Okay, so I finally get to starting the collection of the side stories for my SAO fanfic series. I'd say the summary already explains the purpose of this work pretty well. There are just a few things left for me to say.
There will be multi-chapter side stories which I'll post seperately. However, some chapters here might still build on one another to some extent.
Now, I'll take requests. These side stories will include anything from adaptions of events from the actual games, maybe even stuff from Integral Factor or Memory Defrag, to completely original events. You may suggest any events from the games for an adaption, or request something completely original. If I have a good idea as to how to write a story about it, I'll gladly accept the request.
That is, I'll take requests within reason. There are a few rules. Basically, anything goes as long as it fits into the series. I'll treat everything that happens in this collection as a full-fledged part of the "Journey of the Hollow Instructor" series, so the stories have to make sense in that context.
For instance, I won't change any relationships upon request. All established relationships are final. As far as friendship is concerned, anything goes as long as the characters in question have the necessary established dynamic, meaning that, for instance, Asuna and Nobuyuki Sugou won't hang out as best pals - not that I'd expect anyone actually requesting that...
However, even if the request is conform to this rule, I might still turn it down. It could be that I simply don't have a good idea how to write a story about what you request, or maybe I already have an idea for a suggested event. Furthermore, I'll update this collection as I proceed with the main story, meaning that I'll only write side stories about certain events once the main stories reaches the part where they make sense, so I might postpone certain requests.
In addition, if you want to suggest an event from a game, especially if it's from Memory Defrag or something similar, it would be good if you could add a reference to the event (for example the title of the story/event). I'll probably have to look up the story, or I won't be able to write about it.
Okay, that's the general introduction. Now, this first chapter is a little story about Akinym's Christmas 2024 in Aincrad. The idea is based on the fact that, now that SAO wasn't cleared after the battle on the 75th floor in Re:Hollow Fragment, the players would spend that holiday in Aincrad another year, although there was no event about it in the actual game (probably because the SAO main games pretty much ignore the question how much time exactly passes during or between them).
It's mostly a story that gives more insight into Akinym's background. It also introduces Yui to him, which will not be that important, but it will be brought up at a later time in the main story, so...
Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!
Disclaimer: I don't own Sword Art Online Re:Hollow Fragment or Sword Art Online in general.
It was around 7 pm in the evening, and the sun had already set. It had been a very quiet evening so far as Akinym had been concerned. He sat on the couch in his inn room and thought about what he should do with his trainee groups next.
And by "next" he meant as soon as their "vacation" would be over. His training sessions had been put on hold until next year.
Several students had asked for a break to enjoy Christmas and New Year with their friends, and even though he actually wasn't on board with it, they had got what they wanted in the end. Why? Because Asuna had sided with them, and she had managed to convince Akinym to allow his students to take time off until 3rd January.
Her best argument had been that basically the entirety of Aincrad's upper floors took that vacation. After the Assault Team had discovered the boss room on the 79th floor and finished gathering intel on 21st December, its leaders had decided to postpone the boss battle to next year. For now, all the players should just unwind and enjoy Christmas. The plan was to return to the frontlines on 3rd January and to fight the boss of the 79th floor the day after.
Frankly, Akinym wasn't a fan of that idea. He understood that the players needed a vacation every once in a while, especially those on the frontlines. It was important not to overexert oneself, even in a game. But why did the entire Assault Team have to take a break at once?!
To be fair, it would only take about two weeks, but this meant two weeks they would spend longer inside SAO. Who knew what could happen during those two weeks…
Akinym wasn't sure why his students would need time off anyway. With his rotation system, they actually had plenty of time to rest up between their training sessions. Of course it was for the best if they trained in between his lessons on their own, but they could manage their time freely. They didn't need a central break.
The only student he trained daily was Sinon, and even though she had mixed feelings about it, she had always been eager to train and learn. To be honest, she had been reluctant to take a break as well, and she had only agreed in the end because Asuna had convinced her, too, although it had been easier than persuading Akinym.
Anyway, this break would only prolong his students' training, and it would take longer for them to reinforce the Assault Team, so Akinym wasn't fond of the idea, yet...
