Sword Art Online - Volume 8 - Chapter 1.2

Part 3
Asuna, Agil, and me, the three of us headed from the transfer gate in «Algade» to the lowest floor of Aincrad, the «Starting City».
Our aim was to check the «Monument of Life» that stood within the Black Iron Palace. We have to at least check whether the swordsmith Grimlock was still alive before we looked for him.
It was spring, but the large «Starting City» was still basked in an atmosphere of desolation.
Of course, this wasn't the result of the randomly generated weather. The wide streets that were covered in darkness have no signs of players around, and even the BGMs performed by the NPC band are all ominous melodies.
Recently, I heard that there's a certain unbelievable rule —— the largest guild of the lowest levels, the self-governing organization «Aincrad Liberation Force» banned players from going out at night. It looks like this might really have happened. There were patrol troops wearing similar dark grey armor as we walked down.
And once those guys saw us, they immediately came running over to us like youth police forces catching middle schoolers skipping class. They all backed away when they saw Asuna's absolute-zero stare-attack, but such action was really tense.
"...No wonder Algade's so bustling...the things here are so expensive..."
After hearing me mutter this out inadvertently, Agil told me a rumor that was even more horrifying.
"I hear that the army recently intends to start «taxing» the players."
"Eh!? Tax? No way...how do they intend to do so?"
"I don't know about that...maybe they'll automatically deduct from monster loots?"
Agil and I just stupidly joked around like this, but once we stepped on the stone floor of the Black Iron Palace, we immediately shut up.
As its name stated, this place was a large building assembled with black glossy pillars and metal boards. The air inside was obviously colder than outside. Even Asuna, who moved forward quickly, seemed to be so cold that she's rubbing her exposed arms.
Maybe the reason no one is inside is because it's so late at night.
During the day, many people won't believe in the deaths of their friends or lovers and come here to check. Once they see a line mercilessly drawn on the name they're looking for, they'll normally start crying out loud. I guess Yolko, who witnessed the death of her friend Kains will still come here tomorrow to check. In fact, even I did the same thing not too long ago, and right now, I haven't managed to completely step out from that painful memory at all.
Just like that, we walked into the empty lobby, lit by blue flames.
Asuna and I arrived at the «Momument of Life» that extended 10m sideways, and we stared at the portion that started with the letter «G» in alphabetical order.
Agil continued to walk to the right. Asuna and I held our breaths as we looked at the names mentioned, and seemed to find that name at the same time.
«Grimlock». On it —— there's no line.
"...Still alive."
"Yeah."
Both of us heaved a sigh of relief at the same time. Slightly further away from us, Agil was looking at the «K» column, and immediately said to us with a serious look,
"Kains' definitely dead. The date of death is the month of Sakura, 22th, 18:27."
"...The date and time are correct. That's the time we left the restaurant."
Asuna muttered and looked down, lowering those long eyebrows of hers. Agil and I said a silent prayer. The Romanization of «Kains» should be read just as it was written. We checked with Yolko before.
After finishing all we had to do, we left Black Iron Palace and exhaled all the air held within us. Unknowingly, the BGM on the streets became a slow waltz used late at night. The NPC shops have all closed down, and the few street lights were the only things lighting the streets. The patrol troops of the «Army» had disappeared.
We silently returned to the plaza where the transfer gate was, and at this moment, Asuna suddenly turned to look at me.
"...We'll start looking for Grimlock tomorrow."
"You're right..."
I nodded my head in agreement. Agil's thick eyebrows frowned.
"Well...my main occupation is a merchant, not a warrior..."
"I know. That's all for you now, you merchant."
I slapped him on the shoulder and pat him. Agil gave a relaxed expression, but sheepishly whispered a sorry in apology.
This good old bruiser isn't really thinking that «business is priority» or «it's really troublesome to investigate». He just doesn't want to meet that player who created such a short spear that killed someone. Of course, he's not scared; quite the opposite actually —— he's worried that the rage he normally vented on monsters would suddenly explode.
Agil left us with a 'Do your best, you two', and vanished into the transfer gate. Asuna was ready to head back to headquarters for a while, so we disbanded for today.
"Let's meet at the transfer gate at the 57th floor at 9am tomorrow. You must reach there on time, and don't oversleep."
On hearing Asuna say this in the tone of a teacher or an older sister —— even though I don't have one in the real world —— I could only smile wryly and nod.
"I got it. You should be the one sleeping properly. If you're worried, I can be on standby beside——"
"NO NEED!"
After leaving these words behind, the sub-leader of the KoB quickly turned around and leapt into the transfer gate, leaving a red and white afterimage behind.
I, who was left behind, could only stand in front of the gate that was giving off blue and white lights for the time being and sort out what happened throughout the entire day. At first, it was just a simple «Today's weather is good», and yet I ended up being «The Flash» Asuna's nap guard; and just when both of us finally managed to go for dinner, we ended up involved in a murder case inside the «area», and now I became either a detective or an assistant taking on the murder mystery.
Of course, every single day in the floating city Aincrad «isn't normal», but it's been 1 and a half years since the death game started on November 6th 2022, and most of the players, including me —— were at least living in the middle levels. Most of us will deliberately forget about our lives in the real world and focus on surviving in this «Daily Life» that's composed of swords, fighting, gold coins and dungeons.
But the incident today caused me to end up in another kind of abnormality. I don't know whether this will become some permanent thing that is to come...
As I thought about it, I took a few steps forward, entered the blue transfer gate and used a verbal command to send me to my current accommodation —— the main street area on the 48th floor, «Lindas»; a floating sensation surrounded me with a strong glow.
As my feet landed on the ground once more, I stepped forward onto the stone floor of a different color, and the surrounding scenery immediately changed. It's been less than a week since I used the city of Lindas as a base, but I like how the canals threaded through all the streets with water wheels scattered about, spinning lazily. However, it's past 10pm now, and the streets were covered by the night scenery. Either way, the sound of blacksmiths at work no matter where I was during the day had completely disappeared.
I left the transfer gate, pondering on whether I should obediently follow through on the promise I made to the sub-leader-dono and go straight to sleep or get a drink in a bar run by an NPC. At that moment——
6-7 players suddenly surrounded me.
I immediately got ready to draw the sword on my back. Even if I was surrounded by dozens of people, I wouldn't be in danger as long as I was in the «area» —— but such common sense became a little unreliable after the events of these past few hours.
I only moved my right fingers and controlled my urge to draw my sword.
