Alone Together

"Alright, Sir Ralyks. I'll make sure we start working on it as fast as we can!"

The enthusiasm in Asher's face made Ralyks feel a bit guilty, but he swallowed it in.

'He's acting a bit too young now. I wonder if this is his real appearance.'

If Rey had to guess, then Asher seemed more like a younger man than someone in his thirties.

'He's in Level 99, which is pretty impressive. I would think he was older, but that Exclusive Skill of his makes me think he Levels Up faster than others.'

Of course, Rey knew this was all arbitrary, so he didn't give it much thought.

'From the looks of his Stats, it seems like he's stuck in Level 99.'

Based on what he read in the Royal Library, humans had something called 'Level Caps'

It meant that at a certain point, they couldn't get any stronger—or smarter.

They would reach a limit that was impossible to overcome, thus preventing the humans of H'Trae to grow beyond their limits.

'That's one of the reasons why people eventually rely on Enchanted Items and seek out more Skills.'

These were ways in which people could improve their abilities without relying on Levels and Stats.

'But, there's a way to overcome the Level Cap. I'm sure he knows that too…' Rey felt his smile widen.

The solution was simple.

—A higher Class!

A Commoner's Level Cap was usually Level 30, and each Tier of Classes had their limits.

From what he heard about Brutus and Lucielle, they were both in Level 150, so he had to guess that the limits of B-Tier Classes were at that point.

'C-Tier Classes seem to have a cap of 100, or should I say 99? Pretty much, I guess…'

Unfortunately for the people of H'Trae, changing Classes was a very difficult thing to do—especially past the C-Tier.

Rey was sure that even if the 'Heir' Class changed into 'Obsidian Councilor', it would still be a C-Tier Class.

The effects would change, sure, but the Class' Tier would remain the same.

It was very rare for people have B-Tier Classes.

'But that's enough about Asher. I should get to the serious matters.' Rey sighed silently as he glanced at the girl that stood at the corner.

"I'd like to have a private chat with her. Could you excuse us?"

Asher rose to his feet without question, nodding as he did so.

"Understood. I will be taking my leave now."

True to his word, Asher left the couch and left the room in a jiffy—almost as if he was in a hurry even,

Once he was gone, only Rey and Esme remained in the lounge.

'Well… this is a little awkward.'

Rey pulled himself together and decided to fully immerse himself in his Ralyks persona.

"You can sit down now. I've confirmed the seat won't harm you in any way. I've also cast Sound Magic, and taken other defensive measures to ensure you'll be safe, undetected, and unharmed."

Rey said this mechanically, almost as if he too was an unfeeling machine.

As he gazed at her, he maintained his posture.

'What will you do now…?' His thoughts trailed as a few seconds of silence passed.

Much to his relief, she finally moved from her position and collapsed on the couch.

Her body slightly bounced as she did so, and once again, her face twitched.

'Is it uncomfortable?' Rey couldn't tell since her expression returned to the stoic kind in no time at all.

'I can't get a read on her at all.'

It felt like a chore to get through this, especially considering how she looked his age.

'I mean, Alicia is also a girl and I get along perfectly well with her. What's causing so much friction here?'

Rey seemed to be ignoring the fact that he was currently Ralyks, and he had an imposing aura around him.

The girl before him was also far prettier than Alicia, though her proportions were a bit lacking.

If Trisha was on the high side, and Alicia was on the medium, well proportioned side… then Esme—the Half-Elf before him— could be said to be on the low end.

She wasn't flash as a washboard, but she also wasn't particularly endowed with the curves that his two female classmates had.

… Not that it diminished her beauty in any way.

"A-ahem! In any case, I just want to tell you that I have no intentions of hurting you. You're safe here, I can assure you of that."

Even though this was technically the Black Market, and the people here were cold-blooded killers, he could guarantee that no harm would come to her.

Rey didn't know if that would be enough, and she could take his words for it.

Fortunately for him, he didn't have to wonder for too long.

"I believe you."

Her sonorous voice was like music to his ears, causing his tense body to relax.

Her bright blue eyes glowed, and a small smile spread across her cute face.

This was the first time he was seeing her smile, and his heart neatly skipped a beat—maybe two, or three.

'S-she looks even… prettier!'

Rey never thought that was even possible, but apparently… it was!

'She's using her [Absolute Appraisal] Skill on me, huh?'

He laughed a little awkwardly, feeling a little too exposed as she did so.

He practically felt naked.

'It's uncomfortable, but it can't be helped. If it helps her trust me, then okay. Besides, she already knows my identity, so…'

It wasn't like he didn't do the same to her anyway, so there was no use getting caught up in that.

"You're a good person." Her words shocked Rey as her melodious voice danced in the air.

Rey felt his heart race as he looked at her smile once again; this time even brighter than before.

As her moist lips opened to form even more words, Rey found his eyes focusing on them.

"To see such a strong, yet good person here… I'm relieved."