Well, if the Assault Team took a break anyway, this lost time would at least not hurt… Besides, Akinym could somewhat understand why they wanted to take it easy during this time of the year. All in all, he really was willing to grant them this little break. Otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed even though Asuna had asked him to.
Akinym thought about the current date. 25th December 2024. So this was the third Christmas he couldn't spend with his family…
Christmas had always been special… His parents worked a lot, and his older brother didn't even live in their hometown anymore. Nevertheless, they always had been together at Christmas. His mother, who was a family person to the core, wouldn't have it any other way. She would drag her husband from wherever he'd be and her oldest son from his university back home whether they'd like it or not if she had to…
Akinym smiled while reminiscing. His mother was such a resolute woman… She had always made sure to spend as much time as possible with him and his brother despite her work. Christmas had always been a welcome occasion for her to rally her family to spend time together.
Now Akinym wondered what his family would be up to right now in the real world. He couldn't imagine that his mother would break with that tradition, so the rest of his family would probably be together right now. It was just that one person was missing…
Well, he was probably lying in a hospital room and his family had visited him today… or maybe they would tomorrow. Not that it would be the same… They were out there in the real world, and he was here in the virtual world, all by himself.
There were a few things he had missed ever since this death game had begun, and his family ranked top on that list. Another thing would be…
Akinym looked around the room. Well, a comfortable room was on the list, too. Akinym could barely remember the last time he had such a spacious room to himself. His parents had good position in a successful international trade company, and while his family wasn't exactly rich, they had a good standing. Here in SAO, on the other hand...
He had never had much money to spare in SAO. Between his expenses for equipment and battle supplies, he had always barely managed to make a living in this world. Akinym had always stayed at extremely cheap inns, which barely qualified as a place to sleep at. He even needed the Purchase Negotiation skill just to cut his expenses or he still wouldn't have had enough money.
With his defense-oriented playing style, he couldn't really farm that well, and he didn't have the time (or skill slots) to run any kind of shop. Well, he could've teamed up with others, but… Let's just say there were reasons why he was alone. Well, keeping aside his students, that is.
Speaking of money, Akinym had sold pretty much all the items he had brought with him to the upper floors. He had also given Kirito and Asuna the money for their log house on the 22nd floor. Fortunately, he had made a profit with his sales…
He needed the money to compensate his expenses for the equipment he had given some of his students. To be honest, he didn't mind these expenses. Akinym viewed this as an investment in the future of the Assault Team and, by extension, the remaining players of SAO.
Nevertheless, he might have no remaining debts, but he also had no remaining assets other than his equipment and a small stock of consumables. He was more or less broke right now, so Asuna paying for this room for him to stay was pretty much a lifesaver. Ironically, it was the most comfortable room he had ever had in SAO.
Akinym remembered well how hard it had been to accustom to this spartan lifestyle. It had been really rough for a while. To be fair, all players had faced this problem to some extent. They came from a developed country and had landed in a medieval world… Akinym actually thought that he had adapted to this world relatively fast, at least compared to others.
Regardless, Akinym looked forward to the day when he could leave this world again. While there wasn't that much he missed, there was still enough, and he doubted that he would miss Aincrad or anything in this world.
Just as he decided to stop these depressing thoughts and figured that he might as well go to sleep early, someone knocked at the door.
Asuna [slightly hesitantly]: Um, Akinym-san? [politely] If it's okay, could I speak with you?
Akinym [thinks, surprised]: Asuna-san? What could she want? [speaks aloud] Sure, come in!
Asuna opened the door and stepped into the room, but she stopped near the door, which she had left open. It looked as if she was ready to turn around and leave at any second.
At the same time, she seemed happy that Akinym was here. She had been worried that he would've met other people for a Christmas party or something like that. Although… "Worried" was actually not the right word.
Asuna: I'm sorry to bother you at this hour. I hope I didn't disturb you.
Akinym: Don't worry, you didn't. But what exactly brings you here?
Asuna: Um, right. We're having a little Christmas party down at the restaurant area, only the residents of this inn and a friend we've invited, and I was wondering if you would like to join. [slightly hastily] Only if you're not busy, of course!
