I'm a Sword Master in Sword Art Online

Back then, they were just two naive swordsmen. And now—

Mochizuki Kaede turned her head slightly, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw the figures of her companions behind her: Silica was whispering something to Yuna, Mito was bringing up the status bar as she walked, and Stoleya was humming a song and using her greatsword as a cane.

Each footstep was so clear, each person's presence so real. Wang Yuefeng unconsciously slowed her pace, allowing the sounds to reach her ears even more clearly.

—If he were to abandon these companions.

The idea was crushed the moment it surfaced—absolutely impossible.

When the stairs finally came to an end, the grand doors of the seventy-fifth floor stood before them. Mochizuki Kaede stopped, turning to look at every familiar face. Under their gazes, he reached out and pushed open the intricately carved door.

……

News of the successful defeat of the 74th floor boss by the [Golden Rule] guild led by Mochizuki Kaede spread like wildfire among the players of Aincrad.

Not only did the opening of the transfer door on the new floor become a hot topic, but all sorts of exaggerated rumors also emerged: from "the demon that wiped out the entire elite army" to "the Thunder Blade Master who single-handedly defeated the demon with a fifty-hit combo," the truth was constantly embellished in word of mouth.

However, the swordsmen and information brokers couldn't find the main characters of the incident, because Mochizuki Kaede and her companions were in a place no one had expected—

The first level of Aincrad:

The starting town.

"It's been so long... I haven't been back."

Mitt stood before the transfer gate in the central square, her high purple ponytail swaying gently in the breeze. She surveyed the familiar scene: the expansive fountain square, the street stretching across the way, and the distant clock tower that had witnessed countless joys and sorrows. Memories flooded back; two years ago, it was here that they began this life-or-death game.

Stoleya stood quietly to the side, her crimson eyes sweeping over the buildings surrounding the square.

Asuna and Silica each held Yui's small hand, and Yuna bent down and asked softly, "Yui, don't these buildings look familiar?"

"Ugh..." Yui looked around in confusion with her large, obsidian-like eyes, then finally shook her head: "I don't know..."

"It's alright, the starting town is just too big." Mochizuki Kaede gently rubbed Yui's head. "Let's go find that Miss Sana that Argo mentioned first."

Asuna nodded and said, "According to Argo's information, Miss Sasha runs a shelter in the church district that takes care of young children."

She looked down at Yui: "If Yui has ever lived in the town of beginnings, Miss Sana might know something."

The purpose of this trip is to find Yui's lost memories and the mystery of her origins in the town where they started.

They walked along the stone-paved path at the edge of the square and entered the main commercial street. The once bustling market area was now very deserted, with only the shouts of NPC vendors echoing in the empty streets.

“There are so few people…” Silica said.

Just then, a player wearing brown leather armor emerged from the alleyway. After cautiously looking around, he lowered his voice and said, "You guys just returned to the starting town, right?"

Mochizuki Kaede frowned slightly: "Why is the street so deserted? Where are the other players?"

"They're all hiding in their hotel rooms," the man said with a wry smile, pointing to the buildings in the distance. "Going out during the day would easily lead to running into the army's tax collection squads..."

"Taxation?" Asuna's voice suddenly rose. "When did the [army] start collecting taxes from players?"

The man gestured for silence: "They're a group of licensed bandits. They collect protection money from all players operating in the starting town under the pretext of 'maintaining order'."

He glanced nervously at the end of the street: "Anyway, be careful, those people won't go easy on outside players."

. . . .

Thank you [Fruit Grape] for the donation!

Chapter 182: The Shelter

After walking southeast for about twenty minutes along a wide, sparsely populated road, a vast garden surrounded by broad-leaved trees gradually came into view. A gentle breeze rustled through the treetops.

"According to the map, it should be around here." Mochizuki Kaede stopped and looked around.

Asuna suddenly pointed to the right side of the road: "Ah, isn't it over there?"

Following the direction of her finger, through the gaps in the dense canopy of trees, one could see a towering spire. At the top of the bluish-gray spire, a Coptic cross, a fusion of a cross and a ring, gleamed in the sunlight.

“That’s it,” Mitt confirmed, her high purple ponytail swaying gently as she looked up.

Upon closer inspection, the church turned out to be much simpler than I had imagined. The two-story main building was surrounded by trees, with its single spire standing out prominently. The main entrance consisted of two heavy oak doors, intricately carved with religious patterns.

