"Congratulations!!" Through the open door, we came to a small room with a silver chest that did not require a key waiting for us. When I opened it, it seemed to contain valuables, an old book and an old key. Seeing this, Lizbet shouted at me.

"I have an old book and a key. I don't know what it works for. ”

"Or rather, the key is badly rusted. It may no longer be usable. ”

"Well, but I haven't seen a material that removes rust. Maybe it's a pattern that needs a special item. \"

"Even though you get the key, you can't use it right away."

Just as Shino joined the conversation with a somewhat disappointed expression, Asuna turned her attention to the book as well. Out of nowhere, an interesting expression appeared on his face.

"I don't know if there are any tips in this book on how to operate equipment outside."

"Maybe. Well, we'll open it right away. ”

As I spoke, I opened a page of the old book, but immediately after that, the book turned the page on its own, and finally stopped on its own at a certain distance. Countless letters seem to be passwords, and a human rides on a tablet that looks like a Rubik's Cube. The appearance of languages other than Japanese embarrassed Celica, who was reading a book.

"Is this some kind of code? I don't understand."

"Of course I can't read this.

"I think the letters are ancient.

Shino, who had been staring at the key, turned her gaze to the book, focusing on the characters and the composition of the magic circle.

"This painting is a magic array, I want to know. Or it could be a slab. There's a guy on it. \"

"Is this magic array, or rather, the plank, the device? In other words, that device is definitely designed to make people float.

As Lilan speculated, the purpose of the device was to keep people floating. Maybe I can use that device to go to the floating island, but I don't know how to move it. Maybe if I could have succeeded in reading this ancient text, I would have learned a lot about that device, but unfortunately there are no objects or people here who can do that.

Just as he was thinking about what to do, Kem, who was beside Yuki, showed an expression of realization of something. There, Lifa, who is also an elf, reacts.

\"Oh, think about it, if it's Ani\"

\"Agnes? Do you mean Sakiya? \"

"yes, it seems that she got an item that can decipher ancient characters, so if you ask her, I think you should be able to read ancient characters."

\"That's it! Then the destination is decided. Let's meet Sakiya-san. \"

"It was unexpected to get a hint from Kem, but now I know the path I should aim for." I thought so, and just as I was about to call everyone, a voice heard at the entrance sounded in the huge room, and we unconsciously turned our heads.

Klein was running towards us. He had a big smile on his face.

"Hey guys! Looks like you got what you wanted! ”

"Oh, I don't know, you suddenly disappeared at the time, what happened?"

"No, I was looking for something too, and then I heard that what I was looking for was here. No, no, as rumored! ”

"What did you find and you look so happy?"

Shino shouted, and Crane called up the prop window and operated. He summoned an object in his palm and showed it to us. It was a beautiful white-purple flower. However, everyone didn't expect such a thing to pop out of Klein's arms, and they were all dumbfounded, and Felia among them also opened her mouth.

"This is a flower?"

"That's right! "Passage Flowers"! ”

"Tongtu flower" seems to be the name of this flower. However, just looking at it, I couldn't understand the purpose of this item, and I couldn't help but want to tilt my head, but Shino reacted immediately.

"Hey! ALo also has this kind of thing. Moreover, it is also interesting for tontu to come. ”

\"What, do you know Shino? \"

"Yes, tontu is a Norse forest elf, originally ALo itself was inspired by the Celtic world and Norse mythology, so this kind of item appeared, especially in this Svart region has such a theme, I feel that it is a strong expression of monsters." Design and setup. ”

I see. I thought there was some kind of weird rule for monsters and stuff. \"

"Yes, from now on, there will be bosses themed around the gods of Norse mythology. I can imagine all sorts of things like earth gods, frost giants, etc., and I'm kind of looking forward to it. ”

"Yes! I'm so excited to think about it! "Shino had read a variety of books in the real world, so she knew a lot about myths and legends. So when you want to understand myths and traditions, you can ask Shino and she will explain it in a very easy to understand way. And in fact, she probably likes to talk about it, Shino seems to be happy when she talks like this.

However, Shino seems to have been unable to read at high speed lately, and has not been able to do so until recently. There was a time when I thought hard about why I couldn't do it, but now is not the time to think about these things.

Shino then turned to face Klein.

So, Tongtu is said to be a fairy who brings happiness, but Crane is looking for it. Have you infiltrated the ruins? ”

\"Is that what you're for!?" \"

"I'm not a fan!

"Yes.

With that, I left the ruins with everyone except Klein. Have you infiltrated the ruins? ”

"Hey, hey! This flower is a super rare thing, called a phantom flower! I'm going to give it to Xiao Qi as a gift! \"

We were all surprised by this quote from Klein. Klein's purpose is to find a gift for Xiao Qi. I thought there were more noble reasons, but when I came with this guy, he dogmatically looked for a gift for Seven.

\"Is that what you're for!?" \"

"What's the matter, Klein is a fan of Little Seven?"

As soon as Lizbet reacted, Crane turned around. I was amazed at how serious his expression was.

"I'm not a fan!

"Clusters? If I'm not mistaken, it's clustering in internet jargon. ”

Hearing Streya's words, I nodded. Of course, a cluster is a word that means a cluster in network terms, and there are many clusters around the flower. In general, a cluster of sevens may be a cluster of sevens that come together to form a flower.

