Sword Art Online - Volume 9 - Alicization Beginning

by Reki Kawahara

  The stranger’s mouth started moving, through the violet membrane, strange words could be heard,

  “Singularシンギュラー・unitユニット・detectedディテクティド。IDアイディー・tracingトレーシング……”

  Both its eyes, which looked like balls of grass blinked briefly, then once again, the mysterious voice said,

  “Coordinateコーディネート・fixedフィクスト。Reportリポート・completeコンプリート”

  Then, the violet window suddenly vanished. Once Eugeo belatedly noticed that the stranger’s words might be some kind of the sacred arts’ ritual phrase, he hurriedly looked at Alice, Kirito, then finally himself, but he didn’t feel that anything had changed.

  Even so, the event was too strange to ignore. Eugeo exchanged glances with his partner, the two helped to lift Alice up, as if to carry their childhood friend who was still trembling, back into the cave —— and started trotting in the original direction they had come from.

  Eugeo couldn’t remember how they returned to Rulid village.

  Going back across the lake where the white dragon lay, and continuing to run after they jumped into the opposite exit. They slipped many times as they were running on wet stones, but they went through the long cave with just a fraction of the time when they came, when they jumped into the white light they finally saw, the afternoon sunlight was still brightly pouring onto the forest.

  However, Eugeo’s anxiety of getting captured hadn’t disappeared easily. Even at this moment, he still had the feeling that the violet window would open right behind them, with that strangely pale face appearing again, so he didn’t let himself rest.

  Under the trees where small birds sang, passing the bank of the small river where a group of small fish moved here and there, the three hastily walked in silence. Crossing the hill which was supposed to be the Northern pass, going past the twin ponds, before finally arrived at the north Rulid bridge.

  With additional walking, they had returned and rested at the base of the old tree, which had been their meeting place at dawn, but still didn’t talk much. The three exchanged glances before smiling slightly.

  “Hey, Alice, here.”

  Kirito said and thrusted the heavy looking wicker basket forward. Inside it was packed with the fruit of today’s adventure, the «Summer Ice»; Eugeo now realized the existence of the basket which he had completely forgotten. To hide his embarrassment, he said with a calm face,

  “When you get back home, you’d better bring them to the cellar quickly. That way, it should be able to hold out until tomorrow, right?”

  “……Yeah, alright.”

  The unusually obedient Alice nodded, after taking the basket, she looked at two boys’ faces in turn; finally, her usual clear smile floated to her face.

  “You can look forward to tomorrow’s boxed lunch. As the reward for your hard work, I’ll do my best.”

  You mean Sadina-obasan will do her best, don’t you?, which of course, Eugeo and Kirito didn’t say out loud. The two exchanged glances for a moment before nodding at the same time.

  “……Hey, what were you thinking?”

  Alice asked while wearing a perplexed expression, the two boys slapped Alice’s shoulders, before saying in unison——

  “It’s nothing! Well, let’s go back to the village!”

  By the time they walked to the village square, the place where they parted, the real sunset sky hovered above them. Kirito lived in the church, Alice went back to the village chief’s residence. Eugeo arrived at his house on the west side of the village just a few seconds before the six o’clock bell rang.

  Eugeo stayed silent throughout the dinner he arrived at, barely on time. Even though he was confident that his brothers and sisters, and even his father and grandfather never had an adventure like him today, he was somehow unable to bring himself to boast about it.

  It seemed he couldn’t speak about the fact that he had seen the Land of darkness with his own eyes —— the fierce battle between the Integrity Knight and the black knight, and then the strange face which appeared at at the end; because once he talked about that, it wasn’t hard to guess what the reaction from his family might be, and it made him scared.

  That night, Eugeo who went to bed early thought he would be able to forget everything he saw at the end of the adventure. But he wasn’t able to, as the Axiom Church and the Integrity Knight which he had been holding in admiration and respect up until this point had turned out to be something completely different.

  Part 4

  Solus had sunk, then rose —— and then, it was daily life as usual, without any changes.

  Normally, on the day after the rest day, Eugeo would go to the workplace slightly depressed, however, today he somehow felt relieved. I’ve had enough adventure, I’m a woodcutter after all. As he was thinking this as he walked out of the village’s south gate, Kirito joined him on the border between the fields and the forest.

  Eugeo noticed a slight sense of relief on the face of the partner he had known for a long time. The other also noticed the same expression on Eugeo’s face. For a short while, the two exchanged grins to hide their embarrassment.

  They walked along the narrow forest path for a short while before obtaining the Dragon Bone Axe from the storage hut, then after walking several more minutes, reached the base of the Gigas Cedar. Eugeo was grateful when he thought of continuing to cut the tree trunk like nothing had changed.

  “Alright, make sure you get in a few good hits and treat me to Siral water today.”

  “Isn’t that what you have always had to do until recently, Kirito?”

  As they jabbed at each other, Eugeo set up the axe. The first strike produced a Gon high-pitched sound. I’m in a good condition today. Eugeo thought.

  As the morning went on, the two continued making good strikes on the tree trunk. The reason was, as they were swinging the axe, if they lost concentration, their minds would return to the scene they saw yesterday —— it wasn’t something that could be denied.

