17

There are four kinds of system-defined player relationships within Sword Art Online.

First, complete strangers. Second is “friends.” Friends registered on the friend list are able to send simple text messages to each other, as well as search for their locations on the map.

The third category is guild members. In addition to the previous functions, teaming up with guildmates in battle gives each member a slight experience bonus. The downside of that is that a certain percentage of all col earned must be subtracted for the guild’s coffers.

Asuna and I already met the friend and guildmate criteria, but by temporarily leaving the guild, we filled its place with the fourth and final category.

That was marriage—though it’s a far simpler and less ceremonial step than you might think. One person sends a proposal message to the other, and if it is accepted, boom: You’re married. The consequences, however, are far greater than a simple friend or guild request.

At the most basic level, marriage in SAO means the sharing of all information and items. You can observe your spouse’s status screen at any time, and all items are pooled into a shared inventory. It exposes one’s most potent vulnerabilities to another person, which means that in Aincrad, where betrayal and deception are rife, very few couples reach marriage. The abysmal gender ratio doesn’t help, either.

The twenty-second floor of Aincrad was one of the most sparsely populated in the castle. As it was closer to the bottom of the egg-like structure, it had a wide area, but the majority of it was covered with thick forests and countless lakes. The largest form of civilization to be found was a tiny village. There were no monsters in the wilderness, and the labyrinth was easy, so the entire floor had been cleared in just three days, and few players bothered to remember it.

Asuna and I bought a little log cabin in the middle of the forest and settled in. Even a small house in SAO was no simple matter to purchase, however. Asuna offered to sell her apartment in Selmburg, but I strongly objected—it would have been an incredible waste to get rid of such a perfect place—so we raised the funds by selling off all of our rare valuables with Agil’s help.

Agil looked disappointed that we were leaving. He offered us the use of his upstairs at any time, but a general store was a rather unromantic place for a honeymoon. Plus, just the thought of the uproar that would ensue if word got out that a celebrity like Asuna was married gave me the chills. A lonely place like the twenty-second floor would buy us plenty of time to relax in peace.

“Ooh, the view is nice!”

Asuna leaned out of the south-facing window in the bedroom—for what it was worth, the cabin only had two rooms.

She was right about the view. Because we were close to the outer perimeter, we had an expansive slice of the sky hanging over the leafy trees and sparkling lakes. Given that most of the time, life in Aincrad meant having a lid of stone looming a few hundred feet above your head, the sense of liberation that came with being so close to the sky was breathtaking.

“Just because we have a nice view doesn’t mean you should get too close to the edge and fall over.”

I stopped sorting our household items for a moment and put my arms around Asuna from behind. The thought that she was now my wife filled me with the warmth of the winter sun, as well as an unfamiliar sensation much like surprise—the knowledge that I’d come so far in my time here.

Until I became a prisoner of this world, I was a mere child, living a circular route of home and school with no great ambitions. But the real world was a long-lost relic of the distant past now.

Beating this game and getting back to the real world should be my goal, Asuna’s goal, every player’s goal…but the thought of it actually happening made me worry. I clenched Asuna tighter.

“That hurts, Kirito…What’s wrong?”

“S-sorry. Hey, Asuna…”

I clammed up for a moment, but I had to ask.

“Is this…just inside the game? Us, I mean…Is it something that’s going to vanish when we return to the real world?”

“Are you trying to get me angry?” She spun around, pure emotion burning in her eyes. “Even if this were a normal game and we weren’t stuck inside it, I don’t fall in love for fun.”

She squished my face in her hands.

“There’s one thing I’ve learned here: Never give up until the end. If we get back to the real world, I’ll find you again, and I’ll fall in love with you again.”

How many times had I been amazed at Asuna’s strength? Or was it just a sign of how weak I was in comparison? In any case, I’d forgotten how good it could feel to rely on someone else, to let them be your support. I didn’t know how long we’d be here, but hopefully, as long as we were away from battle…

I let my mind wander, my arms full of gentle warmth and a sweet scent.