«Nov 25, 2022 - 8:30 AM» «Aincrad - 1st Floor»
«Tavion Inn - Hibiki's Room»
By the time I finally opened my eyes, the sun was already peeking through the small window of my rented room.
I groggily sat up, rubbing my face.
"...It's past eight already, huh?"
With a sigh, I forced myself out of bed and started getting ready.
After quickly preparing myself, I left my room and headed towards the Santos Family house—the shop where I worked.
It had already been four days since I started working there.
In that time, we had finally finished organizing everything—all the scattered crates, misplaced weapons, and unsorted materials. Now, with everything in place, the business was officially in full swing.
Almost everything in this game was simplified, so my responsibilities weren't that complicated. I mostly helped with customers, tended the shop when Marco-san was out, and assisted him with «blacksmithing».
Even though Marco-san was the shop owner, he was still training his «Blacksmithing» skill, so forging equipment was an ongoing learning process for him.
Lately, he had even started teaching me a few things, meaning I was picking up a skill myself while working here.
As for Amaya-san, she continued honing her «Potion» crafting skills—a process that, according to her, was far more complicated than people realized. She also sold her Potions through the shop, making our place a one-stop store for adventurers.
And then there was Aya.
Before I came along, she used to handle small errands for her parents, like gathering materials that can be bought from stores, etc. But now, since I was helping out, she had fewer chores to do.
Instead, she had taken up the very important role of...
...making my job twice as difficult by constantly distracting me.
"Hibiki-saaaan, play with meee!"
"Hibiki-saaaan, look at this new trick I learned!"
"Hibiki-saaaan, why do you look so tired? Oh, wait, never mind, you always look tired!"
Seriously.
How could one small little girl contain so much energy?
Over the past few days, I had also learned a lot more about Marco-san and Amaya-san's past.
Outside of Aincrad, in the real world, they both worked in a company called 'RealCRO', a huge marketing company in Chiyoda.
How could one small little girl contain so much energy?
They got their copies of «Sword Art Online» through Marco-san's younger brother, who worked for Argus. Using his connections, he managed to secure three copies for them.
The original plan?
Marco-san, Amaya-san, and his brother would all play together on Launch Day.
But because Marco-san's brother was an employee at Argus, he couldn't log in right away... or he was unable to do so due to his responsibilties at Argus during that time.
That's when Aya—their nine-year-old daughter—insisted on playing in his place.
And without knowing what would happen, they allowed her to use the NerveGear...
A decision that Marco-san regretted every single day.
"If I could exchange my own life for my wife and daughter's freedom... I would gladly do it."
Those were the words Marco-san had told me when he first shared their story.
His voice was heavy with guilt, his hands clenched into fists.
Even now, weeks later, he still carried the weight of that mistake.
And yet, despite their own struggles, Marco-san and Amaya-san...
They accepted me.
Even after learning how broken I was, they welcomed me into their home without hesitation. They gave me warmth—the warmth I had desperately needed ever since this nightmare began.
And as the days passed...
I was slowly starting to get used to this life.
I just hoped that this peace—this temporary happiness—would last...
At least until we all finally escaped from here.
«8:50 AM» «Aincrad - First Floor»
«Santos Residence»
I finally reached the shop and was about to open the door when I noticed two players standing outside.
They were peeking through the glass window, murmuring to each other in hushed voices.
Something about their behavior felt... off.
I cleared my throat and spoke up.
"Uh... do you guys need something?"
The two of them startled instantly, turning to face me like they had been caught doing something wrong.
One of them—a tall, skinny guy who looked like he was in his late teens—fidgeted nervously before answering.
"D-Do you live here?" he asked, his voice slightly shaky.
His companion, a shorter player with messy, curly hair, stood quietly beside him, eyeing me warily.
I raised an eyebrow at their reaction.
"...No, but I work here," I replied simply.
"Oh. S-So you work here..." the shorter one muttered.
His companion nodded awkwardly. "Y-Yeah. I see..."
I crossed my arms. "Do you guys need something? You're welcome to come inside if you want."