  After striking nine sets of the fifty strikes per set requirement, Eugeo’s stomach started rumbling.

  Eugeo looked up into the sky as he wiped his sweat, Solus was already reaching the middle of the sky. Like always, after one more strike, Alice would bring the awaited lunch. But today we can slowly eat pie with cold milk. His empty stomach hurt just by imagining it.

  “Otto……”

  Just thinking about lunch made Eugeo’s grip slip. After wiping both his wet palms, he cautiously held the axe in a tighter grip.

  Suddenly, the sunlight became dim.

  Sudden rain? It’s annoying. Eugeo thought while looking up.

  A shadow could be seen flying across the blue sky above Gigas Cedar’s branches at a high speed. Eugeo’s heart flinched.

  “The flying dragon……!?”

  Eugeo unintentionally shouted,

  “Oi…… Kirito, just now!!”

  “Aa, it’s the Integrity Knight from yesterday!!”

  His partner’s voice was also frozen in fear.

  The flying dragon along with the silvery white knight sitting on its back swept over the treetops and disappeared from their eyes in the direction of Rulid village.

  Why would he comes to a place like this?

  In the complete silence, as if the birds and bugs were in fear, Eugeo thought in confusion.

  The Integrity Knights fight against the Axiom Church’s enemies and keep the order in place. In the current Human World where the four empires divided and ruled, there are no rebel groups anymore, so aside from the forces of darkness, the Integrity Knights’ enemies don’t exist. What I heard about the knights’ endless fights outside the Mountain range at the Edge, I actually saw it with my own eyes yesterday.

  It is the first time I have seen a real Integrity Knight. Since I was born, the knight had never come to the village. And yet, why now——

  “It can’t be…… It can’t be, Alice……”

 
; Kirito murmured beside him.

  The moment he heard that, the strange voice he heard back then returned vividly to Eugeo’s ears. Beyond the violet window, blurting out mysterious phrases from the human with strange facial features. He felt chill down his spine as if he was suspended in freezing water.

  “It’s a lie…… it can’t be true, just that…… with just that……”

  He looked at Kirito’s face while he talked, as if to seek agreement, but his partner was wearing a rare solemn expression while staring in the direction the knight flew. A few moments later, Kirito looked straight into Eugeo’s eyes before giving a short call,

  “Let’s go!”

  He took the Dragon Bone Axe off Eugeo’s hand before running toward the north in a straight line.

  “O……Oi!”

  Something bad is happening. While he was thinking that, Eugeo also kicked the ground and quickly chased after Kirito.

  They ran through the familiar small path of the forest at full speed while avoiding roots and rocks, as the path merged with the main road which went through the field. They couldn’t see the shadow of the flying dragon in the sky over the village. Kirito loosened his feet slightly, and loudly asked the farmer among the ears of wheat, who wore a blue outfit and was looking up at the sky.

  “Ridack-ojisan! Where did the dragon knight go!?”

  The farmer looked like he had just woke up from a dream, after blinking many times, he finally replied,

  “A…… Ah…… hello, it looked like it dropped at the village square……”

  “Thanks!!”

  After thanking him in irritation, the two continued running at full speed.

  On various places along the main road and fields, were groups of villagers standing still. Probably, even among the elders, there might be no one who had actually seen the Integrity Knight before. Everyone just stared at the village with an expression of not knowing what to do. Eugeo and Kirito just ran past them desperately.

  Passing through the village’s south gate, running through the short shopping street, and, after crossing the small stone bridge, the two finally saw it. They caught their breath without their feet ever stopping.

  The long arching neck and tail of the flying dragon occupied the northern half of the square in front of the church.

  Its big wings folded to its sides, almost completely blocking the church from view. Its grey scales and the steel armor on various parts of its body reflected the light of Solus, which made it look like an ice sculpture. Its bloodshot eyes, void of emotion, were looking down at the village square.

  In front of the dragon, shining even more dazzlingly, was the figure of the knight.

  His frame was larger than anyone in the village. The heavy armor polished until it was like a mirror covered his entire body, without a single trace of cloth, as all the joints were covered by finely knit silver chains. The headpiece which mimicked a dragon’s head had its forehead protruding out, on its sides were long decorated horns stretched backward, the knight’s face was hidden behind the huge visor which was pulled down.

  There was a long sword which had a silver grip hanging from his left waist. On his back, with a length of about a mel, was a reddish brown bow. It was without a doubt, the Integrity Knight who shot and killed the black knight that Eugeo had seen at the exit of the cave yesterday.

  From the cross shaped opening of the visor, the knight stared wordlessly to the south of the square, and the dozens of villagers who had gathered lowered their heads in unison. On the last row, the figure of a young girl who had just lowered the wicker basket in her hand could be seen, Eugeo released the tension from his shoulders slightly. Alice, who was wearing her usual blue dress and white pinafore, stared at the figure of the Integrity Knight from between the gap of the adults.

