I'm a Sword Master in Sword Art Online

Asuna gently settled Yui on the sofa, then turned around and forcefully wiped her reddened eyes.

She looked at Mochizuki Kaede sitting at the dining table, her lips trembling as she opened them:

"me……"

The words caught in his throat, turning into a broken sigh: "I'm sorry... I don't know what to do anymore..."

Mochizuki Kaede gazed at her quietly, his eyes gentle. After a long while, he spoke softly:

“You want to take care of that child until she regains her memory, right?” His voice was low. “I understand, because I feel the same way.”

Just then, Silica walked over, rubbing her eyes, carrying a sleepy-eyed Pina in her arms. When she saw the black-haired girl fast asleep on the sofa, her eyes widened in surprise. Asuna immediately put her index finger to her lips, making a shushing gesture.

Silica nodded knowingly and tiptoed to their side. Asuna lowered her voice and explained in detail about Yui's amnesia and their decision.

Before she could finish speaking, Silica nodded vigorously.

“Of course we have to keep her!” she said softly but firmly, unconsciously hugging Bina tighter. “How can we leave such a young child alone?”

Looking at the two kind girls in front of him, Mochizuki Kaede said softly, "Anyway, let's do what we can."

Chapter 162: Asuna's Mother, Silica's Mother

When the midday sun, hot and bright, streamed through the window, casting golden threads gently into the room, Yui's long eyelashes trembled slightly. Her eyes, which had been tightly closed, opened like flowers awakened by the sunlight, carrying a hint of bewilderment and confusion as she slowly adjusted to the bright light.

A delicious aroma wafted from the kitchen, and Asuna, wearing an apron, busied herself at the counter.

"Yui, you're awake..."

Silica immediately noticed the awakened girl and quietly approached her, holding Pina in her arms.

Yui stared blankly at the brown-haired girl with pigtails in front of her, her small face filled with unfamiliarity and confusion.

At that moment, Mochizuki Kaede walked over and gently ruffled Yui's hair with her warm, large hand: "Her name is Silica."

"Xi, Li, Ka..." Yui repeated each word slowly and deliberately, her pronunciation halting yet earnest. She tilted her head up to look at Mochizuki Kaede, as if seeking confirmation.

“Oh right, sweetie.” Mochizuki Kaede couldn’t help but smile, her fingertips brushing through her soft hair. “Are you hungry? Asuna’s mom is making lunch.”

Silica's face suddenly flushed slightly. She bent down to look Yui in the eye, her voice filled with undisguised anticipation: "Little Yui... um, you can also call me Silica's mom."

Her voice grew softer and softer until it almost became a murmur.

This statement clearly stunned Yui.

She tilted her head in confusion, her gaze shifting between Mochizuki Kaede and Asuna in the kitchen before finally settling on Silica's face. Her expression clearly said: Don't I already have Asuna as my mother? Why do I have another mother?

"Pfft..." Mochizuki Kaede couldn't help but chuckle as he watched Silica's face instantly turn red.

Silica puffed out her cheeks in frustration, then suddenly had a brilliant idea and quickly asked Bina for help.

The little guy flapped its wings and flew to Yui.

"Pina, give Yui a special performance!" Silica whispered instruction.

Pina immediately did a somersault in the air, her tail feathers swaying gently, drawing a heart shape in the air. She made a crisp "chirp" sound, circled around Yui, and finally stopped on her lap, rubbing her palm with her fluffy little head.

“Look, Bina likes you too!” Silica said, taking the opportunity to gently poke Bina’s round belly with her finger. “If you call me Mom, you can play with Bina every day.”

Yui's attention was completely drawn to Pina. She carefully reached out and gently touched Pina's blue feathers with her fingertips. The little creature cooperated by spreading its wings, its tail feathers changing into various adorable shapes. This interaction made Yui's lips unconsciously curl into a genuine smile.

Asuna carried lunch out of the kitchen and witnessed this heartwarming scene. Her gaze lingered for a moment on Silica's expectant face, then shifted to Yui, who was intently teasing Pina, before finally exchanging a knowing look with Mochizuki Kaede.

"Let's eat first." Asuna placed the plate on the table, and the aroma of the food immediately filled the air. "Yui must be hungry."

Lunch consisted of a simple vegetable soup and freshly baked bread.

Asuna carefully tied Yui's napkin and pushed the soup bowl in front of her. Yui followed the others' example, holding the bowl with both hands and carefully sipping the soup. The warmth of the soup seemed to relax her a lot, and her tense shoulders gradually relaxed.

Silica, undeterred, continued the previous topic: "So... has Yui decided what to call me yet?"

Asuna smiled and said, "Silica, don't be in such a hurry. Give Yui some time to adjust."

Silica stuck out her tongue shyly: "But I want to be a mom too..."

She muttered to herself, her cheeks flushing even more from her own stubbornness.

Watching the three girls interact, a smile flickered in Mochizuki Kaede's eyes. He said to Yui, "Yui, Silica is also a very important person. You can call her whatever you like."

