"I'm fine, Mom."

“... Jupiter...? ”

As soon as Jupiter's voice rang out, I felt something hit my back. Jupiter's hands were behind her back, gently clutching her clothes.

"I don't know because I don't remember what happened, but I'm not going to do that again. I won't make her feel bad or sad anymore. I don't want to. It won't happen if it wins. ”

"Really?"

"It's true. So rest assured, Kasan. I won't make you sad or miserable anymore. I promise. \"

Even though he looked younger than everyone else and could only do that, his son's voice gave a strong sense of centrality. Because I held her to my chest, my voice was a little low, but listening to every word in my ear, I felt the anxiety and fear swirling in my chest disappear at once.

The man who turned Jupiter into a terrible monster is gone. So Jupiter will never be like that again. They don't hurt anyone and they don't go crazy. What Asuna knew, but that was gone, froze in Asuna's chest again.

Asuna hugged the child to her chest and took a deep breath. I breathed a sigh of relief as the scent of the child wafted into my nose, inhaled into my chest, and spread.

\"yes. Jupiter won't do that anymore. I'm well aware of this, but if I \"

Asuna felt Jupiter's smile in her breast, remembering when she had been here. By the time I woke up from the nightmare and started Amusphere, it was already around 2:30 a.m. and everyone was already asleep. Of course, before doing so, Jupiter had slept soundly - or rather, he was just turning off his consciousness and sorting out the internal data, so he wasn't really asleep - though he wasn't really asleep. The word.

"I'm sorry to come at this time and become like this. You're sleepy, aren't you, Jupiter? ”

Jupiter nodded in his chest. Soon, the intense drowsiness that had just flown away hit her, and Asuna couldn't help but yawn. Since the login is not for the strategy or the game, she has to quit and go to sleep, but Asuna does not want to leave Jupiter's side.

"After breathing a sigh of relief, I'm sleepy too, Jupiter, do you mind if I continue to sleep?"

"Well, I want to sleep with you too."

"Let's do this, shall we?"

Reaffirming Jupiter's nod, Asuna first put Jupiter on the bed, and then immediately lay down on the same bed herself, covered with the quilt. Because Jupiter had already used it, the inside of the quilt was warm and comfortable, and I felt like I could fall asleep right away.

"Jupiter is really warm"

"Mom, you're warm too, so I love you, Mom."

"Yes. I love you too, Jupiter."

Jupiter chuckled and closed his eyelids again. After a few seconds, he sighed deeply and began to sleep.

After about ten seconds of looking at her beloved child's sleeping face, Asuna gently reached out and stroked his cheek. A certain warmth and softness flows through your fingertips and palms, gradually spreading throughout your body.

The kid had lost his temper before, but only once. Such a tragedy will never be a tragedy again.

- That's just what happened in a dream, and it is impossible for this child to disappear into reality again.

Realizing this, Asuna slowly closed her eyes and let sleepiness wash over her body.

"Kendo Origins" second Odrobe Great Forest

Kirito and his party managed to defeat the boss in the deepest part of the Ryutria steppe and gain access to the next area.

The name of the new area is Aldrob Great Forest. I knew the name before I went, but I didn't have the conditions to go at the time, so I decided to wait until later to actually go.

The next day, when they actually came to see it, they were both surprised and moved. As the name suggests, it's a big forest, but from the first area you enter, there are already a lot of trees and huge plants growing luxuriantly, and there is a small river flowing at your feet, just like what you see in the real world. Although you can see it, it is difficult to get there, giving you a sense of the majesty of nature.

However, if you look up the names of the regions, you will find that they are all very eerie, such as "Dark Green of Darkett", "Stragize's Dirty Springs", "Hendlin Dark Forest", where nature and evil coexist. He certainly told me that this field exists in the world.

\"Asuna, how much longer? \"

"There are three more, and if there are three more, the mission is accomplished."

Asuna and a few friends went to a corner of the Great Odrob Forest, where the sky was covered with branches and leaves that stretched from the trees, and the sun barely shone, so it was pitch dark.

Quests also increase in tandem with the opening of new areas, from deliveries to hunting, and I'm working on one of them, delivery quests. The content is very much a delivery quest in which you are asked to deliver special items that can be collected in rare cases from collection points scattered throughout the Great Aldrob Forest.

It's not like you're fighting monsters, and it's not going into some dangerous trap area, so it's a quest that even beginners can complete, and one that can be done if one wants to. However, due to the rarity of items, it is more difficult than expected for one person to ship multiple items, and if it is not done well, it can take more than a day.

From the time of SAo, Asuna knew how difficult it was to run around the vast fields alone in search of items that needed to be delivered, and she called out to a few friends and asked them for help. He gathered friends who were willing to listen to his request and continued the mission.

The number of items to be transported is ten, and Asuna, through her own exploration and the cooperation of her companions, has collected seven, and the task is almost complete.

"I didn't expect you to be the first to buy a house, though."

Shino was one of the people who explored the densely vegetated forest, and as she said this, Lilan next to her looked around and nodded.

\"yes. We were also looking for the house, but we didn't expect Asuna to pass by. \"

Asuna said to Lilan.

Asuna, who usually engages in exploration and hunting missions, did the gathering mission to buy a house in the residential area of the City of Origin.

