In the Far North, October 380 HE

Alice Synthesis Thirty placed the freshly washed plates in the drying basket

and wiped her hands on the bottom of her apron before looking up.

Beyond the window, tree branches had scattered many of their yellow and

red leaves with the chill of the last few days. The winter really did arrive here

much earlier than in Centoria.

Still, the light of Solus looked warm in the first blue sky they'd had in days. On

the thickest branch of the closest tree, a pair of climbing rabbits could be seen

pleasantly sunning themselves.

Alice smiled as she watched them, then turned and said, "The weather's so

nice today; perhaps we should pack a lunch and go to the eastern hill."

There was no response.

In the center of the little wooden cabin's main room, which combined a living

space with a dining room and kitchen, there was a plain, unfinished wooden

table. Seated at one of the matching chairs was a young man with black hair. He

did not react to Alice's suggestion. He simply gazed, expressionless, at a

nondescript point on the table.

He wasn't solidly built to begin with, and by now, he was noticeably thinner

even than Alice was. His bony structure was clearly visible through his loose

clothing. His empty right sleeve, hanging limply from the shoulder, only added

to his pitiable appearance.

His eyes, black as his hair, were empty. They reflected no light and suggested

his mind was distant, completely shut off from the outside world.

Alice stifled a pain in her chest that never dulled, no matter how many times

she felt it. In a cheery voice, she said, "There's a breeze today, so we should

bundle up. Hang on—I'll get your coat for you."

She put her apron on the hook next to the sink and headed to the bedroom.

She gathered up her long blond hair and covered it with a cotton scarf. A faded

black eye patch went over her vacant right eye socket. One of the two wool

coats on the wall was hers, and she carried the other one under her arm as she

returned to the main room.

The young man hadn't budged. She put her hand against his scrawny back,

and he awkwardly got to his feet.

But that was all the black-haired boy could do. He couldn't even walk a single

mel. She put the coat over him from behind, then circled around and tied the

strings at his neck tight.

"Just one more thing," she told him, rushing to the corner of the room.

Sitting there was a sturdy chair made of a light-brown wood. Instead of feet, it

had metal wheels—two big and two small. An old man named Garitta who lived

alone in the forest made it for them.

She grabbed the handles on the back of the chair and rolled it over to the

young man. Before he could start wobbling or topple over, she sat him down on

the leather seat, then threw a heavy lap blanket over his legs to keep him

secure.

"There! Now we can go."

She patted his shoulders, took the handles, and rolled the chair toward the

door on the south side of the cabin.

Suddenly, he tilted his head and reached toward the east wall with his left

hand, fingers trembling. "Aaah…aaah…"

They were no more than guttural vocalizations—nowhere close to words. But

Alice could sense what he wanted right away.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'll get them for you."

Hanging on sturdy hooks on the wall were three swords.

On the right was Alice's golden longsword, the Osmanthus Blade.

On the left, the pitch-black sword he had once worn, the Night-Sky Blade.

And in the middle, the masterless white weapon, the Blue Rose Sword.

First, Alice took the Night-Sky Blade off the wall and tucked it under her left

arm; it was nearly as heavy as the Osmanthus Blade. Next, she lifted up the Blue

Rose Sword. This one was only half as heavy as the black sword—inside the

scabbard, there was just one half of a blade.

And the owner of this sword, the flaxen-haired boy who was the black-haired

boy's best friend, was no longer among the living…

She closed her eye briefly, then took the two swords back to the wheelchair.

Once they were laid over his knees, the young man placed his hand on top of

them and looked down. The only time he expressed his will with vocalizations

or movements at all was when he asked for the black and white blades.

"Hold them tight, so they don't fall off," Alice told him, trying to ignore the

throbbing in her chest. The painful memories were as fresh as ever, even after

several months. She pushed the wheelchair and its extra weight out through

the doorway.

Instead of stairs, the porch had a thick slab leading to the ground. Down in

the garden, the soft breeze was a bit chilly, but the gentle sunlight wrapped

around them.

The log cabin was located right in the middle of a little clearing deep in the

woods. Alice had chopped down the trees herself, stripped the bark, and put it

together. It wasn't pretty, but she'd used the highest-quality trees she could

find, so it was sturdily made. Old Man Garitta had shown her how to build it

from the ground up, and the entire time, he'd remarked about how he'd never

seen such a strong girl.

Apparently, this clearing had been Alice and Eugeo's secret playground during

childhood. Sadly, she could not remember any of it. The Synthesis Ritual that

had turned her into an Integrity Knight had robbed her of all memory before

that point.

All she told Garitta and the other villagers was that she had forgotten her

past. But the truth was that Alice Synthesis Thirty, the Integrity Knight, was an

entirely new personality—an imposter inhabiting the body of Alice Zuberg. She

would have given this body back if she could have, but like Eugeo, the real

Alice's memories were gone from this world forever.

"…All right, let's go."

She set forth, pushing the wheelchair onward to drive away the moment's

recollection.

The round clearing, about thirty mels in diameter, was covered in a soft

undergrowth, but on the east side, underneath a large, jutting branch, there

was a thick pile of dead grass. It looked like the nest of some giant creature—

which, as a matter of fact, it was—but the owner was not here. She glanced

over, wondered where it was off playing now, then headed down the path that

split the clearing north to south into the woods.

After about fifty mels, the path split into east and west branches. To the west

was the village named Rulid, but she did not want to visit when she didn't have

a reason. Instead, she turned east, strolling through the radiant pockets of

sunlight where they broke the canopy overhead.

They proceeded through the forest, which, at the end of October, was now

transitioning from fall leaves to fallen leaves.

"Are you cold?" she asked, but he didn't reply. He wouldn't say a thing, even

if they were in the midst of a raging blizzard. She glanced over his shoulder to

make sure the coat was tight around his collar.

Naturally, a heat element or two would warm him up. But Rulid already had

its share of suspicious residents, and she didn't want to get into the habit of

relying on sacred arts around here, lest it lead to rumors.

After fifteen minutes of travel along the beaten path (adding new wheel ruts

along the way), the road ahead began to lighten. The trees steadily gave way to

a steep little hill. The path began to incline, but the extra strain didn't bother

Alice.

Once they reached the top of the hill, the view opened up.

Just to the east was the blue surface of Lake Rul. On the far side was vast

marshland. To the south, endless forest. Looking north, there was nothing but

the snowcapped End Mountains, jutting upward to pierce the sky. Her days

flying over those peaks on her dragon were nothing but distant memories now.

She wanted to see beautiful vistas with her own eyes. The bountiful blessings

of earth and sun here should be enough to heal the eye that she'd lost at

Central Cathedral half a year ago, but Alice was not yet ready to use sacred arts

to fix her own shortcomings.

