Horses Without Hope
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The sun was setting as the town of Wistram grew smaller and more distant behind them. The road they’d been following for days had led to a small village, where they bought some supplies before continuing on their way again; it seemed that there were no inns or taverns in this part of the country—at least not any that would accept travelers who didn’t have money enough to pay for food and lodging at once.
They hadn’t seen anyone else since leaving the city, either. Just empty fields stretching out into the distance under an endless blue sky with only scattered clouds here and there. It made you want to stop walking just so that you could stare up at those skies forever…but then you remembered what lay ahead: the ruins of a castle surrounded by impenetrable walls.
And if he wasn’t mistaken, something very strange lived inside its crumbling halls now.
“I don’t think we should go back,” said Kirito. “We’re already close.” He looked down from his horse’s saddle and pointed toward the horizon. There was nothing but flat land between them and the massive stone wall surrounding the fortress known as Castle Oblivion.
A few tall trees stood near one corner of the outermost ring, which marked the entrance to the main gatehouse. Beyond that point, however, all signs of civilization vanished. No houses, no farms, nor even grazing animals. Nothing but grassy plains dotted with patches of wildflowers growing in clumps around boulders. If someone told him the place was uninhabited, he wouldn’t be surprised. But why? Why would such a large area suddenly become deserted without warning?
That was exactly what had happened when they first arrived in this world two months ago, too. At the time, it was because the game had crashed, but now…?
Kazuto sighed deeply. “You know I can’t say anything about that until we get closer…”
He knew how much Kazuto wanted to find answers, especially after losing Asuna during the battle against Agil, but he couldn’t do anything unless they reached the castle itself. Even though the entire reason for coming here was supposed to rescue her, he felt like asking himself whether rescuing Asuna really mattered anymore.
What did she mean to him anyway? She might have been his partner in SAO, but that was over. In fact, he doubted she ever existed at all outside the virtual reality environment. Hadn’t she simply been another player created by ALO developer NerveGear Inc.?
Wasn’t it possible that she never actually met or talked to Kazuto while playing? Maybe she thought of herself as being saved by him, but maybe she also considered him a stranger. Or perhaps she still saw him as a friend but found his presence annoying somehow. Either way, she probably hated him right now.
And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to turn away. Not knowing what had happened to her hurt far worse than having lost her completely. If he left the search unfinished, he worried that he’d lose sight of everything important to him. His mind kept returning to the image of Asuna lying motionless on the ground in front of him.
Her face was pale and eyes closed, her lips slightly parted, as if she were sleeping peacefully. Would he see her like that again someday? Could he bear seeing that expression every day for the rest of his life? Did he need to keep searching just to make sure?
It was hard to tell what kind of person she truly was based solely on her actions within the game. Perhaps she had always been selfish and self-centered, unable to understand other people’s feelings. After all, she was a gamer who spent most of her free time alone in her room with only video games for the company.
On top of that, she was born into wealth and privilege, so she likely lacked empathy for others. But despite these negative traits, she was brave and strong, and she loved fighting alongside Kazuto. So why did she leave him behind when things got tough? Why did she abandon him in the middle of the fight against Agil?
Asuna’s words echoed through his head. You’ll die soon. Don’t let me down.
She’d spoken those exact same words to him during their final duel in the Underworld. Then, she had meant dying in real life, but now…it sounded ominous. Like she was predicting his death somewhere in the future. But if that was true, then what did she expect him to do? How could he possibly live up to her expectations? He didn’t know the answer to that question, and it scared him. More than anything, he feared that he would fail Asuna.
They rode along silently for several minutes until finally, Kazuto spoke up again. “Hey…are you okay?”
“Huh? Oh! Yeah, yeah. Of course!” The sudden change in topic threw off Kirito, but he quickly recovered. “Why wouldn’t I be?!”
“Uh-huh. Well, good,” replied Kazuto. “Because I’m not sure where else to start except by saying that I’ve changed my mind about leaving town today.”
The smile returned to Kirito’s face. “Really?! When did that happen?”
“When I realized there are more pressing matters to discuss before we reach the castle.”
***
After riding for an hour across the vast plain, the two men came upon a small village nestled among the hills. It looked abandoned, its buildings crumbling from neglect, but the villagers must have lived nearby since a road led directly to the gates of Castle Oblivion. They stopped at the edge of the settlement, dismounted, and tied their horses to some sturdy branches hanging overhead.