The City of Origin is made up of several areas, such as the commercial area with Lizbet's shops and shops operated by other NPCs, the portal plaza with the Black Iron Palace, and the residential area, which is very numerous. Money. Now you can own a house as long as you have the property ready.

One day, Asuna and Jupiter go there together, and the streets are lined with towns that look like model houses from the real world, but one of the houses catches her eye.

The exterior of the house looks almost indistinguishable from the others, but what caught Asuna's attention was its interior. It is a two-story building with a living room, dining room and kitchen on the first floor and bedrooms on the second floor.

It's no different from other houses, but the atmosphere is similar to the house I stayed in when I was in SAo, and it felt very comfortable.

This world is the origin of 'SAo', and there must be a city corresponding to the 56th floor of Ayn Grant where they live, Grantham. Until she found a place to live, Asuna thought and decided to buy the house and set out on a mission to save up the necessary 200,000 klu.

The purpose of the companions who followed him was also different, with Lizbet, Sirika, and Lifa all in search of the ore for forging and the favorite food of the 'familiar Pina'. Obviously, it was to find items and materials, and the rest of Kirito, Shino, and Lilan were just to explore the realm. By the way, he also cooperated with Asuna's mission.

"But you should still have a house. Asuna has Jupiter. \"

"Just like my pina, you don't need to go into the storage space when you log out."

Lizbet and Sirika said as they reached for the grass where the target might be hidden.

Honestly, Jupiter was the main reason why I decided to buy a house in the City of Origins. Since players can leave the game by logging out, they don't need to own a house in the game.

However, Relan, Jupiter, Yui, and Strea are constantly logging in for as long as the game is running, and they sleep in the hotel more often than the other players.

Unsurprisingly, using the hotel all the time is not good for the in-game economy, and most importantly, Jupiter needs a place where he can spend his time in relaxation and comfort, away from other players. With that in mind, Asuna is considering buying a house in the City of Origins.

Unexpectedly, Lizbet, Sirika, Lifa, Filia, Shino, Kirito, Lilan, and Argo will all join in the quest for this purpose.

"As I said before, I'm sorry, everyone. I ended up having to deal with my situation. ”

"Okay, okay, if you continue to explore like this, you may find some unexpected treasures, and I've accepted the collection task."

"Field research is one of the foundations of being an informant, and the price of map information is also very high, so I'm actually glad you invited me."

Filia smirked retorted, and Argo chimed in.

It seems that before Asuna invited them, the two had already started their respective collection and exploration missions, and as soon as they arrived in this realm, they began their respective explorations together.

However, perhaps because they are treasure hunters and informants, the two also have a high ability to find rare items, and before finding the item they are looking for, they first found the item that Asuna needed, and won four out of ten pieces. It achieves one thing. It can be said that thanks to the blessings of these two people, the progress of the mission is progressing quite smoothly.

However, before embarking on this mission, Asuna thought that "Lilan" would help advance the mission. Lilan has both a werewolf form and a werewolf form, and in the werewolf form, all of his attributes will surpass the player.

And the base wolf in its werewolf form is an animal with a very good sense of smell, and it should be able to easily spot any rare item through its sense of smell.

Thinking so, Asuna made Lilan transform into a wolf dragon form on the spot, but the idea was too naïve.

After taking the werewolf form, Lilan's sense of smell has indeed become more acute, but he is not very easy to find rare items. On the other hand, Lilan, who is in the form of a wolf dragon, has a huge body, and her feet will smash the collection point, which will get in the way, and she has no advantage.

Eventually, Asuna asks Lilan to find her in werewolf form and asks him to help her with her mission. Lilan seemed to feel sorry for this, and for a moment, he pitifully knocked off the wolf's ears that were erected upwards.

Watching everyone walk towards the collection point, I was about to reach for the collection point under my feet, when suddenly a voice came.

When I turned around, Plemir, the petite girl who accompanied Kirito and Shino on her mission, had already approached. Hands on chest, something pressed on them.

"Asuna, I've found what I'm looking for. \"

"Eh, really!?"

I was surprised to run to the Prime Minister and found the true face of what she was holding. The colorless and transparent honey comes in a small, uniquely shaped bottle. The items needed to complete the quest have a wide range of names, such as "Hot Honey of the Great Forest". This is the eighth.

"That's it, Prime Minister! You've found it! ”

"I looked around at the grass and saw a flower, and when I touched it, it came out. I think there are two left. ”

\"yes. Thanks to the Prime Minister, there are two more. \"

She smiled when the Prime Minister received the desired item and put it away. Just as Asuna was about to close the window, she stopped.

The time is displayed in the window of the basic menu, and it is said that it is more than 15:00.

I started this task after 1:00 p.m., so it's been two hours. Until now, everyone has been gathering food and fighting monsters in their way, and there is no rest, and I think I am starting to get a little tired.

After closing the window, Asuna shouted to the scattered crowd.

"Guys, let's take a break here, it's been a while, but we need to take a break too."

As if Asuna's idea was right, everyone replied in unison, "I agree!" ”

In addition to the dense trees, there are many monsters in the Odrob Great Forest, but the monsters here have been hunted before they can be gathered, so the area is almost the same as the surrounding area. It's a perfect place to rest.