Because even with this breathtaking view of late autumn before them, the

young man with her could only gaze dully into nothingness. She sat next to the

wheelchair and leaned on one of the large wheels.

"It's beautiful. More beautiful than any painting hanging on the walls of the

cathedral," she said, smiling. "It's the world you saved, Kirito."

A single white waterfowl ran across the surface of the lake, sending up

concentric ripples, and took off into flight.

How long had they sat there?

The next thing she knew, Solus was high overhead. It was time they got back

to the cabin so she could fix lunch. In his current state, Kirito ate only a small

amount at a time, so if she missed any of his meals, it would have an effect on

his maximum life value.

"Let's head back," she said, getting up and taking the wheelchair handles.

Just then, she heard the sound of footsteps on the grassy hillside and turned

around. A girl in a black monastery robe was approaching. There was a dazzling,

sunny smile on her young face as she waved wildly.

"Sister!" she cried out, her voice traveling on the breeze. Alice broke into a

smile herself and raised her hand to wave back.

The girl raced up the last ten mels, skidded to a halt, and paused to catch her

breath before bursting out with "Good morning, Alice!"

Then she hopped to the side and greeted the wheelchair-bound boy. "Good

morning, Kirito!"

She beamed at him, seemingly unbothered by his lack of response, but the

moment her eyes drifted down to the swords resting on his lap, a note of

sadness crept over her expression.

"…Good morning, Eugeo," she whispered, reaching out to brush the scabbard

of the Blue Rose Sword. If an unfamiliar person attempted to do the same thing,

Kirito might give the faintest bit of a defensive reaction, but he allowed this to

happen without comment.

With her greetings finished, the girl straightened up again and turned to Alice.

Conscious of the odd warmth within her now, Alice replied, "Good morning,

Selka. I'm surprised you knew we were here."

It had taken over a month for her to refer to the girl by name without feeling

strange about it.

Ever since Kirito had told her about the existence of her sister at Central

Cathedral half a year ago, Alice had been desperate to meet her. But now that

this wish had come true, the more she cared for Selka, the more she had to

wonder whether she—not Alice Zuberg, but Alice Synthesis Thirty—was fit to

be this girl's sister.

If Selka was aware of this inner turmoil, she didn't let it show through her

beaming smile. "I didn't use sacred arts to search for you. I went to your house,

and you weren't there, and since the weather's so nice today, I figured you

would be here. I left some fresh milk and an apple-and-cheese pie I baked just

this morning on your table. You should have them for lunch."

"Thank you. I appreciate that; I was just wondering what to prepare."

"If he has to eat nothing but your food, Kirito's going to up and leave you at

some point!" Selka laughed.

Alice smiled back at her. "How dare you! I'll have you know that I can make

pancakes without burning them now."

"Do I dare believe you? The first time, you tried using heat elements on them

and turned them into charcoal!"

Alice tried to flick her forehead with a finger, but Selka dodged and went right

in for an embrace. She pressed her face against Alice's chest, and Alice circled

her arms around her sister's back.

It was for this moment alone that Alice wished she could be free from the

pressure that weighed on her heart.

How much easier life would be if she could forget the guilt of abandoning her

duty as an Integrity Knight to live in this quiet cabin in the remote forest. But

Alice knew that she would never be able to forget it. Even as she embraced her

sister here, the end was approaching from beyond the mountains—the tick of

each passing second bringing it ever closer.

At the end of the ferocious battle at the Axiom Church's Central Cathedral

half a year ago, Alice had fallen to the marble floor, suffering wounds severe

enough to kill her and only vaguely aware of what happened in the fight.

A duel to the death between Administrator, pontifex of the church, and Kirito,

who was wielding two swords at once.

Administrator, incinerated by the flames of Prime Senator Chudelkin's

obsession.

Kirito witnessing Eugeo's passing, then screaming into a crystalline board that

appeared at the north end of the chamber. At the end of an exchange that Alice

did not understand, Kirito's body suddenly stiffened, and he fell to the floor—

leaving the rest of the world in silence.

By the time Alice had recovered just enough life to move again, Solus's first

rays of morning were shining from the east window. With that light as her

source of sacred power, Alice was able to heal Kirito's wounds. But he did not

regain consciousness, and she was forced to leave him there and use healing

arts on herself next before she examined the crystal board at last.

But the glowing purple surface was now dark, and no amount of touching or

commanding would provoke any response from it.

At a loss, Alice sat.

She had taken Kirito's word and fought against the absolute tyrant

Administrator for the sake of the people and her distant sister, but deep down,

she hadn't actually expected to survive.

When the horrific soldier that Administrator called a Sword Golem ran her

through— When she used her body as a shield against the devastating

thunderbolt— When she flung herself in front of the sword that attempted to

end Kirito's life— Alice had been ready for death at several moments

throughout the fight. But through the sacrifices of the little sage Cardinal, the

peculiar spider named Charlotte, and Eugeo, as well as Kirito's awe-inspiring

tenacity, she had survived.

You saved my life! Now accept the responsibility for your actions! she had

screamed at the black-haired youth lying on the ground beside her. But he

never opened his eyes. It was as though he were telling her, Now you have to

think for yourself and choose your own path.

After many minutes of cradling her knees, Alice finally got to her feet.

With the disappearance of the room's master, the levitating disc was just as

powerless as the crystal panel, so she had to destroy it with her sword. Then

she put Kirito over her back and jumped down to the ninety-ninth floor.

From there, she descended the long staircase, past the senators—who were

still mindlessly chanting their sacred arts—to the grand stairs of the cathedral

and headed straight for her sword master, Bercouli Synthesis One, whom she'd

left in the great bath.

The bathwater that Eugeo's Perfect Weapon Control art had frozen was

almost completely melted now, so Bercouli was floating, splayed out in the

water. Fortunately, Chudelkin's petrification art had been undone.

She heaved his large body onto the walkway and smacked his cheeks, calling

out, "Uncle!" and the knight gave one huge sneeze before opening his eyes.

He greeted her lazily, asking whether it was morning already, and Alice tried

to explain everything that had happened. When all was said and done, Bercouli

looked stern and alert, but in a comforting voice, he said, "You did well, Little

Miss."

From there, the commander of the knights moved quickly. Starting with Vice

Commander Fanatio, who was unharmed in the rose garden despite her defeat

to Kirito and Eugeo, he gathered up the other Integrity Knights who'd been

petrified in punishment, such as Deusolbert and Eldrie, then took them to the

Great Hall of Ghostly Light on the fiftieth floor and told them all he could of the

truth.

