Date posted: 14th September 2022
Hey everyone, this was supposed to go up five days ago but I had a bad case of being cursed by the plague god (no, not that plague) and I lay stricken in bed, fighting on the edge of life and death. Yet I have outsmarted the Reaper Man once again, by eating chess pieces when he wasn't looking.
Bit shorter than normal, so sorry it didn't hit the usual wordcount chonkiness.
Chapter 15: The Big Day
You have not yet bloodied yourself in the Arena. Return and refresh yourself after tasting battle.
- Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Lisbeth swung the door open, and damn near died of a heart attack when she saw a figure in her room. Her hand clutched at the hammer in her apron, but the scream died in her throat, replaced with a tone of annoyance.
"Dammit, Kirito. If you wanted to come to my room, you could have at least asked."
The merchant deigned not to answer, hands clasped behind his back. "This is gorgeous."
At this, the smith smirked and did a little flip with her short pink hair. "I know, right?"
She joined his side, looking at the sword. She somehow felt more like at some fancy art gallery, than her small comfy bedroom. A while ago, the player assigned to guard the fort's armoury found a lock right in front of the door. Immediately a new lock was replaced, more shifts were assigned, and the precious «Wicasa's Legacy» sword was moved from room to room around the fort, every night. It so happened to be Lisbeth's room was chosen for the last night, just before the tournament.
Something just occurred to her right then. "Wait, I locked my door, how did you …"
"I popped it," he said, producing said pick in hand.
"You can't just go around doing that. The guards have been hunting for the lockpicker for the … last … week …"
Lisbeth immediately put two and two together. "Wait, you were the one that tried to break into the armoury."
"Yep."
"But … why?"
"A friend of mine, see, he runs a guild. When he trains new recruits, he has his drill sergeants make fake attacks on the recruit's camps in the middle of the night. Make sure it's all timed properly, so when the alarm is blaring, everyone's at their station in the quickest time possible. Thought to myself, 'Hmm, that's not a bad idea', so that's what I did. Now this fort is completely impregnable. Not a rat scurries in here without my know-how."
"Of course, just the one you've been with."
He raised a brow at that but made no comment.
Lisbeth looked at her handiwork. The gorgeous starmetal blade, the hilt, the grip, all of it hours of sweat and tears poured into it. Kirito had begged her to stop working into the night, a firm believer in doing your work at the allotted time and not a minute longer.
That, and according to her contract, he would have to pay twice for overtime.
She frowned, recalling said memories. "I still think -"
Kirito sighed. "Lisbeth, do we have to?"
She crossed her arms. "I'll stop bringing up Nezha-kun when I stop being mad. What are you gonna do, fire me?"
The CEO slowly breathed out of his nose. "You know what? Fair. Still, it's a magnificent blade. All the more reason to keep it safe. Have you ever heard about the Battle of the Thunder Fort?"
She racked her brain at his non-sequitur. "I'm afraid not. Is that a quest of some kind?"
"It was a battle on the last day of the beta test. Hundreds of beta testers holed up in the eponymous Thunder Fort, against tens of thousands of monsters. Orcs and trolls; elves and dwarves; dragons and wyverns. It was like a heavy metal album coming to life." He closed his eyes, a calmness on his face. "It was beautiful."
Lisbeth pictured the battle: being besieged by a horde of monsters didn't seem like her idea of fun. In fact, it was the very opposite. But it was the beta, and sometimes, Lisbeth wondered how better her life would be, if she wasn't stuck to a microwave helmet of death.
"Did they win?"
"Of course not. They were slaughtered."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"You've noticed I've been practicing with Asuna, right? With the jousting and stuff?"
She'd notice the two had been all lovey dovey with each other. "Yeah, sure, you two have been practicing an awful lot."
He didn't take the bait. "I look at this sword, and think to myself, 'What a waste to give this to some rando.' I should use it for myself."
She raised her own brow at that. From what sparring she did see between him and Asuna, it mostly ended with her beating the snot out of him with wooden swords. "Oh? Our heroic CEO off galanvating across the land, slaying beasts and saving maidens?" She pursed her lips. "Don't think I can see it."
