Chapter 30

{ A Blooming Flower }

12th day of the 5th Month – HEC, 375
Norlangarth – Zakkaria

Even though Bercouli had suggested they leave immediately after, they'd opted to stay at least one more day here just to keep an eye out. As expected, Filips was spooked by Bercouli's presence and decided to play nice for the time being, if only to avoid getting tossed into the far reaches of prison—as he deserves, of course.

While she'd assumed that Edith would be hesitant to join them since, according to Kirito's words, it hadn't been long since she left the cathedral and arrived here, she ultimately decided to accompany them, on account of her being afraid if the Yureas family would target her since she was apparently acquainted with them.

Medina joined them as well, intent on visiting the large city. Since there was no true obligation keeping her to just one location, she was free to come along, and the more company the better.

Sir Bercouli was the only true outlier, considering that he was an Integrity Knight, which made them quite the party; a knight, a servant of the pontifex's enemy, two village boys, a noble girl and a church servant. Keeping true to the theme of diversity.

"It'll take quite a bit to walk there, but if we make good time, I expect us to be there in… ehh, a little under a week. Three or four days at most. Maybe two days if we're really lucky."

"Fine enough by us. We get to do so much more sightseeing in the outdoors," Kirito grinned, hands on his hips. "And it's a good thing that we bought a lot of ingredients before setting out. I mean, we've got quite the big company, so we'll definitely need a lot of food to last all of us through the trip."

"You needn't worry about that. I'm keeping track of our provisions, and I think it'll be enough," after a while, Charlotte added: "I think."

"You know what? Good enough. And if that doesn't work out, we'll figure something out."

Not like any of them could hunt animals, though just as he said, they'll figure out what to do when the time comes. For now, it was time to set off.

With their party fully equipped for the travel, and no other reason to keep them tied down to Zakkaria, the group departed from the town and made their way towards Centoria.

Truth be told, just the thought of stepping foot in enemy territory was rather daunting. Certainly, she had done all that she could to keep her identity a secret, so it should practically be impossible for anyone to discover her true allegiance, though paranoia was simply a thing that everyone has to deal with at some point. And she couldn't believe that she, of all people, was experiencing that as well.

After all, with years of work as espionage and information-gathering, keeping calm under the most harrowing of situations had simply become natural to her. Nothing could simply get under her skin when absolutely no one in the world knew who she truly was. And here she was, being worried about things that haven't even happened.

All she could do was chalk it up to the three stressful years of having to look after one particular boy and his mishaps, constantly on edge as to what trouble he'd get up to next.

'…That's certainly a very silly yet depressing thing to come to terms with.'

"No way! He actually fought you?!"

Torn out of her thoughts, she looked ahead in time to see Bercouli sporting a wide grin, with the two girls in their party looking at him with awe and disbelief. Kirito, on the other hand, was scowling openly at the knight. "Seriously? You bringing that up?"

"Well, yeah. A good story on the road makes things a little fun, don't you think?"

"Goddesses damn it. There are countless other stories you could have brought up, though! Why that one?"

"Because even to this day, it's just fun to remember how I literally fought a brat of all things and came to enjoy it a little more than anything else," he chuckled. "You were rougher than gravel, I'll give you that, but it was a breath of fresh air. No one's ever fought the way you did."

"Well, that was just me being real desperate to somehow outplay you. In a pure sword fight, I'd totally suck ass."

"Language, Kirito."

"I would totally blow it," Eugeo sighed at his words. Charlotte's lips quirked in a grin. "But for real, I guess I only thought to use «Sacred Arts» because I just… I don't know. I thought it might give me some edge. Not like it worked in the long run, but ah well."

"Nah, nah, I think you were onto something. A lot of fighters are usually content to just fight with just their weapons, but using everything at their disposal—be it «Sacred Arts», the environment, or even their own bodies as you did—can be key to winning."

"I agree! I don't think anyone would have expected you to throw that punch, Kirito."

"Even I didn't think it would work. I was just hoping to land a hit. Didn't think that was actually a pre-motion for a «Secret Technique»…"

That was certainly a curious thing. Was there some secret style out there that none of them were aware of, and Kirito had used unknowingly? She'd researched all the existing weapon styles and techniques, and she had never seen either the purple sword technique or the uppercut.