"You mean, I understand that there is a spiritual connection with the object of my admiration."

"That's right! Xiao Qi will have a problem if he doesn't mix with ordinary idols! ”

"Wow, little seven!" I will continue to love you!! ”

Everyone's eyes were focused on Crane, who suddenly shouted. There is no doubt that Klein has been fascinated by "Little Seven". Seeing Klein like this, Asuna showed an annoyed and troubled expression.

"Ah, no, I'm totally addicted, huh"

"Yes.

With that, I left the ruins with everyone except Klein.

Having decided where we were going, we left the ruins and flew over the steppe again. To be honest, if I use the Teleportation Crystal, I can return to the city in an instant, but since the Teleportation Crystal itself is a very valuable item, I am reluctant to use it. That's why we chose to walk and fly back.

Perhaps it's because after spending so long in the damp ruins, the wind has a tremendous sense of liberation and refreshment. We were bathed in it, flying in the sky with limited altitude, but at this point, Filia, who had black wings like me, lined up next to me and shouted at me.

\"Ah, yes, Kirito. Do you know? \"

"I don't know. What is that? ”

"It's about the Tsuji duelist."

\"Tsuji duelist? \"

According to Filia, there have recently been cases where some players have suddenly appeared in front of other players on the field and started duels in the same way. If that's all, he's just a nuisance player, but he's also a very skilled player and no one has been able to beat him so far.

A duelist with the ability to suddenly launch a duel to overwhelm the player. This kind of thing reminds me of old stories and the Tsujikiri that appeared in ancient dramas. No, I guess that's why I'm called "Tsuji Duelist".

\"Is there such a person in Tsuji Duelist? \"

\"yes. Recently, there has been a lot of exchange of information between insiders, such as predicting the movements of Tsuji duelists and what kind of players will be targeted. I want to challenge players to a non-discriminate duel. \"

"Set up game after game, right? What is the purpose? ”

A Tsuji duelist who can't even imagine his own goals, means, and appearance. Is it a player who is desperately chasing strong people such as Eugene and Emperor, or is it just a player desperately seeking power? As I tried to imagine what it really would be like for her, next to Filia stood my partner, Lilan, a girl with blond hair, spread red wings on her back, and white wolf ears and tail.

"Filia, that player can't be a masked elf, right?"

"Oh, Lilan, how do you know? Could it be that Lilan was once challenged by the Tsuji Duelist? ”

"It occurred to me then." The day before implementing Svart Alfheim in ALo, Lilan said that he had met an elf player who wanted to cover his face with a mask. And according to Filia, the Tsuji Duelist is also a masked elf player. - It's easy to think that the masked elves are Tsuji duelists.

"In other words, before the implementation, the masked elf that Lilan encountered was the Tsuji Duelist?"

"I think so, but why are you at Lilan's place?"

"I don't know.

"My buddy stopped suddenly." On the contrary, the movement itself has stopped, I just look at the sky, and the white clouds are still flowing. The movement was so sudden that everyone stopped at the same time and turned their attention to Lilan, and Asuna approached with her blue wings outstretched.

"Lilan, what's wrong?"

Lilane did not respond to what her friend Asuna said. If you look closely, the white and gold wolf ear hair stands upside down, and the tail is upside down. I looked at Celica and Shina, they were both Kate Sis with the same characteristics, but after all, only Lilan had this kind of thing, he was not Kate Sis.

"Hey, Lilan, what's wrong?"

"This sign is coming."

"Are you coming? What do you mean by coming? ”

Shino, a girl with light blue hair with the same ears and tail, my beloved, was taken aback and drew her sword from the scabbard at her waist. Everyone was surprised by the sudden sword, but Lilan stood up and shouted.

"It's coming!!"

Just as Lilan's voice drifted away in the wind, the sky in front of him suddenly lit up. Within a few seconds, I noticed that the light was getting stronger and louder, which I knew was due to the proximity of the light source.

As Lilan said, something must be approaching - we sensed it, we were used to SAo's contingencies, so we pulled out our weapons all at once, but at this moment, the light source was there. It's getting closer. There.

And the next moment, that light came to me, colliding with the crossed twin swords that I had raised in an instant. I felt a shock, like a high-speed moving weight hit me, and I stopped.

The impact made my hands numb and I couldn't open my eyes, but when I opened them, I saw a strange player. However, perhaps due to the strong shock, his vision became blurred, and he could not accurately capture his face.

"What...!?"

As soon as I said a word, the player left me, and the anxious voices of my companions reached my ears. Immediately after, Shino, who was a little far away from me, walked up to me and stopped me. At that time, my eyesight improved and I was able to see better.

\"Kirito, are you alright!? \"

"Oh, I'm fine. But "

Shino and I turned to face the player in front of me. I couldn't see it clearly, but now I know the identity of the player in front of me.

A mixture of gold, silver and jade, with chest-length hair and a long-sleeved white and green kimono, it can hardly be called a shrine maiden costume or a battle suit. He doesn't look like a normal player, with boots like witch's legs on his feet and a mask with a jade blood vessel pattern covering his face - this is the identity of the person who suddenly appeared. Collide with me. He held a strange dagger with a green rim in his hand.

"W-What kind of person is he?"

