It was almost imperceptible. But Yuuji did narrow his eyes slightly as he glanced towards Heathcliff when he whispered.
This was a deal he certainly didn't expect him to make.
The Knights of Blood was certainly one of the front-liner guilds who had issued direct orders to its members and worked together with vigilant groups and various other guilds to deal with red-players on sight.
However, they've never truly fully focused on investigating and rooting out the dark guilds. It was impossible.
The Knights of Blood's main purpose was in clearing floors and being on the very tip of the players' efforts in clearing the game. Although they were still one of the largest fighting forces against them, they couldn't pour all of their resources into dealing with red-players, especially the most notorious, dangerous, and slippery of them all, Laughing Coffin.
But Heathcliff's words made Yuuji doubt that belief he held.
Why would he be willing to give him a blank check on the Knights of Blood's resources to let him hunt the red-player guilds?
Was he truly desperate for his and Asuna's strength? Even if he wasn't in his guild, they would still participate in boss raids and contribute to their efforts in clearing floors, just like they always had.
Why would he make such an offer?
Heathcliff was certainly a man of character. At least, from the actions Yuuji had seen him and the Knights of Blood do from a distance. But he didn't expect him to go this far.
As Yuuji fell silent, Heathcliff backed away with a calm smile and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I hope you will consider it, Yuuji-kun, Asuna-kun. Just send me a message when you've made your decision."
Then, he walked away.
The rest of the Knights of Blood's team leaders followed soon after.
"It's nice to see you two again. I look forward to seeing you again for the raid meeting in a few days."
Godfree placed a hand on Yuuji's shoulder and nodded towards Asuna.
"Hoho. Yuuji-kun, if you have any extra rare item drops to sell, please let me know. Some of our members still need a few more items to enhance their items. We can always discuss the price."
Daizen gave him a similar friendly smile and patted his shoulder with more than a tad bit more strength from his excitement that would send other players with less strength flying to the side. But to Yuuji, it was just like a typical slap from an enthusiastic uncle who couldn't control his strength in his excitement.
And finally, bringing up the rear, Uzala simply smiled towards Yuuji and Asuna with a nod, before the conspicuous group of knights in white and red walked away.
Asuna, Yuna, and Lux all looked towards Yuuji, along with the rest of the players who had stopped to watch the Knights of Blood's appearance before lingering to know more by listening to their conversations.
"Yuuji, what did he say before he left?"
Asuna came close and looked up to him. She didn't bend down to be able to look directly in his eyes, but she still looked at him like she could. And if it weren't for them to still be in public, she would've took off his hood to be able to look at him without anything in between them, just like she would every moment while they're in their home.
From behind her, Yuna and Lux were also staring at him in silence. Yuna seemed more worried for him, seemingly noticing the fluctuation in his demeanor. While Lux was more curious than anything.
But instead of answering, Yuuji simply smiled and walked on.
"Let's talk about this when we arrive at the inn."
--------------------------------X--------------------------------
"Hahaha! I say this every time, but he's certainly an exemplary young man, is he not? To keep such composure before the leader is impressive for his age!"
Upon reaching the confines of the meeting room within their temporary base for their floor boss raid preparations, Godfree didn't hold his voice back.
His lips curled into a wide grin.
"Mm. Not only in strength, but in many other fields outside the battlefield. I would've love to have him as a son-in-law if I had a daughter."
Daizen had always been satisfied with his family. An understanding wife, and two boys who had made him proud as a father. He had flirted with the thought of having a third child, a daughter, but he never actually acted on it.
Now, he couldn't help but think what if he were to have a daughter 18 years ago. He might have a brilliant son-in-law who would take good care of his daughter.
Sitting down along with Heathcliff and the rest of the team leaders, Uzala silently agreed to his colleague's words.
Yuuji was the first person he had ever seen to equal his guild master, whom he had considered peerless in the game.
He had seen, on multiple occasions, sights that had truly stunned him beyond words.
The figure of the "Sword God" flawlessly parried each and every single strike from a floor boss, before dealing critical strikes one after another in a consecutive chain of absolute dominance.