Truly, he was showcasing a level of finesse far greater than she'd initially expected. Not only had he invented a two-hit variant of «Lightning Blade», he'd gone ahead and executed two never-before-seen techniques in front of the public. Talk about fascinating.

The party continued on their journey, chatting about a variety of topics. The boys were clearly fascinated with Centoria, asking questions to both the knight and Edith, who were more than happy to answer them. Medina listened along, and occasionally, would pipe in with her own memories of travel there.

As the day turned to night, they camped out underneath the moonlit sky, a pot cooking on fire. Edith was more than happy to help with that department, which Charlotte appreciated since the boys couldn't really help much. In the meantime, they went off to grab firewood with Medina, while the knight helped set up their sleeping equipment and bowls.

Dinner was a calming occasion, though with talk about future plans and the like. As Medina had said before, she was interested in pursuing knighthood, whereas Edith would likely serve as a simple servant of the church. Kirito and Eugeo were obviously still intent on keeping to their initial plans, something that everyone were curious of, but respectfully chose not to pursue that topic since they wanted to keep quiet about it.

Truth be told, she wondered how it was that they were going to find the person they were looking for. How Gabura had ever come into contact with her was curious, though she supposed they would find out once they meet with her.

"Man," Bercouli groaned as he laid down, having emptied his bowl of stew. "This is fun. Didn't think camping could be this enjoyable!"

"Don't you go out a lot for your duties?"

"Yeah, well, it's usually by flying. And being all on your own can be pretty boring, tell you what. At least you kids have each other and Charlotte for company."

"And your dragon?"

Bercouli winced. "I'm not saying Hoshigami—that's my dragon's name, by the way—makes for bad company, but it's not the same, ya' know? You guys seem way closer than anything."

"Well, I've been best friends with Eugeo since we were born, and we've known Charlotte for three years," the ravenette grinned at the both of them, which she responded with one of her own. "I guess it comes naturally to us. Pretty sure you've got that kind of bond with someone."

"Ehhh. Not as much, though I suppose I'm close enough with my fellow knights."

"That's nice. Gotta' have a good relationship with your coworkers."

"You got that right."

Their talk lasted deep into the night before they finally went to sleep. Another day comes and another night befalls. And with the next day that comes…

14th day of the 5th Month – HEC, 375
Norlangarth – Centoria, at the northern gate

Centoria was a city they had heard the name of growing up, often told with such levels of grandiosity that any child would be struck with awe. That it was the biggest city with the most number of people and all kinds of amazing shops and things to do and see. The place where dreams were made, if you would.

Much younger than he is now, he'd certainly thought highly of the grand city. That view had soured significantly considering how Alice had been taken there to be executed, but he still thought it was a cool place to visit someday.

Personally, Kirito wasn't sure if it was really that amazing. Rulid may not have, like, five times the number of things that Centoria would have, but he much preferred the calmer fields and cleaner air of his home village. It was homey. And that was enough for him.

But he's gotta' give it to the merchants. They knew how to sell their stories, and Centoria did not disappoint.

"Whoa… That is massive."

"Yeah it is," Bercouli snickered. "Welcome to Centoria, kiddos. The very first village in the Human Empire, and now the biggest city you'll ever see. Pretty cool, eh?"

Cool did not do it justice, though he couldn't really see much of the interior. And that was simply because the walls were just that high. It was hard to make out anything, though with it being split into four different portions for each empire, it was certainly going to be a big place to get into.

With each four quadrants being dedicated to each empire as their respective capital city, he could only imagine just how diverse each city was. After all, there was bound to be incredibly cultural richness, and getting to see that in just one place had him rather excited, since they'd only ever been in Norlangarth this entire time.

'Then again, I doubt we'll be travelling to the other empires. We'll likely spend most of our time in Centoria, or the cathedral,' ah well. Not like there was anything that they could do about that.

Moving towards the grand gate before them, Kirito marvelled at the sheer scale of the architecture. Pristine white walls divided the exterior from the interior, and those same walls are the ones that run all the way to the very edge, cutting off access from the Dark Territory. Said to be indestructible, he wondered if they were constructed with self-renewing material or had been blessed with some kind of spell to have an ever-lasting property.

That would be pretty cool, not gonna' lie. If people could use this kind of material to build their homes, then the risk of territory destruction due to natural causes or attacks would be practically non-existent.

