CHAPTER X
[DEEP IN THE FOREST]
[Fifth District_ Prince's Mansion]
The fifth district is one of the outer districts of Aincrad. It was a large rural village located in a vast woodland. The main village was surrounded by thick forest, and a small church was built within it. The mansion, though, was not far from it.
Alice examined the last room of the house, but just like the rest of the rooms they searched in, she found it empty. To report her findings, she ran back to the living room, where she met Eugeo halfway.
Panting, Alice asked worriedly, "Did you find anything?"
Eugeo shook his head. Their worried gazes turned to the glass window, seeing that dusk had already filled the whole place. "It's getting dark," Eugeo said. "We should look for them."
Where could they be at this hour? He thought. Are they together? But why? Several thoughts were running through his head, but he decided to save it for when they'd soon find both Kazuto and Asuna.
"From the view upstairs, I could see Kirito by the stream-" Alice announced but halted her words as her eyes widened at a sudden thought.
"Alice, what's wrong?" Eugeo asked in concern, noticing the look on his partner's face.
Alice remained silent but instead turned her head to the opposite window where the stream she referred to was located. "Could they be…" her voice suddenly trailed off when she was interrupted by the sound of carriages approaching. They weren't expecting anyone at this time, but could it also be the prince they were searching for the past few hours?
Both ran towards the massive, wooden front door, eyes immediately gazed towards the man who set foot on the ground. To their dismay, they saw Raios walking towards them with a grin on his face, slicking back his long, blond, wavy hair.
"I've come to see my beloved cousin, the royal prince, if I may." He announced proudly.
Eugeo and Alice bowed their heads in respect before Eugeo quickly rose. "Forgive me, but the Prince is currently attending to an important duty and wishes no distractions."
"Oh," the visitor scoffed. "How cold-hearted of him."
"I mean no offense Lord Raios, but aren't you supposed to be at your post? Is there something we should be worried about with this abrupt visit?" Eugeo asked.
Raios didn't heed any of his words, his grin turned into a scowl as he walked past Eugeo—slightly bumping him with his shoulders.
"I don't know how important this Selection is for Kazuto, but for me, as long as I become king, the end justifies the means." He slightly turned his head to get a glimpse of Eugeo over his shoulder, who was wearing a perplexed look.
"Eugeo, have you heard about the Kobold Lord?" Raios sighed, his lips curved into a small smile before fully turning to Eugeo. "Rumors say it lives around here. A great beast whom no one was able to defeat. But I wonder, what if the great Lord Raios can?"
Eugeo retorted. "This is the Prince's district—"
"Silence!" Raios cuts him off, voice rising in irritation. "Kazuto! Where are you?!" he shouted.
However, there was no sign of response from the Prince.
Raios chuckled as he came into conclusion. "That bastard is not doing any of his duties."
Eugeo didn't approve of his disrespectful intrusion and approached Raios with his fist clenching in anger.
"Raios! I told you—" A sudden force caught Eugeo off guard and hit his nape. The prince's attending guards attempted to assist him but with a single "Stop!" from Raios, they stopped.
Alice began to tremble in fear. "Eugeo!" she screamed and ran towards the flaxen-haired boy lying on the ground, but before she could reach him, Raios slapped her away.
"Shut up, woman!"
Alice was immediately held back by two guards. She was about to scream for his name once more, but no voice escaped her throat. Her body froze as fear took over.
Without the blue sword that was usually buckled on his waist, Eugeo is defenseless. He forced himself to stay awake despite the extreme pain in his head and mustered a consciousness to utter a word. "A-Alice…"
Two of Raios' escorts had nearly knocked him out, and when he was about to stand up, another guard hit Eugeo's head with the pommel of his sword, leaving him completely unconscious and vulnerable.
They were outnumbered, but it wasn't the only problem. Without the prince around, Raios was the one with the highest rank.
[Fifth District's Forest]
"Kirito, are you sure this is the way? We've been walking for hours and we are only getting further!" Asuna complained, massaging her legs as she sat on a boulder.
"I'm sure of it. Just a little closer." Kazuto urged Asuna to continue walking, with him leading the way.
As the skies got darker, the forest kept getting deeper. They could hear the sound of wolves howling, several bushes rustling, and even the noise of a strange animal running.
Asuna held both her arms across her chest and rubbed them nervously. "K-Kirito, it's getting dark," she said.
"We should stop," Kazuto suggested, turning to face Asuna.