"You're right. Lisbeth, that trial … it was wrong, but there really was nothing I could do."
She let out a long breath. "I know."
"And for what it's worth, I'm sorry," he said, with painful sincerity, looking at her with those puppy brown eyes of his. No wonder the other girls were falling for him.
"Look, it's fine. It happened. No need to dwell on it."
"Thanks. I appreciate it." He clapped her on the shoulder. "I value your friendship, far more than your employ, I'll have you know."
At the end of the day, the smith really didn't have it in her to hate Kirito. Everything fades, even anger. "Just don't use that look on me again. I for one am not interested in being in your harem."
Kirito made a face, looking genuinely offended. "I do not have a harem."
Her smile split into a grin. "Yeah, sure you don't."
"I am merely good friends with Sinon, Argo and Asuna, that is all."
The bastard even named them all, the nerve. She cocked her eyebrows suggestively. "Uh huh."
"Stop that."
"Stop what?"
"That!" He stabbed an accusing finger. "We're friends. Men and women can be friends, you know."
"Sure thing, boss."
"What do you think I am? Some sort of badly written harem protagonist? In some sort of shitty fanfiction written for teenagers?"
"Well, you do look kinda anime protagonist with that long hair of yours." It was reaching far past his shoulders, and it was clear he was taking very good care of it.
"You know what? I don't have to stand here and be insulted by my own employee! I've got to go meet Asuna for something. We've got a lot of work to do tomorrow. Good night." He harrumphed and marched to her door.
She couldn't help but give a parting shot. "Don't work her too hard tonight, Kirito. Asuna does have a joust to go tomorrow, can't have her be sore."
He slammed the door loudly. Lisbeth laughed.
The roads were packed with people, pumping like veins, and Fort Eternal Vigilance was the heart.
There were some four dozen merchants allowed within the area of the fort, the majority of whom were bringing in food. It was estimated there were 2,000 inhabitants of the fort, including the Watch, the Old Families and the Settlers, and some 8,000 visitors. Each caravan brought in the speciality of their nation: Granum, the breadbasket of Aincrad, brought in grain; Nadyah with finely crafted daggers and swords; Shenzhou with her silks and spices; and Krag der Vakom dwarves with their fine armour and runecrafts and the elves of Greenheart with their gene-enchanted timber.
But there were also great warriors, natives and players alike. There was Ser Caibre, a famous Granumite jouster, who made his living traveling Aincrad going from tournament to tournament. There was Master Helk, the former head of the royal guard for the King of Nadyah, who spent his life teaching warriors the way of the fist. There were even rumours of the one called the Bandit Saint, one of the finest archers in the land, disguising herself to attend the archery competition.
And not unlike any big event, there were always people who tried to join but couldn't. The fort had to enforce a strict limit of how many could attend the event, join the tournament, and how many animals they could bring. The fort's sheriff's deputised forty some people, Orage and Granumites alike, to build a crummy wall a fair distance down the road just to ensure most couldn't get in. Their shiny helmets visible even from his window.
Kirito watched all of this play out. So this is what power feels like.
"Impressive, isn't it?" said Tupi. He looked more his age and some of the greys in his hair disappeared. "Never in my entire life had I seen this."
"Hey, it's your hard work too, Toops," said Kirito. "After we get the half a million Col, you'll be in charge again."
The older man had a worried look on him. With the Kirito Corporation around, he went from a sixty something year old to a healthier man in his forties; sadly those grey hairs were likely permanent. "You remember my offer -"
Kirito raised his hand to stop him. "500,000 Col, we seal the you-know-who, permanently. That's the plan. Then we get a cut from the profits of Fort Eternal Vigilance for the next ten years."
God, that would suck, being stuck in a video game for the next decade. Last Kirito heard, the Clearers had found another boss and were currently hunting them in the plains. Must be difficult, considering most guilds don't have cavalry capabilities of any kind.
And at that moment, the steward looked frightened. At times, Kirito had to remind himself that he was a program, not a real human being. The lines had blurred a long time ago.