That after a battle with two disciples from North Centoria Imperial Swordcraft

Academy, Administrator had been defeated and eradicated.

That the pontifex had been working on a terrifying plan to transform most of

the citizens of the realm into monstrous weapons with swords for bones.

That the senate, the body that controlled the knighthood, was essentially

composed of just one man, Prime Senator Chudelkin, who had perished along

with the pontifex.

The only thing that wasn't explained was the truth of the Integrity Knights—of

how they were "produced." Bercouli had been skeptical of Administrator's tale

that they were summoned from the celestial realm, so he was able to withstand

the shock of the truth, but he determined that more time and care would need

to be taken to reveal this to the other knights.

Even then, Eldrie, Fanatio, and the others were absolutely stunned. It was

impossible to blame them. The absolute ruler for centuries, who exhibited

godlike powers, was suddenly gone, just like that? It was not an easy thing to

accept.

At the end of a fierce, chaotic debate, the knights decided to follow the

commander's orders for the moment. Perhaps much of that was due to the

presence of not just Bercouli's charisma and leadership, but the continued

function of their Piety Modules. Despite the changing situation, they were still

knights who served the Axiom Church, and now that Administrator and

Chudelkin were gone, Commander Bercouli was undoubtedly the highestranking member of the church remaining.

The moment Bercouli was entrusted with leading, his mind began working

toward his original duty of protecting the human realm. He, too, would have

had his own doubts, naturally. He had just learned that stolen memories of his

beloved had been close at hand for all those years.

Yet, he decided to firmly seal off the hundredth floor with its thirty swords for

the Sword Golem and the hundreds of memory crystals inside and to hide

everything from the knighthood except for the death of their sovereign. He

prioritized the mission to prepare for the coming invasion from the Dark

Territory over recovering the memories of all the Integrity Knights, himself

included.

Bercouli started rebuilding the broken knighthood, as well as reforming and

retraining the Imperial Knights of the four empires, which had had armies in

name alone. Alice helped him with this, of course. With Kirito's impromptu eye

patch tied around her head, she whizzed north and south all over Centoria.

But she could not remain at the cathedral forever. Among the other Integrity

Knights and the church's rank and file that were unaware of the pontifex's

death, there was a growing demand that the traitor who'd rebelled against the

Axiom Church—the still-comatose Kirito—be put to death for his crimes.

One morning, after her work was done for the time being, Alice took Kirito

onto a dragon with her and left the city. It was two weeks after the bloodshed

of that fearsome battle.

But that was only the beginning of her labor. While they camped out, an

experience she was unfamiliar with, Kirito remained unconscious. She knew he

needed a good set of walls and a roof over his head, not to mention a nice

warm bed, but she didn't have enough money for them to stay at an inn, and

she was unable to bring herself to make use of her Integrity Knight status for

personal gain.

That was when she remembered the name of Rulid, a place Kirito had

mentioned while they were stuck on the outside wall of the tower.

Even if her memories were gone, surely the people who lived in Alice and

Eugeo's hometown would welcome them, or so she hoped. And thus, she

guided the reins of the dragon north. She flew only a bit at a time to minimize

the strain on Kirito's body, so the trip across Norlangarth to the village at the

foothills of the End Mountains took three whole days.

She landed in the forest a distance away from the village so as not to startle

the inhabitants, then commanded the dragon to watch her cargo and carried

Kirito toward Rulid on foot.

Along the way from the forest down the footpath through the fields, she met

a number of villagers. They were all shocked and wary, and none of them called

out to her.

The moment she arrived at Rulid, which was built on a little plateau, and

passed through its wooden gate, a large young man leaped out of the nearby

guard station. His freckled face was flushed as he blocked her way.

"Stop! Outsiders are not allowed in the village!" the young man-at-arms

bellowed, making a menacing show of placing his hand on his sword. Then he

noticed Kirito's face, slung over Alice's shoulder, and he stopped in his tracks,

suspicious. He started mumbling something to himself before he then got a

better look at Alice, and this time his eyes bulged.

"You…you! It can't be…!"

This reaction actually came as a relief to Alice. After eight years, this man-atarms seemed to still remember her. Choosing her words carefully, she replied,

"I am Alice. Please call the elder, Gasfut Zuberg."

Perhaps she should have called herself Alice Zuberg, but she couldn't bring

herself to do it. Her first name alone seemed to suffice, however. His face

instantly went from red to blue, his mouth flapped wordlessly, and he dashed

off into the village. He didn't tell her to wait there, so she went through the

gate and walked in after the guard.

Pretty soon, the village was buzzing like a beehive that had been disturbed.

Dozens of villagers crowded the sides of the path, exclaiming with shock as

soon as they saw Alice in the afternoon sunlight.

But none of them appeared to be rejoicing in the return of one of their own. If

anything, they were suspicious of the woman in her metal armor and the young

man sleeping on her back—even fearful.

The gentle slope eventually met a round open space at the center of the

village. There was a fountain and well in the center, and at the north end, a

small church with a circled cross on its roof. Alice came to a stop at the start of

this clearing as the villagers looked on and whispered in fear from a safe

distance.

Minutes later, the crowd parted from the east, and a man strode forward

with firm intent. He was of advanced age, with a cleanly kept gray beard, and it

was clear to her at once that this was the village elder of Rulid, Alice's one-time

father, Gasfut Zuberg.

Gasfut came to a stop a short distance away and examined both Alice and

Kirito without expression.

Ten seconds later, he spoke in a voice that carried well despite its softness.

"Is that you, Alice?"

Alice merely said, "Yes." But the elder did not approach her or reach out to

her. In a sterner voice than before, he asked, "Why are you here? Have your

crimes been forgiven?"

She didn't have an immediate answer. She didn't actually know what her

crimes were, nor whether they had been forgiven or not.

Young Alice Zuberg had been taken by Deusolbert to Centoria for the crime of

entering the Dark Territory, according to what Kirito had told her. That was

indeed a violation of the Taboo Index. But as an Integrity Knight, Alice was no

longer bound by that taboo. The only law to a knight was the order of the

pontifex. And now that pontifex was gone. From now on, she would have to

define sin, forgiveness, good, and evil for herself…

With this thought weighing on her mind, Alice stared into the elder's eyes and

replied, "As punishment for my crimes, I have lost all memory of my life as a

resident of this village. I do not know if this counts as forgiveness, but I have

nowhere else to go."

It was Alice's true, unvarnished opinion.

Gasfut closed his eyes. Deep furrows appeared along his mouth and brow.

When his thoughtful frown disappeared, his eyes were harsh—and his words,

even more so.

"Begone. We cannot allow a criminal to stay in this village."

Selka seemed to sense Alice's momentary tension. She looked up, confused.