Mochizuki Kaede stepped forward and pushed open the door on the right, the hinges creaking heavily. The interior space was more spacious than it appeared from the outside, but the lighting was poor, with only a few candles on the altar providing a dim light. The cold scent of wax mixed with the stale smell of the wooden chairs filled the empty hall.

Mochizuki Kaede only leaned her upper body into the opening, raising her voice to call out:

"Excuse me, is anyone there?"

The sound echoed long in the empty room, gradually fading away, but no one showed up.

"Is everyone gone...?" Asuna muttered to herself, her face full of confusion.

At this moment, Mitt lowered his voice and firmly denied it:

"No, there are people. There are three people in the room on the right, four people on the left... and a few more people on the second floor."

"Miss Mitt can actually tell how many people are on the other side of the wall just by using her enemy detection skill?" Silica asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

“You can do that once you max out your enemy detection skill.” Mitt glanced at Mochizuki Kaede. “Currently, only Mochizuki Kaede and I in the team have reached this level, so you guys should also work on improving this skill.”

"I'm a support class, I don't need this." Yuna smiled and winked, then asked curiously, "By the way, why are they hiding?"

The group stepped into the church, their boots making a soft sound as they hit the stone floor. Asuna cleared her throat and raised her voice, "Excuse me, we're here to find someone!"

After a brief silence, the door on the right opened slightly, and a timid female voice came from inside: "You...you're not from the military, are you?"

“We come from the upper echelons,” Mochizuki Kaede replied.

Mochizuki Kaede and her group were completely unarmed, lacking swords or other combat gear. Players belonging to the military typically wear heavy armor as part of their uniforms, so their appearance alone should have made it clear that Mochizuki Kaede and her group had no connection to the military.

The door finally opened.

A female player, around twenty years old, timidly stepped out. She wore black-rimmed glasses that almost covered half her face, and gripped a dagger that was not yet drawn. Her deep green eyes behind the lenses were filled with vigilance: "R-really not the army's tax collection team?"

Asuna stepped forward, offering a reassuring smile: "Please rest assured, we come from the upper echelons. We've come specifically to find someone and have absolutely no connection to the military."

at this time--

"From the upper echelons?! Then you're the real swordsmen?!"

Accompanied by the excited, childish voice of a boy, the door behind the woman was suddenly pushed open, and several small figures rushed out. At the same time, the door on the left also suddenly opened, and more children ran out like birds released from their cages.

Before Wang Yuefeng and the others could react, these children, who looked no more than twelve or thirteen years old, had already lined up in two rows on either side of the woman with glasses, their bright eyes curiously scrutinizing them.

"I told you to stay in your room and not come out!" The woman with glasses stamped her feet anxiously, but her voice was completely drowned out by the children's cheers.

The first boy to rush out of the room, a young man with short red hair, observed Mochizuki Kaede and the others, then pouted in disappointment: "What? You didn't even bring a sword. Hey, are you guys really from the upper levels? You don't even have weapons?"

Mochizuki Kaede was taken aback by the sudden question: "Ah... well... it's not that there isn't..."

The children's eyes lit up instantly, and they shouted all at once, "Let me see!", "Take it out quickly!", "It must be a super powerful weapon, right?"

“How rude of you! How can you speak to guests like that?” The woman with glasses bowed nervously and apologized. “We rarely have guests, so these children are very excited.”

Asuna quickly waved her hand: "It's okay, we don't mind."

Just then, Mitt calmly opened her inventory. With a flash of light, more than a dozen weapons of various shapes suddenly appeared on the long table next to her. These were the spoils she had recently collected in the maze area, which she had left in her inventory because she hadn't had time to deal with them.

"Wow—!" the children exclaimed and immediately crowded around.

"Good weight!"

"This sword is so cool!"

"Look at this warhammer!"

A little girl with a ponytail tugged at Lamit's sleeve: "Big sister, you must be very strong, right?"

Mite coughed lightly: "Well, it's just so-so."

"I'm so sorry..." A hint of helplessness appeared in the deep green eyes of the woman with glasses, but a gentle smile appeared because of the children's cheerful laughter.

“Please come this way.” She gestured invitingly and led the group to the lounge on the right side of the chapel.

After everyone was seated, the woman with glasses brought out steaming hot flower tea. The aroma of the tea filled the room, carrying a comforting and warm feeling.

"Are you... here to find someone?" The woman with glasses sat down in the armchair opposite, placing her hands folded on her knees.

"Hmm." Mochizuki Kaede put down her teacup and said seriously, "I am Mochizuki Kaede, and these are my companions."

