Halkegenia Online v1 – Refactored – Chapter 6
Kirito's eyes opened slowly to a brilliant tapestry of emerald, white and blue. He blinked once and his vision sharpened, the pools of color becoming more refined, he blinked again and they became even more so, resolving into branches, leaves, blue sky and clouds.
He looked around slowly. Branches thicker than whole tree trunks spiraled about a vast corkscrewed trunk, bark the color of weathered granite. Above his head the branches disappeared into thick clouds, moisture collecting and running down them to form streams that followed their curve before spilling off into waterfalls. This was a world unto itself.
He looked ahead and was confronted by a row of brass bars. 'This is . . . ' Kirito trailed off. The bars were not a straight row, they curved away to each side and bent inward from above, forming an enclosure, a cage. It was a bird cage of tremendous size and beauty.
Within sat a solitary figure, all in white.
Kirito's eyes widened, he took one step, and then another, his body moved on its own, as if he was being pulled along by the auto assist.
Hands wrapped around the bars, shaking them. He looked about for a way, any way, into the cage. There, to his left. There was gate in the cage. A heavy padlock hung from the frame, barring his way.
He thought quickly, hands and eyes searching for anything he could use to break the lock, a branch to lever it or a stone to smash it. His hand brushed against his pocket and he froze.
He retrieved a silver key barely bigger than the palm of his hand. He looked to the lock, and suddenly his chest constricted, it became painful to breathe, to think, to feel. Anticipation mixed with anxiety, the epiphany of a condemned man.
'You shouldn't do that,' a voice said, familiar but distorted.
'I have to, for this to end,' he replied, slowly he slid the key into the lock.
'You won't like it,' the voice giggled mockingly. 'The ending I mean.'
Fear filled him, something deep and primal, he anticipated what was about to happen. It was like rereading a book with an unhappy ending. And yet he could not allow himself to think of it until he reached that end. The key turned slowly, the lock grinding from lack of use.
He approached the figure at the center of the cage. Its build, dress, and hair were all feminine, and there was a yawning sense of familiarity that his mind refused to acknowledge. The figure lay hunched over, she seemed to have fallen asleep at the table.
The figure was completely still, dead still. Trembling, he reached out and his hand brushed aside the hair and came to rest on a shoulder. He recoiled as he felt skin like leather. The figure was emaciated, bony arms held closely around its head as if it had died weeping. An obscene Full Dive cutscene played out before his eyes, forcing him to watch, to move, to listen, to focus his eyes where he must.
'She waited for you, you know,' the voice came again. 'Even when the end came she didn't curse you. . . . Just like Sachi.'
Kirito saw but did not understand. His eyes wandered to something clutched in one shriveled hand. Slowly he reached out, the fingers parted like dry sticks around something small and silver, a simple ring, showing no inscription or embellishment. She'd said it didn't need any. She . . . she . . .
'Who will you run to next? Whose faith will you betray?'
As the key had unlocked the cage, Kirito was suddenly free from the sensation of forced movement. Strength left him far behind, and the swordsman Kirito sank to his hands and knees. His eyes looked past the floor before him, blind to the world. Something broke within him.
"Asuna . . ." He wept softly, arms enfolding the remains, tears burning tracks down his face. "Asuna . . . Asuna!"
'I told you, you wouldn't like it,' the distorted voice said darkly. 'False hero, Swordsman Kirito.'
"Kirito-san? Kirito-san, are you listening?"
Kirigaya Kazuto, Kirito, former Beater of SAO, now a swordsman of the Spriggan race, found himself face to face with a fiery haired Salamander.
"Gyah!"
"Listening now, Kirito-san?" Carmond asked.
Kirito remembered where he was, falling back onto a couch in the room adjacent to Lady Sakuya's offices. Much of the top floors of Arrun Tower had been converted into an improvised administrative hub that now swarmed with volunteers trying to keep up with each developing crisis.
Food and resources aside, one of the most immediate things the Faeries would have to negotiate for was more stationary supplies for the bureaucrats. But thanks to their tireless efforts over the past days, Lady Sakuya and the other Faerie leaders had at least an idea of the what their most pressing concerns should be during the negotiations.
Kirito shook his head and took a moment to let his body come down the from the sudden surge of adrenaline. He tried to recall, he had been having a dream, more of a nightmare, but when he tried to grasp the details they disappeared like a mist, only leaving him feeling more unsettled.
"Mmm." Kirito nodded, "Sorry, I must have fallen asleep."
"Right. KoKo says you've been up at the World Tree every night," the big Salamander said with concern. "She didn't say why, but I'm guessing you have your reasons."
"It's . . . something." The sense of apprehension grew within him with mention of the World Tree. Mostly he went to keep himself sane, but also to remind himself that it was still there, that somewhere at the top was Asuna, and that he would reach her soon.
"I won't pry." Carmond placed a hand on the Spriggan's shoulder. "You've been keeping busy. That's good in a situation like this. Don't let it affect your health."
"It's okay," Kirito dismissed. "I know my limits. What were you trying to tell me?"
"I was asking if you were ready for the meeting?" Carmond said.
Kirito frowned a little, "It's not like I'm an official. I probably won't get a chance to say anything."
"I don't know about that," Carmond grinned. "Lady Sakuya selected you personally as part of her entourage."
There was that, but Kirito doubted it was due to anything he could add to the proceedings. Rather, word had spread that the black swordsman seen often at Lady Sakuya's side was named Kirito and that he may in fact be the same Kirito who had become an urban legend on online message boards.
The fact that the Salamanders did not deny that a swordsman of the same name and description had defeated General Eugene had only added to his reputation. It had also made him into the Sylph and Cait Syth's unofficial deterrent against power plays by Lord Mortimer.
While it was nice to be receiving so much positive attention, and nobody had so much as mentioned the word "Beater" in Kirito's presence, his old instincts were screaming to regain some level of anonymity.
"That's just politics," Kirito said.
Carmond shrugged, "I'm an unaligned player, or at least, I was. But I don't think she wants you just to counter General Eugene. That reputation of yours helps, but I think your history as a SAO survivor matters to them more than the fact that you're the clearer."
"This isn't anything like SAO," Kirito said flatly.
"Most people don't know that." Carmond's expression grew serious. "You've still proven you can handle yourself, that means a lot more than you think."
Kirito looked away. "I can't afford that sort of responsibility right now."
For the time being his goal was still reaching the top of the World Tree. Lady Sakuya had asked him for two weeks. Enough time to stabilize the situation with Tristain. With the transition, the size of the raid group would no longer be limited by game mechanics. At the same time, the raid would be far more dangerous.
With the former players fearing for their lives, simply gathering a normal sized raid party would be difficult under the circumstances, and there were other complications besides. For instance, only the Salamander faction had experience with fighting as a cohesive unit on the scale of the proposed raid.
The door to the waiting room opened and a mild looking green haired Sylph poked his head in. "Kirito-san, it's time."
"Right, right," Kirito said, standing up and stretching. "Back to work then."
"Don't go sounding like an old man so young," Carmond grunted. "You can start groaning about going back to work after you've put your back out once or twice."
"I'll keep that in mind," Kirito replied as he hefted his black iron great sword, he'd have to see about getting a better weapon before the raid.
He rather liked the weight of his ludicrously huge blade, and it had served him well. But he couldn't afford to be sentimental in a life or death situation. If he'd ever discovered a sword superior to either his beloved Elucidator or Dark Repulsor he would have switched in an instant.
Of course that would probably require money, and at the moment he was flat broke. Actually, his employers were short on funds as well seeing as most of the treasury of the Sylphs and Cait Syth had been spent preparing for the raid.
While wondering about the exact details of compensation for his employment, Kirito barely noticed when the door in front of him opened, and he nearly ran face first into a Salamander garbed in dark black and red robes.