"I don't know if I can …"
"You supported this place long before I came, what's another decade?"
"I … suppose you are right. I've got this," he said, with a measure of confidence.
Kirito combed back a rebellious strand of hair with a finger. "Now, let's greet our guests, shall we?
It was abnormal for her to smoke during the day, but today, she'll be making an exception.
The training field had been turned into a proper tournament field. Stands had been erected. The grassy fields, long turned to dirt by the Eternal Guard's constant marching and running, was covered in sand for the upcoming melee and joust. Two dozen archery butts were set up on the end of the field, ready to be placed.
From here, she could see thousands of visitors: the folks of the Free Tribes, in their deerhide clothes, warriors walking topless with fearsome war paint; Granumites in shining armour, swarthy Nadyahs with daggers in their sarongs; even a few Shenzou merchants with lamellar clad bodyguards. The sheriffs and their deputies were hard at work, keeping an eye for a trouble. Aside from a few drunken fights (expected, even amongst Clearers), it was positively neutered.
If Kirito wanted to, he probably could have transformed the corporation into a private army. Shame he didn't want to. She'd definitely wouldn't mind having a corp of archers under her command. Just imagine the beasts she could hunt …
And upon the stage was the man himself, in his fine robes and wearing a golden chain. The banner of Wicasa's Owl the backdrop for the entire stage, with a select group of the Eternal Guard's finest before it: mailed and padded, glinting spearheads, painted faces. So was their War Chief Asuna, a ferocious looking woman in her new set of armour, standing out in her red and white; even her face was painted the same.
Kirito was introducing the judges: Commander Roger Lionel Emeri of the great City of Mankhlar, a fine choice in her mind; Ser Reginald Warwick of Fort Arrowhead, that got a round of cheers from the Granumites; and lastly, Brother Hopeful Rays from Behind the Cloud, in his hauberk of silvery mail and golden plates, looking very paladin-y. A select group of heavily armoured women were cheering quite loudly for him.
Finally, Tupi brought forth a torch and proclaimed the start of the games, before flinging it into a meticulously created woodpile. He flung onto the pile and it ignited magnificently. The crowd roared as one.
It was very Olympic-y, and Sinon wondered if such a thing existed in Aincrad.
Someone whistled besides her. "Asuna sure looks fancy in that new armour of hers, doesn't she?"
"I guess so." Being a primarily ranged fighter, Sinon only needed a good gambeson, some mail and a good helmet, and that was it. No need for cumbersome greeves or vambraces. "Spent a pretty penny on it."
"You could say she looks like a war goddess. Kii-bou's been spending a lot of time with her."
Sinon let out a puff. "Well, she's also in the joust. Has been training with Ser Reginald and all."
Argo smacked her lips. "They're calling her the Lightning Flash. On the account of her speed, off and on her mount. Don't that make you a little … green eyed?"
Sinon continued to watch the procession. The names of the first event - the joust, were being announced. "Not particularly."
"Why does Asuna-chan get to be in the melee, but you're not allowed in the shooting competition?"
"It's fine, I've got other work to do anyway." And as much as Sinon enjoyed a good friendly shootout, she had far too much work on her plate. Besides, she knew for a fact she'd come out on top. The smoking was partly to calm her down. Weird how running a tournament was unnerving her more than actually going into battle.
Argo slammed both fists on the parapet. "DAMN YOU, KII-BOU. WHY DIDN'T YOU GET ME ANY ARMOUR?!"
The slayer said nothing, watching the Rat herself being very green eyed. Quite literally, Argo did have green eyes. "Looks like someone's jealous herself."
She gripped the railing, veins popping on her thick forearms, and Sinon reminded herself the Rat, small as she was, could very much punch her head off if angered. "Stupid Kii-bou. Stupid Asuna. Look at him, Sinon!"
"I'm looking." Sinon let out a whistle, the CEO looking absolutely fantastic with his longer hair. The easier to grip, she noted. "He's very … regal."
"Look! Look at his hand!"
Kirito had his left wrist resting on his sword, very basic compared to his usual getup. From what Sinon saw of the two sparring, he absolutely knew how to use it. "And?"
