Chapter 42 - Talks in the Bath

The dark elf camp was pretty much what one would imagine. A few dozen tents, surrounded by a wooden palisade. The trees around it had been cut down, clearing the line of sight so they could spot enemies more easily. Inside, hundreds of dark elf warriors went about their day. They didn't even glance at the players when they appeared, as if they weren't there.

The commander himself behaved much more like the NPCs the party was used to. He gave a clearly scripted speech and thanked the party for assisting them against the villainous forest elves. When Kirito purposely said things in a roundabout manner, as a test, the dark elf commander froze for a second, before repeating his last sentence. It appeared only Kizmel was able to keep a natural conversation and understand the players.

That discovery caused Drifter to unconsciously heave a sigh of relief. He liked Kizmel and all, but if every NPC was advanced like her, SAO would be a thousand times more complicated.

The completion of the first quest in the << Elf War >> campaign brought a surprise to the party. Amongst the rewards they received, besides experience and cor, there was also a piece of equipment.

Drifter held the shining new spear in his hands, admiring it. The shaft was made of dark wood, rigid and solid. It had a leaf-shaped spearhead, thin but deadly. Some orange plumes and feathers were tied by a string and hanging on the other end of the weapon. It reminded Drifter a little of the Hoko Yari spears seen in historical dramas.

Running his fingers along the weapon, the spearman let out a sigh of admiration. His << Kobold Spear >> had served him well, but it was, after all, a 1st floor drop, and was starting to lag behind. This << Caldea Fana >> came just in time.

"It means 'Lone Leaf' in our language. It once belonged to a mighty royal knight. I'm sure it will serve you well, Drifter."

The spear was heavier than he initially thought, but it suited him well, as his level was also much higher. Giving it a few practice swings, Drifter nodded satisfied, and sheathed it on his back as usual. Kizmel smiled.

"Then, let me guide you to your tent. It may be cramped, but I trust you do not mind sleeping together?"

A few of the party members - namely Asuna, Kirito, and Nautilus - blushed, but ended up agreeing, feeling it would be rude to reject. Besides, all six of them would be sleeping together, so it was a lot less embarrassing than just two or three of them.

Drifter, on the other hand, didn't pay much heed to it. He was older than the rest of his friends, and was a university student, so sharing a living space was nothing new to him. Since the dark elf camp was classified as a safe zone, it was a lot more convenient than having to go back and forth between Zumfut and the camp.

The tent Kizmel guided them to wasn't big, but it could accommodate all six of them quite easily. It even had a stove and several pieces of furniture. The only difference between this and their inn rooms back in Zumfut was that they would all have to sleep together.

Without any regard for her image, Yuna threw herself on one of the fur mats, and rolled around. Drifter facepalmed and sighed, which attracted her ire. Sitting up while clutching a pillow, the songstress pointed a finger at Drifter, Kirito, and Nautilus.

"You boys better not be thinking anything perverted, okay?!"

"Oi! The only one who has to take her mind outta the gutter here is you."

"Humph! Asuna, Sinon, let's cuddle together tonight! Do not give them a chance!"

The two boys plus Asuna blushed and stammered an answer. Sinon, on the other hand, simply flicked the songstress on the forehead, then sat down next to her. As for Drifter, he had learned that when Yuna behaved like that, the best way to deal with it was to ignore her. Plus, watching her pout was a joy in itself.

He was doing exactly that when he saw Kizmel taking off her cape and armor, and hanging it on a stand. The NPC noticed his inquisitive look.

"This is just a temporary military camp, so we do not have enough tents to house guests. This is my tent."

"Ah, then thank you very much for having us."

Drifter nodded his gratitude to the dark elf. It was hard to treat her just as an NPC when she was so realistic, and the reply came naturally.

"You can dine at that oval tent in the middle of the camp whenever you are hungry. There is also a simple bathing tent you may use."

"Woah! You have a bath?!"

"Of course, we are not beasts or savages, but civilized elves. Being able to eat and rest well is essential to a warrior's well-being."

Intimidated by Asuna's brightly shining puppy eyes, Kizmel led the party out of the tent. Drifter had never seen anyone who liked to take baths as much as Asuna. Every night, as long as it was available, the fencer would soak for almost an hour before going to bed.

"W-Wait, Asuna!"

With the tone of someone trying to prevent a calamity, Kirito rushed to stop the fencer. Yet, he was a little too late. Asuna stopped in front of the bathing tent, as Kizmel unhurriedly went in, lifting the tent flaps.

"Err... There's only one tent, meaning it's a mixed bath. And it's a tent, so there's no door."

Drifter and the rest of the party suddenly found something very interesting on the other side of the camp, leaving Kirito alone to his fate. As for why the swordsman was singled out by Asuna, everyone knew, but decided it was wiser not to comment.

"Hahahaha... Are all human couples as funny as you?"

"W-We are not a couple!"

Kirito and Asuna froze for a second before yelling in unison. Meanwhile, Drifter's and Yuna's eyes shone when they looked at Kizmel, who was covering her mouth and laughing. Both had the feeling they had just found a new ally in their efforts to matchmake their friends.

After much shouting and rustling, it was decided that the girls would take a bath first, while the boys would stay outside and guard the tent - since there was no door, there obviously was no lock either. Whether that was a reward or a punishment to them was unknown.

After things settled down, the girls started chatting. And, with just a wall of cloth between them, the men could hear everything, so it wasn't long before they too were involved in the conversation.

Kizmel told them the tragic story of how her sister, who was married to the wolf-handler from earlier, had been killed by the << Forest Elf Falconer >> during a raid on their village. It was due to that tragedy that Kizmel, who is a royal knight and should've been guarding the main settlement of the dark elves, on the 9th floor, requested to come on this military expedition in search of the << Secret Key >>, and, more importantly, of revenge.