Hearing Asuna's call, the girls gathered together, including a boy, took out their drinks and began to drink, saying things like "I'm a little tired" to each other. Among them, the one who did not leave Asuna's side was the prime minister who had just given her the items she wanted.

"Prime Minister, what's wrong?"

"Let's put it this way, I'm a little hungry and I want a snack."

When did it happen, or did anyone tell you? We see a noticeable change in Premier. The point is that the amount of food I eat is gradually getting bigger.

This was not the case in the past, but recently, the prime minister began to feel hungry and asked for snacks and light meals while out on a mission or walking around the city.

And that's not all. Asuna and her family often ate with the Prime Minister, but each time the Prime Minister ate more and more.

The premiere of such changes quickly determined who was to blame for all this, but Asuna and others decided not to worry and to go with the prime minister's appetite.

Moreover, the Prime Minister has just said that he wants to have a snack, which is perfect for Asuna.

"It's already three o'clock, and this time I have something to eat for the prime minister."

With that, Asuna manipulated the inventory and summoned two items into her hand.

A small piece of black bread and a small silver bottle, these are cheap ingredients that are rightfully available in food stores in the City of Ancestors. When a set of settings that were special to Asuna but difficult for others to understand began to appear, the Prime Minister tilted his head, and everyone came over with a look of curiosity.

"Is this the brown bread sold in the city?"

"That's right. But that's what you use to make brown bread. ”

As the Prime Minister's gaze turned to the silver vial, Asuna touched it with her fingertips. When you click the "Use" button in the small window that brings up, your fingertips will glow a little purple once the window closes.

After confirming that I had entered the "target designation mode", I touched the black bread with my fingertips, and at that moment, I noticed that the plain black bread was filled with milky cream.

Staring at the situation in front of him, the prime minister moved the corners of his mouth slightly.

"This is"

"Yes, Prime Minister. Give it a try. ”

When Premir took the creamed brown bread that Asuna had handed her, she stared at it as if she were looking at something mysterious. But then it opened its mouth and took a careful bite.

The next moment, the Prime Minister looked a little surprised, then smiled and began to eat the cream and black bread. It seems that this is the exact opposite of not tasty.

"What, Prime Minister? \"

"Hehe, hehe"

Perhaps surprised by its deliciousness, the Prime Minister quickly ate two or three bites of the creamy black bread and finished it in less than a few seconds. Asuna looked around and saw that people were looking at her with envy, and she smiled wryly.

"Don't show that expression, we've got enough food for everyone, you can try it."

As with the premiere, I brought out black bread for everyone and as many small silver bottles as I could, and my friends took them as if to say they were already waiting, like Asuna's demonstration. Use small bottles on brown bread.

They muttered, spread a lot of cream on the coarse bread, and bit down with mouths of various sizes. After chewing and swallowing until the sucking sound could almost be heard, the girls looked at each other in surprise and excitement, and finally Lizbet and Lifa spoke.

"Wow, this one is delicious!"

"Wow! It's so delicious! ”

Following the two, other friends also made emotional voices. Asuna listened to every voice, and a feeling of happiness welled up in her heart. I think there might be some people who don't like it. Her worries turned out to be unwarranted, much to Asuna's relief and joy.

Seeing his friends look at each other as they look at each other, Argo, who knows the game and the world best, comes to Asuna's side. He held in his hand a half-eaten piece of brown bread with cream on top.

\"A-chan, what is this? Is it an original dish of A-chan? \"

"No, I'm just using items that can be obtained by doing quests in the City of Origin, and black bread is also something that can be bought in the City of Origin."

"Really!? What is that mission? Let me know if you can! The information on this set menu will sell at a high price! ”

When Asuna smiled bitterly at Argo's pleading, Kirito, a black-haired swordsman who had known Argo for a long time, came to her side.

"This combination has been around since SAo. It's strange that Argo didn't know. \"

\"Oh, Kirito-san, you know about it, too. \"

\"Ahh In SAo, this cream can be obtained by completing the quest "Counterattack Cow". Moreover, after that, it became an item sold in the store, so I also collaborated with Shino. I used to eat a lot before I met Lilan. "SA:o" is a game of the world on which "SAo" is based, so I guess that's a factor as well. ”

Hearing Kirito's words, Asuna couldn't help but tilt her head. Kirito was known as the Black Dragon Swordsman in SAo, and later served as the president of the "Knights of the Blood Contract", a guild to which he belonged. Argo reacted to Kirito.

"Ah, now that I think about it, I don't have any information about it. However, there is no information about this food at all. ”

"I think so. Unless you're genuinely interested, you won't notice anything like this. The task itself takes a long time to complete and is quite tedious. ”

The informant's conversation with the Black Dragon Swordsman seems to be a reminiscence of their time at SAo, but they seem to understand what is happening, but they cannot. I understand what he's talking about how to get the cream, but it's completely different from when Asuna first got the item.

Probably sensing that something was wrong with Asuna, who had been tilting her head, Shino who was standing next to Kirito shouted at him.

"Asuna, what's wrong? \"

"Uh, ah, yes"

"Asuna, what's wrong? \"

The next person to call me was Filia, and her face looked like she was looking at something strange. There seemed to be a strange sensation on my face. Realizing this, Asuna shouted to Argo, who was talking to Kirito.

