Chapter 158

So, how have you been these past couple of days? Getting used to things, Asuna?” As dawn broke, I headed to the medical facility under my ownership and made my way to Asuna’s hospital room.

At that moment, Asuna was sitting on the edge of her bed, dressed in a pure white long dress. Ever since she had been trapped, she had been under the care of a top-tier all-female medical team at my facility. Coupled with the occasional infusion of true energy I provided her, her body had adapted after just a couple of days of light activity—arguably even better than her original physical condition.

“Mm… ah… I guess so.” My absence over the past two days had done much to calm Asuna’s restless heart. She truly had no idea how to face me in the real world. She had thought about it endlessly, but it all seemed futile, and in the end, she decided to just take things one step at a time.

However, Asuna’s attention wasn’t entirely on me right now—or rather, part of it had been drawn away by the presence perched on my shoulder.

“Hm? What’s this, partial amnesia after returning to the real world? Don’t you remember Suigintou?” Naturally, the one who had accompanied me today was Suigintou, born from the world of SAO. It was a chance for her to meet, in reality, the friends (?) she had made within that game.

“Of course not, it’s just…” Asuna carefully studied Suigintou, who sat quietly on my shoulder, exuding her usual cold, aloof elegance. She didn’t seem like a holographic projection or anything of the sort. Could it be that Suigintou was also a human in the real world? Or perhaps…

“No need to doubt it. Suigintou was indeed born within SAO, but I used a little trick to bring her out of that world.” I placed Suigintou down beside Asuna. Suigintou merely glanced sideways at Asuna, gave a slight nod, and considered that a greeting.

After all, Asuna was, at best, only half one of our own at this point. So Suigintou’s attitude toward her hadn’t changed much—just a bit better than toward a complete stranger, and certainly different from how she had treated Ishtar and Sakuya yesterday.

“A little trick…” Asuna was speechless at this. Bringing a game character into the real world could be called a little trick? She hadn’t expected that, as omnipotent as I was in the game world, I was just as extraordinary in reality.

During her days at the medical facility, Asuna had already marveled at the level of care here. The various advanced equipment looked incredibly impressive, making her realize I must hold considerable power in the real world. At the very least, owning such a facility meant my wealth and social status were certainly not low.

But seeing Suigintou appear today refreshed Asuna’s perception of me once again. I was likely far more extraordinary than she had imagined, which only deepened her worries, increasingly giving her the feeling that escaping my clutches in the real world would be just as difficult.

“Well, don’t dwell on it too much. I came to see you today because there’s something I need to discuss with you, Asuna.” I sat down on the edge of her bed as well, with Suigintou between us, which helped Asuna feel a little less tense.

“…What is it?” Asuna ignored my first sentence. How could she not dwell on it? This was practically pulling a living person out of thin air, and it wasn’t even magic. But hearing I had something to tell her, Asuna pushed aside her other thoughts for the moment and asked, maintaining a degree of caution.

“It’s about ALO. Dealing with that guy named Sugou alone will definitely be tough. He’s a game GM, after all. While his combat power isn’t on par with Kayaba Akihiko’s, he surely has plenty of NPC forces at his command.”

“Are you going to step in?” Asuna’s eyes lit up. Regardless of what kind of person I was, in terms of combat power within the game world, I was utterly unmatched—a godlike existence. Even a small intervention from me, she believed, would be a tremendous help to her.

“No, I don’t usually intervene unless you’re in danger.” I reached out and lightly flicked Asuna’s forehead. Unable to dodge, she could only cover her forehead and glare at me, puffing her cheeks.

“Didn’t you say… mm, wait, ‘you’?” Asuna subtly shifted a little further away to prevent another sneak attack from me. Thankfully, Suigintou was here. Wait, in the game world, didn’t I still misbehave even with Suigintou present? Thinking of this, Asuna quickly latched onto my words, hoping to divert my attention.

“Yes, I’ve found two helpers for you, Asuna.”

“Who are they? Do I know them?” Asuna had thought she’d be fighting alone under my supervision. To hear there were other companions, she immediately scooted a bit closer again. Seeing this, Suigintou’s crimson eyes shifted, and she quietly moved to sit on my lap.