"N-No! We're leaving, thanks!" the skinny one blurted out, waving both of his hands in a hurried attempt to decline.
And just like that, the two of them turned around and walked away, still whispering to each other as they disappeared down the street.
I frowned slightly, watching them go.
That was... weird.
Even though SAO had been running for almost four weeks now, those two were still using their «Beginner's Equipment»—the free gear given to every player on Day One.
Were they struggling to make money?
Maybe they were too embarrassed to ask for cheap weapons?
That would explain their awkward behavior.
Shrugging it off, I finally stepped inside the shop.
As soon as I entered, I saw Marco-san speaking with a customer at the counter.
The customer was a tall man wearing armor, but what stood out the most was the symbol on his chest—the insignia of «The Army».
I glanced at them curiously, trying to catch part of their conversation.
But before I could hear anything, a cheerful voice called out.
"Good morning, Hibiki-san!"
Aya came bouncing down the stairs, her usual bright energy on full display.
I smiled. "Morning, Aya-chan."
"You're late today!" she pouted. "Is something wrong?"
I waved a hand dismissively. "Nah, just woke up a bit late."
Aya nodded, satisfied with my answer.
As we talked, the Army customer finished his business and made his way toward the exit.
I turned to Marco-san.
"Good morning, Marco-san. Was that a customer?"
Marco-san looked up from his menu windows. "Morning, Hibiki. Yeah, that guy just placed a request for a custom-made weapon."
I raised an eyebrow. "Whoa... a custom order? That's awesome! What kind of equipment?"
"A spear and a shield," Marco-san answered. "He already paid for the labor and material gathering... and the sum was huge."
"Seriously? That's great!" I said. But then, I noticed Marco-san frowning at his menu.
"...Is something wrong?"
He swiped his floating window toward me.
"Look at this."
Two equipment names appeared.
«Ardent Steel Spear»
«Ardent Steel Shield»
I examined them carefully. "These are the materials?"
"Yeah... This is actually my second time making custom equipment, and you already know my skills aren't that high yet. These two aren't too difficult to forge, and most materials are easy to gather... except for one—«Violatites»."
I scanned the item list again.
"Each piece requires 10 Violatites, meaning we need 20 total... That's a lot."
Marco-san nodded. "Violatites are rare, but not impossible to find. The problem is, obtaining them is a pain."
"What do you mean?"
"You can mine them in a cave inside Viola Village, southeast of First Town. But the system only allows each player to mine five per day."
I frowned. "So it's time-gated?"
"Exactly." Marco-san sighed. "I need four days to gather enough... But the client wants the equipment by tomorrow."
"...Tomorrow?!"
"Yeah. That's why he paid so much."
I sucked in a breath. Four days' worth of materials... in a single day. That was impossible under normal circumstances.
"What are we gonna do then?"
Marco-san crossed his arms, thinking. "Each player can only mine five a day. So if I go today, I'll get five, then another five tomorrow if I stay overnight in Viola."
He paused.
"But that still leaves us short by ten..."
I stopped mid-thought as realization hit me.
"...Oh."
Marco-san just nodded.
"If you come with me, Hibiki, we can get enough Violatites and complete the order by tomorrow."
I hesitated.
This was the only way to finish the order, but...
I clenched my fists.
"...Marco-san, I really appreciate everything you've done for me," I said carefully. "And I want to help. But you know my situation."
I exhaled, lowering my voice.
"If we go to that cave today, I might—"
"Yes, Hibiki, I know."
Marco-san cut me off with a calm, reassuring smile.
I blinked. "...Huh?"
"The cave is inside Viola Village," he explained. "And since it's in a Safe Zone, there are no monsters, no combat. We won't have to fight at all."
My eyes widened.
"...Wait, really?"
"Yeah."
The tension in my chest immediately eased.
If that was the case, I had nothing to worry about.
"I'll definitely go, then," I said without hesitation. "I'll gladly help."
Marco-san patted my shoulder. "I told you before—I understand your situation. I wouldn't have accepted this request if I thought it wouldn't work for you."
I stared at him. I already knew this, but...