I'd met all the people in this group. They were members of the largest clearing group «Divine Dragons Alliance». I spoke to one of them, who could be said to be one of the executives, standing amongst the people lined up in a semicircle.
"Good evening, Schmitt-san."
I took the initiative to smile and greet him, and this burly long spear user seemed to be at a loss for words, but he immediately frowned hard and said,
"...Kirito-san, I've something to ask you, so I came all the way here to wait for you to come back."
"Heh, I don't think you'll be asking about my birthday or blood type..."
I instinctively joked, and the thick eyebrows under his sports club ace-like short hair twitched.
We're on the clearing group, and we don't really have an antagonistic relationship, but I just can't get along with the people of the «Divine Dragons Alliance». In comparison, my relationship with the «Knights of the Blood» under Asuna's lead may be a little better.
The reason why we can't get along is due to the fact that while the «Knights of the Blood» aim to «clear the game with the fastest possible speed», the «Divine Dragons Alliance» members aim to get «the honor of the strongest guild». They basically wouldn't team up with other guilds and wouldn't openly reveal information about training fields. Also, they have a very thick-skinned insistence about dealing the last attack to the boss —— due to the loot and the bonus experience.
On the other hand, if I think about it in another way, this group of people may be considered to be enjoying this game called SAO, so I've never especially begrudged them for this. However, since I've refused to join their guild twice, our relationship can't be considered good.
Right now, the 7 of them looked like they're surrounding me by forming a semicircle with my back facing the transfer gate, but they must have calculated the distance before. This distance wouldn't cause players to feel that they're «boxed» and unable to move, but if I wanted to move out, I'd definitely touch one of them, and I'd naturally think first if I were to make such a rude act. This formed a «suspicious cornering» situation.
I really endured the urge to sigh and changed my tone to ask Schmitt,
"I'll answer all I know. What do you want to ask about?"
"The PK incident inside the area on the 57th floor in the evening."
I'd already expected that answer as I nodded, leaned on the stone wall and folded my arms in front of my chest before using an eye expression to prompt him to continue.
"I heard that it wasn't a duel...was it?"
He used a deep magnetic-like voice to ask, and I thought for a while before shrugging my shoulders and answered,
"That's what I can confirm. No one at the scene saw the window indicating the winner. Of course, there may be some sort of reason why no one at the scene managed to find out."
"..."
Schmitt's squarish jaw immediately closed up, and the armor below his neck let out a sound.
The members of the «Divine Dragons Alliance» have to wear armor with silver and blue as the base color. The 2m length long-spear on his back was showing itself fully as the sharp tip had their guild's triangular flag tied on it.
After a short moment of silence, Schmitt said with a deeper voice,
"I heard that the player who was killed is called «Kains»...is that true?"
"The friend who witnessed this entire incident did say this. I've just checked Black Iron Palace. The date and cause of death are exactly the same."
I saw his thick neck gulp for a bit, and finally started to feel suspicious. I tilted my head and asked him,
"Do you know the deceased?"
"...None of your business."
"Oi oi, why is it that you're the only one who can ask..."
I just spoke halfway through when he suddenly growled at me angrily,
"YOU'RE NOT A COP, RIGHT!? IT SEEMS THAT YOU DID LOTS OF INVESTIGATIONS SECRETLY WITH THE SUB-LEADER OF THE KOB, BUT YOU TWO DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO KEEP ALL THE INFORMATION TO YOURSELF!"
He let out a roar that even those outside the plaza could hear, and the other members around him showed troubled looks as they looked around. It seems that Schmitt never told them the specifics and just wanted them to form numbers here.
In that case, it seemed that the «Divine Dragons Alliance» itself may not be involved in this incident, but Schmitt himself was. As my mind memorized this, a right hand covered with a metal gauntlet reached out in front of me.
"I know you took the PK weapon from the scene of the crime. That's enough investigations you've done. Hand it over to me."
"Oi oi oi..."
Such an act is obviously a breach of etiquette.
In SAO, any unequipped weapon dropped on the ground, or a weapon stabbed into a monster and taken away will have its owner's data erased after 300 seconds. The item then belonged to the person who picked it up, no matter whether it's based on the system or generally. That black short spear's owner data was removed once it took Kains life, and so, based on the system, it belongs to me now.
It wasn't like there weren't situations where people forced other people to hand over free weapons —— but that spear was a weapon and critical evidence. Since I'm not a cop or a military policeman, so I have no intention of keeping it to myself.
Thus, I just openly sighed and waved my hand to call out the item window.
I used my right hand to grab onto the materialized black short spear, and thought of acting cool as I stabbed it hard into the stone floor between Schmitt and I.
*KLANG!* The short spear let out a large spark and stabbed into the ground. Schmitt was shocked by my action as he took half a step back,
I looked at it closely again, and found that the design of this weapon was really spine-chilling. Of course, this weapon that was designed to kill players isn't anything good. I looked away from the drop only I could see, and used a very soft voice to say to this long-spear user,
"I saved you time on inspecting this item. The name of this weapon is «Guilty Thorn», and the blacksmith that made it was «Grimlock»."
There was an obvious reaction.
Schmitt immediately widened his narrowed eyes as his mouth opened wide, letting out a hoarse panting voice from within.
Undoubtedly, this bro who looks like a sports athlete must have known the blacksmith Grimlock and the victim Kains, and they went through «some incident» together.
If that was the motive for killing Kains, the murder incident in the «area» isn't something I feared, a killer that just PKs randomly and indifferently. I really wanted to know what happened in the past, but even if I asked Schmitt directly, he probably wouldn't answer me honestly.
Just while I was thinking of what to do, that arm wearing the thick metal gauntlet straightened stiffly and pulled the spear out from the ground.
Schmitt crudely opened the item window and threw the short spear in, as though to get rid of it, then quickly turned away.
Then, he, whose long spear was facing me, left a rather classic threatening line.
"...Don't bother randomly investigating any further. Let's go!"
The guys of the Divine Dragons Alliance quickly headed towards the transfer gate and disappeared.
——Then, what should I do?


Part 4
"People from the DDA?"
On hearing my report, Asuna couldn't help but frown.
DDA is the initialism for «Divine Dragons Alliance», the simplified term for the guild. The name had some form of intimidation and pressure that people would naturally avoid, but it doesn't work on the sub-leader of the KoB Asuna.
On the day after the incident, Sakura month, 23rd day, the weather generator seemed to be in a bad mood immediately as it had been drizzling since morning. Actually in Aincrad, the sky is covered by the base of the higher level, so it's impossible to have rain, but to really put it that way, there can't possibly be sunlight in the day.