Both stopped at the same time and regarded each other. The Salamander looked older than Kirito, maybe mid twenties, with cold red eyes. Despite his neutral expression, something about the man set off every alarm in Kirito's head.
"Oh, excuse me." Kirito took a polite step back, gesturing for the Salamander to go first.
"Hurry up Mort-kun, we're going to be late!" the voice of Alicia Rue carried from within the room. The Salamander's left eye twitched slightly.
'Mort-kun?' Kirito suddenly understood, he swallowed very softly. This was the grand strategist of the Salamander faction that he had been hearing so much about. He didn't look like the older brother of General Eugene, but that wasn't really strange in an MMO. What was strange was the completely different presence he projected.
The Salamander blinked once. "You are Kirito, correct?"
"Mmm." Kirito took up a more relaxed stance. "It's an honor to meet the leader of the Salamanders."
Lord Mortimer glanced at the offered hand and then shook firmly. "I'm pleased to finally meet the man who managed to surpass my brother, however, I fear he may want a rematch."
"Really?" Kirito grinned nervously, recalling the terrifying power of General Eugene and that impossible sword of his, "I didn't think he was the type to hold a grudge."
"He's not," Mortimer said. "He is however quite addicted to battle, even after his recent injury. I've forbidden it given the current situation."
"Well, that's good, I guess."
"Indeed," Mortimer said. "My forces have been given standing orders not to engage you without at least a fully equipped raid force." Mortimer released his grip and turned to walk down the hall, leaving a blanching Kirito to consider what he'd just been told. Lord Mortimer paused after a few steps and turned back. "One more thing."
"Y-yes?"
"You told my brother you represented an Undine-Spriggan alliance. However, it appears that Morgiana has never heard of you," Lord Mortimer observed.
"Well, it was a bit of a fib," Kirito said in a small voice.
"I see." Mortimer nodded and then almost smiled, "The audacity is commendable, don't ever do it again." The Salamander Lord turned and continued down the hall with his arms folded behind his back.
Alicia Rue walked out a moment later and waved a concerned hand in front of the frozen Spriggan.
"Arrun to Kirito-kun," Alicia said, "what was that about?"
"I think the Salamander Lord just threatened me with a compliment," Kirito said. Looking down the hallway, he really needed to renegotiate his compensation for this job.
Princess Henrietta stepped into the shade followed closely by the Duchess Vallière and Viscount Wardes. The Vestri courtyard of the Tristain Academy of Magic had been transformed over the past day to create an appropriate meeting place for this auspicious occasion. A large tent had been erected against the Academy Tower and luxuriously appointed.
At first, Cardinal Mazarin had voiced apprehension at Henrietta taking an active role, but after hearing first-hand from Viscount Wardes of Henrietta's handling of the initial meetings with the Salamanders, and learning of the attendance of the Duchess de La Vallière, the Cardinal had withdrawn his protests. Though still making a slow recovery, the Cardinal was represented in spirit by the Bishop of Mons.
If Henrietta were to be honest with herself, she found this whole affair to be a little overwhelming. Even though her participation was to be ceremonial, Henrietta was still negotiating as the next lawful monarch of Tristain in negotiations with a foreign power.
"Princess?" The Duchess Vallière had noticed how pensive she had grown.
Henrietta smiled bravely, "I'm quite alright. Please, forgive your Princess's weak constitution."
The Duchess shook her head. "I would be more concerned if you did not worry."
Henrietta had written to her mother about her fears. Her mother's reply had been full of reassurance and the advice that she could always trust the Duchess as a loyal ally and confidant. The thought that such a person, the mother of her dear childhood friend, stood beside her now was an unexpected comfort.
Something tugged at the back of Henrietta's mind. "I've been meaning to ask, but how is Louise? I sought after her when I arrived, but I was told she was resting in the infirmary. Has she fallen ill?"
"Louise merely overexerted herself."
"I see," Henrietta said. "That is a relief, I was hoping we could have the chance to visit."
The Duchess nodded. "I am grateful that you still think fondly of my daughter."
"Of course!" Henrietta laughed, "How could I not given all the trouble she followed me into. I will always think fondly of Louise." The Duchess quirked an eyebrow at the mention of leading her daughter into 'trouble'.
Of those gathered for the meeting, the first in attendance was Old Osmond. The Headmaster had generously offered the Academy grounds for the meeting, and his expertise both in magic and other matters had proven most insightful over the past several days.
Next to Old Osmond stood Professor Jean Colbert, a middle aged philosopher who had struck up something of a working relationship with the Faeries of Arrun. He had been requested by both parties to sit in attendance.
Next came Count Woestte, a short waspish man who represented the interests of the local nobles. With his dark hair combed back and thin mustache, he affected an appearance of intense concentration. Henrietta knew she would have to pay close attention to Woestte, as his opinions and the positions he took reflected on powerful factions within the nobility.
Baron Le Marou stood at the far corner of the table reviewing a map covered in small set pieces. The Baron was of medium build but his martial bearing gave him a presence that far exceeded his stature.
There were two additional officials sitting in an advisory capacity. The first was Sir Terence Visbee, a Scholar of Law of the Tristain Academia. The man sat quietly off by himself, apparently lost in his own thoughts.
The second was Bishop Rubeis, Bishop of Mons, an elderly man who was overshadowed by the vestments of his holy office, however this was an impression that only lasted until he moved. The vitality of a much younger man, still regularly traveling the country on religious matters, was then clear to see.
The Bishop's purpose here was twofold, first he would report directly to Cardinal Mazarin. Second, and more importantly, he served as a representative of the Church. Henrietta had been unspeakably relieved to hear the Bishop had come to the same conclusions as the Headmaster. Although the Faeries bore a striking resemblance to Elves, on inspection neither their magic nor their anatomy bore comparison to the great enemy.
They would have to await a final ruling from the Seat of the Holy Father himself, but it was an encouraging sign that would allow negotiations to move forward. The Brimiric Faith was absolute in dealings with Elves, but far more lenient in matters involving other Spirits and Firstborns. This gave Henrietta hope that a peaceful resolution was possible.
Tristain had always endured through alliance. Most frequently with Albion, but sometimes with Gallia and even as now with Germania. This was the greatest internal upheaval Tristain had known in centuries, and if it was not dealt with swiftly, the other Kingdoms would scent weakness.
At the same time, if the Faeries were to be allied with quickly, there would need to be concessions deemed unpalatable by those who believed they negotiated from a position of strength.
It was a perilous balancing act.
The Duchess de La Vallière exchanged a polite nod with Count Woestte and a warmer greeting with Baron Le Marou while Viscount Wardes remained at Henrietta's side.
"Lord Mortimer and the other Fae are supposed to arrive soon, aren't they?" the Duchess asked Baron Le Marou.
"This is near the scheduled time," the Baron agreed. "Ah, that must be them now." The Baron pointed over the Academy wall.
The Faeries set down a distance from the meeting place, a long carpet had been rolled out to welcome them. Students and faculty watched behind a perimeter of Royal guards.
The small procession was led by Lord Mortimer. The Salamander Lord still wore his red and black robes, but had exchanged the light body armor beneath for more formal attire, still he carried his cane clutched in one hand, affecting the style of an aristocratic gentleman. He was flanked by two escorts, one wearing the imposing armor of a Salamander knight, the other dressed more modestly with a small satchel at his side.
After the Salamander Lord came an almost childish figure. The girl was shorter than Henrietta with deeply tanned skin and hair like wheat just before harvest. Fan like ears protruded from her head and her features seemed very slightly feline. She wore a heavy robe of black and gold and was flanked by two warriors in light body armor. Henrietta was certain that she must be the Cait Syth Leader, Lady Alicia Rue.