"Sister…?" she whispered.

But Alice just smiled down at her. "It's nothing. Come, let's head back."

"…Okay," Selka said, releasing her hold but giving Alice a concerned look

before her joyful smile returned. "I'll push the chair as far as the fork in the

road!"

She stood behind Kirito's wheelchair and gripped the handles with her tiny

hands. Not only was the chair itself heavy, it also held the weight of one

(admittedly gaunt) adult person and one and a half Divine Object swords resting

on it. It should have been too heavy for a fourteen-year-old apprentice nun who

wasn't used to physical labor—but the first time Selka had tried it, leaning

forward with her feet firmly planted, the wheelchair rolled slowly forward.

"It's a downward slope, so be careful."

Selka hadn't toppled the wheelchair yet, but it was still hard not to be

concerned.

"I'm fine, Sister. You're just too much of a worrywart," she said. Apparently,

when Alice had lived in Rulid, she'd done plenty of exploring and experiments

with Eugeo but had been overly protective of her younger sister.

Did her basic personality remain the same even without her memory, or was

it just a coincidence? Alice couldn't help but wonder about this as she walked

alongside Selka, who was absorbed in her job of pushing the wheelchair.

Once they reached the foot of the hill, the downward slope became a flat

path. Selka did her best to push the chair along, now that it was heavier. As she

stared at her sister hard at work, Alice found her mind drifting again into the

past.

The day she was denied entry to the village, she had resigned herself to her

fate as an outsider, feeling lost and dejected until Selka found her and called

out to her at the tree line. Selka knew she was acting against her father's

wishes, and without her bravery and the benevolence of Old Man Garitta, Alice

would surely still be wandering in the wilderness today.

Certainly, the story would have been difficult for Selka to accept, too—that

her sister had finally returned home and yet didn't remember anything of the

past. That Kirito, who had spent a brief but memorable stay at the village, was

now in a coma. And that Eugeo, who had been like a brother to her, was dead…

But the only time Selka cried was upon hearing the news that Eugeo would

not be coming back. Since then, she had never been around Alice without a

smile on her face. The strength of her heart and breadth of her benevolence

never failed to amaze Alice. It was a strength more powerful and divine than

any priest's sacred arts or knight's sword.

It was also a daily reminder of just how powerless Alice was now that she was

no longer a member of the Axiom Church.

With Garitta's help, she built a small but sturdy cabin in the woods just two

kilors away from the village. Her first order of business after that was to apply

powerful healing arts to Kirito, who was still in a coma.

On one cloudless day, she had headed to the most verdant spot in the forest

to receive the greatest possible blessing of both Solus and Terraria, using the

vast sacred power to generate ten light elements and apply them to Kirito's

body as treatment.

The healing art took Alice's entire being and soul to produce, and it was

powerful enough to heal not just a human, but the life of a massive dragon all

the way to full in a single instant. No matter how deep Kirito's wounds were,

she knew that even his severed arm would immediately be restored, and he

would wake up in perfect condition at once.

Once the brilliant spiritual light dissipated, Kirito's lids did indeed open—but

without any illumination in those vacant pools of black. Alice said his name over

and over, shook his shoulders, even clung to his chest and screamed, but all he

did was stare blankly at the sky. She couldn't even restore his missing arm.

Four months had passed since that day, and there had not been a single sign

that Kirito's mind would ever return.

At every opportunity, Selka said that with how diligently she was caring for

him, the old Kirito was sure to return someday. But silently, Alice feared this

might never happen. It might be beyond her means.

Especially for a person who was nothing but a creation of Administrator.

Alice was pulled out of her reminiscence when Selka finally broke her silence

and said, "I need…a break" and stopped pushing the wheelchair.

She reached down and put her hand on her younger sister's back as the girl

panted and glistened with sweat.

"Thank you, Selka. I'll push it from here."

"I was gonna try…to get it all the way…to the fork…"

"You got it a hundred mels farther than the last time. You've been a huge help

to me."

Since coming to the village, Alice had learned that a much older sister was

supposed to show her appreciation by giving the younger one a bit of an

allowance, but she didn't have a single copper in her pockets now. With her

current finances, losing even a single shia in the forest would be devastating, so

she did not carry coins unless she was heading to the market to buy something.

Instead, she smoothed Selka's brown hair with her palm. Her sister gave her a

happy smile, breathing normally again, but there was a trace of sadness there

as well.

"What's wrong, Selka?" she asked, taking the wheelchair handles. "Is

something troubling you?"

Selka hesitated. "Um…Mr. Barbossa wanted you…to take down a tree in the

clearing again…"

"Oh, that's all? You don't have to feel bad about bringing that request to me.

Thank you for letting me know," Alice said, favoring her with a smile.

But her sister's expression went from a downcast gaze to genuine sadness.

"It's just…they're so selfish, aren't they? Don't you agree, Kirito?"

Naturally, the boy in the wheelchair did not react. But Selka carried on with

renewed conviction anyway.

"Mr. Barbossa and Mr. Ridack won't let you live in the village, but they're

more than happy to ask you for help when they need it. I know I'm the one

passing on their message, but you don't have to do this. I can bring you all the

food you need from home."

Alice giggled at the outraged pout on her sister's face and said, "I appreciate

your offer, but honestly, it's all right, Selka. I like the home I have now, and I'm

grateful that I'm still allowed to be close to the village…Once I've fed Kirito his

lunch, I'll be right there. Which area was it?"

"The one to the south," Selka mumbled, then walked alongside the

wheelchair in silence.

When they were nearly to the fork in the road that led to the log cabin, Selka

spoke up again. "Sister, my training period will be over next year, and I'll receive

a small stipend after that. You won't need to help them anymore at that point. I

can take care of you and Kirito…I can do it for as long as…"

She lost her words then, and Alice hugged her gently. She pressed her cheek

against the girl's brown hair, which was a different color than her own but felt

very similar, and whispered, "Thank you…But I'm happy enough just knowing

you are nearby, Selka…"

Selka left, turning back to wave again and again in obvious reluctance, and

Alice returned to the log cabin with Kirito at last, to prepare for their lunch.

She'd learned how to handle the household chores after much practice, but

cooking was still a skill that eluded her. Compared to the Osmanthus Blade, the

knife she'd bought at the village general store was so flimsy and weak that it

took twenty or thirty minutes just to chop up the ingredients.

Thankfully, she had Selka's fresh-baked pie today, so she cut a small piece to

feed Kirito. She had to put the forkful of pie next to his mouth and wait

patiently for him to part his lips so she could stick it into his mouth. Slowly,

slowly, Kirito would chew the food, merely reliving distant memories of eating.

