Halkegenia Online v1 – Refactored – Chapter 8
Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière, third daughter of the Vallière family, struggled to hold in her irritation.
When she learned that she had not only failed to summon a familiar, but nearly killed herself in the attempt, she had initially despaired. This had soon been replaced with growing dread at facing her mother and explaining her failure. Then, suddenly, her salvation had appeared. An offer from the Headmaster himself to let her continue her studies.
Of course Louise had not known what to expect. She had thought he might come up with something exotic, after all rumors abounded that Old Osmond had spent his life collecting magical techniques. Or perhaps it would be something novel, as the incessantly inquisitive Professor Colbert had been made her adviser.
"This is . . . the first year curriculum?"
Before Louise sat a pile of basic texts and primers, all of them familiar. There really was no better place to start. And Louise could have grudgingly accepted this logic, if not for her tutors.
Professor Colbert would be her mentor, but he had other responsibilities which demanded his attention. In the meantime, three students had volunteered, or been volunteered, to help, it was difficult to say which.
"Come on Vallière, there's no need to be like that," Kirche said. "You always have your head in these books, which is why you never found yourself a man."
"Back to basics," the small, blue haired girl, Tabitha, said.
"Indeed, how can you expect to build yourself up from a weak foundation?" Guiche flicked his rose wand idly.
The Academy library was vacant save for the four of them. Most of the students had taken the opportunity offered by the canceled classes to enjoy themselves. Thus, Louise felt no need to hold back.
"That's not the point!" Louise tapped her index finger against the table. Tabitha at least made sense, and Guiche had some talent, but the Zerbst was just insult added to injury.
"Look, Vallière, if there's something fundamentally wrong with your magic, then fundamentals is where we have to start," Kirche asserted. "First lesson, Rubido's Codex on Applied Magic Theory as related to Fundamental Discourses on the Underlying Nature of the Elements."
"The fundamentals of elemental affinity and the synergistic effects of affinities as derived from the governing pentagram of the five elements. Fire, Earth, Water and Air, with Void serving as the pivot," Louise recited from memory.
Kirche scanned the pages. "That's . . . correct? But this is all theory. Nobody actually memorizes all of it!"
Tabitha shot her an annoyed look but said nothing. Instead, she reached over and took hold of the open book. "Fundamental traits of the elements."
"Earth governs fundamental structure, Water dictates flows and cycles, Air controls etheric effects, and Fire oversees the exchange of fundamental energies. A mage's affinity denotes their ability to work within the domain of each element." She stopped her recitation with a shake of her head. "But any mage should be able to cast spells in the other elements. If all I ever get is explosions, what does that mean?"
"Trying too hard?" Tabitha speculated aloud.
"Miss Tabitha is right." Guiche crossed arms sagely. "Dot level spells are very willpower efficient. But that means a great deal of control is needed."
"Aren't you a Dot mage, Guiche?" Kirche shot.
"Ah yes, but my natural talent as a son of the Gramont line surely makes up for my lack of raw power!" the fop announced proudly.
"So what he's saying is, it's not the size, it's how you use it," Kirche whispered to Louise.
Louise didn't understand what the Germanian meant at first, she tried thinking raunchier and suddenly went red. Guiche hadn't caught on, only nodding and agreeing blithely with the assessment.
"What Tabitha was getting at, is that your control might just be no good. Most people can feel out the elements after their first spell or two, and it's even easier if you share the spell's affinity. But if you try and force it, well . . ." Kirche shrugged. "It might be that stubborn streak of yours has prevented you from trying it any other way."
"Hmph," Louise grumbled. "If that's the case, why not pick an element and go from there. Any one would do. There are only four after all."
"Not so fast," Kirche said. "We'll start at the very fundamentals. Basic spells and cantrips. That way when we put a wand in your hand you'll have a good foundation. And hopefully not . . . "
"Cause explosions," Louise finished, head drooping before shooting back up. "Fine! Let's do it. The Codex Magia and third volume of Jafar's Dissertations," Louise demanded, hand outstretched expectantly.
Zerbst or not, swallowing her pride or not, she'd be damned if she wouldn't give this her best effort.
"It would appear that your information was accurate," Lord Mortimer observed.
"You didn't think I'd trust a bad informant, did ya?" Alicia Rue asked.
"Perish the thought."
The meeting between the Faerie Lords and the representatives of Tristain had been called briefly into recess. Mortimer stood with his arms behind his back, while Alicia stretched languidly. They made an odd pair.
"We're doing pretty good today," Alicia noted.
"Hardly," Mortimer replied. "Our position is as precarious as ever."
Tristain, they were coming to discover, was a small fish in a big pond, surrounded to the north by Germania and to the south and east by Gallia. The tiny Kingdom had survived by alliance more often than open conflict. And just such an alliance seemed to be on the cards between Tristain and Germania now, as the small Kingdom was currently being threatened by Albion. It was the unspoken topic on everyone's mind.
"Our bargaining power in these negotiations may or may not have reached its peak." Mortimer summed up what they were both thinking. "Too much depends on news from abroad."
"So it's like gambling?" Alicia mused. "I'm a pretty good hand at Koi-Koi."
Mortimer's eye twitched. "You do understand the gravity of this situation? Lady Alicia?"
The Cait Leader shrugged. "You're right, it's pretty scary. The other side thinks they're owed an unconditional surrender. But you never know, something good could still be in the works."
"Boundless optimism." Mortimer sighed.
"Come on Mort-kun! If you're like that all the time, none of our problems will be solved!" The childish Cait grabbed the Salamander Lord by the hand and started to tug him back towards the tent.
The meeting had reconvened.
