I'm a Sword Master in Sword Art Online

He patted the masked man next to him hard on the shoulder: "Joe! You're so impatient! What was the original purpose of our Aincrad Liberation Army? It was to beat the game, to liberate all players! Not to fight for these petty gains!"

Ya Wang turned to Wang Yuefeng and said apologetically, "Brother Wang Yue, don't take it to heart. This guy is always stubborn and doesn't think before he speaks."

He raised his newly refilled glass: "I apologize on his behalf!"

Mochizuki Kaede shook her head slightly, clinking her wine glass against Ya-Wang's: "It's all for clearing the game, I understand."

The atmosphere seemed to ease again. Asuna's tense shoulders finally relaxed, Silica breathed a sigh of relief, and Yuna's fingers also moved off the strings.

Diabel raised his voice at the opportune moment: "Everyone! To celebrate the successful completion of the fifth floor, and to this special Christmas—cheers!"

"Cheers!" A chorus of cheers rose and fell, the clinking of glasses creating a symphony of sounds. Streamers and snowflakes danced in the night sky, temporarily concealing the flickering gazes deep within the crowd.

Chapter 81: Every Family Has Its Own Troubles

In the newly opened Stargion main district on the sixth floor of Aincrad, the uniform gray granite buildings gleam with a cold sheen in the sunlight. All the houses are built with standard 20-centimeter bricks, presenting a perfect checkerboard pattern, making the entire city appear as orderly as if it had been drawn with a ruler.

"Boss, are you sure this melon is ripe?"

Wang Yuefeng squatted in front of a fruit stand, gently tapping the emerald green watermelon with his fingers.

The NPC stall owner confidently declared, "Would I, a fruit stall owner, sell you raw melons and eggs?"

He spoke with a thick Kansai accent: "This was just delivered from a farm in the south this morning!"

Mochizuki Kaede clicked his tongue in disbelief as he looked at the price tag; the prices on the sixth floor were indeed significantly higher than on the fifth. However, considering that this was an item necessary for the hidden quest, he readily paid. The watermelon's heavy weight reminded him of the taste of summer in the real world.

Asuna curiously leaned closer to the watermelon, her slender fingers gently stroking its emerald green rind: "Speaking of which, what would it feel like to eat a virtual watermelon in a game?"

Silica tried to pick up the watermelon, and her little face immediately scrunched up: "Waaah...it's heavier than it looks!"

Yuna's white hat swayed gently as she tilted her head: "Is this the prerequisite item for the hidden quest Miss Argo mentioned?"

Wang Yuefeng nodded and skillfully put the watermelon into his inventory. He brought up the map and traced a path in the western part of the city with his finger: "Next, we need to find a guard NPC named Paul, who is near the west gate of the city."

The hidden quest they are currently undertaking, "Every Family Has Its Own Troubles," is based on a valuable clue provided by the intelligence broker Argo. It is said that completing it will reward them with rare items.

After passing through the orderly streets on the sixth floor, the four of them soon arrived at the west gate of the city.

A guard NPC with yellow hair and the ID "Paul" was leaning lazily against the city gate.

Mochizuki Kaede stepped forward to speak with Paul, and the blond-haired guard NPC immediately showed a weary expression:

"Adventurers from afar, I was once an adventurer just like you, until I took an arrow to the knee."

He sighed with a worried look on his face: "Now that I'm a gatekeeper, the boss is still withholding my wages. My elderly mother wants to eat watermelon but we don't even have money to buy it..."

Mochizuki Kaede took a watermelon from her inventory and handed it to him. The guard's eyes lit up immediately: "Oh! Is this for me? Thank you so much!"

Then, he lowered his voice mysteriously, "Since you're so generous... as a reward, I'll tell you a secret. Do you know Baron Henry? His wife and daughter have recently mysteriously disappeared, and the whole castle is in chaos. If you can help him find his wife and daughter, you'll definitely get a hefty reward!"

The system notification sounded at the right time, and following the mission instructions, the four arrived at Baron Henry's castle.

After hearing their purpose, the butler NPC, dressed in a black suit, immediately and respectfully led them into the castle.

As Mochizuki Kaede and her entourage walked through the red-carpeted corridor and entered Baron Henry's office, they were greeted by a strong aroma of ale.

Baron Henry was slumped in an ornate oak chair, his small leather hat askew, his red tunic beneath his armor rumpled. His thick beard was stained with wine, indicating he had been drowning his sorrows in alcohol for some time.

"Master, these adventurers say they've come about Madam and Miss's affairs," the butler reported softly.

Baron Henry looked up abruptly, his face instantly lighting up with hope: "Really? You're willing to help?"

