The Blacksmith and the Warrior

Revelation

April 12th 2024, Floor 57

Returning to the 57th Floor, I meet Kirito and Asuna back at the restaurant with our witness, Yoruko. She looks to be a very cute girl our age with dark blue hair and sad blue eyes. Given everything, I'm sure our questioning might provide an unlikeable answer or two from her. But to solve this mystery, we need her more than anything.

Asuna begins the uncomfortable conversation. "So, uh, Yoruko, we were wondering if you had ever heard the name Grimlock."

She gasps, the avatar looking quite horrified to know that name. "Yes, I have. Actually, until a few months ago, he was in a guild with me and Kains."

"Listen," Kirito says. "We took the spear that impaled Kains to an appraiser. We had him go over it pretty carefully, and we found out Grimlock made it." Yoruko's mortified reaction pressed Kirito further. "Can you think of any reason why he did?"

"Yes, I can. I should have told you everything yesterday. It's just... I couldn't. It's something I've been trying very hard to forget. But now I have no choice. I should tell you how my guild was destroyed... When we formed it, 'Golden Apple' was the name we chose. Six months ago, we killed a rare monster. It dropped a powerful ring that raised a player's agility by twenty. Some of us wanted to keep it for the guild, others wanted to sell it and split the earnings. We couldn't agree, and in the end, we put it to a vote. It was five to three, in favor of selling it. Our leader, Griselda, took it to a large town on the front lines. She was going to sell it to a broker and was staying overnight. We waited and waited, but she never came back. It wasn't until later we learned our worst fears had come true - Griselda was dead. To this day, I still don't know how she died."

Kirito shakes his head. "No one's gonna leave a safe zone with a rare item like that. Too risky. You think someone could've pulled a sleep PK on her?"

"Not if it was six months ago," Asuna informs. "That method's still sort of new."

"You're right. But she wasn't a random victim either. No, the killer was after the ring. It has to be someone who knew she had it, which means..."

"The killer is one of the seven others in our guild. Yes."

"We have our suspects. Now we just have to figure out who didn't want to sell the ring."

"I doubt the killer waited till after Griselda sold the ring. She was killed before she sold it. That's my guess."

"That's the most likely scenario. If I may add to it, she may have never made it to town." I cup my chin. "Five to three in favor of selling it. A murdered leader before it was sold. Seven suspects, one now dead. Quite the case." But if he killed Kains, does that mean Grimlock didn't have the ring? By the look of things, neither Kains or Yoruko has it either. That makes sense, but best keep it to myself for now.

"Tell us what you know about Grimlock."

"Well, I guess, for starters, he was Griselda's husband. Oh, but not in real life, just in the game." Marriage system in Sword Art Online? I glance at the two beside me. They already acted married with all the arguing they do, they might as well be joined in holy matrimony. A joke for later. "Griselda was a powerful swordsman. She was beautiful and smart. Grimlock was kind, and I can't remember a day when he wasn't smiling. They made a great couple and got along as husband and wife. If Grimlock is really the one who murdered Kains yesterday, then he's probably going after the three guild members who voted against selling the ring. Kains was one of the three who wanted to keep the ring for the guild. I was the other one."