"Ten major settlements, dozens of smaller villages, and of course, the World Tree," Count Woestte started in almost as soon as everyone was seated. "All of it spread over two thirds of Tristain."
"The situation surely isn't so dire," Sakuya pressed back, she was making a good showing today, managing to put the count on the defensive more than once. "Freelia appeared off the coast of Tristain, the Gnome and Imp capitals are subterranean, and I have it on good authority that the Undine capital sits on land that was previously considered marginal swamp at best."
"That still leaves Faerie settlements intersecting with the Estates of hundreds of families, even displacing them completely," Woestte countered. "Our and our tenant's livelihoods are at stake."
"Then we empty the smaller settlements and relocate their inhabitants to the main cities," Lady Sakuya said. "The settlements can be reused or torn down at the discretion of the local landholders. In addition, we are prepared to compensate the current title holders for the land our main settlements occupy."
"That would seem a reasonable concession," the Duchess Vallière agreed, glancing to Count Woestte. "Surely you can see that these are accommodating terms."
"If it were merely one or two market towns, perhaps," Woestte's agreement came with about as much effort as pulling teeth. "We are discussing ten sizeable territories. And you wish for your own laws to apply equally to Tristain's? That is unacceptable, is it not, your Highness?"
"Hmm," the Princess seemed to have been lost in thought, blinking as she caught up. "I received the Cardinal's reply just this morning. He is in favor of consolidating the Faerie holdings and permitting the purchase of rights to the lands, but he is insistent that Crown law must remain supreme. I agree with him," Henrietta said with a look of apology. She continued, "We are however in favor of establishing Arrun and the other capitals as fiefs. That will at least offer you representation and some discretion in legal matters."
Alicia Rue raised a hand and asked. "What do you mean by 'some'?"
"Sir Visbee?" the Duchess Vallière asked. The normally silent adviser looked over his notes and then to the gathered delegates. "The landed nobility are the stewards of the Crown's lands. This would amount to de facto ownership, though with a few exceptions; mineral rights, obviously, are retained by the Crown unless specifically dispensed."
"Obviously," Lord Mortimer murmured.
"Addressing your concerns, Milady, the landholder of a baronee or greater maintains the right to appoint members of the local judiciary, to select the sentences for petty crimes and misdemeanours, and set decrees, in addition to holding a seat in the House of Peers. It is not precisely what you seek, but . . . it might eke a form of protection. The right to instate your own laws within the territories, so long as Crown law is obeyed in greater Tristain."
"It is something," Lady Sakuya said thoughtfully. "That . . . might work. But there is still the matter that we act as elected officials."
"Again with your praise for that idiot system," Count Woestte grumbled, receiving a slight narrowing of the eyes from Lord Mortimer.
"It is imperfect," Lady Sakuya agreed, "but it is our inclination."
"If I may be so forward. I have taken the liberty to review the legal records," Sir Visbee added. "With the blessings of the Crown, it is in fact possible to appoint a council to serve in stewardship. I confess it would be a convoluted solution, but I believe this would allow you to have your elected Lords de facto, if not de jure."
"It will also turn all of the Fae into direct Royal subjects," Henrietta noted.
Sakuya nodded, her expression reluctant. "This is not ideal, Princess, but if such a concession will hasten the negotiations to their conclusion, then I believe that it would be workable for all parties, correct?"
The Duchess Vallière gave a solemn nod.
"Then on a related note, what effect will Tristain's upcoming alliance with Germania have on our agreement?" Sakuya said carefully. It had been a hotly debated matter among the leaders whether to pop this particular bubble. Eventually it had been decided that getting an answer was more important than not offending their hosts.
The Princess and the Duchess seemed suddenly on edge. "Alliance may be too mild a term," the Duchess admitted. "It would be more accurate to say that Tristain is to be absorbed into Germania as a principality."
"We have been made aware of the details," Sakuya nodded, folding her hands before herself. "That is the matter that we wish to discuss. What guarantee do we have that the terms we negotiate will still be honored after an alliance with Germania is secured?"
It was the Princess who spoke, voice tinged with apprehension. "That is not a matter with which you need be concerned. Any treaty will be handled as an internal affair of Tristain. Germania will be required to honor all prior arrangements."
"There would of course be those who would hope to postpone these negotiations until after the alliance has been sealed," Count Woestte suddenly said.
"Count Woestte," the Duchess Vallière said, a note of danger entering her neutral voice.
"I am merely warning that there are some who would prefer to continue these negotiations from a position of strength." The man glanced to Lady Sakuya and the other Faeries.
The leader of the Sylphs was speechless. Lord Mortimer glanced between Count Woestte and Lady Sakuya, and appeared ready to say something when Alicia decided it was time to interrupt.
"Mmm. I guess it could work out that way," the Cait Syth Leader said. "But doesn't that seem kind of risky?"
"Pardon?" Count Woestte asked.
"Yeah," Alicia Rue said seriously. "I mean, Germania is probably just learning about what's going on here in Tristian right about now, right? And I bet they're going to want to hold off on committing to anything until this Kingdom has sorted itself out. It's bad to get married without getting your affairs in order, ya'know?" Voice conversational, like she was lecturing on one of her favorite topics, the Cait Syth Leader continued, "And meanwhile, those other guys, Reconquista? They're the reason you're allying with Germania, right? Tristain looks like their next target I bet." The Cait crossed her arms. "So really, we should all work hard together to make this thing work, right?"
Both the Tristanian and gathered Faeries were shocked into silence, both by the source and the way it had been delivered. But the observation was no less effective for either.
Count Woestte's expression had soured. "I only voiced how others might game the situation."
