God of Gaming // SAO x Male Reader x Hoyoverse Harem

Chapter 15: Conflicted Feelings

As the sun dipped toward the horizon on Aincrad's first floor, you and Jingliu emerged from the Black Iron Palace. Shielding your eyes with your forearm, you squinted against the sudden brightness, while Jingliu, thanks to her blindfold, remained unaffected by the change in illumination.

Throughout the trek back up the hidden dungeon, Jingliu maintained her customary silence, a trait not uncommon for her. Once your eyes finally adjusted to the light, you lowered your arm, surveying the expansive clearing within the colosseum outside the Black Iron Palace. It appeared less crowded now, likely due to players departing for dinner or returning to their lodgings for the night.

Sighing, you slipped your hands into your pockets, veering away from the Palace and toward the colosseum, then onward to the Town of Beginnings. However, you faced a dilemma, Clorinde's whereabouts were completely unknown to you, although you did have your assumptions. Fortunately, Jingliu seemed closest to her, making her the best source of information.

Y/N: Jingliu, do you know where Clorinde spends her days off?

She briefly turned to meet your gaze with her stoic expression before turning away.

Jingliu: No, but she often accompanies me to the first floor in the mornings.

You nodded in acknowledgment.

Y/N: Then she must be somewhere on this floor... likely the orphanage. It's the only place she's connected to here. Let's start there.

Adjusting your course, you headed toward the orphanage, a place you'd never visited before, however, you knew where it was since Yoimiya invited you a couple of times, though you turned her down.

With some time before reaching your destination and despite your love for silence, there was something you needed to take care of.

Y/N: Jingliu... I read a broker report about your duels... you are becoming much too violent.

She shifted her gaze quickly toward you, clearly displeased with your sudden remark and it was evident, even to you, that she was holding herself back from voicing her thoughts.

Y/N: Do you have something you wish to say? Do you find it hypocritical of me?

With a slight clench of her fists, she responded through gritted teeth.

Jingliu: Are you not the one who instructed me to break the players' resolve? And now you critique my methods?

Y/N: Do not be such a child...

She flinched, turning her head sharply to meet your gaze once more, only to be met with your composed expression.

Y/N: Employing violence and instilling fear are both effective strategies for my overarching plan. However, excessively using both will only backfire, fostering hatred toward us among the players.

Jingliu: That never concerned you before. Was it not your idea to make the players hate us? I was only helping you.

For some reason, her voice was laced with something other than resistance, it was almost as if she was pleading with you.

You rounded the corner of the street and walked into a small alleyway.

Y/N: Presently, their hatred toward us stems from misconceptions, which will gradually dissipate over time. But with you becoming increasingly volatile, they will come to hate us for the right, and appropriate reason. I cannot have that when we make our return to the dungeons.

You turned to face her, but she was reluctant to meet your eyes and turned away from you, for reasons unknown to even her.

Y/N: Only use violence when it is first used against you... it is up to you to decide when that is for yourself. This is a simple warning Jingliu, you are too valuable for me to kick you out of my party over something foolish like this. but if I have to kick you out to regain the trust of the players in the future, I will not hesitate. I need them to draw Kayaba out... Do you understand me?