The last of the Faerie Lords was Lady Sakuya. The woman was as beautiful as she had heard. Slender, with pale skin and green hair so dark it was almost black. Her strange robes gathered delicately around her as she walked. Lady Sakuya's expression was calm and thoughtful, she projected a serenity that was at odds with Lord Mortimer's enforced non-expression. Also like the Salamander Lord, only one of her escorts seemed to be a guard.
Henrietta noticed a third figure sticking close to Lady Sakuya in the procession and turned to Professor Colbert. "Who is that with Lady Sakuya?" she asked, gesturing to the Sylph's black garbed shadow.
"Ah, that would be Kirito."
"Kirito?" the Princess asked. "The young man you met?"
The Professor nodded. "Yes, as I understand he's something of a sword for hire."
"He's a Spriggan, correct?" Henrietta said, noting the young man's ash like skin and dark hair.
"Yes, Princess," Colbert agreed.
"He truly resembles a rogue."
The Professor smiled, "I don't know if I would call young Kirito a rogue, Princess. He is no nobleman, but is quite diplomatic. I'm sure Lady Sakuya values his advice."
Henrietta nodded thoughtfully. Behind Kirito followed two more Faeries, a dark haired woman with ashen skin, another Spriggan, and a short man with a page cut of metallic blue hair, a Leprechaun.
"Princess Henrietta." Lord Mortimer bowed. "It is my honor to introduce Lady Sakuya of the Sylphs and Lady Alicia Rue of the Cait Syth." The two Faerie Ladies bowed as one.
"On the behalf of the people of Arrun and all of the peoples of ALfheim I thank you for your attention, Princess," Lady Sakuya said.
"Likewise, Princess," Lady Alicia Rue said as the two leaders straightened back up.
"It is also my pleasure to introduce Shirishi, the representative of Lady Morgiana of the Spriggans, and Torin, the representative of Lord Rute of the Leprechauns. They will be serving as observers today for their respective leaders."
"It is my honor to meet you all," Henrietta said warmly. "As Crown Princess of Tristain I extend the hospitality of the Crown in these difficult times. Please, let us finish with introductions and begin the meeting."
Professor Colbert quickly introduced the gathered nobles and concisely explained their reasons for attending before moving on to the first topic of the meeting as both parties were seated.
"The first subject on the agenda is the matter of the mobs that are currently infesting the roadways and wilds of our fair Kingdom," Colbert said. "I believe Baron Le Marou can speak better on the matter."
"Thank you, Professor," the Baron nodded. "The Royal Army has sallied in an effort to expunge these beasts, to considerable success so far. The . . . Faerie volunteers have proven themselves indispensable. They make excellent scouts and their knowledge of the mobs has minimized casualties. If this practice can be expanded, then I believe we will have no trouble securing the highways."
"I'm afraid Arrun has offered all of the volunteers we can spare. I would prefer not to order others into the field, not without training to prepare them for real battle," Lady Sakuya said. "But I will speak with the other settlements."
"That's good news, is it not?" Princess Henrietta asked.
"Yes and no." Baron Le Marou continued, "Clearing the main roadways is going smoothly, the beasts surrounding them are weak and we can patrol regularly, but the back roads are proving more difficult. The monsters get stronger and more cunning. We simply do not have the manpower to patrol everywhere at once."
"We should confine our efforts on the main roads for now," Lord Mortimer suggested. "The mobs appear to have remained highly territorial, so there is little need to worry about the wilds for the time being."
"Agreed," Le Marou said. "We can mobilize more of the army for the hunts. But would the Fae be able to offer more organized assistance in patrolling the roadways?"
"Oh, that should be easy," Lady Alicia said, a playful little smile crossing her face. "We've been having a problems of our own and the mobs sound like they're just what we need, we'll even clean up the carcasses."
At Baron Le Marou's confused look, Lady Sakuya explained. "She's referring to the Dragoons, the Cait Syth's aerial cavalry."
"They're pretty powerful to have around," Lady Alicia said cheerfully, "but they'll eat us out of house and home if we don't let them out to hunt soon."
"On the matter of eating," Lady Sakuya said. There was a faint urgency to the woman's voice.
"Yes, the next item. Supplies for the Faerie settlements," Colbert said.
"Yes," Lady Sakuya continued. "Arrun and the other cities have been cut off from any form of supply. As I've told Headmaster Osmond, we're rationing what we have for the time being."
"Food is not a major concern. Tristain is not so poor a Kingdom that we cannot feed the extra mouths," the Duchess Vallière said. "Have you any idea about the total number of your people?"
"At the last census we have confirmed around fifty two thousand," Lady Sakuya said. "That does not include Orlein and Cadenza which could bring the number above sixty thousand."
"Even if feeding them is not an issue, arranging for food to arrive before supplies run out is another matter," Lord Mortimer observed.
"There's also payment to consider." All eyes turned to Count Woestte. The small man was eyeing the Faerie Lords as he continued. "The Crown can order the nobility to sell to you, and we will dutifully obey, but we will expect prompt payment."
Henrietta listened carefully, what the Count said was unpalatable but true. Lawfully all of the lands of Tristain belonged to the Crown, in practice a king or queen that exercised their privilege to excess would find themselves with an irate nobility seeking a new monarch.
"I'm certain some form of compensation can be arranged," Lady Sakuya said.
"Oh, I have no doubt," Count Woestte agreed. "But how will that be handled? You've offered soldiers to help clear the roadways but I hardly think the Crown should pay you for fixing your own mess."
"We are not at fault for the mobs," Lady Sakuya objected.
"Your sport is hunting on our roads and attacking our tenants," Count Woestte said. "So you must take responsibility."
"We wouldn't be here at all if it weren't for that weird magic," Lady Alicia Rue said. "If anything, I'd say that started on your side, it definitely wasn't from our world."
"Nothing but speculation!" Woestte dismissed. "What do you have to offer but a few soldiers?"
Something small and heavy was tossed onto the table by Lord Mortimer. It was a gold coin, a little larger than those issued by the Crown. A stylized inscription of the World Tree marked the face and it was wreathed in Faerie lettering.
"Coinage?" Woestte asked.
"A ten thousand Yurudo gold coin," came the answer from Lord Mortimer. "I have it on good authority that its purity is around twenty-two karat, that would be around nine hundred and twenty thousandths pure gold."
A sufficiently skilled earth mage could of course conjure gold, in tremendously small quantities, and with tremendous effort. This made gold a fairly stable commodity. If the Fae had a quantity of these gold coins then they could offer something in the short term to the nobility.
"I was under the impression that much of your currency had been lost," Professor Colbert said.
"It was," Lady Sakuya replied. "That coin comes from the treasury of the Salamanders. I assume it would be worth something if only for its bullion value. We haven't completed a tally of all of the treasuries, but we're confident we have enough to serve as a down payment," Lady Sakuya said.
"This may be acceptable as payment," Count Woestte decided, placing the coin back on the table. "But that still leaves matters of you squatting on the estates of the nobility."
"I was under the impression that this meeting was to address short term matters," Lord Mortimer said.
"The Count is correct," the Duchess Vallière said. "While this matter remains unresolved, your presence disrupts the livelihood of our people."
"Then you intend to disregard our own claims to the lands around our settlements?" Lady Sakuya asked.
The Duchess Vallière shook her head, "This is a matter that falls under the law of Tristain, if the situation was reversed wouldn't you insist that your own laws apply? As it is now, the Count is right to consider you squatters, you have no legal claim to the property your settlements sit on."
"I would hardly call us squatters given that we were transported against our will," Lady Sakuya defended. "If nothing else the capital cities belong to their factions and the people living in them."
"As Tristain recognizes no treaty with ALfheim, your titles and authority are also meaningless in the eyes of the law," the Duchess frowned. "It pleases the Crown to treat you as it would a foreign delegation, but that does not resolve the matter. Count Woestte and the other nobility are well within their rights to demand your eviction."
"I will not allow our people to be scattered to the wind," Lady Sakuya said politely but with an edge of steel biting through.