"Hey, Mr. Argo. I hope you can tell me everything you remember, but is this a way to get this creamy Yui? \"

"Huh?"

Seeing Argo's shocked expression, Asuna remembered her encounter with the creamed black bread and asked Argo.

About two years ago, the frontier of conquering SAo was still in its infancy. After cursing himself every day for wearing the Nerve Gear in his brother Koichiro's room, he ran out of the hotel room with his rapier in hand, intending to escape from Ayn Grant, fight monsters, and play games. I started spending time struggling with that.

One day, as I continued to walk in the wilderness of mmoRpG, I didn't know anything about mmoRpG.

At that time, Asuna, in order to improve her level as much as possible and become stronger, grabbed what she thought was the easiest to use rapier, infiltrated dungeons everywhere, and fought monsters one after another.

You hunt and hunt hordes of dozens or even hundreds of monsters, greedily collecting experience points, and desperately trying to level up your level and your own combat abilities. This was Asuna's daily life at that time.

Tired of this daily life, I decided to stay at the inn in the "City of Beginnings" instead of the country house on the first floor. Something she couldn't see appeared. Visit Asuna.

A table in my room with a simple interior reminiscent of the medieval European countryside. It can often be seen in inns in the City of Origin and other cities. However, at that time, Asuna was staying at the hotel, and there was a specific set of props on the table.

It was the dry black bread that could be bought in a Kore in the City of the Ancestors, and a small silver bottle. Memo paper objects are attached near the program,

"Please use this jar for bread. Eat that and rest.

Just wrote a word. Brown bread with a note and a small silver bottle on it. Asuna didn't understand what that meant.

I don't know if it's room service that is unique to this hotel. Anyway, I wonder what it's like to get a piece of brown bread in the City of Ancestors that you can buy for just one kore.

Asuna was stunned, picked up some black bread, and tried to use the small silver bottle. When I go into the "Target Selection Mode", I try to use it on black bread with cream piled on top of black bread. I was already surprised, but what surprised me even more was the taste of the brown bread with cream on top.

Perhaps because you can buy it for one won, the brown bread has no added flavor, and it is dry and coarse, so it is not delicious. However, when I tried to use the cream taken from the small bottle, it turned into a country-style cake with a thick texture.

Moreover, this cream is sweet and smooth, with a yogurt-like sour taste. The taste is absolutely delicious. After confirming this, Asuna immediately began to eat.

The creamy black bread provided in the room of the friendly inn really filled Asuna's stomach and chest at that moment, and made her determined to work hard tomorrow.

It can be said that the later strategies and battles were all due to the cream and black bread of the time.

However, Asuna later discovered some anomalies. I missed the taste of that brioche bread, so I went to the same guesthouse after eating the first floor, but they didn't offer the same brown bread and cream set as at the time. No matter how many times I passed by, the brown bread and cream didn't come.

I can't eat that cream brown bread anymore. Am I not able to stuff that feeling of filling my heart and pushing me back into my cheeks anymore? I will never forget the feeling of despair and disappointment I felt at that time.

However, when I returned to the item store in the City of Starts, I found that they sold the same cream as the guesthouse's room service, so everything was fine. Asuna continued to enjoy the creamy brown bread until Ayn Grant was cleared.

\"And so I learned about Mr. Argo, a brown bread with cream on it, and you know about it? \"

Argo and everyone listened to me until the end, leaving some personal opinions. However, at the end of the story, Argo appears a little confused—or rather desperately trying to recall something.

"The ground floor guesthouse has room service that I haven't heard of. At least that's not what A-chan says in my profile. \"

"I think so. I wonder if anyone else knows something too. ”

In addition to Argo, my friends had a similar reaction. It seems that not everyone has access to room service. Kirito among them, holding his chin with his hand, said thoughtfully.

"I remember using that place as well, but this is the first time I've heard of room service like this. Also, you can get things that you can only get unless you complete the quest, and you have to meet some people with special conditions. I guess so. "I've thought about it a lot, but I still don't understand it, and besides, it's not over yet."

The second mystery of this creamy black bread takes place after the encounter with Jupiter.

I don't remember how long the front was at that time, but at one point, Asuna took a break from the battle and went shopping with Jupiter to Ayn Grant's "City of Beginnings".

As they marched through the city, which had been liberated from the tyranny of the Ayn Grant Liberation Army and regained its former vigor, Asuna asked Jupiter, "Do you have anything to want?" Jupiter looked a little worried, and asked Asuna to go to a store.

Following this request, they went to the food store that is still in use today, and this is exactly where Jupiter wanted. A set that will allow you to recreate the brown bread with cream on top. I still vividly remember how surprised I was at that moment.

After buying it, Jupiter expertly spread cream on the brown bread and took a bite with relish. Of course, Asuna asked him why he bought it, but Jupiter replied, "I like this." I remember it as my favorite food. He just said, "I don't know anything else." ”

"Wait, is Jupiter there too?"

Lizzebert looked surprised, but the expressions of the others were mostly similar. Next, Celica ate the brioche bread, took a deep sip, and asked.

"Isn't that what Miss Asuna taught you?" \"

"Before I taught you, Jupiter said he wanted to eat this."

