บท 353: -349- The unavoidable distance
After their reunion, the two immediately engaged in a discussion about the events of the previous day.
Calling it a discussion would be an overstatement—Rozen was explaining while Silica was asking questions.
For instance, there was the issue of "Titan's Hand." Ignoring the rest of the members of this prominent guild, during the fierce battle yesterday, the guild leader, Rosalia, took the opportunity while Rozen was occupied to escape. However, in the end, she was caught by the members of the Clearing Group who rushed over and was thrown into the prison.
Naturally, the other prominent players affiliated with "Titan's Hand" were all apprehended by the Clearing Group's members who arrived. None of them escaped.
Originally, these prominent guilds could only threaten mid-level and low-level players and were insignificant to the frontline Clearing Group. But now that the Clearing Group intended to eliminate them, with Argo's intel support, none of these prominent guilds would be able to escape.
"The crime rate in SAO should decrease significantly from now on, and even if there are some remaining underground players, they probably won't pose much of a threat. The safety of mid-level and low-level players will improve a lot in the future. However, ultimately, in this world, it's still not guaranteed to always be safe. So, when leaving towns and entering the outside zones, safety should be a priority."
While reminding Silica of this, Rozen's words brought her peace of mind and gratitude.
After all, the Clearing Group's goal was to quickly progress through the floors, clear the game, and leave this world, rather than being responsible for player security and order maintenance.
Nevertheless, Rozen still led the Clearing Group in eliminating the threats posed by the "Titan's Hand" guild and the PK guild. They even decisively confronted "Laughing Coffin," which was not to be underestimated by the Clearing Group.
While this was partly to prevent these criminal guilds from causing chaos on the lower floors, impeding players' growth and the Clearing Group's reinforcement, there might also be a factor of not tolerating their reckless behavior.
Given this, as someone truly benefiting from this operation and as a member of the mid-level players who are protected and safeguarded, Silica couldn't help but express her gratitude.
However, while thankful, Silica also had some concerns.
"But I heard that Rozen-nii forcefully disbanded the Divine Dragon's Alliance. Is that really okay?"
Silica voiced her worries.
After all, despite the Divine Dragon's Alliance's poor reputation, they still constituted a significant part of the Clearing Group's fighting force. After the disbandment of the "Aincrad Liberation Squad," the Divine Dragon's Alliance's members actually formed the largest group within the Clearing Group.
Now, with the largest guild in the Clearing Group being disbanded, it couldn't be good news for the increasingly challenging clearing efforts.
Silica worried that Rozen's forced disbandment of the Divine Dragon's Alliance might lead to a shortage of combat power in the Clearing Group. This could slow down the progression or result in casualties during challenges to the boss layers, breaking their previously unblemished records. In that case, Rozen might face criticism and even repercussions.
Regarding this, Rozen appeared unconcerned.
Indeed, the Clearing Group's current combat strength had diminished, but it was only temporary.
Rozen explained this way.
In this world, there are still many players with advanced skills but lacking equipment. The difference between these high-tier players and the elite players of the Clearing Group lies in opportunities and treatment, not strength.
Some players have remarkable skills but are not good at finding the most efficient leveling methods or uncovering hidden quests that offer only vague hints. Some even have bad luck; despite their skills, they can't seem to get good equipment and items, causing them to lag behind the elite players, which can result in them being overshadowed.
There are quite a few players like this in SAO.
For instance, Asuna initially lacked knowledge about this world to such an extent that she was using common weapons from the shops and had low-tier equipment. Despite her exceptional sword skills, she lagged behind due to the unsuitability of her weapon and equipment. Her situation improved after receiving the "Wind Fleurette" from Rozen, and now she has even transformed, becoming the Vice Commander of the "Knights of the Blood Oath," a guild that can rival the "Crimson Wing."
Guilds like the Divine Dragon's Alliance did indeed provide significant assistance to the Clearing Group. However, due to their nature, they would inevitably become a hidden danger to the Clearing Group's life and death in the future.
"In actions like this one, had I not made preparations and allowed Zahard to succeed, I would have died. The operation against the Criminal Guild would have failed, and my death would have further impacted the existence of the Crimson Wing and even the disbandment of the Clearing Group. It could even make future clearing more difficult, with unavoidable sacrifices that might cost lives."
Rozen's voice was devoid of expression.
The other party couldn't possibly be unaware of this outcome, yet they still chose this path for the sake of a mere "strongest guild" title. Given this, instead of waiting for insufficient combat power to arise in the future at higher floors, it's better to decisively remove the Divine Dragon's Alliance's strength while it's not yet insufficient. Then, use the resources of this guild to nurture those who would otherwise be overlooked and gradually reinforce the Clearing Group's strength.
This is a more long-term strategy.
"So, this loss is not enough to affect the clearing. I have a plan; you don't need to worry."
Rozen shifted his gaze to Silica and smiled, creating a certain distance within her while simultaneously generating a sense of gratitude.
Seeing how Rozen casually decided the fate of a large guild between his words, it reminded her that every action and word of his impacted the liberation of all players from this world. The matters he considered were entirely different from her own world. Silica suddenly felt that Rozen was so far away from her.
But isn't that the truth?
Compared to Rozen, Silica was just a relatively well-known mid-level player, hardly worth mentioning.
(Rozen-nii...)
Silica felt a twinge in her heart.
She had just met this young man yesterday, but he was her long-admired idol. Finally getting the chance to get closer, she now suddenly realized the gap between them. For Silica, it was indeed a bit cruel.
Seeing Silica's expression becoming a little strained, Rozen, whose gaze flickered slightly, as if not noticing anything, shifted the topic and engaged in casual conversation with her.
Only then did Silica muster some energy and enter into a more relaxed chat with Rozen.
It was as if they were cherishing their time together.
The two continued to chat and chat.
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