A female player who has never seen a face and can't confirm her face. If you only look at this trait, it is in line with the characteristics of the mysterious Tsuji duelist player that Lilan and Filia said, but I don't know if the mask and appearance are the same. So, when I turned to face Filia next to me, Lilan jumped between me and the masked player.

"Kirito, it's this guy! This was the guy who approached me at the time! \"

"Who's that guy!?"

"Oh! No doubt! This guy was at that time! ”

Next, Filia, who was about to speak to me, lined up next to me. The sharp gaze was aimed at the masked player in front of Lilan.

"Filia, that guy is! \"

"There's no doubt about it, Kirito. That's the Tsuji Duelist! You've finally come to us! \"

He suddenly pulled out his weapon and came in, I think it might be, but after all, that player was a popular Tsuji duelist. Of course, wearing clothes that can't tell whether it's a shrine maiden costume or a combat uniform, wearing a mask, and suddenly attacking oneself can be said to be a set of characteristics that naturally trigger a topic.

Then I immediately turned my attention to Tsuji Duelist and confirmed his player name. Race information is displayed near the masked player's face, and before the name, the player's name finally appears after it was discovered that he was an elf like Lifa and Kem.

[Harpy]

Maybe I've been playing games for a long time and I feel like I can read it in my head, so I move my mouth and spin to read.

"Hafia? \"

"Hafia, you say?"

The well-informed Shino reacted to my words. Even Shino, who hadn't played the game, seemed to understand what the word Harpy meant. I turned to Shino, who was looking at Hafia with a slightly surprised and confused expression, and shouted to her.

"Shina, Hafia. \"

"The Harpy is a type of monster that appears in Greek mythology. It's very common, isn't it, but you think you've given yourself a name that you should give to a monster"

"I don't see many monsters called Hafia." The reason for this is that monsters with wings on their hands and a female upper body and an eagle on their lower body are often referred to as harpies rather than harpies. And that monster called Harpy is also in SAo, and in this ALo, and I've been at war with it several times.

However, this player uses a similar name to Harpy as his own player name. Is this a manifestation of a ferocious monster?

"You, what's wrong? What is the purpose of the sudden attack on you? ”

I called to her, waiting for what I would hear, but the masked girl with the monster's name written on it didn't answer. Under normal circumstances, it is easy to imagine what kind of expression emerges under the mask. A window pops up.

"Hapia" VS "Kirito" character. Accept instructions for the duel. Hafia seemed to immediately launch a duel on Tsuji.

"I see, why didn't you hit me all of a sudden? Why don't you say something? If you don't say it, I won't know your purpose. ”

Hafia didn't seem to answer at all. Just then, when I raised my eyebrows at the fact that I didn't seem to know how to speak, Lilan turned around. He had a very serious expression on his face.

\"Don't do that, Kirito! This guy is going to kill you! \"

Everyone was taken aback by what came out of their partner's mouth. Of course, when I was in SAo, if the duel damage was very heavy, my HP would drop to zero, and sometimes I would even die. But that's because "SAo" is played wearing a machine called "Nerve Gear", which has enough power to burn the brain and is a game of death.

First of all, this ALo is played in Amusphere, which has no brain-burning abilities and is not a game of death. So losing a duel does not necessarily lead to death, and it can also be resurrected immediately.

However, there are times when Lilan still seems to feel like she is in SAo, and that's when he mistakenly believes that losing a duel will lead to death. Even Lilan's AI, even if their HP is reduced to zero in the game, will become incombatable.

"Hey, hey, that's not true. This game is not a game of death. Even my husband often says it

"Nope! This, this Hafia, is a smiling coffin Lapin coffin!! ”

"Oops" Smile Coffin!? ”

The name "Smile Coffin" came out of my partner's mouth. The guild that once existed in SAo specialized in murder was a gathering place for murderers and madmen. When I was in SAo, under the combined effect of various factors, I was completely wiped out under Lilan's hands. So it shouldn't be present in ALo.

Asuna must have thought the same thing as me, and shouted at Lilan with a confused expression.

"Run again, what do you say"

"From him, I felt the same presence as [Smile Coffin]. He's the same as [Smile Coffin]! ”

"I don't feel the same way as [Smile Coffin]."

Speaking of the characteristics of Hafia, they simply cover their faces and carry weapons. Or maybe it's just because my eyes are covered, so I can't discern it. However, since Lilan is highly sensitive to the existence of people, especially evil people, he does not lie, so the possibility that he is telling the truth cannot be ruled out.

Is Hafia really a survivor of the "Coffin of the Smile"?

"Hey, what the hell are you?" Do you really mean that you were once the "smiling coffin wood"? Are you saying you're the one who survived that "Smile Coffin Wood"? \"

The Girl in the Empty Mask didn't speak, just waited for me to accept the duel. I heard that it was a duel on Tsuji, so I thought it might be a warm guy like Yuki, or a brave guy like Eugene, but Hafia is just empty and doesn't make you feel anything, so why did he set up a duel? I don't even want to talk about it.

"No, but I don't want to accept a duel." On the contrary, I think other players often want to duel with such a mysterious guy.

"I'm sorry, Hafia. I can't suddenly accept a duel with you. I need you to tell me why you want to start the duel. \"

With that, I clicked the "No" button in the duel window instead of the "OK" button. To my surprise, Hafia, who had basically accepted the duel so far, looked up in anticipation of her reaction when the duel was rejected.

