Date posted: 31st July 2024
Y'arr. Shiver me timbers. Leave a review, you savvy?
FFN's emailing system is still borked, please use the app and all that.
Edit 30th August: I changed the quote in this chapter to the current one you see now. The quote that was used is featured in the next chapter, chapter 27.
Chapter 26: Service Problem
"And I was going to sea myself, to sea in a schooner, with a piping boatswain and pig-tailed singing seamen, to sea, bound for an unknown island, and to seek for buried treasure!"
- Treasure Island
The Dark Sea was a little less so this morning.
In the middle of the slightly-brighter than usual water was a ship, its sails torn and ripped. A freak storm had harassed the merchant vessel in the night\, and the caravel's sailors had to take down the sails for repairs. It was hard and time consuming work, and much of the ship's workforce, including its passengers, had to help bring it back to tip-top shape. There was no chance to beach it, for there was no landmass for miles upon miles.
On the deck itself, a small but muscular blonde woman helped the sailors hold onto the masts as they fixed the cracks in the wood. In the hull of the ship, a pink-haired smith was helping the boatswain check for any leaks in the walls and floors. An exhausted squire, who had spent the night trying to calm the horses and mules, was taking her well deserved rest in her room, limbs dangling from the hammock that was her bed. The head of security on the ship was also checking the supplies with the ship's cooks, for the captain had asked for a good meal for the sailors to lift their spirits.
Some six bow shots away from said caravel was a small boat where a handsome woman and a pretty man were out hunting for food.
"Hunting and fishing are not the same," insisted the hunter. "Fish aren't liable to break your ribs like a deer would."
"Curious," said the man in charge, "I recall you spending a lot of work fighting a certain «Lord of Fish» a few floors down. I would categorise that as hunting."
The hunter rolled her eyes. Hers was a much simpler fishing rod - basically just a stick with a wire and hook - which was nothing compared to the powerful Neptune's Trident 3000 the merchant was wielding. "Yeah, and it took me an hour to stab the thing to death."
"You just spike it through the head like normal fishermen do." The practice was called Ikejime, a practice that even the denizens of the castle were familiar with, no surprise considering the nationality of the company that made it.
"That stupid salmon had as much HP as a damn bear, you weren't there!" Sinon sighed and reeled back her line, and rested upon the bow of the ship. "Remind me why we're doing this again. The ship has provisions."
"As a hunter yourself, you of all people should know the importance of stocking up. Besides, Aincradians haven't invented canning food yet and Asuna-chan insists on getting fresh food. It'd be a boon for the sailors too, a thank you for their hard work, working throughout the night."
"And why are you dragging me along with you? I could be doing something useful like looking out for pirate ships."
"I wanted to spend my time with my girlfriend, that's all," he said with utter sincerity.
His stupid smile was almost as bright as the sun above, damn him. She looked away so he couldn't see the red on her cheeks. "Ugh, whatever."
Sinon was no stranger to the hunt: the stalking and the waiting; the tracking of her prey, and the thrill of the kill. And aside from the odd bow-fishing and that tangle with the fish boss (someone on the dev team must have slept while designing that stupid thing), she really had little in the way of fishing experience. The idea of just using worms on a hook to catch food, well, it just didn't appeal much to her. Even trapping would be more exciting.
There were some five or so bass in the bucket, ready to be cooked. Of course, all of them were caught by Kirito. The merchant had replaced his silks for his fisherman's gear (minus the stupid beard, thank God) and was having a grand old time. Sure, there be stone pirates prowling the waters, scalping tribesmen on the land, wild kozakis burning villages, and rumours of an orc army on the move, but there's nothing wrong with a little fishing, yeah?
She tilted her head back to look at the ship, and even with her good eyesight, spotted only ants moving about the deck. Looks like the sails were taking longer than intended. In that case …
Sinon scooted over to his seat and laid her hand on his thigh. "Hey, so you wanna do it?"
"Sinon, please. I'm sensing a big one."
"Come on, it's been ages!"
"We literally had sex before we left the city! Besides, doing it on such a small boat … unwise." The way he said it sounded like it was from experience.
"We could have done it on the ship."
"It's rude to do that on someone's ship. Don't worry, we'll reach land sometime soon."
"Look, I'm lifting up my shirt and showing off my tits."
He didn't even look her way. "They are indeed very nice tits, but I'm sensing some nice fish below."
The spike rod next to him would look pretty nice being stuck in his forehead. "Listen, Kazuto -" she rarely if ever used his real name like this "- just because I'm in your harem -"
"It is not a harem! We are a part of a very healthy polyamorous relationship, thank you very much."
"Right, polywhatever. You don't need to do this lovey-dovey crap." She pulled on her hair, noticing the browns under the blues and made a mental note to find her usual dyes.
"But I like being lovey-dovey …"
"You lead me to exotic locales and let me kill stuff, we tumble in the sheets once in a while, and I get paid. That can and should be the extent of our relationship. If you want to do the romantic stuff, Muscles and Discount Saber are over there yonder will eat you right up."
His cheerful mood dimmed ever so slightly as he placed his rod down, turning to her. His big brown eyes stared into her blues. "Shino …"
"Oh, here we go." She recognised that tone quite well, usually when Kirito had to give Yuuki a finger wagging over doing dumb stuff like trying to go spear fishing despite her inability to swim.
"I think your interest in casual sex and dismissive attitudes towards a serious romantic relationship hides something deeper. You wanna talk about it?"
Oh God, he sounded like her therapist. "No."
"It's okay. We can talk later if you want to."
"There's nothing to talk about."
"Excellent, we can do that when we hit shores," the merchant proclaimed and went back to his fishing. Something was tugging his line and he reeled it back. "Speaking of which, I've noticed you've been working out. Was that a six-pack?"
