Okay, back to the main story - and this time, it didn't even take that long.

In any case, after all the events on the 95th floor and the various side stories focusing on the rest of the cast, it's back to Akinym and Sinon now, and the title (as well as a certain part of the previous chapter here) should already give you a hint as to what's going to happen - and with that said, let's jump right into it!


One day, there was a single person who stayed at the castle in Arc Sophia until quite late into the night. It wasn't suspicious for this young man to do that, for it was Akinym, whose office it was where he was sitting at this late hour, albeit for no apparent reason.

Indeed, what was he doing? At the moment, it seemed that he'd simply taken a seat at his desk and was deep in thought with his eyes closed. As to what he was thinking about… well, anything, to be honest. In the end, it didn't really matter since he was merely killing time as he was waiting for someone.

Akinym opened his eyes and directed them at the clock in his UI. It was almost midnight, so the other person should come at any moment. He even considered sending a message to ask for an update on their time of arrival, but a knock at the door made that obsolete. Without hesitation, Akinym invited his visitor in, and Argo stepped through the door.

Argo [slightly teasingly]: What, ya ain't even askin' who it is, Akinym? Didn't know ya were so generous to late-night guests, gotta keep that in mind in case anyone asks for it.

Akinym [flatly]: Nobody would come here at this hour. Not normally, at least. In fact, the two of us are only here because I've explicitly asked for our meeting to take place at this time.

Argo: Ya sure did pick a strange time, ya know? I've noticed the whole place is dark 'n deserted – would be fittin' for a "haunted castle"-themed dungeon. [feignedly admonishingly] Honestly, where do ya ask a girl to come in the middle of the night? [teasingly] If ya ain't careful 'n someone sees us here, folks will get some wild ideas 'bout what we're doin'.

Unamused, Akinym got up and walked around his desk, coming closer to Argo.

Akinym: As far as anyone else is concerned, we're discussing the gathering of intel for the upcoming floor boss battle. That's all they need to know. No, to be completely honest, that's all I want them to think.

Argo narrowed her eyes, assuming a perfectly serious aura for the moment.

Argo: Well, ya don't mince words, do ya? I was 'bout to say that ya didn't actually call me here for that, not at this time of night. So, Akinym, what is it that ya have to discuss with me at this unearthly hour?

Before answering, Akinym swiftly walked passed Argo and pressed his hand against the door, making absolutely sure that she'd pulled it shut behind herself. Once he could be at ease that the room was indeed closed now – and knowing that he had a… special guard outside to watch out for unwelcome eavesdroppers – Akinym finally turned towards Argo.

Akinym: I want to make a special request.

Argo [raises an eyebrow]: A request? That… Just a request? "Special" or not, all this secrecy for just a "request"? Ya know it's my business to sell people intel, so ya could just ask normally!

Akinym: I have my reasons. For starters, you'll probably understand my stance better once you know what I want. It's not exactly something people would normally ask for… and there are far too many people out there who'd get… unhealthy ideas if they heard about it. And that leads me right to my most important condition: When I said that we're only discussing regular intel gathering here if anyone asks, I meant that. Under no circumstances must anybody else learn of what this meeting is truly about.

Argo: Akinym, ya keep losin' me here. [slightly uncomfortably] Or rather, ya're startin' to freak me out. I was kiddin' when I asked ya earlier if ya had any naughty thoughts when askin' a girl to come to ya at night alone, but now I start fearin' for Sinon's innocence… Gotta wonder what A-chan would think about it…

Akinym: Asuna-san is the absolutely last person who must know about it.

Argo was still taken aback – even more so than before, in fact – but there was something about Akinym's reaction that she couldn't shake off. He didn't appear to be annoyed at all, even though she'd insinuated that he might have ulterior motives concerning Sinon, something that had, so far, managed to tick him off without fail. Seeing how he remained completely composed, Argo couldn't help but take this absolutely seriously as well – and more calmly, too.

Argo: Well, let's hear what ya want, 'n I'll see what I can do.

Akinym: Just as you've said a moment ago, it's your business to sell intel, and that's what I want. On a very specific kind of quest… No, let's rather say on a specific category of quests. In simple terms, I'm looking for anything involving human targets.

