Chapter 21
There was a group of obviously high-level players waiting in the 75th level's teleport gate plaza in Collinia, so I figured they must be the boss party. As Asuna and I stepped out of the gate and headed towards them, they all closed their mouths and sent a tense glance our way. Some of them even gave us a guild salute.
I stopped walking as surprise overwhelmed me. But Asuna saluted in reply and then jabbed me on the side.
“Come on, Kirito-kun, you're a leader now, so you have to greet them properly!”
“What...?”
I saluted them awkwardly. I had taken part in numerous boss parties up until now, but this was the first time I had received so much attention.
“Hey!”
Someone thumped me on the shoulder, and I turned around and saw the katana-wielder, Klein, smiling under his bandana. Surprisingly, Agil's huge build also stood beside him, fully equipped with a two-handed axe in his hands.
“What......? You guys are taking part as well?”
“Why are you surprised!? Aren't you taking us a bit too lightly!?”
Agil shouted indignantly.
“I even left my shop because I heard that you guys were having a hard time. To think that you don't appreciate my selfless sacrifice....”
I hit Agil's arm as he declared with overstated body motions.
“I understand your sentiments very well. So we can count you out when we share the goods right?”
When I said that, the giant shook his bald head and gathered his eyebrows into an eight (八) sign.
“Well. Tha-That's a bit....”
As his faltering voice trailed off, Asuna and Klein simultaneously burst into laughter. It quickly spread to the other players and seemingly washed away everyone's anxiety.
At exactly one o'clock, several new players arrived at the gate. It was Heathcliff, dressed in his red overcoat with his huge cross-shaped shield in hand, and the elites of the KoB. A tense atmosphere overcame the players once again as they saw the newcomers.
If we were to compare only levels and stats, the only person who would be higher than Asuna and I would probably be Heathcliff himself. But their coordination projected the strength of their teamwork. Other than the red and white guild colors, their armor and weapons were all completely different; yet the strength of the bonds between them was far superior to that of «The Army» unit we had seen.
The paladin and his four subordinates walked straight towards us, which split the group of assembled players into two. Klein and Agil were both forced to take a few steps back, while Asuna calmly exchanged a salute with them.
After coming to a stop, Heathcliff nodded towards us before he spoke to the entire group:
“It seems that everybody is here. Thank you all for that. I think that everybody understands our current situation. This will be a hard battle, but I believe that with your strength we will prevail. We shall fight for our freedom from this game—!”
As Heathcliff shouted in a powerful voice, the other players joined in with an inspiring roar of their own. I was surprised at the charisma which drew others to him like a magnet. It was surprising to see a person with such leadership qualities amongst the hardcore gamers that usually lack social coordination, or maybe it was this world that nurtured his talents? I wondered what he did in the real world...
