Money Can Buy Everything

060: The Naughty Kid Confuses Parents

The exclamation of "Dad" from the girl in white was truly astonishing.

Although not loud, it possessed a power that penetrated the hearts of everyone, as if it had a magical force. Instantly, the joyful expressions on everyone's faces were slapped away, leaving only the most straightforward monologue revealed from the depths of their hearts.

Agil and Klein's faces flashed with surprised expressions, but being adults, they had seen countless bizarre and sensational news, far more than students. For a moment, both of them had peculiar expressions on their faces, best described as two guys restraining their gossiping thoughts with awkward faces.

If Agil and Klein showing such expressions could be considered normal, on the side, Lizbeth, why are you covering your mouth and giggling!

Clearly, the word "gossip" on her face was about to burst out, nearly overflowing!

The most innocent one might be Silica. Silica looked at Momo in astonishment, then curiously at the girl who seemed a little younger than herself, with question marks filling her mind.

Her little brain couldn't quite comprehend the strange logic relationship that had appeared in this moment.

Equally innocent and naive was our original protagonist, Kirito-kun. Kirito-kun was so pure that he only showed surprise, not knowing whether he was surprised by the sudden appearance of the little girl or by the fact that the little girl called Momo "Dad."

On the other side, Sachi's face had a slightly weird color, and she calmly stood in front of Kirito, pulling him behind her, making Kirito even more puzzled. Was Sachi trying to get a better look?

Well, Kirito naturally didn't mind, but what's there to see?

Kirito stood behind Sachi indifferently. He didn't understand Sachi's subconscious actions: "Absolutely cannot let Kirito go astray. Kirito's future is for me to shape!"

The most bizarre ones were the three people on the spot.

Argo maintained a posture of turning around to grab the girl in white, but even with her agility, she couldn't catch this flexible little figure, and the girl pounced onto Momo.

"Hey, Momo, when did you snatch Yui? Why didn't I know?"

Only the one who had been sitting on top of Momo's head, the bored Reimu, still had the leisure to tease Momo. She pretended to be surprised and said, "I get it now. You finally couldn't resist the urge in your heart, right! Are you abandoning the dignity of a civilized person, indulging your desires, and admitting your interest in little girls!"

"Tsk tsk, letting a little girl call you dad, it's really shameless! I overestimated you. Is being a ghost father really your true nature?"

Momo communicated with Reimu in a flat tone, "Since you don't know, how could I know? You've been within ten meters of me all the time. Do you think I have a chance to leave you and go pull Yui over?"

"According to the original plot, where Yui is located is in the Black Iron Palace below the first layer. Not only are there high-level monsters guarding it, but there's also a level 94 boss defending. Do you think I can now wield a level 40 excellent weapon and cut through all the way?"

Reimu was, of course, just joking. She grabbed a strand of Momo's hair, put it in her mouth, and said, "What's going on? Logically, she shouldn't be here no matter what. According to the original plot, she's supposed to be in the forest on this floor, right?"

"And, if I remember correctly, her appearance should be after players reach level 50, a year after SAO starts. The timing doesn't match either."

Momo interjected, saying, "There could be a time difference, but it shouldn't be this significant. Moreover, it seems Yui was inside this house just now. But according to the system settings, the house should be inaccessible until it's sold."

"But if it's Yui, it's possible she broke into this house, right?"

"Oh right! In the original story, could it be that Yui was secretly hiding in this house, and when Kirito and Asuna moved in, Yui had nowhere to hide, so she escaped to the forest, turning into a white ghost?"

"Heh heh, just as I thought! Absolutely! I, Reimu, didn't expect to have a talent for deduction. How about that? I've figured out the truth. Come on, praise me!"

"Alright, I'll reward you with 100,000 Col to replenish your decency– Oh, come on, stop kidding!"

Momo used his consciousness to prevent Reimu's shameless behavior of pulling hair, concluding, "In any case, I didn't do this, and it even goes beyond my expectations. Now that I think about it, it might be a coincidence, but if it's not a coincidence..."

A mysterious smile appeared on Momo's lips as he continued, "Kayaba, did you have a hand in this? What are you planning to do?"

"Kayaba? He dares to make a move? Wasn't he scared off by you?"

"No, precisely because these past few months have been calm and undisturbed. No one has bothered me. Kayaba has been pretending to focus on his alter ego, Heathcliff, which made me feel uneasy."