While he chewed, she, too, tasted the apple-and-cheese pie. It was probably

baked by Elder Gasfut's wife, Sadina Zuberg—Selka and Alice's mother.

When she lived in Central Cathedral, the tables of the dining hall were laden

with every delicacy from all over the world. The flavor and appearance of

Sadina's pie paled in comparison, but it seemed far more delicious. She didn't

particularly like how Kirito's reaction was slightly more enthusiastic for the pie

than it was for her own cooking, however.

After the meal was done and she'd cleaned up, she put Kirito back into the

wheelchair and laid the swords across his knees. Outside the cabin, the

afternoon sunlight shone golden upon their approach. The days were much

shorter now, and evening snuck up fast. She rushed them back to the fork to

the south and headed west this time.

Eventually, the forest gave way to a barley field nearly ready for harvest.

Beyond the heavy stalks was the sight of Rulid on its hill. In the midst of the redbrick roofs was a spire that jutted above all else: Selka's church.

Neither Selka nor Sister Azalia, the nun who ran the church, was aware that

Central Cathedral, the seat of power for the Axiom Church, which presided over

the four empires, was now just a hollow structure without a master. Still, that

didn't prevent the little church and its orphanage from running smoothly.

If the cathedral was in chaos after the death of Administrator, it had no effect

whatsoever on the lives of the populace. The Taboo Index still functioned,

constricting the minds of the people. Would they be able to pick up swords and

protect their lands from disaster?

If the order came from the Axiom Church and the emperors, they would

presumably obey. But that alone would not be enough to defeat the forces of

darkness. At the very least, Commander Bercouli was wise enough to recognize

that glaring truth.

What would decide the battle to come was not priority level of weapons nor

authority level of arts—it was willpower. Kirito's battle had proven that with the

way he overcame a devastating disadvantage of strength to defeat multiple

Integrity Knights, Prime Senator Chudelkin, and even Administrator.

As she approached the village, proudly absorbing the gazes of caution and

fear from the residents working in the barley fields, Alice sent a silent message

to her sword mentor.

Uncle, peace might not be a thing to fight for, according to the common

people, but a thing that is constantly and eternally given to them. And the ones

who did that…are the Axiom Church, the Taboo Index, and us, the Integrity

Knights.

At this very moment, Commander Bercouli was probably busy in Centoria,

training the armies of the four empires and arranging production of arms.

Perhaps he was already sending troops to the Eastern Gate at the far end of the

Eastavarieth Empire, where the battle would likely be the most intense. He

must want every last knight he could marshal, whether for their assistance in

management or just for pure battle ability.

But here I am now…

Reflecting on her current situation, she passed through the barley fields into

where they were clearing the forest south of the village, and she stopped the

wheelchair before a huge mound of dirt so she could survey the vast area.

Just two years ago, this had been a massive forest, even larger than the one

to the east where they lived in the cabin now. But after Kirito and Eugeo cut

down the monstrous Gigas Cedar that ruled over the woods and absorbed every

last bit of its holy power, the men of the village were obsessed with expanding

their fields, Selka had told her with annoyance.

At the center of the clearing was the tremendous black stump of the tree, and

at the south end, there were dozens of villagers industriously chopping away.

One of them, a burly man busying himself with orders rather than using an ax

for himself, was Nigel Barbossa, the owner of the biggest farm in the village.

Reluctantly, Alice rolled the wheelchair down the small footpath. Kirito

showed no reaction as he passed the stump of the enormous tree he had once

cut down. He simply stared downward, cradling his swords.

The first to notice the approaching pair were the youngsters of the Barbossa

clan, who were resting atop the stumps of newly felled trees. The trio appeared

to be around fifteen or sixteen years old and gazed greedily at Alice with her

golden hair and scarf, then glanced at Kirito in the wheelchair. They muttered to

one another and chuckled.

After she passed without paying them any heed, one of the youths lazily

called out, "Uncle, she's heeeere."

Nigel Barbossa stopped yelling orders and spun around, hands on his hips, a

wide smile across his plump face. Something about his large mouth and beady

eyes reminded her of Chudelkin.

Alice returned his smile to the best of her ability and bowed. "Good

afternoon, Mr. Barbossa. I heard that you wanted me for something…"

"Ah, yes! Thank you for coming, Alice," he said, stomach jiggling as he

approached, arms outstretched. She prepared herself for a possible attempt at

a hug, but fortunately, the sight of the wheelchair in front of her made him

reconsider.

Instead, he stood just fifty cens to the right of her and twirled around,

indicating a huge tree that stood at the border of the forest and the clearing.

"Do you see that? We've been working round the clock on that infernal

platinum oak since yesterday morning, but even ten grown men with axes have

barely been able to nick it."

He made a gesture with his index finger and thumb to describe a small

semicircle.

The enormous oak, a good mel and a half across, stood thoroughly rooted in

place, resisting the woodcutters' efforts. Two men were trading strikes from

either side of the cut, which was indeed less than ten cens in depth.

Sweat was pouring off the shirtless men like waterfalls. The muscles of their

chest and arms were thick, but it was clear from the inconsistency of their

swinging that they did not have regular experience with an ax.

Even as she watched, one of the men's feet slid a bit, and the blade hit

diagonally. The handle of the ax broke about halfway up, and he fell hard on his

backside to uproarious laughter from the others in his vicinity.

"What are those fools doing…?" growled Nigel, then he turned back to Alice.

"At this rate, there's no telling how many days it will take to get rid of this one

tree. And in the time we've wasted on this, Ridack's team has added another

twenty mels of land in each direction!"

Barbossa was referring to the next most-wealthy farming family in the village.

He kicked at a pebble in frustration and snorted, nostrils flaring. But his scowl

quickly transformed into his massive smile again as he wheedled, "So while I

know our arrangement is for once every month, I was hoping you might give us

some help in this one special case, Alice. You may not remember that on several

occasions when you were young, I reluc—er, generously gave you sweets to

enjoy. You were such a sweet young girl back then. Er, as you still are now, of

course…"

Alice avoided rolling her eye as she cut him off. "I understand your problem,

Mr. Barbossa. But only if it's this one time."

It was currently Alice's calling—no, just her means of making a living—to clear

out trees and rocks, like this platinum oak, that proved especially difficult to the

process of clearing the forest for farmland.

Naturally, this was not an official job. About a month after they'd settled into

the cabin in the woods, there was an incident with fallen rocks blocking the

path to the pasture to the west. When Alice came across it and moved the

boulder all on her own, word spread throughout the village, and people started

coming to her for help.

If she was going to live with Kirito like this, they'd need at least some money,

so she was grateful to have a job to do. But Selka was worried that if she kept

accepting any task, the men would never stop coming to her, so she set up a

system: Each farm could ask Alice for help only once a month.

