Upon hearing Argo's words, Rozen didn't show any surprise.
If this mouse was contacting him voluntarily, it could only mean that there had been progress regarding the investigation into Yui.
"How did it go?" Rozen asked concisely.
Facing this question, in the past, Argo would have provided detailed information, showcasing her abilities as one of SAO's top information brokers.
However, this time, there was a shade in Argo's expression.
"I don't know," she replied tersely.
"Don't know?" Rozen was taken aback. What did that mean?
Argo seemed to understand Rozen's thoughts and sighed. "Don't overthink it; it means just what it says. For that child named Yui, I've been investigating for the past three days, but in all that time, I haven't found anything."
According to Argo, her first stop was the Town of Beginnings on the 1st floor, where she began investigating Yui.
"I started by looking into the young children who stayed in the Town of Beginnings."
Argo continued, "As you probably know, children of Yui's age should all be living in the Town of Beginnings, right?"
Rozen nodded slightly. Due to their young age, children were unlikely to think about leaving the safe zone and battling monsters outside.
"At the beginning of the game, children of that age mostly suffered from psychological issues due to the overwhelming fear. Although a few children adapted to the game and left the town, they were the rare exceptions."
Argo explained further, "These kids were accustomed to being doted on by their parents, but suddenly they were told they couldn't leave and might never return to the real world. Most of them fell into a state of shock, and some even got their connections cut off…"
Hearing this, Rozen fell into silence. The fate of those who cut off their connections was clear—once the NerveGear lost power or network connection for a certain period, it would fry the player's brain, without exception.
"Fortunately, only a few kids got their connections cut off. The rest went through some difficulties but were eventually taken in by some kind-hearted higher-level players, and they even moved into the church in the Town of Beginnings, relying on each other."
Argo revealed this information.
"Now, there are around twenty kids living in that church. Those should be all the young players in the Town of Beginnings, as the rest of the young players probably moved up to higher floors and made a name for themselves."
Upon hearing Argo's words, Rozen immediately thought of Silica. Although Silica was older than Yui by quite a bit, she could still be considered a young player in SAO, around thirteen or fourteen years old.
But in Silica's case, she had gained some recognition as a Beast Tamer due to her familiar, Pina.
"Being so young and still able to fight on higher floors would surely earn some reputation, regardless of their skills, right?" Argo thought.
"But whether in the Town of Beginnings or on higher floors, I haven't heard of any player named [ Yui ]," Argo continued.
This was the reason why Argo claimed not to know. She hadn't found any information about Yui, despite searching in various ways.
"I also looked into players without markers and whose main menus were different from others, but I came up empty-handed. Currently, no player matches that description," Argo reported.
In other words....
"Your daughter's identity is a mystery; I couldn't find any information about her anywhere," Argo reluctantly admitted, looking at Rozen with a hint of confusion.
"I wonder, ZenZen, is that child really a player?" Argo finally voiced her doubt.
"Could she actually be an NPC?" Argo raised this possibility.
Since Argo couldn't find any information about Yui, and no player seemed to fit her description, she began to consider the possibility that Yui might not be a real player. Rozen and Asuna had questioned Yui's identity in the past as well.
However, Rozen was resolute in his belief. "Yui can't be an NPC."
Rozen confidently spoke as he reasoned, "I've never heard of an NPC being able to summon the main menu. Even if the main menu has some unique features, that functionality should be exclusive to players. Therefore, Yui can't be an NPC." He conveyed this to Argo.
Furthermore, he had other reasons to support his belief. "Even the most advanced AI programs shouldn't exhibit such autonomy and human-like characteristics," Rozen added.
Rozen muttered to himself in a low voice.
In the past, Rozen had encountered NPCs with exceptionally high AI, capable of engaging in free conversations and autonomous actions with players.
However, no matter how realistic they appeared, they were still "like humans" and their actions were influenced to some extent by the game's system. They would only engage in meaningful conversation when related to specific quests or tasks.
But Yui was different.
Yui displayed distinct human qualities, including intelligence, personality, and behavior, without seeming manipulated by the system. She had the unmistakable presence of a "human" being.
This was a crucial reason why Rozen couldn't believe that Yui was just a typical NPC.
"I see..." Argo seemed to accept Rozen's explanation, reluctantly raising her hands in resignation. "In that case, there's nothing more I can do."
Argo, the most accomplished information broker in SAO, was acknowledging her own limitations in gathering information for the first time.
Argo must have felt quite frustrated, to say the least.
"Never mind." Rozen shook his head and said, "Even just having the information that 'Yui's information can't be found' is valuable to me."
With this, Rozen could be certain.
"There must be some secret hidden within Yui, and it's not merely due to a system bug that makes her different from other players."
Rozen asserted.
"Moreover, this secret is very likely to be closely related to this world."
This was Rozen's deduction and also his intuition.
Who exactly was his adoptive daughter?
Rozen looked in the direction of the small cabin, lost in thought.
After Argo left, Rozen returned to the small cabin as if nothing had happened, continuing to live with Asuna and Yui.
Although Asuna knew Rozen had met with Argo and gave him inquiring looks, but Rozen chose not to share all the information he had learned from Argo.
