An Extra’s POV

Esme wasn't wrong in the slightest.

Rey already realized it, but he really felt like he could be himself around her.

The first time he transformed to his true self, only with the mask on, in front of her, it was such a subconscious action that he didn't even realize it until she asked if it was really him underneath the mask.

He had just gotten so comfortable around her.

'Well, I guess she can see right through me…' His smile was hidden under the dark mask, unseen by the girl in front of him.

Before the silence continued for too long, Esme raised up another topic that completely shifted the mood of the conversation.

"Why did you get back so early, though? The meeting didn't take very long, I'm guessing."

As she asked this question, Rey instantly remembered the entire thing that happened in the Guildmaster's office—including how frustrated he felt back then.

"It didn't take long? Are you kidding? It took too long!" His back fell on the bed as he whined, not seeing the smile that Esme gave him as she rested her head on one hand.

"That bad, huh?"

"Yeah! The worst part was that I had to act engaged or things would seem off." He added, sighing to himself.

Whenever he was with Esme, this pathetic side of himself just managed to ooze out and he felt like he could vent all he wanted.

Though, sometimes, Rey wondered if he wasn't being excessive.

"Well, if it took so long why are you back so soon?" As soon as he heard that question, Rey thought back to when he stopped the sensory sharing experience the moment they left the Adventurers Guild.

From that point on, his duplicate's body was on autopilot.

'Alicia is definitely going to chew me out later!' He thought to himself, nearly clenching his teeth in obvious guilt.

In Rey's defense, though, he had serious matters to discuss with Esme regarding their plans going forward, unlike the more casual conversation he would have had with Alicia.

In essence, he was choosing business over pleasure—a truly disciplined move.

Yes… that was his true reason!

"In any case, we should get to the serious stuff, Esme." Rey said, returning to an upright sitting posture.

"Alright, alright."

little tense as both parties

Guildmaster's

"Pfft…"

funny?" Rey asked, wondering

I'm so sorry, carry

the better of him. He just had to know what caused her to laugh like

"Just say it."

"No, it's really nothing."

like this. Say

you, it's really

it's nothing, then say

worry about it.

"Esme!"

Grandmaster's plan

Guildmaster! Also, just

"Yeah, yeah…"

"Come on!"

of time,

"…."

more back and forths, the room finally quieted down. Despite not using any Skills or even moving from their positions, the two had just engaged in

winner was,

Rey gritted his teeth

still curious about the source of her laughter, but he decided to ignore the nagging feeling

over pleasure, after

together with the other Heroic

plan was to function as a Party of two and grind in the

the rest of the group just for the freedom

restrict us, as well as the EXP gained from the entire expedition."

wanted to refuse the Guildmaster's plan, but there was really no

solid strategy, and it will yield the overall best results for the

he had generated, so

with the plan shows just how effective it

became the sole contrarians, it would go against everything he had been building

that,

a really bad arrangement." Esme's voice woke him