one in the trade section. «Silver Thread Armor», «Ebon Dagger»… They were all equipments that she had never even seen before. “Errm…” When she opened her mouth hesitantly, the boy explained casually: “These should cover for about five, six levels. If I go with you I suppose it’ll be fine.” “What…?” Silica stood up with her mouth slightly open. She couldn’t tell what the boy was thinking, so she looked directly into his face. But because of the SAO system, all she could see was his HP bar; she couldn’t even figure out his name or level. It was hard to tell how old he was. His equipment was entirely black. The force and calmness that radiated from him made it seem like he was several years older than her, but the eyes that were covered by his long bangs appeared somewhat innocent, and the feminine facial lines gave him a slightly girlish look. Silica asked carefully: “Why… are you being so kind…?” To tell the truth, she was more wary than anything else. Up till now, a couple of male players who had been much older than her had tried to gain her love; she had even received a proposal once. To Silica, who was only thirteen, these experiences brought her nothing but fear. She had never received even a confession in the real world.