He didn't want to burden Asuna unnecessarily, considering that she had fully embraced Yui as her daughter.If Rozen were to tell Asuna that Yui's identity still remained a mystery and there was even a possibility she might not be a player, it might cause Asuna unnecessary anxiety.
Therefore, Rozen decided it was better not to tell Asuna about this matter for the time being.
Rozen explained to Asuna that Argo's investigation was ongoing and required more time.
Asuna had some suspicions about why Rozen had to make a trip when he could have simply sent a message, but since Rozen explained it that way, she decided not to dwell on it and continued preparing food for Rozen and Yui.
As for Yui, she remained her usual innocent self, with no suspicions about Rozen's activities. She continued to cling to Rozen as always, being incredibly adorable.
And so, another night fell upon them.
After dinner, a bath, and preparations for bedtime, the three of them, Rozen, Asuna, and Yui, settled into bed together.
"I want to sleep with Mama and Papa."
Yui, who had persistently made this request over the past few days, said it like second nature. Rozen and Asuna smiled wryly, no longer resisting as they did on the first day. They returned to the room with Yui, and all three of them lay on the same bed.
Naturally, Saichou and Hanachou were still accompanying them, already fast asleep at the head of the bed.
As Yui drifted off to sleep, lulled by Asuna's gentle lullaby, Rozen and Asuna found themselves unable to sleep. They watched over Yui, observing her adorable sleeping face. After a while, Asuna broke the silence with a melancholic question.
"How long can we keep living like this?"
The question seemed to slip out of Asuna's lips unintentionally, and by the time she realized she had said it aloud, Rozen had already heard her. Rozen paused his hand, which had been gently brushing Yui's bangs.
"How long...huh?" Rozen asked softly.
However, after a short while, Rozen resumed his gentle motion of smoothing Yui's bangs, and then he spoke softly.
"It'll either be when we're called back to the front lines, or when Yui finds where she truely belongs."
Rozen's words were like the final checkpoint that signaled the end of their life as a family of three.
He spoke these words with sincerity, making Asuna feel a mixture of sadness and reluctance.
Because telling Asuna this would essentially reveal that such a life couldn't be sustained indefinitely and that one day it would come to an end.
The day when Rozen and Asuna return to the front lines or when Yui regains her memories and goes back to where she truly belongs will mark the end of this period.
After all, Rozen and Asuna couldn't continue this reclusive life forever.
As for Asuna, she might be the vice-commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath, but the guild didn't rely solely on her. With Heathcliff in charge, it wouldn't be a catastrophe if Asuna were absent; at most, it would just mean the loss of a powerful player.
However, Rozen was different. He was the leader of the clearing group, the guild leader of the Crimson Wing, and even the hope of all SAO players.
If Rozen didn't return to the front lines, it would be a significant loss for all players. For the clearing group, it would be a devastating blow, and the existence of the clearing group wouldn't be sustained any longer. In that case, players would have to sacrifice their lives to defeat the floor bosses, leading to deep despair and fear, and making it impossible to continue clearing the floors.
Given this situation, Rozen would undoubtedly have to return to the front lines.
The closed beta players need him.
The clearing group players need him.
All players in this world need him.
Aware of this, Asuna knew from the beginning that her and Rozen's life would eventually come to an end.
And the same goes for Yui; she can't stay here indefinitely.
She likely has her own home.
She probably has her own family and companions.
If she recovers her memories, Yui will surely choose to return, right?
In summary, Asuna has known from the start that this period of life would come to an end, but it's precisely because she knows that she feels sad.
If possible...
"I really want to continue living like this," Asuna couldn't help but speak softly, expressing her true feelings.
Rozen didn't know what to say and could only ask with a wry smile, "So, you don't want to return to the real world?"
Facing Rozen's question, Asuna pondered for a moment before giving her response.
"Of course, I want to go back."
Yes, she wanted to return. Who wouldn't?
However...
"While I want to return, I also don't want to lose the memories of living here. Even though it took me a while to realize it, over these two years, I've finally lived as myself, not just responding to others' expectations like a puppet."
Asuna voiced her inner thoughts for the first time.
"So, the life in this world has become important to me too."
This was a thought that the old Asuna would never have had. But now, it felt entirely natural to her.
Especially after these recent experiences, Asuna felt a happiness like no other.
Even in just these ten days, she can confidently tell everyone..
"I absolutely don't regret coming to this world."
Asuna could finally say these words with absolute certainty.
Compared to the past, when Asuna fought desperately to return to the real world and denied everything in this world, believing that everything in this world was false, the current Asuna has truly become radiant.
"Is that so."
Rozen didn't offer any comments on her statement. He simply smiled faintly and gazed up at the ceiling.
Asuna, too, followed Rozen's lead and looked in the direction of the ceiling.
For a while...
"Let's sleep."
Rozen spoke softly, his voice low.
"Em."
Asuna replied with a soft acknowledgment.
They closed their eyes and drifted off to sleep together. Even though they knew that these days would eventually come to an end, Rozen and Asuna silently agreed to cherish every moment they had, not wasting a single second.
However, little did they both know that these days would come to an end sooner than they could have imagined.
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