Chapter 10

Asuna and I ran pell-mell for the safe area established about midway through the labyrinth. I felt like we drew the attention of

more than a few monsters during our dash, but I didn't have the

wherewithal to care.

We leaped into the safe room and collapsed to the floor, our

backs against the wall. After catching our breaths, we turned to

each other, and…

"Pfft!"

A laugh came bubbling up from my chest. It would have only

taken a second to check my map and confirm that the giant

demon never left its lair, but I couldn't stay still long enough to

bother.

"Ha-ha! Wow, that was quite an escape!" Asuna laughed,

sprawled out on the floor. "I don't think I've run that hard in

years. And that was nothing compared to you!"

"…"

I couldn't deny it. She giggled at the consternation and embarrassment on my face for several moments, until eventually her

mirth subsided.

"This doesn't look like it'll be easy," she murmured pensively.

"I agree. It's only got the one greatsword, but I bet it has all

kinds of special attacks at its disposal."

"We'll need plenty of tanks for the forward line so we can just

keep switching members."

"I'd want at least ten fighters good with a shield…but for now,

all we can do is observe its style and plan a strategy around that."

"Shields, huh?" She cast a meaningful glance at me.

"Wh-what about it?"

"Are you hiding something from me?"

"What do you mean…?"

"It doesn't make any sense. The greatest advantage of using a

one-handed sword is the ability to pair it with a shield. But I've

never seen you put one on. In my case, it slows down my rapier,

and some people refuse to equip them for style reasons, but your

case is different. It's suspicious."

She was correct—I was hiding something. But I'd never shown

it off in front of others before. Not only was skill information an

important lifeline, but the revelation of my secret was likely to

further isolate me from everyone else in the game.

But, I thought, maybe it wouldn't be the end of the world if

she knew…

Just as I was about to open my mouth, she spoke.

"Well, whatever. Prodding someone about his skills is impolite, after all." She laughed. My window of opportunity closed, I

shut my mouth. Asuna's gaze flicked to her clock and her eyes

went wide.

"Oh my gosh, it's already three. Ready for a late lunch?"

"What?" I perked up. "Is it homemade?"

She shot me a smug look, opened her menu, removed her

white leather gloves, and materialized a small picnic basket.

There was at least one excellent advantage to teaming up with

her, I thought, but she stopped me short with a glare.

"…What are you thinking?"

"N-nothing. Can we eat now?"

She pursed her lips but took out two large paper wrappings

from the basket anyway, handing one to me. I hastily unwrapped

it to find a circular sandwich crammed with cooked meat and

vegetables. It smelled fragrant, a bit like pepper. Suddenly I felt

ravenous and stuffed it into my mouth without a word.

"Mm…that's good," I said honestly, after a few more bites. It

looked similar to the foreign-seeming food that the NPCs served

in Aincrad's restaurants, but the flavoring was different. The

thick, sweet-and-salty taste reminded me of the Japanese-style

fast food I'd eaten constantly before my two-year stay in SAO. I

continued silently scarfing down the sandwich, tears of nostalgia

threatening to spill down my cheeks.

I swallowed the last bite, gulped down in one go the cold tea

Asuna handed me, and heaved a sigh of satisfaction.

"How'd you make this flavor?"

"A year of training and study, and a full analysis of all seasoning ingredients available in Aincrad. This one's gurogwa seeds,

chèvre leaves, and calim water."

She pulled two small bottles out of the basket, pulled the plug

out of one, and stuck her finger inside. It emerged covered in a

truly bizarre thick purple substance.

"Open your mouth."

Nonplussed, I obediently opened my mouth, and Asuna

flicked the tip of her finger. The tiny drop that landed in my

mouth was stunning.

"It's…mayonnaise!"

"Now, this one is avilpa beans, sagu leaves, and wula fish

bones."

I suspected that last one was used as an ingredient in antidote

potions, but the droplet landed on my tongue before I had time to

confirm it. This one was an even greater revelation than the previous. It was pure soy sauce flavor. In a fit of joy, I grabbed

Asuna's extended finger and jammed it in my mouth.