Akinym was quite surprised by that offer. Frankly, he wasn't part of her circle of friends, so why would she invite him anyway?
Akinym: Are you sure that's okay? I think I'd only impose on you…
Asuna: No, no, that's not the case! [slightly nervously] If anything, it would be a good way to thank you for your work. I mean, I've made a huge request, [mutters] and it's been bothering me… [says aloud, slightly determinedly] Besides, nobody should spend Christmas alone. [slightly dejectedly] I know how lonely life in SAO can get, and how depressing that can be, especially on such special days, so I've thought… [apologetically] Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound…
Akinym [interrupting]: Asuna-san, please keep calm! It's okay! [takes a deep breath] Thank you for your offer, [doubtfully] it's just…
Akinym thought about how to respond. On the one hand, celebrating Christmas with a bunch of people he hardly knew seemed just wrong. On the other hand, he couldn't think of a good way to decline. Rejecting Asuna's offer without a good reason seemed ungrateful.
To be honest, Akinym was a bit curious what this Christmas party would be like. Probably a more or less simple dinner, nothing to fancy, and certainly nothing he couldn't handle. Furthermore, it would be an opportunity to learn more about the people there. He had a certain interest in some of the people who would be there, so…
Akinym: Alright, as long as everyone is okay with it, I'll take you up on the offer.
That said, the situation was as awkward as Akinym had thought, at least at first. Most people might have agreed that Akinym could join, but they didn't seem to be fully on board with the idea. Who knew who had brought it up, and it seemed as if Asuna had merely persuaded them to let him come.
Agil had closed the restaurant for today, which was quite the noble gesture… Given that this was an important holiday, there would've been more than enough player who would've liked to celebrate, and Agil could've earnt a nice amount of money from them. Yet he was providing this place for a private celebration for free. The only payment he received was being on the guest list.
It was almost scary how empty the restaurant and shop area of the inn looked with this few people. Well, it probably wouldn't have been that bad if it wasn't for the heavy, awkward silence…
At the moment, they were all seated on a table with three chairs on each side. The seating order in clockwise direction was Kirito, Yui, Asuna, Lisbeth, Silica, Leafa, Sinon, two empty seats left next to her, Agil, Klein and Akinym.
Some of them ate, or rather poked their food with the cutlery in an awkward manner. Only Kirito and Yui thoroughly enjoyed the food. The fact that these two munched away on the festive dinner without a care in the world actually made the whole scene even more awkward.
Lisbeth: Um, I see you're enjoying Asuna's cooking, you two… as usual.
Kirito [slightly muffled]: Mhm? Oh, yeah! Like, thish A-clash bo meat is gweat!
Asuna [slightly annoyed]: Kirito-kun, at least swallow before you speak! Seriously!
Kirito panicked slightly before he swallowed and apologised hastily. According to him, the food was "just so delicious, he kinda got carried away".
Yui [slightly happily]: But Mama's cooking is really delicious! Everything is made with love, so the ingredients don't even matter!
Asuna [chuckles]: Thank you, Yui-chan! But let's not be ungrateful, [turns towards Sinon] and we have Sinon-san to thank for the main dish!
Sinon [slightly awkwardly]: It's not that big of a deal! [mutters] I just wanted to contribute something for once…
Kirito [reassuringly]: No need to be that humble! I still can't believe that you've got your own Unique Skill now! [slightly begrudgingly] Or that you've taken out that hassle of a monster just like that… And here I thought I could hunt that down for Christmas!
Akinym became a little bit tense when Sinon's Unique Skill came up. He'd still prefer it if nobody else knew about it, but he figured that this would be okay. He couldn't imagine that Kirito, as irrational as he might be, or anyone else here would spread rumours about Sinon's Sniping skill.
Sinon [slightly teasingly]: Oh? Is someone grumpy because the newbie beat him to the punch?
Sinon's remark earnt her a few happy chuckles… and an overly energetic remark from Klein.
Klein: Ha, eat that, Kirinoji! First I take out that Flying Buffalo, and now Sinochi gets that boar! Who's the greatest hunter around now, eh?!
