared his throat and quickly said "Judging by the Object Control alone, you would be among the top tier of students at the Academy I trained at". Halia's face noticeable reddened a few tints at his praise, and Alice supported him. But then after a little while carefully asked "Say Halia, do they not teach the Sacred Arts at this Academy?".
Halia stuttered in reply "O-of course not! T-they only teach the Sacred Arts to Mages". Alice was perplexed and incredulously asked "Then what if you are injured in a fight, is it not wise to be able to heal yourself?".
The girl carefully said "Well... I think they teach basic healing Sacred Arts after you join an Order, to help you during missions. While some Orders hire Mages to accompany them". Alice seemed to be a little satisfied by that, but Kirito couldn't help but ask curiously "So there are dedicated Mages in Caestus? That's interesting... I wonder if they are further along with the Sacred Arts because of that...".
He had asked it more to himself than to the girl, but she calmly replied "I have never seen a Mage myself, as the Temples take in very few students". Shrugging away the thought at the girl's questioning glances, he refocused on picking a shield and sword for Halia.
A little later, when Halia was looking in a mirror, awestruck by her new equipment, Harold startled him a little as he asked from behind him "Say Kirito, you came in here for a high priority sword this morning, saying you would use it together with another sword... Could I see it?".
Kirito frowned a little. He didn't want to attract any attention to him and Alice this soon into the game. Could he really trust Harold? At least he didn't seem shady. After a few seconds of thinking it over, he sighed and chuckled "If we can keep the details of it in this room, I don't see why not...".
Harold nodded understandingly and more than a little curious. Alice had an amused look on her face, while Halia and Ellea had stepped a little closer, also clearly interested. In a fluent motion he unsheathed his dark sword. Gleaming in the rays of sunlight streaming in through the windows. While Harold looked a little stunned, both girls gasped in awe. Eventually the smith cleared his throat and said "That is one magnificent sword. Does it have a name?".
With clear pride in his voice he calmly said "The Night Sky Sword...". Halia had taken a few, careful steps closer to get a better look. After a few moments she quietly asked "What kind of metal is that...?".
Kirito chuckled sheepishly as he handed it to Harold, who wanted to inspect it. The old smith almost dropped it due to its weight, but managed to stead himself. Meanwhile, he told Halia a little absentmindedly as his thoughts were pulled back into the past "Well, it's not metal at all actually. It's carved from the peak of a demon tree. The Gigas Cedar...".
Harold cleared his throat and said with clear admiration in his voice "This is a fine sword indeed, although I find it a little surprising you can even wield this, let alone one-handed...". The girls both looked in awe at the sword held by the blacksmith, so Kirito chucked and said with a smile "If you two want to hold it too, go ahead. Just be careful, it might be a tad... heavy. Maybe hold it together?".
The girls nodded a little incredulously, but then with the two of them carefully accepted the sword from the smith. The moment Harold let go, both girls tumbled forward. His sword landing on the floor with a loud thud, right on top of both of their hands. As was evident by the yelps of pain.
Feeling a little guilty, Kirito hurried over and sheathed his sword, before helping the girls up. Checking their hands, he was glad to see Ellea at least didn't have any cuts. Halia however, had a deep cut on the palm of her hand. Without really even thinking about it, as soon as he saw the drip of blood coming from the cut, he said calmly "System Call. Generate luminous element".
A small, glowing orb appeared slightly above his index finger, which he proceeded to hold against Halia's palm. The girl watched on with wide eyes as the cut quickly closed up. "Wow..." Ellea muttered next to them, before rushing over and inspecting Halia's hand. The owner of that hand was also looking at it, seemingly puzzled.
He carefully asked "Don't they use the Sacred Arts to heal wounds at the Academy...?". Both the girls just shook their lead slowly, before Halia muttered "Mostly just medicine and healing salves, I've never actually seen a Sacred Art performed up until now...".
Alice sheepishly laughed behind him and said with a teasing smile "why do you always end up impressing pretty girls, Kirito?". He felt his face burn up, but coughed and managed to somewhat calmly reply "I-I have no clue. But as the prettiest of those girls, shouldn't you already know?". With a satisfied grin he noted that Alice also started furiously blushing, while she shot him a warm smile.