"Aaack!" she shrieked. Asuna glared at me as she pulled her

hand away, then laughed when she saw my slack-faced expression of bliss.

"That's the sauce I used for the sandwich."

"Incredible. It's perfect. You could make a fortune selling this

stuff!"

To be honest, I felt like these sandwiches were even better

than last night's Ragout Rabbit stew.

"Y-you think so?" She smiled shyly.

"Wait, don't do that. There'd be none left for me."

"Oh, don't be so greedy! There'll be plenty for you if I feel like

it…" She trailed off. She leaned just enough that our shoulders

brushed. There was a pleasant silence, and for a moment it almost felt like we weren't in the middle of a perilous dungeon.

If I could eat this food every day, I might just change my mind

and move to Selmburg…right next to Asuna. I was nearly about to

say this out loud when a troop of players in rattling armor walked

through the door from the lower floor. We instantly sat up and

separated.

The moment I saw the leader of the six-man group, I sighed

with relief. It was a familiar katana-wielder, the person in Aincrad I'd known the longest.

"Hey, Kirito! Long time no see." The lanky fellow noticed me

and strolled over for a greeting. I stood up and faced him.

"Oh, it's you, Klein."

"Geez, don't act so glad to see me! And you're actually with

someone for…once…?"

When he saw Asuna, who had quickly arranged her belongings

and stood up, his eyes went wide beneath the ugly bandanna.

"Well, I'm guessing you've already met at the boss strategy

meetings, but I'll introduce you anyway. This is Klein, from the

Furinkazan guild. And this is Asuna from the Knights of the

Blood."

Asuna gave a little nod, but Klein stood frozen, his mouth now

as wide as his eyes.

"Hello? Say something. Are you lagging?" I elbowed him in the

ribs, and he finally shut his maw, giving her an extremely courteous bow.

"H-hello, miss! I'm K-K-Klein, age twenty-four, single!"

I elbowed him in the guts harder this time. But before Klein

had gotten all the words out of his mouth, the other five members

of his party shuffled over and began introducing themselves all at

once.

The members of Furinkazan knew one another from before

SAO. Klein had seen to it that they all survived their trials and

had raised them into one of the more important forces advancing

player progress through the game. He had shouldered the weight

that I shrank away from two years ago and bore it splendidly.

I swallowed the lump of self-disgust that rose in my chest,

turned to Asuna, and said, "A-anyway, they're not half bad, as

long as you ignore their leader's villainous looks."

Now it was Klein's turn to stomp on my foot. Asuna bent over,

chuckling at our bickering. Klein gave her a sloppy, flushed grin,

then grabbed my arm and pulled me aside, speaking in a low but

murderous tone.

"Wh-wh-what does this mean, Kirito?"

I struggled to come up with an answer, so Asuna sidled up

with one prepared.

"I'll be partnering up with him for a while, so it's nice to meet

you," she said in a clear voice. I was stunned. It isn't just for

today? Klein and his friends vacillated between disappointment

and jealous rage. Finally, Klein cast a beady eye on me and

growled through gnashing teeth.

"Kirito, you rat…"

Just as I was slumping my shoulders with the resignation that

I wasn't going to get out of this easily, a new set of rattling and

footsteps from the same doorway told of a new set of visitors.

Hearing the rigid discipline of their march, Asuna brushed my

arm, worried.

"It's the Army, Kirito!"

I turned to the entranceway with a start to see the same squad

of heavily armored soldiers that we witnessed earlier in the forest.

Klein raised a hand, and his comrades retreated to the wall. The

soldiers entered in the same two-row formation, but it was not as

crisp as before. They looked sluggish, and the bits of their faces

that could be seen beneath the helmets were heavily fatigued.

The squad came to a halt on the other side of the safety zone.

The man in front gave the command to be at ease, and the other

eleven clattered to the floor with an incredible din. He turned to

us without a second glance at his subordinates.

Upon closer look, his equipment was slightly different from

the others'. The plate armor was of finer make, and his breastplate was the only one that contained a crest meant to symbolize

the full shape of Aincrad.