“You’ll find out soon. I messaged them yesterday, telling them to come here today.” I kept Asuna in a bit of suspense.

“Being all mysterious…” Asuna thought it over. Besides Suigintou, she hadn’t really seen me interact with anyone else, leaving her with no clue where to start guessing. Maybe they were also people from the game, like Suigintou. Who could it be…

While Asuna was making wild guesses, a girl named Ayano Keiko was getting dressed, ready to head out. The girl had beautiful brown hair tied into twin tails with a red ribbon, brown eyes, delicate features, and a pretty face.

She wore a red long-sleeved top that hinted at a slight curve on her chest, a black pleated skirt, and slender legs clad in black stockings beneath the skirt.

She was Silica from the world of SAO. In the real world, her name was Ayano Keiko.

“This should be fine, right?” Ayano Keiko turned in front of the mirror, deemed her appearance acceptable, opened the door, hurried down the stairs, put on her ankle boots, and stepped outside. A luxury sedan was already waiting for her at the door.

“Miss Ayano Keiko, correct?” The car window rolled down, revealing a beautiful woman with long brown hair. Dressed in a uniform, she possessed a valiant yet lively aura that eased some of Ayano Keiko’s nervousness.

“Yes.” Ayano Keiko nodded.

“Please get in. I was sent by President Ken to pick you up.” As she spoke, the brown-haired beauty pulled an ID card from her uniform pocket. It bore her photo and the name Miyamoto Yumi.

“Okay, thank you, Miss Miyamoto.” Confirming she was the person who had contacted her yesterday to arrange the pickup, Ayano Keiko politely expressed her thanks and opened the car door to get in.

“Then fasten your seatbelt. We’re heading out.” Miyamoto Yumi rolled up the window and started the car.

“Yes.” Under Miyamoto Yumi’s assertive presence, Ayano Keiko instinctively responded a bit loudly and quickly buckled her seatbelt.

“No need to be so nervous. The Boss isn’t exactly a bad guy… probably.” Miyamoto Yumi stepped on the accelerator, and the car swiftly took off, heading toward the location of the next target.

“I hope so.” Ayano Keiko gave a complicated smile. She recalled the scene when she received my message yesterday. She had been truly panicked then. After waking from SAO, there was first the joy of reuniting with her family, followed immediately by thoughts of the issue concerning me.

Freed from SAO, back in the real world, what would become of her relationship with me? This question had tormented Ayano Keiko—or rather, Silica—for a long time. What if I came looking for her? Judging by my behavior, the girl believed it was only a matter of time; she just hadn’t expected it to happen so soon.

Last night, Silica’s (Ayano Keiko’s) phone suddenly received a text message: “Let’s meet up tomorrow, Silica.” The sender was listed as Silica’s dear master. Seeing that, she instantly panicked.

What should she do? Refuse? She was a little reluctant. Silica had to admit that during the final days in the SAO world, she had indeed developed some feelings for me.

But if she agreed, wouldn’t it be dangerous? Her real-world chastity might just be lost like that. Just as Silica was agonizing over the decision, she received another text from me: “Bring your good friend Liz along. There’s something important to discuss with you both, concerning Asuna. You should know Liz’s phone number, right?”

Before she could even make a decision, my text seemed to assume she would definitely come, which irked Silica a bit. But seeing it was related to Asuna, she knew she would go regardless. Silica was also aware that Asuna hadn’t woken up from the SAO world. Perhaps it was connected to that. It absolutely wasn’t because of that lecherous master, Silica convinced herself in her heart.

As for Liz’s phone number, she knew it. On the day she woke up, she had met Liz at that hospital, and they had exchanged numbers. So, after replying that she would come, she called Liz and arranged to meet up the next day.

After receiving my text saying, “I’ll send someone to pick you up tomorrow,” Silica threw herself onto her bed. For the rest of the night, her mind raced with wild thoughts until she finally drifted off into a confused sleep late at night. This led to her waking up rather late, hence her somewhat rushed departure.

As Ayano Keiko reminisced, Miyamoto Yumi had already driven to the next destination: Liz’s house. A girl was already standing at the door, waiting.

