The world was a blinding white. He stood in the very epicentre of it all, as the winds howled like a siren's torrential song, blasting across the landscape and leaving everything in disarray. Ice crept along what he would have thought to call dead grass—and all across his own body, he realized, finding ice sticking on his skin and feeling the biting cold seep into him.

He exhaled. A puff of white air escaped his lips, slipping into the air like a little cloud that eventually faded away. He stared through it, and the mist simply blended with the background before ultimately becoming one with the air, leaving behind nothing more.

He should feel colder. Should be freezing, in fact. He was dressed in nothing but more but his typical daily wear, with absolutely no coat or the like to guard him from the cold. His skin should be blue, his teeth chattering, his vision blurry.

And yet, he was fine.

If anything, despite what should have been a biting cold, he felt completely comfortable. As if he was being… protected, feeling no worse than if he were standing in the middle of an open field while a simple breeze the likes of which grace Rulid Village on an average day was blowing.

He search the wide vastness beyond him for any kind of pointer, if only to give him an idea of where he was. Alas, it was nothing but an open 'field' of sorts, and he hadn't been beyond the walls of Rulid enough to recognize a place like this, so he was left with nothing.

A sound he perceived as nothing more than the rustling of leaves and the clinking of ice draws his gaze to his left, far off and away. The vast openness offered nothing in terms of visibility or difference in environment, but there was… something there. Something—or some things—calling for him.

Without a shred of hesitation, he begins his journey towards the sound. Whatever world he was in, he could feel a state of actualization of his body, though muted as his senses may be. He focused on his feet, and that gave him the thought and ability to move.

Snow crunched beneath his unguarded feet with every step he took, yet he didn't feel exhausted. Didn't feel any kind of resistance. If anything, the cooling feel between his toes was comforting, in a strange way. Felt welcoming, something that he couldn't properly explain, but trusted to be just that.

Eventually, as he got closer and closer to his destination, the world around him shifted. It felt like stepping into a new place altogether, realizing that he was no longer in the same open space as he had been earlier, but was now standing atop a mountain. The howling wind had lost its temper, becoming just a gentle breeze now that kissed his face. All around him stretched mountains off and away, the light of Solus poking out from a valley between two snow-capped spires that cast long streaks of gold across the world, while green forests ran down the side of one while a frozen river decorated the other. The winds carried snow across the land, glittering from the morning light.

Kirito raised his arms to shield his eyes, lowering them eventually when he felt comfortable enough to take in the view… and man, was it one hell of a sight. It was wordlessly beautiful, in ways that no amount of description could ever do it justice. This was the kind of thing that only a person who has ever witnessed it with their own eyes would ever understand.

He reached out for the sun with his hand. Rays of light seeped through the cracks between his fingers, phantasmal warmth on his skin helping to ward away some of the cold. None of it should feel real, but it somehow manages to.

Even so, along with the amazement, was confusion.

And that was why, along with the amazement, was confusion. He'd never seen this kind of view before, so how is he..?

The world around him was beginning to grow whiter, as if the sky had grown intense in brightness. His vision was engulfed in white, and with it, his consciousness waned. His eyes fell shut.

Two voices reached out to him at the very last minute—

'Ah, looks like you couldn't stay long… See you, Kirito! Let's meet again, properly! Next time!'

'Fare thee well. Though short our time together hath been, t'was a pleasure to have the opportunity to even reach thee.'

—And then everything faded into nothing.

Kirito awoke with a drowsy start, eyes peeling open to take in the room he was in, before falling shut once more. He was back home.

Dreaming, huh? He hadn't thought he'd be getting them again. The first time he dreamt was almost five months ago, when Alice had been taken away to the Central Cathedral. It turned into reliving that same moment every single night afterwards, in exactly the same way, with absolutely no change to the outcome no matter how hard he tried to change things.

He'd stopped dreaming around the time they slew the Million-Eyed, having taken it as a respite from all the painful re-enactments. To be dreaming again now, albeit about a completely different thing from that fateful day, was… well, a surprising change.

'Still, it's nice not having to wake up feeling like shit.'

Kirito groaned into his pillow. Sulinea would probably suffer from a stroke if she ever knows he curses. That he was worried about that more than anyone finding out he dreamt of Alice's abduction for months was a little concerning, but he shrugged it off.