Argo took a step back and furrowed her brows even further than she already had, and the suspicion in her voice intensified likewise.

Argo: Human targets? That's a…

Akinym: Not players, of course, if that's what you think. I'm speaking of human-themed monsters. Just to be clear, just "humanoid" isn't quite enough. Something like the goblins or lizardmen on the ninety-fifth floor won't cut it. The closer the targets are to humans in terms of looks, the better. What the quest is actually about is seconda… no, even tertiary. [slightly contemplatively] Although… It would be advantageous if it's a quest to hunt down some sort of criminal. [seriously] Yes, something like an escort mission that involves fending off and killing a band of bandits would be ideal… No, strike that. It would actually be ideal if it was along the lines of defending a shop against an armed robber – or at least a quest about stopping a burglar in the act. That is the kind of quest I'm looking for.

There was no immediate response. How else could it be? Argo still couldn't fully believe that Akinym – or anybody, for that matter – had asked her for something so dubious.

Argo: Well, I sure get now why ya're so adamant 'bout nobody findin' out 'bout this. Isn't the kind of thin' ya'd want anyone knowin' 'bout.

Akinym had a certain… reputation, after all. "Top Info Broker Argo the Rat" knew that better than anyone… although it was so well-known at this point that there was no room for her to be far ahead of anybody else. The story of Akinym "brutally slaughtering" an orange player was such common knowledge, and it was widely believed that he'd do it again.

Come to think of it, that "victim" had been a bandit attacking a group under Akinym's protection, which sounded uncomfortably close to the scenario Akinym was now explicitly asking for. Once she thought of that, even Argo couldn't suppress the uneasiness and suspicions welling up inside her.

Be that as it may, one thing was certain: If the DDA found out about Akinym making such an inquiry, they'd shout it from every rooftop… literally, perhaps. Even so, and despite knowing the trouble that this could cause, Argo wasn't sure if she could remain completely quiet about this.

Argo: So ya don't wanna A-chan to know? Well, ya wouldn't wanna let yer fellow council members know of such a freakish request, would ya? I get that, but… I'm gonna level with ya: The way this stuff sounds comin' out of yer mouth, this is where I have to draw a line. If ya can't explain yerself, I'm out.

Akinym sighed. He had hoped it wouldn't have come to this, but deep down, he had expected it…

Akinym: Yes, I suppose you would want to know why I'm doing this. Unfortunately, I simply cannot… no, I rather must not explain myself. I'm bound not to.

...so it was time for Plan B.

Akinym: Therefore, I'll cash in something in exchange. Specifically, I call in a favour from you.

Argo tilted her head in confusion, obviously not remembering this "favour" Akinym was talking about.

Akinym: Don't tell me you've already forgotten the… "errand" you sent me and Sinon-san on, the one on the ninety-fourth floor. The dungeon you sent us to was quite difficult – and important, after all. I think I can ask for that much in return.

Argo: Ah, now I get what ya're talkin' 'bout. [sighs] I've wanted to pay ya back, [slightly disgruntled] but I've thought of givin' ya two a good tip on the house, not… well, this.

Akinym: I have no interest in that. I've stated just now what I really want in exchange – I'm looking for this specific information, and I'll pay you normally. The only thing I want in return for that favour is your silence. The question is if we have a deal.

Argo stared at Akinym contemplatively, still struggling to come to a decision. The businesswoman inside her wanted to honour the deal, especially since Akinym had, technically speaking, not asked for much. However, it was simply common decency to not go along with any outrageous request. After all, Argo wouldn't hand out intel about quests to murder or assault NPCs or to abuse harmless neutral monsters, so why should she comply with Akinym's worrying request? And without asking questions, no less.

Then again, were these things really so close to one another? Argo simply didn't know if Akinym had any rotten motives – the only thing she did know was that Akinym was absolutely serious about this. Otherwise, he wouldn't be willing to spent a valuable favour on something so apparently small. Well, and as far as Argo's judgment was concerned, there was the fact that she really wanted to believe that the situation wasn't actually what it looked like.