\"Have you asked Ms. Alice? Teacher Alice is the one who created Lilan and Jupiter, so I'm sure she should have asked about it. \"

Of course, what Shino said has already been done. However, when I asked Alice, she only gave me a vague answer: "Jupiter is learning a lot of things I don't know, so I guess he knows in the process." "She didn't. Don't give me any specific information. In fact, there may be some parts of Jupiter that even Alice doesn't know.

When I told her about this, Shiina's expression was ugly.

"Brown bread topped with cream was Jupiter's favorite food, and I felt like I might have something, but I couldn't remember it. Lilan didn't know what it was. You're brothers and sisters with Jupiter, aren't you? ”

"I don't quite understand either, in fact, my favorite food is apples, but Jupiter doesn't seem to know, we don't know each other very well."

As she said this, Lilan was munching on the creamed brown bread with relish. From that look, I knew that Liran also had the senses to think that Jupiter's favorite food was delicious.

In the end, I didn't quite understand the relationship between Jupiter and the black bread with cream on it, and I didn't know why it seemed the way it was at the time. Still, the cream bread was delicious, and most importantly, it was my favorite as a son and mother.

It can be said that it is a good thing for parents and children to share their favorite foods. Asuna thought that her relationship with Jupiter must be good, and she looked up.

"I see. But it doesn't matter, I just need to know what Jupiter likes to eat. ”

"You're right, it's better to know what you like than not to know what you like!"

Rifa's smile made Asuna nod. At the same time, I felt the corners of my mouth go up. Immediately after, finding that everyone had finished eating the cream and black bread handed by Asuna, Kirito spoke.

"Okay, let's take a break and continue our mission."

The crowd understood this and continued to the collection points scattered throughout the site.

"Hey, Shino. \"

Shiina, a little surprised by the sudden call, turned around. It was Lizbet, who was looking for a material collection point, and her face looked a little complicated.

"What's wrong, Liz?"

"It's about Asuna, isn't that girl very fond of Jupiter? \"

Lizbet said as she looked at Asuna's back, a little farther away.

What Lizbet said was not incomprehensible.

Indeed, these days Asuna hears Jopiter's voice as soon as she speaks, and when she goes to the store, she wonders if she likes Jupiter, and when she goes to the food store, she thinks about whether she should buy something. Did. Whether it's reality or VR.

"Indeed, that girl may have been bringing up the topic of Jupiter all the time lately."

\"Really? It's true that Jupiter is cute, kind, and a good listener, so I can understand why people would like him but anyway, I'd say Asuna spoils Jupiter too much. \"”

Lizzebet's face grew uneasy.

Asuna's love for Jupiter can be said to come from the heart, and Shino thinks she knows how much Asuna cares about Jupiter. Although it makes them look like idiots from the outside.

There's a reason why Shino would never see Asuna as an idiot or a stupid parent, though. Before he could finish speaking, Lilan, who was standing to his right, spoke.

"Liz, Asuna's situation is not surprising either. \"

“？”

Looking at the stunned Lizbet, Lilan looked at Asuna with scarlet eyes. It was as if he was reminiscing about a certain day.

"As he healed Asuna's mind, he poured out everything he thought. This may be something we can't understand, and Asuna herself may not want to talk about it, but Asuna is forced to live. \"A life bound by her parents, only conditional love, made her crazy and miserable.

Then, after being released, I met Jupiter, who gave me love unconditionally. For Asuna, Jupiter is the light of hope.

As soon as Lilan's words fell, Shino finally said what was in her heart and asked Lilan to follow.

\"Liz, do you remember the final boss of the battle on the 100th floor of Ayn Grant? \"

“！”

Lizbet's face turned to surprise. The final boss monster fights on the 100th floor of Ayn Grant. Named "Emperor Dragon Zeus", it was originally prepared as the secret boss of "SAo", and it did not appear in Ayn Grant.

The person who summoned this by illegal means was Alberridge/Nobuyuki Suga, who had a relationship with Asuna in real life - he could be called a "fugitive" at the time. Moreover, in order to transform "Emperor Dragon Zeus" into a more powerful being, Sugo took a heinous move to destroy the mind and build on Jupiter, who was transformed into a combat AI.

The battle with Sugo's "Emperor Dragon Zeus" was fierce, and in the end, they won, but Asuna painted the final blow to Jupiter, who transformed into "Emperor Dragon Zeus". Her beloved son was suddenly snatched from her and turned into a fighting weapon, forced to fight, and finally she ended it all with her own hands, and the person who caused it was the one she was going to marry.

It is no exaggeration to say that Asuna was hit the hardest in that battle. With that, a sad expression gradually appeared on Lizbet's face.

\"I see, as if Jupiter had been killed in front of Asuna's eyes\"

"Moreover, before the implementation of Swat Alfheim in ALo, Asuna was not so energetic. Even when she was talking to us, it was as if she was forcing herself to regain her energy. Jupiter's absence is the most painful. "Asuna's business."

Just as "Svard Alfheim" was being implemented, Asuna realized what she had transformed from "SAo", and Jupiter reappeared with its contents. Asuna began to talk about Jupiter incessantly.

Recalling what had happened before, Shino put her right hand on her left arm and whispered.