"Oh, so you acknowledge my abs, but not my tits." Ever since that passionate night, Sinon would be lying if she didn't think putting on some muscle wasn't a good idea. Damn the Rat and her great physique …
"I know what I like," he winked, and produced a large salmon from the water. Kirito caught it by the tail and admired it. "So, what do you think of sushi for lunch?"
"Raw fish, eh? You Outsiders sure have some strange cuisine! Maybe if we have this, I could cut down on salt costs!"
"It's fine once in a while, but I personally wouldn't feed your crew long term with them, captain," said Asuna.
"Hmm, you speak truth, captain. Ah, if we only had safer ways to heat food without the use of fire."
"Shame convection stoves haven't been invented yet," said Kirito.
"A what stoves?"
"Okay, so imagine -"
Absolute Sword had turned off her brain at the conversation. Her plate was already empty and it had taken a fair amount of willpower to not guzzle the remaining soy sauce like some sort of barbarian. Nostalgia does strange things to a gal.
Captain Drawi was exactly what Yuuki imagined if you told her to imagine a sea captain but a dwarf. A man about his father's age (had she one anyway), he was stout of stature like all his kinsmen, with a well kept orange beard and a cheerful demeanor. He ran his crew on the Seahorse as well as Asuna ran a company of Eternal Watchmen. Despite the ship being made and crewed by dwarves, they were designed in a way taller people could live just as comfortably.
They had been traveling the Dark Sea for but a few days since the whole gladiatorial arena pirate business thing with that hobo samurai guy. When she was told they'd be going about the Dark Sea, she imagined daring-do! Finding buried treasure! Parrots!
But no, it mostly consisted of waiting and scrubbing the poop deck and sleeping and cleaning and training and eating and -
A wave struck the ship, throwing the captain's cabins at an angle. It was only thanks to the fact that Yuuki had her plate held together with her elbows that it wasn't sent flying. Even a piece of Argo's nigiri flew out the window.
The dwarf however was unbothered. "Oh we have those ovens too! A bit pricey, and our rock brethren extract a high price for it. After our adventure, we should have the funds to install one in the kitchen."
"I hope so. I've burned myself too many times to count," said Asuna.
"Worry not, Aa-chan. After we reach the port, we'll get to work right away. Yuuki-chan, are you ready for our trip?" asked Argo.
"Of course I am!" she said. "I'm always ready to kill."
"You didn't hear a word I said yesterday, didn't you?"
She narrowed her eyes at the piece of sashimi on Argo's plate, inwardly drooling. "Maybe some food will jog my memory."
After the plates were taken away and desert was had, Kirito had them all staring at a map on the captain's chambers wall.
There were dozens of islands about, some named and many weren't, with all sorts of symbols, icons and diagrams regarding the Seahorse's trading routes. On official papers, Captain Darwi and his men were but humble merchants who traded food stuffs like wheat and rice for more exotic materials on the islands. The Dark Sea was a strange combination of the Black Sea, the Caribbean and the Nusantara. It was not a strange thing to find men and women in these waters hailing from every corner of the castle.
Unofficially however, Captain Darwi and his crew were on a mission from the Kirito Corporation, trying to hunt down the criminal group called the Forty Thieves. A full company of marines they were not, but most of the crew had fighting experience and they would not shy or flee from fighting pirates if need be. Their next stop would take them to Stingray's Rest, the local power in these waters.
Unfortunately, they have yet to fight any of these pirates, stone men or no. The discussion was making Yuuki very, very bored.
She excused herself to be in her room, which was a little cabin with two hammocks shared with Asuna. Making sure the coast was clear, she went to her personal chest. Lifting up the clothes she had stowed, she picked up the folded piece of paper beneath it all and unfolded it.
Grinning like a kid in a candy store, she took a good look at the map she purchased.
It was sketched in detail with a draftsman's hand, the name of the island written above. Stingray's Rest just happened to be the destination they were about to go to.
She had purchased the map from a trustworthy peddler back in Qar Hadast in one of the Maul's many back alleys. An ascetic monk who walked the path of holiness, he offered the priceless piece of paper for but the low, low cost of a quarter of Yuuki's wage.
"You see, mighty swordswoman, this be the map of the Pirate Prince that leads the Stone Fleet. The man who now leads the Darhaka against the forces of civilisation.
"Before he and his fleet was cursed by the wizards of the Qar Hadast, he buried his vast horde in amongst ninety-nine locations lest he fell in battle. He gave his maps to his closest officers, and they handed the maps down their generations, treating them as a lord would sell their magical heirlooms. I am one of those heirs.
"But I am of low of birth and have no worldly desire save bread and water. Bequeath me the coin for but two weeks, and it shall be yours."
"How do I know this ain't a fake?"
"It isn't, I will not lie to a warrior such as you."
Now, the boss-man did tell her much about swindlers. A set of rules laid out on who was the on down low and who was not. For PC merchants, it was as simple as having an Aincradian Merchant's Guild license which any self respecting player would procure. For NPC merchants, it was a bit harder since every Floor and region and kingdom seemed to have their own version of guilds.
But she developed her own know-how in dealing with this sorta thing. It was bulletproof, invincible, and 100% accurate.
Sure, the guy stunk like a skunk but he was an ascetic and probably didn't have much money to wash himself. Sure, he had a bunch of questionable looking bottles behind him but they could be water instead of booze. Sure, he looked like he had what appeared to be bite marks on his neck but Kirito had those too, and he claimed he was fighting off vampires. Maybe this dude was a vampire hunter in a past life!
"Alrighty, but you must make the solemn of vows."
"I will do just so."
She held her hand and extended her pinky. "Pinky promise?"
The man understood it immediately and returned it. "Pinky promise."
The pact was sealed, so the treasure map had to be legitimate.
As Yuuki fantasized about all the cool stuff she was gonna buy with the untold riches of the pirate treasure, she almost jumped out of her skin when someone knocked on the door. "What is it?!"