As they were finishing up and preparing to leave, Harold slapped him on his shoulder and incredulously said "You sure are a strange couple, Kirito... This morning you walk in looking to buy a ridiculous sword and now you're outfitting a half-elven girl for the fun of it".
"Half-elven?" he asked genuinely confused. Harold gave him an equally confused look, while Halia seemed to freeze up. Carefully she turned to him and asked quietly "I... I thought you knew? Because o-of my hair and e-eyes...".
He looked at her a little baffled and managed to stutter a little embarrassed "O-oh eh, sorry, we're not from around here...". The girl looked a little saddened and carefully said "I-if that changes things I understand...".
"Why would that change things?" Alice carefully pitched in. Halia stayed silent, but Harold calmly added "Well... Caestus and the Elves were at war for decades. Even since the treaty a year or five ago Elves aren't really welcome. And well, Half Elves...". After a few moments he hurriedly added "Not that I share those feelings, of course", before he shot a genuinely warm smile towards Halia.
Despite Harold's reassurance, Kirito could see the girl start to shiver and clearly fighting to suppress tears from forming. He couldn't help but feel sorry for her. It wasn't her fault that she was born a Half Elf after all, nor should it really matter. He walked over and knelt next to her, to be on eye level with the shorter girl.
He waited for her to look at him and calmly said with a soft smile "Like I said, we're not from around here. And if I'm perfectly honest, part of why I insisted to help you was... Well, because you look a lot like a very dear friend of mine". She gave him a surprised and confused look, but then he chuckled "Her name was Kizmel. And she was a Knight. An Elven Knight, actually".
The girl looked at him in shock for a few seconds. But then she started to blush and a grateful smile formed on her lips as she quietly said "Thank you..". He smiled a bit sheepishly and nodded, before getting up again. They finished their discussions and said goodbye to Harold, before finding themselves out in the street.
Kirito turned to Ellea and said "Alright, since we don't know yet what priority equipment you will need next year, I thought I could just give you the same amount we paid for Halia's equipment". As he said that he quickly manipulated his menu and pulled out a sack with 9.500 shears in it. For a moment he cursed internally upon seeing the girl's shocked expression. He had just materialized a bag with money out of nothing...
But, to his shock, the girl mentioned nothing of the sort. Instead she slowly accepted it, with shaking hands. Nervously, she moved her fingers in the air in an all too familiar gesture, before the sack of coins disappeared. Into her inventory. Stunned, he looked over at Alice, who returned his shocked stare. Stuttering he asked the girls "A-are, you... Players?".
They only gave him confused looks, before Halia carefully asked "Players... Do you mean as in participants of a game?". He stared at them in confusion for a few seconds. But then cleared his throat and shook his head. "It's... No, never mind". He chuckled a little sheepishly and looked over to Alice. "Well it's getting late. We should... find a tavern room for the night".
Alice glanced at the clock in the corner of her vision and her eyes shot open. It was already 8PM. They had been diving for a solid nine hours. "Ah yes... We probably should".
Looking over at the two girls, their sad expressions were hard to miss. Ellea nervously said "We can't thank you enough for what you've given us a-and today was a lot of fun... W-will we see you again?". Halia just nervously nodded and gave an equally hopeful look towards the two of them.
As she looked over at her partner, she could see he was thinking the same as her. They weren't sure how long or often they would be playing Overworld... Nor if it was even safe. It made use of a lot of confidential Underworld data, after all. As they shared worried glances, eventually the both of them had a small smile on their faces. Chuckling a little, she turned back to the two girls.
"We don't know how long we will be staying in Caestus, but at least for the next few days...". Kirito couldn't help but notice that Alice seemed genuinely interested in spending more time with the girls. And he could understand that. Apart from his friend group, Alice never really had many opportunities to make new friends herself since coming to the Real World. Giving her a warm smile he added "We'll have some time this week, for sure".
At that point Ellea gasped and said nervously "Oh no, it's already past curfew!". The girls soon explained that as a Junior Trainee, Ellea had to be back at the Academy's dormitory by eight... Seeing her worried expression, Alice and Kirito soon decided to walk the girls back to the Academy, and hopefully take any blame coming her way for being late.
