War For Underworld

The Knight Who Bears Eugeo's Face

Asuna, two days later, Villind Plateaus, Wesdarath

The road to the village of Tiese's uncle is long and quiet for the task force set to investigate the second reported incident involving an Ancient Apostle. Having taken interest in the current and previous target, Asuna borrowed the text from Jaymes the previous day, learning nothing more than he already knew of the Reaper of the Woods and the Taboo Knight.

With knowledge that the Reaper was Fatal Scythe, they tried figuring out who the Taboo Knight could be, but that proved to be fruitless. When Jaymes first was told by Medina the Reaper predated the Underworld, naturally he'd think of prior data the Cardinal System could have used to develop this world, but considering he never encountered Fatal Scythe, he did not think of it as the culprit. Asuna has, but the story of the Reaper doesn't quite match her encounter with Fatal Scythe. For one, it wasn't a major boss of SAO, in the sense it had been avoided by the front lines, and would have continued that way hadn't Thinker been betrayed and trapped in the dungeon under the Black Iron Palace by Kibaou, leader and lieutenant respecitvely of the Aincrad Liberation Army. That might be the only common factor between both incarnations of Fatal Scythe, betrayal.

The Taboo Knight's story doesn't ring any bells to Asuna or Jaymes' past history, but she can't help but correlate the presence of the sword to the Arthurian legend. In that regard, it aligns with a quest the two of them, Kirito, and their friends went on in ALO last winter, ending with Kirito gaining the legendary sword Excalibur. Yet she doubts this is the source of the Taboo Knight's current presence in the Underworld. There's still that unanswered question from the Reaper mission of how it returned.

If it is what Kirito and Jaymes hypothesize, the fall of Administrator and possibly Vecta, why did it take nearly two years after the former's death? Also, the Reaper, the Taboo Knight, and the other Apostles are written as dead. The dead, under most circumstances, stay dead here, and the flora that resurrected entities before has not been spotted. Their Fluctlights shouldn't be spawning the way the Reaper did, even if the "soul" survived due to strong attachments.

Sighing, Asuna leans back on the cart and gazes at her allies. Tiese and Renly ride together at the head of the party, and the young couple converse to themselves. Ilia and Ronie ride their individual steeds behind them, then there's the two supply carts driven by wayfarers. Asuna sits beside one, yet he's not one for conversation but keeps his peace by humming to himself. Medina and Joshua form the backend of the party.

Asuna takes a quick peek at the two riders behind her, smiling as the Lycoris Knight and the Lord of Knights seem to have a casual conversation. To see him so happy... Oh, she's going to annoy Jaymes so much later on. But to not feel like a stalker, she looks ahead again and refocuses on the mission. "Tiese, how much farther are we from our destination?"

"Not far away, Lady Asuna. Maybe an hour or so."

"Very well, let's keep this pace."

"Who put you in charge?" Asuna turns to see Jaymes riding up to her side of the cart, raising his eyebrow at her. "I don't recognize your leadership today."

"Hmm. And you flirting back there is the sort of leadership this group needs?"

"I-I am not doing anything of the sort..."

Asuna chuckles and crosses her arms, satisfied with Jaymes' faltering mind. "Just kidding...well, not exactly. I haven't seen you that happy in years."

"Just real time or in addition to Underworld time?"

"I guess the latter, though in one sense, the former applies. In either case, it has been years since I've seen you comfortable to the degree you are with Lady Medina. Of course, it could be because she's a true redhead."