Something flickered in the corner of his vision. His eyes were drawn towards the window, staring out into the cold morning sky. It was a white, light dancing off its edge to give it a glimmer-like appearance. One turned to two to five to eighteen, and eventually a light shower began.

"Eugeo, it's snowing."

"Mmgrgh…"

He rolled his eyes at the response, choosing to sit in bed for a while to stare out the window as he wrapped himself in a blanket cocoon. Each flake dropped in a collectively slow motion, and the world was bathed in a state of pure cold.

Another day in Rulid begins.

Chapter 17

[ Home ]

3rd day of the 12th Month – HEC, 372

Rulid Village, in Eugeo's Home

Beef stew and hot chocolate in the morning had never tasted as amazing as it did in that very moment, and Kirito likened it to the fact that it was freaking cold outside that the warmth of the food seeping into his body was incredibly wonderful. It was a feeling unlike any other.

Putting down his bowl, he let out a happy sigh, leaning backwards into his seat. "Thanks, Sulinea… This is awesome…"

"Not the first time I haven't heard you say that," she giggled back, adding seconds into Uncle Orick's bowl, the man looking just as at bliss as he did. "But thank you, Kirito. I'm always happy to know that my cooking's always satisfactory."

"More than satisfactory… It is just awesome."

"Sure, sure," try as she might, she couldn't exactly hide her pleasure at hearing his honest compliment. She'd always been proud of her cooking skills above all else. "Want some more?"

"Do I? Ehh… I don't really want to deal with stomach cramps when I work later, but who cares," he outstretched his bowl towards her. "More, please."

"Sure thing."

Accepting a new bowl of meat stew, Kirito dug into it slow, enjoying the rich flavours that Sulinea always manages to create using simple ingredients. He especially liked how it made his body feel warm, and with the cold air that hung over them, it was a very nice ward that he was more than grateful for. It'll especially be useful for later.

"So, anything interesting going on, Uncle?"

The man hummed lightly. "Nothing, as far as I can tell. The village is preparing to last the winter, so we're stockpiling on food and resources," and then, he added: "Everything will be fine as always."

That would have come out of nowhere, were it not for the fact that their village had been victim of a number of happenings in this single year alone—five months, in fact. That alone was staggering.

"Let's hope the next year will be a lot more uneventful, huh, Uncle?"

"For certain," he sounded amused and exasperated at the same time. "I thought the most exciting thing to happen to me is seeing my grandchild for the first time. Not witness a calamity-level monster and my son and his friend become the village's heroes."

"You and me both, Uncle…"

"Yeah… Oh, right. I almost forgot. Sister Azalia asked me to pass a message to you."

"Oh?" He stopped mid-bite, making sure to swallow before he put his bowl down. "She did? What's up? Is something wrong back at the orphanage?"

"Nothing of the sort. Just said that she was planning a celebration on the tenth. Nothing big that would involve the whole village. Just the kids over at the church. And that technically includes you."

"Ahh… Any idea why?"

"None that I know of," he shrugged back.

"Huh… Well, yeah, of course I'd go. It'd be nice to see everyone again, too," he chuckled. "Much as I love being here with you guys, I definitely miss all the other kids. Never really get the chance to hang out with them as I did before."

"You're not wrong. I heard some of the other girls in the church mention how it's weird not to have you around, Kirito," Euden said. And then, his features slowly twisted into a cheeky smile. "And I heard some of them liiike you~!"

"What?" He stared back, frowning. "The heck are you talking about?"

"It's true! I've seen a lot of them, like Yuka and Mary, watching you every time you and Eugeo go to work at the Gigas Cedar! It's crazy!"

"Like that would be any different from the norm."

"Oh, but Kirito~," Sulinea began with a singsong voice. Somehow, the lilt in her voice only served to worsen his nerves. "What about all those little gifts you've been getting from all the girls in the village these past few weeks? I'm pretty sure that's something noteworthy, isn't it?"

Both twins and Eugeo snickered at him, making him groan as he dropped his spoon into his bowl. Seriously, they were being ridiculous. There was no way that was—

'Not at all. They have the right of it.'

'What?! Not you too?'

'Oh, don't tell me you don't notice! You've enamoured just about every lovely girl in the village. Not surprising, though. After that display a week prior, you've become quite a sensation. Your reputation has seen quite the growth!'