He had only seen such a thing from two players. The guildmaster and Yuuji.
'No… even the guildmaster couldn't deal that much damage with his build.'
Heathcliff focused on defense with his massive tower shield. He was the perfect tank, capable of withstanding terrifying blows from the floor boss and never letting his health reach the yellow zone.
While Yuuji "tanked" the boss solely by parrying and evading. A feat of pure skill and physical prowess that surpassed what mere "status" could achieve.
"He is exceptional."
Heathcliff spoke in a matter of fact manner, which to him, it was.
"He possessed the strength, insight, wisdom, and talent of a hero that would lead us in clearing this game. An extremely promising young man, if I'd seen any."
There was nothing to argue. All three of the leaders nodded in agreement to his words. They were undeniable.
"Well then."
The air immediately shifted into focus Heathcliff crossed his arms on the table.
"Shall we continue our discussion regarding our preparations for the 39th floor boss raid?"
--------------------------------X--------------------------------
Semiramis leaned back on her cushioned beach chair. Her mountainous chest, barely covered in a laced bikini lined with pure gold, raised up and down slowly.
Her pale white skin, which she had dedicated solely to the man currently within the mansion she currently resided, hid from the bright sun under a massive parasol, which shade even covered her stretched, long, slender bare legs.
She raised her arms and rested her head on her hand as she laid down in relaxation, a pose that served to effortlessly accentuate her seductive curves and figure without even seemingly meaning to. And she didn't. She simply had seduction, gracefulness, and majesty naturally ingrained into her every action, and even inaction.
Her golden eyes closed behind her stylish shade, enhancing her auditory senses to the splashing of water and melodic giggles of young girls from the massive swimming pool before her.
But her attention and "eyes" were focused on the figure of her master currently on his bed in his room.
From the day she arrived in this mansion, in this world, she had engraved countless magical and arcane runes throughout every single nook and cranny of this mega mansion. A fundamental step for every caster to establish their territory upon arriving at what would be their base.
Even if her Garden of Babylon was currently floating invisibly in the sky, she didn't neglect her preparations to make sure that her master was safe. She had even spread out her doves around the larger area of the city to extend her surveillance zone.
Now, not even a fly or a mosquito would go unnoticed the moment it even entered the proximity of the mansion.
Keeping eyes on her master was even simpler. He was in a room, unmoving for the majority of the day and night.
But despite this and the fact that nothing in this world could even fathom to even begin to harm his divine body, Semiramis kept her eyes on him at all times.
It was her duty to protect her master while he was completing his mission.
Moreover, she loved watching over him. She could do it all day and night, at least until he woke up.
And she was doing just that.
"Hey hey, Semi-neechan~!"
"Hm?"
She raised her shades and opened her eyes to see Alice waving at her while floating in the pool.
Beside her was Ophis, currently in her adult, voluptuous form and dressed in a skimpy black bikini that she changed into after seeing Semiramis' figure.
Behind them, Est was laying on a tube, aimlessly floating around. While Aria was swimming laps with perfect form.
"Can we have another tropical juice, please~?"
"Sure."
Semiramis waved her hand, and four glasses of iced tropical juice floated towards pool with a magic circle as its tray, and landed on the water.
"Thank you~"
Alice took a glass and drank it with great excitement, while Ophis took small sips as she stared at the drink.
It was delicious. Passable. But it only served to extend her patience slightly until she couldn't wait anymore to be with Yuuji again.
"You're welcome."
Semiramis smiled contently, lowered her shades, and began to close her eyes once more to return to her "monitoring duties".
Just then, a ping from her spell came to her attention.
Her eyebrows involuntarily furrowed at the disturbance to her peaceful monitoring of her master.
Semiramis transferred her vision to one of her dove familiar and saw a car, the expensive kind, making its way through the neighborhood towards the mansion.
Within it, she could see two people. A man and a woman.
The man was rugged, a square jaw, and slick combed-back hair that had receded slightly from his forehead.