When they arrived at the gate, the guards snapped into salutes before the Integrity Knight, who waved them off with a casual grin. They proceeded to enter Northern Centoria proper, and the first thing he noticed was just how white everything was. If Zakkaria had red stones, then they'd gone full marble (or some kind of white bricks) for the buildings here. Large trees were scattered about to bring about some greenery, and there was complete absence of litter on the streets.

Rather than seeing a bunch of laborers as there was in the villages and smaller towns, the people walking about here were a bit more diverse; he spotted a couple of men and women sporting grey uniforms, while a few had coloured clothes. There were also plenty of nobles, judging by their fancier clothing and the way they carried themselves about.

"Huh. I expected way more nobles than commoners."

"Centoria's got a mix of both, though the nobles live a little deeper inside. In total, the population here exceeds beyond twenty thousand people."

"T-Twenty thousand?" Kirito gawked, as did his best friend. "Rulid's only got three hundred people! This place is huge!"

"Sure is," snickered Bercouli. "So it might be a little difficult to navigate this place. Each Centoria is divided into ten districts, with the tenth district starting from the outermost area," he began listing them off. "Districts ten to eight are where the regular citizens of Centoria live. Districts seven and six are the business districts. District five has all the imperial facilities, including the headquarters of the Imperial Knights and the Swords Mastery Academy. Districts four and three are where the nobles live, district two is the Imperial Governmental area, and the first district is the Imperial City."

"…Uhhhh…"

"I suppose the only ones that'll ever matter to you are districts seven and six, since that's where all the restaurants and shops are. Plus, we'll be heading for the cathedral, so that's just about it."

Alright. That's a lot more convenient—wait a minute. "You said districts seven and six are for the shops?"

"Yeah, although the sixth district is where you'll find the food markets and restaurants. The seventh is for shops like jewellery, blacksmiths and the like."

Meeting Eugeo's gaze, the two nodded before he looked back at the man. "Can you lead us there? There's someone I've gotta' meet."

It wasn't hard to find the divisive separations for each district, so long as they stuck to the main road. Judging by the simple housing layouts, Bercouli wasn't wrong to say that the last three districts are indeed the housing districts for the simple folks. And then they arrived at the seventh district, he could start to hear a lot of noise, as people tried to advertise their products and the like.

It was really cool to see the difference between Centoria and their home village. This place definitely had way more facilities than their home did, catering to all kinds of people and offering services that couldn't be found anywhere else. Plenty of specialties, too, which made sense since this was the hub of activity of the Human Empire.

Recalling ol' Garitta's words, they searched the district until they found their destination; a double-storey shop building located in an alleyway, with a single window and a door made from reddish oak. Sadore, a craftsman who fashions metal into weapons.

It was odd that Garitta had specifically ordered them to seek this man out. Apparently, they had a history of friendship back then, and it seems like the craftsman was determined to carve a sword that was stronger than metal weapons.

'Seeing that this branch was taken from the very tip of the Gigas Cedar, Garitta had the right idea in that this is the single best wood to use. It's received the most light from Solus, hence it's definitely bound to become something incredible.'

'That would be pretty cool. I wonder what it'll turn into.'

Entering the store, the group are met with a simple shop interior; a wooden counter at the back, countless weapons like scimitars and broadswords hung up on the walls or set atop a display panel alongside shields, an armour set, and several weapon schematics. Overall, it was rather small, though he supposed it would be more than enough.

Just as he was about to call for the craftsman, a loud, gruff voice boomed out from the back. "Hang on, hang on, I'm coming… Hmm?" The old man raised a brow at the sight of their group. "Well, you two are rather young. Oh well, down to business. How can I help you?"

Dang. Getting straight to the heart of the matter, huh? "I want your help to make a sword," the ravenette answered, stepping forth and unloading the branch atop the counter. "Using this branch."

"Branch? Kid, you know you can't make a good sword from wood. Those things are flimsy compared to metal ones."

"Maybe, but how about the branch from the Gigas Cedar?"

Unwrapping the thick branch and settling it atop the counter, he watched the shock slowly develop on the man's face. His eyes widened, lips apart as a gasp sounded forth. His gloved hands shook as he reached out for the branch, looking like he didn't believe his eyes.