'She's not wrong,' Kirito shot his best friend a betrayed look. The flaxen-haired boy, despite not looking at him, must have noticed the stare, shrugging his shoulders in response and keeping a calm face. The corner of his lips were wobbling, though. 'I go out and hear everyone asking me about you. What am I supposed to take from that?'

It's been more than a week since the pontifex's sudden visit, as well as that little sparring session with the first Integrity Knight. Kirito was more focused on the fact that a week has passed since then—and incredibly uneventful ever since. A miracle, really, considering how crazy things kept happening to them day after day. And even the visit was, by itself, a week after they'd return from Zakkaria.

But now, things were back to normal. There was no denying that. Not after that single moment that felt like a point of finality, promising nothing more. It was all back to the usual.

Well, more or less the usual.

Sulinea came from the kitchen with a basket filled to the brim with breads of all kinds, fresh steam wafting off of it. He winced at the sheer volume, realizing that no normal person besides Sulinea would have made that amount.

Well, if it was Sulinea's work to begin with.

"Gotta' say, I didn't expect little Mary and Rae to bake all of this for someone," she emphasized that last bit while wiggling her eyebrows his way, drawing out chuckles from everyone at the table—all but him, who deadpanned at her. "Be sure to eat all of this, okay, Kirito?"

"I know, I knooow. Would be a pretty scummy move to let their hard work go to waste. Although, you guys could help out too, right?"

" 'Course we could!" Eugene said, already grabbing a loaf and splitting in between himself and his brother. "Cheers! To Rulid's hero!"

"Cheers!"

"Lay off."

Urgh. All of this teasing was all in good spirit, he knew that, but man did it not make it any less embarrassing. Normalcy for a price, he thought to himself, though. He supposed he could deal with this, since it wasn't anything particularly life-threatening. Just silly and ridiculous in equal measure.

'Just give it some time,' his best friend said, trying to fix his disarrayed hair. 'The heat will eventually die down. By then, everyone would have already forgotten about things, and it'll all calm down.'

'I hope so, because all this attention is just silly,' he hummed back. 'Seriously, I don't know how people would want to be famous. I really don't see how it's useful. All the attention is just embarrassing.'

'Well, then you'd better get used to it for a little longer. So long as you don't try and do anything showy, things will go back to normal.'

Properly normal. He actually looked forward to that, if only to just forget all the things that had happened throughout the year for a little bit. He needed a moment to just relax and not lose his mind over… over everything! There was just so much! He's only eleven, for crying out loud!

Kirito steepled his fingers together. This was definitely the world trying to tell him something. What that something is, he wasn't fully certain of, but it was probably important. And annoying.

'People who are destined for great things often suffer the greatest trials, huh…'

That was a phrase he'd once heard from a travelling author, who had come to their village two years ago to study their local ecology. Why that was, he wasn't sure, but the wizened man had seen many during his time, and he'd talked about a friend he once knew. Someone who had been his village's pride and joy, rising above the ranks and becoming their hero.

At the cost of his son and wife, and losing much of his reputation beyond his village walls.

Still, he hadn't faltered. He'd persisted, outlasted every challenge, and grew from them. He died, became somewhat of a legend to the people (just like Bercouli and Rulid), and the village was developed named after him; Zion Village, in Southacroith. Eventually, it became a major town, and that was how the story ended.

He wasn't sure why he'd recalled that particular story, but he likened it to the idea of him becoming Rulid's village. It was a terrifying notion, yet highly unlikely, considering the streak of issues he's caused. Nothing enough to warrant judgement or the like, but certainly doesn't paint the best picture of a 'quintessential hero'.

He was just a village boy. That was all he was meant to be.

'And I still am, though with some added responsibility…'

Gabura's dying request came to mind next. It would have been so easy to just dismiss him, to just let him be and watch him expire quietly.

But… damn his bleeding heart. Gabura had pleaded to the boy who landed the killing blow. And Kirito was sure as hell that he was going to find that person, no matter what it took.

'But how would someone like him, who lives in the Dark Territory, somehow know of a human woman? One who lives in Centoria, no less.'

There was a lot of questions there, although Kirito opted to just let it be without going too deeply into that. He had half a feeling that he'd get his answers well enough if he could just find her and pass on the goblin's final message to her.

Kirito groaned again. Talk about stressful.

Going to Centoria honestly wouldn't be difficult, but they would first need to settle the issue with their calling. They could then choose to change it to anything they'd so wish, but they would have to commit to it. So long as it allowed for them to travel, there really wouldn't be any realistic issue.

