Chapter Sixty-Seven: The First Conquest (End)

Although several people nearly lost their lives during the ordeal, the final outcome was exhilarating. Ever since the announcement of this death game, countless people had declared their determination to clear it, yet reality had proven merciless—nearly two thousand souls had vanished forever in just two months.

Despite everyone having to sit close together on the ground to recover from the recent battle, their faces were alight with excitement.

"Finally, at last..." Though he’d once entertained the idea of seizing the final spoils from the boss, there was no doubt that Diabel truly wanted to lead everyone to break through this game. Having just blocked the boss’s final strike alongside Lancer, he now stood rooted to the spot like a statue, tears of joy streaming down his face.

"Indeed, we’ve won," Lancer said, standing beside him. Seeing Diabel so overcome by emotion, he stepped forward to help him regain his composure.

"Yes, we’ve finally succeeded!" Diabel managed to collect himself at last.

"Everyone!" Diabel now stood up. "Listen up, everyone! Let’s see what rewards our hero earned for slaying the boss!"

The spirits that had waned from exhaustion now surged back, and all eyes turned to Kirito, who stood at the center.

"Right, show us!" Lancer, knowing what the boss would drop, felt that the joy of seeing it on the screen could never compare to holding it in one’s hands.

"Yeah, let’s all have a look!"

"Hey, kid, let’s see what we risked our lives for!"

…

Everyone began to shout, yet the atmosphere remained harmonious. No one envied Kirito for his rewards; even the usually abrasive Heathcliff stood quietly by Diabel’s side without a word.

Seeing everyone so elated, Kirito didn’t waste time and slipped on the coat.

"Not bad! That thing’s perfect for showing off," someone joked from the crowd, and while some had been curious about the coat’s attributes, the moment was lost to laughter and banter as everyone began to tease each other.

"Looks pretty sharp, kid. Just don’t use that coat to steal all the female players from us—leave a few for your brothers," an older man quipped with a smirk.

Laughter rang out.

…

Watching everyone standing together in such camaraderie, Lancer helped Asuna to her feet and glanced at Diabel, who was leaning on his sword beside him. "Not bad. At least this time, I admit you’re a true knight," he said with a smile, then took out a teleport crystal with Asuna.

"Let’s not waste time here! Back to town for drinks, at the square—my treat tonight!" Lancer declared. He didn’t have much money, but the local ale wasn’t expensive—a single coin was enough for a decent drink, and with only about twenty people present, even if everyone had a barrel, it wouldn’t break the bank.

"Drinks? All right, let’s head back!"

"Yeah, it’s been two months in this hellhole without a whiff of alcohol—tonight, we drink until we drop!"

…

Everyone left in small groups, disappearing with their friends using their crystals.

"Thank you," Heathcliff said quietly to Lancer before leaving, his words meant for only the two of them. He then turned to leave with Diabel.

"It’s nothing. Just don’t go thinking up any more nonsense, and I’m sure we’ll become friends," Lancer replied in the same undertone. Without waiting for a response, he used his crystal and vanished from the boss chamber along with Kirito and Asuna.

——Transition——

Sitting quietly at the center of the square, Lancer gently pushed aside Kirito, who had slumped against him. He smiled wryly. "What a brat—you can’t even hold your liquor and still insist on drinking." Kirito, completely unlike his usual cool self, lay sprawled in a starfish pose on Lancer, clutching a half-empty bottle.

"Tch, aren’t you a brat yourself?" A discordant voice cut in as Lancer feigned a sigh. "Old man, you’re still up? I thought you’d be the first to pass out," Lancer said, glancing at Agil who sat beside him.

"Tch, those guys boasted about their drinking, but in front of me, they’re nothing but amateurs!" Agil was still lucid enough to protest, though his behavior betrayed his own drunkenness.

"Drunk old man, you’d better get to the inn. I’m not dragging you back—I’ve got my hands full with Kirito." Agil, hearing this, managed to steady himself and staggered away. As Lancer pondered how to deal with nearly twenty drunken companions, he saw Asuna approaching.

"Hey, Lancer, during the boss raid you said you’d never watch a comrade disappear before your eyes again. What did you mean?" As the only female in the raid party, Asuna wasn’t overly harassed even as the celebrations got rowdy, making her, other than Lancer, the most sober person present.

Lancer was silent for a moment, then took a sip of his drink.

"Take it as just a story," he began quietly. "My companions and I once swore ourselves to our homeland. When we joined, we vowed to dedicate our lives to our country. Our leader was my friend—she supported us, and I was among the highest-ranking of all, but our friendship never changed because of status. During one mission, we were betrayed. Some old men, feeling their power threatened, plotted a trap. Many outstanding knights never returned. Even those who survived that battle suffered fatal wounds. My friend had to retire because of her injuries. From then on, I swore—I would never let a comrade disappear before my eyes again. For any reason."

As he spoke, Lancer’s thoughts drifted to the time when Toria had just ascended the throne—a young knight, newly left home, swearing to give everything for the queen, and indeed doing so. During what seemed a simple mission to Lancer, a few dissatisfied nobles conspired with foreign spies. The mission failed; at least five knights as powerful as Lancer appeared at the scene. In the end, only a handful escaped with their lives, and though his friend survived, he could never wield his beloved knight’s sword again.

From then on, Lancer grew more determined to form the Stingers. Many nobles who defied Toria or betrayed Britain met their end at Lancer’s hand. Among his own countrymen, his reputation was even more fearsome than abroad.

"Well, that’s the story. Go get some sleep—we start our adventure on the second floor tomorrow," Lancer said, supporting Kirito as he returned to the inn.

"What a peculiar man... But was that really just a story? Why did he look so sad?" Asuna wondered. Although Lancer seemed young on the outside, his soul was that of a man who had weathered countless tales—and it was men like that who caught the fancy of girls her age. Lancer’s inadvertent sincerity had unexpectedly won her favor.

Some might find this section a bit long-winded, but I only wish to say that, in both the world of King Arthur and the SAO incident, love and hatred never come without reason. If you want to win a girl’s heart, these things must be written. I have no intention of making my favorite characters fall head over heels at first sight or throw themselves at the protagonist. That’s all.