Kazuto walked toward the nearest house, which appeared to be made entirely out of wood. There was no roof; instead, wooden slats covered the walls and ceiling. Judging by the size of each plank, however, it seemed unlikely that any animal larger than a dog could fit inside. A single door stood open, revealing nothing beyond the darkness.
A few moments later, Kirito joined him and peered around the doorway. Inside, he saw a long table set with eight chairs, and four smaller tables lined up next to them. Next to one of the windows sat a large pot filled with water, presumably used for cooking. Two oil lamps hung above the center of the table, giving the space a warm glow.
There wasn’t enough light to read by, but both men took seats at the end of the table closest to the window.
“So…” said Kazuto, looking around. “Where exactly is this place?”
“This is our inn,” answered Kirito. “Our home base while traveling through the countryside. We’re usually here for three days or so after arriving in a new area. That way, we can get settled without wasting too much time.”
“I see. And how many times has your group stayed here over the years?”
“Fourteen, actually. This is the first time we’ve come back since we started adventuring together.”
“Wow. What brings you guys back to town?”
“Well, we decided to take advantage of the low prices and stock up on supplies. Plus, we wanted to check in with the guild master and ask about the situation in the city.”
“Oh, right. About that—the last time we checked in, they told us that the invasion was still ongoing. Has something changed recently?”
“Yes. Apparently, the invaders’ numbers have decreased significantly due to casualties and desertions.”
“That’s great news. Did the guild master give any details as to whether the war will continue once the enemy forces are completely wiped out?”
Kazuto shook his head. “No, unfortunately. According to what I heard, the battle isn’t going well. In fact, it sounds like the odds aren’t even close to being in our favor anymore.”
He paused briefly, letting the information sink in. “…Wait, what do you mean ‘not even close’? Are things really that bad?”
“Yeah. After all, the people who were fighting against us don’t seem to think so. At least, that’s according to the reports coming from the front lines.”
“What kind of report?” asked Kirito, leaning forward eagerly.
“Apparently, the invaders are using magic. Lots of it.”
“Magic…? So that means—”
“It also seems that their main weapon is a type of sword called a lance. It looks just like the ones we use, only bigger. For example, if you had ten swordsmen, and then someone showed up carrying twenty spears, would you feel confident in winning the fight?”
“Of course not. But why does that matter now?”
“Because the same logic applies to these weapons. If you’re facing a hundred enemies wielding lances, you’d need to kill every last one of them to win. Even if you managed to defeat half of those, you might lose the rest during the chase.”
“But that doesn’t make sense! Why would anyone want to invade another country when they know that’s the case?”
“Maybe because the invading army thinks that the other side won’t realize the danger until it’s already happened…or maybe they simply haven’t thought it through yet. Either way, it doesn’t look like the situation is getting better anytime soon.”
Kazuto closed his eyes and sighed deeply. He knew that the chances of victory weren’t high, but hearing the reality laid bare was difficult nonetheless.
“…You’re telling me that there’s no hope?”
“Not necessarily. The truth is, most battles are lost before they begin. You can’t let yourself believe that everything ends with the first blow. As long as you keep fighting, eventually, you’ll find a chance to turn the tide.”
The young man opened his mouth to speak again, but suddenly, a voice interrupted him: “Excuse me? Is somebody talking to me?”
They turned around, startled. Standing behind the table where they’d been sitting was a girl with short-cropped black hair and bright blue eyes. She wore an elegant white dress that matched her complexion perfectly; she looked more than a little familiar.
She smiled brightly, revealing a row of pearly teeth. “Sorry to interrupt. My name is Alice. Welcome to my humble establishment!”
Her smile seemed genuine, but Kazuto couldn’t help feeling unsettled. Something about the way she spoke didn’t sit right with him.
“Um, thank you very much for having us. I’m sorry to bother you, but could you tell me which room is ours?” he asked politely.
Alice nodded happily and pointed toward a door near the entrance. “Right this way. Follow me.”
As they walked down the hallway, Kazuto noticed several doors along the walls. They appeared to be private rooms, each furnished differently.
“Are these the guest bedrooms?”
“Indeed. Each of the guests staying here tonight is paying five gold coins per night. Please enjoy yourselves.”
“Thank you very much. By the way, what happens if we stay longer than two nights?”
“Then you pay double,” said Alice cheerfully. Her words made Kazuto raise an eyebrow. That wasn’t quite fair, considering that they hadn’t planned on spending three days at the inn.
“Ah, um…”
“Don’t worry, sirs. We don’t mind. Just leave the key by the front desk tomorrow morning, and we’ll refund whatever money remains after subtracting the cost of meals. No problem whatsoever.”