He introduced Asuna, Mito, and others in turn.

The woman with glasses then seemed to snap out of a daze and lightly patted her forehead: "How rude of me, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Sana, and I'm in charge of managing this shelter."

“This child’s name is Yui.” Asuna gently lifted Yui onto her lap, her fingers softly stroking the little girl’s hair. “We found her lost in the forest on the 22nd floor… and she seems to have completely lost her memory.”

"Amnesia...?" Sana asked in surprise.

Mochizuki Kaede added, "When Yui was found, she had no equipment except for a thin dress. We deduced that she wasn't a player living in the upper echelons... so we came to the Starting Town to look for someone who might know her. We heard that Ms. Sana runs an asylum here, specifically caring for young players. We thought, perhaps you know this child..."

"I see……"

Sana gently placed the teacup on the table.

. . . .

Thank you [Shunjun] for the generous donation!

Chapter 183: The Tax Collection Troops

"There are about twenty children living in this church now, ranging from elementary school students to junior high school students. This should be all the young players currently in the starting town."

Sana's gaze fell on Yui:

"At the very beginning of this deadly game, almost all the young children developed mental problems due to excessive panic... Of course, a few children adapted to the game and left the starting town... but those were the very few exceptions."

The reflection in the teacup swayed gently with the ripples, and a bitter smile appeared on Sana's lips:

"Thinking about it, it makes perfect sense. At an age when they should be nestled in their parents' arms, they are suddenly told that they may never be able to go back to reality. Many children are in a state of exhaustion, and some... even actively disconnected from reality."

The air in the room seemed to freeze, and Asuna hugged Yui tightly in her arms.

"For the first month of the game, I also aimed to complete the game, leveling up day and night in the training areas..." Sana raised her head, her deep green eyes gleaming with memories, "Until one day, I found a child wandering alone on a street corner, and I couldn't ignore him... When I came to my senses, I had already taken in more than a dozen children like him. I'm ashamed to say that I couldn't fight on the front lines like you..."

Her tone was apologetic.

"Please don't say that!" Asuna quickly interrupted her, her eyes filled with respect. The others also looked at this gentle woman with admiration.

Mochizuki Kaede shook his head solemnly: "Miss Sana, you are also fighting in your own way, and your battle is even more difficult than ours."

A gentle smile appeared in Sana's eyes: "Thank you, but to be honest, I didn't do this out of a sense of obligation. Every day I spend with these children makes me incredibly happy. So for the past two years, we've practically traversed every corner of the town of Beginning, searching for children in need of help... If there were a child as young as Yui, we would have found her long ago. So I'm sorry... she might not be from here."

"That's it..."

Asuna lowered her head in disappointment, but quickly perked up and looked up to ask, "This may be a bit presumptuous... how do you manage to maintain your daily lives?"

“Ah, this…” Sana pushed up her glasses. “Besides me, there are a few older kids who help look after this place. They’re high enough level to level up in the areas around town and earn a basic living.”

Her tone suddenly turned serious: "However, recently, we've encountered some trouble."

Before Sana could finish speaking, the door was suddenly kicked open.

Several children stumbled in, their faces filled with terror.

"Sana-sensei! Something terrible has happened!" The boy in the lead cried out, his red hair disheveled and plastered to his forehead from running.

"Calm down first," Sana gently scolded. "That's very rude to the guests."

"This is not the time to talk about this!" The red-haired boy was almost in tears. "Brother Yin and the others... have been captured by the army!"

Sana's expression froze instantly. She stood up abruptly, her eyes behind her glasses sharp as knives: "Where?"

"The open space behind the prop shop in District 5..." The boy wiped away his tears, "The army sent ten men to block the road, only Goddard managed to escape and report the news..."

"I'll be right there." Sana turned to Mochizuki Kaede and the others, bowing deeply. "I'm sorry, I must go and save those children first..."

"Teacher! We want to go too!"

The red-haired boy suddenly rushed in front of Mitt, his eyes flashing with a stubborn light: "Big sister, please lend me that weapon! If I have that, it will definitely scare away those bad guys!"

"Nonsense!" Sana's voice turned stern. "You're all staying here!"

Just as the children were about to argue, Mitt suddenly raised his right hand. This simple gesture carried an incredible air of authority, instantly silencing the noisy room.

“I’m sorry…” Mite’s voice was cold, “those weapons require too high a stat, and you are not yet able to equip them.”

The red-haired boy lowered his head in disappointment, but Mitt immediately turned to Mochizuki Kaede: "Let's go help."