-372- Do you want to become a Orange player?

Asuna's punch ultimately didn't land on Rozen's face because of one simple sentence he uttered.

"Do you want to become an Orange Player again?"

With this straightforward question, Asuna's fist stopped just a centimeter away from Rozen's face. The force behind her punch was evident as it made Rozen's hair sway in the wind.

Asuna could only maintain her flushed, angry glare at Rozen and reluctantly withdrew her fist.

Seeing this, Rozen casually asked a question, "Why were you being chased by that bodyguard?"

Rozen's question only intensified the anger on Asuna's face.

"That guy... Kuradeel was stationed in front of my house early in the morning."

Asuna said with a low voice.

Hearing this, Rozen was somewhat stunned. "Stationed? And in front of your house?"

"Yes," Asuna replied indignantly, "Although he's my bodyguard, isn't this going too far? Without my consent, and I didn't even know about this, he was conducting surveillance near my house."

Not to mention that, without her permission, and without her knowledge, this so-called "bodyguard" was conducting unauthorized surveillance near a female player's home. It was more than just inappropriate.

"This is something only a stalker would do," Rozen summarized bluntly.

Faced with such a situation, it was no wonder Asuna had chosen to run. After all, the other party could easily justify it as ensuring Asuna's safety under the guise of being a "bodyguard." In such a situation, Asuna had no way to confront him directly, so she chose to escape.

"You're really unlucky," Rozen commented as if it were none of his concern. "By the way, do you actually have your own home?"

On this matter, Rozen was genuinely unaware.

Rozen had always assumed that Asuna either lived in the guild headquarters or in some inn. Had this rapier user really obtained her own player housing?

To this, Asuna gave Rozen an irritated look before sighing.

"I've got it for for a long time, right in Selmburg on the 61st floor."

"Selmburg."

That was located on the 61st floor's main street. The 61st floor was an area almost entirely covered by a large lake, often referred to as the Insect Land because of the insect-type monsters that infested it. It wasn't the most female-friendly environment in the game.

However, many female players frequently visited the 61st floor in SAO for a particular reason. That reason was Selmburg, a town situated on a small island at the center of the floor's lake.

The town wasn't large, but it was beautifully crafted entirely from white granite. It featured a grand central spire as well as a market street with several green spaces. The variety of shops in the market was impressive, and the environment was serene and pleasant. For female players, it was a desirable place to visit.

Asuna had purchased a player house there and moved in.

"The 61st floor, huh..." Rozen remarked with some admiration. "It must have been expensive, right?"

"Not too bad," Asuna replied in an annoyed tone. "Only 4 million col. It's nothing for someone like you."

4 million col?

Given Rozen's wealth, it indeed wasn't a significant amount. However, Rozen's assets mainly consisted of various valuable assets such as weapons and items.

Most of his funds were spent on enhancing, crafting, and nurturing weapons, armor, familiars, and more. Currently, he only had a few hundred thousand col left in terms of liquid currency.

Certainly, if Rozen were to sell some of his rare items, he could easily accumulate a substantial amount of money. Just yesterday, a single cup of Honey Tea was worth 1,000,000 col, so selling four cups would already be enough to buy Asuna's house.

Asuna might have thought of this as well, which is why she mentioned it earlier.

Now that Asuna had adjusted her mood, she turned her attention back to Rozen.

"So, what about you?" Asuna asked with curiosity. "Why are you doing in a place like this?"

This was the road leading to the labyrinth area, so Rozen's presence here was indeed unusual.

What was strange was not that Rozen was here but rather why he was hiding.

"It's not because you saw me, is it?" Asuna stared at Rozen.

Rozen felt like Asuna's gaze had turned somewhat dangerous. If he were to answer "yes," it would likely lead to a disaster.

Without hesitation, Rozen quickly replied, "Of course not."

It was the truth; he hadn't come here because of Asuna.

"Then why are you hiding in a place like this?" Asuna continued to press for an answer.

It seemed that the fact that Kuradeel had been lurking near her house for a month had made Asuna quite sensitive.

After hesitating for a moment, Rozen finally told Asuna about the Liberation Force.

Upon hearing this, Asuna was first surprised and then became serious.

"I didn't expect those guys to choose this moment to come to the front lines," Asuna said in a low voice. "I've received some information too, and I heard that the Army has been making a big fuss lately, led by that man, Kibaou, right?"

Back on the 1st floor, Asuna had participated in boss battles as well and had seen Kibaou more than once. She couldn't help but know what kind of player he was.

"Mr. Kibaou isn't a bad person, but he has a very extreme side," Asuna said with concern. "I hope he won't repeat what happened on the 25th floor."

The events on the 25th floor were still fresh in her memory, and it was natural for her to have such concerns.

As for Rozen's words...

"To be honest, after seeing their actions, I have a bad feeling," Rozen said straightforwardly. "If they find the boss room, it's not impossible that they will enter it without considering the clearing group's intentions."

Upon hearing this, Asuna's expression became even more serious.

"I understand," Asuna looked at Rozen and said firmly. "I'll go with you."

"Go with me?" Rozen was slightly surprised and then understood. "You mean you want to secretly follow them with me?"

Asuna nodded, leaving no room for doubt.

"Alright," Rozen pondered for a moment and then nodded. "We'll just follow them quietly. Do you have the 'Hiding' skill?"

"Of course," Asuna revealed her skill details without hesitation. "I have over 500 proficiency in it."

"That should be enough," Rozen said in satisfaction. "Then let's follow them."

"Okay," Asuna immediately agreed.

The two of them then emerged from the bushes and headed towards the direction of the labyrinth area.