Unfortunately, his latest stunt in joining Fanatio in culling the Million-Eyed as well as his demonstration with Synthesis One had practically drawn the Human Empire's ruler's attention, enough so for her to extend an official invitation to him. Just grand.

'She would want me as part of the knights. She'd outright said it to my face,' he hummed to himself, glancing over to Eugeo. 'Oddly enough, she wasn't all too focused on Eugeo. Probably thinks he's less important since he's debilitated.'

That thought brought forth a surge of anger, but he quashed it. While he didn't appreciate her lack of appreciation for his best friend, it also meant that he wouldn't be catching her attention as he had. That sort of made him safe, although with the two of them simply being a two-in-one package, he'd most certainly be dragged along for the ordeal.

'It would certainly be much safer if he goes with you,' Selena's voice had him jumping a little. 'Pardon the intrusion.'

'Oh, sorry. Naw, it's cool. I was just a little deep in thought,' he hummed back. 'And you really think so? About Eugeo being safe with me.'

'Certainly. And besides, it's not like he would let you go alone. You two have and always will be together, until the very end.'

Until the very end… That sounded like a really long time from now, and it was a comforting thought to hear from Selena that he'd had his best friend by his side.

'Besides, there's no knowing what might happen if you go off on your own. Between the two of you, you're a little too volatile. And a great well of misfortune.'

He slumped in his seat with a pout, her giggles in his mind not making him feel any better. Well, it's not like she's wrong, but still, would it kill to at least go easy on his feelings?

Still, he saw her point. He would be such a walking disaster, so having Eugeo to keep him in check would be comforting. Plus, with Selena, there was an almost guaranteed chance that absolutely nothing bad would ever happen.

'Kirito, if you don't mind me asking… are you truly aversive to the idea of joining the Integrity Knights? I feel like such a decision would satisfy all your requirements. Not only will your base of operations be in Centoria itself, but would give you permission to travel and an opportunity to train under Integrity Knights. There are plenty of boons there.'

'…I don't know. After what happened with Alice, I'm not exactly rushing in line to join their ranks. Plus, the level of commitment is too high. Once we're a part of them, I'm sure there'd be no backing out. And…'

And reaching out to this person that Gabura asked him to seek out would undeniably draw the church's attention to her. If they investigated her background and found even one clue tying her to the Dark Territory, there was no doubt that they would execute her the same way they did Alice. That last bit scared him immensely.

On the other hand, joining the Integrity Knights would make it all too easy for them to enter Centoria. And as Selena mentioned, the opportunity to train with the knights was one that wouldn't come any time.

But that all begged the question… What did he want to become?

He'd delayed on cutting the Gigas Cedar purely because he didn't know what calling to take once he and Eugeo finished theirs. It wasn't a pipe dream, after all, that much was certain (the «Life» of the tree was more or less half of what it was now, much to his and Eugeo's shock), so they could certainly pursue something else. Something they wanted to.

But what did he want? Did he really want to pursue swordsmanship? There wasn't much use of it unless one intended to join the Integrity Knights, or become a guard, or mercenary, or something combat-related.

That had never been his focus, though. Hell, he wasn't a fighter. He'd only gotten lucky all these times with the Blue Rose Sword. He wasn't sure if he really wanted to become a swordsman. All he wanted was this life in Rulid. What more could he possibly ask for?

As the family chatted amongst themselves, Kirito stared into his stew and pondered over his thoughts a little more.

'Something seems remiss with Kirito. Could you perhaps speak to him?'

'Eh? Is something wrong?'

'We had a discussion during breakfast. I am uncertain if the topic of our conversation was the cause of his current mood, though I do take some blame for his current state. Talk to him on my behalf, please?'

Well, when she asked like that, he wasn't really able to deny her. Still, as he glanced at his best friend's back, there wasn't exactly anything out of the ordinary. Be it his posture or his expression, calling him 'stressed' would have been a little too much.

But Selena wouldn't have asked him that if she wasn't serious about it. If his best friend was in a bad mood, then it was up to him to try and help him out of it.

'Though, I suppose it could wait until we get to the Gigas Cedar,' he hummed. "Ready to head out?"

"Yep. It's just about time to—"

The moment he swung the door open, cold wind fell in like a wave, crashing against them like a phantasmal blanket. Eugeo went stiff like a board and felt a shudder go up his spine, hairs on his arms practically standing.

