Miracle Summoner

The celebratory banquet ended on a cheerful note for everyone.

This was because Rozen, Asuna, and Yui all accepted the members of the Sleeping Knights without any reservations, and the members of the Sleeping Knights, being cheerful and outgoing individuals, naturally fit right in. With such an open and lively group, it was no surprise that the gathering was filled with laughter and joy.

There was never a lack of topics to discuss among everyone.

After all, as the strongest player in ALO and an incredibly legendary figure, Rozen's mere presence sparked great curiosity among the members of the Sleeping Knights.

The members of the Sleeping Knights, being such open and lively individuals, couldn't suppress their curiosity and began asking Rozen all kinds of questions.

For example, they wanted to know how Rozen managed to clear his way through SAO, defeat Kayaba Akihiko, and save thousands of lives.

Or, after returning to the real world, how Rozen reunited with his old comrades, started new adventures in ALO, and founded Crimson Wing.

These were just some of the many things that the Sleeping Knights and others were deeply curious about.

Now that they had such a wonderful opportunity, they couldn't resist gathering around Rozen enthusiastically, asking question after question.

In response, Rozen showed no airs and answered all the Sleeping Knights' questions in a straightforward manner. He even fulfilled their request to witness his Seven Stars of the Big Dipper and Fantasy Acceleration, by engaging in duels with Jun, Tecchi, Nori, and others outside the cabin. He even had another duel with Yuuki, demonstrating his passion.

After witnessing the full display of Rozen's Seven Stars of the Big Dipper, consisting of seven original sword skills, as well as the flying techniques, everyone was amazed.

The Seven Stars of the Big Dipper were beautiful and powerful.

The Fantasy Acceleration was mysterious and profound.

The former was an original sword skill, and the latter an out-of-system skill. Both stemmed from Rozen's personal abilities, completely different from the power of ordinary players who relied solely on the virtual world's system. This naturally earned everyone's admiration.

As a result, the group became even closer to Rozen, as though they had completely accepted him, showing no sign of reservation.

This made Asuna incredibly happy.

She had always held great affection for the members of the Sleeping Knights, and seeing them get along so harmoniously with Rozen made her all the more delighted.

Even Yui became quite attached to the members of the Sleeping Knights. After chatting for a while, she ended up clinging closely to Yuuki, Nori, and Siune, as if they were the best of friends.

The entire cabin was filled with constant laughter and joy.

Seeing this scene, anyone would feel envious, marveling at how close the bonds between them were.

However, only Rozen knew that this was merely on the surface.

Indeed, Rozen and his group genuinely accepted the members of the Sleeping Knights, and he answered their endless questions with honesty. But while the Sleeping Knights became close to them, they maintained a subtle distance.

This distance was not due to distrust but something more akin to hesitation or reluctance, as if they were struggling with something that prevented them from becoming too familiar with Rozen and the others.

Rozen had subtly tested them several times and found that, while they were deeply curious about him and asked endless questions, when it was Rozen's turn to ask about them, they would almost always deflect the question or respond perfunctorily.

In the end, Rozen, Asuna, and Yui only learned that Yuuki and the others were among the first players to experience full-dive technology after the SAO Incident. They had been fully diving for three years, exploring various virtual worlds, unlike Rozen and the others, who mainly stayed in ALO.

Because of this, they could quickly adapt to any new world they entered and master its game systems, which explained how the Sleeping Knights became so astonishingly skilled within just a week of entering ALO. They even managed to master Free Flight in less than a day, and all of them were capable of doing so—an incredible feat.

In particular, Yuuki was an exceptionally skilled player, undoubtedly the most proficient and strongest among the Sleeping Knights, which earned her the position of Guild Leader.

However, Yuuki herself once said:

"I'm not the strongest. The former Guild Leader was far stronger than me."

Yuuki had blurted this out almost reflexively.

But after saying it, Yuuki regretted it. She became silent, stopped speaking, and her smile became strained, causing Asuna to worry.

Because of this, the Sleeping Knights stopped discussing themselves altogether afterward, limiting their conversations with Rozen, Asuna, and Yui to their adventures and experiences in other VRMMOs, while avoiding any deeper topics.

This created a subtle change in the atmosphere, leaving Asuna wanting to say something several times but ultimately remaining silent.

Thus, while the celebratory banquet was cheerful and lively, it was also just that—nothing more.

With everyone harboring their own thoughts, the banquet lasted until evening.

As night fell, the group decided it was time to conclude the banquet.

After tidying up the cabin, everyone stepped outside together.

"Today was truly delightful. Thank you for hosting us, Rozen, Asuna," Yuuki said, leading the Sleeping Knights with a big smile.

"Thank you for your hospitality!"

Jun, Tecchi, Talken, Nori, and Siune bowed in unison.

In response...

"I was delighted too. Though it was only for a day, adventuring with you all was truly enjoyable," Asuna said, stepping forward to stand before Yuuki and the others, her gaze sweeping over them as she smiled.

"Thank you. I hope we can adventure together again someday."

Asuna's words carried genuine warmth.

But she didn't notice the flicker of guilt and bitterness in Yuuki and the others' eyes.

Then...

"Well, we'll be going now," Yuuki said, closing her eyes and softening her smile.

"Take care of yourselves."

This ordinary farewell phrase stirred unexpected emotions in Asuna.

Though the words seemed simple, they carried a weight Asuna couldn't explain.

When she opened her mouth to respond, Yuuki and the others had already taken flight.

"Goodbye, Asuna..."

Leaving these words behind, Yuuki smiled and flew away with the Sleeping Knights into the distance.

Asuna kept her gaze fixed on Yuuki's retreating figure, her mind replaying Yuuki's parting smile over and over again.

A smile that seemed to hide endless sorrow and longing.