"I assure you that would not be necessary," Count Woestte said with a wave of his hand. "I'm certain many among the nobility would be willing to accept the Fae as tenants, the Church and Crown willing." He nodded to Bishop Rubeis and Henrietta.
"To no doubt be governed by the nobility," Lord Mortimer said. Henrietta noted an almost imperceptible narrowing of the Salamander's eyes.
"Naturally," Count Woestte snapped back.
"Unacceptable!" Lady Sakuya stood from her chair. Henrietta was caught off guard by the anger that seemed to radiate from the woman sitting across from her, and judging by the subtle shift in the Duchess Vallière's posture, she wasn't the only one. "Don't think we're so naïve that we don't know what you are suggesting, Count Woestte. We have a responsibility to our displaced people, I cannot allow them to fall under an authority that will treat them like second class citizens."
"Count Woestte is suggesting very reasonable terms, and more importantly, ones that the Crown can expect to enforce. The law of Tristain accords the common peoples the protection of the Crown from abuse and unlawful punishment. Your people would be allowed to continue living in their settlements and retain rights to their homes and personal property."
"From our perspective they are very unreasonable," Lady Sakuya said. "You wish for us to entrust ourselves to the laws of a land that are unfamiliar to us."
"There is also the matter that we serve as elected officials," Lord Mortimer added.
"Yes, your people select you by a vote of confidence," Count Woestte observed. "How quaint."
Mortimer's eyes narrowed, "Do not misunderstand what that means, Count Woestte. For the time being the people are inclined to trust us and obey our mandates, but I assure you there is a limit to what they will accept."
"How you maintain any control with such a system is a mystery to me," the Duchess Vallière said.
"We manage," Lady Sakuya said. "Lord Mortimer is correct, we represent our people and lead at their pleasure."
When Henrietta looked at the Sylph's expression she saw a woman determined to protect the people who supported her. It was something that resonated deeply with Henrietta's own duty to her Kingdom.
More practically, the Princess realized that they did not have the time to argue these matters, with events coming to a head in Albion. The Faeries held more sway than they realized, if only for the damage they could do if negotiations broke down. At the same time, the weakening of Tristain would not benefit the Faeries in the least.
Resolve crept into Henrietta's thoughts. "Then . . . what sort of arrangement would your people find acceptable?"
"Princess?" the Duchess Vallière said.
"There's no point in offering our own conditions if we don't know what the Faeries want in return," Henrietta said to the Duchess before looking to Lady Sakuya. "Please, I don't know what can be offered, but if I had some idea of what would be acceptable I can bring that before Cardinal Mazarin and my advisers."
The tensions on the Faeries side of the table drained away and Lady Sakuya gave a grateful nod. "That too is a matter of the short term and long term," Lady Sakuya said. "We hope that it may be possible to discover what has transported us here and to return to our own world. For now, we need the freedom to investigate and do so without worrying about outside interference."
"And if you cannot return?" Henrietta asked. It was no doubt an unpalatable thought.
"Then, with the blessing of the Crown, we would like to build a home for ourselves here," Lady Sakuya said softly and bowed her head. "I believe there is much we can offer with time. Please understand Princess, while your people are no doubt troubled and even endangered by these events, the same is true for us, and our people have so little left now."
"You would have to become subjects of the Kingdom like Count Woestte is insisting," Henrietta warned, "That is one condition that cannot be negotiated."
"If that is unavoidable then would it be possible to arrange for some degree of self governance?" Lady Sakuya asked. "If terms to that effect can be arranged, then we may be able to come to an agreement. We would of course be willing to find a way to compensate the landholders for the land we occupy."
"Sir Visbee?" Henrietta turned to the Professor of Law sitting at the far end of the table. "Would that be possible?"
"It's an unusual request, but there is precedent for it in the Land Holdings of many of the older Noble Families. It's usually a right conferred by seniority, however, and the land would have to be transferred to the Faeries or the current landholder could appeal any legal ruling. Obviously, Church Law would still apply."
"It is a difficult subject," Bishop Rubeis admitted. "The Fae may be the largest single group of Firstborns or Spirits to seek peace with humans since the time of the Founder. Scripture on the matter suggests that a vow to acknowledge the supremacy of the Word of the Founder in all dealings with mankind to be sufficient."
"What would that entail?" Lord Mortimer asked.
"Essentially you would be left in peace," Rubeis said. "A Faerie could not be accused of heresy as Brimir's Word is only applicable to mankind, but you could be accused of inciting heresy and made to stand trial on those charges."
"I'm not seeing much of a difference between the two," Lady Alicia said dubiously.
"It is a fine distinction," the Bishop gave an odd chuckle. "I dare say the Founder's Wisdom is often imperfectly interpreted by his servants."
The Faerie Lords seemed concerned at this. "If we could have time to confer on this matter, it would be appreciated," Lady Sakuya said.
"That is fair," Henrietta said. "We should not let it interfere when there is still so much else to do. Perhaps we could return to feeding Arrun and the other cities?"
"Aye, I've been giving that some thought," Baron Le Marou said, "and what if we got the navy to be of use for once . . ."
Lady Sakuya, leader of the Sylphs in the game ALfheim Online, sank into the bath with a small sigh of relief. The one good thing about their new reality, water felt properly like water.
ALfheim's capital city environs could easily house twenty thousand residents at once. At the moment it was nearly empty, serving as home to a mere four thousand. Sakuya had taken the opportunity to commandeer a suitable house to serve as her base of operations.
The mansion, which was built along the lines of a compact manor house, possessed enough rooms and floor space to serve as a working residence. But the real reason Sakuya had wanted the place was the luxurious private bath.
As the water lapped up around her neck, she closed her eyes and took a moment to arrange her thoughts into something resembling order. It was fun playing 'Lady Sakuya', but the longer she had to be her, the more the shine wore off. Though some progress had been made in securing food and supplies, averting the immediate crisis of starvation, the two sides were very much deadlocked in terms of future relations between humans and Fae.
Humans and Fae, it was funny to think of it that way. 'I'm human. Aren't I?' Sakuya wondered as she examined the palm of her hand through the glass smooth surface of the water. At least, she still felt human, mostly.
"Ah, that's hot!" Alicia squeaked as she lowered herself into the bath.
"Give it a minute," Sakuya said, closing her eyes once more. "It's because you washed off with cold water."
"Bleh, all sweaty. I hate wearing formal robes."
The tub could easily hold three or four people, so there was plenty of room for the two women. Alicia cupped her hands and watched the water drain through her fingers. "You still look tense Sakuya-chan."
"They want too much," Sakuya said suddenly, eyes still closed. "And there's no way they'll back off until we give it to them."
"So, what are we gonna do?" Alicia asked. "The Princess probably can't give us better terms than what she's offering right now, right?"
"Maybe," Sakuya said, sitting up fast enough to make waves in the bath. Alicia Rue bobbed up and down like a cork. "My impression is that we're dealing with an early Renaissance era society. Tristain definitely has the beginnings of a central government, but I don't think they've started to really limit the power of the monarchy or the nobility yet," Sakuya thought aloud. "So the monarch's authority is really whatever they can get away with. The country is governed in a tug of war between the monarch and the nobility. . . I wonder . . ." Sakuya trailed off.
"Hmm?"
"I wonder Henrietta was being too lenient," Sakuya said. It could mean a lot of things of course, Sakuya would have dismissed it entirely if Kirito hadn't noticed it as well. "I've been thinking about Louis XIV."
Alicia scrunched up her face. "Help me out here Sakuya-chan, the name sounds familiar, I know he was French."
"He was the King of France before Louis XV, his great grandson, succeeded him."
"That's the one that got beheaded, right?"
"No, that was Louis XVI, Louis XV's grandson," Sakuya said. "Louis XIV was an effective ruler who managed to use his influence to curtail the power of the nobility, but many of his policies set the stage for the later revolts that destroyed much of the old aristocracy in France."