  Eugeo elbowed Kirito’s sides as a signal, they bent their bodies and moved, after they arrived behind Alice, Kirito whispered,

  “Alice……”

  Their childhood friend turned around, as her golden hair swung sideways, her surprised face looked as if she was about to say something. Kirito quickly put his finger to his mouth, before quietly whispering,

  “Alice, be quiet. I think we need to get out of here right now.”

  “Eh…… why?”

  Alice replied in a similarly low whisper, she seemed not to know the danger which currently drew near her. Eugeo thought she wouldn’t notice the possibility without Kirito saying it.

  “No…… that Integrity Knight is probably……”

  How should we explain from there. As Eugeo was lost in thought for a moment. At that time.

  A few low voices came from within the crowd. Looking up, walking to the square from the village hall, a tall man came into view.

  “Ah…… father.”

  Alice muttered. The man was the girl’s father and at the same time, the current village chief of Rulid, Gasupht Schuberg. The firm body was dressed in a simple vest, his black hair and beard were tidily trimmed. Even though he had inherited this Sacred Task from the previous village chief for just four years, his piercing discernment quickly gained him the respect of all villagers.

  Gasupht approached the Integrity Knight alone without any trace of hesitation, before setting his hands in front of the body according to the Axiom Church’s etiquette, then bowed. After raising his face, he addressed himself,

  “I serve as the village chief of Rulid, Schuberg is my name.”

  The Integrity Knight lifted up his fists in front of his body in return to Gasupht, the armor made a faint sound when he nodded, before starting to speak,

  “Overseeing the Norlangarth North Castle, Integrity Knight of the Axiom Church, Deusolbert Synthesis Seven.”

  It was hard to believe that it came out of the throat of a living person, as it reverberated in a heterogeneous voice. The voice which had a steely feel to it echoed throughout the square, causing every villager in the area to become silent. Eugeo frowned as the sound felt as if it pierced directly through his forehead rather than come through the ears, even though he was more than twenty mels away. Even the village chief Gasupht was pushed half a step backward due to the pressure.

  However, as expected from his courage, Gasupht corrected his posture, before issuing his impressive speech once again,

  “It is an honor to have Sir Integrity Knight, who keeps the order of the vast Human World, visit our small village in this remote region. If I had known of your approach in advance I would have prepared a welcoming banquet.”

  “I can not accept that during the fulfillment of my official duties.”

  The knight’s reverberating voice said, and with an ice-like glare under the visor —— he continued,

  “Due to Gasupht Schuberg’s child, Alice Schuberg’s offense to the Taboo clause, I have come to arrest her for interrogation, followed by her execution.”

  A trembling could be seen on Alice’s back who stood nearby. However, Eugeo and Kirito couldn’t do anything, let alone speak. In their heads, the knight’s words repeatedly echoed.

  The village chief’s strong body also shook for a moment. A short but clear curve could be seen slightly from the side of his face.

  After a long silence, Gasupht said in a voice which had lost its luster,

  “……Sir Knight, what was the sin that my daughter committed?”

  “The Taboo Index, first chapter, third passage, eleventh paragraph, trespassing the Dark Territory.”

  At that moment, a big commotion began among the villagers who were holding their breath, listening to the exchange up until this point. The children widened their eyes, as every adult murmured the church’s sacred phrase while slicing the curse protection symbol.

  Then, Eugeo and Kirito finally acted, partly due to instinct. They thrust themselves in front of Alice, stuck together at their shoulders, hiding the girl from the villagers eyes behind their backs. However, they couldn’t perform any further actions, as sudden movements would attract attention from the adults in f
ront of them.

  Inside Eugeo’s head, What should we do, what should we do, was the only thought there, continuously repeating itself. Even without the depression which had welled up in his chest at this moment, he still wouldn’t know what he could do.

  All he did was stand upright, watching the scene up ahead, at the village chief Gasupht who was hanging his head deeply without making any actions.

  It’s alright, if it’s that person. Eugeo thought. Even though he had never spoke to the village chief Gasupht much, he should have the most respect from the adults after Old Garitta.

  However——

  “……In that case, I will call my daughter, I think we should hear the reason from the mouth of the person herself.”

  The village chief who lifted his face said just that.

  No, we can’t let Alice come out in front of the knight. During the brief period Eugeo thought that, the Integrity Knight lifted his right hand up as his armor made a small sound. Seeing his fingertip pointed directly at him, Eugeo’s heart squirmed uncomfortably.

  “That is not necessary. Alice Schuberg is right there. You, and you……”

  The knight moved his hand and pointed to the adults among the crowd in turn.

  “Take the chief’s daughter here.”

  The row of villagers in front of Eugeo quickly split. What stood between the Integrity Knight and Alice were just Kirito and Eugeo.

  On the vacant road, two village acquaintances slowly approached. Their skin had lost the color of blood, but there were odd lights floating in their eyes.

  The men forcefully tore Eugeo and Kirito, who were blocking them, off Alice, and pushed them to the side before grabbing Alice’s arms.

  “Ah……”

  Alice raised a small voice, before clenching her lips tightly. As her rose colored cheeks faded, a faint smile floated to her face, It’s alright. She nodded to the two like that.