The girl had lovely short brown hair, accented with small silver clips on either side. She had delicate eyebrows, brown eyes, a cute nose, and moist, cherry-like lips. The freckles that had once been on the girl’s face had been removed by me during her time at the medical facility, leaving her complexion smooth, delicate, and flawless.

She wore a sky-blue blouse with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. A few of the top buttons were undone, revealing the blue undershirt beneath, and a small red leather belt was cinched at her waist.

Below, she wore dark blue cropped pants that showed off her fair, slender calves, and red canvas shoes on her feet—an ensemble brimming with youthful, vibrant girlish charm.

“Hello, are you Miss Shinozaki Rika?” Actually, Miyamoto Yumi had already seen photos of Silica and Liz in the real world before coming, so this was more of a routine question.

“Mm, yes, hello.” The girl named Shinozaki Rika nodded, returning the greeting to Miyamoto Yumi.

“Please get in. I’ll take you to the destination.”

“Okay.” Shinozaki Rika got into the car, sat down next to Ayano Keiko, and fastened her seatbelt.

“Um… that…” Seeing her good friend from the SAO world, Ayano Keiko hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping.

“Just call me Liz. Didn’t we agree on that last time? I’ll keep calling you Silica. We can use our real names in public places like school.” Shinozaki Rika, or rather Liz, said with a smile.

“Okay, Liz.” Silica shed her earlier stiffness, as if returning to the friendly times they shared in the SAO world.

“By the way, Silica, you said the person we’re meeting this time is the owner of that medical facility? He voluntarily provided us with free care and treatment, and I heard he’s even planning to establish a special school for students like us who fell behind in our studies because of SAO. To actually have a chance to meet him, I really need to thank him properly.”

Liz felt a surge of emotion thinking about the person they were going to see. He had to be a very important figure, no matter how she looked at it. Regardless of his reasons, the help he had given them was undeniable.

“Ah, yeah, indeed. But this time, it’s probably more about Asuna.” Silica forced a smile. If Liz knew the person they were meeting was a huge lecher, she probably wouldn’t be saying such things.

“Yeah, I wonder how Asuna is doing now? Why hasn’t she woken up? And besides Asuna, there are nearly three hundred others in the same situation. Could it be that Kayaba Akihiko lied to us?” Liz’s tone grew a bit angry. Everyone had struggled so hard to win, only for this to happen. Anyone would be upset.

“Maybe. I hope we hear some good news this time.” Asuna was their good friend, and both were very worried about her current condition. Otherwise, Silica wouldn’t have agreed to come see me so readily—she would have at least postponed it, needing time to agonize over the decision.

While the girls were on their way, I was discussing with Asuna the issue of her appearance in ALO. The initial outfit she appeared in was a bit too revealing. I felt it wasn’t suitable for going out in public, though wearing it privately for me was fine. Asuna felt the same way, though she completely ignored my latter comment.

“Maybe I should just go with my Knights of the Blood Oath vice-commander outfit.” Asuna thought for a moment; this seemed the simplest and most convenient solution.

“I do really like that uniform, especially the unique white stockings. But in the fairy realm of ALO, a purely human appearance seems like a waste. Just adding elf ears feels a bit mismatched, mainly because I’m used to the original look.” While I was certainly very fond of Asuna’s Blood Oath uniform, a change of pace now and then wouldn’t be bad.

“This won’t do, that won’t do. What do you suggest then?” Asuna gave me a helpless glare. Wasn’t this about deciding her own appearance? Why did it feel like she had little say in the matter?

And why was she listening to this man in front of her anyway? This was a thought Asuna only dared to entertain silently. For now, it seemed she’d be staying at this medical facility for a while longer. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. More importantly, she realized she wasn’t entirely resistant to this situation, which wasn’t a good sign. It seemed that ever since being rescued from ALO, some subtle yet undeniable changes had occurred within her heart.

“I’ve come up with a few options. Why don’t you take a look, Asuna?” The fact that Asuna hadn’t outright rejected my suggestion was a good sign. So, with great enthusiasm, I projected several different images of Asuna.