“Okay, thanks.”
After leaving Alice’s presence, Kazuto glanced at Kirito. His friend shrugged back, clearly uninterested.
“I guess we should get settled into our room. Then we can go see how Eugeo is doing.”
“Sounds good. Let’s hurry up and check out the place.”
With that, they headed off to the second floor, where the guestrooms were located.
***
Eugene’s body twitched slightly as he lay motionless atop the bed. He stared blankly ahead without moving a muscle—and yet, somehow, his breathing remained steady and regular.
His consciousness felt hazy, as though it floated somewhere far away from his own body. All he could hear was the sound of footsteps echoing faintly in the distance.
Was I dreaming? Or did something happen while I was asleep…?
Suddenly, Eugene heard a voice calling his name.
“—Hey, wake up, kid. Wake up!”
That voice sounded awfully familiar. Wasn’t it the same person who’d spoken to him earlier today, when he woke up in this strange world?
He tried to open his eyes but found that they wouldn’t move. Instead, all he saw was darkness.
Wait… Am I still sleeping?! What time is it anyway?
A moment later, he realized that the reason he couldn’t open his eyes was that he was blindfolded. A thin piece of cloth covered his face completely, so he couldn’t even peek through the gaps between his fingers.
What’s going on here? Who put this thing over my head? And why am I tied to the bed?
In response to his questions, a voice called out once more. It was the same one that had woken him up.
“It’s okay now, kid. Don’t struggle or anything. Relax your muscles and just calm down.”
This must have been some kind of prank, Eugene decided. After all, nobody else was present besides himself and whoever was speaking to him.
So then, who exactly is it?
When he strained his ears, trying to listen closely enough for the answer, he caught sight of someone walking past outside the window. There was another figure standing next to them, holding onto their arm.
Whoa! So that’s the guy who brought me here!
At last, Eugene managed to crack open an eye. When he did, he discovered that both figures were wearing hooded cloaks. Their faces were hidden beneath those dark pieces of fabric.
But wait, shouldn’t they know that I’m awake already? Why do they need to hide like this?
Eugene began to feel suspicious. But before he could ask any further questions, the cloaked men continued talking.
“…You’re probably wondering why I’ve kidnapped you, huh? Well, let’s just say that you owe me a favor.”
The man chuckled quietly under his cloak. The other man responded with a laugh of his own.
“Yeah, yeah, sure. You got yourself into trouble again, didn’t ya?”
They laughed together, but there was no trace of humor in either tone. In fact, the voices coming from behind the masks were filled with malice.
“H-hey, stop laughing! This isn’t funny at all!”
For a brief instant, Eugene thought about struggling against the ropes binding his wrists and ankles. However, the masked men simply tightened their grip around his arms and legs.
“No matter how hard you try, kid, we won’t loosen our hold until you give us what we want.”
“Y-you bastards…!”
Eugene struggled desperately, but the hooded figures held firm. With nowhere left to run, he finally gave up and resigned himself to his fate.
As soon as he stopped fighting, however, the cloaked men loosened their grips. They took turns removing the cloth covering his eyes, revealing a dimly lit bedroom.
And beyond the door, he spotted a single silhouette sitting on top of a chair.
Oh crap, it’s her!
Eugene recognized the woman seated across from him immediately. She wore a white dress, which she casually tossed aside as she rose to stand beside the table.
Her long black hair flowed freely down below her shoulders; its glossy shine seemed almost unreal. Her skin glowed pale blue, contrasting sharply with the deep red color of her lips.
She looked incredibly beautiful, but also terrifying. Even if he hadn’t seen her before, he would never forget such a striking visage.
However, despite being surrounded by two armed guards, the girl wasn’t afraid at all. On the contrary, she smiled brightly as she spoke to him. “Welcome home, dear brother,” she said cheerfully.
“Whaaat?!”
Without realizing it, Eugene cried out in surprise. He quickly covered his mouth with his hands to stifle the noise, but he knew that his reaction only made things worse.
I can’t believe this! How dare she kidnap me without telling anyone first?!
Even after he calmed down, Eugene refused to accept the situation. His mind reeled as he stared back at the young lady in front of him.
Why does she look so different than usual? Is she sick or something? Did she get injured somehow?
After all, he remembered seeing her just yesterday morning. At the very least, he should remember her having that bright smile on her face.
Yet right now, her expression was far too serious. That alone told him everything he needed to know.
My sister has changed…
His heart ached painfully inside his chest.
The End