My SAO adventure is wrong, as expected

Chapter 45: Silica's Face-to-Face Special Training (2)

In the aftermath of the battle, when the two-headed Flame Hound collapsed, Silica froze in place in a dagger-throwing stance.

Her modified Beast Tamer outfit was still steaming, and Pina was busily preening her fluffed-up sideburns with its beak.

"Is... is it over?" The girl's voice was tinged with tears.

The floor boss she once couldn't even dream of challenging looked like a beginner village slime in front of these people.

"Well, with the commander here, it's only natural," Kirito said, toying with the dropped Flame Crystal before suddenly flashing a mischievous smile. "Silica, want to try soloing the boss next time? We could act as the support team~"

"Kirito-kun!" Asuna's rapier sheath smacked the back of the black-clad swordsman's head with pinpoint precision. "Stop corrupting the kids!"

On the way back, Silica was sandwiched between the four of them, who were discussing battle strategies.

She quietly glanced at Hachiman's profile, bathed in the golden hue of the evening sun, and suddenly realized that the look in his eyes while commanding was very much like the black cat she had once raised in the real world—seemingly lazy, yet always able to anticipate the prey's every move.

Later, the group headed to a ramen shop Kirito had discovered.

"This broth... is basically salt water boiled in plain water, right?" Hachiman's chopsticks hovered in mid-air. The golden-yellow noodles in his bowl were releasing suspicious steam.

The so-called "Tokyo-style soy sauce ramen" was emitting a mysterious caramel-like scent, shrouding the entire table in eerie silence—until Kirito suddenly choked and started coughing.

"Surprisingly... it's quite refreshing," said the leader of the Knights of the Blood Oath, slowly wiping the corner of his mouth.

The ramen in his bowl looked nearly untouched.

Everyone's expression while eating the noodles was bizarre.

Incidentally, it was at this moment that Asuna made up her mind: One day, she would make her own miso and soy sauce.

"It's been a while since I relaxed like this, thank you."

"Don't push yourself too hard, Heathcliff."

"Thank you for the guidance, Mr. Heathcliff!"

"Mm, take care of yourself too."

"I'm heading home, what about you guys?"

"I've got something to do."

"I see. What about Asuna and Silica?"

"If it's okay, I'd like to go to Hachiman-kun's place with Silica."

"I don't mind. You two sure got close quickly."

"There aren't many chances to meet other female players, after all."

"It's my first time meeting a friend around Asuna-nee's age too, I want to get closer."

"Then I'll head to my room and rest. Make yourselves at home."

After parting ways with Kirito, the three of them teleported to the 22nd floor.

Once they got home, Hachiman went to rest as promised, and Asuna and Silica took a bath together and chatted.

Silica rested her chin on the edge of the bath, watching Pina chase bubbles in the steam. "Asuna-nee, how did you and Hachiman...?"

"I met Hachiman-kun from the very beginning, so I guess I've been pretty lucky in that sense," said the deputy commander of the Knights of the Blood with a gentle smile. "He always says he follows the path of least resistance, but he still ended up being my caretaker for a year and a half."

"You knew each other from before?"

"No, at the beginning..."

Asuna briefly explained how they met, glossing over the details.

Silica listened intently, eyes full of admiration.

"If only I had someone like Kirito-san around..."

"Silica, do you like Kirito-kun?" Asuna's eyes sparkled like little stars.

It was hard to imagine that this same woman, who was so decisive in leading a strategy guild, could show such a gossipy expression.

"Uh, how should I put it... it's more like having an older brother," Silica replied, blushing furiously.

"Kirito-kun and Hachiman-kun both do give off that kind of vibe."

"Ah, yes! Hachiman-san is really kind too."

"I used to rely on others all the time. That's why I joined the Knights of the Blood Oath—to change that. But even now, I still depend on everyone a lot."

Seeing the happiness on Asuna's face, Silica felt envious again and silently vowed to become someone who could support Kirito as soon as possible.

At the same time, she recalled the candy that man had slipped into her pocket at the end of their training.

The note on the wrapper, written in messy handwriting, read:

"When you're scared, think of Pina's warmth."

The next morning, as they were saying goodbye, Hachiman hesitated for a moment before handing Silica a key.

"Uh... if there's ever danger, you can come here to take shelter. Consider it insurance," he mumbled, then added as if to explain, "Anyway, Kirito's definitely going to rope you into being a permanent NPC sooner or later."

"Th-thank you!"

On the way to the teleport gate, Asuna smiled and said, "So, you got the key. That means Hachiman-kun sees you as one of his own now."

"Really?!" Silica hugged Pina tightly. The familiar's tail wagged so fast it became a blur.

"Only I, Kirito-kun, Liz, and now you have the key. We call this place our secret base."

"But if you're coming by and it's not an emergency, make sure to let him know first—he's still not used to sudden visits." Asuna added this as a precaution to avoid bothering Hachiman.

"Got it!"

"Let's go hunting together again sometime."

"Thank you, Asuna-nee!"

Asuna originally planned to return to the guild headquarters, but at the last minute decided to stop by Agil's shop to sell loot.

Just then, Kirito poked his head out from the shadows. "Yo, Asuna. Selling loot too?"

"Yeah, my inventory's almost full."

"So, where did you guys go yesterday?"

After hearing the story, Agil sifted through the magic crystals Asuna poured out and marveled at the team lineup. "With that team, you guys could probably take out even lower-floor bosses with ease…"

"Pretty much," Asuna agreed.

After finishing their transaction and stepping out of the shop, Kirito suddenly remembered something and brought it up.

"Oh right, Asuna. Are you free later?"

"A little, why?"

He waved a piece of parchment. "Well... I got some intel from Argo. Apparently, there's an NPC restaurant on the 57th floor that uses a soy sauce-like condiment. I wanted your opinion."

"Ah, so even you were traumatized by yesterday's ramen?"

"Exactly. We really do need proper miso and soy sauce. Should we invite Hachiman?"

Kirito looked a bit haunted by the memory.

"He looked kind of tired, and I'd like to surprise him with something nice. Let's leave him out today," Asuna said after thinking for a moment.

"Good idea. Let's go."

The two teleported to the 57th floor and headed toward the shop.

Suddenly, a scream echoed through the street—an event was occurring inside the safe zone.