And then, there was also Sinon… Even if Argo couldn't fully trust Akinym, she doubted that Sinon was the kind of person to assist her partner while he was going on a killing spree, so she'd probably rein him in if Akinym was really going to do something Argo wouldn't want to be a part of.

Argo [thinks]: Yeah, that'd prolly be the best choice… [says aloud] Alright, we've got a deal, so I'll do it. [troubled] It's just… Ya asked for somethin' seriously out-there, so I can't give ya a response right off the bat, sorry! I'll check my database 'n my sources and contact you again, 'kay?

Given that he'd taken the possibility of a delayed response into account, Akinym didn't show any frustration, and he nodded calmly.

Argo: Hm… Ya probably wanted to talk about this in detail, so that's behind this meetin' in person, right? In that case, I guess a simple message with the necessary info will do?

Akinym: Yes, that should be enough. If anything, that would only make keeping this matter a secret from others easier, so there is really no reason for you to tell me in person. [doubtfully] Although… It would make the payment rather complicated.

Argo: Don't sweat it! No money needed this time.

Akinym furrowed his brows. This didn't match what he'd said earlier, and he couldn't grasp what Argo was out for.

Akinym: I've already told you that I'll still…

Argo: I don't want it! If ya wanna play the "I'll call in a favour" card, then ya'll do it at my terms. Which means that this deal is on the house – just as I said in the beginnin'.

Akinym had to suppress a sigh. Was the girl in front of him really just that stubborn? Granted, he'd already got what he wanted, and now he even managed to save some money on top of that, but still…

That said, he was about to find out that there'd be indeed a price to pay… kind of.

Argo: If there's a thin' I want in return, I have somethin' in mind. Ya gotta promise me that I won't regret this. [strictly, slightly annoyed] If ya get up to any funny business with intel from me, I'm gonna be seriously pissed – 'n ya don't wanna see lil' ol' me like that!

Akinym couldn't hold in a tired sigh after hearing Argo's "demand". He'd become somewhat apprehensive when Argo had mentioned that she wanted something different as compensation, but it'd turned out to be trivial.

Akinym: I get it! You don't need to be on edge, okay? This is a completely… [hesitantly] I suppose you can call it a… well, personal matter. In any case, it doesn't concern anyone but Sinon-san and I. Therefore, there is no need for you to get hung up on it.

After eyeing Akinym carefully for another second or two, the tension in Argo's body finally vanished, and her usual playful smile returned.

Argo: That's gotta be wrong, though, dontcha think? After all, I'm the one who's gotta dig up some juicy intel for ya now, ain't I?

With a spring in her step that betrayed the heavy atmosphere that still lingered in the room, Argo turned on her heel and left quickly. As soon as she'd left, Akinym let out a breath he'd been holding. Once he'd relaxed to a certain degree, he, too, turned around and walked towards the window.

This had worked quite well. Frankly, he'd been afraid that Argo would've outright refused to cooperate – or at least that she would've raised more objections than she actually had. It could've been that the "debt" from that one mission on the 94th floor simply wouldn't have been enough, in which case Akinym would've had to offer something else. That alone wouldn't have been a problem, but it had been a major concern of his that he couldn't tell what Argo's "price" would be. It was one thing if it would be a question of money, but Akinym didn't even know if that would've worked.

That was no longer a problem, though. The matter had been resolved by giving away only what he'd already resolved himself to offer. Actually, he'd come out of this negotiation even better than he had anticipated. One could, by all means, say that "Step One" of his plan had worked out splendidly.

Now it was time to wait for Argo to do her job – and then, he'd go over to the second step of his plan.

Standing at the window, Akinym gazed across the town. His mind directed his eyes into the direction where Agil's inn was. The inn itself couldn't be seen from this spot, but that didn't matter. He could clearly see inside it through his inner eye.

Akinym [mutters]: All things considered, I'm actually much more worried if "Step Three" will work out…


In the second morning after Akinym and Argo's secret meeting, Sinon was just about to finish her preparations. The last thing on her list was the final check on her battle supplies. As she was going through both her inventory on the window in front of her and the list of necessary items in her head, she finally nodded in satisfaction and closed the window.

Sinon: Okay, all set. If there's anything I still need to grab, it'll depend on what we're gonna do today.

