As soon as Ray noticed the familiar head of auburn hair, his eyes lit up. It wasn't anything but simple joy.
The two of them didn't have many interactions with one another, but even the few they did share were just… easy. The fairy tale prince just seemed to be always genuine and honest. This made it very easy to talk to him, especially when one was stuck in a hellscape like this.
Having already been noticed by Aiko, the small owner of the successful establishment, Ray finally made his way over. Though, it seemed as if Kai hadn't noticed him just yet. Therefore, Ray did the only thing a friend would do.
Play a prank on him.
Just when he was merely a few meters behind Kai, Ray started his performance, his voice booming over the din of the gambling den.
"OH MY GOD! COULD THAT ACTUALLY BE THE RENOWNED NIGHT, FROM NIGHT AND GALE?! WOW, I'M SUCH A HUGE FAN! I LITERALLY LISTENED TO EACH OF YOUR SONGS AT LEAST A DOZEN TIMES AND WAS EVEN ON A BUNCH OF YOUR CONCERTS! Could we… maybe… shake hands?"
The loud outburst caused several heads to turn, but the target of the commotion, Kai, merely sighed. He responded with the practiced, weary politeness of someone who had faced this countless times before, not even fully turning around yet.
"Thank you for the support, I'm glad you enjoyed my work, but I'm afraid I'm not…"
He was just about to deliver his standard dismissal when his brain caught up with the situation. A strange feeling, the familiar trigger of his Flaw, had pricked at him multiple times during that short, overly enthusiastic speech. Once could be a coincidence, but that many, so quickly? It was suspicious.
Especially because everyone should have heard of him. Surely. There was only ever one person who did not know that...
The last straw was when he caught a glimpse of Aiko out of the corner of his eye, the small proprietor trying and failing to hide her snickering behind her hands.
Kai froze mid-sentence. His tired, polite facade melted away, replaced by dawning realization. There was only one person he knew here who would be this obnoxious.
This time, when he turned around fully, it was with a renewed energy, a weary but genuine smile gracing his features. He looked directly at Ray, a spark of amusement in his eyes.
"Alright, Ray, you can cut it out now."
Ray dropped the act instantly, a wide grin spreading across his face while he responded with slight sarcasm still in his voice. "Aw, come on! I thought my performance was pretty convincing."
"A little too convincing," Kai retorted, shaking his head as he gestured to the empty seat beside him. "Sit down, you menace."
Ray chuckled and slid onto the stool next to his friend. The noisy chaos of the gambling den seemed to fade into the background as the two finally began to catch up, the easy camaraderie settling between them once more.
"So, you just got back?" Ray asked, taking a look around the den before turning back to his friend. It seemed Kai had been nursing the same simple drink for a while.
Kai let out a weary sigh, running a hand through his auburn hair. "Came back here just yesterday afternoon. Finished a brutal scouting mission near the southern wall and beyond. Barely had time to wash the grime off before Tessai and some others had me cornered again."
He took a slow sip of his drink. "He's already asked for my assistance on another escort job. Heading out first thing tomorrow morning."
Ray winced in sympathy. "Oof, no rest for the wicked, huh? They really run you ragged over here." He leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice. "You know, you could always just... not go back. There's always a place for you with us. Nephis – Changing Star – would surely take you in in a heartbeat; especially if I'm the one to recommend you."
A thoughtful, almost tired smile touched Kai's lips. "I'd be lying if I said I haven't considered it, after I had heard of what you guys were doing there," he admitted, his voice sincere. "Things are… different, over on your side. But before I even think about making a decision like that, I have to do this job. They already paid me upfront with a decent amount of shards. My honor won't let me just take the payment and run."
He swirled the contents of his cup, then looked at Ray, a genuine curiosity in his eyes. "Enough about me, though. It feels like ages. What have you been up to? Keeping out of trouble?"
Ray smirked, leaning back on his stool with a casual air. He ticked off points on his fingers as he spoke, his tone deceptively nonchalant.
"Oh, you know. Just some stuff. Fighting Fallen Nightmare Creatures for a living, unraveling ancient mysteries tied to a forgotten entity, talking to the voices in my head… Yeah, just your average…" He paused, looking up at the ceiling as if genuinely trying to remember. "What day do we even have right now?"
He finished with a shrug, expecting a laugh or a sarcastic reply. Instead, Kai just stared at him, his friendly expression frozen, his eyes wide with stunned disbelief.
Ray waited a beat. "What?"
Kai blinked slowly, his brow furrowed in deep concentration. He subtly shook his head, as if trying to clear it. His flaw, the one that gave him an innate lie detector, hadn't triggered. Not once. Not even a flicker. Every single absurd statement Ray had made had registered as the complete, unvarnished truth.
This was something truly crazy to hear from anyone – but Ray. Kai didn't even know if he was actually telling the truth right now, or if he was just using the same old trick he had used back when they had first met – which for some reason made it possible to lie to him.
"Okay, whatever. I'll just ask directly, was anything you just said the truth?" Kai asked, a bit exasperated. He had long grown accustomed to knowing if someone was telling the truth or not, since he had even gotten to know the bad parts of this flaw very early.
Ray looked at him awkwardly, blinked once, then twice, before chuckling a bit. "You really don't need to be on guard that much when it comes to me. How about this? At the very least, one thing I just said is the complete truth, and one of them is a half-truth. Does that satisfy you?"
Kai sighed, surprised by his own tense behavior. "Yeah, sorry. Just had some bad memories with people lying and all that. And since I've gotten this flaw, you're the only one who has ever managed to lie to me successfully."
Just as Ray was about to respond, a series of heavy, rhythmic steps echoed from outside the den, loud enough to cut through the noise of the room.
The next moment, the den's entrance was filled as at least half a dozen castle guards stormed in. They were all clad in their respective armor Memories, their hands resting on their ready weapons. After stepping inside, they parted like a wave, revealing the not-so-hidden form of a huge giant behind them: Tessai, the captain of the guards.
Ray was quite surprised upon seeing him. He had known about the captain and heard stories, but had never met him until now. His height would have even towered above Effie—and that was an achievement in itself. The giant's face was set in a deep scowl as he scanned the room, his eyes filled with impatience. Deciding against a careful search, he resorted to the easier option: shouting.
"WHO THE FUCK HERE IS RAY?"
His voice boomed through the establishment, causing an immediate, pin-drop silence. Every gambler, drinker, and server froze in place.
Kai looked towards Ray worriedly, his hand instinctively moving behind his back to summon his own weapon, if the need would arise. But he was even more shocked when he turned and found the stool next to him completely empty. His friend wasn't there anymore.
A calm, slightly pissed voice then echoed from near the entrance, startling the gathered guards.
"That's 'Lost Witness' for you, baldie..."