So I understand the girl's feelings. I can't stand it if that happens to Yui. \"

"I thought the missing child was still alive, but it's not surprising that things turned out like this."

Lizbet's gaze turned to Asuna again.

Asuna is doing a lot to get her baby back, and she's thinking about him all the time. This shows that he doesn't want to lose Jupiter anymore.

Asuna considers Jupiter to be her biological child and pours out her sincere love for him. That's why. Shiina, realizing this again, calls out to Liz Bate again.

"Asuna is also for her precious children, so let's support her too." \"

Lizbet and Lilan nodded silently and returned to the rendezvous point again. "Wow!"

Jupiter rushed in and felt dry.

"City of Origins", 18:30.

Asuna and Jupiter are now located in a residential area of the City of Origins, scattered among the houses. With everyone's cooperation, Asuna successfully completed the task and received the reward.

This is the final work, and Asuna's Kol has reached the point where she can buy the house of her choice. After thanking everyone and returning to town, Asuna hurried to her home and pressed the buy button. He got the residence one step ahead of his two friends, Kirito and Shiina.

"Is this our home?"

"Yes, from today onwards, this is our home, and Jupiter will move here from the inn today."

"Wow! This is my home! ”

The décor of the living room is a bit like the atmosphere of a house I stayed in during SAo. The dining room and kitchen are also in close proximity, so you can prepare food quickly in the dining room or living room, and there is plenty of space even if you invite more than 10 guests. From now on, it will be available as a meeting place for everyone.

Moreover, the house also has a second floor where a bedroom was built. The bedroom is soundproofed, so there isn't much coming in from here, so even when Jupiter is sleeping, he can talk to everyone.

On top of that, Jupiter and I are the ones who have the key, and since I've been taught not to open the door to strangers, Jupiter can sleep in peace. It's no exaggeration to say that the bedroom is actually Jupiter's room.

Jupiter probably never imagined that he could own a house in this world, and he ran around, staring intently at the furniture inside.

The quality of the furniture is only the bare minimum of practicality, even worse than the furniture of the "SAo" era.

It's good to buy a house, but I'm going to have to buy furniture from now on, so I think my main source of income will be for a while. But even so, from today onwards, this will be my home in this world, and more importantly, this will be my place with Jupiter. That alone was enough to make Asuna happy.

The kitchen is only minimally equipped, but it is sufficient for cooking. I opened the window and looked at the time, it was normal dinner time. Perfect for my first time cooking and eating at home.

"Well, let's go to supper, Jupiter. What do you want to eat? ”

Jupiter turned around and smiled:

"Mom's cooking is fine."

He replied simply, but Asuna couldn't help but smile bitterly.

It is a difficult command for the manufacturer to say that everything will be fine. I don't even know what exactly I want to eat, so I don't know what to do.

However, this can only happen if a friend or colleague tells you about it. Jupiter's favorite food has already been decided to a certain extent, so being told that anything can be eaten won't be too much of a problem for him.

Asuna opened the window and looked at the contents of the repository. I also got a lot of vegetable-based food during the collection quest with everyone, and I fought wild boar-type monsters along the way, so I also got some meat to eat. I think I can combine it with the creamy ingredients I have on hand to make a creamy stew.

"Okay. I'll try to make it with what I have now. ”

"What? What are you doing? ”

"It's a pleasure to make it. But it is Jupiter's favorite food. ”

Jupiter said, "Wow! Then he walked over to the table. After saying that, I immediately took out the cutlery from the window and put it in order.

I've been doing this since SAo and ALo, and when it's time for dinner, Jupiter starts to prepare. Not only does she tidy up the dishes, but she also cleans up after meals.

I was nervous when I first started teaching her, but it gradually became Jupiter's daily routine, and now Asuna only helps me prepare it because it's time for dinner. This can also be said to be the growth of Jupiter.

Excited to see her son's steady growth, Asuna heads to the kitchen in her loungewear and puts the food on the cutting board. Next, I summoned the pot to put it down, then summoned the kitchen knife, clicked on the ingredients, and the next moment, the ingredients cracked into bite-sized pieces.

In the real world, you have to make it yourself, but in this virtual reality world, you can cook in a greatly simplified way. At first I was amazed at how simple it was, but now I find out how convenient it is. ... I think it would be creepy if the real world became so convenient.

After the simple cooking was done, I put the pot with the ingredients, cream and milk in the stove, set the timer, and started heating.

Oddly enough, the most time-consuming cooking process in the world is heating. Cutting ingredients can be done in an instant, but heating processes such as stewing take about five minutes (although still much faster than in the real world). Asuna tilted her head at first because of the imbalance.

I could hear Jupiter's preparations as I cooked, but now they had stopped. At the time of SAo, Ariki was also there, so I had to prepare a dish for three people, but now I only need to prepare a dish for two people. So, if you have enough ingredients for two people, you'll be good enough to cook and it will take less time.

This makes me feel lonely somewhat, but now there is no way to do it, because there is a situation of Yuki and Yuki. Thinking of this, Asuna turned to the living room and was taken aback.

Jupiter sat at a table with cutlery and chairs, but he wasn't too busy looking around.

I thought he might be curious about things because he had moved to a new home, but since he didn't seem busy, I quickly realized that this wasn't the case.

