War For Underworld

A Bad Omen

Kirito

...Or so they thought, but not only were Oroi's companions not in their room in the inn, they were checked out by an agent of the South Centorian government, and a trip to the guard's official led them to the soldier who was standing guard of the goblins' room. He said the papers for the transfer were in proper order, government seal and all. Since the local governments and the Unification Council were still on bad terms, Kirito storming into the South Centorian office would spell bad news.

Returning to the cathedral to gather the proper materials, Kirito finds himself in his and Asuna's room on the thirtieth floor. He just returned from the Great Bath sixty floors up, hair still damp. He and Asuna used to wait for their turns to use the bath on the same floor (just as they did when they were together in Sword Art Online and later games, though in SAO's case, it was Asuna who 'required' a bath and Kirito just played guard until it was his turn to jump in and out) but after learning it caused other residents to avoid coming to disturb the pair, they decided to wait in their room for each other.

Jaymes did not have this issue when he was a resident of the Human Empire. For one, he didn't take residence in the cathedral after the cathedral was secured and the ACTF disbanded (or reorganized into the Human Guardian Army, however one wishes to see it), but stayed in the Orthinanos lands of Utrea Valley in western Norlangarth. After the rebellion and Medina took residence in her current home in the plains north of North Centoria, he moved there until he left for Obsidia.

"Sorry for the wait," Kirito says as he approaches Asuna.

"You could at least dry your hair off first," she says as she takes the towel off her shoulder and wraps it around his head to dry. Like other virtual worlds, things such as cleaning were easier than in reality. Drying his head only took a few seconds with the towel being rubbed against his hair, cleaning was literally a swing of the broom, and (to Asuna's amazement long ago) human waste was...nonexistent. Kirito thought she'd be used to that idea, but then again, the NPCs and player avatars of Sword Art Online, Alfheim Online, Sword Art: Origins, and Gun Gale Online were not meant to simulate human life like the Underworld. When Jaymes heard this, he called her an idiot for thinking about that, then said it wasn't necessary for what Project ALICE was meant for: raising artificial intelligence. "'Yui, Strea, Rei, and Premiere don't poop either, why should the Underworders?"'

"You're always so much quicker to get out these days, Asuna...I thought I could catch up to you in the hallway..."

"I'm not taking faster baths, Kirito, you're staying in for too long. You were in there for an entire hour today."

"What, really?" The ten o'clock evening bells ring, prompting Kirito to gasp. "Whoa, you're right...I completely missed the nine-thirty bells."

"You weren't swimming in the tub, were you?" Asuna questions while taking off the towel.

"N-no, I wouldn't do that...when other people are around."

"Well, I'm not convinced. Here, sit down." Asuna picks up an ebony brush, its bristles made from an Eastern subspecies of dragons. It was a gift from Lady Fanatio to Asuna for a full year of service as the Swordswoman Subdelegate on the council.

"Really need to finish up that clock soon..."

"I agree with you there. It seems like you've been testing it out for so long, though...Is it that hard to do?"