The woman, more youthful, but still couldn't mask the age that became more apparent with her stern expression and slight wrinkles at the edge of her eyes, most likely from exhaustion.
Both wore a solemn expression, silent in their travel.
Semiramis didn't recognize them. Or rather, she didn't recognize anyone in this world aside from those currently in this mansion.
They didn't look to be paparazzi, which she had been repelling through magecraft since the death game started.
There had been many who began to stake out around the mansion after catching wind that someone in this massive mansion had become trapped in the death game.
They didn't know who it was, but if they were living here, it must be someone extremely rich and influential, or a child of the one with the money and power.
Either way, if they could get more information about it, even a suspicion on their identity, they wouldn't have to worry about living as they please for, at the very least, a year.
These two didn't match the characteristics of one. And judging by their expression, Semiramis could see, even through a dove's vision, the worry they wore like a second skin.
Whoever they were, they seem to be heading here with a clear purpose. Which meant, they must "knew" of her master.
'Master did say that the group chat assigned a background to him in this world to let him blend in…'
This must be related to it.
"It can't be helped."
Semiramis took off her shades and let it disappear into particles of magic and raised up from her seat.
"We seem to have visitors. I will welcome them and find out their intentions. Please keep yourself hidden until they leave."
"Alright~!"
Alice raised her hand up in the sky with a bright smile, while the rest simply nodded with a soft sound of acknowledgement as Semiramis walked away and entered the mansion.
The car stopped before a massive gate of gold with various layers of high-tech security and surveillance cameras that left no blind spot on the entrance.
But just as Yuuki Shouzou was about to open his car door and use a identification card Yuuji had given him in the past, the golden gate opened on its own.
"...Is there someone inside who knows of us?"
Kyouko voiced her suspicion, but her husband was as clueless as her.
"We should go in and find out for ourselves."
Shouzou stepped on his accelerator and drove past the gate, making his way towards the mansion through a long, winding path lined with trees and beautiful sights of nature that seemed to resemble a national park more than a mansion's courtyard.
Through the canopies, glimmers of the mansion soon came into their vision. And before long, the massive estate that stretched beyond their vision came into sight.
The sight was as grand and awe-striking as they remembered it to be. Perhaps, even more so.
While minds tend to overembellish fond memories, theirs seemed to understate the sheer grandiose of his home.
But, their attention quickly shifted from the mansion to the figure of unparalleled beauty in white apron above a black dress of a maid.
Her long, luxurious black hair that gleamed under the sunlight was tied up into a high ponytail behind her white headdress.
And her looks was perfected by an impeccable smile and grace that rivalled old nobles and royalties Shouzou and Kyouko had seen, from a distance, once in the past during a banquet of high nobility.
They stopped the car right in front of the entrance and alighted.
"Welcome to the Tsubakihara household, dear guest. My name is Semiramis, a servant of this household. May I inquire about your identities and your intention on visiting the young master on this occasion?"
She spoke with the voice of a siren with the graceful bow of a royalty's servant.
And despite knowing Yuuji since he was a child, Shouzou and Kyouko felt the need to re-evaluate their understanding of the sheer depth of his true wealth and influence to have a servant that rivaled imperial princesses.
"My name is Yuuki Shouzou. This is my wife, Yuuki Kyouko. We are old acquaintances of Tsubakihara Yuuji, and we are here to visit him upon knowing of his… involvement in Sword Art Online."
A glimmer of understanding flashed across Semiramis' eyes.
As she expected, they were truly a part of the young master's background that the group chat assigned to him upon coming to this world.
She lowered her head once again. Her duty to her master winning over her own queenly pride.
"Very well. The young master is inside and well. I believe he will appreciate your visit. Please follow me."
She opened the massive double doors that seemed heavy enough for even adult men to move with apparent ease, and lead the couple to Yuuji's room.
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AN: I hope you guys enjoy this chapter~! Please comment your thoughts~! I would love to hear what you think about it~!!!!
Also, if you'd like to read additional chapters ahead and get a pdf version (Light & Dark), please feel free to check out my at patr_eon.com/verglasx ~!
Thank you~!