He stood up abruptly, the chair creaking under his weight: "My wife Jenny and daughter Lily have been missing for days! The guards have searched the whole city but haven't found a single clue..."

"Could you tell me more about the circumstances of Madam and Miss's disappearance?" Mochizuki Kaede asked directly.

Baron Henry nodded wearily, his voice slightly hoarse: "They disappeared one morning a week ago. When I woke up that day, I found they were no longer in their room. I didn't think much of it at the time, assuming they had just gone out for a walk, but they didn't return until that evening..."

Mochizuki Kaede then asked, "Could we go and check out Madam and Miss's rooms? Perhaps we can find some useful clues."

Baron Henry frowned and said, "That won't do. Their rooms contain personal belongings; we can't just let an outsider search them."

"Don't you want to find them as soon as possible? The longer you delay, the more dangerous it becomes for them," Mochizuki Kaede said.

After hearing this, Baron Henry hesitated for a moment before turning to his butler and saying, "Jerry, take them there."

Mochizuki Kaede and the others followed the butler to the Baroness's room.

As the door opened, a faint scent of lavender wafted out, a stark contrast to the smell of alcohol on the Baron.

Mochizuki crouched down and quickly activated the [Reconnaissance] skill, a blue light flashing in his eyes. With the skill's assistance, his vision sharpened, and even the slightest traces became clearly visible.

He noticed several shallow scratches on the carpet, like marks left by something being dragged by a heavy object.

On the plush carpet in front of the dressing table, a clear drag mark came into view, and a few strands of long golden hair were tangled around the table leg.

He also found a talisman carved from spruce wood, lying all alone in a corner.

Wang Yuefeng stood up and walked to the bedside table.

Wood chips remained on the edge of the brass candlestick.

His gaze shifted to the wardrobe beside him, where an exquisite silver-framed photograph was displayed. The Baron and his wife in the photo were all smiles and looked very much in love.

The picture frame seemed a little crooked. After removing the frame, a hole the size of a fist was clearly visible on the wardrobe door, obviously deliberately concealed.

Asuna took a few steps closer and asked, "Xiao Feng, have you noticed anything unusual?"

Mochizuki Kaede put the photo frame back in its place and replied, "Yes, there are obvious signs of a struggle in the room."

Upon hearing this, Silica's eyes widened in surprise, and she exclaimed, "Oh dear, did some bad guy break into the Baroness's room and kidnap her?"

Yuna's white hat swayed slightly as she thoughtfully stroked her chin: "However, if an outsider were to trespass into Baron Henry's castle, the guards inside couldn't possibly have been completely unaware, could they?"

"What can be confirmed is that," Mochizuki Kaede said, glancing once more at the incongruous room, "that the Baroness did indeed have a violent altercation with someone here."

He turned to the butler, who had been standing quietly at the door, and said, "Next, please take us to see Miss's room."

The butler bowed respectfully and led everyone to the front of the baron's daughter's bedroom.

As the wooden door was gently pushed open, a faint fragrance of jasmine wafted out.

Unlike the Baroness's room, this room was very tidy.

Mochizuki Kaede activated the [Reconnaissance] skill again, blue light swirling in her eyes.

He carefully inspected every corner.

The carpet was spotless, without a single drag mark.

The furniture was also intact, without any signs of damage.

He frowned, feeling uneasy about the stark contrast between the two rooms. His wife had clearly put up a fierce fight, while his daughter's room was as calm as if the owner had only temporarily left.

Chapter 82: Amulet

Mochizuki Kaede and the others returned to Baron Henry's office.

The baron was pacing anxiously back and forth. He stopped immediately when they entered and asked, "How is it? Have you found any clues?"

Wang Yuefeng nodded slightly, his expression grave: "We've finished looking. We found obvious signs of a struggle in Madam's room. Do you know what happened?"

"A fight?" The baron looked puzzled, his small eyes widening. "What do you mean by that?"

"Judging from the traces at the scene," Mochizuki Kaede calmly analyzed, "Madam had a fierce struggle with the intruder."

Upon hearing this, Baron Henry shook his head: "I know nothing. I was drunk that night, and when I woke up the next morning, they were gone."

Mochizuki Kaede pressed on, "There should be guards in the castle, right? Did they hear anything?"

Baron Henry shook his head again, looking helpless: "I've asked them many times if they heard any sounds or saw any suspicious people, and they all say no."

Mochizuki Kaede took out the amulet she had found in the Baroness's room.

"Do you recognize this?" He showed the amulet to Baron Henry.

The baron squinted and examined it carefully, then suddenly slapped his thigh: "Ah! This is what Jenny used to wear! I remember... it was given to her by a witch doctor from Jiaomu Village."

Mochizuki Kaede and Asuna exchanged a glance.