"We are fortunate that we have such a well connected gentleman to help us convince them otherwise, then," the Duchess Vallière said icily before turning her attention back to the Faerie Lords. "This will of course be a momentous event if it comes to pass. It will need to be brought before the House of Peers."
"If that matter is settled for the time being," Professor Colbert said, "the next item on the agenda is, I believe, that of the mineral rights mentioned previously. We've received reports from earth mages in the north that they found a previously undiscovered iron deposit while shaping an aquifer . . ."
The childish Cait Syth Leader returned to reclining in her chair, giving a happy little closed eyed smile.
Tsuboi Ryotaro, Klein, former leader of the Guild Fuurinkazan, now a Salamander swordsman transported to the world of Halkegenia, was conflicted.
The source of this conflict had just dragged him from his lunch after a long morning on patrol, and was currently keeping pace at his side. With a serious countenance, a glamorous figure, and that hands-on-hips attitude, it was hard for Klein to reconcile her with Kirito's descriptions of his cute little sister.
'Damn it, she's his sister, his kid sister!' Klein thought, stuffing away his instincts as a tragically handsome, tragically single young man. Alas, that had pretty much instantly killed it for him on two counts, and any lingering feelings had transmogrified themselves into something wholly protective and platonic.
"Are you listening?" She was looking right at him, bright serious eyes on the lookout for the smallest twitch or tell.
"Yeah . . . you were saying Kirito hasn't been himself lately. Just what has he been doing?"
"That's just it. He's being secretive." Leafa frowned. "He says he's been training his magic. I teased him about it once, but Illusion spells are just as powerful as the other disciplines. I thought he'd want some help but . . . "
It sounded suspiciously like, actually, exactly like when Kirito had been training his Dual Blades. Klein wondered if he had discovered a new skill? But why keep it secret from everyone? The situation was totally different. There wasn't a system to exploit for one. And thanks to the Faerie Lords they were all solidly on the same team. The more Klein thought about it, the less likely it seemed.
Of course, Kirito would be the one to find out that SAO's character data was compatible with ALO. Well, that wasn't all bad, Klein had been able to buy a fairly decent katana user's account from a player who was retiring, and he'd modded the appearance of his avatar to his liking.
Leafa sighed. "It's . . . like he doesn't trust me."
Crap, he knew that look, in middle school he had made a girl cry when she'd had that look on her face. 'Careful Klein,' he thought.
"Well, the thing is, your brother, he isn't the type of person to really update people on what he's doing. A lot of times I only knew he hadn't died because he was in my contacts list, and I consider him to be a good friend. That brother of yours can be an odd one, but it's not because he doesn't trust you. He just doesn't want to say anything until he has something to show you."
"You think?" Leafa asked. "Sometime I think that as hard as I've tried, there's no way I'll ever understand Onii-chan. I think I figure him out, and then he's already someone different." She smiled, "You know what? When I decided to start playing MMOs, a school friend helped me out. I told him I wanted to play the one that was the most like SAO."
"Really? You really told someone something like that after the SAO incident? You've got guts!" Klein laughed.
"It got me a lot of funny looks," Leafa admitted with a smile. "I just . . . I thought if I could spend time in his world, I could understand Onii-chan better."
"And do you?" Klein asked.
Leafa shook her head. "No. Not really. Well, maybe a little. I think the last few days have taught me more than all of the time I was playing ALO. I think you know my brother a lot better than me. After all, you shared a lot of experiences with him."
"Uh, I guess you could put it that way." Klein turned his head to the side, surveying their surroundings.
A transformation was underway. The streets of Arrun, almost abandoned previously, were starting to take on the air of a real city. That would be thanks to the negotiations. As part of the provisional Treaty the Fae would be allowed to resettle unmolested in any Faerie settlement of at least one thousand residents. In other words, Arrun or one of the capitals. In return, the Crown had begun exchanging Yurudo coins for vital shipments of food.
Klein had mixed feelings on the matter. It was good that they were getting the food to fill their bellies, but how long could the collective treasuries of the Faerie races keep up with that sort of drain?
Rumor was that the Crown would be willing to hire the volunteer forces as mercenaries to patrol alongside the tiny peacetime Royal army. Klein supposed that would supplement their cash supplies. And there was a certain amount of prestige involved, hell, he had considered signing up himself . . .
"Klein-san?" Leafa suddenly spoke up.
"Uh, yeah?"
"Klein-san, what sort of person is Asuna? The way Onii-chan and Yui make it sound, she's really amazing. She must be something to get my brother to pay attention."
"Uh, yeah, I guess." He felt kind of lame with that reply but she had really caught him off guard.
"I bet they hit it off right from the start."
"Actually," Klein recalled, stroking at the stubble of his chin, "those two always butted heads. Kirito-kun was always a solo player. Asuna-san was second in command of a prestigious guild. They were night and day different."
"The Knights of Blood, right?" Leafa asked.
"Uh, yeah, how did you know?" Klein asked.
"Onii-chan told me about them. They were some of the strongest players, right?"
"Right," Klein agreed. "I'm surprised Kirito told you all of this."
"I just listened," Leafa defended, suddenly sounding shy. "I don't think Onii-chan minded talking about SAO all that much, but it would always lead back to Asuna-san. It caused him a lot of pain, so I stopped asking. Like you were saying, Asuna-san and Onii-chan?"
"Let me see. That brother of yours was the polar opposite of Asuna. Asuna . . . Asuna was always like this white swan at the center of everything. Kirito-kun always seemed like this shabby crow that would show up late to raid meetings and then spend nice afternoons napping. Nobody could get under Asuna-san's skin like your brother." Klein shrugged. "I think that must have been what happened, he chipped away at the shell Asuna-san built around herself, and she had this sense of purpose your brother needed to be better than he was. Actually, outside of their constant fighting in the raid meetings, they got along pretty well. They were acquaintances for a while before they got married."