Without saying a word, Hafia slipped between me and Lilan and raised her dagger. Confused by the speed of being too fast, I once again took a defensive stance with my sword in both hands, and the crossed swords collided violently with Hafia's dagger.

A shrill metallic sound rang out, sparks flew everywhere, and as both my face and Hafia's mask were illuminated, Lilan realized that her back was being caught, turned around, and Shino left me in surprise.

\"Kirito!! \"

"This guy!?"

Listening to Shino and Lilan's surprised voices, I gritted my teeth and continued to draw strength from my sword. Although I did not accept the duel, Hafia's dagger approached me as mercilessly as if the duel had already begun.

At the same time, I heard Lifa's voice.

\"Big brother, this guy's goal is a penalty!! \"

“pK！？ Player kill!? ”

Come to think of it, it's easy to forget because I played so well with everyone, but this "Alfheim Online" itself is themed around a power struggle between nine races: salamanders, elves, water dings, gnomes, imps, Sprimagan, Kate Sis, goblins, and Pucas. It's designed to allow you to actively target and kill players of other races.

"This harpy was denied a duel, so she followed the rules and attacked me." I'm sure he'll chase me until he gets pK and keeps attacking.

"This guy! Everyone, let's fight! This guy is the enemy!! ”

As Lilan's commanding shouts rang out around her, Ariki slashed at Hafia from the side with his sword. Just before the blade was about to hit, Hafia turned to face Yuki, stepped back to dodge, and then spread her bright green wings belonging to Hilph, immediately distancing herself from us.

"I've done something similar, but I think Miss Hafia has a bad temperament. \"

When Yuki held the sword with a serious face, Kem, who could be said to be his retinue, raised his sword and moved his mouth, his face mixed with seriousness and confusion.

"Are you also an elf like me, and the fight outside of dueling with the race is not very good, but what should I do"

"Let's attack, Kem! This man is our enemy! ”

Lifa, who is of the same clan as Kem, raised her sword and prepared to cast her magic. I don't know what their purpose is, but since they have attacked us, we have no choice but to recognize them as enemies, and if they continue to attack us, we have no choice but to repel them, or destroy them. It was unwilling, but I had no choice but to fight.

Everyone seemed to understand this, and Crane and Egil flew, alternating attacks on Hafia with their swords and two-handed axes. In dungeons, you can't spread your wings, so you'll have to fight on land. It can be said that there is an advantage. No, to be precise, I can handle both land and air battles.

"What the hell are you!"

"Don't attack me suddenly!!"

Crane and Ekir's swords slammed into Hafia, who was on the defensive. The metals collided with each other with a sharp sound, and Hafia took a strong impact and stepped back a large bit. If you pay attention, you'll notice that its health drops dramatically, but no matter what, Hafia spreads her wings and starts running through the sky.

\"There is only one opponent, and there are many opponents here! As long as you're careful, you can always succeed—\"

When he was in SAo, he led the Holy Dragon Alliance, gave various instructions, and Diabel, who was evaluated as a battlefield commander, resounded in it. After all, when I'm fighting, I go back to the feeling I had when I was SAo – I thought it was the same as when I was SAo, and I was shocked when I looked back.

Hafia, who was still flying, suddenly appeared behind Diabel and pointed the dagger to Diabel's throat. Normally, when flying, you will hear the sound of the wind cutting and you will know that it is approaching, but Hafia did not make any sound and quietly approached behind Diaberu.

\"Clumsy Diabel, dodge!! \"

Before my voice could be heard, Hafia's green-light dagger reached Diaberu's throat, and the blade sliced Diaberu's throat. Diabel's weakness was torn open, and he let out a low scream, and his health instantly zeroed, and he fell into the air and turned into blue flames.

Flew silently and slit each other's throats. Judging by the way she fights, I guessed that Hafia had a powerful stealth skill, but when I realized it, I felt a chill down my spine.

"I know someone who fights like this." The way Hafia fought at that time was like a recreation of the scene at that time. However, its existence is ——!

\"Diabelsan!! \"

"Don't go, Mom! He's chasing you! ”

Asuna was amazed that her companions were unable to fight and was about to fly away, but Jupiter in her pocket stopped me. Hafia is good at fighting in a way that doesn't take it directly, and if you're not careful, your weaknesses can be exploited in the blink of an eye. I have to be careful not to let that happen. You will no longer need more subtle battles than boss fights.

"Everyone, be careful! This guy is strong!

Yes, just as I was giving instructions to everyone, a huge object passed me, and immediately after that, I found Hafia's body thrown into the sky. In the blink of an eye, the place where the harpy was just now was covered with white and red hair and shells, with four wings on her back, and a tail that looked like a giant sword, a dragon, and a dragon on her body. A long golden mane, a wolf silhouette running, and a horn like a holy sword growing from its forehead. - It's his partner Lilan, who appears in the form of a "demon".

"Lilan!?"

I didn't expect to start the battle in a "familiar" form, and it can be said that I was in the form of a wolf dragon that specializes in dealing with boss monsters, so I was so surprised that I didn't dare to move. And Lilan, as soon as he pushed Hafia away, immediately put the flames in her mouth, allowing him to easily imagine the next moment - a real scene in an instant.