At 9am in the morning. Asuna and I met at the transfer gate on the 57th floor, where the incident happened, and we arrived at a nearby café to have breakfast and sort out the information we had up till now. The biggest issue we had in our discussion was obviously the Divine Dragons Alliance member Schmitt who ambushed me outside the transfer gate and forcefully took information and the murder weapon away from me.
"Ahh~ speaking of which, there's really this person. The big long spear user, right?"
"That's right. He gives the vibe that he's the chairman of a high school snatchaway club."
"There's no such club."
Asuna immediately refuted this little inspiration of humor I have had since morning, and seemed to be thinking about something as she cupped the mug with café au lait.
"...Don't tell me that guy is the culprit."
"I can't conclude that boldly, but probably not. If he took the murder weapon back because he's scared that someone found the clue, he might as well not be there. I think that the spear is something left behind by the culprit."
"I see...you're right. That killing method and the name of the weapon is «Guilty Thorn»...instead of calling it a normal PK, it's more suitable to call it a «public execution»..."
On hearing Asuna mutter in a depressed manner, I nodded to agree with her.
This isn't a random PK, but an execution on Kains. And there must have been something between Kains, Grimlock and Schmitt.
I kept my volume down and said out the conclusion I got from these clues.
"In other words —— the motive is «revenge», no, «judgment». That Kains-san once committed some form of sin, and he was killed as «punishment». This should be what the killer is trying to get at."
"In other words, Schmitt shouldn't be the culprit, but the one the criminal is after, is it? He did «something» with Kains-san, and started to panic and take action after his partner was killed..."
"Once we know that past, we'll likely know who the culprit is. However...this may just be an act by a criminal. Let's not get too subjective for now."
"You're right, especially when we're asking Yolko."
Asuna and I nodded at the same time, and we then checked the time right now. It's 10am in the morning, and we headed to a nearby inn to ask Yolko, who was staying there, what happened.
There's still some time after I finished the simple breakfast of black bread and vegetable soup, and I casually looked at the KoB sub-leader opposite me.
Perhaps she was about to deal with something personal as she's not wearing the knight outfit with the white base and the red picture. Her top was a shirt with pink and grey stripes with a black leather vest over it, and her bottom was a black miniskirt with laces beside it. On her feet were grey stockings.
Also, she's wearing pink enamel shoes and a pink beret. It just seems that she's been putting in effort to dress up —— of course, perhaps all female players dressed up normally like this. To be honest, I have no idea about the current trend of clothing, so I can't tell at all. No matter what, I have no idea how much col her attire cost.
Besides, there's no need to deliberately dress up when investigating a murder case. As I blankly thought about this, Asuna suddenly looked up, and then quickly turned her head aside.
"...What are you looking at?"
"Eh...ah, nothing..."
Of course, I couldn't possibly ask her how much this attire cost, but if I just said randomly things like those clothes are cute and really suit you, I might either anger her or get laughed at by her, so I just thought of an excuse.
"Un...I'm thinking, is that thick stuff nice?"
As I asked, Asuna lowered her head to look at the mysterious thick soup she's using her spoon to scoop up. She stared at me with a delicate expression, and then sighed heavily.
"...Not at all."
The rapier user whispered and pushed the soup aside, coughed a few times, and then changed her tone and said,
"I've been thinking yesterday, about the «Continuous Pierce damage DOT» from that black short spear..."
Speaking of which, it seems this was the first time I ever saw this girl without her rapier equipped. Having noticed that, I nodded.
"Un?"
"For example, if a piercing type weapon is used to stab someone outside the area, and if the player enters the area, how is the continuous damage calculated? Do you know?"
"Un...well..."
I can't help but consider. It's true that I've never had this kind of situation before, and of course, I never exactly thought of exactly what happened.
"I don't know...but the continuous poison or burn damage will disappear once the player enters the area, right? Piercing damage should be the same too, isn't it?"
"But what happens if the weapon is stabbed into the body? Will it be pulled out automatically?"
"Even if it's like that, it's a little weird...un, we have some time, so let's experiment on this."
Asuna immediately widened her eyes the moment she heard me say this,
"Ex, experiment?"
"Seeing is believing."
I tossed out an idiom that's used a little strangely here, and then summoned the map of the streets to find the nearest gate from here.

The area outside the main street area of the 57th floor «Marten» is grassland filled with some craggy old trees.
A few weeks ago, this was a road I went past countless times when this was still the frontline, and now, my memories are fuzzy. Of course, it may be because there're new sprouts coming out as spring comes, but basically, ever since the clearing group broke through this level, I've basically stopped coming to the training area outside the area.
We continued on in the slight drizzle, and once we stepped out of the streets, the warning words «Outer Field» appeared in our sights. The monsters won't immediately come over to attack, but my heart just felt tense.
Asuna equipped that rapier she normally carried at her waist, and then shook the water droplets hanging on her bangs in a somewhat impatient manner before asking in an intrigued voice,
"Then...how are you going to experiment?"
"Like this?"
I rummage through my waist pocket, found the 3 «Throwing Picks» I normally equipped myself with, and pulled one out.
All the weapons that exist in Aincrad can be classified under slashing, thrust, smash and pierce. My main one-handed weapon is a slashing weapon, and Asuna's weapon is a thrust type. Maces and warhammers are smashing weapons, and the short spear that killed Kains and the long spear Schmitt had are of course piercing types.
However, a few throwing weapons actually have a vague classification. Of all the throwing weapons, the boomerang or the sickles are slashing types; the flying daggers are stabbing types, and my throwing picks are piercing types. That's right. It looks like a large metal needle that's only 12cm long, but this pick is really a piercing weapon, which means it can create some minor piercing damage.
It's too stupid to just waste my equipment's durability just to test this on my HP, so I took off my left glove and used the pick in my right now to stab at my bare hand.
"Wa...WAIT A SEC!"
A sharp shout caused my hand to stop.
I turn my head around, and Asuna had already opened her item window and got ready to take out a very expensive healing crystal. I couldn't help but smile wryly and said,
"Isn't it too exaggerated? I'll only lose about 1 to 2% of my HP when I get stabbed in the hand by such a pick."
"Idiot! Anything can happen outside the area! Party with me and let me see your HP!"
Asuna angrily stated as she seemed to be lecturing a stupid little brother, and then opened a window and invited me to a party. I cringed my head back a little and immediately pressed on the accept button, and right below my HP bar at the top left hand corner, I could see Asuna's small HP bar.
