Chapter 91 - Hot Spring

North side of the 9th floor of Aincrad.

"Huh. Who would have thought?"

Drifter looked around, scratching his head. He was now at the entrance of a tiny wood building stashed away in the suburbs of Lyusula. There were some words in elvish that he couldn't read above the doorway. Drifter would never have paid attention to the building if it wasn't for Argo leading him and the others here. It looked like someone's house.

But when Argo pushed open the doors and led them inside, Drifter discovered that the humble facade outside was just that. The inside was several times bigger, and, not only that, luxuriously furnished. Marble tabletops and furniture made of the same color-changing wood as the palace.

Of course, what caught his attention the most was the steam rising from behind a curtain. When a dark elf server raised it so they could step through, Drifter's eyes widened.

It was a hot spring, as promised. An open-air one, even. It was in the middle of a delicately decorated courtyard, with plenty of small trees and rocks to add to the ambiance, though without making it seem stuffed. Though it was a mixed bath - like most elvish ones - there were several smaller, hidden areas where one could relax away from prying eyes.

"Wow! How did you find this place, Argo?"

Asuna was over the moon. Her eyes practically shone as she stared at the hot spring, and anyone could tell she was raring to go in. Not that the others were much different. Relaxing in the hot water sounded like a very promising prospect after the stressful battle they had. The info-broker was all smiles.

"Completed a hidden quest, Aa-chan. Mainly runnin' errands for NPCs in the city. I'm glad Kayaba didn't think of changin' this particular quest."

"The hot springs of Lyusula are famous for their relaxing and healing properties. It is a fitting place to rest after an adventure like ours, my friends."

Kizmel spoke up, and when Drifter looked over, his dark elf friend was already dipping her bare feet into the spring and taking off her armor. And, after the breastplate came off, she proceeded to pull her shirt over her head. That was when the others snapped out of their surprise and Yuna hurried to hold Kizmel's wrists and pull the shirt back down.

"W-Wait Kizmel! You can't just go taking your clothes off! There are people here!"

"Only our closest friends are here, Yuna. And this is not the first time we bathe together, is it?"

"No- I mean yes- Ugh! You are making me confused, Kiz! Yes, we did bathe together before, but it was just us girls. The boys are still around right now!"

The former NPC cocked an eyebrow at the songstress and looked around. Kirito, Nautilus, and Vallerk, who had gotten a brief glimpse of what was under her shirt, blushed and avoided her gaze, as did some of the more shy girls. Drifter, while also a little embarrassed, was more amused than anything. This wasn't the first time Kizmel showed the difference between humans and elves when it came to their bathing habits. This was bound to be fun. Argo was already cracking up by his side.

"I do not see your point, Yuna."

"W-Well..."

"I understand humans are more concerned about the difference in sexes. That's what these are for."

Kizmel picked one of the light green towels the employee of the hot springs was carrying. Then, before Yuna could stop her again, she took off her clothes - Drifter looked away before Yuna even glared warningly at him - and wrapped the body around her towel.

"Haa... This is pleasant."

Drifter looked back when he heard the sound of Kizmel entering the water. Yuna was staring agape at the bold elf, as were most of the others - except for Kirito, Vallerk, and Nautilus, who couldn't stare at anything since Asuna, Liz, and, surprisingly, Ran, had their hands clamped over their eyes.

"Yuna, I trust all of you with my life. You are the closest I have to a family."

From where she was resting her head against the side of the hot spring, Kizmel looked at the songstress and spoke softly. And what could you say to that?

"I, for one, can't resist anymore. But we can take one of the alcoves if you would be more comfortable, Yuna, girls. Just let me in the water right away, please."

Shrugging, Drifter went behind a privacy screen, unequipped his armor and clothes, wrapped a towel around his midsection, and stepped into the water. His reaction was very similar to Kizmel's.

"Hah... So warm. This is nice."

Kizmel grinned at him, and Drifter mimicked her in resting his head on the edge of the spring. The hot, smooth wood around the border felt like it was carved specially to accommodate his head comfortably - which was probably the case.

He spent the next several minutes with his eyes closed, enjoying the hot water and feeling his tension bleed away. It was the first time since he entered SAO - no, since even before that - that he could truly and properly rest. Even in safe zones he was always on edge. Not here, though.

"Huh?"

He almost fell asleep before he felt the water ripple as someone entered the spring and sat down next to him. Cracking one eye open, he saw Yuna's side profile, with her hair tied up to prevent it from getting wet. He couldn't tell whether she was red from the heat or embarrassment, but she huffed and pouted cutely when she caught him looking at her.

"See? It's good, isn't it?"

"Just because you are right, doesn't mean Kizmel can go around taking off her clothes in front of you!"

Drifter couldn't help it. He laughed. And he would have hugged the songstress if they weren't both almost naked - that felt a tad too forward. But he knew Yuna, and she wasn't really angry.

"I promise I won't."

Yuna scoffed, and Drifter looked around while grinning. Everyone else had done away with their clothes and put on the towels, and joined them in the hot spring. The girls were mostly together, chattering away, while the three other boys in the guild looked distinctly uncomfortable. They didn't know where to look - and at the same time knew too well.

That was not to say they were the only ones blushing. Asuna was very red, and kept stealing glances at Kirito when she thought the boy wasn't looking at her - and both jumped and looked away when their gazes met.

'Oh?'