“Hm? *Cough* Ken, you bastard, what are you doing?!” Hearing this, Asuna looked up, only to see an unbelievable sight. Projected before her were images of herself as an ALO elf, with different hair colors and eye colors.

Of course, if it were just that, Asuna wouldn’t have reacted so strongly. The key issue was that all these projections were completely naked—showing her well-developed breasts, flat stomach, and even worse, pubic hair in colors matching the various hairstyles, along with that pink, delicate slit. How could all this not make Asuna furious and embarrassed?

“I’m letting you choose your game avatar. Don’t worry, these are just projections I created based on my mental impressions, with a little processing. It’s not data saved by some machine or anything, so there’s no risk of leaks.” I gave Asuna a reassuring look. However, Asuna was currently on the verge of dying from sheer mortification; there was no way she could feel reassured.

“I don’t care what it is, just turn this thing off!” Asuna, her face flushed with shame, tried to lunge at me. Before I could even move to hold her back, Suigintou, sitting in my lap, acted first. Several black feathers flew out, hovering around Asuna and instantly freezing her in place.

“Uh, I think it would be easier if you just picked one quickly, Asuna.” Seeing Asuna frozen in place, her orange eyes glistening with unshed tears as she looked at me, I rubbed my nose and suggested.

“Blue… blue…” Asuna wasn’t thinking about how Suigintou could do something like this in the real world anymore; she just wanted to get rid of that embarrassing image as fast as possible.

“OK, what kind of underwear do you want, Asuna?” I dismissed the other projections, leaving only the blue-haired elf image, and asked Asuna.

“Sky-blue cotton underwear, so hurry up and put the clothes on.” Afraid I might ask about the type of underwear, Asuna spelled it out in detail.

“Alright.” Instantly, the projection of Asuna’s blue-haired elf form was adorned with a sky-blue cotton bra and panties, which made Asuna breathe a sigh of relief. Finally, she wasn’t naked anymore. God knows how mortifying it was to see her own naked image.

“Next is the outfit.” I gently patted Suigintou’s little head, and she understood, releasing Asuna from her immobilization. Freed, Asuna didn’t rush at me again, mainly fearing Suigintou might freeze her once more, so she just bared her little tiger teeth at me in warning.

Still, Asuna cooperated in choosing her outfit. The image of her in just underwear was still somewhat indecent, and since she couldn’t force me to cancel the projection, cooperation was her only option.

“Hmm, not bad, don’t you think, Asuna?” Once the outfit was fully assembled, the projection of Asuna’s elf form stood before us, exuding a charm different from the original.

“It’s okay. Now that it’s done, cancel the image.” Could she really say it wasn’t good when it was based on herself? Asuna glanced at the projection of her blue-haired elf self, and for some reason, her mind kept drifting back to the initial naked scene, as if she were standing before me unclothed even now. So she hurriedly urged me to dismiss the projection.

“Knock, knock, knock.” Before I could say anything, a knock sounded at the door. It was Silica and the others arriving. Asuna guessed it was the people I had invited, and she signaled with her eyes for me to quickly turn off the image. I shrugged and made the projection disappear.

“Come in.” With a flick of my finger, I unlocked the door and called out to the two girls outside.

“Yes, excuse us.” Hearing the male voice from inside, Liz glanced at Silica, who seemed unusually nervous for some reason, responded to me, and then opened the door.

“Hello—huh!? Asuna, you’re finally awake!” As soon as the door opened, Liz saw Asuna sitting on the bed in a pure white dress, and a surge of surprise and joy welled up inside her.

“Asuna!” Hearing her friend’s words, Silica forgot her nervousness and looked inside. Sure enough, Asuna was sitting on the bed, looking at them with some surprise.

“You’re… Silica and Liz!?” Seeing her friends from the SAO world, Asuna stood up happily. She hadn’t expected the two helpers I’d brought to be them.

“Yes, it’s us. Asuna, it’s so great that you’re awake.” The two girls rushed in and embraced Asuna.

“Yeah, it’s really wonderful to see you both.” Asuna hugged Silica and Liz. Meeting her comrades from SAO in the real world was indeed something to celebrate.

