"Eh, H-How could that happen?"
Looking at the black-clad swordsman with a calm expression, so unreadable that no one could guess what he was thinking, Silica let out a cry of disbelief.
"So that's how it is. Now, what's your choice?"
Urged by Kai, Silica hesitated, caught in a dilemma.
Her eyes kept shifting between the high-grade items in the trade window and the man across the table. Her mind replayed the moment Pina died and the item lying in her inventory—the light blue tail feather known as Pina's Heart. After clenching her teeth for a moment, she finally nodded.
"Then… please, Mr. Kai."
At the same time, she gently tapped the confirm button at the bottom of the trade window.
A crisp system chime rang in her ears, and several messages popped up in front of her indicating that she had received the items.
"That's more like it."
Looking at the girl's conflicted expression after compromising, Kai smiled. It gave him a subtle sense of mischief.
Just then, the sound of rolling wheels came from behind. Turning around, he saw a server pushing a food cart to their table.
The stew had a peculiar aroma, the salad was a riot of colors, and the "game meat" was something that couldn't exist in the real world. Finally, there was a round cake covered in a thick layer of cheese. The sweet scent mingled with the steam, teasing their appetites.
"Silica, I didn't expect you to have such good taste…"
Glancing at the dishes placed on the table by the server, Kai picked up a fork and pressed down on a piece of stew meat. The elasticity he felt through the fork already made him look forward to how juicy and tender it would taste.
Seeing the normally composed Kai show surprise, Silica couldn't help laughing. Her eyes sparkled with nostalgia.
"This place's food may not be made with top-tier ingredients, but the flavor is on par with them. Even Pina loved it…"
As she mentioned her deceased familiar, Silica's smile faded, and she lowered her head. Tears welled up in her eyes.
She remembered how she used to return to the Weathercock Pavilion after her adventures, ordering a large table of food to share with Pina. If something tasted especially good, Pina would fly above her head and nuzzle her cheek, chirping joyfully.
The memories grew clearer, and tears began to form in her eyes. Just when she felt she was about to cry, a slice of steaming hot cheese cake was handed to her.
"When you want to cry, just eat something. Once you're full, the pain lessens."
She looked up, startled, and saw the calm expression of the black-haired man. His deep and clear eyes seemed to look straight into her heart.
Silica dazedly reached out and took the cake from his hand. She opened her mouth to say thank you, but no words came out.
Watching her, Kai spoke in a steady voice:
"Don't worry. Nothing will happen as long as I'm here."
"We'll definitely bring it back. That's a promise."
Thinking of the way her sky-blue dragon familiar used to soar gracefully, Silica's eyes once again brimmed with tears.
But when she looked at the reliable man before her, she felt a sense of peace settle in her heart.
"Yeah, it's a promise."
She nodded and smiled at Kai as tears finally rolled down her cheeks and fell onto the table.
…
After the hearty dinner, it was almost 9 PM. The two agreed to meet again the next morning, exchanged goodnights, and went to their respective rooms.
After closing the door, Kai turned to see the green "vacant" light above his door change to an orange-red "occupied" one. He began examining the room's decor.
Against the right wall stood a double bed—standard at the Weathercock Pavilion, where all rooms featured double beds regardless of whether one or two people stayed. Even the bed had two pillows. Who knew what Kayaba Akihiko had in mind when designing this?
The deep brown pillows and sheets looked fluffy and soft, inviting one to lie down. A wall lamp hung on the left wall, and in the far end, a small table and chairs completed the furnishings.
Minimalist, yet the room provided great comfort and a cozy, safe feeling like home.
After scanning the room, Kai raised his right hand to open the item menu. He changed into a casual shirt for sleeping, then removed his sword—Azure Rose +3, looted from a Floor 40 field boss and enhanced three times—and hung it on the bed's edge along with its leather sheath.
He climbed into bed and knocked lightly on the wall, pulling up the room's management system. As the candlelight dimmed, he was about to log out of the game.
But as he opened the logout menu, his finger stopped mid-action.
If he remembered correctly, tonight a Titan's Hand guild member with a high-level eavesdropping skill was supposed to try stealing information.
Although he had already warned Rosalia once in person, Kai couldn't be sure if she took his warning seriously.
It's better to be safe than sorry. If she still dared to do something reckless…
With that thought, he decided not to log out. He got up, reignited the candlelight, put on his Nightwalker Cloak, and stepped out.
The corridor on the second floor was wide, lit dimly by candlelight from wall-mounted sconces, casting a dreamy glow over the wooden floors.
Kai walked to Silica's room and hesitated in front of the brown wooden door.
Middle of the night. A grown man who just met a girl earlier today knocks on her room door…
No matter how he framed it, it sounded like the start of an R18 scene.
Shaking his head to dismiss the inappropriate thoughts, he exhaled slowly and regained his calm.
Knock, knock, knock!
The next moment, he raised his hand and gently knocked.