Few people thought of the 51st floor as idyllic. It was, after all, where pain was reintroduced in their lives, and the beginning of 50 floors of suffering.
With a background like that, it was hard not to look at everything in the floor under hate-tinted glasses.
But even Drifter had to admit the scenery before him was breathtaking.
In front of him was a huge lake, shaped like a tear drop, at least 3 kilometers wide in the largest part. It took up basically the entire north section of the floor, but you couldn't tell that from afar, because it was surrounded by dense forest on all sides.
Mist clung to the surface of the lake like a thin blanket, painted golden by the morning sun. It gave the body of water an almost ethereal air.
And, if you parted through the mist until you were about halfway up the lake, you arrived at a raised portion of the terrain, where the gentle gurgling of the water was drowned by the thunderous roar of a 15-meter-tall waterfall falling into the lake.
It was about a hundred or so meters further inland from said beautiful sight of nature that an old mansion sat, looking imposing in all of its weathered glory.
Sturdy foundations, brick walls overcome with ivy, a maroon-tile roof, and a porch overlooking the lake. It looked every bit like an old Victorian mansion you would see in epoch movies.
The whole structure was surrounded by the translucent blue wall of the system, signifying it was blocked until bought. Drifter led Reaver's Requiem to approach the building, and whistled.
"12.5 million cor. That's-- Griselda, if we pool all our money together, how much does the guild have?"
The Reavers were a lot more lax with roles and posts than the KoB or DKB, but even they still needed to have some semblance of order. Drifter, being the guild leader, with Kirito and Asuna as his hands, was a no-brainer. But while they didn't really bother with designating commanders or squad leaders or public relation officers, there was another job that had to be filled no matter what: the treasurer.
The expenses of a frontliner guild weren't few. Even if they had Forge Master Lisbeth on their roster, crafting and repairing equipment for free, the materials still cost a lot. Some were rare drops, others needed in large quantities. And Reaver's Requiem couldn't very well abandon the frontline to gather all of it, so they had to either buy or commission someone.
There were also the consumables: potions, crystals, one-time use weapons and items, and more. Reaver's Requiem went through a mountain of it every month, and whether it was bought from NPCs or lifestyle players, it wasn't cheap, and had to be accounted for.
Finally, there were the daily expenses. Food, drinks, and inns might look small in comparison to everything else, but when you took into consideration their guild was almost 20-men strong, it added up quickly.
That's not to say Reaver's Requiem was wallowing in poverty. The same way Liz spent a lot, she also raked in the most cor. As Aincrad's premier blacksmith - and with not even a close second in sight - her services and creations were highly sought-after by both frontliners, clearers, and normal players. And, being constantly in the frontlines, the money and drops the Reavers acquired daily were also nothing to scoff at.
Still, 12.5 million was a lot of cor. The spearmaster looked at Griselda, who had taken up the role of a treasurer. She rattled off the numbers without even needing to check.
"We have 15 million cor at hand right now. 300 thousand goes to monthly expenses - with a large margin for safety - and can't be touched. 1 and a half million need to be saved as emergency funds. That would leave us with--"
"700 thousand cor. Huh. We are richer than I thought."
Griselda rolled her eyes.
"Not really. We do have, in proportion, more freely available cor than the other frontlines guilds, but that's mostly thanks to Liz. The DKB and KoB should both have a lot more funds - like, 50 or 60 million - but a lot of it is tied up in properties on the lower floors - shops and the like. They are also larger than us, and have plenty of non-combatant members, all of which requires they spend more. We... Don't really use money on anything that isn't climbing-related."
Drifter blinked. Was that really the case? They went to the hot springs once a week - although, they hadn't taken the time once since entering the 50th floor, and even then it didn't really cost a lot. And they also...
Wow. His mind drew a blank. They really didn't do anything for leisure, did they? Was he that much of a slave-driver?
"Huh. Fair enough."
He always knew he pushed them hard, but he hadn't realized it was that hard.
The spearmaster turned around, feeling his cheeks flushing in embarrassment, something that didn't go unnoticed by his guildmates. Their snickers and giggles only made his blush intensify.
Yuna, the traitor, was laughing with them.
"Ehem. So, what do you think? Should we splurge a little bit?"
The Reavers looked at the mansion, giving the whole place a once-over, each with their own thoughts. Asuna crossed her arms, a slightly hilt to her voice that said she couldn't quite hide her true feelings.
"It would be nice to have a place that isn't a tavern room. A proper home base... We've earned that much."
Nautilus tapped the pommel of his blade.
"Plus we get to say we live in a creepy murder mansion. There's no way this place isn't haunted."
Ran smacked his shoulder while the others chuckled at his deadpan delivery. Yuuki, however, perked up.
"Haunted in the 'quirky and misunderstood ghost with a tragic backstory' way? Or the 'we wake up to our souls being siphoned away by starving malevolent spirits' way?"
Drifter snorted.