Watching the three girls embrace in a touching scene was quite lovely, but being ignored didn’t feel great. To warm my heart, I hugged Suigintou in my arms, and she responded by nuzzling my face with her smooth cheek.

“Ahem.” Once the girls had gradually calmed down, I cleared my throat to remind them. Silica stiffened and didn’t dare turn around. Asuna let go of the two girls, knowing I was about to discuss serious matters, and didn’t say anything. Among them, Liz was probably the most embarrassed.

“My name is Ken. You can call me Mr. Ken or just Ken.” As I introduced myself, Silica saw her friend standing properly facing me and couldn’t keep her back turned any longer. She slowly turned around to face me, though her gaze stayed fixed on her toes.

“Mr. Ken, hello. Sorry about earlier. My name is Rika Shinozaki, but you can call me Shinozaki.” As the one among the three who knew me the least, Liz was quite respectful toward me, especially after what I’d done for those trapped in the game, including waking Asuna.

“It’s fine, I understand.” Seeing me smile without minding, Liz nudged Silica beside her, urging her to introduce herself quickly and not be rude.

“Um… uh… my name is Sil—no, I mean Keiko Ayano. You can call me Ayano, Mr. Ken.” Prompted by Liz, Silica fumbled through her introduction, nearly blurting out her game name in her fluster. Before coming, she and Liz had agreed it was better to use their real names.

“Shinozaki, Ayano, the reason I called you here today is to ask you to help Asuna—or rather, to help those still trapped.” I got straight to the point about why I’d summoned them.

“What kind of help? If we can, we’ll definitely do it.”

“Yeah.” Liz and Silica didn’t hesitate. On one hand, Asuna was their friend; on the other, they genuinely wanted to assist those still stuck.

“Let Asuna explain it to you.” Clearly, Asuna would be more convincing than me. I gestured toward the sofa, signaling the girls to sit down first.

“Actually, here’s the situation…” Asuna hadn’t expected me to suddenly pass the topic to her, but since this was something she had to handle anyway, she took it on without hesitation. Once everyone was seated, she gave a rough outline of the matter, though she conveniently omitted some indescribable details involving me and her.

“So that’s it. I can’t believe there’s such a scumbag trying to take advantage of the situation. We absolutely can’t let him get away with it.” After hearing Asuna’s story, Silica, with her strong sense of justice, immediately said indignantly.

“Yeah, Asuna, we’ll definitely help with this.” Liz nodded in agreement, though she thought a bit more than Silica. She wondered if just the three of them would be enough to handle a weakened game GM.

“Thank you.” Asuna was naturally delighted that her friends were willing to lend their full support, and with me as a safety net, she wasn’t worried about Liz and Silica actually getting hurt. The only concern was whether I might make a move on them.

“Shinozaki, Ayano, I’m very glad you’ve decided to help. Now that the raid party is formed, let me go over the start time and some preparations.” Liz and Silica’s participation was pretty much expected. A raid party full of beautiful girls—how wonderful. I loved it.

The three girls sat side by side, looking attentive. Silica, perhaps influenced by the atmosphere or by having another empathetic friend (Asuna) around, became less evasive and occasionally stole a glance at me.

“Shinozaki, Ayano, you might not know since you just woke up, but this game called ALO has actually been running for a while now.”

“Eh?” Silica blinked her big eyes in confusion. After what happened with SAO, how could a similar full-dive game still be operating?

“Strike while the iron’s hot. Even though SAO had an incident, it doesn’t mean all full-dive games are problematic. Sure, some people will be skeptical, but as long as safety is guaranteed and there’s a promotional push, you can grab a big chunk of the market SAO left behind.”

“O-oh, I see.” Silica noticed me looking at her and felt a bit uneasy again. And was it just her imagination, or did my gaze seem to carry a deeper meaning?

“As for safety, I’ll personally inspect everything. If there’s an issue, we’ll change the plan. If not, I’ll let you know and have the game equipment delivered to your homes. Then we’ll set a time and you can all log in together.”

It wasn’t that they had no reservations about full-dive games—having lived through the SAO incident, they were naturally cautious. But with me overseeing the safety, Liz and Silica felt much more at ease.