Yui's gaze swept between the three, finally settling on Pina. The little creature was gently brushing her wrist with its tail feathers, emitting a sweet chirping sound. The girl's lips parted slightly:

“Siri...Rika...Mom.”

Silica's eyes widened instantly, her twin tails flying high as she straightened up: "She...she called me!"

An excited Silica hugged Yui tightly: "I love Yui the most!"

Asuna watched this scene, a gentle smile appearing in her amber eyes. She picked up a spoon and brought a piece of stewed carrot, cooked until soft, to Yui's lips: "Here, try this."

As Yui put the spoon in her mouth and the sweetness of the carrot melted in her mouth, her eyes suddenly curved into two crescent moons: "Asuna's mom made...it's delicious."

Although the sound was intermittent, it conveyed a pure joy.

Asuna's fingers gently ran through Yui's dark hair.

The rest of the lunchtime became exceptionally warm and cozy.

Mochizuki Kaede carefully tore the bread into small pieces for Yui, who took them with her little hand and softly said, "Thank you, Daddy." Silica kept adding soup to her bowl, each time adding, "Little Yui, can you call me Silica Mama again?" Asuna would occasionally wipe the food crumbs from the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief.

And so, during a sun-drenched lunchtime, Yui, under the tacit care of the three, slowly finished her first proper meal since arriving at this "home".

As Yui swallowed the last bite of bread, she unconsciously let out a small burp, then shyly covered her mouth. This adorable gesture made Silica laugh out loud, and Asuna couldn't help but purse her lips in a smile.

The afternoon sun shone lazily on the living room carpet as the four people sat around the soft sofa.

Mochizuki Kaede watched Yui playing with Pina. He thought to himself, "If I let Yui open her inventory, maybe I can find some clues about her before she lost her memory." After a moment's thought, he asked softly:

"Yui, do you know how to open system windows?"

The girl stopped teasing Bina, tilting her head in confusion as her long, black hair slipped from her shoulders. Her eyes were filled with bewilderment; this most basic operation for all players seemed like a fantasy to her.

Mochizuki Kaede patiently demonstrated: "Wave your right fingertips like this..."

His finger traced an arc in the air, and a semi-transparent system window appeared, hovering below his palm.

Yui blinked her big eyes and began to imitate without hesitation.

She waved her slender right hand in the air several times, but the expected window never appeared.

Asuna unconsciously frowned:

"This...could it be a system bug?" Her voice was filled with worry. "But not even being able to bring up the status window is too serious..."

In this deadly game, not being able to view the status window means being unable to confirm important information such as skills and equipment, making it extremely dangerous.

Chapter 163: Family

Just then, Yui suddenly changed her gesture, tentatively waving her left hand. The next instant, a window emitting purple light appeared below her hand.

"It's here!" Yui exclaimed in surprise, a naive smile blooming on her face.

Asuna exchanged a shocked look with Mochizuki Kaede and Silica. All three saw the same confusion in each other's eyes; in the SAO system rules, there had never been a window that required the left hand to open—this was completely beyond their comprehension.

"Yui, let me see." Mochizuki Kaede bent down, carefully examining the purple-glowing interface. The moment he saw the content of the screen, his brows furrowed immediately: "What... what's going on?"

A typical system window is divided into three fixed areas: the top displays the ID and status bar, the right side of the middle displays the equipped doll, and the left side displays a list of function commands. However, Yui's interface subverts all the rules—the top only displays a strange string of code "YUI-HC001," with neither an HP/MP status bar nor a level indicator. Although the equipped doll is present, the command buttons are scarce, with only "Items" and "Settings" options remaining.

Noticing Mochizuki Kaede's unusual behavior, Asuna and Silica also approached to investigate. When they saw the interface that defied all common sense about the system, they both gasped in shock.

"Is this also... a system bug...?" Asuna murmured.

Mochizuki Kaede's Adam's apple bobbed, and a deep voice squeezed out from the depths of his throat: "Rather than a bug... it's more like it was designed this way from the start..."

The three fell into silence.

Yui blinked in confusion, not understanding why a simple system window would make them so uneasy.

"Phew—" Mochizuki Kaede suddenly let out a long sigh, reached out and ruffled Yui's soft hair. "It might really be a system bug. Let's not think about that for now."

He deliberately softened his voice and gave Yui a reassuring smile: "Yui, shall we go for a walk together?"

The girl's eyes lit up instantly, and she nodded without hesitation: "Yes, Daddy!"

She reached out her little hand and naturally took Mochizuki Kaede's hand.

……

The lakeside shimmered with dappled golden light in the afternoon. The outlines of the coniferous forest in the distance swayed gently in the breeze.

Yui, like a bird just released from its cage, trotted happily ahead, her pure white dress billowing gracefully in the wind. Sunlight filtered through her long, black hair, casting a vibrant silhouette on the ground.

“Look, it’s a butterfly!” Silica suddenly pointed to the flower bushes.

A blue-winged butterfly was perched on a wildflower, its wings shimmering with a metallic sheen in the sunlight. Yui's eyes widened as she crept closer, but just as she was about to touch it, the butterfly suddenly took flight, startling her and causing her to stumble back a few steps.