"T-This is… Is it real?" His gaze moved up to meet his own. "You actually got this from the Gigas Cedar?"

"Yeah. Eugeo and I were the assigned fellers for the Gigas Cedar, right after Garitta," the mention of the ex-cutter's name had the craftsman perking up. "So when we cut it down, he told us to take the topmost branch and bring it to you. Said that you could turn it into a sword."

"That so..? Heh. He hasn't forgotten after all these years," he chuckled. "I met him years back, and I'd been excited to make a sword from a branch of the Gigas Cedar. Didn't think it's actually happening… How is he? We hadn't seen each other for a long time."

"Ehh. He's fine, I guess? He's relatively friendly with everyone in the village, but it's not like we were particularly close with him."

Not after his wife passed away. Supposedly, she'd fallen into a river and couldn't be saved in time—that was long before he or Eugeo were around, though. Ever since then, he'd gotten quieter, and though the other folks back home tried to help him wherever they could, it was clear that it would take a very long time for him to finally recover from that incident.

Thankfully, he's gotten better prior to them leaving the village. Hopefully, he'll get all the help he can get from everyone in the village.

"Seeing that you've brought this to me, you're looking forward to becoming a swordsman?"

"That's the plan, yeah."

"Hmm, I see… Well, seeing that this here is pretty strong wood, I can't guarantee that you'll get it soon. At least, it'll take a year."

"A year?" He repeated in disbelief. "It's really impossible to get it done sooner?"

"No can do, sonny. You know as well as I do just how resilient the Gigas Cedar is, so it won't be easy trying to carve this with grindstones."

Damn. Well, guess he didn't have any other choice. Just as the man said, no one really makes swords using tree wood since they're not as strong as those made from metal, so Sadore might just be the only one who's willing to accept this request.

'What do you think, guys? Should we go for it?'

'I don't think we have any other choice. Plus, we might be living in Centoria for a pretty long time, so I guess it wouldn't be too bad to leave it with him for a year.'

'Right. Although, now that you've brought it up, where will you live?'

The two boys paused at that, then shrugged. 'Maybe they'll be willing enough to let us have some rooms in the cathedral. Would be pretty convenient.'

'That would be nice.'

With that exchange over, Kirito agreed to Sadore's offer, promising to check in on his progress next year. The payment would only be done only after the sword was done, so that gave them time to save up money… which technically isn't an issue since they still have quite the amount to work with.

Once their business was concluded, Bercouli lead them towards the Central Cathedral, where the pontifex was already expecting them. Just the thought of stepping foot into the very place where all the Integrity Knights are had him gulping, feeling a little intimidated. It's literally the most sacred place in all of the Human Empire.

Plus, this was where Alice had been taken to… and wasn't that a depressing thought to come to terms with.

He could only wonder what thoughts were running in her head when she first arrived here. Was she thinking about home, about them? Was she admiring Centoria's busy? Was she awaiting her execution with fear, or with a calm heart?

He would never know. And that was a sad thought.

Hopefully, Alice's sleep was as painless as possible. She deserved that much.

Taking in a deep breath, he let it out in one fell swoop, staring ahead with practised calm. 'Alright… We once talked about coming here together long ago. Alice, you got to see this place with your own eyes first. Now, Eugeo and I are next.'

Marble halls and pristine velvet carpeting awaited them—and no other.

No, that was a little misleading. When they entered the first floor of the cathedral, there were plenty of knights, monks and priests walking about. Each time they noticed Bercouli, they would stop whatever they were doing earlier to bow at him, cementing the fact that the man was a real knight, despite however he looked.

He whistled as he took in the sheer scale of this place. The corridors were so spacious, and he could only imagine just how much time it had taken to build this place. Decades, perhaps, since the first pontifex? There's likely an interesting story here.

"Alright. So, the way things work here is, we've got stairs."

"Uh-huh."

"For all floors. And we need to take the stairs to get from one floor to the next."

"…How many floors does this cathedral have?"

"One hundred," he was pretty sure he heard choked gasps from the rest of their group. Even he felt his jaw drop. "But the only floors you'll be allowed to access are the first fifty floors… which we'll have to climb, unfortunately, 'cause we're headed for the fiftieth floor."

"Fuck."

