Chapter 17

There are four kinds of system-defined player relationships

within Sword Art Online.

First, complete strangers. Second is "friends." Friends registered on the friend list are able to send simple text messages to

each other, as well as search for their locations on the map.

The third category is guild members. In addition to the previous functions, teaming up with guildmates in battle gives each

member a slight experience bonus. The downside of that is that a

certain percentage of all col earned must be subtracted for the

guild's coffers.

Asuna and I already met the friend and guildmate criteria, but

by temporarily leaving the guild, we filled its place with the fourth

and final category.

That was marriage—though it's a far simpler and less ceremonial step than you might think. One person sends a proposal message to the other, and if it is accepted, boom: You're married. The

consequences, however, are far greater than a simple friend or

guild request.

At the most basic level, marriage in SAO means the sharing of

all information and items. You can observe your spouse's status

screen at any time, and all items are pooled into a shared inventory. It exposes one's most potent vulnerabilities to another person, which means that in Aincrad, where betrayal and deception

are rife, very few couples reach marriage. The abysmal gender

ratio doesn't help, either.

The twenty-second floor of Aincrad was one of the most sparsely

populated in the castle. As it was closer to the bottom of the egglike structure, it had a wide area, but the majority of it was covered with thick forests and countless lakes. The largest form of

civilization to be found was a tiny village. There were no monsters

in the wilderness, and the labyrinth was easy, so the entire floor

had been cleared in just three days, and few players bothered to

remember it.

Asuna and I bought a little log cabin in the middle of the forest

and settled in. Even a small house in SAO was no simple matter

to purchase, however. Asuna offered to sell her apartment in

Selmburg, but I strongly objected—it would have been an incredible waste to get rid of such a perfect place—so we raised the funds

by selling off all of our rare valuables with Agil's help.

Agil looked disappointed that we were leaving. He offered us

the use of his upstairs at any time, but a general store was a

rather unromantic place for a honeymoon. Plus, just the thought

of the uproar that would ensue if word got out that a celebrity like

Asuna was married gave me the chills. A lonely place like the

twenty-second floor would buy us plenty of time to relax in peace.

"Ooh, the view is nice!"

Asuna leaned out of the south-facing window in the bedroom

—for what it was worth, the cabin only had two rooms.

She was right about the view. Because we were close to the

outer perimeter, we had an expansive slice of the sky hanging

over the leafy trees and sparkling lakes. Given that most of the

time, life in Aincrad meant having a lid of stone looming a few

hundred feet above your head, the sense of liberation that came

with being so close to the sky was breathtaking.

"Just because we have a nice view doesn't mean you should get

too close to the edge and fall over."

I stopped sorting our household items for a moment and put

my arms around Asuna from behind. The thought that she was

now my wife filled me with the warmth of the winter sun, as well

as an unfamiliar sensation much like surprise—the knowledge

that I'd come so far in my time here.

Until I became a prisoner of this world, I was a mere child, living a circular route of home and school with no great ambitions.

But the real world was a long-lost relic of the distant past now.

Beating this game and getting back to the real world should be

my goal, Asuna's goal, every player's goal…but the thought of it

actually happening made me worry. I clenched Asuna tighter.

"That hurts, Kirito…What's wrong?"

"S-sorry. Hey, Asuna…"

I clammed up for a moment, but I had to ask.

"Is this…just inside the game? Us, I mean…Is it something

that's going to vanish when we return to the real world?"

"Are you trying to get me angry?" She spun around, pure emotion burning in her eyes. "Even if this were a normal game and we

weren't stuck inside it, I don't fall in love for fun."

She squished my face in her hands.

"There's one thing I've learned here: Never give up until the

end. If we get back to the real world, I'll find you again, and I'll

fall in love with you again."

How many times had I been amazed at Asuna's strength? Or

was it just a sign of how weak I was in comparison? In any case,

I'd forgotten how good it could feel to rely on someone else, to let

them be your support. I didn't know how long we'd be here, but

hopefully, as long as we were away from battle…

I let my mind wander, my arms full of gentle warmth and a

sweet scent.