By the time they got back to the Academy, it was already a quarter to nine. Making their way into the Academy, they weren't stopped by anyone, to their relief. After entering the dormitory building Ellea slept in, they were just about to say their goodbyes, when a sharp voice startled them a little. "Junior Trainee Ellea, you seem to be late, again".
A tall man with a stern face came casually strolling up to them. He had short, brown hair and wore a cloth uniform that resembled the Trainee uniform the girls had been wearing, although it was a more elegant white version instead. At his side, he wore a sheathed longsword. Ellea formally saluted and nervously stuttered "M-my apologies, Master Heldrom! I was a-asked to guide two of the Exhibition Day visitors around the city a-and I lost track of time!".
The imposing man raised an eyebrow and turned to Kirito and Alice now as if it were the first time he noticed them. They were both wearing the grey cloaks Harold sold them, hiding their actual equipment underneath. Kirito could see 'Master Heldrom' was inspecting them. Trying to ascertain whether the girl's story was true.
He gave a short bow and said calmly "My apologies, honorable Master Heldrom, I am Prime Swordsman Kirito and this is Integrity Knight Alice Synthesis Thirty. There was a lot in this beautiful city we wished to see and we lost track of time. I would consider it entirely my fault that Junior Trainee Ellea made it back this late".
He did not fail to notice that upon his bow, his cloak fell open at the front. Heldrom's eyes were pulled to the handle of his sheathed Night Sky Sword and for a moment he could hear an unmistakable appraising hum. "I would consider letting it slip, if this was not the fourth time this month that Junior Trainee Ellea seemed to have trouble keeping track of time...".
Ellea noticeably squirmed a little, but Heldrom calmly continued "Although I must admit, the two of you do intrigue me, Prime Swordsman. Not only is your title unknown to me, but it seems to indicate you are an accomplished swordsman, which is something I don't often encounter since I have taken up residence here... I would consider a one point duel against yourself, representing Junior Trainee Ellea, ample disciplinary action".
A little surprised, he carefully inspected Heldrom's face. There didn't seem to be any ill intentions masked in his words. He could hear Alice carefully say "Kirito..." behind him. And he knew they had intended to keep a low profile... But he was still a swordsman. And he had just been challenged to an honest duel. He turned to give her a calming smile, seeing her shoot an understanding look (and a sigh) back at him, before saying to Heldrom. "I would be honored, Master Heldrom. What self-respecting swordsman would ignore an honest challenge, after all?".
The instructor smiled warmly and seemed genuinely excited at the prospect as he said "Well then, considering the time, would tomorrow morning, say ten a clock, suit your schedule?".
After having said goodbye to a nervous and apologetic Ellea and Halia, the two of them made their way to a decent inn. The room they hired was a little expensive, but it was essentially the entire upper floor of the two story building. With stairs leading up to a private front door. Seeing how they were rich, they just hired it for a week. After logging out, he blinked his eyes a few times, and immediately noticed the warm and comfortable weight of Alice cuddled up to him.
A smile crept over his face as he took of his NerveGear and just played with her bangs for a little while. About a minute or so later, Alice her eyes opened and closed a few times, before she gave him a warm smile and snuggled a little closer up to his chest. Eventually he felt her stiffen up a little and let out a deep sigh. "I forgot to charge this metallic body again last night...".
Realizing she must have gotten an internal battery warning, he gave her a quick hug and said carefully "You know, you don't have to keep your charger in the other room. I think this is really now... Our room anyway. I-if you want to share it, at least".
The girl blushed a little and looked away as she quietly replied "It's still just very strange to me... A-and I.. I don't want to remind you that I don't have a real body here". He could only stare at the girl in his arms as he let that sink in, before he gently used his hand to turn her face back facing his. After pulling the blushing Alice in for a kiss, he just quietly said with a smile on his face "I understand. But please, don't feel ashamed on my account. I don't really mind, I'm just glad you're here with me".
