Argo turned this way and that, her eyes darting between the moonlit, glassy surface of the lake and the uneven cobblestone streets of the sparse little village.
It was as if she simply couldn't stay still. And thinking about it, that was exactly true, Argo had never really belonged to any fixed place.
Today she might be here, tomorrow she could be spotted somewhere far away, and the day after that, no one would know where she had vanished to.
Argo was like the wind, flickering in and out of sight across Aincrad, impossible to catch.
The thought sent a shiver down Ren's spine, and he glanced quickly over his shoulder.
For an instant, he imagined Argo popping out of nowhere, shoving her notebook in his face and yelling, "Hey! Give me a bit more info!"
Only when he saw the empty silence behind him did he let out a breath of relief.
Despite being a renowned information broker, Argo didn't even have her own base of operations.
She owned no shop, no café where clients might gather. Instead, most of her transactions were entrusted to other players, forming a hidden root network spread across Aincrad.
As for Argo herself, she seemed to be playing an endless game of hide-and-seek with the entire world.
Ren leaned back against the rickety wooden chair, a piece of furniture that should have retired long ago, groaning under him each time he shifted.
The cold winter wind slipped through the tavern's eaves, tossing his jet-black hair into a messy crow's nest.
The sickly glow of oil lamps flickered with every draft, scattering restless shadows across the cracked surface of the wooden table.
Ren sighed softly, pondering the "special day" Argo had just mentioned. Wait… Christmas? What day was it again?
He snuck a glance at the system clock. Midnight, December 24th. Oh. So it was today.
Ren scratched his cheek, vaguely recalling what he'd once overheard about "Christmas." Something about the birth of some god… and children getting presents.
'So basically, it's just a birthday party, right?' he muttered inwardly, nodding sagely as if he'd just grasped some profound truth, completely ignoring the puzzled look Argo shot him from across the table.
But the more he thought about it, the more wrong it seemed.
'If it's the god's birthday, then why are kids the ones getting presents? Doesn't the god get anything at all?'
The thought made him frown. 'Or maybe… the god was a child, so all the other kids get to share in the gifts?'
He pictured a majestic deity draped in robes, staff in hand, yet having to squeeze in with a bunch of children to get a present under the tree.
The more Ren thought about it, the more absurd it became. And what if someone really didn't get a gift?
Would they be sad, disappointed, and end up cursed with bad luck for the whole year?
His gaze drifted toward Argo's face, she was sipping her drink, tilting her head, muttering something like "what the heck is this guy thinking now?"
A faint, inexplicable worry sparked in Ren's chest: would she be sad if no one gave her a gift tonight?
The thought made him restless, as if he'd just forgotten some urgent quest in his journal.
Ren sat brooding for a long while, his mind circling a labyrinth of unfamiliar concepts: Christmas, god's birthday, kids getting gifts, what if there weren't any gifts…
His eyes slid to Argo. She was still idly swirling her cup, her eyes shimmering in the dim light, wearing that serene expression like she didn't care about the world at all.
But Ren remembered the way she sometimes looked, not at him, but at the cloak he wore.
That not-so-subtle sneaking glance, like a cat eyeing the fish on the table, pretending to yawn while stealing a peek.
He let out a quiet chuckle. If Christmas really was about giving gifts, then… this might be the most fitting one.
Ren opened his menu, tapped a few times, and the cloak in his inventory dropped softly into his hand.
He held it for a moment, feeling the soft, slightly cool texture of the gray fabric, hesitating.
Truth be told, the cloak wasn't of much use to him anymore. Sure, it boosted his stealth rate and gave him a few points in AGI.
But he was certain of one thing: it would be far more useful for Argo than for him. He wavered for a heartbeat, then decided firmly.
"Uh… hey," Ren cleared his throat, holding the cloak forward, his voice dry like he was repaying a debt, "think of it as… a Christmas gift."
Argo froze, the little whisker marks drawn on her cheeks twitching slightly.
She looked at him, then at the cloak in his hands, her eyes briefly sparkling in unmistakable delight, only to quickly mask it with a feigned indifference.
"You're… giving me this?" she asked, her voice straining to hide her surprise.
Ren shrugged, trying to look casual. "Yeah, well… it's the god's birthday, but apparently kids are the ones who get presents. I don't have any kids around here, so… I guess you're the closest thing."
Argo's eyes widened, and then her lips curved into a smile she couldn't hold back.
Ren quickly turned away, leaning back against the chair to hide his embarrassment, muttering to himself, "It really doesn't make sense, birthday of a god and I'm the one giving gifts to someone else. But… at least the cloak's found a new owner."