So began their climb, which he was already regretting by the time they got to their tenth floor. At least Bercouli kept the conversation going by telling them a little bit about the history of the cathedral and the countless floors.

For example, the equipment vault was located on the third floor. The tenth floor was the dining hall for all the monks in training, and it was where they would be heading to for their meals. Floor thirty was the stables for the dragons, and they actually got to hear the beat of wings from afar, meaning someone either got back or was just departing.

Looking at the rest of the group, he could tell only Charlotte was completely unaffected, as was Bercouli. His legs were beginning to feel cramped, and Eugeo did his best to not let his discomfort show. Medina and Edith, on the other hand, looked no better, though they had the decency to try and pretend they were okay.

He was not doing any of those. "Bercouli… Can't you guys figure out some spell to help moving between the floors? This is killing me!"

"Well, we have an elevating disc," at his confused expression, he explained. "It's a literal contraption that transports you between floors automatically, but it only carries people between floors fifty and eighty."

"Goddesses damn it…"

"Heh. Well, you're not the only one who hates these stairs. But take it like this; good for maintaining health by walking every single day, yeah?"

"Get that garbage logic out of here!" Groaned the ravenette. "We walked here all the way from Rulid! I didn't ask to walk more, let alone climb stairs!"

"Haha! Well, best you get used to this, kiddo. You'll be with us for a long time," urgh, he was regretting coming here. Should've just stayed in Rulid.

Regardless, keeping his complaints to a minimum, they continued climbing the floors until they finally arrived at the fiftieth floor. The Grand Corridor of Spiritual Light, where knights would have an audience with the pontifex to make their reports and the like. And man, was it as beautiful and pristine as the rest of the building.

This place was wide. The ceiling was incredibly high, painted with a mural of the realm's goddesses in a swathe of colours. Every pillar also had carvings on their surfaces, depicting images that told unimaginable stories. Light bathed the corridor's interior, bringing to life the countless works of art and making him feel like he'd stepped into a completely new world.

And standing in the very centre of the hall were two people. One, very familiar, and the other…

'What the hell is that creature?'

'Kirito! Be polite!'

Be polite? Wha—How was he meant to do that? Seriously, what is that thing? It looked kind of human, but with how round it was and how white-washed it was, plus the striking colours of red and blue it wore… Holy shit, is it the church's jester?

"So, you've finally arrived," his attention shifted from the abomination to the beautiful woman beside it. A smile decorated her features, silvery purple eyes and hair seeming to glow under the light. "Three years. You've made me wait quite a while, have you not?"

"Ahh… Sorry about that."

"Well, no matter. You two have arrived, just as you promised, and that will be more than enough," a melodious chuckle slipped forth. "So, now that you're here, am I correct to assume that you've accepted becoming Integrity Knights?" He and Eugeo nodded. That seemed to please her. "Good. Although, it seems that your party is much larger than I expected."

"F-Forgive us," Edith stammered, stepping forwards and bowing. "I-I am Edith, a servant of the church. I am just a priestess-in-training."

"A-And I'm Medina Orthinanos!" The redhead followed suit. "I… W-Well, I was invited by Kirito to come with him. So here I am."

"…Hmm. Hearing your family name, it seems familiar," he noticed how his friend seemed to stiffen at that, a look of discomfort crossing her features. "Do I know you?"

"I… My family, House Orthinanos, was a first-rank noble family that you entrusted with a duty long ago. However, we… failed," she said with regret. "And you demoted us to second-rank."

"Ah, yes. I remember. Goodness, it's no wonder your hair seemed to strike me as particularly curious," she huffed, quirking a brow. "And here you are. Why so?"

"I seek an opportunity to become an Integrity Knight, milady, so that I may improve my family's standing."

"And what does your father make of this?"

Medina fell silent, though she did respond after some time. "He is alive and well, though I departed from home without informing him of my decisions. It's better that way," she shook her head. "He would have argued for me not to go otherwise."

Her hands clenched, shaking. It was taking her everything she had not to let out a single sound, facing the pontifex with conviction that she's carried for years—conviction of a task no young girl like her should have ever been saddled with.

And seeing her in this moment left him speechless. She'd come all the way here with them to Centoria for an audience with the pontifex, all so that she could request an opportunity to become an Integrity Knight for her family's sake?

