New Aincrad, 20th Floor
On the 20th floor of the floating castle, one-fifth of the way to the top, there stood a quaint little house.
Calling it a "little house" might be an understatement, as this structure was among the most luxurious buildings on the 20th floor. Its scale rivaled that of a large inn. The first floor housed a spacious tavern, while the upper floors consisted entirely of rooms designed to accommodate players.
Above the front door of the building hung an emblem—a symbol depicting a pair of red wings spread wide.
It was the insignia of Crimson Wing.
This house served as Crimson Wing's guild headquarters in the new ALfheim Online (ALO).
At this moment, numerous members of Crimson Wing were gathered on the first floor in the tavern, laughing, drinking, and mingling. The players belonged to various races—Salamanders, Sylphs, Undines, Cait Siths, and members of all nine races could be seen.
Among them were Rozen's close companions.
"Is that guy still not here?"
Klein sat at the bar, taking long swigs of his drink and asking in a bored tone.
Looking closer, Klein's avatar in the new ALO closely resembled his real-world appearance, with the addition of elf-like long ears. He wore equipment resembling a fiery red samurai outfit, complete with a katana at his waist.
When Rozen's friends joined the new ALO, they opted to carry over their character data from SAO, preserving their stats and skill proficiencies. The only change required was selecting a race.
As a katana user, Klein naturally chose Salamander, a race known for its offensive prowess.
Behind the bar, Agil was polishing glasses while responding to Klein's question.
"That guy being late isn't exactly new. Back in SAO, he always showed up at the last minute. Guess that's just the privilege of being the main character."
Agil's appearance was just as robust and reliable as in real life. His large frame and dark skin perfectly complemented the Gnome race, known for its durability. Agil gave off the vibe of an unbeatable tank.
"Do you think he's doing this on purpose?"
It was Lis who spoke, a tone of exasperation in her voice.
Her avatar remained almost identical to her SAO appearance, with white-and-blue garb resembling a formal dress. Unsurprisingly, she chose the Leprechaun race, excelling in crafting and smithing—perfect for utilizing the near-maxed forging skills she'd honed in SAO.
Sitting next to Lis was Silica, who quickly defended Rozen.
"Rozen-nii must have something going on! He's not doing this on purpose!"
Silica, now with a pair of furry ears and a tail, had chosen to become a Cait Sith.
In SAO, she had been a beast tamer, making the Cait Sith race a natural choice.
After inheriting her SAO character data, her familiar, Pina, had also reappeared.
"Chirp!"
The sky-blue feathered dragon perched lazily on Silica's head let out a soft cry, seemingly agreeing with its owner.
Beyond these four, the group also included Leafa, Kirito, Sachi, and Asuna.
"Maybe he's still asleep?"
Kirito, dressed in a black coat identical to his SAO avatar, said with a wry smile.
Like the others, Kirito had transferred his SAO character data into ALO but chose to become a Spriggan, a race skilled in treasure hunting and illusion magic—a puzzling choice to many.
When asked, Kirito explained that he simply liked the Spriggan's aesthetic. Changing races would alter hair color and wing color, which he, a devoted fan of black, couldn't tolerate.
Even so, it made little difference since Kirito relied entirely on sword techniques, avoiding magic entirely. His focus remained on his numerous mastered sword skills.
However, his Dual Blades skill didn't carry over into ALO—it had been removed.
The game's developers had discovered ten unique skills in SAO's data, each obtainable under extremely rare conditions and usable by only one player. These skills, deemed overpowered, had been removed to preserve game balance. Among them were Dual Blades and Holy Sword, both developed by Kayaba Akihiko.
Even without these skills, Kirito remained one of the strongest players, second only to Rozen.
In fact, Kirito had previously defeated Eugene, the strongest player in the original ALO, which caused a significant stir.
However, Kirito wasn't the only one to defeat Eugene. Another player, an Undine, had also achieved this feat.
This Undine was known for her proficiency in healing magic and aquatic combat. While primarily a supporter, she would charge into the fray during critical moments, wielding a rapier with radiant, meteoric strikes.
She had earned the title "Berserk Healer."
"Honestly, he's always late before major events like this," Asuna sighed.
Dressed in a flowing water-blue robe, her long hair matching the same hue, Asuna gave off an aura of grace and serenity. She had chosen the Undine race.
Her reason?
"If Rozen is going to lead and command from the rear like always, then I'll stay by his side and support him from the back."
Sitting quietly beside Asuna was Sachi, also an Undine. In real life, her short black hair had transformed into long water-blue locks in ALO, giving her a gentle aura.
Sachi, who disliked frontline combat, now fully embraced her role as a rear support player.
Meanwhile, Leafa, who had maintained her ponytail and chosen the Sylph race, crossed her arms and pouted.
"I should've barged into his room this morning to wake him up!"
Leafa's frustration was clear.
Thus, the group waited for Rozen's arrival. What had started as excitement turned into mild complaints as time passed.
Until...
"Shing!"
A burst of radiant light illuminated the room as the long-awaited protagonist finally appeared.
"Sorry, I'm late," Rozen said, yawning and waving casually at the group.
"Gu!"
Two colorful butterflies, Saichou and Hanachou, fluttered above Rozen's head, letting out pleasant sounds.
The group responded in unison with a collective roar of frustration.
"YOU'RE LATE!"
It seemed like another peaceful day—assuming nothing unexpected occurred.