"Explosion!! \"

During the SAo period, when facing powerful monsters, I would use a scorching beam of breath. It erupted from Lilane's mouth and swallowed Hafia almost as soon as the irradiation began. About three seconds later, the explosion occurred, and Hafia disappeared into it.

It's a surprise attack, but it's probably too lethal for the player - thinking so, I approached Lilanne and was surprised to notice the smoke left behind by the explosion that engulfed Hafia.

Hafia, who had endured such a big attack, thought that she had lost her ability to move and turned into a green flame, but instead of turning into a flame, she spread her wings and emerged from the smoke in her state.

"Uh, can't stand Lilan's breath! \"

Shiina, as surprised as I was, leaked a voice. Hafia may be the first player to take on Lilan's breath. It can be seen that Hafia also has considerable defensive capabilities. And in that hand, he also held the dagger that had incapacitated Diaberu.

"What the hell is this guy!? \"

Hafia, a player who covers her face with a mask, has the name of a monster, can fight like a certain being, and even has high defense.

Just when we thought it was alive after eating Lilan's breath, it suddenly turned to the right, facing backwards, and began to fly at an alarming speed. Like a meteor streaked across the night sky, it flew into the distant sky of Swartjärfheim.

"Hey, are you going to run away!?"

"I mean, I've run away."

Lizbet and Sirika were surprised by Hafia's unexpected move and raised their voices at the same time. I thought they would fight harder, but Hafia's action was to run away.

They flew suddenly, suddenly demanded a duel, attacked suddenly, and fled suddenly. Looking at the harpy that had suddenly flown away, Asuna shouted to me. - When I turned around, Diabel had unknowingly woken up safely. Asuna must have rushed over and used resurrection magic.

\"Kirito-kun had that just now, how to fight"

Hafia's means set up on Diaberu. I've seen players do this in SAo, and I've even fought them. However, it has become an existence unique to SAo, and it should not be possible to come to ALo. Why would the Harpy do such a thing? - I couldn't think of an answer even after I thought about it.

"I don't know what the hell a Harpy is?"

What I learned, however, is that Hafia's presence was added to the list of people to watch out for with Shamrock and Seven. You can't imagine when Hafia will show up, so you need to be very careful. —as I thought so, I stared at Hafia's vanishing sky.

"Hehe, the boss also put a very interesting thing, I didn't expect it to be able to reproduce."

"Moreover, even if the world changes, Mr. Black Swordsman's abilities will not weaken." I'm so happy. ”

"Well, today's target is Sister Kate next to her, it's "Archer Sniper".

"I see, I see, this thing is still useful at times like these. \"

After somehow getting rid of the mysterious Tsuji duelist Hafia, we return to the city to find the elven lord Sakuya, who is said to have an item that can read the books we obtained.

Therefore, because he is always near Sakiya, Kem, who has a way to know where Sakiya is, discovers that the location where Sakiya is now is one of the rooms of the inn used by the lord and guides us in the direction.

Although it can be used by ordinary players, it is a conspicuous inn with a luxurious interior reminiscent of Tokyo's ultra-luxury hotels, designed to be stayed only by lords. After checking it out with the previous Kem, we went to the room that Sakuya really used.

In front of Sakuya's room, I asked Keim, who was close to Sakuya, to knock on the door, and a few seconds later there was a sound and the door opened. When I was invited in, there was a woman with thigh-length dark green hair, wearing a battle uniform that resembled a day dress, and a busty woman with a sword at her waist, Sylph. That's Sakiya. Host.

Sakiya was surprised at first by the sudden arrival of us with a large group of people, but when Kem, whom I adored like an older sister, told us about the situation, he immediately grasped the request and began to analyze the book he was given. Tome. At that point, pull up an item from your storage that you've never seen before, like a magnifying glass.

"That thing is for reading letters, after all."

\"Ahh I expected that to be that kind of thing, but it turned out to be like this. \"

Sakiya spread the book out next to Kem and held up a magnifying glass to look at the problematic part. The two are of the same race in ALo, and although it is only the relationship between the lord and the close attendant, the current composition of the two looks like the big sister teaching the younger brother.

Come to think of it, when Lifa and Naoba were still in elementary school, they would ask me questions like this if they didn't understand something in their studies. Now that I'm fully grown, that kind of thing is gone, but when I think about it, I feel nostalgic. As I looked at the two of them like this, my sister Lifa, who had asked me about my studies, called out to Kem.

"What do you know, Kem?"

"Yes. I know what that device is. ”

As he spoke, the two brothers, who were like brother and sister, turned to face us, and Saki also pointed to the diagram drawn in the book. This is what Shino calls "the composition of a man riding on a wooden board".

"Obviously, here's the description of the device you found."

Sakiya's body vaguely exudes an aura of wisdom and explains to us.

"First of all, that device is actually a magical device capable of generating air currents." If you ride the air currents that blow from there, you can reach the floating island, and you'll need an item to activate the device.

I thought it might be a big deal, but when I tried to decipher it, I was disappointed to find that it looked like it was out of RpG, and I felt like I knew what I needed to do and felt refreshed.

At the same time, Shino, who was listening to me next to me, seemed to be most happy to find the figure, so she opened her mouth with an expression mixed with happiness and surprise.

"So that's it, and the mystery has finally been solved."