As for Asuna, she was a bit embarrassed, since the game device was developed by her father’s company. Still, she agreed with my approach. With the enemy lurking within, taking precautions against foul play was necessary.

“That’s the gist of the preparations and arrangements. We’ll discuss the rest once we’re in the game. Lastly, I hope you’ll keep this confidential and not spread it around, okay?” Asuna definitely wouldn’t tell anyone about this, and Liz and Silica probably wouldn’t either, but I mentioned it just to be safe.

“Mm.” Liz and Silica exchanged a glance and nodded. They weren’t kids; they understood the gravity of the situation and certainly wouldn’t tell anyone.

“Thank you for your cooperation. I’m looking forward to seeing what you can do.” Holding Suigintou’s slender waist, I walked over to the girls and extended my hand.

The first to shake my hand was Asuna. Her expression was a bit odd—she was used to being alone with me, and this was the first time she’d seen me so serious. It felt unfamiliar.

Next was Rika Shinozaki, or Liz. Honestly, from this interaction and what I’d done, Liz thought I seemed like a decent person. Of course, without deeper understanding, she wasn’t about to jump to conclusions.

Finally, it was Keiko Ayano, or Silica. It was only then that she noticed Suigintou in my arms. Silica was filled with surprise and curiosity, but now wasn’t the time to dwell on it.

The girl hesitated for a moment as I stood before her, then reached out her small hand. I took the initiative to shake it. The familiar warmth of my large hand made her delicate body tremble—just like in the game, no, perhaps even more vivid.

Silica’s reaction made me smile involuntarily. With the other two girls nearby, I held her hand briefly before letting go. Her slightly blushing face confirmed a few things for me.

“Alright, I won’t intrude on your girls’ time any longer. If you want lunch, you can eat here—the cafeteria food is pretty good. I’ll arrange for someone to take you home later.”

With that, I left the room with Suigintou, giving the three girls their space. I planned to take Suigintou for a stroll in the real world and return when it was about time.

After I left, Asuna, Silica, and Liz chatted about friend stuff. Around noon, Asuna took the two girls to the cafeteria, recommending dishes she’d found tasty over the past couple of days. Liz and Silica also ordered some of their favorites and, after trying them, all agreed the food was really good.

After accompanying Asuna for a walk in the facility’s garden, Liz and Silica said their goodbyes. Asuna returned to her ward, while the two girls, guided by a female nurse, headed to the underground parking lot.

“Ladies, the car to take you home is just ahead. I have other matters, so I won’t accompany you further.” The nurse pointed to a sedan with its taillights on up ahead and said to Liz and Silica.

“Ah, thank you. Take care.” The two girls politely thanked the nurse and then walked together toward the car.

“Huh? Isn’t that Mr. Ken?” As they neared the sedan, Liz looked at the driver’s seat with the window rolled down and realized it was me sitting there.

“What!?” Silica quickly looked too and, sure enough, it was me. Her brown eyes widened instantly.

“Both of you, get in. I happen to have something to do outside, so I’ll drop you off on the way.” After receiving the nurse’s report that Liz and Silica were leaving, I’d teleported back with Suigintou. The silver-haired loli was now sitting invisibly in the passenger seat.

“Uh… wouldn’t that be a bit much?” Having a company boss chauffeur them felt a little inappropriate to Liz, and Silica nodded in agreement—though her reason was simply not knowing how to face me yet.

“It’s fine. If anything, it’d be more awkward for me if you refused.” Since I put it that way, Liz couldn’t really decline. After thanking me, she opened the door and got into the back seat. Silica had wanted to politely refuse too, but seeing her friend already in the car, she hurriedly followed.

“Based on your addresses, I’ll drop Shinozaki off first, then Ayano. Is that okay?” Once the two girls were in, I started the car and drove out of the underground lot.

“Yeah, I’m fine with it. What about you, Keiko?” Since we were using real-world names in front of me, Liz switched to calling Silica by her real name.

Ah, this should be fine, right?” Silica wanted to say there was a big problem, but she couldn’t find a reason. Judging by the distance from their addresses, it was indeed closer to go to Liz’s house first. When they came, they had picked her up first since she lived farther away, so naturally, the order was reversed on the way back.

