Yuiha and Silver left the inn after a solid breakfast.
Nothing about them looked obviously different… and yet Silver moved like someone handling something delicate; watching every word, every gesture, as if one wrong step might crack something he couldn’t even see.
Yuiha, on the other hand, acted like herself. She talked, she smiled, she laced her fingers through his as casually as always—like nothing had changed… or like what had changed was too important to need a label.
—After everything we went through to clear that quest, I figured you’d be wearing the set while we hunt today, —she said, smirking at him from the corner of her eye.
Silver stopped dead. He looked down at himself, then let out a nervous laugh and scratched the back of his neck.
—I forgot to equip it… —he admitted, embarrassed.
—That is… so you, —Yuiha laughed.
Silver opened his menu and selected the gear almost on autopilot. The set materialized over his body instantly.
And right away, he felt it.
The armor’s weight was different. Firmer. More real.
He lifted his arm and stared at the Aegis.
It was noticeably bigger than he remembered.
He looked up…
… and found Yuiha staring at him, eyes wide.
—What? —he asked, suddenly uneasy.
—That’s… not the Warden’s Covenant set… —she managed.
Silver looked down.
The tempered plate, once a lighter, almost ceremonial blue steel, now looked sturdier, reinforced with overlapping plates across the shoulders, chest, and sides without sacrificing mobility.
The blue was gone entirely. In its place: polished silver with delicate gold accents along the edges, seams, and structural lines; like thin veins of light running through the metal. Under direct light, it didn’t shine like a mirror. It reflected a restrained warmth; regal, not flashy.
At the center of the breastplate, the old lion engraving was gone. Replaced by a queen’s crown.
Not ornate. Not exaggerated. Clean lines. Firm, almost austere; more authority than vanity. The emblem looked deeper than the rest of the design, as if it had been sealed into the metal rather than etched for decoration.
The Aegis had nearly doubled in size. It wasn’t perfectly circular anymore: it stretched slightly vertical, keeping its rounded contour but becoming a more imposing, protective silhouette.
The base metal remained silver, now threaded with symmetrical gold filigree that reinforced the sense of structure and stability. The details didn’t break the surface; they segmented it, controlling how it caught the light, as if the shield had learned to contain its own glare.
Where the lion used to be, the center was dominated by the same queen’s crown; larger and sharper than on the armor. The relief stood out strongly, casting clear shadows even in low light. From certain angles, it almost looked like the symbol floated above the metal, silent, immovable, intimidating without motion.
The boots were heavy, rising to just below the knee; built for absolute stability without locking up movement. The main structure was reinforced silver plating, articulated in sections that allowed fluid motion in combat, yet conveyed unmistakable weight and solidity at a glance.
Edges and joints carried the same subtle gold detailing seen across the set. These weren’t just decorative lines; they looked like reinforcement; especially around the ankle and shin, where the metal thickened, ready to absorb frontal impacts and forced knockback.
On the shin guards, a smaller, stylized crown motif repeated again; less prominent than on the breastplate or Aegis, but clearly recognizable. It stood out not by shine, but by depth, as if it was meant to endure, not to be admired.
The soles were wide and firm, slightly ridged; suggesting traction on ice, wet stone, unstable ground. When he moved, the boots didn’t clank loudly; they produced a muted, contained thud, the kind of sound that announced a presence that wouldn’t be moved.
Once the initial shock passed, Silver opened his menu and checked the item names.
Queen’s Warden Aegis
Queen’s Warden Tempered Plate
Queen’s Warden Stride
He frowned.
—Where’s my gear?
—Check your log, —Yuiha said.
Silver pulled up the notification history while she leaned in to read as well.
Initiating event “The Queen’s Blessing.”
Overriding system parameters>
The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Silver remembered that message… right before everything went fuzzy.
The next notification made his blood run cold.
They looked at each other.
—Gear… evolves? —Silver asked, disbelieving.
—I never saw anything like that in the beta, —Yuiha said.
They kept scrolling.
Silver opened the Aegis status window.
Rarity: Unique
Required Level: 1
He searched for stats. Bonuses. Effects.
Nothing.
He checked the armor. The boots. Still nothing.
—What the hell… —he muttered, frustrated.
Yuiha tapped two fingers to her chin, thinking. Then her eyes lit up.
—The event isn’t over.
—What?
—Think about it. There’s no message saying the event ended. Something’s missing; something that fully unlocks it.
Silver watched her, waiting.