\"Ahh I thought it was going to the Floating Island, but now I understand. Now all that's left is to find the item that started the air flow generator, Sakiya-san, so what? \"

Sakiya closes the book for Kem to take it, then puts the magnifying glass back in the pantry. His mouth opens when he turns his dark green eyes to us, as dark green as his hair.

"It appears that this item is in a locked chest. Kirito-san, do you have anything you can bring here? \"

"Come to think of it, I have a rusty key.

"A rusty key, huh. Maybe I can use this. ”

"And then we couldn't help but be surprised." I thought that the item that Yuichi Sakiya had was a magnifying glass used to decipher books, but a second item appeared. Speaking of which, I'm starting to think that maybe there are some items that can only be obtained by players with lord privileges.

A bead of light came out of the storage room and appeared in the palm of Sakiya's palm, a hammer that felt a little bigger. However, it soon became clear that it was made of wood, not metal, and that it was not a tool for combat.

"Sakuya-san, that's it. \"

That's what Alyssa discovered. She said she didn't know what to do with it, so she almost imposed it on me, but maybe I could use it to get rid of rust. ”

At this time, Lizzebert, the hammer master of Yuiichi who runs a blacksmith shop, reacted, walked to Sakiya's side, shouted, took the gavel from Sakiya's hand, and began to stop.

"It's really a forged item.

"If I can find a use for it, I'll give it to you. Alyssa also said that if someone finds a use for it, give it to that person. ”

"Okay. I'm holding this. ”

When Sakiya called up the prop window and gently manipulated it, the ownership immediately shifted to Lizbet's hands. I was wondering what I would do if Sakiya made any conditions, but after all, I wasn't the kind of person who would do such a thing like Sister Kem. In gratitude to Sakiya, I bowed my head slightly.

"Thank you for everything you did for me.

"Hey, I can't leave you alone with Kem. If you guys are in trouble, ask me again. I will do my best to help you. ”

"Thank you, let me do it."

I thought he would be a very reliable guy because both Lifa and Kem relied on him, but I didn't expect him to get this far. Just when I thought I had found a reliable companion, I suddenly remembered the previous battle.

Hafia, the Tsuji duelist, suddenly attacked us. At that time, he was already an elf, and he also belonged to the elf clan, and Sakiya, who also tied the elves together, probably knew what kind of player Hafia was.

I couldn't help but ask Sakiya, who was talking to Lizzebet.

"Mr. Sakiya, do you know a player named Hafia?"

"Hafia? The official name of the Harpy is that is the player's name. ”

\"yes. I recently heard about the Tsuji Duelist. \"

I raised my eyebrows at Sakiya in confusion and told me in detail about the previous battle and Hafia. At the end of the story, Sakiya holds her chin in one hand.

\"Even the same kind of people can attack, and they wear masks?? I don't know such players. By the way, I don't even remember the name Hafia. Is it a runaway traitor, or is it really just a "thrill duel?" Are you a fighting player? ”

"It's the first time I've seen an elven player attack another elven race.

When Sakiya and Lifa approached, the word defector came out of their mouths. Even though we were already in ALo, we couldn't believe the words we had never heard.

"Runaway", as the name suggests, refers to players who have left their territory, and it seems that they are mainly players who are as free and uninhibited as possible. Most of the reasons are bad, though, such as wanting to commit crimes, not wanting to join forces with an entire race, or wanting to betray.

Hafia, who was attacking us at the time, duels with the players of Swartyarfheim one after another, and if they refused, they would attack us. He brandished his weapon, as if to indicate that he didn't ask any questions about race.

"It is difficult for a person who has abandoned the concept of territory to do such a thing."

"That is, Hafia is definitely a defector."

\"I think so, but what is the purpose of that harpy? It's like a monster that will arrange something like a Tsuji duel and then attack you if you refuse. \"

"That's why he has the name of a Warcraft like Hafia. And his goal should also include the adult Sakuya. \"

When Lilan said as she leaned her arms against the wall with her hands folded, Sakiya looked at him in surprise. Thinking about it now, I think Lilan's attitude now is very much like Alice's habit of speaking after a while.

"Are you going to target me too?"

"It's not so much that this is the case, but that the whole of Swatyarfheim, or all the players of ALo, have been targeted. It will be soon. ”

Kem temporarily got rid of Sakiya's squire and joined my ranks, turning to face Sakiya. Originally, Kem would stay by Sakiya's side and help Sakiya fight in an emergency, but now he can't do that. I'm sorry because I created it.

"Well, I'll be careful, but in the meantime, we're going to call the people around us and ask them to investigate Hafia. Be careful, don't be attacked again. ”

\"I see. Sakiya-san, please be careful. Also, thank you for your cooperation. \"

After thanking Sakiya, we left the lord's inn and headed towards the plaza. The breeze was blowing, and listening to the sounds of the various players, I turned my head to look ahead.

I found out that this device was used to go to floating islands, and at the same time, it wouldn't work without the item, and the rusty key was exactly what I needed to get the item. All that's left is to find the item with the rusty key. The purpose is clear.

With these things in my mind, I turned to face everyone.

"Okay, now that we know what we need to do, what are you going to do?