"I think option B is pretty much what Kayaba did to us already."
It was a sign of how insane they all were that a couple of them laughed at the, admittedly, very bad taste joke.
Liz, meanwhile, ignored their banter and was scratching her chin with a thoughtful expression.
"Hey, if there's a haunted mansion on a foggy lake in a pain-reintroduced floor, I'm the one forging the anti-ghost weapons. Very lucrative."
Sinon rolled her eyes.
"That's not a thing."
"Yet."
The spark in Liz's eyes was definitely unhinged, but all the Reavers knew better than to get between the blacksmith and a new project. They decided to just let her be.
"Do you think Pina will like the rooftop?"
Silica eyed the structure speculatively, and Wolv grinned and ruffled her hair.
"Kid, that dragon likes any roof."
"Prii!"
Said dragon cried out and took flight from her resting place in Silica's arms, spitting healing bubbles.
"It has a large area for Feredir to explore. He will enjoy not being cooped up in a small room anymore."
Kizmel ran her finger through the fur of her faithful companion. By now, Drifter was looking at the rest of his guildmates just out of formality, because the decision was as good as made.
"Well... I won't say no to having a proper office."
Vallerk leaned on his shield, a small smile hanging on his normally expressionless face. He enjoyed reading, although he was rarely able to do so undisturbed. Maybe now he could.
"A common room. With a big table, so we don't have to take turns at meals just because there isn't enough space."
"And a training ground where we won't attract a crowd to watch every time."
"And larger bathrooms!"
The former Black Cats also offered their input, and Asuna high-fived Sachi. Both were fans of soaking on the tub for a long time.
Agil just smirked and tilted his head at Drifter, as if saying he was happy with whatever the spearmaster chose.
Drifter shook his head with a smile. Then he pressed his hand against the glowing blue barrier.
[ Would you like to acquire: Lakeside Estate? ]
Yes.
The entire barrier shone brightly for a second before dimming and breaking down, starting from where Drifter had placed his hand.
"Reavers don't retreat."
Yuna murmured next to him, grabbing his free hand. The spearmaster looked lovingly to her.
"But sometimes... We settle down."
...
The sun dipped low over the lake, turning the mist into a sheet of molten copper, to contrast with the liquid gold from early morning. Not far, the waterfall shimmered in the same colors, its roar dulled by the evening air.
Lanterns flickered to life along the porche's railing with just a twitch of Drifter's finger, casting warm lights across tired, but happy faces.
Earlier today, the entire guild had run around the mansion with the excitement of kids in a school trip, claiming bedrooms and exploring communal areas. Kirito and Asuna had found a quiet corner room away from the bustle. Silica picked the tower on the west wing, mostly because Pina liked high places. Yuna had dragged Drifter around trying every mattress, judging the softness with the seriousness of a quality control inspector.
Now, they were resting.
Drifter sank into one of the wooden chairs, muscles finally relaxing after hours of combing through the estate that was now their home.
Home. For 2 and a half years now, he hadn't thought of that world in more than a metaphysical sense, believing that, as long as he had his family with him, he would be at home.
But there was something deeply comforting about finally settling down in a real, physical place. He exhaled, long and slow, watching the breath leave him like the stress he had been carrying since the 50th floor.
They had a home.
The Reavers lounged around the porch in various states of relaxation. Kirito had his feet up in the railing, Asuna cradled securely to his chest. Nautilus and Ran were watching the slowly-appearing stars in the far distance.
In the grass below, Silica, Pina, and Feredir played, the little feathered dragon chasing fireflies with chirping delight. Agil and Wolv had found alcohol god knows where, and roped Griselda and Kizmel into drinking with them, looking every bit like retired blue-collar workers.
Liz was sprawled on a bench, still talking forge designs - she had already claimed one of the side buildings, what looked like a stable, as hers - to her boyfriend, uncaring that Vallerk seemed to be enjoying his book rather than listening.
Sinon leaned against a pillar, quiet, eyes closed. Meanwhile, Yuuki was displaying a rare moment of stillness, resting her head on the archers lap, looking like a housecat claiming her territory.
And Yuna rested her head on his shoulder, one arm going around his back to lightly grip his side, while he held her close, a blanket draped over both of them.
The warmth of her presence grounded him more than the comfortable chair and reassuring mansion ever could.
"Everyone's happy."
Her soft whisper reached his ears, and Drifter pulled Yuna a little closer.
"Yeah. I think we all needed this more than we realized."
"Even you."
He huffed out a tiny, quiet laugh.
"Especially me."
He looked around again. It had been... A long time since he had seen everyone looking this content. Free.
The porch creaked as Keita, Tetsuo, and Sachi came out carrying trays of warm drinks. Drifter gratefully took one, adjusting his posture so he could raise it in a toast.
"To home."
"To home!"
Their voices echoed out to the lake before dissipating, and Drifter let the moment settle.
They would be okay.
Not safe - never that. But even if not now, then in the future...
They would be okay.