Silence returned to the dining room after the double ebony doors closed tight. Vakmi, the hunched old servant, bowed slightly before leaving.
"I will excuse myself for a moment to prepare your bedrooms."
The old servant’s footsteps faded away, muffled by the thick corridor carpet. The sound of the door closing with a soft click left Fyar, Zaefal, Illya, and Cyhas alone at the large dining table.
Fyar placed his silver fork on the porcelain plate. The soft clink of metal broke the silence.
He looked at his friends one by one.
"I think... we can breathe a little now," Fyar said. His voice was low, almost a whisper. "Hasya..."
"I don’t think he... has bad intentions towards us."
Fyar sighed, leaning back. "His intention is only to raise, maybe."
Zaefal sighed deeply. He leaned his back against the high red velvet chair backrest. "Well, I agree with you too."
Zaefal narrowed his brows, his gaze sharpening at the candle in the center of the table. "Although we still have to remain vigilant."
Fyar chuckled softly. "I never expected that woman to meet a man who likes her that fast."
Illya covered her mouth with her hand. She giggled softly, her eyes crinkling happily.
"But they suit each other, right?" Cyhas chimed in while skewering a piece of lamb on her plate. "They seem to complete each other..."
"I think they clash, not complete," Zaefal said flatly. He swirled his wine glass slowly.
Zaefal laughed lightly. "But this is the first time I’ve seen her that soft."
"Yeah, she acted all high and mighty saying," Fyar mimicked Rasie’s curt tone, ’I won’t be like you guys if I have a partner!’" Fyar then laughed.
Illya, Cyhas, and Zaefal seemed to laugh a little at the joke. The tense atmosphere slowly melted.
"Right," Illya nodded in agreement. "I’ve never seen Rasie’s face that red. She became a little... cute."
"She becomes a tsundere girl near him," Fyar added with a crooked smile.
"I hope if he is sincere about her..." Fyar said softly, his eyes drifting towards the large window. "I hope he can become our party for real."
"I hope so," Illya added, smiling gently.
Zaefal put down his glass. He leaned forward, looking at Illya and Cyhas. "Just so you know, besides Fathir and the legendary mage Lairas, Hasya used to be in the same party with Zikri."
Illya and Cyhas looked up from their plates simultaneously. Their eyes widened perfectly.
"W-what? Zikri?" Illya was shocked her fork stopped in mid-air.
"Z-Zikri? The second strongest adventurer?!" Cyhas added, also shocked, her mouth slightly open. "The Zikri we studied at the academy? Are you serious, Zaefal?"
Whoa. It seems this man named Zikri is influential enough to make Zaefal, Illya, and Cyhas his fans for a moment. Well, after all, people like that must exist in the world, Fyar muttered inwardly while slowly cutting his meat.
"Yes," Zaefal said seriously. "I was also very shocked when I heard it."
"The fact that Fathir the strongest adventurer in the world, Lairas one of the strongest mages, and also Zikri the second strongest adventurer were in one party..." Zaefal shook his head in disbelief. "This is truly crazy."
"Th-this is truly shocking," Cyhas said softly, chewing her food slowly.
"How strong does that mean he actually is?" Illya muttered.
"Well, what’s clear is we won’t be able to defeat him right now," Fyar said casually.
"Who do you think would win between him and that bitch Zalvarich?" Fyar asked.
Zaefal was silent for a moment. He tapped the table with his finger, thinking hard.
"Hmm. Zalvarich is level ninety-nine and a mage. While Hasya is not from the human race. And his class is still unknown to us."
Zaefal thought hard, his brow furrowed. He then sighed deeply. "I don’t know."
"What do you think, Illya? Cyhas?" Fyar asked while looking at both of them alternately.
"Hmm, maybe a draw? Or Hasya wins by a narrow margin?" Illya said hesitantly.
"Maybe a draw... or... Zalvarich wins by a narrow margin," Cyhas said softly.
"You, Fyar?" Zaefal asked.
"Hmm," Fyar thought for a moment. "I can’t answer because I don’t know both of their strengths yet." He smiled. "That’s why I asked you guys for an innocent opinion."
...
Sky above the castle.
The night wind roared loudly around them. The silver owl flew steadily through thin clouds, its wings slicing the air powerfully.
Hasya sat casually on the bird’s back with both hands in his coat pockets. Rasie sat stiffly behind him gripping the bird’s metal feathers tightly, her eyes partially closed.
Hasya turned slightly back. A crooked smile etched on his face.
"Rasie. Do you like extreme things?"