Marco-san really thought everything through.
Not just for himself, but for me, too.
I lowered my head slightly. "...Thank you, Marco-san. And... I'm sorry for being selfish about this."
Marco-san only offered a knowing smile in response.
I exhaled.
I was indebted to the Santos family.
And if helping Marco-san with this errand was a small way to repay them, then I was more than willing to do it.
"Looks like we're leaving the shop to Amaya-san today, then," I said.
But Marco-san shook his head.
"Actually, no."
I blinked. "Huh?"
"The thing is, Amaya was already planning to go to Viola today, even before this request came in."
"R-Really? If that's the case, then you don't really need me to—"
"No," Marco-san interrupted. "She has her own business there. Mining Violatites takes time, so if I bring her instead of you, she wouldn't be able to finish her own task."
I nodded slowly. "I see... What exactly does Amaya-san need to do there?"
"I have to complete a quest there."
I turned toward the voice—Amaya-san was coming down the stairs.
"Good morning, Amaya-san," I greeted. "A quest?"
"Good morning, Hibiki-kun," she said with a nod. "Yes. There's a limited-time quest in Viola Town that rewards a recipe for crafting Advanced Potions."
I tilted my head. "Advanced Potions? I thought you already knew how to make them."
"I do," she admitted. "But the Potions I craft aren't that strong. Their effects are slow, and they taste awful."
She sighed.
"But if I can get this recipe, I'll be able to make Potions that are faster and more effective. It won't be easy, but it'll help a lot of players."
I nodded in understanding.
Amaya-san's «Potions» were cheaper than the ones from the «NPC Shops», but most players still preferred the insanely expensive «Healing Crystals» because they worked instantly.
If she could get her hands on this recipe, it would be a game-changer—for both our shop and the players.
"Hmm... I see." I murmured.
She then turned to Marco-san. "You two have business in Viola as well?"
Marco-san nodded. "Yeah. Here."
He swiped his window, showing her the equipment request.
She skimmed through the details before muttering under her breath.
"I see... I guess we really don't have a choice."
Then, she looked at me.
"I'm sorry, Hibiki-kun. This and my quest are both difficult tasks... so we won't be able to finish either one without your help."
Her voice held a hint of guilt.
But I shook my head. "Don't worry about it. If it's inside the Safe Zone, then I'd gladly help—it's my job, after all."
Amaya-san gave me a grateful smile.
I turned back to Marco-san. "By the way... what would you have done if I wasn't here to help, Marco-san?"
Marco-san shrugged. "I would've simply declined the request."
I blinked.
"I wouldn't ask Amaya-san to abandon her quest just for some materials. Her work is more important."
I nodded slowly.
I guess... in a way, my presence was actually helpful.
At the corner of my eye, I noticed Aya sitting on the stairs, happily munching on a piece of a «Sweet Bun».
"Wait... how about Aya-chan?" I asked, glancing between them.
Before they could answer, Aya puffed out her chest.
"Of course, I'm coming too!!" she declared proudly.
Marco-san smirked and pinched her cheek, earning a playful scowl.
"Well, it's not like we can leave the little princess here, right?"
I chuckled. It looked like all four of us would be heading to Viola.
Marco-san clapped his hands. "Alright. We'll leave at noon, so make sure you're ready. We're staying in Viola overnight."
"I'll start making some food," Amaya-san said as she headed back upstairs.
"Mom, can I watch?" Aya asked, hopping up.
Amaya-san chuckled. "Of course."
They disappeared upstairs.
Marco-san then turned to me.
"Hibiki, we have time. Help me with the materials in the back."
"Got it."
"Oh, and before you do—lower the tint on the front window so people know we're still open."
"Alright."
I walked over and adjusted the settings...
And that's when I saw them again. The two players from earlier.
This time, they stood on the other side of the road, watching the shop.
The moment they saw me notice them, they flinched.
Then, just like before, they quickly walked away.
I frowned. Something about them felt... off. I wonder what's really up with those two...
I shook my head. For now, I had work to do.
And after that...
It was time to prepare for Viola Town.