Rezak poked his head out of the bedroom door. His eyes moved quickly, scanning the quiet and dimly lit inn hallway. There was no one. He pulled his head back in and closed the wooden door carefully.
"What are you doing?" asked Fasar. He looked at Rezak with one eyebrow raised, arms folded across his chest.
"Closing the door," Rezak answered while making sure the doorknob was locked.
"No, why are you acting like you're being chased by a debt collector?"
"Um, someone might pass by and accidentally overhear our conversation. It's weird, bro, just imagine someone passing by and accidentally eavesdropping when we're talking about robbing and killing nobles or illegal leveling up," Rezak said. His face looked serious and paranoid. He pressed his ear against the door leaf, trying to hear footsteps.
"Huh? But if it's closed, it's not too audible, and the chance of someone passing by and eavesdropping is small," Fasar said. He shook his head slowly, looking at his friend with a pitying gaze.
"But what if they get curious? While we're chatting, suddenly someone busts in with guards, and boom, we're finished," Rezak said. He moved away from the door and made an explosion gesture with his hands. His eyes bulged dramatically.
"Haaa? Are you stupid?" Fasar massaged his temples.
"Huh? Who's stupid, that's logic!" Rezak pointed to his own head with his index finger.
Claura covered her mouth with her hand, her shoulders shaking gently.
"You guys are so funny."
"Enough, enough, you idiots. Why are you so talented at discussing things like that?" Kilasafi sighed a long and heavy breath. He sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the three people in front of him with a tired gaze.
He then turned to Claura, who was still chuckling softly.
"I heard Witches have magic to block sound within a certain range."
"If there is, could you use it?"
Claura nodded casually. "Yes, there is."
"Eh, there is?" Rezak turned quickly, his face surprised.
"You're dating her but don't know her abilities?" Fasar looked at Rezak with a feigned expression of wonder, his mouth slightly open.
Rezak chuckled awkwardly while scratching his cheek. "I only know she's a level 30 Witch. Why ask about her abilities, it might turn me off. I want to focus on loving her."
Claura's pupils dilated slightly. She bit her lower lip, trying hard to hold back a wide smile that was forcing its way out. Her face blushed faintly.
Click.
Claura snapped her fingers.
The air around the door vibrated for a moment. The door was now coated with an invisible shield.
"Should be done," Claura said.
Kilasafi nodded in satisfaction. "Good."
"Alright." Kilasafi lifted the wanted poster in his hand, showing the sketch of the white-haired woman's face to Rezak and Claura.
"Our plan is to find this woman."
Claura stepped forward, her heels clicking on the wooden floor. She took the poster from Kilasafi's hand.
Her eyes narrowed observing the image and the writing below it.
"Nebula."
"Hmm."
Rezak craned his neck beside Claura's shoulder, peeking.
"N-Nebula."
"This name." Rezak's face changed. His eyes widened. He immediately turned to look at Fasar and Kilasafi alternately with a meaningful gaze.
Rezak and Kilasafi nodded slowly together.
"Yes. You're right."
"Hmm do you know something? What's with the name, darling?" Claura asked. She turned sideways, looking at Rezak's confused face.
"This name is familiar. Maybe it comes from our hometown and. Like I said, sorry I can't tell you about that," Rezak answered. He smiled apologetically.
"Hmm, I see." Claura nodded in understanding, not pressing further. "Okay."
Oh. That girl. Hmm good job Rezak, Kilasafi muttered inwardly. He was relieved not to have to explain the concept of 'Earth' to Claura.
"So why do you want to meet someone with a 10 thousand gold coin bounty?" Fasar asked. He sat back in the chair, propping his chin with his hand. "Is it because of her name or her crime?"
Kilasafi shook his head slowly left and right.
"Hmm yeah almost correct. But the main reason is because."
Kilasafi paused for a moment. He looked straight into Fasar's eyes.
"I know that woman."
"Huh? What?" Fasar straightened his back, his eyes widening in shock.
"You? You know a woman?" Rezak pointed at Kilasafi's face with a trembling index finger. His mouth gaped.
Rezak then clapped slowly but loudly. His face showed an exaggerated expression of pride, like a father seeing his child graduate.
"I'm proud of you."
Huh? What does he mean? Proud why? Ah, don't tell me these two mf really think I can't talk to women, huh? Kilasafi muttered annoyedly to himself.
Kilasafi cleared his throat loudly.
"Ahem."
"We met when I was walking alone enjoying nature in the mountains and."
"Suddenly she sat next to me and invited me to chat."
"In short, because it was night and monster season, I stayed at her house which happened to be around there."
"Stayed over?! Oh boy! You've gone that far?! First time meeting!" Rezak's clapping became louder and more enthusiastic.
"I misjudged you, Kilasafi." Fasar smiled crookedly, his gaze full of meaning. "Still waters run deep."
"Oh? How wild," Claura commented briefly while smiling amusedly.
"I didn't do anything at that time!" Kilasafi half-shouted. His face reddened with frustration. "Last year our level was 15! Oi!"
"And I would have died if I recklessly went home at night during monster season!"
"Never mind, let me focus on explaining first!" Kilasafi massaged his temples again, a vein in his forehead bulging slightly.
"Alright alright alright," Rezak said while raising both hands in surrender, but a mischievous smile still stuck on his face. "But oh boy."
Fasar shook his head while laughing a little.
"That girl told me that she would do illegal things, and challenged me to report her," Kilasafi continued. His voice returned to flat.
"However, I thought. I'm lazy and maybe I will also follow her path someday."
"And yeah because she heard that, she offered me to stay at her house and I don't know, she seemed to invite me to travel around and adventure together." Kilasafi sighed deeply.
"And well, that's it. The background of how I could know her."
He looked at Fasar, Claura, and Rezak alternately.
"Well maybe you don't believe me because 'hah how could she invite to stay over on day one', 'hah how could adventure together immediately' and so on," Kilasafi said while mimicking Rezak's shrill tone and Fasar's cynical tone with mocking hand gestures.
"So you disappeared for 4 days and suddenly rose to level 18 because you were on a date."
"But did you stay for 1 day or 4 days? What did you do for 3 days? Hmm?" Rezak asked. His eyebrows went up and down teasingly.
Fasar laughed lightly. He then looked sharply back at Kilasafi. "He's right. And why didn't you tell us?"
"Stupid adventurer! Stop asking such things!" Kilasafi threw a bolster pillow at Rezak.
"And the reason why I didn't tell is because yeah. I just didn't want to."
"Maybe I could pretend not to know her later because she would become a criminal."
Kilasafi fell silent for a moment. His eyes narrowed remembering the past.
"And yeah when she met me her level was in the 23s. Now maybe more."
"We will use her as a gateway to our criminal path. I bet she knows dirty things like criminals and other stuff."
"What if she doesn't know?" Fasar asked skeptically.
Kilasafi laughed lightly. He shrugged casually.
"We just go back."
"Haaa?" Fasar gaped. His jaw dropped.
"That simple?!"
"Hahaa," Rezak laughed freely while holding his stomach.
Claura just smiled faintly hearing their absurd conversation, her eyes glinting happily.
"No no, just kidding," Kilasafi waved his hand quickly.
"Let's just go there first."