"Mmm." Alicia nodded, "Louis the XIV, he reigned pretty much forever didn't he?"
"Only a few monarchs outlasted him," Sakuya agreed. "He took control of his Kingdom when he was still very young and saw to the centralization of government in France after the death of his regent, Cardinal Mazarin."
Alicia Rue spluttered in surprise, "What? That's a coincidence right? That's definitely a coincidence! Don't start making connections that aren't there, Sakuya-chan!"
"I don't know if it's coincidence or not. Let me see, you know about the Many World theory, right?"
"Like in American comic books?" Alicia asked.
"You read those?" Sakuya shook her head, Alicia's reading habits were none of her business. "I wouldn't know."
Alicia shrugged, "I can have hobbies. You mean like alternate universes and stuff? The Germans got the atomic bomb, Oda Nobunaga was a girl, stuff like that?"
Sakuya nodded. "There are definitely superficial resemblances between this world and the Early Modern era in Europe." The Sylph Leader shook her head slowly. "Maybe it really is some sort of freak coincidence." And if it wasn't, Sakuya wasn't sure how it would help them.
"This sounds like it's getting off topic," Alicia said.
"Right," Sakuya said, shelving her thoughts on the matter. "What I was saying was that Louis XIV took his throne when he was only fifteen, although the Cardinal continued to serve as his regent. Monarchs were raised from a young age to rule a country, so maybe we shouldn't be surprised if Henrietta turns out to be a little underhanded."
"I guess we can't trust anyone too much, can we?" Alicia said with a sigh. The childish Cait Syth took a deep breath and ducked her head under the water; a cloud of bubbles rose to the surface. Alicia rocketed back up after a few seconds and took a deep breath before wiping at her eyes. "So, Sakuya-chan, what then?"
"I'm not sure," Sakuya admitted, feeling helpless. It was one thing to recognize patterns in history, it was another thing entirely to work against them. "We just don't know enough, we don't have all the facts. And then there's Mortimer to consider."
"Geeze, you're still worried about that? He could just be a nice guy deep down. Deep, deep, deep, down," Alicia said. When Sakuya's worried expression didn't disappear Alicia grew concerned, her ears drooping down until they almost touched the surface of the water. "It still has you worried, huh?"
"Mortimer . . . frightens me," Sakuya admitted. "I just don't know. We need him, we need the organization he brings to the table, and we definitely need the Salamander forces if we're going to reach the top of the World Tree."
It was a conversation Sakuya was not looking forward to. If it turned out the Admin terminal really was at the top of the World Tree and had been converted into an artifact of similar power to its potential in ALfheim, well, something worth dying for could be worth killing for.
Alicia turned around and draped her hands over the lip of the bath. "I might be able to do something to strengthen our negotiating position. After we settled in, I sent for a person that might be useful."
"Oh?" Sakuya asked.
"Yeah," Alicia said. "She's a bit of an odd one, but she's really good at finding all the pieces of a puzzle." Alicia frowned a little. "The problem is, I don't have her completely dialed in yet, and she's really mercenary. Kirito jokes about money, but this one would almost sell her own grandmother for a one Yurudo coin. If Mortimer really is planning something . . ."
"I thought you didn't worry about those sort of things," Sakuya said.
"I don't, that's what you're here for!" Alicia said chidingly. The expression on her girlish face grew suddenly serious. "Sakuya-chan, if you're worried about Lord Mortimer we can snoop around a little."
"Thank you, Alicia-chan," Sakuya said, "but honestly, it's just my own fears talking. Besides, if Mortimer does have ambitions, nothing can happen until after we've formalized our treaty with Tristain. Maybe you should have your people gather information about that first. We need a better idea of the international situation."
"Well, it will at least give them something to do," Alicia said. "Hopefully they'll turn up some good news."
"Optimistic as ever," Sakuya said. She stretched her arms along the rim of the bath and a smile finally came to her lips. "I wonder. Is that the wisdom that comes with maturity?"
Alicia scowled, "Don't put it like that, you'll make me feel old!"
Suguha spun nimbly aside, narrowly avoiding the inexperienced Leprechaun tumbling through the air as he landed with a splash in the lake. A mop of metallic blue hair breached the surface and he began swimming to shore.
Leafa was there to greet him, hands on hips. "You didn't listen."
"Ah, I tried, I tried!" the Leprechaun, who went by Emroi, scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "It's just that . . . it's a little hard to think of them as my wings. I keep reaching for the flight controller."
"No excuses," Leafa barked. Emroi and the other students stood straight. The gathered Faeries varied from slightly damp to sopping wet, none of them had yet to satisfy Leafa's strict standards.
"Listen up! You have to start thinking of your wings as an extension of yourself. All of you were spoiled using the flight controller. You should do your best to completely forget how you used to fly."
Leafa turned on her heel. "We'll head back to Arrun for now and meet back here tomorrow at the same time." There was a chorus of affirmatives from the class and they began to trickle off in small groups back towards the road to Arrun.
KoKo touched down beside her and gave Leafa a pat on the back. "You're a pretty scary teacher, Leafa-chan," the Cait Syth observed.
Leafa let out a breath. "You think?" she said. "I just want them all to learn properly as soon as they can. I hope I didn't scare anyone off."
"Nye-he-he!" KoKo laughed. "You think those guys aren't coming back with two beauties like us teaching them?"
The hunter stretched her arms behind her back, accentuating her athletic figure.
Leafa smiled, she wasn't quite sure how she had ended up working with KoKo. With each day the rapidly organizing Faeries had found more than enough tasks to occupy everyone.
Faeries with culinary inclinations had begun taking to the kitchens. At the same time, blacksmiths and tailors had set up a makeshift bazaar in the central plaza where they were offering their services to mend equipment and clothing.
Everyone was doing what they could, which had left Leafa at a loss. Suguha could cook well enough, but she wasn't as good as the people doing that job already. She was one of the best swordswomen among the Sylphs, but the concern in her brother's eyes had made her decline helping the Tristanian Army hunt mobs. She didn't feel comfortable as part of Lady Sakuya's retinue either, everyone else seemed far more qualified.
That only left her talent for flying. While it wasn't rare to be able to fly without using the flight controller, it wasn't something everyone could do easily, and learning often felt too much like work. But that simply wasn't an option anymore. The flight controller, like the system menu, was long gone.
Leafa had at first been hesitant when KoKo had asked her to join as her co-instructor, but to her surprise, she had found that she actually had a knack for it. The relentless perfectionism and discipline she had learned while practicing Kendo had served as the basis for her teaching style, drilling her new students until they could manipulate their wings without thinking.
And it felt nice, having something that she could point to and be proud of now.
"Of course," KoKo continued, "your attitude might scare off the girls. You made that one little Puca cry after all."
"W-what?" Leafa straightened up. "That's just because she belly flopped! It was your idea to use the lake, right? And besides, you're way too mothering!" Leafa trailed off. "Too mothering." Caught up in her own thoughts, she didn't notice the way that KoKo's expression blanked for a split instant.
"Something wrong?" KoKo asked gently.
"Nnn." Leafa shook her head. "It's nothing. It's not proper etiquette to trouble people about the other world. Forget I said anything."
KoKo smiled. "Leafa-chan, those rules only apply to MMOs. So don't hesitate to ask if you need advice."
Leafa nodded thoughtfully and was silent for a moment, she turned to look out over the lake. "I'm worried about my dad and my mom. You know my brother is a SAO survivor, right?"
"Yeah, Kirito told Lady Sakuya and Alicia Rue, and they told me and Carmond with his permission. Don't worry, none of us are spreading it around," KoKo said.
"Mom was really brave about it, she had to be, I think. But she cried at night when she thought I was asleep. And now we're both gone, and dad is far away." Leafa clenched her fists. KoKo wrapped an arm around her shoulder and squeezed gently. Slowly, her hands loosened.