Now that I think about this, this is the first time I'm teaming up with this girl. Of course, we've met many times as part of the clearing group, but she is the sub-leader of the strongest guild, and I'm just a small solo player, so we haven't had much chance to talk to each other.
Unexpectedly, it's so easy now, and I'm partying with her alone. Just a while back, we're having disagreements over defeating a boss, and even had a 1 v 1 duel.
Asuna held onto the pink crystal as she looked tense and got ready. I can't help but look at her face.
"...What is it?"
"Nothing...well, I didn't think that you'd worry about me like that..."
The moment I said that, Asuna's white face was immediately dyed into the same color as the crystal. She then angrily said to me again,
"Of...of course not! Wait, it's not exactly like th...ARGH! JUST STAB IF YOU WANT TO DO SO!!"
EHHH!? I immediately grabbed the pick again.
"I, I'm going to stab then."
I declared, and forcefully took a deep breath——
I then proceeded to do the beginner level throwing skill «Single Shot» at my extended left hand.
My two fingers on my right hand held onto the pick, and with a slightly dark light effect, it pierced through my hand.
With an impact, the uncomfortable numbness and slight pain passed through my nerves.
The HP bar deducted more HP than what I expected, and I lost about 3%. Now that I remember, I swapped the ordinary picks with a rare drop.
I endured this uncomfortable feeling and turned to look at the metal needle that's stabbed into my hand. 5 seconds later, the red light effect flashed again, and the HP dropped by 0.5%. This is the «Continuous Pierce Damage DOT».
"...HURRY UP AND ENTER THE AREA!"
Asuna's tense voice prompted me, and I immediately nodded and stared at the HP bar and the pick before heading to the gate leading to the area.
The moment my feet stepped from the wet grassland to the hard stone floor, my sights see the words «Inner Area».
And then —— the HP bar stopped dropping.
Every five seconds, there would be a red light effect, but the hit points showed no sign of decreasing. As expected, any damage would be nullified inside the area.
"...It stopped."
Asuna whispered, and I nodded and agreed with her.
"The weapon's still embedded in me, but the continuous damage stopped, huh?"
"How does it feel?"
"It's still on my body. This is probably to prevent an idiot stabbed with such a weapon to enter the area directly..."
"You're that kind of idiot now."
On hearing that cold telling-off, I could only cringe my neck back and pull the pick out. The uncomfortable feeling passed through my nerves, causing my body to tense up. There's no sign of any wounds on the back of my left hand, but the icy metallic touch still remained on it. I couldn't help but blow the back of my hand and said,
"The damage did stop...in that case, why did Kains die...? Is it the unique characteristic of the weapon...or some unknown skill...TWAAHHH!?"
The reason for the final shout at the end is—
Asuna suddenly used both hands to grab my left hand and pulled it in front of her chest before forcefully holding onto it.
"You...wha...what...?"
After a few seconds, the sub-leader let go of the hand and glanced at me before saying,
"The remaining feeling of the damage disappeared, right?"
"——U, un. Well, thanks."
The reason why my heart raced is most likely because I was shocked.
It's definitely just like that, definitely.

10am. Yolko walked out from the inn. She looks like she didn't sleep at all as she continued to blink as she bowed to Asuna and me.
I nodded back at her and first apologized,
"Sorry for bothering you when your friend just..."
"No worries..."
This girl who should be slightly older than me swayed her deep blue hair as she shook her head.
"It's alright. I want to hurry up and find the culprit too..."
After that, she turned her eyes to Asuna, and immediately widened her eyes.
"Wow, that's amazing. Are these clothes all one-make goods from Ashley-san's shop? This is the first time I'm seeing someone dressed up fully in that!"
...Another name? I wondered and asked,
"Who's that?"
"Don't you know?"
Yolko looked at me with an expression of disbelief, and then explained,
"Ashley-san is a super tailor who's the first one in Aincrad to master the sewing skill to level 1000! If you don't get the rarest and highest quality materials, she won't make them for you!"
"I see!"
I'm thoroughly impressed. Even someone like me who's been fighting like an idiot only managed to improve the mastery skill of one-handed swords to level 1000.
I can't help but turn my gaze to Asuna and look at her from top to bottom, and the rapier user's face immediately tensed up, screaming before walking forward.
"It...it's not like that!"
——I have no idea what that was about at all.

Just like that, Asuna lead Yolko, who seemed to realize something, and I, who don't understand what's going on at all, to that restaurant where our meal was interrupted.
It's still early, so there aren't any signs of other players inside. We sat on the inner most table and measured the distance from here to the door. The distance is so far away, if we didn't shout out, it was impossible for people outside the shop to hear us. I always thought in the past that we just needed to hide in an inn room and lock it up before saying our secrets, but recently, I learnt that it's even easier to let those with great eavesdropping abilities to hear all our conversations.
As Yolko had already taken breakfast, the three of us only ordered drinks before getting into the topic at hand.
"First our report...last night, we went to check the «Monument of Life» at the Black Iron Palace. Kains-san definitely died there."
On hearing my words, Yolko gasped for a short while, closed her eyes, nodded and said,
"I see...thank you for deliberately going over to such a far place to check..."
"No worries. Besides, we want to know about another name."
Asuna immediately shook her head, and then raised the first important question.
"Erm, Yolko-san. I'm going to ask you some names you may not have heard of before...one of them should be a blacksmith called «Grimlock». The other one is a long spear user called...«Schmitt»."
Yolko's lowered head suddenly jerked.
Soon after, she did an ambiguous but definite action.
"Yes, I know them. Kains and I were members of the same guild in the past."
This tiny voice caused Asuna and I to look at each other.
Is that so? In that case, we have to come up with another hypothesis—did «some incident» happen in that guild in the past to cause this incident?
This time, I'm the one who raised the second question.
"Well, Yolko-san. I know this may be tough for you to answer, but I hope you can tell the truth so that we can solve this case. We feel that this incident has something to do with some form of «revenge» or «judgment». Did Kains-san get killed because of what happened in that guild and was hated by the criminal as revenge...? I've asked this yesterday as well, but I hope that you can think through this again. Are there any clues or anything suspicious...?"
This time, she didn't answer immediately.
Yolko still kept her head down. After a long moment of silence, she used her trembling hands to pick up the cup to take a sip of tea before nodding.