"He's resting his wrist, on the hilt of his sword … flamboyantly."
To Sinon, Kirito looked like he was just resting his hand. "Ah."
"Like a complete slut."
Now Sinon looked at it, she could see what Argo was getting at. The robes, the long hair, the big brown eyes, the pink lips … "Very slutty."
"Look at how tight his belt is, how he accentuates his hips!"
"A real hussy."
"I want to do him so bad."
"You and me both." She still recalled their very vigorous makeout session, and his plump buttocks in her hands, and before that, him being in a towel and nothing else.
The very memory of it was getting her bothered. She turned her smoking pipe upside down and emptied the remains of the tobacco. "After the tournament."
Argo stood up straight. "Of course."
"We've got a busy schedule."
"Indeed."
"And there's still that cult skulking about."
"Cults, hate em'. Especially the necromancer variety."
"No attempts of trying to get him in bed before the end of the tournament." Sinon thrusted a gloved hand. "Deal, Head of Advertising Argo?"
Argo gripped it. "I think we do, Head of Hunting Sinon."
They shook hands and immediately started to plot how to get Kirito into their beds.
They descended into the dungeon, torches in hand.
Step by step, into the earth they went. Their hands on the hilt of their weapons. Their breath visible despite the heat of summer. The potent magic tingling on their skin, and just the slightest smell of the ozone.
"What are we doing?" asked the woman. "We should be up there, celebrating! Getting drunk!"
"And not see what's underneath? No way," said the man. "Besides, weren't you curious? The last time we were here?"
"Fuck no. Guard duty is boring, and I don't see why it's even in the game." The woman began rubbing her hands, regretting not bringing her gloves. "That's some NPC tier shit."
"Well I think it adds a bit of versimilitude. After all, soldiers patrol to keep their base safe."
Already, she was regretting bringing this up with him. Every single damn time. "How about I versimi-kick your ass!"
Thor held up his hand. "Wait, there's someone here."
Robin went to reach for her bow and cursed at herself for not bringing it. "I can't see."
"Pumping all your points into «Perception» and you still can't see shit." Thor tut-tut'ed. "Embarrassing."
She slid a hatcher from her belt. "Who … who goes there?"
The shadows moved, like the ripple of a blanket. A figure in a cloak, the scabbard of a sword visible.
"Trespassers," the voice boomed, menacing and dripping with dread. "Who dares enter the tomb of the sorcerer-king called CONOTOCAURIUS!"
Thor and Robin both shook, feeling the wave of evil threatening to consume them. Every instinct screamed at them to run to safety, into the light where the dark could not touch them.
Yet, the warriors did not flee. To do so would sully the namesake of the heroes they admired. It was Thor who cleared his throat, and answered back, "It is I, Thor of the Legends Brave! And my companion, Robin Hood!"
The voice laughed a mad cackle and both could see the armour of the dungeon keeper: black as midnight, with spikes of evil. Everyone knew that spikes were innately evil, as shown by cacti - the evilest of all plants.
"A puny god and a bandit. So, are you willing to pay the price of sacrifice?"
The Braves looked at each other, resolution in their eyes. They had survived the Death Game so far, battled many a fell beast and faced down the worst the game could throw at them. What's another little spikey knight?
"Yes, keeper!" said Robin. "Any price, we will pay with blood and steel!"
The warrior held out a hand, even their gauntlets had spiked fingers, palm upwards. "Your price of sacrifice will be … two hundred Col."
Robin and Thor were silent as a cold gust of wind blew in the hallway, the flame of their torches flickering.
"What?" asked Robin.
"I said, TWO HUNDRED COL!" the warrior boomed. "BUT, if you were bring in two more of your friends, you'll get a 25% discount! What say you?"
"Two hundred Col?" repeated Thor.
"Two hundred."
"No fight to the death?" asked Robin.
"What? Nah." The warrior waved their hand, transforming themselves from an armoured nightmare to something more mundane. "Hurry up, there's gonna be a line sooner of later."