The man stopped in front of us and removed his helmet. He

was quite tall. I'd put him in his early thirties, with short hair and

a square face; thick eyebrows; small and sharp eyes; and a thin,

disapproving mouth. After an imposing gaze, he turned and

spoke to me, as I stood the farthest forward.

"I am Lieutenant Colonel Corvatz of the Aincrad Liberation

Army."

That last part came as a surprise to me. I'd thought "The

Army" was just a nickname that others used. When did it get appropriated into their official title? And he was a lieutenant

colonel, to boot. I gave him a brief, "Kirito, solo."

The man nodded, then continued imperiously. "Have you already cleared the area?"

"Yeah, we've mapped out everything up to the boss's lair."

"Good. I'd like your map data."

I was momentarily taken aback by his matter-of-fact tone, but

Klein lost it altogether.

"Wh-wha…? You think we're just gonna hand it over? Do you

have any idea how much work it takes to map a labyrinth?" he

bellowed. Maps of unfinished areas were a valuable resource.

Treasure hunters who sought unopened chests would pay a fine

price for that information.

The man raised an eyebrow at Klein's outburst and jutted out

his chin.

"We are fighting for the liberation of all players, including

you!" he barked. "It should be your duty to share your information with us!"

It was sheer arrogance. The Army had barely bothered to help

clear floors in the past year.

"Wait just a second…"

"Why, you shameless…"

I had to hold out both hands to stop Asuna and Klein from

converging on the man.

"I don't mind. I was going to release the data once I got back to

town anyway."

"Oh, c'mon, man! You're being too generous!"

"I don't treat map data like a business opportunity."

I opened a trading window and sent the man named Corvatz

my map. He accepted it stone-faced, said, "Your cooperation is

appreciated," without a shred of appreciation, and turned on his

heel. I called out to his back.

"I wouldn't bother the boss right now if I were you."

Corvatz barely turned his head.

"…That decision is at my discretion, not yours."

"We just took a look at it earlier, and it's not the kind that a

half-size raid can tackle. Besides, your soldiers look pretty wasted

to me."

"My men aren't weaklings, to complain about a simple

march!"

Corvatz put extra weight on my men, but the exhausted warriors sprawled out on the floor didn't seem to share his camaraderie.

"Back on your feet!"

They slowly climbed up and re-formed into two rows. Corvatz

took his spot at the fore without sparing us a second glance. He

raised and lowered his arm, and the twelve readied their weapons

and resumed the march.

While their HP appeared full, the tense battles of SAO left invisible strain on its players. Our real bodies weren't budging an

inch back on the other side, but the fatigue we felt here would not

disappear without sleep or relaxation. From what I could tell, the

Army soldiers weren't used to battle on the front line, and they

were at their limit.

"Do they know what they're doing…?"

The Army squad disappeared through the exit farther up the

tower, and the measured footsteps faded out. Klein was too concerned for his own good.

"I mean, they're not just going to charge right into the boss

lair…"

Asuna looked worried. Something in Corvatz's attitude suggested that they were taking a risk that was downright reckless.

"Should we at least check on them first?" I suggested. Even

Klein's party nodded in agreement. "Who's too concerned for his

own good now?" I grimaced to myself, but my mind was made up.

I wouldn't sleep well that night if we left now and found out later

that the group never returned.

I checked my equipment and was preparing to leave when I

heard Klein whispering to Asuna behind my back. At first I was

exasperated, but that turned to surprise when I listened to what

he was saying.

"So, um…Asuna? Er…how should I say this? I know he might

not deserve it, but be good to Kirito, will you? Even if he is a introverted, grumpy, battle-obsessed idiot."

I spun around and yanked hard on Klein's bandanna.

"Wh-what are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on." He rubbed his stubbled chin, head tilted. "I

mean, you're actually teaming up with someone now. Ensnared

by feminine wiles or not, it's still progress."

"I-I'm not being seduced!"

I noticed that Klein, his party, and even Asuna were all grinning at me, so I had no choice but to clamp my mouth shut and

turn around. I even heard Asuna assure Klein, "I'll take good care

of him."

I beat a hasty retreat through the doorway, my boots clacking

on the stones.