Thinking of that, it was time to head to the bottom floor, where she and Akinym usually discussed their "mission of the day" if they hadn't made plans already – just as on this very day. Thus, Sinon went to the door and opened it to leave when, in a stroke of impeccable timing, Akinym stood right outside. From the looks of it he'd been about to knock.

It was such a perfect coincidence that it startled both of them, and they took a step back in unison. After letting out the breath that had got stuck in her throat, Sinon was the first to speak up.

Sinon: Sorry for making you wait. I was just about to head downstairs, so there's no need to come and get me… We should still have plenty of…

Sinon glanced at the clock in her UI. Upon seeing the time, she narrowed her eyes. It really wasn't that late. Come to think of it, she hadn't had the feeling that she'd been running late. It would've been one thing if she had taken uncharacteristically long to get ready, but under these circumstances, she didn't understand why Akinym wasn't waiting for her at Agil's restaurant/shop. After all, that's what he'd usually do.

Sinon [slightly exasperatedly]: Why are you in such a hurry? I would've been perfectly punctual, you know? Or is there some kind of early limited-time quest you've found?

Akinym: No, that's not it. The area downstairs is a bit more crowded than usual, so it might be better to move our regular preliminary discussing elsewhere.

Akinym looked past Sinon and into her room. This signal was fairly clear. Sinon found the bluntness – or casualness, which might be the better term – with which Akinym asked for entrance to a girl's room a bit odd, but not actually surprising, not to mention that there'd been several occasions on which she'd been the one to barge into his room.

Sinon: Well, if that's how it is, then I don't see anything speaking against it. Come in!

She stepped to the side, allowing Akinym to enter. He was pretty quick to close the door behind himself, so much so that it struck Sinon as odd.

Sinon: You know, another question: Is there something going on that I should know about? You're acting a bit weird. Kinda… tense, I'd say.

Akinym [sighs]: That might be true. There's something special we need to talk about. [seriously] To be honest, there aren't any more customers at Agil-san's shop than usual, and under normal circumstances, there wouldn't have been any reason not to meet there as we typically do. [slightly annoyed] Actually, I was merely trying not to attract any suspicion in case anyone overheard us speaking in the corridor, but I suppose they'd quickly find out that I was making up this poor excuse. Honestly, why couldn't I come up with anything better even after thinking about it for twenty minutes?

Normally, Sinon would've been taken aback by the fact that Akinym had spent that much time on something so apparently silly… but this simply felt too seriously for that. Her attention clung to the fact that Akinym had other reasons to speak with her inside her room, and from the look of it, it was because he wanted to keep this conversation private… or rather secret – so secret, in fact, that he even used a feint to create the impression that they weren't talking about anything out of the ordinary. In other words, he wanted to keep even their secrecy a secret.

Sinon [seriously]: So, what came up that it's for no other ears to hear? [slightly at a loss] Actually, is there even anything big left for us to do? The floor boss battle on the ninety-fifth floor took place yesterday – without us, at that. Now it's the DDA's turn on the ninety-sixth floor, and we won't have anything to do for a while, will we? [suspiciously] Or did something happen, and we're needed for something that shouldn't be publicly known?

Akinym [slightly exasperatedly]: You sound as if some sort of "secret agent movie" stuff is about to go down. [calmly] No, it's nothing of that sort. It has nothing to do with the Assault Team, [seriously] but there is a certain quest I've found, and I think we should do it for… Well, hm… [sighs] What am I even struggling for words for? [seriously] Let's just say it as it is: This is about your personal problems, Sinon-san.

Sinon's eyes widdened in surprise. It wasn't that she didn't understand what Akinym was getting at. All things considered, there was only one thing he could be talking about: the secret she'd shared with only him, the post office incident.

What Sinon couldn't understand right away was…

Sinon: But what has that to do with any quests in this game? And what do you mean, you've "found" something about that?

Akinym: I'll explain: I have asked Argo-san to look into any quests, dungeons or whatnot that involve human targets, preferably some sort of bandits…

He wouldn't have had to say another word for Sinon to understand. The connection had just become perfectly clear – so much so that Sinon was overcome with anxiety already. She could already tell that the plan was for her to shoot a human. The mere thought caused her to nervously take a step back despite herself, but she caught herself the moment she noticed her own rising uneasiness. If nothing else, she figured that she ought to listen to everything Akinym had to say.

