'Is that… Esme?'
Standing behind him was an entity covered entirely in dark armor.
They wore a hooded cape, but beneath all of that was a thin-layered full-plated armor.
It even had a helmet and everything.
"You are…?" Rey asked, tilting his head to the side a little.
"It's Es… I mean, you know who I am already!"
Of course, he did! Rey could easily recognize her voice. Plus, he had also confirmed by using [Absolute Appraisal].
It really was Esme, locked in a fully armored attire.
'I mean, I told them to focus more on defense and concealing her identity when it came to her appearance, but to think they'd go this far…'
The entire armor was made from Orichalcum, though certain areas were lined with Mythril in order to ensure that her Mana Flow wasn't too disturbed.
"The inner regions that directly touch her body were designed to be very comfortable. I can assure you that your partner is not in any discomfort." Rebal finally spoke up, adding more context to the black armor that Esme donned.
"Really? Did she confirm that?" Rey shifted his gaze to Rebal.
"N-no. Actually… this is the first time we've heard her speak."
'A-ah…!' Rey's thoughts snapped as he remembered how Esme was usually silent around these people.
He wondered why she decided to speak.
'Is it because I'm here with them? Or because it could be unavoidable to communicate due to the nature of the mission?'
Either way, Rey could see from the stunned expressions of the three seated ones that they were also blown away by Esme's amazing voice.
'So it isn't just me. Whew!' He gave an internal sigh of relief.
"What are you standing there for? You should come sit and join us." Rey said to Esme before turning to the three who sat before him.
He knew his tone was a little demanding, but he had a reputation to keep among these people.
Rey could only hope Esme could pick up on that and act accordingly.
Thankfully, she didn't disappoint.
Esme sat on the chair closest to Rey, one which had been left intentionally empty since the start of the meeting.
It was as if everyone in the room already knew that it belonged to Esme—just as they thought to reserve the best seat for Rey.
'Oh well. This much is natural, I suppose.'
Rey continued on with the plan's discussions, allowing everyone else to say a few things regarding how the entire thing would play out—especially reactions to certain antics that Scylla could pull.
At the end of it all, Rey deemed it fit to first of all transport Asher to the KariBlanc Store in the Capital's Black Market, then transport Kara, Rebal, and another replica of himself to the respectable in that they would be staying in pending the time of the Dark Gathering.
Once all of this was done, the only two who remained in the Safehouse were himself and Esme.
A few seconds of silence passed as they both just stared at each other.
Then—
"You know I can't take you seriously with that helmet on, right?"
—Rey broke the silence with a snicker.
"Well, you have your mask… and I have mine." Esme smugly responded.
They both giggled after that, collapsing on the chair and laughing like little kids.
With the Ralyks persona now completely gone, and Esme able to talk a lot more freely with Rey, they soon got comfortable being alone together.
"Do you really feel comfortable inside that thing?" Rey asked Esme.
He couldn't help but suspect that she couldn't complain to them even if she felt some kind of discomfort.
"Yes, it's fine. The insides are soft, so there isn't much friction.
"I see. I see."
"I thought it would be hot, so I decided to strip before putting it on, but it had some kind of temperature regulation, so it's perfect."
The moment Rey heard some words that Esme spouted, he grew rigid instantly.
"W-wait, so you're—!"
"Naked under the armor? Yes." She responded pretty naturally.
"Why?" Rey nearly screamed. "Why did you have to tell me that? TMI!"
"TMI? What does that mean?" Esme tilted her head a little bit.
Her action looked a little clunky since she still had her helmet on.
"It means 'too much information'."
"Ohhh…" Her voice trailed and went low, almost as if she was thinking of a comeback.
Then, not long after, it came.
"I mean, you're also naked underneath your outfit, right? How is my situation so special that you'd freak out like that?"
Rey fell dead silent once Esme said that.
Esme wasn't wrong, after all. Underneath his attire he had… hold on, he had something else.
"At least I have my underwear."
"Well, under that is what? In the end, take off enough clothing, and you get a naked person."
"T-that's not the same as—!"
"I'm literally wearing a dense layer of metal. I think that's enough clothing, don't you think?"
Rey sighed and shook his head. Arguing with someone like this was impossible.
He simply had to give up and focus on the important things, else he would waste more time on the irrelevant stuff.
"Anyway, we're going to be investigating the Warehouses in the Merchant City pending the time the Dark Gathering begins. I hope you're already."
As Rey sighed, he saw Esme nodding enthusiastically.
'I'm sure she's excited. We haven't found a single slave or clue in any of the Warehouses on the map.'
Since the Merchant City was the heart of the corruption that threatened to devour the United Human Alliance, chances of finding what they sought was high.
"When do we start?" Esme asked in excitement, which prompted Rey to rise to his feet.
"Nothing's stopping us from starting now, right?"
Sure, Conrad's plan was already underway, but Rey could easily cloak himself and Esme, so they could freely search for whatever they desired without once clashing with the Alliance's forces.
'It seems everyone is busy now.' Rey grinned with delight.
The Otherworlders were busy with the Royal Dungeon Raid.
The Alliance was running a campaign against the Criminal Underworld.
The enemies were preparing for their final showdown, and Rebal's side was anticipating it.
As for him… he was currently going to do his best to help Esme and complete the System's Quest for him.
'I'm only at about 33 percent thanks to [Replicate], but this much should be fine.' Rey thought to himself as he opened a portal right in front of the excited Half Elf.
"He waited in front of the portal and made a mock bow as Esme approached it.
"Ladies first."
"You—!" Esme gave him a quick jab on his stomach before rushing inside.
"Pfft! This girl…" Rey shook his head and chuckled to himself.
Of course, he felt no pain and suffered no damage thanks to his [Damage Nullification] Skill.
It was nothing short of amusing for him.
*******
[Meanwhile]
"Darkness is about to creep upon the land."
A man sat right in front of the standing Asher, his blood red hair dancing as his crimson eyes brimmed with maleficence.
His ebony skin seemed to glimmer in the dark, and his broad grin showed nothing short of amusement for the events to come.
"In the grand scheme of things, all of this remains inconsequential, but…" He cast his gaze upon Asher, causing the latter to tremble.
"… I assure you that I shall fulfill my duties to the letter. For it is my Master that commands it."
The ebony man rose to his feet and inhaled deeply.
"I can promise you this. No harm will come to anything of the Blanc House, nor will any denizen of the Capital suffer any harm on this day. But…"
Despite saying all of this, his wide grin only grew in intensity—
forming a warped smile that could not be said to belong to a human.
It could only be from a Devil!
"… All of Master's enemies will be thoroughly destroyed."
He walked past the trembling Asher, not paying the lad any heed at all.
"I, Ater, swear on this."