Then, I thought that the idea that we would soon be going to the dungeon turned out to be wrong. First, Filia and Sirika raised their hands to say that they wanted to go out to collect, and then Agil said that they would adjust the lineup of the store, etc., and said that they would go to the wild to collect monster materials. Pigger mentions that Yuki and Kem want to complete other tasks, and Lizz Bess raises her hand and returns to the store to see if the key can be regenerated.

Moreover, Asuna and Lifa said that they would take Shino to a store in the back alley, and Shino agreed, saying that he wanted to add.

Yui says she wants to go to the hotel because she has some relationships with Lilan, Streya, and Jupiter. Where is the strength of unity before? Everyone wants to do things and go different places.

"Therefore, I have decided to dissolve this party completely." I've decided to start the dungeon storm tomorrow morning and decided to have complete free time before then. When I told everyone, everyone happily accepted and dispersed.

"I don't know what dungeon exploration and item hunting will look like tomorrow." What kind of events will happen, and what kind of monsters will the three divine beasts of Volglynd come in the end? - While imagining what the future holds, we walked towards the shopping street of the Tiandu Line.

\"Hey, Asuna and Lifa, is there really a store over there?" \"

Shino is now accompanied by Asuna and Lifa, walking in the back alleys of the Rhine River in the heavenly capital. The streets and alleys of Tiandu are very intricate compared to the front, like a maze. Moreover, it feels a bit dark and damp, and there is even an illusion that air is attached to it.

Lifa smiled wryly and looked back at Shino, who must have sensed this too. At the same time, Asuna also stares at Shino.

\"You may find it hard to believe, but we do have a shop, Mr. Shino. \"

"yes, yes. I was skeptical at first, but there was a suitable store.

"And the cakes are so delicious." You can't see the cake shop in Einklad! ”

"Yes.

"Well, well, that's true. For me, the weakness of that store was that it was located in a suspicious back alley. ”

Asuna must have felt the same way, a wry smile on her face. In other words, the air is humid and sticky, and it is a place that girls do not want to pass through. Shino was tempted to criticize the developer for opening a delicious restaurant in such a place.

"It's not comfortable, but it's a very comfortable place, so let's go in early."

"Yes.

"Huh?

Although it is limited to the VR world, the first thing Shino has done recently when she finds a good restaurant or a stall and asks if she can order takeout. If I can make takeout, I will be able to feed Yui who is often absent and eat delicious food, and if I can't do this, I will have to eat alone, and I will feel sorry for Yui.

\"yes. If I eat something delicious by myself, I'll feel sorry for Yui anyway. So, if I can take it out, I'd like to buy it for Yui. \"

"I also know that I want to buy something delicious for Jupiter, and I will take it out and buy it for Jupiter today."

\"Well, for the sake of the Wrap-up and Jupiter-kun, we must rush to the store as soon as possible. \"

Shino nodded at Lifa's words and continued to walk behind Asuna and Lifa.

"What type of cake does that cake shop have? What type of cake should I buy for Yui? And when the cake is delivered, Yui will definitely have a lovely smile on her face - thinking about it as she walks down the dark alley with a voice ringing in her ears.

"Yo, I found it."

"Wow!"

Hearing a sudden scream from behind them, Asuna and Lifa stopped. Recalling her tone, it matched Shina's tone very well. - Maybe Shino stumbled.

\"Shino, what's wrong—\"

Asuna turned around, taken aback. Shi Na was still following her closely, but now there are only dark back alleys left, and there are no girls with light blue hair and cat ears like Shi Na. Lifa seemed to notice this as well, and looked around in confusion.

\"Are you Shino? \"

\"Shino-san? Shino-san, where have you been? \"

No matter how I searched, no matter how I called her, there was no trace of Shino, and there was no response. There was only a dimly lit back alley.

I had just left the shopping area and was back in front of the hotel. When I checked my belongings some time ago, I found that there was a lot of consumption of recovery items, magic items, crystal items, etc., probably because I was recently captured. I figured that if I continued to go to the dungeon, I would soon run out of things, so I went straight to the tool shop in the mall and bought a set of recovery items there.

I was a little worried about my money at the time, but maybe it was because I completed various tasks and sold unwanted weapons to a pawnshop run by Egil, so the money I wasted wasn't a big deal at all. Well, if I run out of money every time I collect recovery items, I simply can't continue, so this state is also natural.

"But now you can challenge the dungeon." Since it's my precious free time, why don't I go to the dungeon alone?

In the foyer of a Scandinavian hotel, at a table in the corner sat my daughter Yui, her sister Streya, Asuna's son Jupiter, and my partner Lilan. is a different person from them.

A tall woman with shiny long black hair and a white coat, large breasts like Strea and reddish-brown eyes. Just as I was about to shout the name, Yui noticed me and beckoned to me.

"Ah, Daddy!"

As soon as Yui finished saying this, everyone I saw turned around, and the woman also turned around and looked at me. Then, I finally called out the man's name.

"Mr. Alice"

\"Hey Kirito-kun. You're finally logged in. \"

I immediately rushed to Yui and the others to face Alice. In this world, there are many cases where the appearance of the real world and the virtual character is different, but Alice has almost the same appearance as the real world after all.

"Alice Sand is the one who has time to log in. \"

"Ahh Work is going well, and now I can log in to ALo on my days off, so I should be able to hang out with you more in the future. ”

As Alice said this, a girl stood at her feet. A girl with long reddish-purple silver hair, a headdress, white clothes, and silver eyes that match her hair. Quinella is the younger sister of Lilan and Jupiter, as well as the older sister of Yui and Streya.