"S-stop? What do you mean? We should get out of here as soon as possible!"
"But you also don't want to encounter it, do you?" His voice took on a more serious tone. Looking around, he then continued, "It was an old story, but people believed it to be true."
Asuna shuddered. She clenched her arms tightly, squeezing them in front of her chest as she stuttered. "W-what do you m-mean, it? W-what is going on?!"
Kazuto began collecting dry woods found on the ground with Asuna following him behind, begging him to explain the possible danger they could be in.
"A monster," Kazuto finally answered.
Asuna gulped. "W-what is it like?"
Kazuto began working to make a fire. "It is a monster that devours every fleshly being...but his favorite prey are humans."
"We don't have our swords."
"I know, but this fire will keep us safe."
The two of them sat next to each other under a large tree, listening to the sound of the fire cracking.
"I'm sorry…" Asuna cuts off the silence. "It was my fault…Eugeo and Alice must be worried."
Kazuto chuckled, closing his eyes as he leaned his head on the tree behind him. "It was a good fight."
"Yeah, it was." Asuna formed a small smile as she recalled the duel and subconsciously followed Kazuto's actions when her smile turned into a frown. "You are the prince, and you must be pretty busy; at this hour, you would probably have an important meeting or some other responsibility to attend to, but because of my arrogance, here you are, stuck in the middle of nowhere."
"I said it was a good fight," he insisted, before exhaling loudly and continuing, "The reason you found me in that stream was because I've been having a lot of thoughts I could hardly get rid of. The castle, my father, this search, everything is starting to eat me up. And then you came, asking me to fight you," he chuckled lightly and turned to face Asuna. "Sparring with you momentarily freed me from the anxiety and I wouldn't want it any other way, s-so….thank you."
The unexpected response caused heat to rise in Asuna's face. She tried to hide it by immediately turning away from him. "T-too bad we didn't get to see who really wins."
Kazuto chuckled and decided to stay silent.
"K-Kirito, why did you do it?" the question came out of her mouth all of a sudden, catching Kazuto's attention in an instant and causing him to turn his head and look at her. Asuna had that same question replay in her head countless times ever since she had learned about his real identity. "Why do you sneak out, act like a commoner, get along with ordinary people…did you hate being a prince that much?"
Kazuto was surprised by the question, eyes widening and lips slightly gaping. "I-I.." he tried to search for words and pondered where he'd begin with but his throat dried and his voice barely came out of his mouth.
That's when Asuna realized what she was doing. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to pry. I-I was-"
"I liked it outside," Kazuto interrupted. "I was always taught to be brave, fearless and not to show weakness. I was always ordered to follow the book to the letter, and listen to what the advisers said. They treated me differently. And so, I became someone I wasn't. But the outside was different…"
Asuna listened carefully to Kazuto's words as it reminded her of the ambiance back in the towering cathedral, which was almost identical to that of a prison. Although it had a hundred floors of intricate, beautiful scenery, Asuna thought it was home. However, her perception changed when she saw the outside world with her own eyes. She just realized how it was gray and voided; despite it being surrounded by the thick, marble walls, it was cold.
"Everytime I sneaked out of the Palace, I didn't do it so I could pretend to be someone else. I did it so I can become myself." Kazuto smiled at her.
Asuna was touched by his words. She was about to open her mouth to say something, but the sound of strange, muffled voices frightened her, causing her to jump in terror. Before she could release a shriek, Kazuto hurriedly covered her mouth with his hand.
"Something is approaching us. Be quiet." Kazuto said as he slowly released Asuna from his hold.
Asuna nodded and unknowingly clenched on Kazuto's coat. They stood still for several seconds only to notice the noise fading.
"K-Kirito...i-it must be...it must be a g-g-gho-" Asuna began to tremble as she pressed her hands to her ears and squeezed her eyes shut.
"Shh!" Kazuto gestured to her to remain silent as he tried to peer into the direction where the strange sound was coming from. From a distance, he could see a small light moving. He narrowed his eyes and heightened his hearing. Putting the pieces together, Kazuto finally realized what it was. "Don't tell me…" he immediately walked closer to the tiny lights with Asuna cautiously following behind.
"K-Kirito! What are you…" Asuna's voice trailed off as soon as her eyes landed on the same thing Kazuto's eyes were on.
Asuna could point out a small wooden gate, and beyond that, she could see the roofs of several houses. The light Kazuto saw were the torches on both sides of the gates, and the sound was coming from the people!