Kirito [annoyed]: Give it a rest, Klein! [teasingly] Besides, at least I get a taste of all the great ingredients every time.
More laughter followed. Not from Klein, though.
Klein [dejectedly]: Dammit, why do I only get people to laugh when I'm the punchline?!
Agil [slightly exasperatedly]: Yare, yare… You've started it with the Flying Buffalo, now face the consequences! [glares at Kirito, begrudgingly] Although I understand what it's like to be left out of a meal…
Kirito seemed to shrink a little under Agil's glare while Klein declared himself "Agil's understanding bro".
Watching the whole exchange, Akinym couldn't help but acknowledge the dynamic of the group. During his time as instructor, he had watched numerous groups, and there were a few "archetypes" of group dynamics. This was certainly one of them.
To some extent, that was a good thing due to the fact that his most promising trainee group was part of this. Speaking of which, the three girls on the opposite side of the table seemed to get along just fine. That was good.
Akinym's biggest concern was that Sinon didn't really seem to fit in, at least not that well. Her behaviour here matched the attitude he had observed during their training sessions. She usually kept her distance to some degree, which wasn't that bad in itself, and it certainly wasn't anything that Akinym would/could complain about.
She hardly approached others and talked to them out of her own volition. That is, unless it was about something "professional". However, judging from a few things Akinym had observed, she was usually down for a little chat if the other members of this group walked up to her to talk. Well, so far, so good.
Speaking of all that, the awkward silence was gone and the mood had been lifted tremendously. Small conversations were started here and there. Silica and Leafa seemed to talk with Sinon about her Sniping skill. Lisbeth talked with Asuna.
It was good to see that his students bonded among each other and with important figures of the Assault Team. That could come in handy. Akinym's only real concern was that he still didn't trust Kirito to be "a good influence".
Akinym turned his attention to his plate. So this meat was the A-class ingredient from the monster that he had helped Sinon hunt the other day. Akinym had been almost certain that she would sell it, but he could understand why she wanted to "use" it instead.
Also, didn't someone mention that Asuna had prepared it? At first, Akinym had thought that Agil, the owner of the restaurant, had been in charge of cooking. Akinym had to admit that he kept forgetting that Asuna had apparently a high Cooking skill. He hadn't heard of that before he had come to the upper floors.
Well, it made sense… Cooking had its benefits as long as the player in question knew what to do. As long as Asuna had the skill slot for it, there was nothing actually strange about using the Cooking skill. It just hadn't hit home yet that the leading figure of the Assault Team used such a… casual skill.
At the very least, Akinym was curious what this dish would taste like, so he took a bite. He had just chewed on the meat for the first time, and he was already amazed beyond his wildest dreams. This was easily the best thing he'd ever eaten in SAO… which, to be fair, didn't mean very much.
Since he had always barely managed to make a living in SAO, Akinym could never afford any luxury when it came to food, either. It had been just enough to avoid debuffs for malnutrition.
Well, there was this one time when one of his more grateful trainee groups had "graduated". They had got a rare A-class ingredient that day, and they had used it for cooking to celebrate. Back then, they had invited Akinym as well, which had been slightly less awkward than this time, but he had still felt quite out of place.
Interestingly enough, this food was still much better than the food back then, although the overall quality of the ingredients was the same. The cook of the party back then even had had his Cooking skill at around 600 proficiency points, which wasn't to be laughed at, especially at that time.
Upon sampling other parts of the "buffet", Akinym had to admit that the side dishes were extremely good as well, not to mention that they matched the main dish excellently. Seriously, for this food here in front of him to be so good… Just how high was Asuna's Cooking skill?!
Akinym couldn't think much about it, though, as he was approached by the "thing" he feared the most in the entire universe, a creature so vile and cruel that he'd rather face the boss on the 50th floor again: a child.
Yui: Are you enjoying the party, Akinym-san?
Akinym tensed up. Why did he have to be approached by the child of all people?!