Her surprised expression, turned to a deeply grateful one as she blushed and pressed her lips against his again. Quietly she muttered "Always so sweet, Kirito-kun..." as she nuzzled up to him again. After a while they got up, and realized they should inform dr. Koujiro about Overworld. Alice, to his surprise, happily insisted to cook for him, while he made the call. Saying her limited technical know-how of computer systems wouldn't be useful anyway. A little awkwardly, she accepted the extension cord that would let her move around the kitchen a bit more. She again looked a little nervous, but he did his best to comfort her.
As his... girlfriend? started making something in the kitchen, he made a video call to Koujiro. When she answered he found her sitting in her office at RATH. She looked up from her paperwork with a wry smile and said "Ah, Kazuto-san, how is your vacation going?". He smiled back and replied honestly "Good evening Koujiro-san, my apologies for the late call. It's going great, actually. Alice really seems to enjoy being away from the RATH offices".
She nodded warmly, her expression softening a bit. But soon it returned to the same wry smile and worried eyes. After a sigh she said "I suppose you're aware of this new game that popped up, Overworld?". He nodded carefully "And concerned as we were, we explored it for a bit today... It is eerily similar, but yet still clearly meant as a game, considering the HUD and menu's at least".
They discussed it for a bit and Koujiro explained the MRAS has investigators trying to identify who's hosting the game, but so far they hadn't been able to break through the encryption. When he mentioned his and Alice her save data was available, as well as the time frame he guessed they were from, she froze up and carefully said "Then this has to do with... him, again. Perhaps this is connected to Cardinal-san from Underworld transferring to Ymir's servers... We'll keep in touch, Kazuto-san, I have some calls to make".
After a short goodbye and scheduling another call for the next evening, he sat in his chair. Thinking about what Overworld could mean. Was it really meant as a next-generation VRMMO? If Kayaba is behind it, it has to be something more... Light shudders ran along his spine as memories of SAO sprung up in his mind.
At that point, however, his television rung again. Yui was calling him. A warm smile pulled across his face as he answered "Hey Yui!". The happily laughing young girl sitting on the couch in his and Asuna's log cabin waved excitedly and said "Heyy Daddy! I spent all day with Aunt Argo again and we had so much fun!".
He couldn't help but nervously laugh at that idea. Just now he realized how much his daughter knew... Argo could easily have gotten a fair amount of embarrassing stories out of his sweet and naive daughter. Letting out a short sigh he smiled and talked about his day and gave her an update on what they discovered in Overworld. With wide eyes she asked him "Daddy, could I maybe come to Overworld too?".
He frowned a little and carefully said "I'd like to take you there, Yui, but... I don't know what the game will recognize you as. So it might not be safe for you. There is pain and bleeding after all...". She gave him a pained expression, but admitted "You're right Daddy... But I am going to try and find out if it could be safe from the outside!".
He let out a chuckle at his daughter's enthusiasm. "Alright then Yui, but remember; no logging in until we talked about it again. Your mother and I couldn't stand to lose you". Her expression turned to her innocent, beaming smile again. Giggling she replied "Thanks Daddy, really!".
They talked a little more, but eventually Alice nervously announced that dinner was served. He chuckled and said goodbye to his daughter, before making his way over to the dinner table. Clearly nervous, she presented him with a plate of deliciously smelling food. He smiled warmly at her as he anxiously took a bite from the stew. Instantly the flavour kicked in and he couldn't help but let out a soft moan. As the spicy aftertaste kicked in, his eyes subconsciously closed. It was just the right amount of spiciness.
With small tears forming in the corner of his eyes, from appreciation or heat, he wasn't even sure, he slowly turned to face Alice. The girl was giving him a nervous look and seemed to carefully wait for his reaction. "It's amazing, Alice... I don't know how you could possibly balance the spiciness this well without even tasting it...".
She blushed deeply and beamed brightly at his praise and chuckled nervously "Well, during those six months near Rulid, I-I tried to vary what we ate, but there was this stew recipe that Selka brought me and it seemed to be your favourite... So... I just did my best to make that again". He gave her a quick kiss, which she happily reciprocated, and continued eating his delicious meal. That night they decided to stay in the real world. After a long bath they retired back to their bedroom and snuggled up together as they fell asleep.
Author's Note: What do you think about the Player-NPC-angle? Apologies if you recognized Halia from my other story, but considering how only a handful of people read that one, I thought I might as well incorporate a few things I feel good about!