April 8, 2023 — in Taft, the main town on the 11th Floor, inside a small tavern in the southern district, Kirito sat at the end of a long table, holding a mug of ale and staring helplessly at Akimi, who was grinning beside him.
Akimi ignored Kirito's odd expression and was chatting with Asuna about something.
On the other side of the long table sat five colorful-looking people.
The group consisted of four men and one woman.
Among the men, the leader wore reddish-brown clothing, was about the same height as Akimi, and had a gentle smile that made him seem dependable.
The other three men were: one in purple with a simple, honest smile; one in green with a lazy, easygoing demeanor; and a short, lively blond with yellow clothes, yellow hair, and a yellow hoodless cape.
The woman had short black hair with neat bangs, wore blue clothing, and had a gentle, serene face.
The teardrop mole under her right eye made her look even softer and cuter.
The short blond raised his mug and said loudly,
"If it weren't for the three of you, our Moonlit Black Cats would've been wiped out for sure. Here's to our saviors—cheers!"
The other four smiled and lifted their mugs toward Akimi's group.
Kirito, socially awkward as ever, mumbled a tiny "Ch… cheers…" and slowly extended his mug.
Akimi, still smiling, hooked an arm around Kirito's neck and said,
"Now, now, Kirito—who are you saying that so quietly to?"
He clinked his mug against Kirito's, while Asuna chuckled softly and raised hers.
After a few rounds, the members of the Moonlit Black Cats continued expressing their gratitude to the trio—especially the girl named Sachi, who dabbed at her eyes as she timidly thanked Kirito.
Well, it was Kirito who had saved her.
Kirito still looked uncomfortable, waving a hand and saying,
"Ah… no, it's… really nothing…"
Seeing Kirito act so shy, Akimi leaned in, hooked an arm around his neck again, and teased in a low voice:
"Heh heh, who would've thought you're actually quite popular with the girls… Just look at that Sachi girl—her eyes are practically sparkling when she looks at you."
For a socially anxious shut-in like Kirito, such words were unbearable.
Flustered and annoyed, he shoved Akimi away and stammered,
"What are you talking about?! Don't make such awful jokes!"
But Akimi only shrugged, gave a smug "Hmm~?" twice, and wore a noncommittal expression—making Kirito feel even more awkward.
At that moment, the dependable-looking player, whose name was Keita, suddenly said,
"Uh… this might be a little rude, but… may I ask—what's your level? Ah, of course, if it's inconvenient, just pretend I didn't ask."
The question made Kirito freeze for a moment.
After hesitating, he looked troubled and said,
"Twenty…"
"Kirito's actually a big shot! He's already level 40. Asuna and I are a bit behind—we've just reached level 30."
Before Kirito could finish speaking, Akimi cut in, winking at him—of course, both Kirito and Akimi were currently level 40, and Asuna was level 39, still among the top players in the game.
Hearing Akimi's reply, the blond named Ducker gave an astonished "Oh!!!" and said excitedly,
"F… forty?! That's already double our level!"
Keita also looked incredulous, stammering,
"A level like that… even on the front lines, that's top tier… The three of you must be part of the clearing group, right?"
The rest of the Moonlit Black Cats showed equally shocked expressions.
After learning the trio's "true level," Keita, who had seemed to have made up his mind about something, suddenly started hesitating again.
Seeing Keita's uncertainty, Akimi smiled and said,
"Ah, Keita, is there something you wanted to say? No need to be so reserved."
Only then did Keita speak up softly,
"I was actually thinking of inviting the three of you to join our guild… but seeing your levels, you must need to return to the front lines, right? After all, the clearing group is short on people right now."
Kirito scratched his head and began,
"I—"
"Ah, join your guild? Asuna and I will pass, but this kid Kirito will be just fine!"
Once again, Kirito's words were cut off by Akimi, who continued,
"As for the clearing group, you don't need to worry. There are still plenty of strong players there—they're not lacking the three of us."
"I… is that so?" Keita said, his tone slightly doubtful.
"Mm… the thing is, in our guild, the only one who can play the vanguard role is Tetsuo the warhammer user—that's the guy in purple. So I was thinking of having Sachi change from a spear user to a sword-and-shield role, but I don't know how to go about it, so I wanted to invite you three to join the guild and guide us."
He gave Sachi a few light pats on the head.
Sachi, however, held her mug with a pout and said,
"What's that supposed to mean, making it sound like I'm useless… If you suddenly have me go up close to the monsters, I'll be scared…"
The thief Ducker and the lancer Sasamaru both laughed and said,
"What's there to be afraid of? Just hide behind the shield!"
Tetsuo grinned and added,
"Sachi, you're just too timid, that's all."
Hearing them, Sachi put her hands on her hips, puffed out her cheeks, and said,
"Geez, easy for you to say when you're not the one doing it! Hmph~!"
Looking at his companions, Keita couldn't help but smile.
He took a slow sip of his drink, then said to Akimi and the others,
"Actually, our guild members all went to the same high school in the real world—we were in the computer club together. We're all very close. If Mr. Kirito were to join us, it wouldn't take long for him to be just like one of us."
He then turned an expectant gaze toward Kirito.
But Kirito was still hesitating.
At that moment, Akimi poked him in the side and whispered,
"Just agree already. You're not going to the front lines right now anyway—think of it as training the future of the clearing group. Keita and his friends have pretty good potential. Once their levels catch up, they'll definitely be able to join the front lines."
Kirito shot him a glare, clearly not wanting to engage.
After hesitating a while longer, he slowly tightened his grip on his mug, then said to Keita,
"Then… please let me join your guild. I'll be in your care."
The members of the Moonlit Black Cats responded enthusiastically:
"We'll be in your care!"
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