"Watch out!" Mochizuki Kaede caught her small, thin shoulders just in time.

Yui tilted her head back, a shy smile on her face, and pointed to the butterflies fluttering in the air: "Daddy, beautiful..."

"Yes, it's beautiful," Mochizuki Kaede replied softly. The girl's profile, bathed in sunlight, was more captivating than any scenery.

Asuna spread out her picnic blanket under an oak tree by the lake and took out the prepared fruit and snacks from her basket. Silica had already pulled Yui to the shallows, and the two were squatting by the water's edge, observing the swimming fish. Their reflections rippled gently on the clear lake surface, intertwining with the schools of fish.

"Yui, let's try fishing!" Mochizuki Kaede walked over with the prepared fishing rod.

He knelt behind Yui, his large hand covering her small one, teaching her how to cast a rod. Asuna watched this scene from afar, a warm feeling welling up in her chest.

The fishing line arced through the air and settled into the shimmering center of the lake. Yui stared intently at the bobber, even her breathing becoming careful.

The time spent waiting for the fish to bite is peaceful and beautiful.

Yui sat obediently, her small hands gripping the fishing rod tightly, even her breathing was extremely soft. Silica sat not far away, her nimble fingers weaving wildflowers into a ring. Pina perched on her shoulder, occasionally fluttering her wings to fly into the flower bushes, carefully selecting the most vibrant wildflowers with her beak to bring back.

Suddenly, the buoy began to vibrate violently, creating rapid ripples on the water's surface.

"Daddy! It moved!" Yui exclaimed, her eyes wide open, her little face filled with surprise and panic.

Mochizuki Kaede immediately took her small hand from behind and guided her to steadily reel in the line. The fishing rod bent into an arc, and amidst the splashing water, a rainbow trout about the length of a palm leaped out of the water, tracing a beautiful parabola in the sunlight.

Yui clapped her hands in delight, even standing on her tiptoes with excitement: "Amazing!"

She turned her head, her little face beaming with pure joy: "Asuna Mommy, Silica Mommy, look!"

Hearing Yui's call, Asuna's face immediately lit up with a warm smile. She walked over to Yui, knelt down, gently patted Yui's head, and said with a smile, "Great job! Our Yui succeeded on her first fishing attempt."

Silica couldn't wait to come over, holding a freshly woven flower wreath in her hand. The pale purple flowers on the wreath were delicate and exuded a faint fragrance.

She placed the flower wreath on Yui's head; the pale purple flowers contrasted sharply with her long black hair, making the girl appear as lively as a forest sprite.

"Our little Yui is the best!" Silica affectionately rubbed her nose against Yui's cheek, eliciting a string of silvery laughter from the girl.

Before anyone knew it, Silica had kicked off her shoes and socks, stepping barefoot into the shallow water. The cool water gently washed over her feet, bringing a sense of comfort. She tilted her head back and enthusiastically said to Yui, "Yui, let's play in the water together!"

Pina hovered merrily above Silica's head.

Yui hesitated for a moment, then looked at Mochizuki Kaede with a nod of encouragement before carefully taking off her little leather shoes.

As the cool lake water washed over her ankles, she let out a small gasp, then broke into a smile. Asuna and Mochizuki Kaede stood side by side on the shore, watching Silica and Yui frolic in the shallows. They splashed each other, creating sparkling sprays, and then held hands, jumping and skipping in the water.

"Yui's smile is so beautiful," Asuna said softly, her amber eyes filled with a complex mix of tenderness and worry.

Even in such a heartwarming moment, Asuna was still worried about Yui's amnesia and those unsolved mysteries.

Mochizuki Kaede remained silent, only gently tightening his grip on her slightly cold hand. The warmth of his palm traveled through their skin, silently soothing Asuna's unease.

As the sun gradually set, Yui, exhausted from playing, leaned against Mochizuki Kaede's shoulder like a weary bird, her eyelids slowly drooping. Asuna carefully draped a coat over her shoulders, while Silica held Pina, softly humming a song.

The lake reflected the magnificent sunset, enveloping the four of them in a golden-red halo.

Chapter 1604: Stoleya

A week had passed since he adopted Yui, and Mochizuki Kaede returned to the market in Goral Village. He walked towards the newsstand, hoping to see if there were any missing person notices for Yui in the latest newspaper.

However, as soon as he picked up the newspaper, his fingers paused slightly.

His keen intuition, honed by years of combat, alerted him to something amiss. A faint, almost imperceptible gaze hung in the air, clinging to his back like spiderwebs. It wasn't the curious look of an ordinary player, but a deliberate, scrutinizing tracking.

Mochizuki Kaede calmly paid for the newspaper, his fingertips tracing the hilt of his sword. Although this was a safe zone, and he didn't have to worry about attacks from players with malicious intent, the feeling of being constantly watched still made him uncomfortable.

He deliberately wandered into a secluded alley, moss creeping up the stone walls on either side, his footsteps ringing out clearly in the narrow space. He suddenly stopped and turned around, his voice calm and sharp:

"Come out. I know you've been following me. I don't know what your purpose is, but your whereabouts have been exposed."