"Jupiter, what's wrong? Are you looking around? ”

Usually he would answer immediately, but Jupiter did not try to answer. This in itself becomes a question, and Asuna tries to call Jupiter again, but Jupiter interrupts.

"I know this place."

"Huh?"

"I know this place."

Asuna blinked. The interior is similar to the house I stayed in when I was at SAo, so it's no surprise that it looks familiar. What Jupiter said did not digress.

"yes, it's very similar to the house I stayed in when I was at SAo. \"

"This is not true. I've seen a place that looks like this one a long time ago. ”

Jupiter stood up. The chair fell and there was a thud, and Asuna was startled. The next moment, Jupiter raised his head.

“... Jupiter? ”

"It's not just that, I have something to do. No, it's not something I have to do.? Someone. There's one guy I have to treat right away......"

Jupiter and Relan are the same "mhhp" and "mental health treatment plan". An artificial intelligence with a mission to heal the human mind, with performance and capabilities that surpass other artificial intelligences.

That's why he didn't say strange things, but now that Jupiter seemed to be saying strange things, a chill gradually rose up Asuna's back.

"There's a person I need to be cured immediately, I have to go to that person."

Jupiter held his hand up and made a confused sound. It's like he's trying to open a door to another world, and he's trying to touch something outside the door. But a short time later, Jupiter turned his hand to his head and held it in his arms.

"But, but, who is that person? Who is that person? What's his name? What's his name? What kind of person is he? ”

The number of words coming out of Jupiter's mouth increased, but the content remained the same. It's like a speeded record, or something that loops infinitely.

Immediately after, Jupiter grabbed her by the hair and crushed her with enough force. If it were true, I would almost hear the disgusting sound of my hair being ripped off.

The chill in Asuna's back became even more intense, and all the strange things and anomalies caused by Jupiter flashed in her mind.

The heartbeat is getting faster and clearer. It felt like my heart was jumping out of my chest and up into my throat.

"I, that person, that person, that person's heart, heart, heart, I have to heal. I had to heal. That's what I was created for. And I did.

"Jupiter !!"

Just as Asuna was hugging Jupiter's delicate body, a loud sound suddenly sounded in the room. He forced Jupiter to turn to him and pressed Jupiter's face against his chest.

At this moment, Jupiter's words came to an abrupt end, and I noticed a strange heat in him. He looked like he had a fever.

"Jupiter..."

"Kassan"

Hearing a voice from her chest, Asuna hugged Jupiter's body harder. Jupiter does not move. He didn't seem to know what was going on.

"Calm down, calm down, Jupiter."

Asuna said to Jupiter and herself. Jupiter heard his mother's voice and buried his face in his mother's chest and made a low voice.

"Mom, am I? Who am I going to heal? Who is that person? ”

Asuna couldn't answer. I don't know what happened to Jupiter, or even what he's talking about. It almost felt like I was going through events from a different world.

For the current situation full of things I don't understand, what I know is that I need to calm Jupiter – and myself.

"Let's calm down...... Let's calm down, Jupiter. Now, let's calm down ......"

Asuna muttered to herself as she gently placed her hand on the back of Jupiter's head and stroked it gently. Perhaps Jupiter's hair was so soft and silky that it was hard to believe it was a boy's hair, perhaps because of the same shampoo as hers, but Asuna didn't have time to worry about it right now.

Eventually, Jupiter put her arm around Asuna's back and grabbed her clothes tightly. It's so powerful that it seems to stick to me, like asking for help. "Mommy Me Me"

Asuna couldn't argue with anything. Normally, if Jupiter asks me a question, I can give him an answer right away, but I can't find a reasonable answer to Jupiter right now.

Always. By now, he had studied extensively, gained all kinds of wisdom, and although he was at the top of his class in school, the wisdom and knowledge he had gained had been applied to Jupiter and the world. Where he lives. Completely useless for such a strange situation. Nothing I've learned has any effect in this world or in the presence of Jupiter.

Even now, I can't come up with an answer to help my child who is suffering. However, Asuna couldn't stop resisting for the time being, looking around. The stew that had just been cooked in the stove was ready, and it was waiting for Asuna to pick it up.

"Jupiter, do you think you can eat?"

Jupiter, who was on his chest, didn't move, but then nodded. Asuna continued to whisper in her ear.

"Well, let's have something to eat and calm down. Then after eating, let's hang out together for a while. I want you to visit Jupiter. ”

When Asuna felt Jupiter nod again, she let go of Jupiter's body. Without saying a word, Asuna patted Jupiter's head and sat Jupiter in a chair, then headed to the kitchen, where the stew was ready. It felt unusually quiet in the room.

After a dinner of stewed meat, Asuna takes Jupiter out into the wilderness. This is not the Great Forest of Aldrob, which I have explored with you during the day, but the site of the previous one, the Lyustia steppe that I have conquered.

Probably because the venue itself has such a climatic environment, it was originally a prairie, the air was warm and the wind was high, but at night it became cold, and the nocturnal monsters became active, and the atmosphere changed completely.

Also, depending on the location, there will be oni-gang monsters, so Asuna has an aversion to the nocturnal grasslands, but the purpose is to be in a place where these creatures can't live. Asuna is on Earth, fearlessly advancing with Jupiter.