Akinym: ...and she found one particular quest that is so perfect that it almost feels unreal. If you're on board with this new idea, this is the quest I'd like to do today – and we might take some of the others Argo-san found sometime in the near future.

A moment of silence followed. Akinym thought that Sinon needed this time to make a decision, so he didn't say a word – nor would he have, no matter how long Sinon might've pondered over this. And when Sinon finally returned his gaze with a… strangely confused expression…?

Sinon: Why? I mean, why did you come up with this plan?

Frankly, Akinym was taken by sheer surprise. Of all the questions he'd considered Sinon might ask, it had never occurred to him that it might be a "Why". After all, the answer seemed all too obvious.

Akinym: What do you mean, "why"? There's no way you haven't realised already that this is about your problem that we've been talking about for weeks at this point.

Sinon: Of course I get that! But that doesn't explain how you've come up with this particular idea.

Akinym: You're not making any sense, you know that? Having a person who struggles with memories of killing a robber in self-defense deal with those troubles by letting them face a similar situation under controlled circumstances – that's not a thought that requires multi-layered reasoning. Honestly, didn't you tell me that you'd tried something similar yourself?

Sinon: That's the point: Didn't you, in turn, think that it had been a bad idea? That's why I wanna know why you've suddenly changed your mind!

The oncoming annoyance on Akinym's face made way for a rather troubled expression, and he began to rub his right temple.

Akinym: Ah, so that's the point. Yes, I guess I should explain that.

He took a moment to gather his thoughts and figure out where to start, and then, Akinym turned his eyes, now filled with utter seriousness, but also a calmness that showed thorough confidence, to Sinon again.

Akinym: To keep it brief, I don't think there is much I can actively do to help you. I've said this – probably many times – before, but it's not as if I know how to handle this kind of issue. I've picked this method because you brought it up before, and I'm at least a little bit familiar with the idea behind exposure therapy, so it's at least something we can both get behind.

It was an explanation Sinon could understand, although it still left a lot to be desired. For starters, the "there's not much I can do" part wasn't exactly reassuring, but moreover, it left the question as to why now open. Akinym had known about Sinon's issue for quite some time (and had been trying to help her deal with it for just as long), so what had changed that he suddenly wanted to take more drastic measures?

Well, Akinym's explanation wasn't finished, after all.

Akinym: And to be honest, there's a very specific reason why I think it might be a good idea to start there… [slightly confusedly] one that, frankly, makes me wonder why you seem so hesitant.

Sinon felt an urge to protest. It wasn't so much that she hesitated, but rather that she simply didn't know what to make of Akinym's new "therapy strategy".

Even so, another notion outweighed this. Sinon replied with a puzzled, quite curious look that asked Akinym to continue and explain himself.

Akinym: To get straight to the point, it's what's happened during the boss battle against the Desert Demon. We've talked about it the other day, after all, and I doubt that your opinion on this matter has changed, or has it?

Sinon: That… No… Of course not.

Now that Akinym had said this, Sinon had a clear picture in mind: The sight of a small group of players who were about to get downright devoured by a boss monster, and of her hand holding her bow, aimed at the maw of that abomination… and how this hand trembled out of fear – not fear of missing her mark and failing to save the people in peril, but of hitting those people herself instead. Realistically speaking, she should've managed to make that shot, but it had been solely her mind that had held her back.

Akinym: For that reason, I wanna try and get you at least to the point that you can aim in the direction of a human. Well, and the idea I've told you about is my best bet in that regard. You said that you'd so far been trying to confront your memories of that time by holding a gun, and that is what didn't work. The part of aiming at a human might be different, though, so I wanna at least try that, even if we might have to make adjustments later. So, what do you say?

Sinon closed her eyes and took a moment to collect herself. Then, she turned to Akinym again with an expression full of conviction.

Sinon: Okay, you've convinced me. Or rather, if this has always been your intention, then you've got me from the start. Let's do that quest you've found!


...which is what they'll do in part two. I'll see you there when it's finished!