"…Holy shit. This is going to be cold."

"Y-Yeah…"

With winter upon them, the world that was once green was now replaced with a beautiful, if almost magical sight; snow-capped hills surrounded Rulid's north, with even more snow blanketing the land as far as the eye could see. All the trees in the world were lightly dressed with powder snow, green and white intermingling to provide a nice colourful blend that offered this world a rich sense of life and tranquillity.

Stepping out of the house properly, as Kirito squeezed the Blue Rose Sword between his arm pit to blow hot air into his hands and Eugeo doing the same, the two boys marched southwards, passing the fields of winter wheat. The sun barely meant much, the cold air proving to be much more prevalent.

It didn't take long to reach their destination, completely ignoring the shed (because they have the sword, which was far more effective) and sitting down by the tree.

"Cold!" Kirito yelled, first thing, as he dropped the Blue Rose Sword and shook his hands about in an attempt to generate heat. That probably wasn't doing much, if his pinched expression was any indication. "Goddesses, how do we keep forgetting to bring gloves?"

"Because we're just that forgetful," sweat-dropped Eugeo.

"Welp, that's grand… I don't think I'll be able to hold the sword. I feel like my fingers would just freeze over," yeah, so did his. He can't help but wonder if he was imagining the faint tingling in his fingers. "Hmm, what do we do..?"

"Well, it's not like we'd be able to start a fire right about now. The leaves and sticks around here are probably too wet from the snow, and—"

"Fire!" Gasped Kirito. "Eugeo, you're a genius!"

"What? Kirito, didn't you hear what I said? There's no materials here that we can use to…"

"«System Call»," he began chanting, much to Eugeo's confusion and building panic. "«Generate 'thermal' element»."

Without adding further instructions, all that Kirito managed to conjure was a single ball of hot energy in his hands, which he cupped in his hands like one trying to catch water from a pipe. Just the sight of it almost made Eugeo burst out in fear—

Only to be stopped by the deep sigh. That, and the blissful expression, which meant that it was working.

"Oooh… That feels good…"

'What a very practical application of «Sacred Arts»,' Selena giggled with clear amusement. 'Impressive. I've never exactly seen anyone else make use of spells like that.'

"That's because most people are too focused on using that for fighting and shiz. It's stupid… Eugeo, c'mon! Do the same! Warm up your hands!"

"What? But that's so… dangerous! How are you not burning your hands off?"

"Ehh… I just imagine that I want a mildly warm heat source, not something that'll melt right through metal."

"You just… think of it?"

'Curious. I never thought that one's thoughts can directly alter the properties of a spell…'

Neither did he. All that he knew was that «Sacred Arts» operated with specific commands and instructions, and would be executed exactly as wanted. There was never any mentions of how one's thoughts could change its effects in one way or another.

"Well?" Kirito asked. "What'cha waiting for? Give it a try!"

"I… really don't want to…"

"Just think of a really warm bath. Not enough to burn your skin off, but nice enough to want to stay dipped in it forever. It'll help."

He was still reluctant to give this a shot, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. Choosing to trust Kirito, he focused on the image in his head; the tub back home filled with warm water, steam pouring out and filling the room. Not hot, though. Not enough to scald his body. Just enticing.

After he was able to keep the image fixed in his mind's eye, he chanted the «Sacred Art» just as Kirito did, watching the singular ball of reddish-whitish light form, floating above his palms—

And the sheer relief it brought was something he couldn't put into words. He practically sighed in relief, cupping it close to his face and feeling a hundred times better when the gentle warmth seeped into his skin.

"Oh Goddesses… That's good…"

"I know, right? And you were worried."

"For good reason…"

The two boys sighed in bliss over their temporary respite from the cold, making sure to pat down their entire bodies to give warmth to every part. This made the cold all that much more tolerable, and he swore he was going to give Kirito his extra portion of whatever Sulinea would make for the next breakfast to make it up to him.

A part of him acknowledged how strange that something like

Kirito was the first to finish, grabbing the Blue Rose Sword and positioning himself before the gash, beginning the process of hacking away at it.

While he did that, Eugeo made himself comfortable on a relatively dry tree root, still keeping the spell activated as he wrapped his fingers around his neck, happy that he'd given this a try. He watched his friend work in the meantime, finding the sight to be impressive as always. He'll be sure to stop him once he's halfway through to switch with him.

"Hey Kirito?"