When he had come to the 76th floor, one of the things he had actually taken for granted had been to never see a child here. There were a few children in SAO who played the game despite being younger than recommended, but to Akinym's knowledge, they all lived on the lowest floors. He had even been to this orphanage (as the players called it) on the first floor once…
...and he had sworn to return never again. All these kids with their excess energy, noisiness, unreasonable behaviour and need of attention and supervision (often at all times)… And if he tried to reason with them, they'd only complain or ask questions. So many repetitive, grizzling questions…
The mere memory made Akinym shudder. Why did there have to be a child here?! Akinym hadn't believed his eyes when he had seen Yui at the inn for the first time. He still couldn't believe that there was a child in the most dangerous area of Aincrad, although, to be fair, Arc Sophia was a safe zone just as every other town, so this was admittedly not really an argument.
Akinym even wondered why he had taken a seat so close to Yui. After all, there had been two free chairs opposite of her. Oh, right, this seat had been the closest free one to the staircase…
While Akinym was contemplating on the situation, desperately trying to think of a way to avoid a conversation, Yui became a bit concerned upon seeing Akinym's worried and even slightly pained expression.
Yui: Are you not feeling well, Akinym-san? You've been so quiet, although talking and laughing with each other is the best thing about coming together like this, so I was wondering what could be wrong. Is something bothering you?
Akinym [thinks, nervously]: You are! Begone, demon of irrationality! [says aloud, slightly nervously] No, I'm fine.
Yui tilted her head in disbelief. Her worried expression didn't waver. Her MHCP senses were tingling.
Without realising it, Akinym had even made her concerns worse. To her knowledge, brusque answers like that could be a sign that a human doesn't feel well.
Yui considered getting one of Akinym's students to talk to him as she figured that he might rather open up to someone he knew. However, she wanted to make sure that her perception of Akinym's state was correct, at least if possible.
Yui: Are you sure?
Akinym [thinks, very exasperatedly]: Now she's asking repetitive questions! WHY?! [says aloud, slightly nervously] I am.
Now Yui was even more convinced that something was off.
Yui [contemplatively, slightly worriedly]: Hm… Papa usually gets a bit grumpy when he only gets mediocre food, but anything made by Mama is delicious, so that shouldn't be the issue here…
Akinym wasn't sure what he should think of Yui's "rambling". However, this "Mama and Papa" stuff caught his attention.
"Anything made by Mama"… Did that mean she was referring to Asuna as "Mama"? Now that he thought about it, it wasn't the first time he had heard her say something like that.
Akinym turned towards Yui. So far, he had averted eye contact because "the child might spot fear in the eyes of its prey". Now that he had a good look at her, he looked back and forth between Yui and Asuna and Kirito, who had joined the conversation between Asuna and Lisbeth in the meantime. Judging from Yui's appearance, Akinym figured that she actually could be their offspring.
However, their age difference simply didn't seem to add up. While Akinym couldn't be sure, he assumed that Kirito and Asuna weren't older than him, so they'd be eighteen years old or younger. Yui, on the other side, was probably around… eight years old? Akinym didn't have any trust in his ability to estimate the age of a child… Anyway, Akinym thought that Kirito and Asuna had probably been ten years old at most when Yui had been born, so no matter how he looked at it, it simply didn't add up.
Well, she could be "adopted", although it probably hadn't been a formal adoption in the real world but rather the process of taking in a lost child. However, if that was the case, why would Yui call them "Mama" and "Papa" in such a wholehearted manner even though she should have actual parents? Could it be that…?
Akinym's expression became a bit worried and sad – albeit only for a moment – when he considered the possibility that Yui's parents could've dived into SAO with her and died later on, and Kirito and Asuna might've taken her in at some point after that.
Yui, who had observed that and spotted the change in Akinym's expression, no matter how short-lived it had been, jumped to the conclusion that Akinym was concerned that she had figured out what was going on even though he had tried to hide it.
Akinym was, technically speaking, a guest here, and Yui had heard stories about how guests should behave. She thought that it might be considered rude if a guest complained about the food, so that could be why Akinym hadn't said anything.
However, the well-being of a person meant more to Yui than social standards did. This still left the question what she should do, though.