Leafa stopped in her tracks, turning beat red. "M-married!"
'Ah crap.'
Klein waved his hands, "No, that might not be the best term, it was just an in game thing. There wasn't a priest or any gods invoked or anything!"
In all honesty, Klein knew he was lying. To be married in SAO was a much deeper show of commitment than it was IRL. It meant that you were willingly placing all of your secrets in the hands of another, a person who despite everything you had shared, might still be a stranger.
Leafa nodded slowly, one hand rising to rest against her chest. "I see. Klein-san, were you friends with Asuna-san as well?"
"Well, I definitely can't say I was as close to her as I was to your brother," Klein admitted. "But I think they're a good fit for each other."
"Is that why you wanted to help Onii-chan get her back?"
Klein didn't answer for a moment. "It's not the only one." He rubbed at the back of his neck. How to put this delicately. "Basically, what I was thinking was, what if this all turned out to be a wild goose chase? I saw what losing Asuna did to him once. I couldn't let him face that alone. You know?"
"I see," Leafa said softly. She looked deeply troubled by this revelation, but smiled all the same. "I'm grateful that Onii-chan has a friend like you."
"Eh? It's no problem," Klein stammered. Even knowing she was only fifteen, that smile still caused his heart to skip. Yeah, this girl was going to get herself in trouble if someone didn't look out for her.
A familiar hooded figure was waiting for them when they arrived at the inn. "Oy, Argo-san?" Klein greeted.
"Oh, Sabi-kun, you're here again?" the information broker chided.
"Eh, what's with these nicknames?" Klein complained. "I heard that Alicia Rue had you busy. Got a reason to be showing up out of the blue?"
By way of answering, the information broker produced a small envelope. "I finished collecting the contact info that Kii-bou was asking for. It took longer than expected because of the disorder in Orlein. Leave it up to the Undines to hold an emergency election at a time like this."
"But that's good news, right?" Klein said. He'd only been able to get in touch with Agil so far. The shopkeeper was currently in the Gnome capital, but he had his hands full right now with his own problems. His wife, worried sick about anything to do with full dive, had joined him on his first dive into ALO. Getting Kathy acclimated was taking all of his time. For once, Klein felt lucky in his bachelor status.
"Yeah. Good," Argo repeated with a look that said there were other topics on her mind.
They made their way up to the second floor and down the now familiar hall. "Onii-chan?" Leafa knocked on the door before turning the key. She made it barely three steps into the room before running into . . . not Kirito.
Short, light brown hair, bookish face, definitely not Kirito.
The boy, a Puca by the low level clothes he wore, stumbled back as if dazed by the run in.
"Ah, sorry. Sorry!" Leafa apologized quickly.
"I should think so!" The boy shot her an annoyed expression. "Honestly, a knock at the door? You should give a little more warning before barging into someone else's room. Did you ever consider that someone might have been getting dressed in here!?"
"Ah, but my key opened this door!" Leafa held up the inn key in her defense.
"Oh? Then I'll have to take this up with the management. I was assured of my privacy!"
Leafa watched the boy's tirade in complete disbelief. Meanwhile, Klein's eyes wandered to something, or rather, someone, sitting on the bed. Rolling about, struggling not to laugh. It was easy to miss her, being so small and everything.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, this was a huge mistake!" Leafa was stammering now. "Please, I'll find a way to make this up to you personally and . . ."
"Leafa-san?"
"I'll make it right with you, I promise."
"Oy Leafa-san?" Klein tapped the apologizing girl on her shoulder and pointed to the pixie on the bed.
"Y-yui?" Leafa said. "But, what are you . . ."
She turned back to the Puca, who had gone totally silent, looking just about ready to rupture into laughter.
"Kii-bou learned a new ability!" Argo said from the doorway. "So, what move did you decide to forget?"
The boy broke down.
"I'm sorry Sugu . . . but that look you had was too much!" The face still belonged to a bland looking Puca, but the expression was all Kirito. "I really didn't mean to, but when you barged in . . ." He wiped a tear from his eye.
Leafa smiled dangerously. "That wasn't a very nice joke, Onii-chan. You're going to have to make it up somehow."
"It's pretty impressive," the Cait Syth said as she looked him over. "I'm impressed Kii-bou could pull off such a high level skill."
"What, why?" Leafa asked. "Even Recon could use invisibility."
"Haven't you heard?" Argo said curiously. "Lots of people know how to use spells, but it seems it's really hard to learn new ones now. If you don't know them already there's something more to it than just copying the words. Tis an art, I suppose. It's surprising Kirito could do it so quickly."
"I think it's because Transmogrification is in the same family of spells," Kirito said. Klein noticed Leafa shuddering, as if recalling something terrifying. "And it's actually really useful. If you're invisible, you can't interact with people or objects without raising suspicion."
"But in that case, isn't it a little too powerful?" Klein asked cautiously. A spell like that would need to be balanced in some way.
Kirito shrugged, "It's not really as useful as it sounds," he said, confirming Klein's suspicions. "The appearance for each race is randomly generated and can't be altered, so if this Puca's face became well known I couldn't do anything about it. And I obviously can't use any unique abilities."
"So people would catch on before too long," Klein finished. "I get what you're saying."
Raising a hand, Kirito began a short lyrical chant, five words, to dispel the illusion. In a soft halo of light, the small Puca boy once more became the slightly taller and sharper featured Spriggan Kirito.
"But that seems like a strange choice," Klein said. "I would have thought you would have gone straight for combat magic."
