SAO Vol 2 Ch 3 Apple Tree Man

"Considering that, don't you think there're too little people around?"

"When you point it out that way... Maybe they're gathered around the market?"

However, entering the main street from the plaza, even as they drew close to
the market area with shops and carts lined up, the streets remained quiet. The
random touting from the energetic NPC shopkeepers echoed futilely through
the streets.

Despite that, they were able to find a man sitting under a large tree in the
middle of the street, and Asuna approached and tried calling out to him.

"Ah, excuse me."

The man, staring upwards towards the treetops with an oddly serious expression,
spoke as though it was a bother, without adjusting his view.

"What is it."

"Well... Around this area, are there any places that act as a space for searching
for people?"

Hearing those words, the man finally shifted his vision towards Asuna. He
scrutinized Asuna's face without reserve.

"What, so you were an outsider."

"Ah, yes. Well... we're kind of trying to look for the guardians of this child..."

She pointed at Yui, dozing off while held in Kirito's arms, behind her.

Garbed in a plain uniform that made it hard to determine his class, the man
widened his eyes slightly when he gave a fleeting glance at Yui, but he soon
moved his view back to the treetops.

"...A lost child, huh, that's rare. ...At the church beside the river of the seventh
district in the east, there's a bunch of kid players gathered and living there, so
try there."

"Th- Thank you."

Able to get ahold of surprisingly promising information, Asuna quickly bowed
her head. Having done that, she tried putting out another question.

"Ahh... Just what, are you doing over here? And also, why are there so little
people around?"

Even as the man made a grimace, he replied, apparently not as bothered as he
might appear.

"That would be a classified secret, or so I would like to say. Well, seeing as
you're outsiders... Look, you can see it, right? That high branch over there."

Asuna followed the path of the man's outstretched finger. The overhanging
branches of the sizable trees by the road were vividly dyed in the colors of
autumn, but if you were to focus and stare at them, you could spot several
yellow fruits, springing up in the shadows of the leaves.

"Of course, as the roadside trees are indestructible objects, even if you climb it,
you won't even be able to get a single leaf off it."

The man continued his words.

"Everyday, there's a few times when that fruit falls down... There's only a few
minutes before it rots and disappears, but if you don't miss that chance and
manage to pick it up, you can sell it to the NPC for quite a bit. Not to mention it
tastes pretty good."

"Ohhh."

For Asuna, who had mastered her cooking skill, discussions about ingredient
items were of remarkable interest.

"Around how much does it go for?"

"...Don't spread this around. For each of them, five coll."

"..."

Looking upon the man's proud expression, Asuna was unintentionally rendered
speechless. She was surprised by just how cheap the price was. In that case,
toiling by clinging onto this tree for the entire day did not quite match up with
the results.

"Ah, well... In that case, it's not quite worth it, or rather... If you were to just
defeat a single worm in the field, you could get thirty coll."

At the moment she said that, the man stared in wonder this time. He did not
quite accuse her of not being right in the head, but turned towards Asuna with
an expression showing how absurd he thought it was.

"You seriously saying that. If you were to go and fight monsters in the field...
You might actually die, wouldn't you."

"..."

Asuna could not think up a reply. It was just as the man had said; fighting
against monsters always had the danger of death accompanying it. But with the
current mentality of Asuna, it was like worrying about meeting with a traffic
accident while crossing the road in the real world all day and night; there was
no use getting scared over it.

Whether her own senses towards death in SAO have been dulled, or whether
the man was being overly nervous, being unable to judge that in an instant,
Asuna stood motionlessly still. Probably, neither of them could be considered
as correct. At the Starting City, what the man had said was definitely common
sense.