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Chapter 190 A Mortifying Misunderstanding

An Angel.

That was the best way to describe the person he was currently looking at.

She had long black hair that sharply contrasted her pale skin. Her blue eyes looked like the ocean—or maybe the most precious kind of sapphire.

She wore a black gown that was decorated with traces of blue embroidery.

A precious necklace hung around her neck, gleaming with colors that matched her gem-like eyes.

She looked absolutely majestic as she walked closer, though her aloof face made her seem more like a sculpted statue than a kind presence.

'It's her? There's… no way! S-she's gorgeous!'

Rey could barely recognize the girl as the Half-Elf he had saved the other day.

Sure, they shared certain features, but this girl was beautiful—too beautiful.

She was the prettiest person he had ever seen.

'I think only Seraph is prettier. What the hell?!'

As her beauty captivated him, Rey felt increasingly grateful for the mask he had on his face.

He was certain he was currently gawking at her like an idiot.

After taking a few steps away from the closed door, the pretty maiden stopped dead in her tracks and looked just like a statue.

She said nothing, made no gestures, and Rey didn't even see her blink.

She just… stood there.

"She hasn't uttered a single word since she woke up. I don't know why, but perhaps you do, Sir Ralyks."

As Aldred's words broke the silence, Rey found himself gently nodding his head.

He was too deep in thought to reply.

'Didn't she have short hair when I saw her? She's grown her hair out already? And what's with the quality of that skin?'

Even though he healed her back then, she was still dirty. He wasn't able to see past all the grime.

But now… she looked like a brand new person.

'Looks like it was the right call to bring her here. These people really took care of her.' Rey slowly removed his gaze from the beauty.

It was hard, but his willpower was enough to save him from her entrapping gaze.

"Sorry for abruptly placing her under your care without informing you. You did an excellent job taking care of her."

"Haha! What are you saying? This much is nothing, Sir Ralyks."

As expected, Aldred tried to be as generous to him as possible. While Rey appreciated the gesture, he knew he had to press on even further.

"I'm serious. How can I compensate you for your troubles?"

In response to Rey's question, it seemed Aldred wanted to say something.

However, he quickly decided against it and shook his head.

"There's no need for compensation, Sir Ralyks. Our relationship runs a lot deeper for you this small gesture to warrant compensation."

The moment Rey heard this, he sighed internally.

He knew there was something the man was hiding, but it wasn't like he could force Aldred to speak his mind.

"Very well then."

He gave one more glance at the statue-like girl a short distance from him, and suddenly doubts began to echo in his mind.

'She really looks so still. Is she even alive? Hold on…!'

In the end, he had to resort to [Absolute Appraisal].

[STATUS WINDOW]

- Name: Esme

- Race: Half-Elf (Human and Elf)

- Class: Commoner (F-Tier)

- Level: 1 (91.34% EXP)

- Life Force: 100/100

- Mana Level: 200/200

- Combat Ability: 3

- Stat Points: 0

- Skills (Exclusive): [Absolute Appraisal]

- Skills (Non-Exclusive): [Grand Magic Mastery]. [Grand Magic Application]. [Greater Mana Recovery]

- Alignment: Neutral Good

[Additional Information]

A genius due to her superior Elf bloodline, but has been limited by her human genes and her unfortunate circumstances.

She is profoundly grateful towards you, but still very troubled and requires your assistance.

… Help her.

[End Of Information]

'Ah! So her name is Esme!'

It seemed like she had made a perfect recovery. Still, the fact that the System was still insisting on him helping her made Rey slightly on edge.

'Well, as long as it's not detrimental to me, then I'll try. At the very least, I've confirmed that it's actually her.'

He still couldn't get over how crazy her Stats were.

Even though Otherworlders were meant to be much stronger than the denizens of this world, he doubted any of his classmates had the kind of Stats this girl had at just Level 1.

Her potential was too much.

"Sir Ralyks…?"

Rey's gaze shifted to Aldred, who was smiling at him.

'I must have missed what he said.'

Right now, his thoughts were a mess. However, he quickly pulled himself together by taking a couple of deep breaths.