Despite being beholden to the Taboo Index, Norlangarth Basic Imperial Laws,

and the village precepts, Nigel was asking for a second task within the month in

violation of that agreement, but Alice was not surprised by this. It wasn't

because, like Alice and Eugeo, he'd broken through the seal in his right eye—

what the pontifex had called Code 871. It was simply that he viewed Alice as

being beneath him. In other words, the powerful farm owner didn't need to

waste his time upholding a deal with some former criminals who lived in a

dismal shack on the outskirts of town.

Meanwhile, Alice nodded to Nigel again and left the wheelchair behind. She

checked on Kirito just in case, but he seemed unconcerned with the fuss around

them, so she gave him a silent reassurance that it wouldn't take long and

headed for the platinum oak.

When the men spotted her, they leered and made a show of clicking their

tongues in irritation. They were all aware of her strength by now, however, so

they silently moved away from the tree.

She took their place and drew a quick sigil of sacred script with her right hand,

bringing up a Stacia Window. The tree's life value was tremendous, which

explained why ten grown men had struggled to cut it. Its priority level was too

high for her to borrow their axes this time.

Instead, she trotted back to the wheelchair, crouched, and whispered, "I'm

sorry, Kirito. I need to borrow your sword for a little while."

She brushed the black leather scabbard with her hand and sensed his arm

tensing as it cradled the weapon. But when she stared patiently into the blank

pools of his eyes, his arm eventually went limp, and from deep in his throat, he

croaked, "…Aaah…"

Rather than an utterance of will, it was more likely the echo of some memory,

Alice interpreted. The only thing controlling Kirito now was not conscious

thought, but whatever memories still lingered in his heart.

"Thank you," she whispered, retrieving the black sword from his lap. Once she

was sure he would be fine without it, she returned to the oak tree.

It really was a beautiful specimen. Not quite as grand as the ancient trees

scattered around Centoria, perhaps, but easily more than a century old.

Mentally, she apologized to the tree, then took a stance.

She placed her right foot forward with her left in the rear. She held the NightSky Blade in her left hand and placed her right hand on its leather-wrapped hilt.

With her one good eye, she gauged her distance to the tree.

"Come on, now, are you really going to cut down that massive oak with your

flimsy little sword?" one of the men shouted, prompting a gale of laughter from

those nearby. Others chimed in, claiming her sword would break or the sun

would set first.

Eventually Nigel said, with great consternation, "Er, Alice, it would be

appreciated if you could do the task in about an hour…"

She'd cut down over ten trees since she'd started her job, and they always

took no more than thirty minutes. This was because she had to carefully limit

her strength so as not to destroy the axes they gave her to use. This time,

however, there was no need. The Night-Sky Blade was a Divine Object with the

same priority level as her own Osmanthus Blade.

"It will not take that long," she muttered, squeezing the hilt.

Then she shouted, "Haaah!!" An explosion of dust burst up from her right foot

in front.

It had been a long time since she had last swung a real sword; fortunately, she

hadn't forgotten any techniques. The level slash shot from the sheath like black

lightning.

None of the men around her actually saw it, apparently. Once the sword was

fully outstretched to her right, Alice straightened up and met their baffled

gazes.

The smooth bark of the platinum oak was unmarred aside from the mark the

men had been chipping away at for the past day—or so they thought.

At last, one of them wondered, "Did she miss?" and a few of them cackled.

Alice turned back to the one who'd spoken, lowering her sword. "It's going to

fall your way."

"Huh? What are you—?"

The man paused, his eyes bulging. The trunk of the oak was very slowly

starting to tilt. Like those around him, he suddenly wailed and started running

the other way.

With a tremendous rumble, the gigantic tree toppled onto the place where

the men had been standing just three seconds before.

Alice made her way back to the stump, waving away the dust. The rings of the

tree were thick on the fresh cross section and shone as though polished. There

was just one end of the stump that was still jagged and torn.

She wondered whether that was because she was losing her edge or whether

it was due to the lack of depth perception with only one eye. As she turned

away, she nearly jumped out of her skin. Nigel Barbossa was rushing toward her

with a huge grin and arms wide.

Her rough handling of the sword made for a menacing clink as it slid back into

the sheath, which brought Nigel up short. But the smile never left as he rubbed

his hands together.

"Won…wonder…wonderful! That was incredible! So much for Zink, the chief

man-at-arms! That was simply divine!" he babbled at a distance of a mel—his

expression equal parts delight and greed. "Wh-what do you say, Alice? I'll

double your pay if you work once a week for me rather than once per month…

No! Once a day, even!"

He was rubbing his hands at high speed now. Alice merely shook her head.

"No, thank you. What you are paying me now is enough."

If she brought the Osmanthus Blade and used its Perfect Weapon Control art,

she could do more than one tree a day—she could reduce this entire forest to

flat land as far as the eye could see in a matter of minutes. But if she did so, it

would only change their demands into tilling the land, breaking the rocks, even

making the rain fall.

Nigel grumbled at her rejection and didn't seem to remember she was there

until she said, "My payment."

"Ah, yes, of course, of course." He put his hand into his pocket and pulled out

a bulging sack, then plucked out a 100-shia silver coin, as he had promised her,

dropped it into her palm, and tried his luck again. "Alice, how about this? If I

pay you another silver, would you consider retracting your offer to Ridack for

this month…?"

She held her breath, preparing to turn him down again, when a heavy thud

caught her attention. She looked up with a start and saw that the wheelchair

had toppled over, sending Kirito to the ground.

"…Kirito!" she shouted, running past Nigel to him.

Kirito was reaching forward desperately with his left arm as he lay on the

ground. In that direction, the loafing young men had balanced the longsword in

its white-leather sheath upright on the ground and were exclaiming over it.

"Whoa, why is it so heavy?!"

"No wonder she could cut down a platinum oak in one swing with it."

"Hey, you guys, hold it straight!" cried a third, who grabbed the hilt of the

Blue Rose Sword with both hands so he could pull it out.

Alice actually heard the sound of her jaws grinding. A cry left her throat

before she was even aware of it herself. "You scoundrels—!"

The boys turned to her, mouths agape. She crossed the twelve mels between

them in an instant and came to a stop with dust swirling around her. The three

backed away when they saw the look on her face.

Alice took a deep breath and used it to stifle the explosion threatening to

erupt from within her. She helped Kirito get up first, put him back in his

wheelchair, then hissed, "That sword belongs to him. Give it back now."

Suddenly, the young men looked aggrieved. The large one who'd been about

to draw the sword pointed at Kirito, his lip curled. "We asked him to let us

borrow it."