“Then let’s set off.” I stepped on the accelerator and headed toward Liz’s house. On the way, I chatted with the two girls about more formal topics, like how they felt physically after waking up and their thoughts on establishing a school for the trapped students. I didn’t bring up any personal matters, mainly because Liz, who wasn’t yet very familiar to me, was there.

“We’re here, Shinzaki.” About half an hour later, I pulled up in front of Liz’s house.

“Mm, thank you, Mr. Ken, Keiko. Goodbye for now. Feel free to contact me when you have time,” Liz said, first thanking me before turning to Silica.

“Ah, mm, goodbye.” Silica glanced at the driver’s seat, intentionally or not. She didn’t really want to say goodbye, but she had no choice. She could only watch as Liz got out of the car and walked into her own house.

“What’s the matter, Silica? You’ve seemed so tense all day. Are you that afraid of seeing me?” After Liz left, I started the car and spoke to Silica without holding back anymore.

“It’s because… because… of… those things you did, you perverted master,” Silica stammered, her voice growing softer and softer toward the end. If my hearing weren’t exceptional, I probably wouldn’t have been able to make out what she was saying.

“Hmph, so Silica still remembers me as her master. With how you acted today, I thought you’d forgotten me after waking up in the real world.” Silica’s shy reaction made me unable to resist teasing her.

“What if Liz and Asuna found out about my relationship with you, Master?” Perhaps because she felt a bit embarrassed about pretending not to know me all day, Silica didn’t add the “perverted” prefix before “master” this time.

“What kind of relationship do Silica and I have?”

“You… you’re asking when you already know.” Truthfully, Silica herself wasn’t sure what kind of relationship we had now. We’d been intimate in the game world, but not in the real world. What did that make us? Online lovers?

“Silica, you really are a good girl.” She didn’t deny what had happened between us in the game, and judging by her behavior, it probably wouldn’t be too hard to win her over in reality as well. That thought made me sigh with emotion.

“Wha… what are you suddenly saying, Master?” Was this the prelude to a confession? If it really was a confession, what should she do? Should she agree or take it slow? My sudden praise left Silica feeling a bit flustered.

“Nothing, just a passing thought. Or did Silica want me to say something else?” Seeing Silica’s flushed face and slightly conflicted expression, I knew the girl was probably overthinking things.

For now, I didn’t plan to make a move right away. Since I was sure Silica had feelings for me, it was better to let things simmer a bit more and aim for a single, decisive success. Of course, the main reason was that since I’d already managed to get close to her in the game, there was no need to rush things in reality.

“No way, you bad master. It’s best if you don’t say anything at all.” It wasn’t the confession Silica had imagined, which brought both a sense of relief and an inexplicable disappointment.

“Is that so?” The rest of the time passed unknowingly as I teased Silica and we bantered back and forth. The car arrived near her house, but I didn’t park directly in front of the door.

“We’re here, Silica.” I got out of the car and opened the door for her. The girl blinked her big eyes, surprised that we’d reached her home so quickly. Earlier, she’d been nervous and reluctant to face this moment, but now she felt a bit reluctant to part.

No, no, Silica, what are you thinking? The girl shook her head, pushing some embarrassing thoughts out of her mind, and stepped out of the car.

“Mm… well… goodbye.” The tension she’d felt earlier had eased quite a bit during the car ride, so now, face to face, Silica wasn’t as nervous as she’d been at the start. She just didn’t know what to say.

“Goodbye. I was really happy to meet you in the real world today, Silica.” Just like when I used to encourage or praise her during training sessions, I reached out and gently patted Silica on the head. The girl didn’t dodge—whether because she couldn’t avoid it in time or for some other reason.

“I was actually pretty happy to see you too, Master. That’s all, bye-bye.” After I withdrew my hand, Silica lowered her head and quickly murmured softly before turning and jogging off in her own direction.

I smiled as I watched the girl’s retreating figure. Once Silica had entered her house, I got back into the car. Silica hurried to her room, opened the window, and waited until I drove away and the car was out of sight. Only then did she leave the window and throw herself onto her bed, her hand resting on her chest as she felt her still-racing heartbeat.

“Bad master…”