"It's good that you worry about your mom." Leafa looked up to see KoKo smiling. "But I'm sure your mom's the kind of person who would want you to put yourself first right now."
Leafa wiped the dampness from her cheeks. "That sounds really selfish."
"It's not," KoKo insisted. "Moms are tough. And they always put their kids first. So you focus on you and your brother, and being a cool senpai, okay?"
Leafa nodded and smiled bravely. "Thanks KoKo-san, or since you're my senior, would it be KoKo-senpai? "
"How about KoKo-sama? That has a nice ring to it."
Both Faeries laughed and said their farewells. KoKo extended her wings and kicked off, riding up into the sky in the direction of Arrun.
Leafa turned back to the lake as the sun sank. The moons would be rising soon. Stretching her arms, she extended her wings, feeling the sensation of imagined muscle and sinew unfolding.
With a gentle kick she pushed off from the ground, a slight twitch of her wings put her into a lazy turn. She could see for miles, the plains around Arrun giving way to low hills to the north and forests to the south.
Leafa started off at a leisurely pace in the direction of Arrun until she overflew a troop of Salamanders following the highway on foot. That wasn't too unusual, they had probably exhausted their wings on patrol and wanted to get back before dark. What drew her attention was the sight of a small red robed bundle carried on the back of one of the Salamanders. Had someone been injured?
One of the Salamanders waved to her as she glided down. This close, she could see that they were dressed mostly in medium grade armor wielding crossbows and swords. The one carrying his friend only had a low level katana, and was dressed in good quality light body armor.
"Good evening," Leafa called. "I'm Leafa of the Sylphs. Is somebody injured? Do you need help?"
The leader shook his head. "She's fine, Enya-chan is just tired out. We've been on the move all day."
"I'm not as strong as you meat headed close combat types!" Leafa made out the unusual features of a female Salamander player, well, it wasn't fair to call them unusual, the Salamanders had their share of girls, but their ranks did tend to be testosterone charged.
This girl had rust colored hair and delicate eyebrows that were crinkled up in annoyance as she argued with her companions. Judging by her equipment she was a mage, and a cut above the average Faerie mage at that. The others laughed heartily save for the man carrying her who simply gave an amused but apologetic look.
"You can put me down, Deputy Squad Leader," Enya said curtly.
"Now, now, Enya-chan, we're just giving you a hard time," the first Salamander said before turning back to Leafa. "Excuse me Leafa-san, my name is Kindjal. You wouldn't happen to know where the Salamander garrison is, would you?"
"They're using some of the inns on the edge of town." It was still sort of weird to meet a lizard who was so polite. "But everything is being organized from Arrun Tower. You said you came from Gaddan?" The Salamander capital was almost eighty kilometers from Arrun.
The man nodded. "We're supposed to meet up with our other squads here to assist the Tristanian army. Alright everyone, you've all heard, the garrison is located in the city outskirts, go check in while I report to Arrun Tower."
"Squad Leader," the katana wielding deputy addressed his superior.
"Yes, Deputy Squad Leader?"
"If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to see to that thing I mentioned earlier." The man rubbed at the back of his neck. "You see, Gaddan didn't have the full census when we left, so . . ."
Kindjal nodded. "Of course. That goes for all of you, if you have any friends or family who might be in Arrun, don't hesitate to try and contact them. I'll let the rest of the unit know that we've arrived. Squad, dismissed." The leader extended his wings and with set out towards Arrun Tower.
Despite the chiding they had given Enya, the rest of her party chose to walk with her rather than fly off on their own. Leafa watched the group go before noticing that the katana wielder was still standing at her side.
"Do you need something ?" Leafa asked cautiously. The man looked like a bit of a ruffian with the scraggly beginnings of a beard, spiked rust brown hair, and a bandana tied around his head. Then again, he'd been the only one not to chide Enya, and he'd been carrying her without complaining, so he probably wasn't a bad person.
The man grinned sheepishly, "It sounds like you know your way around Arrun. You see, I'm sort of looking for some people. We were all logged in at the same time, but after all that's happened . . ."
"I can show you the census," Leafa confirmed, "Actually, there are copies in all the major town squares, but I'm in a little bit of a hurry so I'd like to fly if possible."
"Ah, that's not a problem," the man said. "I'm a newbie, but I got that much down before everything went crazy." A set of translucent red wings began to form from his back. They extended smoothly into a ready position with hardly any effort.
Leafa regarded the man, he was a newbie? He definitely had talent alright. "Well, if that's the case, we won't be together for long, but my name's Leafa."
"Why are you introducing yourself again? You already told Kindjal your name."
"And now I'm telling it to you," she said, growing annoyed. Nonetheless she extended her hand.
The strange katana wielder accepted and smiled warmly. "Thanks for your help, Leafa-san, you can call me Klein."
The dining room was lit by the warm glow of ore lights and filled with the noise of conversation and laughter. A group of Faeries played a heated game of cards, while a Puca band prepared at the front of the room. A crowd gathered around the long table making raucous noises as they unwound.
Seated at a corner table Kirito observed the surreal scenes, both familiar and subtly wrong, with a sense of longing nostalgia. The warm atmosphere seemed to be doing wonders for Yui. She had been so anxious these past few days.
"Here you go Kirito-san." A cute little Imp girl placed a bottle of dew milk on the table beside him, and a tiny thimble of the same for Yui. "I thought you might like it while you wait."
Kirito looked up, "Thank you, Mari-san."
The Imp was the inn's proprietor now that the NPCs were gone, cleaning and tending to the business in their stead, but unlike an NPC, telling her about your problems actually meant something.
"Worried about Leafa-chan?" she asked, and then shook her head. "I know it's none of my business, sorry."
"It's not like her to be late is all."
Mari smiled. "She was probably kept up by her students. I hear she has a really powerful personality."
"Really?" Kirito asked. In his mind, his impression of Suguha was still the image of the little girl practicing Kendo, who hid her shyness behind a big smile, and was really an even bigger crybaby. When had she stopped needing her big brother to protect her?
Mari chided him for his negligence and then hurried off to see the other guests, leaving Kirito with his thoughts from the day.
Even though she had sat at the side of the Princess throughout the negotiations and spoken had with her frequently, Kirito was certain that the Duchess Vallière was much more than she let on. The way she spoke, and her care in remaining neutral, smacked of someone with experience in carefully not exercising power.
Maybe he could try bringing Yui along in his pocket. Yui was good at observing people and their responses. She might pick up on something that everyone else was missing.
Kirito barely noticed the hooded figure that sat down quietly beside him with a steaming bowl and a fresh roll of bread until they started talking.
"I hear the stew is really good at this inn." One slender hand plucked up the roll and began adding butter.
Wasn't it rude to just walk up to someone and start a conversation like that? "Oh? Yeah, they say it's the herbs that grow in the garden," Kirito said, half distracted.
"Is that so?" The first spoonful disappeared. "Wow, it is good! I bet if I had the recipe, I could sell it for at least ten thousand Col."
It took several seconds for what had been said to worm its way through the back of Kirito's mind. Col, not Yurudo. He slowly turned to face the hooded figure who now looked over to him.
The face was familiar, it was a good approximation anyways, the eyes were right and so was the golden brown hair which hung raggedly over her forehead, it probably would have been a perfect likeness if not for the subtle Cait Syth racial traits. Of course, all of the care put into crafting that face was unnecessary with the dark whiskers that graced her cheeks like war paint.
He must have finally cracked and started hallucinating. Finally he whispered weakly, "How?"
"How do you think?" the girl said cheekily and took a bite of her roll. "How have you been, Kii-bou?"
Before she could take another bite, Kirito's hand closed vice-like around her forearm. The girl seemed surprised at his touch. "No games, Argo," Kirito said, eyes serious. He was angry at that moment, though at what he couldn't quite say. "What are you doing here?"