Yui [contemplatively, seriously]: There should not be anything wrong with Mama's cooking. Her Cooking skill is at the maximal level, so even a high-level recipe with A-class ingredients should not pose a challenge. If anything, nothing should be wrong with anything a player with Mama's Cooking skill makes from such high-quality ingredients. Or could it be… Yes, now that the Cardinal system is unstable, the cooking simulation system could be overexerted if too many players used it at the same time, and given the circumstances, that might have happened. In that case, it might have caused a glitch, and some servings might be processed as spoilt food. It could even cause a food poisoning debuff!
During Yui's theorising monologue, Akinym's eyes had been gradually widening in surprise. Of all the things that he could've come across in SAO, he had never thought to hear a child say… anything like that! Even Yui's speech pattern suddenly seemed much more refined.
Furthermore, while he was focusing on Yui, he finally noticed that Yui didn't have a cursor. He should see it, but it wasn't there. No player cursor, not even an NPC cursor… No cursor! How was that even possible?!
What was going on? Akinym had thought that something was up with this child, but now he was officially sure that this wasn't an ordinary kid.
Kirito finally noticed the "commotion" behind him and turned around.
Kirito [cheerfully]: Hey, Yui, having a little chat? [looks at Yui's face, worried] Hey, is something wrong?
Yui [worriedly]: I do not know, Papa. I am just wondering if there could be a malfunction within the cooking and food processing systems.
Asuna also turned her attention to this conversation now. By the way, the other people at the table followed suit one after another.
Asuna [slightly worriedly]: What makes you think that, Yui-chan? [turns towards Akinym] I hope there is no problem, Akinym-san. If…
Akinym, who was still a bit in thought, was slightly startled when Asuna addressed him. However, once he had regained his composure to some extent, he raised his hand, signalling Asuna to stop.
Akinym [calmly]: No, it's okay, Asuna-san. There is no problem. The same goes for you, Yui-s… Yui.
Akinym considered addressing Yui with the honorific "-san" as he usually did, but addressing someone who, from the looks of it, was just a child in such a formal manner seemed just… weird. Even if Yui was no ordinary child, she simply looked too much like one.
Akinym [hesitantly]: But… [slightly curiously] Where in the world did you actually find her? [clears throat, calmly] I mean, if you don't mind the question.
Kirito and Asuna exchanged an awkward look for a moment.
Leafa [suspiciously]: You know, I've been curious about that for a while now, too… [mutters] I still can't believe I've found you and a niece here in this game...
Klein [slightly upset]: I second that! Now spill it, Kirinoji! Not only did you beat me to the punch at finding a lovely wife, you even got a kid before I knew it! What's up with that?!
Asuna [nervously]: Please calm down everyone! There's an explanation!
Kirito: Yes, we explain it, just give us a moment! It's a rather long and complicated story!
Kirito gave the others a short rundown of the events. He explained how he and Asuna had found Yui on the 22nd floor, that they had tried to help her find her parents only to discover who or rather what she really was and how Cardinal had almost deleted her as well as the story about converting her into an item, which somehow converted back into her "real" form when they had arrived at the 76th floor.
Yui basically wrapped up the story herself by formally introducing herself as "Yui, Mental Health Counseling Program". She looked overall quite happy.
The exact reactions to her story varied, but most people were in awe, at least to some extent. Some people even became emotional.
Sinon [slightly taken aback]: Hey, Leafa, are you okay? I know that this was a touching story, but you look like you're on the verge of tears!
Leafa [sniffs, slightly upset]: Because I am, of course! [slightly sadly] That sounded so horrible, having to cope with all these cruel images and feelings for years! But now she can be with Asuna-san and Kirito-kun like a happy family, it's almost like a fairytale ending. [slightly determinedly] Don't worry, Yui-chan, you can count on Aunt Leafa to look after you!
Yui [chuckles, happily]: Thank you, Leafa-san!
Silica [slightly sadly]: Yui-chan really has been through a lot, hasn't she? [slightly contemplatively] But now she has Kirito-san and Asuna-san to look after her… They really seem like a family, don't they?