"A village?" she muttered.
Kazuto had a surprised look on his face. "How?" he asked inwardly. In spite of his bewilderment, he didn't waste any more time and grabbed Asuna's hand before both of them rushed towards the gates.
When they got closer, they noticed the thick-concrete wall surrounding the village. The guards whom they encountered were stunned at first, but when Kazuto tried to explain the situation, the village chief let them in.
The village was small, and only around fifty families were residing in it, but the place was lively. At the center of the village, the people gathered together to have a small feast. The chief was generous and welcomed both Kazuto and Asuna. They were given food, and the people were friendly towards their guests.
While sitting at the tail of the table with Asuna on his right, Kazuto explained how they accidentally fell from a hill and were walking for hours for a detour and ended up stranded in the middle of nowhere. The villagers were surprised at his revelation leaving Asuna and Kazuto perplexed.
They turned to the chief who was sitting at the head of the table, searching for answers. The chief nodded and began his story. "It wasn't a long time ago. A little like ten years ago..." During the pause, silence filled the place only to hear the sound of the cracking fire and the rustle of the leaves before the chief continued. "Our village was once large and abundant before we became isolated from the main village. We had a very good hunting ground, and our crops were bountiful, unlike what we have right now. We used to trade in the central city and supply good meat, but gradually, we disappeared from the map…"
Everyone listened carefully. Children snuggled closer to their parents as the story went on. "We call it Illfang, the Kobold Lord. He claimed our hunting grounds, destroyed our crops, and worst, killed anyone who tried to escape the village. Ever since then, we lost contact from the outside."
Kazuto's eyes widened at the news. The rumors were true after all! Sure, he has studied about the fifth district right after taking the assignment, but neither his books nor his reports mentioned anything about the savage beast.
"We couldn't do anything. Even if we asked for help, no one would believe us. The world has forgotten about this village."
As a Prince, Kazuto was very upset at how the kingdom wasn't able to do anything. He cursed under his breath as he was saddened at the people's terror. Some of these children weren't able to step out into the real world; their freedom was taken away from them.
"I can help." The Prince blurted, taking everyone's attention. However, the chief didn't seem to believe him. They didn't appear to have knowledge about the real happenings outside the village. Therefore, they didn't recognize who the person they were talking to really was.
"Kazuto, you understand, don't you?" Chief Diavel inquired. "Once you come here, you can never leave. Both of you."
A small gasp escaped Asuna's lips, her mind trying to process the information about the possibility of having to stay there forever. "There must be a way…" she muttered.
Strong emotions of both anger and pity, Kazuto stood from where he was and sternly faced the chief. "Asuna is right. There must be a way. If we know enough about this beast, we will be able to defeat it!"
The villagers were surprised at Kazuto's words and soon started laughing at his statement. Was it even possible to defeat it?
Suddenly, a loud, hysterical laugh stood out from the crowd. "You? Going to defeat it? That's the funniest joke I've ever heard!" Kazuto turned to the young man who had pale-brown hair. "I doubt that you can even handle a sword!" He continued laughing.
Kazuto was irritated at the man's behavior and was about to approach him before Asuna stopped him. "Kirito, calm down," she whispered to him.
"Zink! That's enough." Chief Diavel glared at the man.
If it wasn't for Asuna stopping him, he would've ignored the warning and retorted with an insult and a challenge to a duel. But as Asuna held him, he controlled himself from doing so and instead turned to the chieftain.
"We are greatly thankful for your generosity as well as the villagers', but I am afraid that we will have to leave first thing in the morning." Kazuto announced.
The villagers who were listening gasped at Kazuto's words, chuckling at how absurd he sounded. The chieftain, however, didn't insist on them staying any longer.
Later than night, Kazuto and Asuna were guided into two separate rooms. Asuna was truly concerned about their current state of difficulty, but what she was more worried about was Kazuto. She knew he wanted to help. She knew he wanted to remove the threat of the people's freedom and let them live a happy, secure life, but would he be able to do it when no one believes him?
She rolled to the other side of her mattress as her thoughts stopped her from sleeping. Asuna decided to get up and slowly sneak out of the house. As she looked around, she noticed a familiar figure sitting in front of the burning fire located at the center of the village.
"Can't sleep?" she said as she approached the figure.
Without turning his head to face Asuna, he blurted. "No one was able to leave since 10 years ago; that's why no one was able to ask for help. I will lead a regiment to take this beast down."