Kirito's expression suddenly turned serious. "In terms of direct combat potential, you're right. I'd be better off trying to learn the Shadow Clone or substitution techniques. But that isn't my priority. A direct attack on the World Tree is going to be impossibly dangerous. We'll have the first raid meeting in a couple of days, but the basic plan of attack looks solid."
"Assuming that the spawn rate of the Guardians is still limited, a sustained ranged barrage from multiple raid groups should be able to suppress them almost indefinitely. This will allow an assault group to advance to the top of the World Tree," Yui said. "Lord Mortimer estimates that a minimum of fifteen raid groups will be needed to allow for switching and mana regeneration."
"F-fifteen!" Leafa almost shouted, that was over seven hundred players! Such a gigantic force joining in a single battle was unthinkable. It would have brought ALfheim's servers to their knees.
Kirito nodded again. "If it's coordinated right, then we could potentially make it all the way up without any losses."
"That's never how it goes," Klein grunted. "Remember the 50th Floor Boss? The pot and switch rotation got messed up and that thing almost wiped us out. And that was a hardened clearing group."
"That's what I'm worried about," Kirito agreed. "Lord Mortimer is really something. As a strategist, I don't think even Asuna could beat him. But this plan has to be pulled off perfectly. So I'd like to avoid fighting."
"Avoid it?" Klein asked. "If there was a way to do that in ALfheim, wouldn't someone have cleared the Grand Quest by now?"
"But this isn't ALfheim Online anymore." Kirito looked from Klein to Leafa and finally to Argo. "Lots of things are different now, and that might mean there's an exploit we can use to get past the Guardians."
Argo observed, "You want to use Mimic on a Guardian and sneak past."
The information broker frowned. "That's reckless, even for you Kii-bou."
Kirito smiled weakly. "I have more at stake than anyone. Hopefully, if we can slip even one person through to the top of the World Tree, we can achieve our objective."
"But wait; Kirito-kun, that all depends on the Mimic spell working on something other than Faeries, right?" Klein pointed out.
The Spriggan nodded. "That's why I'm going to test it thoroughly. I was thinking of trying it out on some mobs once I had the Faerie disguises down. But the Guardians aren't like normal mobs, so I thought there might be something better to test it on first. While I was at the Academy the other day I scanned one of the servants. Since normal humans aren't a race from ALfheim, if it works on them there's a good chance it will work on anything. The thing is," Kirito looked a little nervous, "I haven't tried it out yet. I wanted to be sure I could do the spell right before I tried breaking it."
Leafa suddenly crossed her arms. "Then why don't you show us?"
"Eh, what? Right now?" Kirito seemed surprised.
"Right now!" Leafa said with a determined expression. "Besides, you still have to make it up to us for that prank!"
Kirito let out a sigh of defeat. Little sisters were pretty fierce.
"This is something I have to see," Argo snickered.
Kirito took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and began the invocation. Even though Klein had seen Enya cast magic as casually as breathing, he still wasn't used to the glowing runes that inscribed themselves in the air to accompany the chant.
The stacked runes began to separate and spin freely, their orbits coming together until they pressed into Kirito's form. The Spriggan glowed softly and vanished in a halo of light. There was a soft whooshing noise and a bright flash.
Klein blinked the spots from his eyes. "Kirito?"
"Papa?" Yui said, eyes wide.
"Onii-chan?" The Sylph's face had turned faintly red. At the same time she was struggling not to laugh.
"W-what is it?" The former Beater placed a hand curiously to his throat as he heard his own words in a strangely soft and lyrical voicee. "How does it look?"
"Well . . . you definitely look human," Klein said.
"How to put it . . ." Argo tilted her head. "I know."
Walking up to Kirito, the information broker placed her hands on his shoulders and spun him to face the mirror. "It's Kiriko-chan!"
Klein had once commented to Kirito in SAO that his real face was actually pretty cute for a guy. But this was on a whole other level.
Stragiht dark hair spilled silkily down to slight shoulders. Likewise, the eyes were dark, but shone brightly and were fringed with long lashes. Pale skin, nearly translucent, graced a delicately bewitching face with thin crimson lips. His build was even more slender than his form in Aincrad. Though it was difficult to tell, he was perhaps two or three centimeters shorter than before. His clothes were definitely hanging looser and . . . strangely . . . Klein couldn't put his finger on it. Something about the way Kirito stood, a subtle arch to his spine, the way he held his stance as if . . .
"What is this?!" Somehow, despite the sharp edge of anger, his voice still sounded girlish. Leafa doubled over laughing. Klein had to admit, the look on Kirito's face was priceless.
"Sugu!" Kirito looked betrayed.
"I'm s-sorry, but like you said, that look! You're pretty cute Onii-chan!"
Kirito scrunched up his face in irritation. "This isn't funny Sugu," he grumbled before crossing his arms, then slowly began to blanch even paler.
"What is it?" Leafa asked, wiping a tear from her eye.
Kirito's hands worked their way down, feeling out chest, sides, and stomach, then chest again as if he didn't believe it, before reaching further. Kirito's face suddenly went red. "W-What . . . the HELL!"
The birds nesting in the inn's garden took flight all at once . . .
Kirito, his disguise dispelled and once again comfortably masculine, stood partially propped over a chair, breathing heavily.
"The spell must have been confused since humans aren't an ALfheim race," Yui offered with a look of concern. "It probably didn't know what to fill in."
Kirito whispered something under his breath, prompting Klein, Leafa, and Argo, to lean in close.
"What was that?" Klein asked.
"Never again," Kirito whispered darkly.
"R-right," Klein agreed, thankful. He glanced again to Leafa. The only thing that could make things worse was if he had to keep guys off of both of them.