In order to protect Jupiter, who was treated equally with the player but was incapable of fighting, from foreign enemies, Asuna entered a cave in a large stone mountain after crossing the grassland where the sun had set.

As I delved deeper into the cavern, shaped like an underground passage, the surrounding area made up of rugged rock surfaces turned into shapes reminiscent of limestone caves.

It seems that this alone has taken Jupiter by surprise, and as the scenery around him begins to change, he begins to look at his surroundings and occasionally begin to react out loud. As I answered the voice and continued walking inside, the humidity became more and more intense, and I began to feel hot.

Now that Jupiter is in the natural mist sauna, the reaction begins to become more intense, but it doesn't take long for Asuna to arrive at her assigned destination, much to Jupiter's surprise.

In the corner of a limestone cave surrounded by rocks, a huge hot spring pool with white steam appeared. In fact, the surrounding rock walls are properly equipped with torches, so it's not as dark as outside or when we came here, but as bright as the spa facilities in the real world.

"Mom, is this a hot spring?"

"That's right, that's the destination!"

Jupiter looked around with interest, walking as he went, bathing in the steam rising from the pool.

This is where Asuna stumbled upon while exploring the Ryustra steppe with Leland and Aritaki.

While Lilan reacts strongly to the presence of monsters and players, but barely to anything related to the realm, he does react to the stone mountain cave at the entrance here, stating that there is something there.

I sneaked in with suspicion and found that it was a natural cavernous dungeon with a very complex shape and many passages branching out.

The structure was such that if a large group of players had infiltrated together, they would undoubtedly have been separated, but as Lilan moved forward with her senses, she gradually began to feel something akin to humidity and steam.

Since the cave stretched all the way underground, I thought I might be entering the lava field if I continued, but this hot spring area extended further afield. The steam emanating from here is exactly what Lilan feels.

Surprised and delighted when they unexpectedly succeed in discovering an unexplored hot spring, the trio decide to go for a hot spring at Yuki's suggestion. The three of us who found it were Yuichi who took the time to enjoy the hot water.

Since then, the three of them have not talked about or taught the place to their peers or friends.

When everyone is exhausted, I will introduce you to this hot spring. At that time, the three of us decided to surprise everyone by revealing it to the public for the first time, and even after enjoying the bath, they all came back with a blank face, still not speaking.

And just now, Jupiter became the fourth person to know about hot springs.

"We've wanted to come here together for a while. Jupiter also loves hot springs, so that's okay. ”

"yes, but what about the other players? We can't use it alone. ”

When I first saw it, I did a lot of research and found that this hot spring area is a safe area that monsters can't enter, so you can soak in the hot spring with peace of mind.

Moreover, when using this hot spring, the rooms are divided into so-called room blocks, and it can also be set up privately to prevent unknown players from coming without permission.

After telling Jupiter about this, Asuna manipulated the object on the privacy sign near the entrance to the hot spring. After making sure I had created a room block for me and Jupiter and set up the privacy settings correctly, I returned to Jupiter.

Jupiter approached the pool, crouched down, and gently picked up the water with his hands. He had a smile on his face, and the temperature of the hot water seemed to be perfect for Jupiter.

"Alright, let's go in, Jupiter."

"Yes," Jupiter replied and opened the window. I pulled up the equipment window, manipulated the equipment model inside with my fingertips, removed the equipment, accessories, and hairstyle, and replaced it with the form I used in the shower, and took off my underwear.

At the same time, Asuna also operated the equipment window, took off all the equipment and clothes on her body, changed her hairstyle to suit Jupiter, and was ready to take a shower.

From there, we simultaneously put our feet in the pool and slid into shoulder-high water. This has been the case since the days of "SAo", but VRmmo doesn't seem to be very good at expressing water, so when you soak or bathe in a spa or bath in a "SAo" or "ALo", you feel an indescribable feeling of discomfort that doesn't exist in the real world. I'm starting to feel like I'm in trouble.

However, with this "SA:o", perhaps the expressiveness of that place has also evolved, and the strange feeling is not very strong, in fact, it is similar to the feeling of soaking in a hot spring with a good temperature in the real world. ta。

Asuna felt like she was in a public bath at a luxury hot spring inn in the real world, enveloped by a warm feeling, feeling fatigue disappear from the depths of her body, and she let out a loud sound.

"Hmmm! The hot springs here are so pleasant. ”

"The hot water was so nice. I can't believe there is such a place in such a cave. ”

Jupiter, who is shorter than Asuna in height and sitting height, is completely submerged in the hot water from the neck down, and looks like he is enjoying the hot spring all over his body.

Her face looked comfortable, and it was evident that she was enjoying the bath from the depths of her mind and body. Along the way, Asuna feared many times that she would like Jupiter even if she got there, but she breathed a sigh of relief again that all her worries were unnecessary.

I usually see Lizbet, who likes hot springs, and Shino, who never soaks in hot springs, but those friends are nowhere to be found. Asuna was a little glad that she and Jupiter weren't together. Among them, Jupiter spoke.

"Anyway, Mom, it's great that you've found a place like this."

"This place was discovered by Lilan, and thanks to your sister, we can soak in the hot springs now."