Asuna sat beside him and followed his gaze towards the fire. "They were mocking you," she said.
"I know. But it's not their fault. They lost hope, and some are too scared to even risk a fight. I don't know what this beast is like, but according to what they said, it'd be hard to leave without being at risk. I could die."
The last part brought Asuna the same realization, and she turned to him. "What will you do about it?"
"Although they live in a remote territory, they are still Aincrad's people and it's my job to protect them. I want to set them free. I want them to live."
A brief silence followed before Kazuto turned to face Asuna, and when his onyx orbs met her glistening hazel ones, he asked in a low voice. "How about you? If you were in my shoes, what would you do?"
"I-I…" Asuna looked away from him and darted her eyes to the fire once more. "The world is a cruel place. You are valuable when they'll have the advantage of having you by their side, but if you don't matter that much anymore, they'll throw you away like you're nothing. But I didn't see it that way. The world has a lot of beautiful things, but just like a child, it seeks warmth. It needs to be gently enveloped with kindness, courage, and love. So, if I have the power to protect this village, and if you're asking me what I'd do about it," She then turned to him and smiled, "I'd say, I'd do the same!" She let out a contented sigh and returned gazed back to the fire. "I want to protect them too."
Kazuto became incapable of uttering a single word as his eyes widened in realization. With Asuna's words, he now understood the meaning behind his emotions. Every now and then, he would ask himself, "what am I truly fighting for?", and Asuna's words gave him the answer to these questions.
'But just like a child, it seeks warmth'
A smile escaped his lips. "Why didn't I see that?" He thought inwardly as he clasped his hands together.
Silence fell upon them before Asuna took a deep breath and raised her head to gaze upon the starry night sky. "You are the Prince, and yet, you showed kindness to them despite them not knowing the fact."
Kazuto chuckled, not really knowing the significance behind those words before Asuna turned to him. "I think you're going to be a great king someday, your highness."
That moment, that exact moment, time froze. A new sensation of warmth welled up in Kazuto's chest, and he couldn't explain what it was, but it felt very comforting, and he didn't want it to go away. Asuna had just touched his heart; he was sure of that. He looked into her eyes and those pair of hazel eyes unexplainably made his heart race. He had a strong desire to be drawn closer to her, seeking more warmth than he was feeling in his chest.
"Asuna…" his quivering lips moved slowly. Kazuto's eyes trailed from Asuna's face until it stopped at her right shoulder. He slowly reached out his hand until it touched the fabric of Asuna's clothes and with his thumb, he moved the cloth to just enough to reveal the skin just below her collarbone. His eyes fixed on the cross symbol.
"You'll be a great Queen too, someday."
Asuna remained silent for a moment before speaking in a low voice. "You knew all this time, didn't you?"
The prince fixed Asuna's clothes and withdrew his hand. I found you! He whispered inwardly.
"I'm sorry, I lied," said Asuna. "You're Eugeo's friend, that's why you helped me. I am truly grateful for it and someday, I want to repay all the kindness you've shown."
"That would be unnecessary," Kazuto smiled. "But if that's what you wanted, then I'll gladly take it as an honor, Princess."
Early the next morning, the villagers were gathered at the gates. Asuna would be staying for the time being, but Kazuto will be released as per his request. He only had an old copper sword as his weapon. Asuna was undoubtedly scared, but Kazuto reassured her that he'd be back in no time.
A small portion of the gate was opened for Kazuto. He tightened the grip on his weapon and took a step closer before he felt a tug on his coat. He turned around to see a chestnut-haired girl.
"Come back safe," she said in a low voice that only the two of them could hear.
"Of course," he answered. "I still owe you a duel, after all."
"I'll be waiting, then."
Kazuto gave her a determined look before nodding sternly. Asuna, although hesitant, slowly let go of him. Kazuto walked closer to the huge doors until he was fully out. For the last time, he turned to give Asuna one last look before the doors behind him made a heavy clang as the rusty gate boom of resounding finality; it was not unlike a gong that was signaling the start of a battle.
Kazuto took a deep breath as he unsheathed the sword, prepared to face the challenge in front of him.
A/N:
Hi guys, I hope you enjoyed the new chapter. I originally post this story in Wattpad, and I tend to forget to update in here as well, but I am really thankful to the awesome beta-reader of this story for reminding me that FFN is 2 chapters behind! XD I might be posting the next chapter a few days from now so stay tuned and see ya!