Shinozaki Rika, Lisbeth, "Liz", former master weaponsmith in the world of Sword Art Online, and now the unlikely apprentice to ALfheim's most temperamental sword smith, stifled a yawn as she minded her employer's shop.
Not that there were many customers. The Leprechaun capital, Goubniu, the Smith's City, was just coming out of its stupor. Although Lord Rute had managed to keep order, the rotund Leprechaun Leader had done so by placing the whole settlement under house arrest.
Not that many people had wanted to go outside and face reality. And who could blame them. For the first two days the Faeries of Goubniu had been aimless, too stunned by the impossible to do more than exist.
There had been breakdowns, people weeping bitterly and collapsing in the street, and there had been at least one attempted suicide, thankfully averted. A girl had flown up as far as she could and then dismissed her wings high over the city square and just . . . let herself fall.
Liz was lucky, she didn't know how to make sense of the situation, but she already knew how to roll with the blows. It was natural for her to busy herself so she wouldn't have time to mope or think too long about questions without answers.
Those first days had been hard, but humans were adaptable creatures. Even if they weren't quite human anymore. She had been oddly comforted by the fact that her avatar was now, so far as she could tell, a real living body. She was alive, and living, right then and there.
This sort of thinking had begun to slowly spread. People started to settle into new routines, to talk to one another, to plan. Their self imposed isolation began to fade. News came in from the other cities. Negotiations with people of this new land had begun in earnest. And Liz had found herself falling into her own routine.
Her help around the City had earned her the attention of Goubniu's citizens, and she had quickly found herself with a job helping to do what she had done best in Aincrad. Well, it would be a job once there was money to draw a salary, but for the time being it was hot meals and roof over her head. And that was enough.
Liz felt herself dozing off again. It was hard to keep awake in the middle of the afternoon. Lack of customers aside, the warm spring air kept inviting her to fall asleep. She found herself sinking down drowsily onto the countertop.
A bell chimed. Liz shot up, suddenly fully awake. A customer!
Straightening her blouse, she checked her hair in a small mirror on the countertop. The face that greeted her was a pretty good facsimile of herself. She hadn't given it much thought, but somehow it had felt wrong to use a different avatar, and she'd made every effort to get it right.
Standing, Lisbeth offered a small bow to the customer. "Welcome to Unlimited Arms Works. Don't touch anything."
Looking up, Liz got her first glimpse of the person who had entered the store. Ash colored skin and swept back, spiked black hair. Spriggan, she rolled her eyes. Well, that wasn't too strange, the Spriggan capital was adjacent to the Leprechaun territories and the two races got along reasonably well, so it wasn't unusual to see a few around. Especially now that there was no longer a faction system to enforce any sort of artificial divisions. They were all in this together.
What was unusual was the massive sword that hung from his back, and even more peculiar, the small navigation pixie that sat on his shoulder. Such a massive sword surely wasn't suited for a Spriggan with a speed type build, but the possession of a rare navigation pixie marked him out as a very serious player who should know better. Finally he turned to her and smiled. Something about that expression tugged at Liz, but before she could think what it was he spoke.
"Ah, excuse me," he said, sounding slightly apologetic. "I was recommended here by an acquaintance. I'm actually looking for a new sword."
The tone of voice, the expression, and the mannerisms all came together.
"Kirito," she whispered.
The Spriggan gave a grin that was just so insufferably smug and cocksure. He resembled himself to an extent. His ALO avatar was, she thought, a bit taller, with slightly sharper features, but the eyes were very much the same.
Liz rushed around the counter and took the boy in a tight hug. "Where have you been, you big jerk," she whispered, feeling her eyes mist up.
"Ah, s-sorry." Kirito breathed awkwardly, waiting for Liz to untangle herself. "That is, I only found out you were here a couple of days ago. I was surprised when Sakuya-sama gave me this address for her sword smith. So, I thought it was a good time to come and see you."
The pixie on his shoulder pulled at his ear as if reminding him. "Oh, sorry, I meant to introduce you to Yui." He gestured to the pixie who gave Lisbeth a small bow.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Lisbeth-san, Papa has told me lots and lots about you."
"Oh." Lisbeth bowed back politely. "How do you do." Looking to Kirito, she had to ask. "Papa?"
"I'll explain later." Kirito's smile slowly faded. "But before that," he took a deep breath, "Liz, I'm sorry." The pixie on his shoulder had placed a reassuring hand on his cheek. "You, and Argo, and the others, you're here because of Asuna and me. I've put you all in danger. At least, I wouldn't blame you if you thought of it that way."
And there it was. Exactly what she would expect from a person who would rather 'Die with someone, than do nothing to save them.' He could be predictable, almost cliché.
The blacksmith reached out and took Kirito's hands, they were rougher than she remembered. He was developing some callouses. "It's just like you to worry about others like this, right?" She smiled kindly. "But let us worry about you too, okay? There will be plenty of time for apologizing later." At his look of discomfort, she decided to shift back to shopkeeper Liz mode. "So you said you're here for a sword?"
The tension hadn't left his body, but he seemed relieved to change the subject. "I've been using this." He placed a hand on the great sword that hung from his back. With startling ease he removed the weapon and placed it on the countertop.
Lisbeth examined it with a hint of admiration, Black Iron Great Sword, a Gnomish weapon meant for two handed use. Given Kirito's preference for heavy, resilient blades, it really was a weapon that suited him. However, one important detail nagged at Lisbeth.
"How do you even manage to swing this weapon?" The translation of each player's abstract stats into real knowledge and physical ability should never have been able to provide a low level Spriggan with the strength to wield such an absurd blade.