"Yeah?"

Before he could ask whatever was wrong with him, Eugeo found himself tripping on his words, unsure if he should start off being direct or beat around the bush to gauge his reactions. But his uncertainty kept him checked in his place, hesitating for a long while before his brain decided on: "Besides Centoria, do you have any other places you want to visit?"

Face, meet palm. Good going, brain. Real helpful.

The question did made Kirito pause, though he made sure to finish his swing and lodge the sword in the tree, leaving it there. "Good question. I actually don't know. There's, like, four empires in total—and Centoria in the middle of it all—so there's sooo many places to go to."

"True."

"How about you? Do you have anywhere you'd love to visit?

"Umm… Well, I know it's a little silly, but I'd love to see what Zakkaria looks like," he admitted with a sheepish grin. "Yeah, it's literally our neighbour, but we've never been that. I'm interested in how it looks like, and I heard that it hosts competitions."

"Oh yeah?" A smile was thrown his way. "Well, you're not wrong. Even if it's literally in walking distance… err, at least a day or two, we've never been there. Might as well visit the towns in our area before heading even further, huh?"

"Mmhm! Exactly! And how about you?"

"Weeell… now that you ask me, I kind of want to visit Southacroith."

"Southacroith?" The image of deserts and hot plains come to mind, at odds with their current frosty environment. "Really?"

"Partially because I wanna' know what a place you could say is the complete opposite of Norlangarth is like, but also because I wanted to see if it's true that all of its residents have black hair."

Oh, right. There was a saying that most people who live in Southacroith have black hair. And from the very beginning, since the church took him in, he and some of the villagers had always assumed that his friend hailed from the southern empire.

Perhaps the hair alone wouldn't be indication in the slightest. There were plenty of black-haired people who live outside of Southacroith, but it was a possibility.

"And…" The pause drew Eugeo's attention. His gaze shifted over to his friend, and all he received was a contemplative look. "Nah. Never mind."

"Why? What is it?"

"Well… It's close to impossible, so it's whatever."

"What is impossible, Kirito?"

The expression on his face indicated that he wanted to put the topic to rest, but Eugeo pushed him regardless, giving him an expectant look. Eventually, he caved, muttering to the side. "I just wonder if anyone there knows who my parents were."

Oh… Oh, okay. That's… Yeah, that would make sense. They'd all assumed he was from Southacroith, and if his parents had black hair just like him, it wouldn't be too far-fetched to assume they hailed from the same kingdom. And if there was even the smallest chance of finding out who they were, Kirito might want to find out. He had the right to. He'd lived his whole life without knowing his origins, after all.

Even… Even if it means…

"I'm not leaving," Eugeo froze, green eyes looking up to find an amused grin aimed his way. "If you're thinking about it, stop. I wouldn't be returning to them."

"You… wouldn't?" The relief was palpable, followed by a draft of guilt that made him wilt. "But… why not?"

"Because even if they are my parents, it's probably too late to reconnect at this point," he shrugged back. "Or they might have left me behind for a reason. I'm not too upset. Whatever it was, I'd only want to know just to put my curiosity to rest. Give myself the opportunity to know who my family was. Now, though, my place is here, in Rulid. With you and just about everyone else."

"Kirito…"

There were no words that could have described his joy at hearing those words. He'd never considered the idea of Kirito leaving before, if only because they'd all gotten used to the idea of him simply having no past and that he would be a part of Rulid no matter what.

But then he'd gone ahead and thrown out the idea of searching for his parents, and he'd been afraid that he'd choose to go back to them and leave them all behind. The sudden whiplash from hearing him confirm that he wouldn't be doing such was throwing his emotions into haywire, but ultimately coming out relieved and delighted.

Having watched Alice taken away, he wasn't prepared to just watch another leave. Thankfully, that particular fear wouldn't be coming true after all. Thank the goddesses.

"I'm also curious if Kirito is the name that they gave me, which would be weird, considering that it has no meaning. Kind of a shame, if you ask me."

And leave it to him to just steer the conversation in a drastically different course. It was enough to make him laugh a little, though he'd admit to some curiosity on that part. "That isn't true. You have the sounds of 'K', 'R' and 'T'. If I'm not wrong, they mean zeal, beauty and vitality respectively," he then paused. "I don't know what zeal and vitality are."

"Zeal just means enthusiasm to pursue something, and vitality is like someone's energy."