"It's Asuna, we're making landfall. Get your gear ready."
"Wait, this is Stingrest's Ray, right?"
"It's Stingray's Rest. Yes, Yuuki. I told you this before we left the city," came her muffled voice as Yuuki heard her leaving.
It took a good amount of willpower for Yuuki to not start cheering.
As much as Argo enjoyed the odd escapade into the wilds, the Tokyo-born girl knew for a fact that she was a city girl at heart.
The port town could hardly be called a proper town. More of a big village than anything else, but one that had the chance to become a proper town in the future. It was roughly the size of a Granum holding, home to a dozen or so small fishing villages, with a little bit of lumber and mining on the side. One fit for a minor noble of any other kingdom but small for any rank above Duke.
Stingray's Rest was, as its name suggested, a piece of land whose speciality were stingrays. It alone, at least amongst the islands of Floor 22, could claim them as their speciality. Even the banner of the island was that of a white stingray upon an ocean of blue.
It also changed hands as often as a gold coin did in Aincrad. It was an uninhabited island for most of its existence until the dwarves of Qar Hadast colonized it. Then a kozaki hetman, who had stolen a fair number of fishing boats, decided that he could take a gander at this pirating business and set up here. Kicking the dwarves out, the brigand leader turned island chief decided to breed horses as a business.
It was a terrible practice considering the lack of good farming land needed to raise a herd and he went bankrupt soon after. Then a bunch of Nadyah marines made a base while hunting orcs that sacked one of their cities, intermingled with the locals, until they became the dominant faction. Some trade with the dwarves and the kozakis later, the island had become a melting pot of peoples and backgrounds.
Currently, it was ruled by one Lord Fedir, a man of both Nadyah and kozaki blood, who had taken up a lower ranked noble wife of Qar Hadast. The locals considered him an able ruler, but most recognised that his dwarf-wife was the true brains behind the operations. At the moment, Stingray's Rest was home to a handful of mercs, mostly players, in waging war for the dwarven council and doing the odd sidequest. There was much construction on the island as well, with roads being paved, warehouses being built, homes turned into inns, temples for the faithful, and the prize of any good up and coming city, the construction of a bank.
Argo whistled. "That's a lotta good info there, Alicia-chan. I knew I could count on you."
"Of course, someone has to if you kick the bucket."
"What's that supposed ta' mean!"
"You know what I mean."
Alicia Rue was curiously very similar looking to Argo, as if she was a long lost sister. Small, petite, like her, but with dyed orange hair and tanner skin. The daughter of an ambassador, whose nationality Argo never truly figured out where from, she was, by all accounts the best agent the Rat ever had. In another life, she would have been SAO's best info broker had it not been for the headstart that Argo had been a beta tester.
The info broker placed an elbow on the table and leaned her cheek on her fist. "Listen, Roo Roo. Someone needs to go out there and do the odd dungeon dive."
"You've done more than that, I haven't seen you since Mankhlar, what with you playing landlady at that fort of yours."
"Hey, without that wage bump you wouldn't have gotten that fancy dress of yours either."
"Ah, true. I'll give you that."
Even their manner of dress was near opposites. Argo was clad in her usual fighting leathers, wrapped hands and forearms, with a pair of golden dusters hidden snugly in her belt. She had also been using the same ratty leather cloak and hood since the 4th Floor, despite Kirito and Asuna's offerings of better ones.
Alicia sipped her tea, all prim and proper. Her hair was tied back in a neat bun, not unlike Asuna when she wore a helm. She wore a long pink traveling dress with a matching wide brim hat that was all the rage in some circles, with embroidered high-heeled boots that would make a noblewoman envious. Argo dreaded if both her and Kirito would ever meet and talk about fashion.
"You should get a new cloak," she suggested.
Oh, great. Not her too. "We're not here to discuss fashion, I need some deets on our good buddies."
"Ah, of course." From her hippo hide handbag (because of course Alicia had one), she produced an envelope and slid it across the table.
Argo opened it, scanned it quickly, committed it to memory, before immediately tearing it into four pieces and throwing it out of the window and into the water below. A waiter shot her a death glare that all service workers possessed but said nothing.
"This isn't some random dive bar, you know. This is a fancy tea house establishment."
Alicia drank more tea than a Turk and if given the choice of visiting a dirty bar or sepukku, she would choose the later nine times out of ten. "I'd eat the letter instead but you threatened to poison my food if I did that again."
"Or you could just keep it on you and dispose of it later," she sighed. "I can't believe someone like you landed a boyfriend."
"No idea what you're talking about, Roo Roo."
She allowed herself a smirk. "Please. That business in Mankhlar, you holed up in some random fort and following a mid-tier merchant - "
"Kii-bou is not mid! He is lord of a prestigious order and a good businessman!"
"Argo. Honey. He got robbed."
"That can happen to anyone!" she argued, folding her arms. "I don't see you with a man hanging around your arm."
"Man? I've seen him from afar admittedly, when your ship docked. He's girlier than you are."
She had a dreamy look in her eyes. "Yeaaah. He's so hot right?,
Alicia was in no mood to discuss her boss's taste in men. "So, I assume you'll be off?"
"I am. Point me to the nearest pirate camp, I've got some new dusters I've been aching to try out."
"Please do not swipe the biscuits into your cloak, I'll call the waiter to pack it. God."
Rations secured, and half an hour later, she was out on the road with the slayer. They only had four horses and two mules but even keeping them on water for a few days had made them agitated and they leaped to stretch their legs.
They were mustangs, beloved by the Free People for their swiftness. Asuna may have a deep love for Kumo-chan and would sooner sacrifice Yuuki before her steed but Argo and Sinon had no such attachment to their steeds. Argo didn't even name hers whereas Sinon had christened every horse she used as Tuna, for reasons the Rat never cared to find out.