And what was she? Twelve? She was only two years younger than him and Eugeo, yet she'd left home all on her own just to fix things. What strong willpower…

"Well, I would be hard-pressed to agree to this, seeing that your family had failed a task I exclusively handed down to them. It was disappointing, to say the least, when they couldn't see to it done."

"Indeed!" The jester had a shrill voice when he spoke up, sounding mocking. Kirito thought it was grating on the ears. "It was a duty she had bestow upon your family, one that you should have never been careless in handling! What right do you think you have to be allowed a second chance now?"

"I-I apologize for that. But still, I..!"

"Milady," Kirito spoke up, drawing her attention towards himself. "Is there anything that we can do so that you'll consider giving her an opportunity to be an Integrity Knight?"

"Hmm? You're thinking I should allow her to become a knight?"

"I just think that it wouldn't be fair to turn her away, when she might have a lot of potential to become something amazing," he reasoned. "Like me and Eugeo. Under normal circumstances, we might have gone ignored since we're… well, we live out in the middle of nowhere, and we're poor. Yet you gave us a chance. Can't you let her try as well?"

Because seriously, two village boys receiving the attention of the very ruler of the Human Empire was as likely as finding a needle in a haystack, except that haystack was also on fire and the person was blind. It never should have happened.

And it had. And if they earned this opportunity, couldn't Medina have hers as well?

While the pontifex was willing to at least consider his words, her companion was less agreeable, sounding annoyed. "Boy, you would dare try to argue against Her Eminence?! Think of your position!"

"Err, well, it's just…"

"Relax, Chudelkin. The boy brings up a good point," her words were enough to placate him. Once more, those silver eyes looked upon him, humoured. "Though, would it be inappropriate to assume that you are responsible for her, now? If I were to take her in, it is because of your insistence, and therefore, you must ensure that she is capable of growing into an appropriate fighter."

"That's… Well, I'm not a good teacher. Charlotte and Fanatio were the ones who taught us."

"Perhaps, but I still think it's much better if she will be left under your supervision. It will be interesting to know how she would grow as a swordswoman with your guidance."

Well, that's really hard to achieve, considering their difference in weapon styles and techniques. Still, she'd been lenient enough to give them some leeway, and rejecting her orders now might just make her decide to kick Medina out. "R-Right. I'll do my best."

"Good. Now then, it's time to assign the two of you as Integrity Knights. Step forth, Kirito and Eugeo."

Looking at his best friend, he knew he wasn't the only one nervous. After Bercouli's explanations, the gravity of this moment had finally dawned on him. And he wasn't sure if he really deserved this great position. Not when Medina had come all the way here to fight for that position and his goal was something completely unrelated.

But if Charlotte, and Selka, and Bercouli, and Fanatio, and even the pontifex herself believed in them… well, they might as well see this through.

Stepping forwards, the two teenagers fell to one knee. Her footsteps towards them was gentle, rhythmic, and he could only wonder if each step she took was that of an angel's.

"Now then, as befitting your services to the Human Empire, I shall appoint you as swordsmen apprentices," she declared, humming. "Let's see, which one should I choose… Eugeo, you shall be number thirty-two, and Kirito will be number thirty-three—"

"—Eugeo Synthesis Thirty-Two. Kirito Synthesis Thirty-Three. These are your names from here on out. Do you understand?"

Kirito Synthesis Thirty-Three. After three years, he was officially recognized as an Integrity Knight.

And the name was just… foreign. He couldn't see himself in the armour or with a fancy sword or atop a dragon. He wouldn't be able to believe anyone who would look at him and call him an Integrity Knight.

But hey, this was his life now, he supposed. There was no changing things anymore.

Her eyes moved from him to his best friend, then back to him. The pontifex nodded. "Well, see to it that you live up to my expectations, and that you make those names come true someday."

He wasn't sure if he could even make that happen. He'd never come here with the intention of becoming an Integrity Knight.

But for as long as they're here… well, maybe this route will take them far. Maybe they'll finally achieve something that they never could have back in Rulid, and he was determined to see just where they'll end up.

Author's Notes:

Alright, the group has finally arrived in Centoria. How that'll go from here on out, guess you'll find out with time.

Busy busy, heading to the hospital tomorrow as I have every day to meet patients. Fun and educational, but tiring. Writing sure is great at unwinding.