'I wonder…' Rey narrowed his gaze on the Broker and activated [Absolute Appraisal].

[STATUS WINDOW]

- Name: Asher Blanc

- Race: Human

- Class: Heir (C-Tier)

- Level: 99 (99.99% EXP)

- Life Force: 30[90]

- Mana Level: 50/50 [150]

- Combat Ability: 21 [80]

- Stat Points: 0

- Skills (Exclusive): [Experience Gain]

- Skills (Non-Exclusive): [Magic Knowledge]. [Quick Casting]. [Basic Elemental Affinity].

- Alignment: Lawful Evil

[Additional Information]

Current Heir to the KariBlanc Group and the son of the Blanc Councilor of the Obsidian Council. He is currently undercover as a Broker as a part of his training.

The only two people he respects are his Father and Ralyks.

[End Of Information]

'E-eh…?'

Rey was surprised, to say the least, the moment he saw all that was displayed before him.

First of all, the guy he knew as Aldred didn't exist.

Not only was his name fake, but his entire identity was also not real.

'He's actually a big deal here!'

Rey knew he had no right to feel betrayed since he had also done the same—hiding his real identity.

'Besides, it's not like he did it specifically for me or anything. It's training, huh?'

Rey could already figure out that Aldred—or rather, Asher—was being trained to inherit the Criminal Empire that he was born into.

'I better be more careful around him.'

There was one more surprising detail, though. Well, it wasn't really surprising for Rey since he noticed it when fighting Evals Redart too.

'Looking at the Stat distribution, I think it's safe to conclude that they only get one Stat Point per Level Up.'

Even as a Commoner, he usually received 3 Stat Points per Level Up. Compared to that, Asher's Level and Stats showed his allocation was lesser.

It went to show that being an Otherworlder—even one with an F-Tier Class—made him a formidable force.

That was probably why no native in the Royal Estate really looked down on him. Given enough time, he was bound to surpass someone who was of an even higher Level than him.

'I'm guessing his Class isn't suited for combat, which is why there's no additional benefit in terms of Bonus Stats.'

Rey wondered what Asher's privileges were, but it only lasted a moment.

He had to be wary of the [Alignment] that he glossed over the first time he looked through the Stats.

'He's Lawful Evil, eh? I guess that means he had a code.'

Rey smiled in relief, especially since the System established that he was in Asher's good graces.

'I better respond to him now.' After realizing he had been too deep in thought, Rey finally made his decision.

"Could you repeat what you just said? I didn't hear any of it."

He decided to go down the honest path.

"A-ah! I'm sorry. I should have spoken clearer." Aldred/Asher appeared flustered as soon as Rey made his statement.

'He's blaming himself? And it looks like he's being for real too!'

What Rey meant was that he wasn't paying any attention to Asher's words, but the latter must have taken it a different way.

'Welp! As long as it's not detrimental to me, I should let him think whatever.'

Aldred then proceeded to repeat his words.

"I noticed your Lover—the Miss—wasn't wearing the White Amber, so I was just asking if something happened."

The moment Rey heard this, he felt a slight tingle down his spine.

It was probably just his imagination, but it felt like Esme's eyes twitched and she glanced at him.

"I told you already! She's not my lover. And yes, I needed the ring for something, so I borrowed it from her."

Rey felt his heart racing as his hidden cheeks displayed shades of pink.

Once again, he was grateful for his mask.

'Why'd you have to embarrass me like that, Aldred—ah, I mean, Asher!'

There was nothing more mortifying than being paired up with a beauty without consent.

What was he supposed to say?!

"Ahh… then I apologize for misunderstanding. Would you like us to make another White Amber for the Miss?"

Rey wanted to shout an outright "NO!"

The ring was meant for Alicia, and he never had any intentions of changing that.

'But… what if this causes more complications in the future? Besides, Esme could maybe use something to keep her safe.'

The look on Asher's face showed that he was willing to do it as a favor, so Rey had to fold.

"Fine…"

In the end, he just had to give in.

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Chapter 191 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."

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