-1608- Isn't particularly inclined?

Upon closer inspection, aside from Yuuki Shouzou, who sat beside Asuna in her hospital room, there was another young man present.

This individual had a tall and slim figure, wore a dark grey suit, and had a slightly elongated face adorned with frameless glasses. His narrow, smiling eyes seemed perpetually closed, giving the impression that he was always wearing a pleasant expression. He appeared to be a man in his thirties.

The man glanced toward the doorway, where Rozen had appeared, and gave him a polite nod while maintaining his warm smile.

Based on his position behind Yuuki Shouzou, the man was likely a member of RECT Corporation, perhaps an assistant or subordinate of Shouzou.

Rozen cast a brief glance at the man, then turned his attention to Yuuki Shouzou.

"Hello, Mr. Yuuki," Rozen greeted politely with a slight bow. "I am Kirigaya Aoka. I assume you've heard about me."

At these words, Yuuki Shouzou nodded with a gentle smile, giving off a warm and approachable demeanor.

"I am aware. You are the leader of the top players who cleared the frontlines in SAO. Every player who woke from FullDive spoke highly of you. Without your efforts, many more lives might have been lost. They say you not only protected the lower-level players but also led the top-tier players, maintaining order within SAO. And, if I'm not mistaken, my daughter Asuna was one of your subordinates, correct?"

Yuuki Shouzou spoke without any sense of detachment, clearly well-informed about Rozen's identity.

"No, Asuna— Yuuki-san—was not exactly my subordinate. We belonged to different guilds. She only followed my commands when the clearing team mobilized. Strictly speaking, she was more of a comrade-in-arms," Rozen explained with a slight shake of his head.

"A comrade-in-arms..." Yuuki Shouzou smiled wryly.

"Do you find that hard to believe?" Rozen asked, smiling faintly.

"It's just difficult to imagine," Shouzou sighed, gazing at Asuna's sleeping form with a hint of sadness. "This child always followed the plans her mother and I made for her. She received an elite education from a young age. At home, she didn't particularly stand out, and though she excelled in school, she never made any real friends."

As Asuna's father, Yuuki Shouzou was clearly well-acquainted with every aspect of her life.

"All this time, we thought of her as a child who needed our guidance to grow. I never imagined that after being trapped in SAO, she wouldn't just wait for rescue or be paralyzed by fear like so many others. Instead, she picked up a sword, donned armor, and left the safety zones to fight outside."

Shouzou stroked Asuna's cheek lovingly as he spoke.

"When the emergency response team informed me that my daughter was among the top players fighting on the frontlines, I was truly shocked. I couldn't believe this child was capable of such things."

It was clear that Shouzou felt guilt for having underestimated his daughter's strength.

He, like many others, had likely only seen Asuna as a future elite, someone to mold into societal expectations, never realizing the strength and resolve she harbored within. That was why the word "comrade" felt so foreign to him—he simply couldn't picture Asuna as a warrior battling on the frontlines.

"I've also done some research on you," Shouzou said, shifting his gaze to Rozen. "I heard that you've been an orphan since childhood, raised in an orphanage, yet recognized as a prodigy. Many wealthy families wanted to adopt you, but you refused them all, choosing instead to be taken in by an ordinary family. You even had the knowledge to earn a degree by the time you were in elementary school but declined to skip grades. And later, in SAO, you became the leader of countless players, achieving remarkable feats. Your talents are truly astonishing."

Perhaps it was this extraordinary background that made Yuuki Shouzou curious enough to meet Rozen in person and speak so openly with him.

Otherwise, a father like Shouzou—who was deeply concerned for his daughter's well-being and highly cautious—would not have been so accommodating toward a stranger wanting access to SAO's servers.

But now…

"My daughter must have benefited greatly from your care."

Yuuki Shouzou stood up and bowed deeply toward Rozen.

"Thank you so much. I sincerely appreciate everything you've done."

Seeing this, Rozen knew that Shouzou genuinely cared about Asuna.

Although Asuna had told him that her parents had imposed strict expectations on her throughout her childhood, denying her freedom and happiness, it was evident that Shouzou did care. In high-status families, it was not uncommon for parents to demand excellence from their children.

It wasn't that they didn't care about their children's well-being—they just didn't know how to express their love properly.

With these thoughts, Rozen's expression softened.

"I only did what I thought was right. Please, raise your head, Mr. Yuuki."

Rozen helped Shouzou stand upright.

"Now, back to business." Rozen's tone became serious as he met Shouzou's gaze. "Mr. Yuuki, can I assume you'll help me access the SAO servers?"

He was, of course, referring to his request for server access.

"This…" Shouzou's expression turned troubled.

At this point, the man who had been standing silently beside him stepped forward.

"Allow me to handle this, President."

The man addressed Yuuki Shouzou respectfully.

"And you are…?" Rozen asked, turning toward him.

It wasn't the man who answered but Yuuki Shouzou himself.

"Let me introduce him," Shouzou said. "This is Sugou Nobuyuki, the head of our FullDive technology research department. I trust him as if he were my own son."

"Hello," Sugou greeted warmly. "I am Sugou Nobuyuki, from RECT's FullDive technology research department. My team is currently in charge of maintaining the SAO servers."

Rozen's eyes narrowed slightly, beginning to understand the situation.

"It seems that Mr. Sugou isn't particularly inclined to grant my request for server access."

Rozen gave Sugou a faint smile.

Sugou returned the smile just as warmly.

"That's correct," Sugou said smoothly. "Though I've heard of your heroic deeds, the lives of three hundred players—among them our president's daughter—are at stake. As the person responsible for the servers, I have to be cautious."

The implication behind his words was clear.

"Given the sensitivity of the matter and the fact that you are not a specialist in this field, I must refuse your request. I hope you understand."

Sugou's polite yet firm rejection left no room for further discussion.