"Where's Yuuki? I thought she was with Asuna," Sunon asked suddenly.
"She needed to regain her bearings and is resting at the inn. Kirito's brushing elbows with the local powers, Asuna's accompanying him, and Lisbeth's busy shopping for supplies. Why do you ask?"
"Her horse was missing." Sinon narrowed her blue eyes. "She's getting into trouble again, is she?"
"Ah, she'll be fine. As long as she stays around the town, that is. Anyway, you know where this pirate camp is?"
It was very common for players, when reaching a new floor or settlement, to offer bandit clearing services for the local authorities, whether they be lords, chiefs, mayors, or emirs. Brigands, pirates, gangsters, or other ne'er-do-wells were a common feature in any good fantasy setting. Aincradius may have brought an age of (mostly) peace between the realms but the odd war here and there between petty lords were as sure and constant as death and taxes.
With the constant skirmishes between the dwarves, the Nadyah, the Free Peoples and the kozaki, and the return of the Darhaka Fleet, it's no wonder pirates keep popping out like weeds.
An hours' ride from the city, Sinon was already climbing trees and scouting the surrounding areas. There was an abundance of them, and timber was always in need for cities.
Climbing down deftly, she dusted herself and put away her spyglass.
"What do you see with your elf eyes, Sinonon?" Argo asked.
"Argo, if you ask that question again I'm gonna rip your tongue out."
"Why, you hate elves or something?" She looked cute when she was angry.
"I've climbed like four trees and you keep asking the same damn thing that's what. Anyway, I think I found the camp. And no, it's not a logging one like the others."
"How can you tell?"
"They caught Yuuki."
"Wooow, I'm sooo shocked. This is my shocked face, if you can't tell."
Like the island itself, even the pirates seemed to be a melting pot of cultures. A dozen men in total, made up of Granumite men-at-arms in rusty mail, sword dancing kozakis with well groomed mustaches, tattooed Free Peoples practicing javelin tossing, and even a couple of dwarven wrestlers. Sinon spied Yuuki tied to a palm tree, promising death and pain upon the Nadyah sailor using her longsword as a fish skewer.
It was strangely close to the city too. Though, the local authorities being in league with bandits was something not too uncommon in Aincrad. Either the island lord was incompetent or the pirates were paying bribes to his militia.
The slayer grabbed a handful of bolts from her quiver and tossed them expertly into the dirt, sticking up for quick access for reloads. She laid the siege crossbow on a y-shaped branch. "The moment I start shooting, you get to Yuuki and free her."
"We're supposed to empty the camp, you know."
"If they retreat, that's a job good enough for the island lord."
"Don't worry, Sinonon. I'll sneak up on em' so good they won't know what hit em'."
Being an info broker necessitated being able to do a little sleuthing. Sure, urban areas tended to need less «Stealth»than the wilderness, being able to disappear into crowds and breaking and entering the odd house, but Argo learned a thing or two fromliving with the Orage for a while.
Camouflage was by all accounts a more recent invention to humanity but it had existed since the age of beasts. There was enough woods about that Argo was able to put on the basics: leaves on her cloak, coating her face in dirt, and putting twigs in her hair; one on the upsides of barely taking care of her hair. She even brought a little hand mirror, she just had to be sure to return it to Asuna's bag before she noticed it was missing.
The Rat circled the camp in a large radius and decided to approach from the west whereas Sinon set up in the east on her little hill. Slowly but surely, she crawled through the brush and dirt and a puddle of mud with the seriousness of a grizzled commando.
Belly crawling on the floor, ignoring the pebbles digging into her clothes, she pressed on.
The sentry had his back to her as he slouched on the log he used as his seat. There were no others aside from Yuuki who was tied to the tree, who had at that point had her mouth gagged, assuming that was the source of all the angry muffled sounds she was hearingIt had been awhile since she applied a chokehold on someone.
Argo readied her golden dusters, her powerful quads tensing, before springing onto the sentry and wrapping her thick forearms around his neck, pulling him into the bush.
"Shhh … don't struggle. Just sleeeep."
It was easier than expected. Usually, people were frantic, kicked their legs, as Argo enforced mandatory nap time. But the man wasn't fighting at all. No clawing at her arm, no muffled choking.
Then Argo noticed the bolt in the side of the man's head. "Huh? Hey! Sinonon!"
Dropping the corpse, Argo marched into camp, golden dusters glinting in the sun only to find the slayer in the process of untying the rope around the squire. All around her were dead or dying pirates, bolts sprouting from their necks and skulls.
"What took you?" asked an annoyed Sinon, as if clearing out a camp of pirates was but a minor hassle for her; which it probably was.
"We agreed to a plan."
"Argo, you took twenty-five minutes and thirty-two seconds to get ready and I was getting tired of waiting." Finally, the rope that held Yuuki bound dropped to the ground.
"Wha. Really? Are you sure?" As someone who barely put on makeup, doing so really did take a fair amount of time. Oh no, was she turning into Asuna and Kirito?
"Yes, and your camouflage is awful. Did you not hear the bloody screaming as everyone was running around the camp?"
"To be honest, I think I was getting really into it."
The junior member of the company spat out the offending piece of cloth from her mouth. "You could have at least ungag me!"
"I preferred the silence. Now, you mind explaining what you're doing here, Yuuki? I thought you were resting."
She looked to the sea. "Nothiiing."
"Nothing?"
"Nope."
"Are you sure?" asked Argo.
"I was taking a walk."
"An hour from town?" asked Sinon, thumbing at Yuuki's horse by the treeline.
"I take very enthusiastic walks. Anyway, we should head back to town and -"
Before Yuuki could finish her sentence, Argo grabbed her wrist and flipped her over onto the ground. A piece of paper flew from her back pocket which Argo caught.