"...Yes...there really is something. I'm really sorry for not saying it...that's because I really want to forget it...and I don't want to remember it. Also, I thought that there's no relationship between these two things, so I didn't say it out immediately...but I'm willing to do so now. It's because of «that incident» that caused our guild to be wiped out.

——The guild's name was «Golden Apple». This guild was a weak guild that had only 8 players, and their aim wasn't to clear, but to hunt safely to earn money for lodging and food.
But, half a year ago...autumn last year.
We, who entered an ordinary dungeon in the middle floors, suddenly met a monster we had never seen before. It was a completely black cricket, fast and hard to identify...we immediately knew that it was a rare monster. Everyone excitedly chased after it...and someone threw out a knife. Coincidentally, it hit that monster by luck and defeated it.
The drop was a ring that looked normal, but after inspection, everyone was shocked. It could increase 20 points of agility. I think this is a magic item that's not even dropped on the front lines.
What happened next...I guess you should be able to guess what happened.
We split up into two groups, one where the guild members would use it, and one where we would sell it for money. After a very rough argument where we nearly started fighting, we voted. In the end, the vote count was 5 to 3 in favor of selling it. The middle floor merchants couldn't handle such a rare item, so the guild leader took the ring to the bustling city on the frontlines and asked the others to sell it at the auction ring.
We had to spend quite some time investigating the market price and a reliable merchant to auction it, so the leader intended to stay a night on the frontlines. I was excitedly waiting for the leader to bring the money back once the auction is over. Even if we had to divide it into eight, the sum would be pretty large, so I've been looking at the records to see what weapons I would buy from which shops or what personal branded clothing I could buy...at this point, I never expect...things ended up like this...

...The leader didn't come back.
It had been past an hour since the following night when we promised to meet up, and the leader didn't bring any news. There wasn't any response even after we tracked where she was, and the leader never responded to all the messages we sent over.
It was impossible for the leader to take the treasure and run away, so we had a bad feeling about it. Some people went to the «Monument of Life» in Black Iron Palace to check on the situation.
And in the end...

Yolko bit her lips and shook her head sideways.
Asuna and I don't know what to say to console her.
Luckily —— or we can say, Yolko soon wiped away the tears and looked up, and then said with a trembling yet rather clear voice,
"The time of death was the night the leader took the ring to the higher levels, past midnight at 1 AM. The cause of death was...Continuous Pierce Damage DOT."
"...She probably wouldn't take it out of the area if it's such a rare item. In that case...it's a «Sleeping PK»?"
I murmured, and Asuna seemed to agree with me.
"Half a year ago, not a lot of people knew about such a killing method, and a lot of people stayed overnight in public places to save lodging fees."
"The inns near the frontlines are rather expensive too...but this shouldn't be a coincidence. The one who killed the leader...should be a player who knew about this ring...which means..."
With her eyes closed, Yolko nodded her head slightly.
"The «Golden Apple» guild had only 7 people left...so it was one of us. Of course, we thought about that, but...we couldn't track where everyone was...so we started to suspect each other, and the guild soon collapsed."
The bitter silence covered the top of the table.
——It's really an uncomfortable story to hear.
——However, this really is something that can possibly happen.
It's not rare to see a harmonious guild collapse without signs of disharmony because of a rare once in ten thousands drop they got. The reason why we often don't hear about such gossip is because the people involved mostly want to forget about these things.
However, there's still a question I had to ask Yolko.
I faced this older girl, who's lowering her head in a depressed manner, summoned my courage and asked,
"I would like you to tell me something. The names of the three people who were against selling the ring are...?"
Yolko was silent for several seconds, and then seemed to decide on things as she lifted her head up and answered clearly,
"Kains, Schmitt...and me."
——This answer more or less surprised me. Yolko wordlessly watched me blink and continued on with some self-deprecating tone,
"It's just that the reason I opposed it is different. Kains and Schmitt were frontlines warriors and wanted to use it for themselves, and for me...it's because I was starting to go out with Kains. I was putting my feelings for my boyfriend as a priority rather than the benefit of the guild. It's stupid, right?"
Yolko then closed her mouth and looked at the table. At this moment, Asuna, who had been keeping quiet, suddenly asked with a gentle tone,
"Yolko-san. Did you...still keep in contact with Kains-san after the guild was disbanded...?"
Yolko still looks down as she shook her head slightly.
"...As the guild disbanded, we naturally split up. We occasionally meet up to chat, that's all...if we stayed with each other for too long, we'll just think about that ring incident. It was the same yesterday. We only agreed to have a meal...yet such a thing happened before we had it..."
"I see...I suppose you've been hit badly. Sorry for asking so many things you don't want to mention about."
Yolko shakes simply her head.
"It's alright. And...about Grimlock..."
I inadvertently sit up after hearing her name.
"...He was the sub-leader of the «Golden Apple», and the «husband» of the guild leader. Of course, we're talking about SAO itself."
"Eh...the leader was a girl?"
"Un. The leader's really strong...but I'm talking about the middle areas...she's an outstanding one-handed swordsman, beautiful and smart...I really admired her. So...even till now, I still can't believe that the leader would actually be killed by such an underhanded method like the «Sleeping PK»..."
"...Grimlock must be really shocked then. The lover he's married to was..."
After hearing Asuna mutter, Yolko's body jerked.
"Yes. He was a very gentle swordsmith before this...but after that incident happened, it feels like he became really violent...he never contacted anyone after the guild disbanded, and his whereabouts are unknown."
"I see...sorry for asking you such troubling questions, but can you please tell me one last thing? About yesterday...do you think the one who killed Kains-san may be Grimlock? actually, the black short spear stabbed into Kains-san's chest...we inspected it and found it to be made by Grimlock."
This question is actually asking her whether Kains may be the real murderer of the «ring incident» half a year ago.
Yolko pondered for a while and then nods her head with a slight action.
"...It's true...there is such a possibility. But Kains and I never killed the leader and snatched the ring. We can't prove our innocence...but if the killer yesterday was Grimlock...he might want to kill the three people who were opposed to selling the ring, Kains, Schmitt and me..."

Asuna and I sent Yolko back to the inn she was at and handed her several days worth of food, telling her not to leave the room no matter what.
We considered the difficulties of her not leaving, so we moved her to the executive suite that's composed of 3 rooms linked to each other and paid a week's deposit first. However, we can't depend on playing computer games to kill time in Aincrad, and there's a limit to being in a room when we're bored, so we promised her that we'll solve this case as soon as possible and left the inn.
"...Actually, I'll feel more secure if we can move her to the KoB headquarters..."