"…At this point, I feel like you're even more well-read than Alice."

"You're just imagining it."

Sure. He could believe that for a hundred years. Maybe Kirito would even be a king.

Snrk.

"You're thinking of something ridiculous, aren't you?"

"What? Nooo! Of course I wouldn't."

"Why you..!"

Pulled into a noogie, albeit a relatively soft one, Eugeo simply laughed with his friend. All that he could think of was how relieved beyond words he was to know that his best friend was here to stay, warding off the attempts by flailing his arms.

And Selena, watching their interaction with fondness, knew for certain that Kirito was just as happy, the mood from earlier all but forgotten.

10th day of the 12th Month – HEC, 372

Rulid Village

Winter was… strange, in his opinion.

Not like it was a horrible season by any means. Sure, the lack of sun and the weather taking a huge turn into the freezing point meant that preparations to last the months was always going to be exhausting, but he didn't particularly mind it. Not like he had any particularly bad memories of the season.

Maybe it was because of how different the world looked during the winter, compared to spring, summer and autumn. White snow was starkly different compared to the usual greens of trees and the like, after all.

Still, as he threw a glance at the fields beyond Rulid's walls, he can't help but imagine as if he'd stepped into a completely different world. Perhaps a different empire altogether, given just how he could remember the true appearance of Rulid and it's plains, only to then be turned into this endless white landscape devoid of any signs of activity.

"Kirito, I can help carry some too, you know? I'm not—"

"You're already carrying that basket, so I can handle these," he rolled his eyes. "They're not that heavy."

"Yeah, but…"

"Like I said, they're not heavy," to emphasize his point, he shook the baskets that he carried in both hands. Though that wasn't really telling, he'd been honest in saying that they didn't weigh much in his grip. "I'm okay, really. Now come on! We don't wanna' be late for the celebration!"

Celebrating what, he didn't know. Sister Azalia had been rather tight-lipped on that matter, though never without an amused glint in her eye every time he asked. That was a little unnerving, if he had to be honest.

Was it some kind of scheme or a prank? If so, he'd been darned impressed that the church kids managed to convince Sister Azalia to join them. She's the kind of person who was all too serious in most instances, so that'd be really surprising.

'Still, no escaping whatever it's bound to be. Plus, Sulinea asked us to deliver all this food, so that's that.'

With that thought in mind, both he and his friend made their way to the church, its old walls showing tiny signs of improvement. New flower boxes that he definitely did not remember seeing before adorned the windowsills, adding just a touch of life to the otherwise simple-looking building. The windows themselves looked to have been polished, removing their foggy, tinted appearance. A few new torches were added on the walkway, the glowing embers bathing the area in soft yellow light.

Huh. This place definitely looked a lot nicer than before. When did they even work on the church? Maybe he hadn't noticed.

Humming, he and Eugeo moved up the small steps and knocked on the door. "Hello!" He called out. "Sister Azalia? Anyone? It's me, Kirito. I brought Eugeo with me."

The lock in the door was unworked before it swung outwards, Sister Azalia poking her head out first before fully revealing herself. "Kirito, Eugeo," she greeted with a nod. She was wearing her nun garbs, as she always does.

"Hey. Sulinea asked us bring some food for the celebration," he gestured to the baskets he and Eugeo carried with a tilt of his head.

"Of course. Sulinea's cooking is always appreciated here," she chuckled, prompting him to do the same. The few times she sent her cooking here in the past, the children never shut up about how good everything was—not like he was in any inclination to disagree. "Come inside, then. No need to freeze yourselves out here."

"Oooh. Yes please."

Stepping inside, the homely warmth and lush decoration of the church leaves him eases his being like magic, making him smile. The familiar living area to his right, the kitchen and dining table to the left, with stairs pushed to the back that lead upstairs to everyone's living quarters. Tugged away in the kitchen was a door to the back of the church, where all the firewood was stored.

Nothing had changed, but there was no denying just how alive this place feels. All of it reminds him that he had a place here. That this was the place he'd lived in since he was a baby, surrounded by a family in all but blood.

"Everyone's missed you, you know?"

"Yeah? Well, I'm the same too," he chuckled, feeling a little embarrassed. He'd known that, sure, but hearing it again was never not embarrassing.

"Maybe you should start living here again," Eugeo suggested, bumping his shoulder into his with a grin. "It'd make everyone really happy."