Even sitting in the wheelchair, Kirito was reaching for the white sword,

moaning weakly.

One of the youngsters holding up the sheath said mockingly, "He was happy

to lend it to us. He was like, 'Aaah, aaah.'"

The last of them nodded and agreed, laughing.

Alice had to keep her hand tight on the handle of the wheelchair—if she

didn't, she would grab the handle of the Night-Sky Blade and draw it instead.

Half a year ago, she would have cut off all six arms that dared to touch the

sword without a moment's hesitation. An Integrity Knight was not bound by the

Taboo Index and its rules against harming others. As a matter of fact, without

the seal in her right eye to bind her, there was no law at all that limited Alice's

behavior.

But…

Alice clenched her teeth painfully, fighting against her urges. These young

men were the common folk that Kirito and Eugeo had sacrificed their lives to

protect. She couldn't harm them. It wasn't what they would have wanted.

She stayed absolutely still and silent for several seconds, but she didn't do a

very good job of hiding the fury that blazed in her remaining eye. The three

boys stopped laughing, their smiles replaced by fearful looks.

"…All right, all right. Geez, you don't have to get so mad," the largest boy said,

sulking as he released the handle. The other two followed his cue and let go of

the sheath, almost relieved that they didn't have to support its weight

anymore. It toppled heavily to the ground.

Alice walked over without a word, crouched, and easily lifted the whiteleather sheath with no more than three fingers. As she turned back, she paused

for a moment to glare at the little imps before returning to the wheelchair.

After quickly dusting off the sheath with the hem of her cloak, she placed the

black and white blades on Kirito's lap. He clutched them tight and went still.

Nigel Barbossa was absorbed in giving orders elsewhere, seemingly with no

interest in the situation here. Alice gave him a little bow for propriety's sake—

he wasn't paying attention—and wheeled the chair back to the path going

north.

The surge of hot, stormy anger that had filled her for the first time in ages had

turned into cold helplessness. This wasn't the first time she'd felt it since

moving into the forest near Rulid. Most of the villagers avoided talking to her,

and they hardly even treated vacant Kirito like a human being.

She wasn't blaming them. From their point of view, she was still the criminal

who broke the Taboo Index. She ought to be grateful they allowed her to live

close to the village and sold her essential goods and food.

But all the while, in a corner of her mind, she wondered, To what end?

To what end had she undergone all that suffering and fought with

Administrator? What exactly was the thing that the other administrator,

Cardinal; her intelligent spider, Charlotte; Eugeo; and Kirito had made such

sacrifices to protect?

Those thoughts led her to a question that she knew she could never voice:

Was there truly a point in protecting people like Barbossa's family?

That question was one of the reasons Alice had put down her sword and

traveled to this distant region. Even now, on the far side of the Eastern Gate at

the edge of Eastavarieth Empire, the forces of darkness were marching closer. It

was a question of whether Commander Bercouli could get his new Human

Guardian Army arranged and in place in time. She hadn't been stripped of her

status as Integrity Knight—only the late Administrator could do that—so

perhaps Alice ought to head for that gate as soon as possible.

But the Osmanthus Blade was far too heavy for her now.

The celestial realm she thought she had come from did not exist. The Axiom

Church she swore fealty to was full of hypocrisy. She'd learned far too much of

the ugliness and pettiness of the people of the human realm. The days when

she could pray to the gods and swing her sword believing in the righteousness

of her cause had long passed.

Now there was only a handful of human beings that Alice truly wanted to

protect. Her mother and father, Selka, Old Man Garitta, and Kirito. As long as

she could keep them safe, she would be content to turn her back on the

knighthood and live her days here in peace…

When they were out of the clearing and onto the path that wound through

the barley fields, Alice stopped and whispered to Kirito, "Can I do some

shopping in the village, since we're here? I won't let those nasty children mess

with you again."

He didn't answer, but Alice took that as agreement and wheeled the chair

north.

Her 100-shia silver coin bought her a week's worth of food and necessities. By

the time they were heading back to their cabin in the forest, the sun had begun

to set.

As she approached the porch, she detected the low hum of wind. Once the

wheelchair was safely out of the way, she waited for the source to arrive in the

center of the little clearing in the woods.

Eventually, an enormous flying dragon almost skimmed the treetops as it

soared by—its massive wings, long neck, and silver tail all adding to its regal

aspect. It was Alice's dragon, Amayori, who had flown them here from Centoria.

The dragon did two turns above the grassy clearing, then floated down to

land. It folded its wings and stretched its neck until its nose brushed Kirito's

chest, then it rested its large head against Alice.

She scratched at the silky, faintly blue hair under the dragon's chin, eliciting a

purring gurgle from the beast.

"Amayori, you're getting fat. You've been eating too many fish at the lake,"

she scolded with a grin. The dragon snorted guiltily and began plodding toward

its nest on the east side of the cabin. It curled up atop the bed of thickly stacked

hay so its neck was intertwined with its tail.

Half a year ago, on the day she'd decided to build this cabin here in the

clearing, Alice had undone the leather harness on Amayori's head and removed

the sacred arts of binding. She'd told the dragon, You are free; go back to your

nest in the western empire, but the dragon would not leave her side.

The dragon collected grass to make its bed and spent the days on its own,

frolicking in the forest and catching fish in the lake—but it always came back in

the evening. The sacred arts that suppressed the dragon's proud, fierce nature

and forced it into servitude to its knight's commands was gone. So why didn't it

return to its home?

Still, the continued and willing presence of Amayori, who had been with her

ever since she became an Integrity Knight, was a welcome development, and

Alice did not try to drive it off. Occasionally, the sight of the dragon overhead

caused more rumors about Alice among the villagers, but it was pointless to

worry about that now.

Amayori began to snore softly atop the hay, so Alice bade it a good night and

pushed the wheelchair into the cabin.

Dinner that night was a stew of half-moon beans and meatballs. The beans

were too hard, and the meatballs were all different sizes, but the flavor was

really coming together, she thought. Kirito didn't offer any comments, of

course. He just let her stick the spoon in his mouth and chewed and swallowed

as if that was all he could remember how to do.

If only she at least knew what he liked and didn't like to eat. Moments like

this reminded her that the total amount of time she had really spoken to this

young man was not even an entire day. Two years ago, Selka had lived in the

church with him for a period, but she said that he seemed to enjoy everything

he was served, regardless of what it was. It seemed fitting for Kirito.

At last, Kirito finished his stew, so she moved his chair over to the small

heater, then washed the utensils and placed them in the basket.

Just then, she heard Amayori, who would normally sleep outside until dawn,

growling in a soft trill. She paused and listened intently. With the whisper of the

breeze coming through the forest was the unseasonal frail rustle of dead

branches, then the sound of large wings beating.