She read it. "Aaaah. I see now. You were holding out on us, Yuuki-chan."
The squire moved to grab the map before Sinon snatched it away and read it. "This thing can't be real. Did you buy it from some hobo back at Qar Hadast?"
"He was not a hobo, he was a wandering ascetic that traded valuable information for alms!" the squire protested and took the map back.
"Right, a hobo."
Yuuki looked at Sinon, then back to Argo, then all the dead around the beach, narrowing her eyes. "I'll take 70%, and you guys take 30%. No word about this to the boss-man. Deal?"
"Hell yeah, it's a deal!" said Argo, wrapping a beefy arm around the swordswoman. Despite being a few years older than her, Yuuki was only an inch shorter than Argo was. "I like the spunk on this one, Sinon."
The slayer sighed. "Look, you dumbasses. Do you know how many of these fake maps are around? There's an entire industry making fake maps! You might as well take a MLM pyramid scheme seriously."
Yuuki's already big purple eyes widened. "There's a pyramid on the island?!"
As Sinon ignored the two idiots blabbering about the riches of the pharaoh, she surveyed the camp once more. She didn't kill all of the pirates, only a few but most ran off. One particular pirate, a shirtless tattooed kozaki she shot in the thigh, was lying face down in the sand.
She walked up to him and gave him a swift kick in the ass. The kozaki whirled about, shashka in hand but blood loss had made him slow and Sinon kicked the offending steel away before planting a knee on his chest.
Blade in hand, she pressed the tip against his throat. "I need info."
"You'll get it," said the pirate. "But I want a potion in exchange."
"You'll have it. Anything else?"
"Food. Drink. And the boat."
"Deal. Now, do you know anything about the Forty Thieves?"
The man laughed, spitting blood. "Who hasn't? They're running logistics for the Darhakans and the orcs both. Hell, I could draw you a map."
Orcs, eh? Sinon had never met an orc before and doubted the rest of the corporation did, though she heard some fantastical tales from the Frontliners.
Sinon produced a potion from her belt and handed it over to the pirate, as well as a nearby stick.
"You do just that, and draw it in the sand. No funny business."
True to his word, and with a crossbow, a sword, and a pair of golden glimmering dusters pointed at him, the kozaki did just so. The more he drew, the more flabbergasted the slayer was, and the more excited the Rat and the squire were.
"Is this a joke?"
"Laino, do you think I would lie when I'm facing possible death?" the injured man said.
"It looks just like …" Argo began, but Yuuki finished it.
"It looks just like my map!" the squire exclaimed proudly, thrusting the paper into the air as if it were a priceless artefact.
"Just get the hell outta here before I waste a bolt on you."
The kozaki did just so, sprinting as fast as he could onto the beach and rowing away. The three of them returned to their horses and were already off.
"I bet my rival would have given her left leg for this," said Yuuki as she put spurs to her horse.
"Doubt it," Sinon shouted over the wind. "Asuna's too busy playing high class with the locals."
At the island lord's manor, Asuna would have given her left leg to seek adventure instead of playing high class with the locals.
She was being mean, the lord and his lady wife were good hosts and the food was delicious, if not to her taste and the other people vying for their influence were in agreement. The banner of the stingray hung everywhere for all to see.
The lord, most likely trying to raise the good name of his family, had an open house mentality when it came to newcomers to the island. Merchants, mercenaries, pilgrims, even far off fishermen, were invited to his home and discuss economics, politics and the weather with him.
It's just that, like a lot of nobility, there tended to be a noticeable queue when it came to talks.
"How long do we have to stay around here," Asuna whispered to him for what was possibly the fourth time that afternoon.
"Patience, Asuna-chan. We just got here."
"We've been here since morning and it's past noon, maybe we can make an appointment …"
"Aren't you a high class lady yourself? You should be familiar with this sorta thing."
"Look, just because I'm rich IRL doesn't mean I like it!" She had damn near a PTSD flashback when she arrived at the manor as she was reminded of the endless parties at other rich people's homes or hotels. That, and the droves of boys (and even some older men, ew) that her parents were clearly trying to hook her up with.
At this, he leaned over to her and squeezed her hand. "Just a few hours, please."
Asuna suppressed a sigh. "Okay, a few more hours."
"Thanks, babe," he said, giving her a wink. Ah, she was a sucker for those eyes of h -
"EEP!"
A couple heads turned to look at her outburst out of curiosity, before the other guests decided it was nothing and returned to their business or pleasure. The music that the band was playing was loud enough that most didn't even notice her.
She dragged the merchant to a corner and confronted him. "Why did you do that?!"
"Do what?" he asked innocently.
"Squeeze my - you know what!" she accused, face red.
"Well, I thought your behind looked so nice in your new getup." He looked her up and down like a piece of meat and Asuna cursed herself for enjoying it. "I gotta say, I easily have the hottest bodyguard at this party."
Granumites may have been alright with party goers wearing full plate, and the Free Tribes having people wear their warclubs and tomahawks, but the people of the Dark Sea went unarmed save for a dagger and the island lord's bardiche wielding guards. Asuna, who always wore some armour to these sort of functions, had to buy something proper back at the city.
It was tailor–made, which wasn't all that special since any player with a modicum amount of income did just so. But the look itself was.
Kirito had once again found his dearest tailor Ashley, one of the more popular players in the crafting scene, who had set up shop back in Qar Hadast. She had grown her business to a small but tight workshop of similarly high leveled crafters and thanks to Kirito's close ties with her, was able to make an outfit for Asuna and the others in a pinch.
The merchant himself had replaced his black silk kaftan for a light blue, and the collar was open to reveal a white chemise undershirt and a tasteful gold necklace. His hair had grown long enough he wore it in a ponytail and the golden earrings he wore almost made her go feral.