Argo the Rat, the number one information broker of Aincrad, slowly set down her roll. "The same thing as you, Kii-bou."
In the death game of SAO, he and Argo had crossed paths on many occasions, sometimes by accident but often by arrangement. It was said that she would sell any information for the right price, but the truth was somewhat different. He'd eventually discovered that she was spending the profits of her job aiding the other trapped players. And her tagline, "Don't worry, it's Argo's Strategy Guide", had become a mark of quality.
Argo had done this out of a sense of responsibility to the other players, despite the fact that her life would have been in danger if her identity as a Beta Tester had been revealed to the wrong people. Kirito looked up to her for that, she had tried from the very beginning to help others, while he had still been thinking only of himself.
"Sorry, but I'm obviously not as smart as you think I am," Kirito said. "Be more specific. And keep in mind I don't have any money right now."
Argo frowned. "Money's not the problem, Kii-bou, this information has already been paid for in full." The Rat glanced around furtively. The old instincts of Aincrad didn't fade quickly.
"I have a room up on the second floor," he said. Argo nodded.
The room Kirito shared with his sister was located along the long section of the hallway, and was directly over the dining room. Unlike VR, where only shouts and the noises of battle could be heard through a closed door, the muted sounds from the rooms below crept in through the floorboards and open window.
Argo looked around the room curiously as Kirito closed the door. Thankfully, Suguha had insisted they keep things tidy. Argo seated herself beside the fireplace and waited for Kirito to do the same. She'd removed the hood of her cloak, revealing two puffball ears.
Kirito smiled slyly. "So the rat's become a cat? Sorry that it's not quite as private as the rooms in Aincrad."
"Tis' not a problem," Argo replied. "Tis' a shame there isn't a private bathroom."
"V-very funny." Kirito reddened at the recollection of a certain 'incident'. After the Rat was satisfied with her fun she settled down in her seat.
"What are you doing here?" Kirito asked, his patience nearly ready to give in.
"Like I said, the same as you I suppose. I'm working for the Faerie Lords," Argo replied.
"That's not what I meant," Kirito said. It wasn't like Argo to be this evasive without a reason. "Why were logged on to ALO?"
Argo didn't say anything for a long time. When she spoke again, it was not in her normally hateful tones, it sounded around two hundred percent kinder and a thousand percent more demure. Basically, Argo's cuteness modifier, for an instant, shot through the roof. "I'm here for the same reason as you." She sighed, "I'm looking for Aa-chan."
"How did you know about Asuna?" Kirito asked quickly.
It had taken Kirito's status as a lead player and the revelation that he was the last person to speak to Kayaba Akihiko to pry Asuna's whereabouts and the contact information for his friends from the hands of the government.
The Rat gave him a hurt look. "You know my reputation as Aincrad's top info broker wasn't just because of my game stats, Kii-bou. I'm good at picking out details. It didn't take me long to find out that Aa-chan was missing. None of our shared contacts had heard from her. You don't have to be Argo-sama to figure out she was probably one of the three hundred players who were unable to log out."
Kirito understood now. Argo still felt responsible for Asuna and the other SAO players. Just as it was for him, SAO couldn't really end for her until every surviving player was safe.
"So that's why you were playing ALO?" Kirito asked. "Wait, did you see the images from the World Tree?"
Argo's face perked up with a hint of her usual mean spirited smile. "Who do you think gave those pictures to Agil in the first place? I found them a month ago."
"What? A month ago?" Kirito rose from his seat. "Then, why didn't you send them to me?"
The information broker looked annoyed. "I was still working on your IRL contact info. And there was a bigger problem," She growled. "I told the SAO Taskforce about the photos as soon as I could, but I think they just threw them out."
Kirito frowned at this revelation. "What, why? Shouldn't they want to know the whereabouts of the trapped SAO players?"
He had, of course, forwarded the attachment that Agil had sent him to his contact in the taskforce, a man named Kikuoka, but he hadn't waited around to see if anything would come of it.
"That's where it gets scary, Kii-bou." Argo's face grew serious, her eyes shining beneath golden brown hair. "I downloaded the pictures as soon as I found them, which is lucky because when I went back to the forum they'd been changed. Then rumors started to spread around that they were fakes to begin with, and the original posters didn't disagree. I found the original pics on image hosting sites but they were deleted fast."
"Someone was sanitizing the forums. In real time? Is that even possible?"
"Not as seemlessly as this was happening. It wasn't just a takedown algorithm. "Argo gave a slight shrug. "Before I went back to the Taskforce, I needed more information, so I decided to get involved with ALO," Argo explained. "That's when I first heard from Agil-san, he was dropping feelers on the SAO Survivor forums. So I contacted him and we met up IRL."
Kirito thought back, that would have been only a day or two before he heard from Agil. "He didn't mention you," Kirito observed.
Beneath her whiskers, Argo's cheeks darkened, "Ah, that was supposed to be my payment for the information," Argo said quickly. "I didn't want you to know."
"Why?" Kirito asked. "I would have been in your debt."
"Sorry, you haven't paid for that information, Kii-bou."
"What's the price? No, on second thought, don't tell me." Kirito let out a low sigh. He really didn't know what to say. "I guess I should be grateful to see a familiar face, but given the situation that feels sort of selfish," Kirito admitted.
"Papa?" Yui suddenly spoke up from his shoulder. "How do you know this person?"
"Papa?" Argo asked and then smiled mischievously. "Hoho, I didn't know Kii-bou was into that sort of thing!"
"Sorry to disappoint you, but it's nothing like what you're thinking. So if you sell this information, you'll just be damaging your reputation," Kirito said.
"Yui, this is Argo-san," Kirito said. "She's an acquaintance from SAO."
Yui looked from Kirito to the girl sitting across the table before flitting from his shoulder and coming to stand on the table. She bowed deeply to Argo, wings folded neatly behind her back. "Thank you for helping to keep Papa and Mama safe in SAO, Argo-san."
"Y-you're welcome . . . 'Twas nothing. Hey Kii-bou, how did you switch this navi pixie's personality? Is there some sort of secret code? I'll pay you a good price if you tell me."
Kirito smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, but she isn't exactly like other navigation pixies. Just think of her as another SAO survivor." Kirito gently patted Yui's head with a finger. "I guess you can say, she's the one new life that came out of that death game."
Yui nodded. "Mmm. I'm Papa and Mama's daughter."
"Mama?" Argo asked. "That wouldn't be Aa-chan she's talking about? Wait, are you saying this little girl's an NPC?"
"I'm a person," Yui scowled. "And my name is Yui!"
"Right, sorry, 'twas a slip of the tongue," Argo said. "That seems a little farfetched, Kii-bou."
"You know I've always been honest, mostly. I don't have anything to gain by lying," Kirito said. "Yui-chan was one of Cardinal's subroutines in SAO. Asuna and I met her on the 22nd Floor, and well, we sort of adopted her."
"Then how is she here with us now?" Argo asked, leaning down to get a closer look at Yui. The AI become navigation pixie obliged, turning around so Argo could see her from all sides.
"Papa was able to save my data to his Nerve Gear when he was logged out of SAO, and when he logged into ALO I was able to unpack onto the servers," Yui explained. "I'm really happy he did; before that I thought I'd never see Mama or Papa again."
"Seems like Yui-chan is really something special then," Argo observed with a look to Kirito.
"You can say that," Kirito agreed. "I hope you don't mind, but can I ask that you don't tell people that you have this information. I need to keep her safe."
"Tis not a problem," Argo added reassuringly. "The asking price on your private life would bankrupt Tristain."
"Thank you," Kirito said with relief. "You said you're working for the Faerie Lords now?"
Argo nodded. "The Lady Alicia Rue called for me by name, so the great Argo-sama answered. I picked up some interesting news on the way from Freelia."
