A week has passed since the day of the ambush, and the black-haired girl who was invited by a certain group leader once again came to the town where it all started.
The moment she stepped out of the portal, Yuuki couldn't help but look at the surrounding scenery and buildings with some nostalgia. Players wearing ordinary equipment could be seen everywhere on the wide streets.
Unlike the atmosphere above, most of the players here live a relatively peaceful life, so they don't have that chilling air about them.
With Yuuki's strategy book, the first level has basically been explored by all players, and it can now be said to be the safest harbor in the entire game.
(...The last time I returned to the first floor was two or three months ago, right?)
After stretching and relaxing, and feeling the relaxed atmosphere on the first floor, Yuuki walked towards the headquarters of the "Aincrad Liberation Team", the guild that leads the lower floors.
…
"I'm really sorry about what happened before, Miss Yuuki."
Facing the black-haired girl in front of him, the silver-haired woman wearing a "military" uniform lowered her head and apologized quite formally.
"...So, I have no intention of delving into this matter, and that guy has already retired from the game, so there is no need to dwell on this issue anymore."
Waving her hands, Yuuki looked helplessly at the ashamed whip user in front of her.
Her name is "Yuriel", and because she has an "unclear" relationship with the group leader "Xinka", she usually does more work as a secretary than as a vice president.
The reason why the other party apologized was because Kibaou was originally a member of their union. Although he was expelled after the duel with Yuuki, he seemed to have maintained contact with some players in the team until now. Algocha
The information received was also released by those few people in cooperation.
However, it is commendable that the "army" has become much easier to manage because it does not have leading radicals and opportunists like Kibaou and no longer exploits the first-level players. At least now, the first-level players
Players' evaluations of them are pretty good.
Although there were people who wanted to imitate Gaou before, but after all, they were not capable enough to stir up troubles. At that time, a certain event was successfully launched, which can be regarded as consolidating Xinka's development policy.
"By the way, where's the one at your house?"
Noticing that the rough-faced man at the head of the office was not there, Yuuki strangely asked the silver-haired whip user whose face was starting to turn red.
"Me, me, my family? No, no, no - I don't have that kind of relationship with the group leader!"
(...Sister, can you still be more obvious?)
He was so shaken that Yuuki, who had just said it casually, felt that it was serious.
"Okay, it doesn't matter if it's yours or his, so where did he go?"
To be honest, Yuuki has always felt that this big man who likes to do everything big and small by himself is not suitable to be the leader.
In terms of ability, this man has absolutely no problem. After all, he is also the manager of a well-known gaming website in the real world.
But he lacks a leadership quality like Diaberu.
That is, the type that is only suitable for cadres.
Of course, these are just Yuuki's thoughts. How the army develops has nothing to do with her. She can just guard her own land.
"You said you had something to discuss with me, and you asked me to come down here just once, but you disappeared?"
As the guild leader of the assault front, well, she is very busy.
"Actually, this matter is-"
Looking at Yuuki who looked unhappy, Yuriel smiled bitterly and was about to explain something when she was interrupted by a visitor who opened the door.
"Please don't blame Captain Xinka and Miss Yuriel. This matter is all because of me."
Under Yuuki's somewhat surprised gaze, the girl wearing a knight's hat and a braid on her right temple smiled slightly.
"It looks like you're doing pretty well on the first floor."
Sitting down in the reception room again, Yuuki looked at the brown-haired girl sitting opposite him whom she had not seen for a long time.
When the strategy meeting on the 39th floor was held, Yuna singing in the square attracted many players who were watching. Of course Yuuki was one of them. Kuro who knew something about music because of a certain Lily singer.
The girl also gave her some advice after the session.
At that time, Yuna was still a member of the "Knights of the Blood Alliance", but she liked singing and did not like fighting.
——["If you like singing, why not try to sing to more people?"]
Before they parted, Yuuki's words helped her find more possibilities and also made her rethink her future.
When we met again later, she had been devastated by the death of her childhood sweetheart and quit the "Knights of the Blood Alliance".
A certain black-haired swordsman blamed himself for this for a long time, because the person who went to the 40th floor dungeon to rescue Yuna, who was confused at the time, was Kirito, who had just become the deputy leader of the blood alliance.
I just didn't expect that even with him leading the team, there would still be casualties.
The two players of "Fenglinhuoshan" who went with them both said that it was not Kirito's problem. Even he could not have known in advance that his team members would be too frightened to move when surrounded by monsters.
Although I heard later that Kirito, who helped her handle the withdrawal procedures, said that this girl went to the first floor, I didn't expect to see her here.
"I really didn't expect that you would join the 'Army'."
She glanced at Yuna with some emotion. Compared to the first-line raiding guild like "Blood Alliance", maybe the "Army", a guild that stabilizes the rear, is more suitable for her.
"That's not the case, Yuuki-san."
"Forehead……?"
Standing next to Yuna, Yuriel shook her head.
"We are only responsible for protecting Yuna."
"...It seems like there are a lot of stories in it?"
Holding her body with both hands, Yuuki looked at Yuna who smiled bitterly and blinked.
"That is to say, do you want my guild to take over Yuna's escort mission?"
After briefly summarizing, Yuuki confirmed again after listening to the 'story'.
——The lower class "singer".
Yuna seems to be called this.
At the beginning, Yuna lived near the church in the East District, so she would often sing to the younger players to appease them. But as time went by, her singing seemed to attract more and more players.
, and in the end it gradually evolved into a concert-like scale.
Over time, players who found some solace in Yuna's singing regarded her as a "singer".
In desperation, in order to prevent the situation from getting out of control, Yuna had no choice but to ask for help from the guild responsible for maintaining the first level of order, which was the "Army" to which Yuriel belonged.
After that, the "Diva" concert gradually became one of the important activities of the lower class under the management of the "Army".
Originally it was a good thing for players to have an activity to relax, but recently, an invisible 'ghost' seems to have appeared in Yuna's life.
Although the people from the "Army" tried hard, they couldn't find any results, and it was impossible to protect her personally all the time, so Guild President Xinka asked whether to entrust it to a more suitable guild.
That is "Arcadia" to which Yuuki belongs.
"..."
"Okay, I'll accept this commission."
"——!"
Frowning and weighing something, Yuuki finally nodded under the expectant gazes of the two.