SAO: I replaced him?

The Starting Town of SAO had a strange, eerie silence to it now. It wasn't like a normal MMO, where players bustled about in excitement, crafting, selling, and running quests. No—tonight, after Kayaba Akihiko's terrifying announcement, most players were either panicking in the town square or frozen in their own fear.

Because tonight, everything changed.

And yet, for Morin, the first order of business was something incredibly simple.

"Alright, let's eat."

The moment he and Asuna stepped into the town's inn, he made a beeline for an empty wooden table near the entrance. The first floor of the inn was almost empty, save for a few NPCs standing idly behind the counter, their expressions frozen in that uncanny neutral smile. It was clear that none of the players had even thought about coming here yet.

After all, why would they? They had just found out they were trapped.

Asuna, who had been quiet ever since they left the square, hesitated. "But… shouldn't we be saving money?"

Morin blinked. "Huh?"

She glanced at the menu floating in front of her. "I mean… we only started with 100 Cor, right? If we waste money on food, won't we struggle later?"

For a brief moment, Morin just stared at her before letting out a chuckle. "Wow. Even in a death game, you're thinking about budgeting?"

Asuna's face flushed. "I-I'm just being logical!"

Shaking his head in amusement, Morin tapped the ordering menu and confirmed their food. Soon, an NPC arrived with their meals: two servings of white bread and vegetable broth.

The moment the scent of the warm broth hit Asuna's nose, her stomach loudly growled.

She immediately stiffened, her face turning an even deeper shade of red.

Morin smirked. "Uh-huh. And you were saying something about saving money?"

"…Shut up."

Still, despite her embarrassment, Asuna reached for the bread and took a small, cautious bite. The taste was simple—just plain wheat and a hint of salt—but somehow, it was comforting. The broth, too, was basic, just seasoned water with floating bits of greens. But after hours of stress and anxiety, it felt like the best thing she had ever eaten.

She tried to eat slowly, maintaining her usual dining etiquette, but Morin caught the way she kept sneaking glances at his plate.

He smirked. "You can ask for seconds, you know."

Asuna immediately straightened up. "I-I wasn't—!"

"Uh-huh." He ripped off a piece of his own bread and tossed it onto her plate. "Eat up, Lady Yuuki. We've got a long road ahead of us."

Despite her flustered state, she hesitated only a second before taking the extra bread.

As they finished eating, Morin leaned back in his chair, his usual teasing expression fading into something more serious.

"Alright, Asuna. Let's talk."

The tone of his voice made Asuna stiffen. "About…?"

"Our situation," he said simply. "You do understand what Kayaba's announcement meant, right?"

Asuna clenched her hands into fists. "…We're trapped here. And if we die in the game, we die in real life."

"Exactly." Morin tapped the table. "And the only way to escape? Someone has to clear all 100 floors."

The weight of those words settled over Asuna like a boulder.

"Now," Morin continued, watching her carefully. "Most players are probably gonna do one of two things: either they'll stay in the Starting Town, hiding behind the safety zone, hoping someone else beats the game for them… or they'll take up their swords and fight."

Asuna sucked in a breath.

"You're saying… I have to choose between those two?"

Morin nodded. "Pretty much."

She bit her lip, her hands trembling slightly. "But… I've never fought before. I don't even know how…"

"That's fine," he said, his tone surprisingly gentle. "No one expects you to be a pro on day one. But the question is—do you want to fight?"

Asuna didn't answer right away.

Her mind raced. She thought about her family, her home. She thought about her parents, who had always expected perfection from her, who had groomed her to be a high-class lady with no room for distractions.

And yet… she had wanted a distraction.

That was why she had even picked up the NerveGear in the first place.

She had wanted to escape, just for a little while.

And now… she was stuck.

The idea of fighting terrified her. But the idea of sitting in the Starting Town, just waiting, felt even worse.

"I… I don't know."

Morin studied her for a moment before sighing. "Alright. You don't have to decide now. Rest for tonight. Think about it. Give me an answer in a few days."

Asuna hesitated, then slowly nodded. "…Okay."

After finishing their conversation, Asuna rented a room for herself, hesitating for just a second before stepping inside.

Morin watched the door close and sighed dramatically.

"Well, there goes the classic 'accidental one-room scenario.'"

He chuckled to himself before stretching. In truth, he had no doubt about Asuna's decision—after all, in the original timeline, she had chosen to fight. He was just curious to see how long it would take her to reach that conclusion.

Still, for now, he had his own preparations to make. He opened his inventory, scrolling through the loot he had collected earlier.

"Alright, time to sort through this junk…"

Even though Asuna still had a decision to make, Morin was already moving forward.

Because while waiting was an option…

He had never been the waiting type.

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