The NPC also talked about the capital of their kingdom, the Royal City of Lyusula, and its many scenic points. According to her, it was a beautiful place, one of the only two remaining kingdoms since the Grand Separation. The other kingdom was Kales'Oh, of the forest elves.

"This isn't the first time you mentioned this Grand Separation, Kizmel. What exactly was that?"

The party didn't have time to ask earlier, during their walk, as they arrived at the camp and got busy with handing the quest in and accepting the next one. Once more, the question caused the dark elf to look at Yuna curiously.

"You really don't know? I thought the old legend was well-known amongst all races. Though... You don't see many humans around anymore, so the tales might have been lost."

The 3rd through the 9th floor was elven territory, so there were very few human NPCs. Luckily, Kizmel kept going, so they didn't have to create a story to explain to her why they didn't know Aincrad's lore.

"The legends say that many thousands of years ago, our kind lived on the ground, and so did countless other races, from humans to dwarves. While there were disputes and skirmishes, the land was mostly at peace. Until one day, a disaster struck. Something angered the gods, and so they decided to punish all people by separating them and trapping them in this floating prison. Aincrad."

Even though she was too young to have personally experienced any of this, there was still a trace of forlornness in Kizmel's voice.

"The gods cut a hundred different regions of the earth in circles, and raised them into the sky, carrying with them my ancestors and yours. The smallest circle was no more than three kilometers across, while the largest was over ten kilometers. They were then stacked and connected by the towers, creating the floating fortress on which we are now."

There was a small pause before Kizmel continued, as if she was deciding what to say.

"Even after the creation of Aincrad by the gods, there was still a time when all races could go wherever they pleased inside the castle. But, as magic started to fade and vanish, so did our ability to go beyond the floors we were on. It is only through the blessing of the Spirit Tree, which extends its roots across several floors, that elven kind can still travel between some floors. But it has been several years since we encountered any sentient being from the first two floors, or any beyond the 9th."

"Eh? You can go through the labyrinth whenever you please? What about the floor bosses?"

"Floor bosses? Ah, you must mean the guardians. They are powerful fallen beings, and traveling through the towers would require us to slay them. That would be far too perilous and costly. We travel through the Spirit Tree."

"Can we do the same? I mean, travel with you via Spirit Tree?"

There was a faint trace of hope in Asuna's voice, but everyone knew how unlikely it was that Kayaba would leave such a huge loophole. Kizmel's next words only confirmed their suspicion.

"Unfortunately not, my human friend. Only those of elven blood can do so. But why do you want to travel to other floors?"

Seeing their dejected but unsurprised looks, Kizmel couldn't help but ask. Ever since she met the humans, she had a strange feeling. They were all very skilled warriors - even Yuna, who played music in battle - but at the same time, they were all so young. She knew humans aged much faster than elves, but still, she thought them too young to be partaking in such dangerous battles. Elves of their age would still be considered small children. Even Drifter, who was slightly older, would be the same.

"I won't lie to you, Kizmel. Until two months ago, most of us had never heard of Aincrad, much less set foot on it."

"What? How is that possible?"

After a moment of hesitation, Drifter spoke. He couldn't mention anything about the real world or Aincrad being part of a game, or he might bug Kizmel's AI. She was giving them a lot of useful information, so he didn't want that to happen. Besides, the dark elf was kind of growing on the party. It was getting hard to think of her just as an NPC. But spinning the tale in such a way that it aligned with the lore should be okay.

"'Bout two months ago, a maniac captured ten thousand people - humans - and trapped us on the 1st floor of Aincrad."

"Who would have the power to do that? And why?! What kind of evil god..."

Drifter paused. Evil god... He refused to think of Kayaba as a god, but in the world of Sword Art Online... Maybe that was an apt description.

"Maybe the same one who created this prison. As for why... I'm not sure. Probably only he knows."

"T-This... This is an incredible tale, Drifter."

"Hah! A lot less incredible and much more horrifying when you are part of it. But Akihiko Kayaba - that's his name by the way - gave us a way out, if it can even be considered that."

"What way?"

"To climb all one hundred floors of Aincrad, defeating all the floor bosses, and then challenge him in his palace at the top. If we win, we will be free. If we lose... Heh."

There was a long period of silence after Drifter finished, during which only the sounds of bodies moving in the water, and then that of clothes rustling. After a few minutes, Kizmel walked out of the bathing tent wearing a tunic.

The girls came out right after her, and stood next to Drifter, Nautilus, and Kirito. They were unsure of what the dark elf wanted. The whole party was surprised when she gave them a military salute.

"My friends, I swear that after my quest to retrieve and return the << Secret Keys >> to their rightful places is complete, I will aid you in escaping Aincrad."

"Kizmel!"

"You... Why?"

The dark elf smiled.

"You said the evil god Kayaba trapped you on the 1st floor. That means in two short months, you have climbed to the 3rd floor, and bested two guardians. I do not know what price you paid to accomplish such a remarkable feat, but now I am even more certain you are venerable warriors. Pledging myself to your cause is no shame. And besides... I might find the way to save my people too if I go with you."

This had gone far beyond the behavior any NPC should - could - have. But no one cared or even remembered about that now. Seeing the resolute expression on the dark elf's face, they all felt moved. Kirito put out his hand to her.

"It would be our honor to have you fight beside us, Kizmel."

The dark elf stared at the offered hand for an awkward minute, seemingly confused. Only then did she realize what the gesture meant, and put forth her own hand to grip Kirito's. Her reaction caused the entire party to laugh.

"Human costumes are weird."

[ Kizmel joined your party. ]