The Wolf Of SAO ( Sword Art Online Anime x OC/male reader insert)

Chapter 83 Swordcraft Academy

(A/N) I don't have the means to write out this full portion of this section due to not having the Light Novel, so I'll just use the overview from the wiki.

No one's POV

Under orders from its master, a small, sentient observer had begun secretly traveling with Eugeo and Nhazul ever since their departure from Rulid Village. Throughout it's observation of the two boys on their journey as they began working for the Woldes, a family of farmers living outside Zakkaria, while waiting for their opportunity to take part in the Norlangarth North Area Swordsmanship Competition, the observer came to understand the reason for its master's interest in the boys, as Nhazul had an abnormal proclivity for rule-breaking to the extent of nearly violating the Taboo Index.

Now 163 days into the observation of the two boys, on the eve of the tournament in Zakkaria, the creature watched as the boys sleet in the farmers' stable, ruminating on its own unusual attachment to them. While it was not intended to feel emotions of any kind, it nevertheless desired to stay with them as long as possible. To that end, it used a small wind element to blow a clump of hay over. Nhazul's body as he slept to prevent him from potentially catching a cold, which would have rendered the boy unable to enter the tournament and thus effectively brought the observer's task to an end.

The next morning, while working in the stable, Eugeo and Nhazul were brought breakfast by the farmers' twin daughters, Telin and Telulu. After finishing their chores, Eugeo and Nhazul left for Zakkaria. As they approached the town's western gate, they were nearly trampled by a panicking horse, ridden by a Zakkarian sentinel. As Nhazul grabbed the horse around the neck, Eugeo removed something from the horse's hind quarter, causing it to regain its composure. The thing in question was revealed to be a swampfly that had been biting the horse, a finding that Nhazul found to be suspicious, as there were no swamps for several kilolu in any direction. Thus, the boy encouraged Eugeo to be prepared for surprises as they entered the town to purchase some food before entering the tournament.

Upon reaching a large plaza in the center of town, Eugeo and Nhazul registered for the tournament. During the process, the elderly man in charge of registering entrants informed them that all the competitors would be sorted into two separate blocks, which implied the possibility of the two boys being sorted into the same block. While they contemplated the possibility of having to fight each other, Nhazul surveyed the waiting room, appraising the other entrants. Upon returning to Eugeo, he warned his partner to be wary of an apprentice boy with sandy-colored hair, as the boy seemed similar to Eugeo's childhood bully, Jink.

When the selection began a few moments later, all the entrants were prompted to draw red or blue balls from within a box to determine their block assignment. Deciding to ensure that Eugeo and Nhazul were placed in separate blocks, the observer jumped from the latter's bangs into the box when the boy reached out his hand to draw the first ball. Since Nhazul drew a blue ball, the observer lifted a red ball into Eugeo's hand, thus protecting them from encountering each other during the tournament. Just as it was about to leave the box, it recalled Nhazul's assessment of the sandy-haired apprentice. Deciding that it would be better to pit him against Nhazul than Eugeo, it waited until the apprentice's turn to draw and gave him a blue ball as well.

The first stage of the tournament began at noon and consisted of each competitor executing ten sets of forms before a panel of judges. While Eugeo performed his styles in an orthodox manner, Nhazul raced through them in an attempt to keep the judges from potentially noticing mistakes in his forms. Having observed the performances from its perch in Nhazul's hair, the observer was relieved to discover that both Eugeo and Nhazul advanced to the second stage, despite the latter's unusual performance.