If we move Yolko over to the KoB headquarters and ask them for protection, we'll have to tell the entire guild exactly what happened. In other words, the details of the «Golden Apple» disbanding will be revealed. I guess Yolko refused us so as to protect Kains' honor.
As we arrived back at the transfer gate plaza, the bell indicating 11am rang.
The rain finally stopped, but there's a thick layer of mist starting to form. I looked at Asuna, who's dressed in black and dark pink through the mist, and said,
"Then, let's..."
"...?"
Asuna felt a little bewildered after seeing that I stopped midway through my sentence.
It's too late —— but I conclude that we should say something, so I deliberately coughed a few times before indicating,
"Ahem, nothing. Un—well...that get-up really suits you."
Ohh, I said it now. Now I'm a first-class gentleman.
The moment I said that, Asuna immediately gave a horrified look. She quickly pointed her right index finger out at me and poked it into my chest, angrily growling,
"Ugh—! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO SAY THAT WHEN WE FIRST MET!"
After saying that, Asuna declares, I'M GOING TO CHANGE! and quickly turned back at a very fast speed. The side of her face was already red, but this must be because she's angry.
I don't understand. I really don't understand the so-called woman's heart.

Asuna used the empty house nearby to change into her knightly attire, swung her long hair back and quickly headed for me before saying,
"Then, what are we going to do next?"
"Ah, okay. There are several options...the first is to head to the middle levels to hear about this Grimlock guy and find where he is. The second is to interview the other members of the Golden Apple and verify Yolko-san's words. The third...is to investigate how Kains-san was killed. That's likely to be all."
"Un..."
Asuna folded her arms in front of her chest and started to ponder.
"The first option is too inefficient with just the two of us. Based on our current hypotheses, if the criminal is really Grimlock, he would be hiding somewhere already. The second option...the other members are also involved, so we can't verify Yolko-san's words..."
"Eh? Why?"
"What'll happen if we get conflicting information from what Yolko-san said just now? We can't tell which side is telling the truth, and it'll be more chaotic for us. We need objective views to help us make our decision..."
"Then...the third option's the only thing left."
We looked at each other and nodded.
It's a little sorry to Yolko, but Asuna and I are so into this case not because we're trying to find out the truth behind the «Golden Apple» leader's death, but to find out the «Inside area PK» method that killed Kains.
Based on what we could see last night, the fact is that we could only confirm that «Continuous Pierce Damage DOT outside the area can never be carried over inside the area». That's why we have to thoroughly discuss if there are other possibilities.
"However...I still wish someone more knowledgeable can help us out..."
I muttered, and Asuna immediately frowned and answered,
"Even so, it's really unfair to Yolko-san if we just spread information randomly. Besides, there's no one that's trustworthy enough and is more familiar with the SAO system than us..."
"...Ah."
I suddenly thought of a player, and then immediately flicked a finger.
"There is someone like that. Let's call that guy out."
"Who?"
I said the answer, and Asuna's eyes widened like longans.


Part 5
I can be certain that the guy wasn't attracted by the 'I'll treat you' clause, but I was really shocked when that guy really appeared 30 minutes after Asuna messaged him.
On seeing that burly body come out silently from the central transfer gate of Algade, many pedestrians moving around the plaza raised a commotion. This guy had a dark red robe and platinum hair that's tied up, and he did not have any weapons on his waist and back—making one even associate him with a «magician» class that didn't exist in SAO. The leader of the «Knights of the Blood» guild and the strongest swordsman, the «Holy Sword» Heathcliff, saw us, and immediately raised his eyebrows before moving over like he's gliding.
Asuna immediately bowed agilely and quickly explained,
"Leader, sorry for calling you out here all of a sudden! This idio...no, this person didn't listen to me and insisted on you coming over no matter what...!"
"It's alright. I just wanted to have lunch too anyway. Besides, it's rare to have the «Black Swordsman» Kirito-kun to get a chance to treat me anyway. I have to attend a meeting with the members of the equipment group in the evening, so I can meet up with you now."
Heathcliff said with a smooth tenor voice that had an iron will in it, and I looked up at him and shrugged, saying,
"You managed to block that monster in the boss battle on this floor for ten minutes, so I can thank you by treating you. I can also tell you some of the more interesting latest news."
I brought the leaders of the strongest guild KoB, and lead them to the weirdest looking restaurant I knew of in Algade. I didn't really like the food here, but the overall atmosphere created by the restaurant seemed to touch my emotional chords for some reason.
After moving around in the maze-like narrow alley for about 5 minutes, I turned right, headed down the stairs, headed left and climbed up the stairs. As that shop finally appeared in the slightly dim space, Asuna said,
"...You're going to lead me out too, or else I won't be able to head back to the plaza."
"I heard that there are several people who didn't bring their teleport crystals around and got lost, and after moving around for half a day, they still couldn't get out."
I deliberately showed a smile and scared Asuna, and Heathcliff immediately quipped,
"You just need to pay an NPC on the streets 10 col and they'll send you to the plaza. Of course, if you don't even have this money..."
After saying this, he gently clapped his hands together and quickly walked into the shop. Asuna gave a bewildered look as we followed him.
The cramped shop was as empty as I had expected. After sitting down at a cheap 4 seater table, I ordered 3 «Algade Noodles» from the gloomy looking shop owner and drank up the iced water in the glass. Asuna sat on my left and said with a delicate expression,
"Why is it...like we're doing a cross-examination..."
"You're thinking too much. Then, let's get straight to the point to avoid delaying the busy leader-dono."
I looked up and saw Heathcliff being all nonchalant as I said that.
Asuna first explained what happened last night clearly. While listening to her, the «Holy Sword»'s expression didn't seem to change at all, and only twitched his eyebrows on hearing Kains' death.
"...That's how it is. It's somewhat troublesome, but I hope you can give us some suggestions, leader..."
Asuna concluded. Heathcliff drank another gulp of water, and then answers, un,
"Then, let me hear your hypothesis, Kirito-kun. What's your view about this «Inside area murder» method?"
On hearing the topic being directed at me, I put down the hand supporting my face and immediately raised three fingers.
"Un...I guess there are about 3 possible methods. First, an actual inner area duel. Second, combining a known method with a system loophole, and third...an unknown skill or equipment that can cause the Anti-Criminal Code to lose its effect."
"You can forget about the third possibility."
Heathcliff immediately concluded, and these words caused me to stare at his face. Asuna was like me, blinking a few times before asking,
"...Leader, how can you be so certain?"