"Oh?" Kirito asked, "How much are you going to sell it for?"
Argo shook her head, "It's really common knowledge, so I won't charge for it," she said. "Tristain is close to war with one of its neighbors."
Kirito had heard rumors to that effect back at Arrun Tower, but they were disjointed and it was hard to gauge what was actually happening.
"It's Albion, the floating continent," Argo confirmed.
"So Tristain wants to close these negotiations quickly so they don't have to worry about a problem at their backs? That's useful to know."
"Don't get too excited Kii-bou," Argo said. "This country might be allying with one of its neighbors before too long." Argo tugged at her cloak hood. "Suisen, wake up."
Something small poked its head out of Argo's cloak. That something small turned out to be a tiny girl with golden brown hair wearing a bright yellow sundress and adorned with a tiny pair of wings.
"Yes Mistress?" the pixie asked softly.
Argo took the girl and placed her gently on the table. Yui examined the newcomer pixie who sat with her legs folded beneath her, eyes downcast.
"Can you recall my notes from yesterday. The ones about Germania."
"One moment Mistress," the pixie closed her eyes and began to speak perfectly in Argo's own cant. "Germania tis the largest country in terms of land and population. The sailors I talked to were pretty confident that it's a contender for leading military power. Rumor is that the Princess might be married off to Germania to secure a treaty. Maybe if Tristain and Germania ally they'll gang up on us. Can't rule it out just yet."
"Now, skip ahead to the part about Reconquista," Argo said.
"Yes Mistress," Suisen responded. "These guys sound like bad business. Before they showed up, Tristain and Albion were on good terms, but now they're at each other's throats. And of course it gets worse, they're doing this for the sake of the poor oppressed commoners. Okay, and because the nobility aren't good enough at killing Elves. That can't be good news for any of us, especially our pointy eared brethren in Sylvain -"
"You can stop now," Argo instructed. Suisen fell silent.
"So it's not going to be as simple as just stalling until they get desperate. There's also the personalities at the meetings to consider," Argo said. "It's like a raid meeting, but a hundred times worse." She shook her head. "Alicia asked me to dig up what I can, good and bad. If they want sweet words they can pay some other information broker to walk them off a cliff."
"You're right that it's better to know than not." Kirito shook his head, this certainly complicated things. "I took you away from your dinner, right? Let me make it up to you."
"The food here's free, Kii-bou," Argo pointed out.
"At least let me beg a bottle of dew milk off of Mari," Kirito offered.
There was a knock at the door. "Kirito-kun?"
It was Suguha. "I'm coming in." She opened the door part way and leaned in. "Onii-chan, Mari-san told me about your guest. Uhm, there's someone else here to see you."
Argo glanced to the door mischievously. "A girl coming to your room?" the Cait Syth asked. "Kii-bou sure has good luck with women," she snickered.
"It's not like that," Kirito breathed as the door knob turned. "I'll introduce you . . ."
As Suguha stepped through the doorway, she was followed by a Salamander. Recognition was almost instant. As with Argo, the man had done a good job of recreating his real world looks, but he hadn't quite managed as perfectly as the information broker had. That said, he was instantly recognizable by the sheepish grin that spread across his face.
"How's it been Kirito?"
"Klein . . ." Kirito whispered. If he had thought that Argo was a hallucination, Klein was a sign of his complete descent into madness. Even so, his brain sent images of Klein stepping around Leafa, and he felt his whole forearm being taken up in a firm arm shake. Kirito shook his head and then pulled away. "What is this, Klein?"
"You really have perfect timing, don't you?" Argo's voice dripped with sarcasm.
"You knew?" Kirito snapped around.
"'Twas not something I wanted to worry you with until I was sure." The Cait Syth shrugged, her ears mirroring her shoulders for emphasis.
"What are you doing here Klein?" Kirito asked softly. "Wait . . . don't tell me . . . "
The man's grin widened. "You know, you didn't need to turn it into your own personal Quest. You could have asked us for help."
"Us?" Kirito asked, looking away from his friend. His hands balled into fists, "Who else . . ." He finally realized who the anger from earlier was directed at, stupid as it was. "Who else was logged in, Klein?"
The Salamander shifted, slowly growing serious. "I logged in a couple of hours before things went south. I heard Agil was already onboard, and so were Silica and Liz. Two of the guys from my guild also logged in with me, but they're back in Gaddan helping out General Eugene. And a few more that Agil knew."
A hiss of air escaped through Kirito's teeth.
"Argo, how many?" Kirito asked.
"Onii-chan?" Suguha whispered.
"Papa, your heartbeat and breathing are abnormal!" Yui sounded alarmed.
"You may not like it Kii-bou," Argo said carefully.
"Some other info broker can walk me off a cliff, right?"
Argo nodded. "After I talked with Agil, I got messaged back a few days later. He thought I'd like to know that you were going to log in to ALO. Then he asked me how to complete the Grand Quest. The next thing I hear he's asking me about the best way for each race to grind skills and if I knew anyone who was retiring from the game who would sell their account."
"Agil talked to Lizbeth and me, and Liz got in touch with Silica on the forums when they found out they both knew you," Klein explained.
"And since Agil asked, I roped in some of my contacts from the Army and Holy Dragon Alliance," Argo continued. "A guy named Schmitt said he and his friends owed you from back in SAO. And the old Army leader offered to help out with some insider info through his MMO Today contacts."
"We all figured we should pool our resources in both worlds. We even had a petition going around to harass the investigators," Klein said. "We weren't about to let you or Asuna down."
"Stop it, Klein," Kirito said softly.
"Eh?" The Salamander looked surprised.
Kirito was trembling. "Why? This was my fight . . . I made sure you all got to go home . . ." Kirito's eyes began to burn. "And now because you followed me . . ." Kirito ground his teeth until they ached.
Klein crossed his arms, frowning. "I guess Kayaba must have managed to zap your brain after all. Because the Kirito I know isn't this stupid."
Kirito looked up into the Salamander's easy smile.
"You couldn't have known any of this would happen. It's nuts. If someone had told me that I was going to be a Faerie by the end of the day, I would have asked them where I could get whatever they were drinking." Klein stepped forward and put one hand solidly on Kirito's free shoulder. "So don't sweat it so much."
Kirito wrenched away from his friend and walked over to the window. Arrun Tower was shining like a beacon in the distance. "Argo . . . There's some information I want to buy. I want to know the locations of everyone and how I can get in contact with them."
"Sure thing," the information broker said. "But I won't charge you for such open information."
"Klein," Kirito said. "I know you say it's not my fault, but you're all here because of me and Asuna, so I'm not going to be satisfied until I've apologized to everyone in person. Maybe this is too much to ask so soon, but before the transition, Yui and I confirmed that Asuna really was logged in to ALfheim, which means that she's probably here with us now."
Klein's eyes widened. "That's good news isn't it?"
"Mmm." Kirito nodded, although he was really uncertain. "But it seems like she's at the top of the World Tree. The only way we know to get to her is right through the Grand Quest. It's a lot to ask, Klein, but I'd like your support."
Klein nodded. "You don't even need to ask. You know I'm with you man."
Kirito smiled a little more. "Then, I guess we should go eat. There's a lot to catch up on, isn't there?"
That night, the Faeries gathered around a table in the corner of that small unnamed inn with a fragrant olive tree in its garden. Black laughed as red recounted the adventures of the last few days, while yellow snarked ruthlessly at red's expense. Green watched from the corner and smiled sadly.
Red had black in a choke hold and was scrubbing at his hair. He'd said something about a place green had never heard of in a castle she had never seen, and black recalled it fondly. Yellow's jokes embarrassed black, but green didn't know why they were funny. Yet he seemed so happy with these people. More alive, more well.
Green took a sip from the bottle she had been given by violet. 'He doesn't need me, the way that I need him.'