"Akihiko Kayaba is a stubborn and crazy mad scientist, do you think he would be afraid of me? Even if I have countless wealth and trading rights, would he obediently let me destroy his game and become the protagonist of this story?"

Reimu nodded, saying, "I see, so it's sort of his final counterattack? Well, his move is a bit inexplicable. What can Yui do by coming here?"

Momo, however, pondered, saying, "If Yui doesn't use system privileges, she's just an ordinary NPC without combat power. It may seem like she can't do much, but that doesn't mean she's powerless."

"I made an agreement with him. If he doesn't modify the system anymore, I won't destroy the SAO server. Perhaps this is the reason he took so much time to prepare. After all, he can only use the means of a player to unite all the forces he can use."

Momo's eyes flashed, and several names crossed his mind.

"Kibaou... Diavel... Could it be you two? As for Yui... If you really had her do this, Kayaba, I might lose respect for you."

Momo and Reimu exchanged seemingly a lot, but the speed of their conscious communication was extremely fast. In reality, Momo just seemed a bit lost in thought.

The girl in white hugged Momo's waist, lifted her head, seemingly curious why Momo didn't respond, tilted her head, and called out again, "Daddy."

"Momo..."

At this moment, Asuna spoke.

Her calm tone gave people an eerie feeling. Argo, who was maintaining her grabbing posture, seemed to retract her hand as if she had been electrocuted. The others behind Asuna quickly adjusted their emotions, turning their expressions from strange to a serious demeanor.

Even Klein held his chin, squinting his eyes, revealing the appearance of a famous detective, although he was still constructing Momo's romantic past in his mind.

"Uh, Asuna!"

Before Momo could answer, Argo interrupted.

Her lips trembled slightly, not sure if it was nervousness or hesitation. Finally, she said, "Well, there must be a misunderstanding. The moment I opened the door, this girl ran out. And judging by her appearance, she should be only seven or eight years old, definitely unaware of what she's saying!"

"Asuna, Momo and I– really–"

Argo's words became incoherent. The previously smooth language turned stuttered when Asuna turned her gaze towards them, making Argo's face alternately red and white.

"Argo..."

Asuna spoke again.

"I'm here, Asuna! What are your instructions!"

Argo's throat moved, immediately straightening her body.

Watching Argo's performance, Agil and Klein looked at each other, understanding the obscenity in each other's eyes. They showed a "you know" smile. Suddenly, they noticed Silica looking at them, seemingly seeking their help to understand what was going on.

So, in an instant, the two returned to detective mode, as if the strange smiles on their faces just now were illusions.

"Argo..."

Asuna took a step forward, and Argo nervously clenched her fists. She knew that her biggest test had come.

Normally, at this point, she should immediately deny any connection with Momo, even swear an oath if necessary, just to regain Asuna's trust. Everything should be straightforward.

But the words got stuck in her throat. Argo couldn't bring herself to say the words because a consciousness flowed in her mind, suggesting that, instead of being disliked and hated by Asuna, it might be even more unacceptable to truly sever ties with Momo.

‘What's wrong with me? Asuna is right here– I really—’

"...Are you okay? Why are you so nervous?"

"Huh?"

Asuna's tone was still normal. She walked up, patted Argo's head, suddenly smiled, and said, "Oh, I forgot. This is a game. Even if you feel uncomfortable, you can express it."

"Are you really okay?"

Argo blinked, and Asuna's tone at this moment didn't seem like a pretense. It was no different from the friendly Asuna she knew, with no apparent difference.

What's going on?

Argo stared at Asuna carefully, as if seeing a ghost. This made Asuna uncomfortable, and she said, "Argo– What are you looking at? It's not the time to fool around now!"

"You– don't you want to ask what's going on with this little girl?"

"What's going on?"

It seemed the little girl heard Argo's words. She turned her head to look at Argo and then at Momo. Seeing that Momo still didn't respond to her, she let go of him and pounced into Argo's arms.

"Ah, be careful! What if you fall!"

Argo subconsciously cared in a concerned tone, making the onlookers show even more gossipy expressions on their faces. Argo was also vaguely aware of something, and her body stiffened again, looking at Asuna.

Asuna, however, no longer paid attention to Argo but looked at the little girl with a curious gaze.

"Mommy, Daddy ignores me!"

The words the little girl said to Argo made the atmosphere in the room instantly become strange.