"Think about it. If you're the developer of this game, would you design such a skill or weapon?"
"Un...probably not."
I answered.
"Why is that?"
I looked back at the yellowish-bronze eyes that had a magnetic effect, and continued,
"That's because...it's too imbalanced. I really don't want to admit it, but the rules of SAO are rather fair. Of course, your «Unique Skill» can't be considered as such."
I curled my lips up while adding that last sentence, and Heathcliff silently smiled back at me in the same manner.
Deep inside, I was shocked, but my expression didn't change at all. Even if he's the leader of the KoB guild, he can't possibly know that I recently got «that» in my skill window.
Asuna looked back and forth at Heathcliff and me while we exchanged weird smiles with each other, sighed and shook her head before interrupting,
"Either way, discussing this third possibility is a waste of time because we can't confirm it. Then...let's examine the first assumption, the possibility of a proper duel."
"Alright. But...the shop here really is really slow in serving food."
I shrugged at Heathcliff, who was looking deep into the counter.
"As far as I know, the shop owner here is the most unenthusiastic in Aincrad. This is also one of the shop's specialties. Besides, ice water can be refilled without limit here."
I took up the cheap kettle and continued to pour ice water into leader-dono's cup in front of him.
"——If the player dies inside the circle, it must be because of a duel, un...this can be said to be common knowledge. But I can confirm that there was no sign of any window indicating a victor. Are there those kind of duels?"
At this moment, Asuna, who was sitting beside me, suddenly tilted her head.
"...Speaking of which, I've never noticed this before. Where does the window that indicates the winner appear?"
"Eh? Well..."
Actually, I've never thought about this question before. But Heathcliff immediately answered without hesitation,
"It'll appear in the middle of the duel participants. Or, if both sides are ten meters apart when the victor's decided, there'll be two windows appearing at the closest point to them."
"...To think you know this kind of rules. That means...even if it's far away, it'll appear at most 5m away from Kains."
My mind recalled the scene of that tragedy, and I shook my head and said,
"There were no windows appearing in the surrounding space, I can be certain of that since there were a lot of witnesses. Also, if it appeared behind Kains inside the church, it means that the criminal was still inside the church at that time. However, Asuna, who ran into the church just before Kains died, didn't see anyone. That makes it really weird."
"Speaking of which, there were no windows inside the church."
Asuna added.
Hmm. I wonder. Then——
"...So...it's not a duel?"
As I muttered, the already pitiful atmosphere in this restaurant seemed to become even heavier.
"...Did you choose the wrong shop...?"
Asuna muttered, seemingly trying to change the thought process here as she finished up the ice water inside her glass before putting it back on the table with a klang. I then immediately fill her glass with ice water. She thanked me with a vague expression, and then raised two fingers before saying,
"The second possibility is the only possibility left. «System Loophole»...but I just feel that something is wrong with this."
"What's wrong about it?"
"«Continuous Pierce Damage»."
There were toothpicks on the table, which were unnecessary in the first place —— it was impossible to dirty our teeth in this world —— Asuna drew one and used this pocket-sized weapon to throw into the air.
"I feel that the short spear wasn't just used to showcase a public execution. Perhaps he has to rely on continuous damage to create a PK inside the area...that's what I think."
"Un. I feel the same."
I nod, and then shook my head,
"But didn't we experiment this before? Even if we use a piercing weapon out the area to stab through, the damage would stop once we moved into the area."
"That is when they walk over. Then...what if they used the «Return Crystal»? He set up a crystal in a small room inside the church to exit and then moved from outside the area to that place...would the damage stop as well?"
"Of course."
Heathcliff's sharp voice answered.
"No matter whether it's walking or teleporting or even being thrown into the area...once anyone enters the street area, the «Code» will work without exception."
"Wait. This «street area» you're talking about refers only to the ground or the inside of the buildings, right? What about in the air?"
I suddenly had a weird imagination when I raised this question.
That rope. If Kains, who was stabbed through with the short spear, was hung on the neck by the rope, what would happen if he was immediately hung and stabbed through without touching the ground before being pushed out through the corridor...
This question caused even Heathcliff to hesitate.
But two seconds later, his tied longhair swayed sideways.
"No —— strictly speaking, the «area» extends from the streets and above until the cover, the base of the next level. The moment someone moves into that 3-dimensional space, the «Code» will protect that person. So even if someone sets the exit 100m above the streets and move from outside the area into the air, there won't be any fall damage. However, one will have to experience some unpleasant mental impact."
"Is that so~"
Asuna and I let out voices of amazement.
Of course, we're not amazed by the shape of the «area» region, but by Heathcliff's well-versed knowledge and memory. I had the thought of does someone need to know so many things just to be a guild leader, but I immediately denied that thought the moment a certain bearded katana user appeared in my mind.
However——
If that is the case, even if there's a «Continuous Pierce Damage» existing, since Kains is inside the area, this damage should have stopped. In other words, there should be another source of damage on that guy's HP other than the short spear «Guilty Thorn» —— are there no other loopholes?
I continued to think, and slowly stated my guess.
"...On the Monument of Life, the time of Kains death was there, and the cause of death is clearly stated there —— «Continuous Pierce Damage». Also, what was left at Kains' death scene was that black short spear."
"Yeah. It's really hard to imagine the criminal using another weapon."
"Listen to me..."
My mind immediately thought of that flinging-like feeling when a powerful monster dealt a critical hit, and continued,
"Once someone is hit by a powerful critical hit, what will happen to their HP bar?"
Asuna immediately gives me a don't-you-already-know-this expression and answered,
"Of course it will decrease by a lot."
"It means there's a problem with how it decreases. The HP won't drop in one huge shot but slowly decrease from right to left, right? In other words, there is some delay in the attack until the HP is worn out."
As I said this, Asuna finally understood what I was trying to get at. But Heathcliff still looked emotionless, which made it hard to tell what he was actually thinking.
I continued to look at both of them, and then waved my hand to say,
"For example...that spear hit outside the area caused Kains' HP to drop from max to zero. From the equipment, I can tell that that guy's a tank, so his HP should be rather high. The HP bar will then drop from max to zero, un...it's not surprising even if it takes 5 seconds to wear out. The culprit must have used this time to teleport back through a portal and sent Kains into the church to hang from the window..."
"Wa...wait a second."
Asuna keeps her voice down and interrupts me.
"Kains is not of the clearing group, but he's an elite player amongst the middle levels. Using just a single sword skill to reduce this person's HP down to zero is impossible for me...and for you!"
