-399- A significant challenge

Perhaps because her spirit had not fully recovered, later on, Yui fell asleep again, still tightly hugging Asuna's waist, not letting go.

Asuna couldn't escape from this situation and could only give Rozen a helpless look, to which he responded with a shrug, indicating there was nothing to be done.

Asuna had no choice but to accompany Yui in her slumber.

They were also accompanied by Saichou and Hanachou.

Perhaps because they really liked Yui, Saichou and Hanachou no longer flew outside as they used to. Instead, they stayed in the room, cuddled up next to Yui.

The two girls and two butterflies all lay together on one bed, and before long, they all fell into a deep sleep. Leaving a beautiful yet warming scenery.

"I feel like I could skip meals for three days just by looking at this scene," Rozen said with a wry smile as he left the room, tiptoeing his way to the living room.

However, not long after, Rozen came out of the living room again and walked into the forest in front of the small cabin.

Upon closer inspection, there was a person hiding behind the trunk of a tree here.

"Hey, ZenZen, long time no see," the best information broker in all of SAO greeted Rozen.

Surprisingly, it was Argo.

Two years had passed, but Argo hadn't undergone any noticeable changes. She was still as petite as ever, wearing a half-cloak, carrying a grappling hook at her waist, and had a beard that resembled that of a mouse on her face, giving her a comical appearance.

Not only had her appearance remained the same, but Argo's playful and mischievous demeanor hadn't changed either.

"Is this your vacation spot? Looks pretty good," Argo remarked.

In response, Rozen didn't mince words and said, "Cut it out. You definitely already knew I was here. Don't pretend."

Even though Rozen had chosen this place for his vacation to hide from others, he couldn't hide from this cunning mouse.

"It's been a week since I've been here. With your abilities, you must know everything you should know and should not know, right?" Rozen said, sounding a bit irritated.

But Argo pretended to be innocent, saying, "How could you say that? I honestly didn't know about you living with the beautiful vice commander before."

Argo said this with a face full of innocence, but her eyes were filled with mockery.

Clearly, this sly mouse was looking for an opportunity to tease Rozen.

Rozen sighed and rubbed his temples, showing signs of a headache.

"Just don't sell that information," Rozen said, taking precautions.

Argo responded, "Well, that's a pity," with her words, but she seemed rather indifferent.

It appeared that this mouse had no intention of selling this information. Not only could it potentially offend Rozen, but also considering Rozen's current situation, Argo wouldn't casually sell out this information.

Otherwise, if someone with malicious intent were to target Rozen, who was hidden here, and he ended up isolated and vulnerable, Argo would bear significant guilt.

Of course, the information about Rozen's address might not be for sale, but the information about Rozen and Asuna were living together might be another story.

This mouse was like that – principled yet lacking in scruples. So, Rozen was genuinely worried.

Argo might have sensed Rozen's thoughts because she added a sentence with a smirk.

"Is there something that happened during your vacation that made you specifically reach out to me?" Argo asked, fixing her gaze on Rozen.

Just a moment ago, Rozen had sent a message to Argo, asking her to come here. It's worth mentioning that Rozen didn't disclose his address; Argo found her way here on her own.

It's easy to imagine that Argo had long been aware of Rozen's whereabouts.

Now, Argo's expression became quite serious.

"Is it about Kuradeel?" Argo made this inquiry in a hushed tone.

Judging by Argo's expression, it was evident that she knew the truth about Kuradeel's situation. In other words, Argo knew that Kuradeel hadn't escaped using a teleport crystal but had inexplicably died inside the safe zone.

Rozen wasn't surprised by this at all.

"With your abilities, I don't find it surprising that you were able to investigate the truth of this matter," Rozen said, giving Argo a high level of praise.

In reality, with Argo's capabilities, uncovering the truth about this incident wasn't challenging. After all, most of the clearing group members were present at the time. Argo just needed to hear about it from someone's account and then visit the Black Iron Palace for confirmation, where she would see Kuradeel's name crossed out. That would reveal the truth.

Even though the Black Iron Palace had been sealed by Kibaou, preventing outsiders from entering, it couldn't deter someone like Argo, this cunning mouse.

Given this, Rozen wasn't particularly surprised that Argo knew about this matter.

However....

"Unfortunately, I didn't come here to discuss that matter with you," Rozen replied, meeting Argo's gaze. "Let's just let that issue stay buried, and I think you understand the reasons for doing so."

"I understand," Argo said after a moment of silence, sighing in resignation. "In that case, I won't inquire further about this matter, and any information related to it will stay confidential."

"That's good," Rozen nodded.

Argo changed her tone back to a more casual one.

"So, what did you bring me here for?" she inquired.

Rozen didn't beat around the bush and directly explained the situation regarding Yui.

Starting from finding Yui unconscious in the forest, the anomalies that occurred with her, the strange menu, and all related circumstances, Rozen disclosed everything to Argo.

This made Argo furrow her brow.

"A mysterious girl who fainted in the forest with no waypoint, no normal main menu, and no memories?" Argo mused. "That does sound like an intriguing piece of information."

"Just don't sell it," Rozen emphasized once more. He continued, "In summary, I'd like you to investigate a bit, see if there's anyone in the Starting Town who knows Yui or if there are any leads about her from elsewhere."

"That shouldn't be a problem, just a small matter," Argo agreed without hesitation. She added, "When do you plan to return to the front lines? I've heard the clearing of the 75th floor is a bit challenging."

Upon hearing this, Rozen not only showed no concern but even smiled slightly.

"If it's just a bit challenging, Kirito and the others can easily handle it, right? They might need a bit more time, that's all."

He reassured Argo, saying, "Rest assured, I'll return as soon as they've found the Guardian Boss room."

That would also mark the end of Rozen's vacation.

"That's good," Argo said with some relief. "Then leave this matter to me, and enjoy the company of the lovely girl."

Argo chuckled and left with a leap, disappearing into the forest.

Rozen rolled his eyes, not bothering to pay attention to her antics, and turned back.

The sky gradually darkened as evening approached.

At this moment, Rozen had no idea that tonight he would face a significant challenge.