As for Asuna, she wore a knee length white brocade jerking decorated with floral patterns over her more tasteful matching white silk tunic. Her hose was white linen and ended with rich brown boots that tastefully showed off her muscled legs. A long red silk sash with embroidered gold lining was wrapped tightly around her waist in the style of the kozakis with a dagger fitted snugly into it.
She narrowed her eyes at him. "So it was you who made sure these pants are so tight …"
"Nu-uh, that was all Ashley-chan's doing! Besides, I think she made the right choice," said Kirito, winking.
"Pervert," said Asuna, smiling. "I do look good in it though, I especially like the sash."
"I think you'd look just as good wearing the sash and nothing else."
"Kazuto!"
He laughed and sipped at his tea. "Ah, would you look at that? We're being summoned. Let's go."
The old butler was a Granumite man of stocky bearing, no doubt a man-at-arms in a previous life with how easily he wore his sword. He did not look up from his tablet. "Lord Kirito, of the Kirito Corporation? Acquainted with Captain Darwi of the Seahorse, I assume?"
"That is I."
"And what of the lady? Your bodyguard?"
"That, and my lover, Asuna. We are partners in this venture." Asuna forced herself to not blush at that.
The majordomo adjusted his glasses and nodded. "Very well. Lord Fedir will see you now."
There was a gorgeous chamber at the end of the lord's dining hall where the couple sat behind a table being all lordy and royal and stuff.
Island Lord Fedir and wife Arishat were a cute coupl. Both of them were in their mid-thirties (at least, Asuna thought the dwarf woman was, it was really hard to tell with other demi-humans), a nearby nanny swaddling their babe.
Fedir was a curiously blonde and swarthy man whose easy life had given him a fair amount of gut but whose noble upbringing had given him thick forearms. He wore too much jewelry as if he was compensating for something whereas his lady wife was much more restrained, her brown hair neatly tied in a bun with a green dress that matched her eyes.
After the obligatory cup of tea, they got down to business. "I have heard that Lord Kirito is a most accomplished man," said Lady Arishat.
"I am but a humble merchant, my lady."
"Oh?" said Fedir. "I have heard tale that you were a great chief amongst the Orage, respected by the foremost wizard university, and who had beaten back a horde of undead."
"No, that was my captain, Asuna. She's the military brains behind that operation. I was just the manager."
"Ah, and with humility. I like this one, husband!" said Arishat.
"As able as you are lovely, captain!" said the lord raising his cup. "And I have also heard that you had something to do with the little business in Mankhlar?"
They had practiced this so Asuna spoke up, "Only as trapped civilians, watching as that dreadful little war unfold."
"Oh?" said the dwarf. "Are you sure there was no daring swordswoman that help lead the citizen's militia? No archer letting loose arrows from rooftops with goblins? Or a little brawler cracking skulls in the riots?"
Damn, she knew more often than not. As far as most people knew, only the captains of various guilds and the council of Mankhlar knew of the corporation's involvement.
Sad to say that as much as Asuna could pull off a pretty solid poker face, her surprise was clearly noted by the Arishat. "Ah, I apologise, I should not have proper or made assumptions," she said.
"Apology accepted," said Kirito. "That being said, know that the Kirito Corporation is solid for any and all investments and are very able at keeping things private. Isn't that right, Asuna-chan?"
"O-of course," said Asuna, hiding her frown by drinking her tea.
Lord Fedir was most impressed. "Hmm, now that I think of it, we are looking for a reliable representative for us. Would you perhaps join us for more private discussions?"
Of the fifty people or so that came to the manor, Asuna noted that they were the only ones invited to the solar. It was more homely than lavish, resembling more a modern home office than one made to impress. The red pine desk, the shelves filled with books and scrolls, and a map of the Dark Sea stuck on one wall. So far, so good.
It was Lady Arishat, not Lord Fedir, that sat behind the writing desk and he behind her. The brains behind the island, as many locals had believed.
Arishat tented her fingers. "I hear you're looking for someone that stole your cargo. The Forty Thieves, yes?"
Kirito dropped the pretense. "You're most informed, my lady."
She shrugged. "Please, do you think you're the first people who tried to sniff around and find out about them? They hear that my husband's clan on the kozaki side used to run with some notorious bandits in the past and they come here to find out what's what. How did a bunch of outsiders know about that?"
The Council of Qar Hadast did, in fact, point them at Fedir's island to start off but the dwarf didn't seem to know about his government involvement.
"I have friends amongst the guilds of the city. They pointed me this way," Kirito said coolly.
"Well, have no fear, merchant. For I am completely innocent of this!" proclaimed Fedir.
"But," continued Arishat, "we do keep tabs on what happens on the plains. Tell me, what do you know of that coming orc horde over the mountains?"
"That a great prophet has risen amongst them, uniting the disparate clans together. That the horde was not as one since the age of the sorcerer-kings," said Kirito.
"They weren't united under them either. Each sorcerer-king used to have their own template of vat-grown warriors created by the most advanced magicians. After Aincradius decapitated the vast majority of them, the orcs were left without lords and were exiled to the mountains."
"And what does that have to do with anything?" said Asuna.
Fedir walked to the map, pointing at various routes made around the islands. "This so called prophet or shaman or king or whatever you want to call him, her, they - are using the Forty Thieves as ways to sow chaos into the lands before they invade."
"The Clearers will stop them," said Kirito. "Qar Hadast has given the Sons of Mars ample gold to fund the war efforts, and so have other guilds within the city."
"Oh, will they?" said Fedir, unconvinced. "Or will they, like any and all sellsword armies, not use the chaos to fill their purses? I am the blood of Nadyah and kozaki both, and though I am no reaver, I am not blind to the realities of war."
Sadly, they were right about that. Say what you will of modern peoples with modern values, when you drop 50,000 players into a fantasy world without modern conveniences like AC or wi-fi, they tend to go a little stir crazy. Guilds like Titans' Hands may have garnered the correct reputation of fighting and even killing other players at times, but 'foraging' was something all armies did.
