What exactly should one cut?
Kirito had never considered such a philosophical question before. His sword was always used to clear every obstacle in his path… perhaps, in that other world, he could say he drew his blade for Asuna's sake. But what about now?
"Yare yare, Kirigaya Kazuto. Actually, I'm quite familiar with your story."
The moment the man uttered that name, Kirito's pupils visibly contracted.
Since arriving in this world, he had never told anyone his name, yet this man—who he was meeting for the first time—stated it with absolute certainty!
"Is this really okay?"
The man held a scalpel, absentmindedly spinning it in his hand. The silver gleam flickered in the shadow of the oil lamp, illuminating the room. This time, his voice seemed to carry an almost supernatural magnetism.
"Is it really okay to just leave Asuna there all alone?"
"You!" Suddenly agitated, Kirito tried to struggle out of his sickbed. However, the sharp pain radiating from his chest and abdomen slammed his body back down onto the far-from-soft mattress.
"What do you understand?" Kirito didn't give up; he gritted his teeth and continued, seemingly venting all his resentment at once. "If I could go back… if I could go back, I wouldn't stay here for a single second!"
"Ah, that's true enough." Chu Feng didn't have any extreme reaction. He even turned around, putting his back to Kirito. "Escaping a 'World' is such an impossible task, after all."
He spoke the words slowly, emphasizing every syllable. This sentence plunged Kirito into a long silence.
"Escaping… a world?..."
"Yeah," Chu Feng turned back around with a smile, looking calmly at the young boy. "Actually, I don't quite get it. You had the courage to break through a world where a 'God' restricted everything, yet you don't have the courage to escape from a free world?"
"No… that's not it! It's just…"
"No more questions." Chu Feng sat by the bed. In that moment, the weight of nearly a thousand years of wisdom made him appear almost grandfatherly. "The so-called 'result' is merely your own decision."
…Night had fallen. A cool sea breeze blew across the merchant ship from the South Blue. The waves rocked the vessel like a beautiful lullaby, but tonight, the boy known as Kirigaya Kazuto was destined to lose sleep.
He closed his eyes, but his mind was filled with the man's final piece of advice:
"The things the sword cuts are the thorns on the path home."
[The "Wounds Healed" Timeskip Divider]
About three or four days later, Kirito had completely recovered from his injuries. He accepted Chu Feng's invitation to travel with him as his physician's assistant.
That's right—a journey to find a way home.
"Ah, is your body feeling alright now?"
"Yes, thanks to your treatment, Doctor, I'm fine now." Kirito tried swinging Elucidator behind his back. For the first time since arriving in this world, a rare smile appeared on his face.
"Don't mention it," Chu Feng scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed. "I got a little carried away during the excitement and accidentally crushed your liver."
Chu Feng said it with the same casual tone one might use to say, "I accidentally gave you a cold."
"…Eh?" Kirito's movements froze instantly. Crushed my liver?!
"Don't worry! I very carefully restored it to its original state afterward!"
Hey, hey, hey! What's with that 'thumbs up' and the 'hurry up and praise me' look on your face?!
At that thought, Kirito subconsciously touched his abdomen—there isn't a mess of random fragments inside me now, is there?!
For some reason, Kirito felt the future of this little boat was looking very bleak.
Today, after stocking up on enough food and fresh water, Chu Feng and Kirito left the ship they had been staying on. They departed amidst the tearful farewells of the entire crew, setting off on their journey in a small boat named the "Explorer."
Ah, I wonder how little Robin is doing. Resting his chin in his hand and looking into the distance, Chu Feng suddenly missed his days in Ohara. A daily life that peaceful probably won't happen again.
"So, Dr. Chu Feng, where are we headed next?"
"About that, I already have a plan." Chu Feng pushed up his glasses, the light reflecting off them completely obscuring his eyes. Regardless of the look, Kirito felt an overwhelming sense of impending doom… was it just his imagination?!
"Next stop: The Calm Belt!"
"NANI!?"
"Heh heh heh, this is why you're still too green, Kirito." Looking at the terrified Kirito, Chu Feng smirked again. "If the ultimate goal is to get home, then shaking off those annoying Marine pursuers is essential. But on the vast ocean, relying on speed to escape is impossible for us since we aren't experts at sailing. Therefore, we must change our thinking!"
"Change our… thinking?"
"Exactly! As long as we go somewhere their ships can't reach, we win!"
"Ah… that's a decent proposal, Doctor. But if ships can't get there, how are WE supposed to get there?!"
"Don't worry, Assistant Kirito!" Chu Feng flashed another big smile and gave a thumbs up. "I've prepared in advance. Anshin shiro (Rest easy)~~"
Kirito facepalmed hard. The journey had only just begun, and he already had a very bad feeling about this.
Three days later, when Chu Feng furled the sails and smilingly lifted a section of the deck at the edge of the Calm Belt, that premonition came true.
That was… a bicycle pedal mechanism!!!
So you mean you installed a propeller underneath this thing ages ago?!
"Hah hah," Chu Feng patted the boy's head with zero self-awareness. "Use your own two legs to bravely charge forward!"
"Screw you!!"
"I don't remember ever agreeing to do something like this!"