Like lightning, Argo snatched the cloak from Ren's hands, her movement so swift and clean it was no different from a professional pickpocket lifting a wallet.
In the blink of an eye, she had stuffed it into her inventory, her eyes darting around as if worried Ren might change his mind and snatch it back.
"You think I'm a kid or something?" Argo cleared her throat, standing up with her hands on her hips in mock authority. "I've long outgrown waiting for Santa Claus to bring me Christmas presents, got it?"
Ren didn't even bother looking up. He just stretched out his hand, his face cold as ice. "Then give it back."
Silence hung in the air for a beat, then Argo's lips twitched before breaking into a sly grin.
"No way. Once it's in my hands, don't even dream of getting it back!"
With that, she spun on her heel, her skirt flaring, leaping off the chair like a fox that had just stolen its prey, darting away.
Ren watched her figure disappear down the empty village streets and sighed softly.
"You should go get some rest too. Tomorrow we still have to explore this village and expand the map," Argo said while trying on the cloak, folding her arms and waving him off as if dismissing a guest.
She paused briefly, then added in a tone far too serious to be joking, "And of course you're paying in full. Don't even think about running off."
Ren didn't answer. He just reclined in the rickety chair, his gaze drifting lazily toward the boats moored on the lake.
The water shimmered faintly, the boats bobbing gently with each cold gust sweeping down from the north.
"Boats…" he frowned, as if his mind had just collided with some long-forgotten memory, a missing fragment.
Ren suddenly shot to his feet, knocking the chair over with a crash that made several patrons turn to look.
"Damn it. Boats," he cursed under his breath, his voice cracking with urgency, like someone who'd just realized a fatal mistake.
Without another word, Ren bolted out of the tavern, sprinting down the deserted streets like a man being chased by ghosts.
Behind him, Argo was still tapping her fingers on the table, muttering with a mix of irritation and curiosity, "Boats…? Wait a sec, hey, that guy hasn't paid me yet!!"
She slammed down the payment to the innkeeper, the Cor coins clattering harshly as her grip tightened.
Then she burst out of the tavern, the night wind slapping her face as she ran, gritting through her teeth,
"That bastard! Eating his fill, skipping the bill, and then running off?! If I catch him, he won't live it down, Ren!"
She clenched her jaw, but when she finally caught sight of Ren standing firm by the lakeshore, his expression was nothing like before, serious, heavy.
"Argo." Ren's voice cut clean through her anger.
Argo froze, her hands still on her hips by habit, though her eyes blinked in surprise. "What now? Don't tell me you're planning to pull another vanishing act."
"Just answer me." Ren didn't turn his head, his eyes fixed on the dark expanse of the lake. "The Yofel Castle. Where is it?"
The air grew heavy. Argo's eyes widened, startled, the name wasn't something one mentioned so casually.
She studied Ren for a long time, trying to be sure he wasn't joking, but no, there wasn't a trace of humor in his gaze.
"Asuna said it's… southwest of the volcanic lake's mouth," Argo finally answered, her voice lower, more solemn.
Ren narrowed his eyes, as if reconstructing a map in his head. The night wind whipped through his hair, revealing the strain on his face.
Argo folded her arms, staring at his back before letting out a quiet sigh. "What the hell are you up to, suddenly bringing up Yofel… This guy's getting harder and harder to read."
"You still have a message scroll, right?" Ren pressed, urgency flashing in his eyes.
At first, Argo thought he was just messing around again...but then she realized he was dead serious.
He intended to head straight for Yofel Castle, but when his gaze swept over the vast stretch of lake, Ren remembered, they had no boat. There was no way to get there in time.
Argo frowned but quickly pulled up her inventory, her fingers skimming rapidly through the endless clutter with practiced ease. "Lucky. I still have one."
Ren stepped closer, his voice dropping low, each word deliberate: "Send a message to Kirito. Listen carefully, write exactly what I say."
Argo blinked, surprised, but didn't hesitate. She nodded firmly.
Ren began recounting everything he'd witnessed at the Fallen Elf hideout, every detail, every suspicious movement, even the final direction they'd taken. His words were fast, clipped, leaving nothing out.
Argo pressed her lips tight as she wrote on the scroll, her expression gradually hardening. When she sent it, the parchment dissolved into blue light, scattering into the air, carrying the message to Kirito.
She turned back to Ren. "It's done. Now… what do you plan to do?"
Ren remained silent, his eyes fixed on the distant castle, far beyond sight.