"…!"

She leaped out of the kitchen, made sure that Kirito was behaving in his chair,

then threw open the front door. Able to hear more clearly now, she determined

that whatever was slicing through the wind was coming closer. She descended

the porch and looked up at the night sky.

Against the backdrop of the stars, a black shadow was descending in a spiral—

a dragon. She glanced to the east, just in case, and saw that Amayori was still on

the bed, of course, looking up at the sky.

"Could it be…?"

She was about to turn back for her sword, thinking that a dark knight from

over the End Mountains had invaded, when she saw the scales of the dragon

gleam silver in the moonlight. Her shoulders relaxed just the tiniest bit. The only

ones who rode dragons with silver scales were the Integrity Knights of the

Axiom Church.

But it was still too early to be completely at ease. Who would have flown out

all this way? Were they still discussing the idea of punishing Kirito the traitor?

Had they dispatched an agent of justice from the cathedral at last?

Amayori crawled out of the bed, sensing Alice's worry, and lifted its head high

to growl again. The threatening noise soon made way for a much sweeter purr.

Alice understood why very quickly.

The dragon did three more circles before landing on the south end of the

clearing. Its own fuzzy beard was colored similarly to Amayori's. This was

Amayori's older brother, Takiguri. Which meant that its rider was…

A knight clad in platinum armor and helmet leaped smoothly to the ground.

Alice called out to him in a hard voice. "I'm impressed that you found me. What

do you want, Eldrie Synthesis Thirty-One?"

The only Integrity Knight with a number younger than Alice's Thirty did not

speak at first. He put his right hand to his chest and bowed deeply. Then he

stood up and removed his helmet. His lustrous pale-purple hair wafted in the

night breeze, and his city-boy good looks came into view. His voice was higher

and softer than the average man's.

"It has been too long, Master Alice. While you are dressed differently than I

remember, your beauty still amazes me. The thought of my mentor's golden

hair gleaming in the moonlight was so captivating, I could not help but pay a

visit with an excellent vintage from the collection."

His left hand emerged from behind his back to reveal a wine bottle. Alice did

her best not to sigh, and she answered her strange disciple, "I'm happy to see

that your wounds have healed—sadly, your personality has not changed for the

better. In fact, if anything, your way of speaking reminds me a bit more of Prime

Senator Chudelkin's."

Eldrie gurgled a bit. She turned her back on him and walked toward the cabin.

"Erm, Alice…?"

"If you have something important to say, I'll hear you out inside. If not, you

can drink your wine alone and return to the city."

Takiguri and Amayori were rubbing their necks together, delighting in their

first family reunion in half a year. Alice gave them a brief glance and returned to

the cabin.

Eldrie followed her obediently inside and looked around the interior in

wonder before his eyes stopped on Kirito, who was sitting motionless by the

heater. He made no comment on the rebel who had once crossed swords with

him. Instead, he slid around the far side of the table and pulled out a chair for

Alice.

"…"

It felt silly to thank him for this, so she just exhaled instead and plopped onto

the seat. Eldrie sat himself down across from her and placed the wine bottle on

the table. A hint of a dark expression crossed his face the moment he got a

good look at her, probably from seeing the black bandage that still covered her

right eye. The agitation was gone the next instant, however. He looked around

curiously, his nose twitching.

"…Something smells nice, Alice. Incidentally, I was in a hurry, so I haven't

eaten dinner yet."

"How is that 'incidental'? And who would fly from Centoria to the distant

mountains bearing wine but taking no travel rations along?"

"I swore to the trinity that I would never eat that limp, tasteless mush again.

I'd rather starve and let my life drain away than survive on such—"

She rose from her seat before she was forced to listen to his entire answer. In

the kitchen, she ladled the remaining stew from the pot on the stove onto a

wooden plate and brought it to the table. Eldrie stared at the plate with a

mixture of elation and suspicion.

"…Forgive my impertinence in asking, but…did you make this yourself…?"

"Yes, I did. Why do you ask?"

"…No reason. To eat my sword master's home cooking is a greater honor and

joy than learning the secret ways of my weapon," he said nervously, grabbing

the spoon and shoveling beans into his mouth.

As he chewed, Alice asked, "So how did you find this place? It's far enough

from Centoria that no sacred art should reach here…And I don't imagine the

knighthood is in a state to be sending dragons all over the realm just to find

me."

Eldrie didn't answer her question right away; instead, he murmured about

how surprisingly good the dish was, working the spoon quickly until his plate

was clean. He looked up and dabbed at his mouth with a napkin that she hadn't

seen him pull out.

"I followed the bond that exists between our souls," he said, fixing her with a

look. "If only that were so. No, it was simple coincidence." He spread his hands

theatrically. "A knight patrolling the End Mountains sent word that the goblins

and orcs to the north have been active. On the commander's orders, we

collapsed the caves to the north, south, and west, and I was sent to confirm

that they're not stubbornly trying to dig them out again."

"The…caves…?" Alice murmured. Of the four caves that went through the End

Mountains, the south, west, and north caves were very narrow, and the ogres

and giants that made up the bulk of the dark army's strength couldn't pass

through. Therefore, it was assumed they would amass at the Eastern Gate, but

Bercouli was thorough and decided to collapse the other three caves after he

took full command.

It was with this knowledge that Alice had made the far north her hideout, but

if the enemy dug the cave up again, that situation would change. Rulid would go

from being a peaceful, sleepy village to the front line of a bloody war.

"And…did you confirm the actions of the forces of darkness?"

"I flew over the vicinity of the cave for an entire day, and I did not see a single

goblin, much less any orcs," Eldrie said, shrugging. "I'm guessing it was all a big

mistake, and they were confusing packs of wild animals for monsters."

"…Did you check inside the cave?"

"Of course. I examined it from the Dark Territory side, but the rocks filled it to

the roof of the cave. They'd need an enormous platoon to dig that all loose. I

was set to take us back to Centoria with that information in my pocket, when

Takiguri started acting strangely. I let him fly where he wanted to, which turned

out to be this place. I'm just as stunned as anyone. It's quite a coincidence…Or

should I say, the work of fate?"

He finished with a dramatic flourish and the bravado of a bold knight.

"It is at such a time, when granted this rare opportunity, that my duty

compels me to speak my mind. Please, Alice…return to the fold! We need your

sword more than we need the addition of a thousand soldiers!"

She looked down to avoid his insistent gaze.

She knew.

She knew the fragile walls around the human realm were set to crumble to

the ground, as well as how hard Commander Bercouli and his new Human

Guardian Army were fighting to keep them up.