The Braves looked at each other, looked at the warrior, and Robin shrugged. "Sorry, I don't have enough. You pay."
"Me?! I already lent you five hundred last month, which you haven't paid yet, by the way."
"Listen Toru, arrows are bloody expensive."
"Maybe if you didn't miss your shots, you'd have more arrows and more money."
Robin made a face. "Listen here, you dumb oaf -"
The warrior once again tapped at her wrist to indicate a non-existent watch. "Come on, you two. Times a wastin'. Oh, and speaking of which," they produced a bundle of scarves and gloves from under her cape, "these will cost extra."
Toru slid his hammer back in his belt and dug into his coin pouch, grumbling.
Two hours later, Absolute Sword, or Yuuki Konno as she was known to the rest of the mortals, took off her helmet and placed it on the desk. "Boss, it's time for my break."
Git Guld was reading a book, balancing chair on two legs, foot on the table. Leaning against the wall was a very pricey katana. "Yeah sure, go ahead. You've got an hour."
Yuuki bit her lip, drummed her fingers on the table. "Soooo. Can I -"
"No."
She slammed both hands on the table. "Come on, boss! I just need a bit more money!"
"You get paid when your shift ends, and not before." He licked a finger and flipped a page. "I don't care how good you think you are, you ain't getting into that tournament."
"I'm squiring for Captain Asuna." Admitting that hurt her. Asuna, that horrible woman, her worst enemy and greatest rival! She would prefer not to debase herself by serving others, but well, money is money. "I need money to buy this cool new sword I saw …"
"Maybe if you spent your money paying for sword lessons you wouldn't be doing this side job."
"Listen, it's completely unfair for the initiation duel to pair me against an opponent with a spear." Damn bastard kept out of the reach of her sword and poking her! "If I've got some money now I can -"
"Don't give a shit." He pointed to the door of his 'office', which was actually just a shack built into the chamber of the prisoner. "Beat it."
Yuuki pointed an accusing finger at him. "When I level up and become the greatest warrior in this game, you'll rue the day."
"Yeah sure. Don't forget to leave your armour." Said armour wasn't actually, but a costume that resembled some form of paper mache. As Yuuki understood it, it was probably made with some sort of animal spit, thus the smell. The downsides of being a contractor vs an employee she supposed.
Sighing, Yuuki started taking off the rest of her gear and buckled her sword.
Outside of the office-shack, the mage Ava was still studying the gate of the prisoner as tourists ooo'd and aaah'd at the place, much to the mage's annoyance. Across from the shack office were a row of stalls, selling a variety of t-shirts such as: one with Wicasa's Owl logo (trademarked by the Kirito Corporation), I (Heart) the Eternal Watch, and a t-shirt that said I Visited an Ancient Danger and All I Got Was This Lousy T-shirt. All in all, they were racking up quite the profit, not even including the renting of cold weather clothes.
Really, who would have thought that folks would be interested in looking at a terrifying sorcerer-king? Yuuki guessed that's why she wasn't rich whereas that Kirito guy did. Then again, maybe it's not too different from paying to be at a zoo, except you can't even see the animal behind the cages.
She exited the dungeon, exchanging the coldness of the underground with the warmth of topside. There was a long line to the dungeon, everyone from locals to foreigners, NPCs and players. A handsome bearded man was arguing with a guard, insisting that he was the famous bard and was a close friend of the Rat. Something about needing the muse for his new song, or somesuch.
But Yuuki didn't care for any of that. She jogged outside to where the real action was, to the tournament.
In her rush, she bumped into someone. It was like hitting a tree, and Yuuki landed ass first on the ground. "Hey, watch it!"
The person she bumped into wore a nondescript brown cloak, his face hidden in the hood save for a smile. "Sorry, little one. That was my mistake."
She stoop up and dusted herself. "That's right, but I accept your apology because that's what chivalry is. Now excuse me, I've got a job to do." Then she was off to the fields.
Nezha looked at the purple hair girl run away and shook his head. "Kids, huh?" She didn't even notice him.
PoH adjusted his cloak and continued walking. "Now come on, we have work to do."