"Un, that's true."
I nodded slightly.
"Even if we used a «Vorpal Strike» to deal a critical damage, we probably can't drop his HP to half. But in SAO, there are thousands of players. We can't deny that there are high leveled swordsmen who don't belong to the clearing group...those that Asuna and I don't know of."
"So what you're trying to say is...we don't know whether Grimlock was the one who killed Kains with that short spear or a «red» player he requested, but that guy has the ability to take down a fully-armored tank...?"
I shrugged to affirm this, and looked at the guy opposite me with an attitude of waiting for a «teacher» to grade.
Heathcliff's half-closed eyes stared at the table, and after a while, he nodded,
"In terms of method, that's not impossible. It's true that once you carry out a hit outside the area to drop the HP down to zero and open a portal to move the target over, you can create a so-called «Inside area PK»."
Oh? So I'm right? The moment I thought this was the case, that clear voice added, "However..."
"...I suppose you should know. A piercing weapon's main characteristic is the length, followed by the armor piercing ability. In terms of pure power, it's not as strong as a smashing weapon or a slashing one. If even a heavy long spear can't do it, it's even less possible for a mere short spear."
This really blew a hole in my reasoning.
I pouted like a grumbling kid, and on seeing this, Heathcliff smiled and continued,
"If someone was to use a short spear that is not exactly a high-rank item to take down a middle-level tank...I think that person will have to be at least level 100 to do so."
"100!!???"
Asuna immediately cried out in panic.
The rapier user widened her ground-yellow eyes and turned to look at Heathcliff, and then me, and then back and forth again, before shaking her head and saying,
"No...it's impossible for such a person to exist. We've been training for so long, so you shouldn't have forgotten, right? If it's level 100...it's impossible to do so without training 24 hours a day on the frontlines dungeons."
"That's what I feel too."
Since the strongest guild KoB leaders deny this possibility, how can this puny little solo player raise a logical argument? In fact, even I, who is basically the highest levelled player in the clearing group, is only just above level 80.
"...The-then it may not be the player's ability, but the strength of the sword skill, for example...a second person with a «Unique Skill» that appeared or something..."
The moment I said this, the leader shrugged his shoulders that were covered with the dark red cape, and then smiled,
"Fu...if such a player really exists, I'll definitely ask him to join the KoB immediately."
As those unpredictable eyes stared at me, I could only give up on such a possibility and leaned the cheap chair's back.
"Hn~ I thought this might work. What is left is..."
Just when I was about to say the stupid statement 'request a boss-level monster in the training grounds to beat Kains', a figure stealthily appeared beside me.
"Sorry to keep you waiting..."
The NPC shop owner said with a lazy tone as he served 3 bowls of noodles from the rectangular tray. The bangs under the oil-stained chef's hat were too long, and I couldn't see his face clearly.
Asuna was already used to seeing NPC shop workers on the other floors who were clean, polite and serious in their work, and was dumbstruck as she could only watch the shop owner leave slowly and return to the counter.
I picked up the cheap wash-free chopsticks on the table, PAK, split them apart and pulled a bowl of noodles over. Asuna did the same thing as me and whispered,
"...What's this? Ramen?"
"Sho-should be something similar?"
I said so, and pulled the wavy noodles that were soaked in the clear soup base out.
And then, 3 sounds of slurps and food munching could be heard inside the shop.
An abnormally hot and dry wind blew in from the door, and in the sky above, unknown birds let out a 'QUACK—' sound.
A few minutes later, I pushed my finished bowl of noodles to a corner of the table, and then looked at the man opposite me before saying,
"...Then, leader-dono. Any inspiration?"
"..."
Heathcliff, who finished the soup before putting down his bowl, stared at a picture that looked like kanji at the bottom of the bowl,
"...This isn't ramen. Definitely not."
"Un, I feel the same."
"Then, I'll give you an answer of value equivalent to this bowl of fake ramen."
Tak. He lifted his head and put down the wash-free chopsticks.
"...Through the current information, I can't conclude «exactly what happened». But I can say this —— listen up...in this case, the only clues you can consider 'absolutely reliable' are what you saw or heard first-hand."
"...? What does that mean...?"
Heathcliff used those brass-like eyes to stare at Asuna and I who were sitting side by side, and then said,
"It means...what you see and hear in Aincrad are all digital databases that can be converted to processes. There are no such thing as illusions or hallucinations here. On the other hand, all sort of information that aren't data will have some possibility of illusion or lies. If you want to track this killer...«Inner area incident», you can only trust in your own eyes and ears. In other words, your brains have to collect the data directly."
Heathcliff finally said 'thanks for the treat, Kirito-kun', and stood up.
I pondered about what this mysterious swordsman said and got up, telling the shop owner 'we're full', and slipping through the door to leave.
'Why does that kind of shop exist'. Heathcliff, who was in front of me, muttered these words that entered my ears softly.

As the leader-dono seemed to merge into the maze-like streets and disappear, I turned to Asuna, who was standing beside me, and asked her,
"...Do you understand what he just said?"
"...Un."
On seeing her nod, I can't help but get the 'as expected of sub-leader' thought.
"Yeah...anyway, what was just served was 'Tokyo-style ramen without soy sauce', which caused such a half-baked taste."
"Huh?"
"I've decided. One day, I'm going to make soy sauce. Or else I think this insatiable feeling seems like it will never disappear."
"...Is that so. Do your best then..."
I nodded and snarked back with "THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M ASKING HERE!"
"Eh? Kirito-kun? What did you just say?"
"Sorry for bringing you here to eat something so weird. It's my fault, so please hurry up and forget about it. What I was asking just now is, that Heathcliff just said some enlightening-like words. What do they mean?"
"Ahh..."
This time, Asuna definitely nodded and answered me,
"He means, don't believe second-hand information you heard from others completely. In this situation, he's talking about the motive...the «Golden Apple» guild's rare ring incident."
"Ehh~?"
I can't help but moan.
"So you've been suspecting Yolko-san? It's true that those words were completely baseless...but, didn't you just say it just now, Asuna? It's meaningless to doubt what she said without saying what's true and what's not, right?"
In the end, Asuna glanced at me for some reason, and then quickly looked away before nodding a few times.
"We-well, I did say that. But, it's just like the leader said. There are really too few methods to conclude which PK method was used. In that case, why don't we ask someone else who is involved? If we suddenly mention the ring, he might even tense up and reveal some information."
"Eh? Who are you talking about?"
"The one who took that spear away from you, of course."