The reason why tiny guilds like the Kirito Corporation don't do that was because they were too small to challenge local authorities. That, and it was easier to keep twelve players in line versus twelve hundred. Even a guild like the Aincrad Liberation Force, who championed themselves as the ones to free the player base had, at times, extorted small villages for food, forage and dwellings.
Kirito had that look when he was deep in thought, brows furrowed, lips turned into a frown. He sipped his tea before continuing, "And what is your proposal?"
Husband and wife looked at each other and nodded, smiling.
Half an hour later, Asuna and Kirito left the manor with a map in hand.
Making sure the street was clear, Asuna said, "I can't believe you took the deal."
"Trust me Asuna, I've taken worse deals." When Kirito said it like that, Asuna could only just wonder what he was talking about. "Now where are the rest of the company?"
"Lisbeth is probably finishing up shopping, Yuuki is in bed, and Sinon and Argo are out doing that pirate clearing stuff. They should be finishing up by now."
As if summoned, Lisbeth rounded the corner, a worried look on her face. "Oh thank God, you two are done. Have you seen Yuuki-chan?"
"Please don't tell me she's been kidnapped again," said Asuna.
"Well, no. But, you may wanna read this. I found it under her pillow," she said, handing her an already opened envelope.
Asuna took the letter, and squinting at the surprisingly neat handwriting, read out loud:
TO WHOMVST IT MAY CONCERNING,
I, THE HERO, ABSOLUTE SWORD, ALSO KNOWN AS MY PRE-HERO NAME OF YUUKI KONNO, AM OFF ON A GREAT ADVENTURE TO FIND BURIED TREAZURE.
TO PROVE MYSELF AS A HERO, I HAVE BRAVELY AND CORAGOUSLY HEAD INTO THE UNKNOWNS TO SEEK THE RICHES OF THE STONE BADDIES KNOWN AS THE DARHAKA. I DO THIS ALONE, FOR HEROES CANNOT DRAG WEAKLINGS WITH THEM ON SUCH ON A DANGEROUS JERNEY.
IN THE EVENT OF MY DEATH (unlikely, I am very skilled and high level), I HAVE ALSO COPIED THE MAP OF MY DESTINASHION WITHIN THIS LETTER. NEITHER FOLLOW MY FOOTSTEPS NOR MOURN ME, FOR I WILL RETURNETH WITH LIKE, A LOT OF GOLD. SO MUCH GOLD. YOU COULD SWIM IT IN LIKE THAT RICH DUCK.
SINSERELY, ABSOLUTE SWORD THE BRAVE
P.S: HEY LISBETH IF YOU FIND THIS PLEASE DON'T SHOW IT TO ASUNA OR KIRITO OR THEY'LL BE REALLY MAD
Kirito couldn't help but laugh. "Lisbeth, remind me to work on our opsec next time."
Asuna could already feel a headache incoming. "How does a girl with such neat handwriting have so many errors?"
"I've called Captain Darwi. The winds are good and we can get there faster than on horseback," said Lisbeth.
"Let's just hope Sinon and Argo found Yuuki and stop her then," said Kirito as the trio ran to the docks.
"You know, thinking about it, maybe we should have stopped Yuuki instead of going along with her," said Argo.
"You think?!" Sinon hissed.
"We can defeat them," said Absolute Sword resolutely. "They will fall under our blades, arrows and fists."
"Yuuki, there's a hundred pirates. Even with a company of Watchmen this would be a tough nut to crack."
The trio were almost halfway across the island, and it surprised all of them that not only was there a massive amount of pirates not that far from town, but large enough there was a working pier, a palisade, and store houses.
Large bandit camps were often the highest tier of field dungeons that players could expect to face, and depending on the size may require multiple small guilds or a very large guild to handle them. In fact, many local authorities did not consider a guild a 'real guild' had they not defeated a well known bandit lord. The ALF, for example, had slain the bandit known as the Deer Goddess on the 6th Floor, and for this were granted the right of recruitment.
They can often be expected to have swarms of low-level bandits in rags with rusty blades, mid-level bandits with good mail or scale with polearms, and at the end, a robber knight with a unique and powerful weapon. Not something to be taken lightly, especially that docked ship with two mean looking scorpions on them.
But Absolute Sword was not discouraged. "I have cracked and eaten many nuts."
"We need to retreat, like yesterday," said Sinon, eyes scanning for guards and patrols. "I don't have enough ammo for this."
"As much as I'm loath to back down from a challenge, Sinonon's right, kiddo. Come on, let's just go. We'd need at least Asuna and Lisbeth, and maybe like two dozen militiamen, to take this on," said Argo.
"Hrgh, fine. Valour is the better part of discretion," Yuuki quoted.
"Yeah, sure. Whatever. Let's go."
Carefully climbing down the tree that the three of them were spying from, they quietly made their way down the hill to their horses. The sun had dipped into the ocean, casting long shadows which they used to hide themselves in.
As they rounded the trees, they found their horses waiting for them. It was a small clearing surrounded by enough greenery to hide their horses. They let out a sigh of relief, happy to be able to return to base.
"I was like 50% sure they might be stolen," said Argo.
"Well, it's a good thing you guys hired a valet then" said Yuuki, reaching for her reins.
Both Rat and slayer froze in place, turned about to see a cloaked giant appearing from the bush, a log sized spear coming straight at them.
Sinon was sent flying as Argo narrowly ducked, the force of the spear shaft so powerful it blew her hood back and made her eyes stings. The slayer landed with a thud, her weapon and bolts sent sprawling with her. Yuuki unsheathed her sword.
Argo came at the stranger, golden dusters in hand. He was easily nearing seven feet in height, and not even his equally massive cloak could hide the wall of muscle underneath. But the Rat didn't care, she'd taken on more dangerous opponents.