Her tent was easy to spot. White and red, just like the rest of her. She really got that thing going on for her. Yuuki herself preferred purple, but the dye was disastrously expensive. Her hair dye alone cost almost half as much the rest of her expenses.
Sure, she could just not dye her hair, but how would the world know the majesty of Absolute Sword? How many people do you see in-game with purple hair? Exactly.
Yuuki barged into the tent, heroes don't knock after all. "Sir Asuna, it is I, your amazing squire, ready … to…"
Whatever she was going to say died in her throat. Asuna had her arms wrapped around a boy - a very pretty and shirtless boy - who himself was perched on a table. His long hair was damped and he was sweating, whereas Asuna was in full armour. Their faces were red and very close with each other. Nearby was a bowl of pink water and wet rag, likely when Asuna washed off her face paint.
It was Asuna who spoke first. "Um, Yuuki-San … this isn't what it looks like."
Yuuki narrowed her eyes. "No, I understand exactly whats happening."
Asuna gulped. "You do?"
"Of course!" She folded her arms. "You too are sparring!"
Both Asuna and pretty boy just looked at her.
"Just a little light exercise before the upcoming melee. Need to stretch and all that. You're clearly trying to perform a suplex on him. Wrestling, after all, is the foundation of all combat."
"Well, I'm technically -"
Pretty boy cut her off. "Yes, of course! Absolutely right. You're a sharp one, aren't you?" He dropped from the table and extended his hand. "I'm Kirito, CEO of this fine corporation. And you must be Absolute Sword."
She shook it, his hand was soft. "Ah, my reputation precedes me."
"Well, Asuna told me she needed a squire. I was going to squire for her, and I have, but you know, important CEO duties for the tournament."
Yuuki didn't exactly know what a See-we-oh was but pretended that she did. "Worry not, Kirito-chan, I will care for her as if she were my own squire."
Asuna looked positively offended at that. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Kirito patted her on the shoulder. "Good, good. Good luck on the jousting Asuna. Don't let me down, my shining knight."
At that, her already red face became redder. Yuuki thought it must have been the heat. "Of course. I'll do my best."
He picked up his shirt and robes from the ground, put them on and left the tent. Yuuki finally said, "What a girly looking fella, huh?"
Asuna looked annoyed. "Go polish my armour."
Kirito marched away from Asuna's tent, buttoning the top of his shirt. That was close. Asuna had been ravenous as of late, and despite Lisbeth's joking of the two having sex, they had come very close to doing just that. Not as close as Argo like that one time, but close enough.
Though unlike Sinon or Argo, she was clearly inexperienced, and he had easily became her teacher. Less aggressive, and far easier to control. He had to coax her to take control, to be dominant. It was really a surprise, the woman who ran into her a crowd with a rapier, who could scare off highwaymen with a hand on her hilt and a steely glare, was so shy. It was like she was a different person. Not as a teasing as Sinon nor a domineering presence like Argo.
And he had found out he enjoyed both styles. Oh no, am I … a switch?!
His thoughts were broken as he smelled something familiar in the air. Something burning. Something delicious.
Eyes darting, he saw the very familiar logo of a burger on a shield, and smiled. Well, there's still another half an hour before the joust started and he hadn't eaten much.
The familiar sight of the countertop, the stools,and the cook behind it was like an injection of nostalgia to his veins. "Ho, chef! Give me your finest!"
The chef turned and his face split into a smile. "Kirito, my boy, how are you?"
Agil was not so different last time he saw him. Still a big friendly man, still in the same apron and still a sight for sore eyes. He last saw him in Mankhlar all those months ago, dropping the tip of the four guilds alliance to hunt down the red dragon on the lower floors. Nothing drives a player's appetite more than travelling the land, searching for dangers to fight and treasures to claim.
Kirito had asked him about his own employees, and he told him that the majority of them were on the Frontlines, fighting and feeding the Clearers and making quite the pretty penny.
"I've even expanded my food wagons up to three, what with the profit from that whole red dragon business. Got more money, spend it to make more money!" He gave a hearty laugh. "It's tiring business. Sometimes I missed the days where I had less folks under me."
