Sword Art Online: The Administrator's Descent

Chapter 18: Future For the Reaching

WARNING: This story contains mature elements such as manipulation, Non-Con, humiliation.

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Underworld, Central Cathedral, Floor 50, Great Hall—30th September, Year 380 in the Time of the Realm of Humanity

"So Lady Cardinal, are you still unable to get anything about the invasion of the Dark Forces?"
"Forgive me, but I haven't been successful. I'm digging up all the records that I can find, but I haven't had much success just yet."

The blue-haired man hummed, rubbing his chin with a thoughtful look.

Integrity Knight Bercouli Synthesis One—he wasn't one to worry so much about a lot of things, but he would have at least liked being prepared for a lot of things. That would at least give them the opportunity to plan for such events much better, then.

Of course, he was disappointed, but he understood that Cardinal was working hard every day. Furthermore, she had to take care of matters in the academy, and he could tell that she's done a damn good job; several students had already been expelled due to their shady backgrounds, and he could only imagine just how that went.

Seriously, with how much stricter she had been, along with how biased she was (she had, at one point, admitted her dislike for nobles, which was further strengthened from what she's learnt about Ronye's, Tiese's and Frenica's situations), a lot of students were immediately terrified, and discipline mattered more than anything else.

Bercouli wasn't sure if he should have been happy and whatnot, but he knew that there was still a reason for everything that happens. And he supposed it's a blessing that Cardinal took up the post.

He momentarily entertained the thought of her having gone there much earlier—after all, Kirito and Eugeo were convicted as murderers because two nobles tried to rape their pages, thus leading to everything that happens up until now. So he could only imagine how things would have been, if those nobles weren't present, and Kirito and Eugeo had graduated from the academy as normal...

'Well, no use thinking about all of that anymore. All we have to do now is simply focus on the upcoming war,' he thought to himself, glancing at the table. "Fanatio, has the sky knights reported on any bizarre activity?"

"None, milord. Thus far, the Dark Forces residents haven't been acting out of line," shook her head the black-haired knight.

Bercouli hummed back before staring down at some documents he received... though his mind was on something else entirely. And it definitely wasn't work.

No, if everyone else knew what he was thinking about, he could safely say that he would never be able to show his face before one person in particular.

'She hadn't worn her helmet since those two boys broke out of the underground prison,' he thought to himself, which was... well, it was a significant change. After all, she's gone through her whole life wearing her helmet to mask her face; her personal inferiority and self-doubting as a woman had prevented her from ever really expressing herself as one, so she had attempted to hide her identity as a man instead. 'And here she is, wearing makeup and everything.'

It's so difficult to not notice it, because she was actually wearing lipstick. She probably wouldn't have ever entertained the thought of wearing makeup in her life, but since the two boys came... well, it was impressive.

A part of him actually appreciated this new side of her, her ability to just be open with herself, and the other part of him was... well, he kind of hated how it made his heart beat faster.