"Huh? Extreme?! What do you mean, what are you saying??" Rasie asked confusedly, her voice almost swallowed by the wind.
Hasya snapped his fingers.
Click.
The transparent wind shield protecting them vanished instantly.
WHOOSH!
High-pressure cold air hit their bodies mercilessly.
Rasie’s breath hitched. Her body was pushed back strongly by the wind’s impact. She was almost thrown off the slippery bird’s back.
"Oi, bastard, ashholee!! Oi, oii!!! Damn!"
"H-hasyaaa!!!"
Reflexively Rasie moved her body forward. Both her arms wrapped tightly around Hasya’s waist. She buried her face into the man’s back to shield herself from the painful wind slap.
Hasya laughed freely. The sound of his laughter was carried by the night wind, sounding free and wild.
"Ohh, this is nothing yet,nothing yet Rasieee!"
"Hold on tiiiight to your future husband!! Don’t fall into the abyss!"
Even though drowned by the wind sound, Rasie could still hear Hasya’s words a little. "H-husband?!"
"What nonsense is that, Idiot!!" Rasie shouted. Her face flushed crimson, hidden behind Hasya’s back.
The bird dived sharply downwards. Their speed doubled. Rasie’s heart beat fast like a drum, adrenaline flooding her body.
"Hasya, stop! Hasya! shit! shit!!!"
In front of them, a long path of blue light was visible.
A giant transparent whale was swimming calmly in the air. Its body emitted a soft neon blue light. Internal organs within its body glowed faintly behind its transparent skin. Its massive fins paddled the air gracefully.
Rasie lifted her face slightly. She stared in awe at the whale. Her eyes sparkled, fear momentarily forgotten.
"Hasya..." Rasie said softly.
"Yes, yes, why?" Hasya answered, turning slightly.
"Do you really like me? Why do you suddenly like me?" Rasie asked. Her voice was serious, her eyes staring at Hasya’s back.
Hasya looked at Rasie and smiled gently. "Hmm. Why do you doubt?"
Rasie nodded quickly. "O-of course, Idiot!"
"Y-you suddenly came and called me whatever that was. when the first time you saw me?"
"Th-that doesn’t make any fucking sense!!" Rasie shouted.
"How could you like a woman you just saw that fast!" Rasie’s face reddened, avoiding eye contact with Hasya.
"A-are you playing with me, huh? Better be honest now! You’re just bored, right? I’m just an outlet for your boredom, right?!"
Hasya smiled gently at Rasie. He touched Rasie’s cheek and made her look at him.
"No, Rasie."
"I really liked you from the first sight."
Hasya rubbed Rasie’s cold cheek and ear. "When I first saw you, I was truly captivated by your blunt nature."
"You know I observed you guys when you came out of the forest."
"At first I thought..." Hasya narrowed his eyes, mimicking a bored expression.
"’Who are they? Weak humans? In this place?’"
"I intended only to observe you guys, not intending to greet or even save you."
Hasya pressed his forehead against Rasie’s. Their breaths united.
"But yeaah, Rasieee."
"I saw you and your party, which reminded me a little of my adventures back then."
"I observed you guys and... I couldn’t take my eyes off you."
"The way you fight, the way you speak..."
"Well, even from afar I could guess what you were saying from your lip movements."
Rasie’s face turned even redder, her eyes trembling.
Hasya continued, "I then thought..."
"’Damn that woman... she’s my type!!’"
"’She is truly enchanting and interesting!!’"
"S-so you’ve been watching us since we got out?!" Rasie asked. Her face was still blushing, she tried her hardest to look at Hasya.
"Why didn’t you save us immediately?"
"Why wait for us to despair first instead, haah? I-idiot?!"
"Because well... I wanted to see what your true nature was like," Hasya answered with a gentle tone.
"True nature?"
"Yes." Hasya nodded. "Humans will show their true nature when in a situation like that."
"And... you guys passed."
Hasya stared at Rasie’s lips. "May I kiss you?"
Thud!
Rasie pushed Hasya’s face hard using her palm, making him step back a little.
"I-idiot!!! You idiot! fuck you!"
"you f-fuuck youu!!!"
Hasya laughed hard while holding his pushed face.
"Just kidding, just kidding!!"
Hasya then pointed at one of the whales.
"See that biggest one?" Hasya shouted. "He’s the leader.."
Hasya aimed his right hand forward. His index finger fired a small ball of light.
The ball of light shot forward and hit the giant whale’s dorsal fin.
Thwack.