As players, they all understand the importance of this talisman—in RPG games, such items with obvious clues are often the key to guiding players to continue progressing through the quest.

"It seems we'll have to make a trip to Jiaomu Village," Wang Yuefeng said to his companions as he put away the amulet.

Silica leaned closer curiously: "Does that witch doctor know the whereabouts of the lady and young lady?"

Yuna said, "Anyway, at least it's a clear lead."

After leaving the castle, the group immediately set off for Jiaomu Village.

Guided by the villagers, they quickly found the simple wooden hut where the witch doctor lived.

After knocking, an elderly man with a receding hairline opened the door.

Mochizuki handed the amulet to the shaman for inspection.

The witch doctor squinted his cloudy eyes and looked at it slowly, saying, "Ah... this is for the Baroness. She suffered a miscarriage and severe bleeding, and her life was hanging by a thread. I used this amulet to save her life."

"Miscarriage?" Everyone exclaimed in unison.

Mochizuki Kaede frowned: "The Baron has never mentioned this to us."

The witch doctor's withered fingers stroked the amulet: "Fear, guilt, or selective amnesia... people always try to escape painful memories."

He added meaningfully, "Especially when the Baron is in a bad mood after drinking."

Asuna's expression changed: "Are you saying that the Baron's miscarriage is related to the Lady's?"

“An alcoholic is prone to losing control,” the witch doctor sighed as he handed the amulet back.

Mochizuki Kaede then asked, "Now that the Baron's wife and daughters have disappeared, do you have any way to help us find them?"

The witch doctor was silent for a moment, then said, "If we want to find the mother and daughter, perhaps the corpse baby can help."

"A corpse infant?" Wang Yuefeng pressed.

"The Baroness's miscarried child, the unburied fetus, was hastily abandoned in the cemetery. Unable to live, it became a corpse infant..."

The witch doctor's voice became ethereal: "At midnight, beside an empty grave, hold a naming ceremony, light candles made of animal fat, walk through the darkness, call out the name, and soothe the regret... Only in this way can guidance be obtained."

After saying this, the witch doctor hurriedly saw them out of the cabin.

Walking along the village path, Silica whispered, "Could it be that the Baron abused his wife for so long that she finally couldn't take it anymore and ran away with their daughter?"

Yuna's white hat swayed gently: "I think so too."

Asuna said with a solemn expression, "The signs of a struggle in the lady's room are probably not left by an intruder, but by the Baron himself."

"Let's go back and confirm with the Baron in person first," Mochizuki Kaede said thoughtfully.

The group returned to Baron Henry's castle.

Upon seeing them, the baron immediately sprang from his seat: "Adventurers! Is there any news of my wife and daughters?"

Mochizuki Kaede looked directly into the Baron's eyes: "Baron, you should know about your wife's miscarriage, shouldn't you?"

Upon hearing this, Baron Henry's face showed a look of shock.

Seeing his reaction, Asuna knew what was going on. Before he could explain, she continued, "The lady suffered from your alcoholism and abuse for a long time, and finally couldn't bear it anymore, so she left with her daughter, right?"

"I...I have never hit them!" The Baron's voice suddenly rose, but quickly faded.

Mochizuki Kaede softened her tone: "Baron, please tell us the truth so that we can find your wife and daughters more quickly."

He paused for a moment: "I suppose you still love them deeply in your heart."

After a long silence, the baron sat back in his chair, his voice hoarse: "I have indeed never touched a single hair on my daughter's head."

"And what about Madam?" Mochizuki Kaede asked immediately afterward.

Baron Henry's facial muscles twitched slightly, as if he were struggling internally. After a long while, he slowly spoke: "She...she's different. For twenty years, whether I was drunk or sober, she's been by my side. She celebrated my victories and comforted me after my defeats. But precisely because of this, she knows my weaknesses better than anyone else, and knows how to hurt me the most..."

Mochizuki Kaede said, "You knew from the beginning that they were running away on their own initiative."

"Yes, I know." Baron Henry sighed, as if he had aged several years in an instant.

“Why do you want to hide it?”

Baron Henry shook his head with a wry smile: "What do you want me to say? A lord of such stature, unable to even keep his own wife and daughter? What face will I have left if word gets out! Wouldn't the whole city know that I'm a good-for-nothing?"

Mochizuki Kaede's expression was serious: "Tell me exactly what happened on the day they escaped. Tell the truth."

Baron Henry lowered his head: "I drank for three days straight, and I was completely drunk. My wife suddenly came to me and said she wanted to leave me. I begged them not to go, but they wouldn't listen and insisted on leaving. In a moment of panic, I tried to hold her down, but she struggled desperately, and we started fighting... Then she fell down, and I don't remember anything after that. When I woke up the next day, they were gone."