An Extra’s POV

"Shouldn't you be in a hurry? You have to pick up some people, right?"

Esme's voice echoed in Rey's ears as they neared their Inn. Despite hearing it, Rey hardly reacted or changed the steady pace at which he walked.

"It's fine." He simply responded. "I sent a Duplicate a while back."

"R-really? I didn't notice!" Esme expressed surprise, to which Rey chuckled and shrugged.

"Yeah. I did it pretty quickly. Hid it well too."

With his wide array of Skills, it wasn't a difficult thing to do. In any case, the only reason he was able to talk to Noah for so long despite his busy schedule was due to that arrangement.

"I wanted to pick them up myself, but I guess plans change." He smiled softly, shrugging again.

Something about the atmosphere felt moody for some reason. Rey didn't even know why, but he suddenly felt a lull within him.

Perhaps a moment of silence was what he needed.

"Friend of yours?" Unfortunately, Esme wouldn't let him have that.

"Yeah. You could say that."

Rey didn't think he treated Noah as well as he should have treated a friend, but he genuinely considered him one.

After all, he was the first and only person who he revealed his secret to.

"Has he seen your face behind the mask?" Esme's question made Rey laugh a little.

He replied still.

"For him, and the people we had in common, the mask was my secret."

It was pretty ironic how the opposite was true for Esme. Regardless, he could say that Noah was the only one who knew both sides pretty well.

'Back then, I didn't think Ralyks would up playing such a big role. If I had known that, would I still have exposed my identity to him?'

Rey wasn't sure. All he knew was that Noah was incredibly useful at the time, and it would have been difficult to achieve the things he was able to without his help.

Difficult, not impossible.

your secret is safe with him?"Esme

What do

but the smile on her face

but he chose to ignore it

my secret. Besides, I could always compel him to

it back then? It would have been the safest bet, right?" It felt like Esme was driving at something, but Rey wasn't in

so, he ignored the subtexts that existed

clean to the rest of my friends once this entire Dungeon thing

What does that have to do

identity being exposed is because I don't want them—no, her—to think negatively of me." Rey

job at capturing his face, but thankfully the nearby lights that decorated

He appeared tired.

also going to get problematic explaining why

"You mean 'your' power."

sighed in exasperation, to which Esme just

truth. I don't want to limit my

Esme nodding and smiling at him, so he quickly added something else. "That doesn't mean I'll show you my

"C-come on!"

when you pout

same about you since I DON'T EVEN KNOW

shrugged. "So there's no need to say

after hearing what Rey said. She clearly didn't want to push too much, and Rey really

he was talking about, that was you, right?" As usual, Esme changed the topic to something

conversing, but he liked that

to be honest." He laughed slightly, staring high into the

"…"

in the quietness around him. It allowed him to

I wanted to tell him that I was Rey,

"So why didn't you?"

barely audible answer danced in his ears, Rey parted his lips and let words accompany the cool mist that

he's growing nicely, and this new life suits him. I think… if I showed up like this—out of the blue—it might

"I see…"

"Yeah…"

of them remained still, Rey looking at the blank sky

in silence for an unknown

But, someone finally spoke.