Akasaka, Yui, and Asuna walked through the forest.
Asuna suggested, "Let's take Yui to the orphanage in the Town of Beginnings on the first floor. We can't keep bringing this child around with us forever."
In this world of Aincrad, there was no shortage of children who had wandered into the game by mistake.
Five- or six-year-olds, or even children under ten, were not uncommon.
Some had been brought in by their parents to try out the game, only for disastrous consequences to follow when they could no longer log out.
Others came from well-off families that allowed their children to wear virtual helmets, and they accidentally entered the game.
Of course, no one could expect children to survive in this game world. They had no combat ability whatsoever.
So kind-hearted people had set up an orphanage.
It was located in the Town of Beginnings on the first floor.
It was meant to house these children, giving them food so they would not have to venture outside.
Asuna wanted to send Yui there.
Mostly because it was genuinely unsafe for a red player like her to be traveling through the wilderness with a child.
Though Asuna thought so, Yui panicked. Clinging tightly to Asuna's white-stockinged leg, she refused to let go. "I don't want to leave Mother! Waaaaahhh~!"
Yui burst into tears. She was truly frightened.
That gave Asuna quite a headache.
After all, in Asuna's eyes, Yui was simply a lost child who would eventually have to leave her.
No matter how much she liked the child, she could not possibly refuse to return her to her father and mother, could she?
That would be far too immoral.
Akasaka scratched his cheek. With no other choice, he told Asuna the truth.
He told her everything, including his deal with