He scratched at the back of his head sheepishly . . .
"You what!" Liz shouted in disbelief. The navigation pixie on Kirito's shoulder clamped her hands over her ears. Liz caught herself and apologized quickly before looking back to Kirito. The smith gave the Spriggan a forced smile. "Kirito-kun, you really logged into ALO using your Nerve Gear? That's a stupid thing you did."
"I was in a hurry . . ." Kirito defended quietly. "I didn't have time to go buy an AmuSphere. And it sort of worked out in the end, didn't it?"
Lisbeth's anger melted. Asuna was her friend too. But would she have ever thought to log into ALO just for Asuna? She liked to believe she would answer 'yes', and hated herself for doubting.
"Jeez, you really are as reckless as ever." She summoned up a smile that in no way reflected how she really felt before turning back to the sword.
"So, you're looking for a blade that's better than this one. Well, that shouldn't be too hard. This is the shop of one of Goubniu's master sword smiths. However, we're not exactly selling anything right now. Not until we can ensure payment."
"I think I have that covered." Kirito extracted a note from his pocket and offered it to Liz, who immediately gawked at the Sylph and Leprechaun seals.
"This is a promissory note signed by Lord Rute and Lady Sakuya."
Liz read down the note to the very bottom where a maximum budget was written. The zeros just kept going.
"Wait right here." Liz turned and rigidly marched out of the showroom and down the narrow hallway that connected the salesroom to the adjoining workshop. She didn't have to travel far.
Curled up in a blanket like a caterpillar in its cocoon, her employer and landlady was enjoying an afternoon nap on the hallway floor. It was pretty bold of her to tell someone else not to slack off and then just go to sleep herself.
"Wake up. We have a customer. Hey! Wake up!"
"Mmmph." The bundle of blankets drew in tighter. "Why did my wonderful digital paradise have to be turned into meat space. If they don't have a million Yurudo I'm not interested!"
"They have a million Yurudo," Liz confirmed humorlessly.
A head of gold hair poked out from beneath the covers. Liz handed the note to her employer who read it over quickly while rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Her interest had waned slightly as soon as she'd seen the note, on one hand it was the promise of a million Yurudo. On the other hand, it was the promise of a million Yurudo.
"Rute-san, he had Sakuya-chan sign off on it because he knows I don't think he's good for it. But maybe we'll deal." The sword smith stood up.
Many people were surprised when they first met the sword smith Kofu. The Leprechaun stood slightly shorter than Liz, with hair and eyes the color of pale gold, broad shoulders, and off-puttingly muscled arms. She was not a particularly impressive figure. But her ever present smirk left people feeling like they were the punchline to some bad joke.
Between her odd looks and caustic personality, most people didn't want anything to do with her. And now Liz happened to have the dubious honor of being her apprentice. At least until she could build up the savings and reputation to be someplace else.
"Good afternoon," Kirito greeted as she staggered into the showroom.
"Right, right," Kofu said. "It's afternoon? I guess." Squinting, she looked back down at the promissory note. "Hmm, you got this signed by Sakuya-chan and Rute-san?"
Kirito nodded seriously. "Sakuya-sama is the one who recommended that I come to you."
"So, she's recommending you as a buyer? How is she treating Takemikazuchi?"
Liz gritted her teeth, this was the same act she'd pulled when they'd first met, and was barely permissible in a game, much less IRL. In ALO such an attitude had apparently earned her a lot of rage quits from customers, it had also recently earned her a broken nose.
"You mean her katana?" Kirito asked, exchanging a look with the navigation pixie on his shoulder before giving an apologetic shrug.
"Next time you see her, tell her I didn't forge that sword just to look pretty with her yukata. That child wants to fight!" The smith jabbed an accusing finger at a startled Kirito. "Now then, it says here that you've got a million Yurudo budget but I'm only going to accept half that since Rute-san signed it. That a problem?" she asked with an open lipped smile that suggested a carnivore playing with its food.
Lizbeth brought her heel down solidly on the smith's foot. Kofu had the sense to wear steel-toed boots but Lizbeth had quickly become quite good at hitting the thin seam between the toe and the leather.
Kofu stiffened minutely as Liz leaned in and whispered. "I can vouch for this person, so please can we not play games today?"
The senior smith looked to her apprentice, giving an annoyed frown, and sighed. "So, a sword suitable for a Spriggan. A Spriggan that Sakuya-chan has recommended." Snapping her fingers, "Apprentice, Assassin's Blade."
Liz was about to balk at the choice, but it was probably better that Kofu learn for herself. The apprentice smith extracted what appeared to be nothing more than a long sword hilt and offered it carefully to Kirito.
The Spriggan gave her a nonplussed expression. "Ah, Liz, this sword is missing its blade."
"Just keep the hilt pointed away from you and start your swing." Obeying her instructions, Kirito nearly jumped out of his skin as dull gray metal telescoped from the hilt, forming a forearm length blade.
"So, what do you think?" Kofu asked. "It's a special Spriggan assassination weapon, since it can be drawn almost instantly. It's great for stealth builds and illusionists."
Kirito gave the short sword an experimental swing and then shook his head. "Too light, I feel like I'm going to break it."
Kofu snapped her fingers again, "Okay, next one, Wild Fang . . . "
They went through a dozen swords like so, each one receiving a comment like, "It needs to be heavier" or "Still too light."
Kofu was on the verge of going apocalyptic, it was clear that she wasn't used to a customer being dissatisfied with her products, not for the same reason every time. Finally she asked in irritation, "So what kind of sword are you looking for?"
"W-well, I'd like one better than that." He gestured to the sword that still sat on the bench.
