(Rewriting) Akashi Seijurou, the Emperor of Sword Art Online

Chapter III

"Well, good morning," spoke a voice in all of a sudden when Sei was about to leave the inn. It was the tired-looking-guy named Levi, who sat through the whole conversation last night without a word. He was sitting by the stairs with his cape on his lap, he must have been awake all night to be so exhausted.

"If I'm not mistaken, you're Levi."

"How blunt of you to call me by my name without a honorific." He pointed out then finally setting eyes on Sei. "Not that I mind though, but before I let you leave, I would like you to reconsider our leader's offer." he said with an unreadable expression on his face. "Rest assured, I'm not about to stop you if you're uninterested."

Oh, yes. The offer.

They had wanted him to join their party ever since last night. It's not like Sei didn't want to, but he was afraid of being left alone again. He was afraid of losing the people who were once his friends.

"It's fine. I'm more comfortable at being alone," he said, and eventually regretting it terribly.

Levi sighed. "You don't have to say it, I already know why."

"Um, yeah."

"Well," the man got up from the ground and dusted his jeans off the dirt, and added, "because I, too, went through the same thing as you." He looked right into the young boy's eyes. Behind them, Levi sensed fear and distress.

"Alright, then. Do you care to go for a stroll with me before you leave? I would like to know more about you."

"Um..."

Levi smirked. "Don't worry. It'll only be a small chat, I won't force you into our group if in the end you still don't have the wish to join us." Before continuing his word, Levi sighed, "and maybe you could convince me of a reason why you won't join us, and then I'll leave you alone."

He taller man took his step and walked forward while Sei quietly obliged.

They have reached a small part of the woods nearby by walking. The place was so quiet, nobody was around except for the trees around them.

"What was it like for you? - in the real world, I mean," Levi asked in all of a sudden.

"It was nice..." Sei paused for a while before finding the right word to say for his next sentence, "before my mom died."

Levi found a hint of hurt from the boy's voice. He heaved a sigh and said, "I am sorry to hear that. What was you mother like?"

"Well, she was like any other mother. Caring yet strict at times. But most importantly, she was the only one who would let me do things I like."

"Things you like? - like your hobbies?"

Sei had a silent thought about that. Did he even have hobbies? Oh yes, maybe he did. "Er, I guess you could say that. It's more like things I could do outside of my father's supervision."

"Sounded like you've had a pretty boring childhood."

Sei laughed lightheartedly at that remark. "What about you, Levi-san? What were you like in the real world?"

"A soldier." A lazy reply.

"A soldier?" Sei repeated, prying. "You were in the army?"

"I was." Levi replied. He looked to Sei who had an interested look on his face and then sighed. "I was part of the commanding troop that got dispatched to Iran. Three years of being dispatched, I finally returned home taking up new hobbies and interests in fantasy games, who knew I'd end up risking my life in the line again for something as trivial as-."

"Levi." A voice which didn't belong to the two spoke. They turned around to find Ki standing there with a very obvious bored look on her face. She was wearing the same tired eyes Levi had but more relieved when she had finally found

The man stood up from the grass that he was sitting on and asked, "what is it, Ki?"

"The others are heading towards the dungeon right now, and they are waiting for you. It's for the quest Atsuran spoke about."

"I guess it's time." Levi sighed as he turned to Sei for one last look at him before giving the boy a pat his head. "That's goodbye then."

"Wait..." Sei spoke up, "let me come with you."

Levi said nothing but allowed the latter to follow.