Lisbeth [mutters, slightly exasperatedly]: They sure do… [clears throat, says aloud, slightly awkwardly] Um, well, so all's well that ends well… I guess? [slightly cheerfully] Anyway, it's nice to have you here with us, Yui.
Klein [stands up, very determinedly]: It sure is! Don't worry, Yui-chan, I, Klein, the envoy of love and justice, will make sure that you can live in peace, even if I have to face this wretched system to…
Lisbeth [interrupting, annoyed]: Yeah, yeah, we get it! Less declarations, more actions!
Klein slumped back into his chair and muttered something unintelligible in a dejected voice.
Yui: Thank you very much, everyone! You, too, Klein-san!
While most people here were happy (albeit quite disheartened in Klein's case), Akinym was still deep in thought. Yui's story and the little explanation of the Cardinal system contained valuable information, but there was something even more important on his mind.
In fact, he was so occupied with this thought that he hardly noticed the wary look Kirito gave him while he was eyeing Yui contemplatively.
Akinym: So, Yui, just to be sure that I understand that: You've basically cut your connection to the system, and you did so out of your own free will?
Yui turned towards Akinym and began to smile after a moment.
Yui: Yes, that is correct. I wanted to be with Mama and Papa, so I wouldn't be alone anymore, but my program lost a lot of its functions in the process.
Akinym nodded slowly in response.
Kirito [suspiciously]: Is… that a problem?
Akinym's head shot up almost as if a monster had suddenly spawned inside the room. His expression showed utter surprise for a moment, although it became less intense after a moment. Akinym still raised an eyebrow and looked at Kirito quizzically.
Akinym: Um… no. There is no problem whatsoever.
Kirito seemed to relax upon hearing Akinym's reply and even gave him a short, affirmative nod before turning his attention to Yui.
It took Akinym a moment to think about it, but it slowly dawned on him what Kirito might've thought when asking that question. Akinym's guess was that Kirito had wondered if he would try to use Yui's special status for clearing SAO. If she was a system program, she might have special credentials that could be useful to the players.
Now that Akinym thought about it, it was too bad that this didn't seem to be an option, though. Having Yui around could've been indeed very helpful if it had been… Well, there was no helping it.
Yui was still an interesting sight.
Akinym [thinks]: So I guess there are sentient, self-aware and even independent AIs after all, Kichiro.
The rest of the evening was relatively uneventful, at least as far as Akinym was concerned. The other people continued to chat in small groups, which changed slightly over time. Meanwhile, he sat on the sidelines and watched. It was… somewhat interesting.
Well, no matter how Akinym looked at it, this evening was at least not wasted time. Whether he lay in his bed all by himself or sat at this table more or less alone in a sense… It didn't really matter. This way, he had got at least a good meal and potentially valuable information.
Akinym glanced over at Asuna. She was currently talking with Yui and patted her on the head. Akinym couldn't help but notice how much she seemed to enjoy this "mother role", although he wasn't sure if calling it that was really appropriate. Having an AI child or an actual demon of irrationality had to be two very different things.
The question that really weighed on his mind, however, was if this "playing family" was part of the "lovey-doveyness" he had heard about. Akinym was concerned that this could prove to be quite… distracting – and in that case, his biggest worries might prove to be true as well…
So, that's the first of the side stories. Merry Christmas! Although it's actually not Christmas right now...
By the way, "Sinochi" is a nickname I let Klein give Sinon. I thought he'd probably use one... In Hollow Realization (and maybe other games as well), Klein calls Leafa "Leafa-chi" (although I'm not sure if this is the correct spelling; it could also be "Leafaji" or something like that...), so I decided to give Sinon a similar "Klein-ish" nickname.
If you're wondering what Akinym's "So there are... AIs after all, Kichiro" line is about... Well, that's a story that won't really play a role until I get to the adaption of Hollow Realization. Right now, it's just some foreshadowing that I wanted to include.
There was another scene that I wanted to include at the end, but this story is already around 5,000 words long, so I've figured I'll leave it at that. I already have an idea where I'll include that scene instead.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that little story. Many more shall follow!