-329- Sorry to interrupt

Aincrad, 55th Floor.

This was an area covered in ice and snow.

The training zone was a dry and barren wilderness with very few plants.

Beneath it lay a beautiful conical snow mountain.

A small village could be seen a little further away.

On the other side of the vast snowfield and deep forest, the main street area featured rows of houses with pointed roofs, resembling chimney stacks and giving it a distinctive look.

Rozen emerged from the distant labyrinth area, playing with his two familiars while heading towards the 55th Floor's main street area, known as "Granzam."

Granzam was also known as the Steel City.

Unlike most towns built from stone, the main structures of this town were towering spires constructed from steel that shimmered with black light. Steelwork and goldsmithing were thriving here, attracting players skilled in forging and production skills. The streets, lacking any deciduous trees, gave the impression of being particularly cold as autumn was setting in.

Rozen walked through the streets of the city, moving forward under the gaze of passersby. He held a newspaper in his hand, reading the latest news.

"The Knights of the Blood Oath, affiliated with the Clearing Group, will establish a base in the recently arrived 55th Floor and use it as their guild headquarters?"

Rozen read the latest news, raising an eyebrow while scratching his head.

"They actually chose this place as their headquarters. Are they really trying to embrace that cold, steel image?"

After nearly a year, the members of the Clearing Group had increased significantly. If even those who didn't attend regularly were included in the count, there were now hundreds of players.

In the same year, the Knights of the Blood Oath had absorbed powerful players and replaced those who didn't make the cut. They managed to maintain a membership of around a dozen or so players.

Although their numbers were small, the Knights of the Blood Oath's strength was undeniable. Their members were powerful, and their Vice Commander, Asuna, carried the prestigious title of "Flash." Not to mention Heathcliff, the "Holy Sword," who remained unrivaled even after a year and a half of gameplay. He was the only player confirmed to possess a unique skill, making players naturally acknowledge their strength.

Moreover, due to the existence of the "Knights of the Blood Oath," there has been a growing trend among players to compare the "Crimson Wing" with the "Knights of the Blood Oath." Some players believe that the "Knights of the Blood Oath" is stronger in terms of strength, and they should be considered the strongest guild within Sword Art Online.

In reality, in terms of strength, there isn't much difference between the two sides.

In terms of guild members, whether it's the "Crimson Wing" or the "Knights of the Blood Oath," both have only a few dozen members. Both guilds follow an elite approach, and one side mostly accepts players from the closed beta, while the other is particularly strict and selective. As a result, each member within the guild is incredibly powerful, with their strengths ranking among the top in the clearing group.

When it comes to top-tier players, the "Crimson Wing" has Kirito, and the "Knights of the Blood Oath" have Asuna. Both sides are strong enough to be ranked among the top five in the clearing group. Perhaps Kirito has a slight edge, but Asuna isn't significantly weaker.

Regarding the guild leaders, both Rozen and Heathcliff are legendary figures. One uses two familiars to control even floor boss' movement, making them fall to the status of mere targets. This leader also possesses exceptional leadership skills, maintaining a record of successful clears without any player casualties—Magus.

The other leader possesses a unique skill that makes them extremely powerful in both defense and offense, surpassing all other players. Even back in the dreadful 50th floor, he single-handedly stood against a floor boss for a whole ten minutes, earning them the title of the strongest player—the Holy Sword.

Both sides have their own strengths and are often compared by players. Given this, rumors of disputes have arisen recently as both the "Crimson Wing" and the "Knights of the Blood Oath" vie for the title of the strongest guild.

This is especially true for Rozen and Asuna. Rozen is the leader of the "Crimson Wing," while Asuna is the vice leader of the "Knights of the Blood Oath." Representing the two guilds, they frequently clash during the clearing group's strategy meetings, and such tensions are quite normal.

As a result, the Divine Dragon's Alliance, which has been eying the title of the strongest guild, has developed increasingly hostile feelings towards the "Knights of the Blood Oath." Lately, during the strategy meetings, it's become a common occurrence for Zahard to find fault with Asuna.

In short...

"It's been quite eventful lately."

Rozen folded up the newspaper and muttered to himself. As he stepped into the teleportation plaza of Granzam, amidst the increasing whispers and discussions from the crowd, he activated the teleportation.

"Teleport! Panareze!"

With the appearance of the teleportation effect light, Rozen returned from the 55th Floor to the 24th Floor and headed to the base of his own guild.

Naturally, the voices of discussion and whispers surrounding Rozen became increasingly numerous and diverse.

"After almost a year, this Floor is no longer just two levels away from the frontlines; it has fallen to a point where it can't even be counted as a mid-level Floor."

Observing the bustling crowd that seemed much livelier than the 55th Floor, Rozen thought to himself.

"Perhaps it's time to find a new base?"

Otherwise, if he kept going out with Saichou and Hanachou, he would be recognized. The constant discussions and whispers were becoming rather bothersome.

Not to mention, setting the base in a lower Floor would also lead to many troubles.

Leaving aside other matters, there were probably many mid-level and lower-level players who admired and wanted to join the guild. Rejecting each of them individually would be quite troublesome. It would be more appropriate to relocate the base to a higher Floor.

"I remember there's still a good amount of operational funds in the guild. The loot from the last boss hunt in the training zone hasn't been distributed yet. I should find some time to deal with that."

Thinking about these matters, Rozen returned to the bar.

"Ding-ling!"

Amid the pleasant ringing sound, Rozen pushed open the door of the bar and entered.

At this time, the guild members should be in the labyrinth area hunting, so the bar should be empty.

"Gu!"

"Gu!"

Saichou and Hanachou flew into the bar and skillfully occupied the counter area.

However, just when Rozen thought the guild was empty, someone spoke to him.

"You... you're back...!?"

A panicked voice came from a player sitting at the bar counter.

To Rozen's surprise, Kirito was sitting at the bar, holding a drink in his hand and looking somewhat flustered.

"Hoho..."

Rozen was taken aback for a moment, then followed it up with a sly smile.

Because, in the guild, Kirito wasn't the only one present.

"Guild... Guild Leader Rozen..."

Greeting Rozen with an extremely nervous voice was a girl.

Rozen naturally recognized this girl.

It was none other than Sachi, a member of the "Moonlit Black Cat."

At this moment, Kirito and Sachi were sitting at the bar counter, very close to each other, as if they could get even closer at any moment. There was an ambiguous atmosphere between them.

Given the situation, Rozen couldn't help but realize what was happening.

"Sorry to interrupt."

Without delay, Rozen immediately replied, turned around, and prepared to leave the bar.

"Wait!"

Kirito rushed out.

Meanwhile, Sachi had a bright red face and couldn't seem to find the words to say.