-390- The Forest Cottage

Aincrad, Floor 22.

This was a quite spacious floor compared to its neighboring levels.

Aincrad had the largest surface area on its first floor, gradually narrowing as it ascended in a pyramid-like structure. The higher you went, the smaller the floors became.

While Floor 22 was a bit distant from the first floor, it was still quite expansive, not far behind the first floor's diameter

However, unlike the other large floors, Floor 22 was almost deserted for a straightforward reason. This floor primarily consisted of a forest of evergreen trees and numerous lakes scattered throughout, with the forest and lakes covering most of the land.

In the very center of the floor was a massive lake, likely the largest in all of SAO. On the southern shore of the lake lay a district known as "Coral," while the northern shore housed a labyrinth area. The rest of the floor was mainly coniferous forests with few villages, let alone towns.

But in the southernmost part of this floor, near the outskirts, there was a small wooden cabin.

It was a player's home.

In other words, it was a game building that players could purchase to gain ownership and use. A wooden pathway made of planks stretched across the coniferous forest like a wandering dragon, connecting to this small cabin.

With a slight creak, the window on the southern side of the cabin's balcony was pushed open. A player stepped out onto the wooden railing, leaning against it.

Two pleasant chirps echoed from inside the cabin. Two rainbow butterflies, a Saichou and a Hanachou, fluttered out, joyfully calling as they danced in the forest, leaving behind sparkling phosphorescent trails. It was a captivating sight.

The owner of this small cabin was none other than Rozen.

"It seems like I made the right choice in buying this house," Rozen said, gazing at the colorful butterflies dancing in the forest. He couldn't help but smile.

It had been a year and a half since they cleared this floor during the game's early stages. Due to its low position within Aincrad and the predominantly forested, grassy, and lake-filled terrain, very few players ventured here. Sometimes, not even ten players would visit in a whole day. It was exceptionally remote.

Even during the initial clearing of this floor, the clearing group, primarily focused on important tasks and the floor's mini boss, had made a beeline from Coral to the labyrinth area, conquered a straightforward tower, defeated the guardian boss, and then proceeded directly to Floor 23. The entire process took only three days, leaving players with few impressions or memories of this floor.

Nowadays, players who came to this floor were likely fishermen heading to various lakes or carpenters gathering wood in the forest.

This was precisely the reason why Rozen found himself here, buying this "Forest Cottage." When Rozen decided to take a break and rest for a while, his first concern was to find a place where few players would visit. It couldn't be in a town or village, as he'd be quickly discovered by information brokers and other players, attracting unwanted attention.

In this situation, Kirito recommended this place to Rozen.

"When we cleared Floor 22 initially, I returned here to complete a certain quest and stumbled upon this very secluded cabin. If it's that place, it should be an excellent choice."

Kirito explained and provided Rozen with the map file to help him find this location. By the way, when Kirito introduced this place to Rozen, he did so reluctantly.

"When I found this place initially, I was planning to buy it for myself in the future."

Kirito expressed his regret and attachment to the place, making Rozen curious about what made it so special that Kirito couldn't forget about it.

It wasn't until Rozen arrived that he understood.

"The scenery is beautiful, and there are no annoying folks around. Any player who doesn't want to attract attention should like it here."

Rozen surveyed the forest, the lakes, and the vast blue sky outside the floating castle, feeling somewhat moved by this sight.

The cost to purchase this small cabin was not very high, only 500,000 col. For upper-level players who always have plenty of cash on hand, it was an affordable amount. Considering factors like the environment, if its location was exposed, there would likely be quite a few upper-level players coming specifically to purchase it.

Of course, apart from some fixed equipment inside the player house, there weren't many furnishings. Rozen spent a considerable amount of money to furnish it. But looking at the scenery before him, Rozen felt it was worth it.

"For a vacation, this is more than enough."

If it weren't for the fact that this place was a bit far from the main street, requiring about twenty minutes on foot to reach the location of the teleport gate without using teleport crystals, Rozen would have considered living here permanently.

"It's not very convenient for top players who need to level up at the front lines every day."

It was for this reason that Kirito didn't ultimately purchase this small cabin, which ended up being a steal for Rozen.

"Next time, I'll let him stay here for a few days to make it up to him."

Rozen thought, but he added a condition.

"Just don't bring Sachi or Lizbeth here for a date."

He wouldn't want to witness them being lovey dovey all day...ugh

"Let's stay here for a while during this time."

After all these years of constantly pushing himself, Rozen felt it was time for a break. Even though he had been diligent, training and improving his skills year after year, he now wanted to take a moment to rest.

"It's a good opportunity to clear my thoughts."

Rozen smiled wryly, propping his chin up with his hand. He stared absentmindedly at the scenery before him while sinking into his thoughts.

Unfortunately, this period of relaxation wouldn't last long.

"Knock, knock, knock..."

Before long, a knocking sound came from the direction of the door.

"Someone here?"

Rozen reacted with some surprise.

"Isn't this a place where nobody would come?"

Only Kirito knew about this location.

"Could it be that guy couldn't resist coming to check it out?"

Rozen mumbled to himself and headed toward the front door to greet the visitor.

At that moment, Rozen had no idea that his life was about to change dramatically because of this unexpected guest.

"This place is lovely. I didn't expect you to find such a spot."

A beautiful swordswoman dressed in a knight's attire with a mini skirt stood outside the door. She smiled enchantingly at Rozen and spoke these words.

Rozen stared at the beautiful swordswoman in disbelief, unable to respond for a while.