"I am certain they would be, though everyone also understands that Kirito stays with you to assist you in your day-to-day matters, considering your condition."

"Oh, it's technically much better now. Thanks to Ivenda's treatment, I don't feel much pain anymore, and I can move my whole arm a little better. I try not to strain it too much, too, so it's pretty good."

"That's good to hear, although you're not able to use it as often as you did before, yes?"

"Mmhm. Guess the injury was a little deeper than we expected," his answer elicited a cringe from the woman. He noticed such, voice taking on a panicky tone. "B-But it's okay! I mean, sure, it's a little awkward since I'd always been right-handed, but I've been practising! Everything is fine!"

"Well… If you say so," she nodded. "Now then. Everyone, if you would?"

Wait, what? What does she mean by—"«Burst»!"

Tens of voices shouted that out at the same time, preceding the rush of wind that completely overtook him and Eugeo—only for his vision to be swallowed by a myriad of colours, some of which got into his mouth and eyes and causing him to cough and shake his head as best as he could to disperse the dust. Dust? What is going on?!

"Surprise!"

"Wha duh'—uh buh wah? What's going on?!"

Finally able to clear enough particles out of his ears, he squinted them open, only to be met with a blurry image of a crowd of people. He couldn't make out any of their faces, water in his vision rendering everything moot.

"Oh, shoot! Kirito, hang on, let me wipe your eyes!"

"Hotaru, go grab those baskets!"

"What? Why should I—ow! Okay, okay, I'm going!"

There were people moving towards him. Someone took away the baskets he'd been holding, while another wiped at his eyes with a napkin. Hearing Eugeo's yelp meant someone was trying to help him out too.

Eventually, the napkin was pulled away, his sight restored. It was supposed to be white, but for the splotches of colour on it. Black eyes took in the sheepish grin of a little girl with grey hair and eyes.

"Susie?"

"Heya, Kirito! Umm," she turned her head back, which prompted him to do the same. All the village kids—not just those who live here in the orphanage, but also those from outside—were standing close together further in the back, some on the stairs while a few popped out from the seats in the living room. One thing they shared in common, curiously enough, was that all of their hands had all sorts of colours. "Surprise?"

"…Oh, are we supposed to yell 'Surprise' again?"

"I-I don't know!"

"Um, let's just do it!" He spotted Eriana at the stairs, waving her arms in the air. "Come on, everyone! On three!"

The older children looked flustered, the younger ones doing their best to time themselves to her countdown. Susie rushed back to the group, leaving Kirito and Eugeo standing there looking dumbfounded.

"Two! Three!" A big inhale, and then: "Surpriiise!"

Silence was all that was left in its wake, followed by a snort.

"D-Don't laugh! We worked really hard!" Miranda cried out.

"N-No! I'm not laughing at you, I promise!" Tried as he might, he did end up laughing a little harder. "It's just… like, that was so expected, you know? It's so silly, but it's home. Man, I miss seeing all of you again!"

They must have sensed the honesty in his words, for all of them immediately brightened up. Even Sister Azalia, stood to one side overlooking the entire scene, could not help but smile warmly.

And his family were all too happy to yell, once more, with far more joy than ever before: "Welcome home, Kirito!"

"Mm! I'm home!"

Author's Notes:

Man, I miss this story. Haven't gone back to it for so long. Now that I am, I'm excited to be writing more.

With so many things going on during the course of these few chapters already, it felt right about time that everyone gets a break for a bit. Of course, not that it'll stay that way for long, but it's important to note that this story will take place over a long duration of time. They have entire years, so what's some days of peace?

And hey, we finally know what Gabura wanted Kirito to do all this time. Find a human woman. Not the most thrilling of missions, but an important means of giving Kirito and Eugeo reason to leave Rulid, as well as giving a deeper insight into the world of both the Dark Territory and the Human Empire.

Regarding his hesitation of his future calling… I think I've mentioned this enough, but he's still a kid. There's obviously going to be a lot of uncertainty on his part on what he wants to be, considering that he's still unprepared to face much of the world's challenges and is relatively satisfied with his current life. Even so, there will be plenty of factors that would push him and Eugeo to move forwards.

Also, fun little fact; Zion Village was the name of a big ass village I built in Minecraft with my friends on Realm. Basically emptied out an entire mountain and built homes in there. That was fun (and exhausting, considering my decision to avoid TNT and excavate the interior using only stone pickaxes, holy shit).