Someone else who was flushed was Ran. The normally stoic swordswoman was in direct contrast with her sister - Yuuki was splashing around with Merida and Silica without a care in the world. But the eldest twin was nervous, and when Drifter followed her gaze, he discovered she was looking at a familiar ash-haired player. And Nautilus seemed to be directing just as much interest in her direction.

"When did that happen?"

He quietly nudged Yuna and pointed out what he saw. There were two almost-couples on Reaver's Requiem that were obvious to anyone with eyes, although neither was official yet. Kirito and Asuna were one, as were Drifter and Yuna.

A certain grumpy archer and a hyperactive girl were another possible couple, although Drifter was quite sure he was the only one who had noticed it for now. But Nautilus and Ran... He really wasn't expecting that pairing. And apparently, neither had Yuna seen it coming.

"I didn't... Now that you mention it, Naut really has been spending a lot of time with her. How didn't I notice it before?"

The songstress seemed positively appalled that she had missed the developing crush of her childhood friend. So much wasted teasing potential! Drifter chuckled.

"They are both very quiet. I'm glad, though. I was really worried..."

Drifter caught himself and stopped talking, but the damage was already done. Yuna squinted her eyes at him.

"Oh? Worried about what?"

Drifter could have avoided the question. This was neither the time nor the place to talk about this, with all their friends around them. But also, was there ever a good place or time for this type of discussion? He pursed his lips and sighed.

"I was worried that I was driving a wedge between you and Nautilus. And also between him and myself. And... Argh, this is embarrassing."

Drifter paused, but Yina's expectant gaze pushed him forward.

"It feels really bad to say this, but I'm kinda glad Nautilus moved on. Not just for him - although that's also true! But also 'cause... Well... I have less competition now."

Drifter didn't mention that Nautilus was the only competition he was worried about. He knew that if Yuna was to choose anyone over him, it would be Nautilus. And he couldn't fault that, although it would certainly hurt. Yuna and Nautilus grew up together, while he had only known her for a few - admittedly eventful - months.

So yes, Drifter was happy Nautilus had moved on from Yuna. And he did feel a little bad for feeling like that, but not much. He and the shield-bearer had talked before.

"Less competition, huh? What am I, a prize?"

Maybe the words were meant to be scathing remarks, but Yuna couldn't hide the mirth in her eyes and the way her lips curled. But if she thought this was enough to scare him, she was in for a rude awakening. Drifter had been thinking of this for a long time, he just lacked an opportunity. Well, he had it now.

"Yes. Definitely. The best prize."

Stunned, Yuna opened her mouth, but no words came out. Drifter smiled gently.

"Later, okay? Here's not the best place to say... Everything."

"Mm."

While everyone else seemed pretty focused on their own conversations - or in the splash war rather had now extended to cover half of the hot spring - Drifter really would rather have this talk in private. Yuna nodded quietly, but her eyes sparkled. Drifter grabbed her hand underwater and squeezed it for a brief moment before letting go.

"On that note, I think I might not be the only one planning something. Our dear guild leader seems to have gathered his resolve too."

Yuna looked at Kirito when hearing the off-handed remark. It was true. There certainly seemed to be a certain intent behind the way Kirito looked at Asuna which wasn't there before. Clearing the Elf War campaign had taken a burden off all of their shoulders in more ways than one.

"Tomorrow is sure to be interesting. But for now... Kizmel, since you are apparently a player now, we should probably teach you what that means and how it works."

The others stared at Drifter when he spoke, some warningly. Telling Kizmel she is - was - just an NPC in a game surely wouldn't go down well. Drifter wasn't sure this was a conversation he ever planned on having. But now, he had in mind the more practical aspects of being a player. The spearman gestured at the air, pulling up a panel invisible to everyone but him.

"You see, Kizmel, there's a lot that comes with being a player. The first is the green line on the top left of your vision. We call that a health points bar, or HP bar for short. It is... Your life, I think that's the best way to describe it. As long as that bar doesn't reach zero, you won't die. Even severed limbs will recover naturally after your HP is back to full and a set amount of time."

Kizmel's jaw dropped, and she looked at Drifter like he was insane, but that look soon went away. She trusted him, even if she found what he said hard to believe.

"R-Really?"

"I swear on it. It happened to me once, on the 5th floor. Disconcerting as all hell, but after half an hour, I had my arm back."

"I had noticed you recovered remarkably fast from injuries. I did not expect it to be due to your status as a player."

Drifter chuckled.

"If that surprises you, wait until you hear the rest. Next up, levels. It's the big number right next to your HP, and it should be about the same as ours. By killing enemies, you gain experience, and once you have enough, you level up. When that happens - swipe down with two fingers of your right hand."

Kizmel did as she was told, and jumped when her menu popped up in front of her. The Reavers laughed, but not maliciously.

"W-What is this?!"

"Your menu. It's set to private, so no one else can see it but you. We can show you how to change that later, if you want, although my recommendation is to keep it invisible whenever you are not showing something to someone. But let's get back on track. On the first tab on the right, you'll find..."

Like that, Drifter - with his friends chiming in from time to time - spent the next twenty minutes explaining to Kizmel how the menu worked, from stats to skills, inventory, the friends and message features, and everything else he and the others considered important. Seeing Kizmel's mouth open wide enough to fit an egg when she discovered she could put on and take off her armor with a click had all of the players howling with laughter.