Kofu stared at the weapon dumbly then gave a short bark of laughter. "You're kidding right? You've got a Gnome standing outside who hauled that thing in, right?"
Kirito demonstrated, hefting the sword one-handed and easily re-sheathing it, much to the smith's surprise.
"R-right then. So we need a sword for Super Spriggan." Kofu growled softly. "So how about you tell me what you think is wrong with that one?"
"What's wrong?" Kirito asked, as if not understanding.
"Mmm. You're saying you want something heavy. I don't have anything heavier than that sharpened kite shield."
Kirito closed his eyes in thought. "I guess heavy is too simple a way to put it? I like the weight of the Great Sword, but, how to put this, this world's physics engine has some disadvantages."
Understanding dawned in the eyes of both smiths at the same time. "Kirito-kun prefers fast attacks despite using a heavy blade," Lisbeth explained.
"But a sword like that's going to have a lot of momentum behind it. Forget strength, that sword must take all your skill just to balance." Kofu finished, "So when you say a heavy blade, you really mean something high density and strong."
"What about the one we were working on yesterday," Liz suggested.
"We?" the senior smith asked. "You mean the one I worked on while you tended the bellows."
"They're both important jobs," Liz pointed out dangerously, causing her boss to back down.
"The thing is, I don't want to give him that one," Kofu said with a shake of her head.
"I thought you were just finishing it as a matter of pride since the client wasn't logged in. You could have broken it back down into component materials."
"But I didn't want to do that either!" The smith scratched her head in thought. "Let's have him try it out, if he's any good then maybe he can use it." Liz gave a nod of thanks, then headed to the workshop to retrieve the blade. "Come on, we'll do this outside so you don't break stuff, Super Spriggan."
The shop backed up on an empty lot. Liz was already waiting with the sword by the time Kofu and Kirito had circled around. With her employer's permission, she handed the sword to Kirito. Unsheathing part of the sword, he was met with a mirrored steel surface. Drawing the blade fully, it was without any excess adornment. A simple single edged blade forged with singular intent.
"Split Moon," Kofu said simply. "It requires lots of rare reagents, but it's probably one of the finest blades you can produce using iron ingots as the base crafting material."
"How does it feel?" Liz asked.
"Good. The weight feels right, balanced." The swordsman gave an experimental swing before nodding for Liz and Kofu to stand back. The navigation pixie, Yui, flitted from his shoulder and came to rest on a fence post beside Liz.
"Okay boy wonder, let her rip!" Kofu instructed.
Kirito nodded, taking a low initial stance before he took the sword through its paces. He didn't just swing Split Moon about, he made it dance, as if fighting an invisible opponent. Each motion demonstrated blinding speed combined with near perfect control. Kofu said nothing until he had finished, re-sheathing the blade and working his shoulders.
Kirito smiled. "I like this one."
"Yeah. It doesn't suit you at all," Kofu said suddenly, shaking her head. "It's really more of a feminine weapon I'd think. I won't sell it to you." Liz and Kirito both gave the woman a look of utter disbelief before she continued. "Kirito . . . Kirito . . . Where have I heard that name before?"
"The Black Swordsman of Aincrad, Kirito," Yui declared with a very un-pixie-ish note of pride. "That's what people called Papa in SAO."
Kofu lifted an eyebrow. "Wait, you can't be that Kirito."
Kirito looked embarrassed at the attention but nodded reluctantly. "I hope that doesn't affect your decision."
Kofu let out a low whistle and rubbed at her chin. "Kirito. I suppose I should be honored. You must have been the one who took on General Eugene. They say you used some two bladed style . . .
"You know what? That might work. There's something I was working on a while back, but I never got around to finishing it. Rute-san ticked me off so I refunded his money and tossed it in storage. But, it's going to take a while to get the materials together for finishing. Apprentice?"
Liz looked quickly to Kirito. "Kirito can handle any sword you can make." For any other smith that might have been an insult, but Liz had learned those were exactly the sorts of buyers Kofu wanted.
"You can take that child for right now and use it as your personal weapon, but I want it back in one piece. Do that and I'll let you trade it in for the order I'm finishing for you. Isn't that generous?"
Kirito's eyes widened and he bowed deeply, sword held at his side. "Thank you, Kofu-san."
"Whatever." Kofu waved a hand. "And start calling me Kofu-sama, I like having swordsmen grovel at my feet."
Liz counted it a success, she wasn't even that bothered by the LARPing attitude. Victory had been won, and end of battle BGM chimed in her head. Or would have, if the game soundtrack hadn't also disappeared.
She watched her employer shuffle back inside to go back to sleep, leaving Liz to speak with Kirito. She put on some tea and they sat down to do some catching up.
After a few false starts they got to talking about Yui, and then Aincrad, and then strangely, about home. The real world had been a subject that was off limits in SAO, but not so much now. That taboo had been broken by their return to their old lives, however brief.
Liz told Kirito about her parents and how they were probably out of their minds with worry right now, and Kirito told her about his sister who had been transported to this world along with them. He gave Liz a pensive look before continuing. "Liz, I'd like to ask a favor."
"Hmm? Sure, whatever you want."
"This world is a dangerous place . . . "
"So was Aincrad." Liz sipped her tea with a nonchalant shrug.
"Maybe. But this is different. Less forgiving. If something happens to me in this world, promise me you'll watch out for my little sister. And also . . ." He nodded to her lap where Yui had fallen asleep in the folds of her apron.
Liz gave a small, solemn nod of her head. "Of course I will. But, I won't have to, right?"
"Right." It didn't sound convincing.
They finished their tea in silence, and Kirito left not long after, taking Split Moon with him.
It took a long time for Liz to fall asleep that night.