Oh, and no one hurt her friends. Especially a fellow harem member (regardless of Kirito's dislike of the term).
Passing within the range of the spear, she delivered a hail of blows at his torso. A single good punch at someone's solar plexus would be enough but to Argo it was like punching a tree.
The stranger's size was not a detriment to his speed as he twisted his torso to deliver a backhand to Argo. It would have broken her neck had she not blocked yet the force of the punch still lifted Argo off her feet and threw her a dozen feet back.
Yuuki charged the stranger, sword in hand and cut him in his back and drawing green blood. She aimed her tip for a kidney stab but the stranger twirled his massive spear expertly, making her duck and retreat out of reach.
"Hgnh. You're better fighters than these fools, I must admit," said a voice made of gravel. "But no spy leaves alive."
He raised the spear as Argo and Yuuki braced for an attack but it never came. The giant threw the spear as Zeus throws bolts of lightning and struck its target true.
Or it would have had a bolt not veer it off-course. The mustangs, often disciplined and brave, broke in different directions.
Another bolt flew towards the stranger's face, only to be caught by a massive green palm. If the stranger felt pain, he said nothing. The girls turned to see Sinon, weapon in hand.
"You know how hard it is for me to train Tuna to her current level?" asked a gasping Sinon, one hand unsteadily holding the cumbersome siege crossbow, the other clutching her torso. "You can stab the others, but don't lay a hand on my horse."
"Sinon-senpai, you're not dead!" said Yuuki.
"Just barely, it looks like." Argo didn't have much investment in «Healing» but you didn't need to be a doctor to tell Sinon had broken ribs and maybe an arm.
"Enough of this! I've pirates to train and a schedule to keep!" With that, the stranger threw off his cloak.
It was amazing how much a piece of cloth hid the giant underneath. The stranger stood head and shoulders above them, three hundred something pounds of green muscle. His bare torso showed off a map of scars, a noticeable one the width of a hand on his stomach. A large leather belt that resembled something akin to a wrestling champion's belt kept his sarong in place. Leather bracers matched his austere sandals.
The stranger's face was like hewn in stone, two tusks protruded at the edge of his sneer, yellow eyes blazing with an annoyance of a job being disturbed. His beard was neat and well trimmed and his black hair was tied in a short ponytail. Around his thick bull neck were, of all things, dog tags. He cracked the knuckles of his bear-like paws and opened his arms wide in a wrestling stance.
"Orc," spat Sinon. "I don't think I'd see any greenskins this far from the mountains."
"Cool it with the slurs, Sinonon," warned Argo. "Just cause we're fighting to the death, it don't mean we need to devolve into capital G-Gamer language."
"T-that's what they're called in the SAO's own promo, jackass!"
Yuuki's purple eyes widened. "These are the things the Clearers are fighting?!"
"Pah! Soulless sellswords are no match for the gene perfection of the Vatborn!"
Instead of charging Argo, who was the closest to the orc, he instead pivoted on his heels and charged at Yuuki. He came at her with such speed, it took them all by surprise, but Yuuki especially.
The fist coming at her was less a body part and more like a speeding truck. The swiftness, the size, the pure fury in the orc's eyes rooted her to the ground. A deer in the headlights. Yuuki could only stand there, dumbfounded, welcoming death. She closed her eyes.
She felt a gust of wind on her face but the fist never came. Slowly, she opened her eyes, only to look at the fist mere inches from her fast, and half a foot of steel embedded in his arm.
To the side was Asuna in her red armour, her voice dripping with hostility. "Don't you lay a hand on my squire."
The orc looked around him to find himself surrounded: a crossbow trained on him, a mace raised to strike, and the small blonde girl even pointed his own spear at his back. Off in the distance, he could see a boat beached nearby and a ship further away.
A hand landed on his knuckles, the same one with still embedded with the bolt. "Ah, Drillmaster dGrogan, is it? I have heard many good things about you!"
"Kirito …" Asuna whispered.
"Asuna, please dislodge your rapier from the good man's arm. It's very rude to do that to potential business partners."
The swordswoman gave him a look but acquiesced. She pulled the blade out, the green blood staining the steel and leaking to the ground.
The ladies lowered their weapons, but only just slightly.
The orc, however, did not seem to at all care that he was surrounded and unarmed. "Who the hells are you?"
"I am Kirito, CEO of the Kirito Corporation. Our mutual friend has recommended your … less than legal expertise in certain fields. Maybe we can help each other out!" he said, reaching into his sleeve. Sharper eyes noticed the knife strapped to his forearm and also realise that wasn't he was reaching for.
Sinon's eyes widened. "Kirito, you can't be -"
"Really, Kii-bou. This guy?"
"I'm feeling a real sense of déjà vu here," said Lisbeth.
Asuna shook her head. "Of course this is the first thing you do."
The orc tensed, ever so slightly, but relaxed when the merchant displayed a scroll.
Kirito gave the giant his best businessman smile. "I believe you know the business of corsairs, do I have that right?"
The giant scanned the document and scoffed. "Very well. We can discuss this in my office. Come." The orc turned on his heel and returned to the direction of the camp, still ignoring the bolt in his hand.
There they were, five girls, a pretty boy, and a massive orc, in a circle, as pirates from nearby homed in on their position, an offer of pretending to be pirates alongside actual pirates.
Just another day in Aincrad.
I promised myself I won't do a massive arc like the Eternal Watch one, and I plan on keeping that promise.
This will be, still, mostly a series of episodic stuff and little in the way of the political stuff in the previous arc. This will be a setup of that, and mostly that. More Harold Lamb, if you get my meaning.
I also plan to add more spice to the chapters, so if you're reading this on FFN, the Ao3 one is very much available so follow Merchant Prince there too!