—So what do we do?
Yuiha smiled.
—There’s exactly one person in Aincrad who can answer that.
We’re going to Floor 4.
* * * * *
April 13, 2023. 1:27 PM — Rodglan, Floor 4
Rodglan sat in an almost unnatural calm. No players on the streets, no makeshift stalls on the corners. Like many towns on the lower floors, it had lost all practical use; and with it, its visitors.
Even The Breeze Hearth, a place that had been popular in the first days for cheap, simple food, was completely empty.
Yuiha paused in front of it, staring quietly.
—Hungry? —Silver asked.
—No… just remembering something, —she said.
Silver nodded.
—This was the first place outside the Town of Beginnings where we ate together.
Yuiha smiled.
—You still remember?
—Of course. You said it was the best food on the early floors.
—And was it?
—Yeah. Those skewers are still the best thing I’ve eaten in Aincrad.
—We should stop by and see if they still have them on the menu today, —she said, naturally hooking her arm through his.
—They’d better, or they’ll lose the only customers they’ve got left.
They both laughed and kept walking.
A few minutes later, they reached Masao Horiyima’s house.
As always, the old man was seated outside. When he sensed them, he lifted his gaze.
—What brings you back to this abandoned town, boy? —he asked, sarcastic… though the emotion in his voice still leaked through.
—I came to keep my promise, —Silver said, unusually serious.
—You found the Warden’s Covenant Stride? —Horiyima asked, a spark of hope in his eyes.
—Not exactly… —Silver admitted, giving a crooked smile.
The NPC stared at him like he hadn’t been programmed for that answer.
—I found it… but it changed names.
—Changed… names? —the old man repeated, wary.
Silver stopped talking. He opened his inventory, materialized the boots, and handed them over.
Masao Horiyima took them with trembling hands.
—That’s impossible… —he whispered, voice breaking.
Only then did he look up at Yuiha. She greeted him with a small bow and a calm smile.
The old man’s eyes went wide. His expression froze.
—Is… everything okay? —Silver asked, uneasy.
—Do you have the other pieces? —Horiyima asked, his voice different now—steady, almost martial.
Silver opened the menu again and handed him the Aegis and the tempered plate.
The equipment began to glow—and equipped itself onto Masao Horiyima’s body.
The old man broke down in tears.
—I never thought I’d wear it again…
—Wear it again? —Silver echoed, startled.
Masao met his eyes. For the first time, Silver felt something imposing emanating from him. Not hostile; just overwhelming.
—I am Masao Horiyima. The bearer of the vow. A vow I could not fulfill. And the Queen, in her boundless mercy, entrusted me with one final duty: to wait… until a new, worthy bearer appeared.
The air around him felt heavier.
Silver couldn’t help wondering if he was still inside a game… or if he’d stepped into something else entirely.
Horiyima spoke again, now with absolute solemnity.
—Heir of the vow. Do you accept the mission of becoming the unbreakable shield this world needs?
For the first time since entering Aincrad, Silver hesitated before accepting a quest.
He knew it was “just” system narrative… and yet the weight of those words felt too real.
He glanced at Yuiha. She gave a small nod; without quite meeting his eyes… or at least, that’s what he thought.
—I accept, —Silver said, without ceremony.
Masao smiled, relieved.
—At last… I can reach her, my Queen.
The armor flared so brightly they had to shut their eyes.
When they opened them, Masao Horiyima was gone.
And the armor now rested on Silver’s body.
Obtained: Queen’s Warden Set>
—I have absolutely no idea what I just got myself into… —Silver muttered with a nervous smile.
He opened the menu to inspect the set, and almost dropped into the ground.
Queen’s Warden Set
— Max HP +15%
— Defense +12%
— Resistance +12%
— Immunity: paralysis, knockback, stun
— Damage over time received ?50%
— Passive regeneration: 7% every 10 seconds (ignores healing-block effects)
—This is… ridiculous, —Silver said, completely stunned.
—No, —Yuiha said firmly. —This is exactly what you need.
Silver looked at her, silent.
—You’ve always been a protector. Even when you fight offensively, you do it to defend someone. The world recognized you.
Yuiha stepped closer and gently brushed his cheek with her thumb.
—If there’s anyone who can be a shield for others… it’s you.
She grabbed him by the collar and made him lean down just enough to kiss him.
—Now I really believe we can clear all one hundred floors… and get out of here, —she whispered with a tender smile, not letting go.