He was shorter than Yui, and when I was fascinated by his innocent and cute appearance, his gaze turned to me with a smile on his face.

\"Kirito Arai-san\"

"Oh, Quinella is here too, it's nice to see you again."

When I said that, Quinella had a big smile on her face, probably because she was so happy to see me. Just looking at it, I felt like I had a natural smile on my face. However, Quinella and I only laughed for a few seconds, and I immediately looked up at Alice, who could be called her parents.

"Alice Sand, when did you log in?

\"I logged in a few minutes ago. As usual, I set out from where I came, and when I left the room, I ran into Yui and them. You guys show up. \"

Alice chuckled softly. Come to think of it, I've been thinking about it for a while, but I feel that Alice's eyelashes are longer. Is it because my virtual character is set up like this, or because I have a long physique from the beginning, so I set it myself up like this - just as I was thinking this, I looked at Alice's face and heard Yui's voice in my ears.

"Ah, yes, Daddy. I want to tell my dad something important from now on. ”

"The important story? Did something happen? ”

"Yes.

"It's hard to talk about...... Sounds like a very serious story. ”

Ye Xiu's face was slightly solemn. When I talk about the world itself or anything important at SAo, that face is the same.

"If you look like that, it's like something from that world."

"Yes.

"In that case, let's use the room I use. I still have the key, so if I am in the room, I don't have to worry about being bugged. Moreover, this can also include me. Even in that world, I could. "I'm one of the developers

Admittedly, Yui and they, like Alice, know a lot about that world. Alice's value in the story is quite high. Yui, one of Alice's daughters, seemed to understand this and nodded at Alice.

"Well, I'll rent Alice Sand's room. \"

"Okay, follow me."

With that, Alice walked towards her room, and we followed her. That's how I arrived at the room that Alice had checked out for me. When I entered the room and closed the door, Alice brought chairs for the right number of people, placed them near the table, and sat down first.

Afterward, when I sat down in the same way, Alice crossed her hands in front of her lower abdomen, made a speaking gesture, and opened her mouth.

"Then Yui. The world you're talking about is definitely Ayn Grant. \"

"Yes. I don't have it anymore, but about Ayn Grant. \"

Ayn Grant. Another real world created by Akihiko Kayaba is the stage for the death game that has trapped us for more than two years. That place has now been demolished and no longer exists anywhere in the online world, but that world still has a lot of mysteries and a lot to worry about. That's why I'm so interested in the story of Ayn Grant's past.

"So, what kind of story are you talking about?"

"That's it, but sister, please go first."

Yui's partner Lilan nodded, and then came face to face with me. As usual, her eyes were as rosy as rubies.

"Kirito, when I was still called Martell, I told you that I got my lost data in order to heal myself. \"

\"Ahh Thanks to this, I was able to become a human dragon when I was in SAo. And you have become like this now, which is also affected by the loss of data. \"

"Lilan's name, Lilan, was given by me, and his real name is different." Lilan's real name is Martell, and her real identity is mhhp mdouble., an ultra-advanced AI mental health treatment program that became the origin of mhcp for Yui and others. However, MHHP originally did not have the tail and ears of a beast, but since Lilan incorporated the data of a wolf dragon called the Empress Dragon, it had the ears and tail of a wolf, so to speak, it looked like a female werewolf. has turned into a figure.

\"That's right. I've always been curious about that lost data area, though. When you were in school, I asked Yui to analyze my memories. \"

"Memory analysis? Can you do it? ”

"I can do it. We are artificial intelligence, so memory is data. So, if you analyze it, you can understand what kind of memory it is. ”

Hearing Streya's explanation, I had an inexplicable conviction. It's true that Lilan looks just like humans, but since they're artificial intelligence, their content is data. Therefore, the details can be grasped by analyzing the memory. This is the prerogative of artificial intelligence.

"I see. So, do you understand something? ”

"Yes. It seems that the lost data warehouse used by my sister is not just a warehouse. \"

When the person who explained passed the baton from Liran's hand to Yui, Yui's face became a little serious. It seems that we have finally gotten to the heart of the matter.

"The lost data storage used by my sister doesn't throw lost data like a trash can, it's a secret area for development testing."

"Secret development zone? What do you mean? ”

\"Ah, I see! What the hell are you trying to say? \"

"Alice suddenly had an idea." Suddenly startled by this sudden sound, I unconsciously turned around.

"Alice, what's wrong?"

"The secret development zone is a place where various experiments are carried out in order to realize the new elements that are being developed. That game was originally developed as a regular VRmmoRpG until Mr. Kayaba made it a death game. There are a lot of RpG-like things. ”\"

"All items, weapons, skills that appear in SAo are tested and imported before implementation. The place where the data is stored and the experiments are conducted is what my sister calls the warehouse. \"

Yui followed Alice and explained lightly. Just like when she was at SAo, Yui can sometimes see some of Alice's qualities. Every time I saw it, I knew that Yui was created by Alice.

Then there is the data after the new form of Lilan Dragon, which has been given a new form since SAo. Judging from Yui's story, the Dragon Queen may not be the lost data, but the data that is planned to be implemented in the future in Ayn Grant.