"Yeah, I get that." A part of Kirito ached to be there, partly to find the thrill of dragonslaying, but mostly to the missed chance of getting profit.
"Sooo," he tried to sound disinterested, "how much money was there?"
Agil gave him a knowing look. "A ton. A veritable treasure. Gems and jewels; wagons of dragon scales and meat; and the gold!" He whistled. "Most of the head honchos got the big cut, obviously, but boy, I don't think I've seen that many magic weapons in a single dungeon before. Wanna see my new gear?"
Agil produced it from under his counter without his answer. It was an axe, shorter than a longaxe but much too long to be used single handed, about a meter. It was double bitted, the crimson heads shaped almost to resemble bat wings. The name floating above it was «Thralls' Terror».
"Ya like it? Its got a health absorb enchantment on it. Whenever I hit something fleshy, my wounds knit themselves."
"Yes yes, I know how it works," he said, a bit of envy in his voice. Okay, quite a bit of it. "Though I'm more of a swordsman myself."
Agil laughed and replaced it under the counter. "I know, but don't worry I've got another something you'll like."
"Well, I am fond of your burgers."
Minutes later, he produced a fat juicy burger on a plate, alongside a bowl of fried and ketchup. It was a massive thing, the bison beef instantly making his mouth water. It spoke of Agil's success that he was one of the few sutlers that Kirito knew that provided cutlery. Apparently, restaurants providing cutlery to customers was a relatively recent thing; every player carried their own silverware on them for that reason.
"Ah, can't let you eat that without a knife."
Kirito scoffed. "What kind of person eats a burger with a knife?" Agil's burger weren't like those obnoxiously massive ones that required someone to dislocate their jaw to eat.
The chef grinned. "So you don't want this?"
Agil held out a gorgeous knife, its blade glowed with a silvery sheen, its hilt redwood and fitted with a bronze pommel. But what was noticeable was its clip point, just the barest blue glint.
The bowie knife looked positively modern in an age of rondels and kanjars. So blinded Kirito was at its beauty, he just noticed the leather sheath Agil placed next to his burger. His name was stitched into it in red thread.
"Wha -"
"Shut that mouth or the flies will get in. But I guess if you don't want it -"
Kirito snatched the blade from Agil's hand in a flash. "This is beautiful. Thank you so much."
"Ah, don't worry too much about it, kid. Still, I should mention I don't know what enchantment it has. Burnt my last «Identify Magic Item» scroll on my new axe. Might want to get that checked out."
Kirito examined the blade and felt its potent power, waiting to be unleashed. If only it had a target -
Absentmindedly, Kirito plunged the tip of his bowie knife into his burger. In one moment, it was a deliciously made dish, and in the next, it turned into a pile of coins.
Both merchants looked at what the pile of coins on the plate. Agil was quicker on the uptake. "That's about … 70 Col in total - the price of the meal."
Kirito looked at him. "You charge 70 Col for one burger?!"
"The price doubles at fairs and other events."
"Huh." He pushed the pile of coins towards Agil. "Can I have another one, please?"
Agil sighed.
Asuna winced as the two jousters crashed into each other, their colourful striped lances exploding in a rain of wood and splinters. The horseman that wore the colours of house of Balboni was thrown off his saddle, somersaulting in the air before landing on his back. The crowd roared as Ser Caibre stood in his stirrups, raising his broken lance for all to see.
She gulped and wished Kirito was here. Sure, he'd be on the platform, watching the events but she wanted him here.
Instead she got -
"So what you wanna do, is to lower your lance to strike the other jouster's horse, right below its neck. Your lance will strike its heart, instantly killing it, and knock the rider down."
Asuna turned to the young girl. "Okay, first of all, I'm not going to kill someone's very expensive and beloved horse." If Kumo-chan was killed, Asuna was 100% sure she'd go on a revenge quest to kill anyone who was involved in that. "Secondly, I'd be disqualified."
Yuuki merely crossed her arms and snorted. "That's the problem with the younger generation these days. Too weak, too little guts to actually take on the struggles of war."
"Yuuki, what the hell are you talking about? You know what, screw it. Help me arm myself."
Despite Kirito saying he'd help her train, the work of his office made it he'd only been able to help for a short time. They had spend a few days training at Fort Arrowhead under Ser Reginald's tutelage. The veteran knight was a patient teacher, and he had told her she was a quick learner. It did actually help that Asuna was on her school's polo team back in the real world.
Yet as she watched Ser Caibre unhorse a Rumine tribesman - the poor bastard didn't have a chance with that small bison hide shield of his - she couldn't help but a bit worried.
Enter Yuuki, who had been her squire (or rival in training, as she called it) for the rest of the week. She was boastful, prideful, head completely in the clouds but Asuna had to admit, she was in fact a good squire. Probably no older than thirteen years old, really. It wasn't uncommon for younger players to play a support role for the older ones.
Ser Caibre magnanimously bowed to the crowd as the healers dragged the unconscious tribal to the tents. Tupi stepped forward and spoke in a loud voice, "Aincradius praises those who know the way of the saddle! Now our next contestants!"
The other horseman trotted his horse into the list. He was plain compared to the flamboyant Ser Caibre, an earthly brown and green tabard over his scale armour, lance and shield coloured similarly. Asuna put his age in the late thirties, with grey hair and a sharp face. His courser was plainly grey.
"Please welcome, Ser Heathcliff!"
The crowd gave a polite round of applause and Heathcliff bowed in his saddle.
"You know this guy?" asked Asuna.
"No, don't think so," said Yuuki. "He looks like a chump, you can beat him easy."
Asuna smiled at that. "Time to go. Wish me luck."
Yuuki handed a lance to her. "Knock his ass off, my rival!"
"And to my left, the Captain and Warchief of the Eternal Guard, the one and only, Asuna!"
Asuna trotted Kumo-chan into the list and the sheer volume of their applause took her completely by surprise. They roared at her appearance, thousands of hands clapping. She saw her men cheering her, players and NPCs both. The Wall and the officers of the Watch began thumping the butt of their spears on the ground. Sergeant Hwiatha and his cousins banged his tomohawk on their shields.
"Captain! Captain! Captain!"
And then there he was, Kirito on the platform, clapping with the rest of the world. Even from this far, his smile seemed to outshone even the sun itself. And to think, the first time they had met, he came to her with a smile and a piece of paper.
Her eyes began to water. She blinked the tears away and galloped into the list, raising her lance.
The crowd went wild once again.
Nezha saw the looming fort that he had made his home for the past couple of months. It felt bittersweet to see the familiar walls once again. Even in the short time he was exiled, he felt a longing to be back here.
They were in the courtyard now and the sight of the smithy both impressed and saddened him; it had grown in size, with even more tools and furnaces (the kind that he suggested Lisbeth to get), but it was currently unused. There was no sadder sight to a smith than a dim forge.
"Focus, Nezha-kun. How's that glamour working?"
He touched his own face, how alien it felt to feel his own skin. His nose shrunk, his cheeks thinned, his chin had a harder edge. He even had a full beard, something that he could never have achieved. The amulet around his neck weighed heavily. Where on earth PoH-san had gotten this thing was something he dare not even ask.
"It's fine."
PoH turned to smile. Even with a different man's face, there was no hiding that grin. Why then, did Nezha feel afraid? The man was helping him after all.
"Last chance, Nezha-kun. You can back out now. My grudge is with Throatcutter."
Nezha remembered everything that transpired - hard days at the forge, happy days drinking with Lisbeth, a sense of purpose. Then there was the trial, the false accusations, the angry faces. And that smug prick Kirito, judging him like some kind of self righteous lord. And for what? A book he didn't fucking steal? They still had the other one!
It took Nezha a grand total of two seconds to make his decision. "No, we're doing this."
"That's my boy." They were in the courtyard now. The plan was set in motion. PoH cracked his knuckles and grinned his sinister grin.
Next up is Sinonon, hopefully before the end of the month, but no promises. I'm still under the weather. Reviews are appreciated.
