[The Previous Night]

"Haa…"

Rey lay on his bed, contemplating the meeting that would take place the following day, and all he could make was a sigh.

He was planning to pitch his plan of allying with the denizens of the south, and he could already picture the image of disapproval that he would get if he did so.

That didn't mean he was going to give up, but still… it was a bit dreadful to think about.

Right as he concluded on that thought, another one regarding Adrien popped into his head.

'We didn't particularly leave things off on a positive note, and I already confirmed from Emil that he had been trying to seduce her, especially after noticing how my relationship with her was strained.'

That would have brought into question the boy's reliability, but Rey already knew he couldn't trust Adrien completely.

The boy intrinsically operated on his own self interest, and the only reason Rey was being carried along with his plan was most likely because he needed him.

'Not sure that still applies now. He hasn't contacted me ever since he and Emil left together. With Emil now with me, I wonder what he'll do.'

Strangely enough, Rey didn't feel any sort of anger or animosity towards Adrien.

Perhaps that was natural.

'I've never trusted him. But now… somehow, it seems I have to.'He narrowed his eyes as he sat upright on his bed.

Alicia wanted to leave H'Trae, and he also had to consider the safety of his other classmates. Besides, having access to that gateway could be key in saving as many people as possible from the world's eventual destruction.

'If I can somehow copy the effects, isn't it possible that I can use it at will?' That was his rationale behind the serious consideration he had towards Adrien's plan.

He still didn't know the full details, or whether he could even trust Adrien on the fundamentals of their agreement, but if there was a chance he could get what he wanted, he would have to take it while making preparations for potential betrayal.

'All of this is contingent on whether or not he actually comes through.' Rey shrugged as he decided to return to his sleeping posture.

Right as he was about to do so, though, he heard a knock on his door.

"Hm?"

The peculiar presence behind the door caused Rey to instantly teleport right in front of it, twisting the knob just as quickly.

The entity he found there was just as he expected—an Undead.

"Master Adrien sent me to deliver this letter to you." The entity was translucent, like a ghost, with a pale sickly face and a body that softly bounced in the air as it floated.

It had somewhat long hair, looking somewhat androgynous, though the voice made it clear that this was a male.

"I see…" Rey took the letter from the ghost, a small smile forming on his face as he did so.

'So he did reach out!'

"I see…" Rey took the letter from the ghost, a small smile forming on his face as he did so.

'So he did reach out!'

"I shall now take my lea—"

"Wait." The moment Rey said this, the figure froze in its track, ceasing its vanishing act.

"How am I supposed to contact him?"

He was yet to read the letter, but Rey could already guess its contents. Of course, he didn't have enough hubris to think that he knew everything Adrien wrote, but he could make a few educated guesses.

If he was right, then some kind of reply would be necessary.

"He told me you would ask that. He also told me to tell you that you'd know what to do when you read the letter."

"... And if I refuse to read it?"

The Undead once again spoke mechanically, as a mouthpiece for its master.

"Then you'll be missing out on one of the greatest opportunities you're ever going to get—that is what he told me to tell you."

Rey smiled even broader once he heard this.

"We'll see about that, won't we?"

He sent the ghost on its way after that conversation, and the entity disappeared as soon as permission was granted. His body coiled into itself, and in a rapid swirl, it completed its vanishing act.

'Nice trick.'

Rey had copied it, but he reckoned he would have to sacrifice it for Stat Points—mainly for two reasons.

One was obvious; his Skill Slots in [Doppel] had gotten pretty bloated thanks to the many Skills he copied from Emil, who was able to get them from Adrien. As such, he had to get rid of any Skill that overlapped with a more useful or powerful Skill in his arsenal.

The second was something more prospective.

'I'll be needing as many Stats as I can get if I'm going to take his deal.'

With that in mind, Rey sat on his bed and cast several defensive Skills and Spells on himself and his surroundings before opening the letter.

Once all the precautions had been made, he opened it and read its content.

~Hello there!

Feels a bit awkward writing this to you after what happened last time. Apologies or explanations are unnecessary, and they would frankly be dishonest. Due to that reason, I'll skip over that until we meet in person and go straight to the point.

I've successfully entered the system, but as expected, I don't have the necessary freedom required to explore the Dragon Continent and locate the Chamber Of Ancients—the goal for this entire expedition. It's why I need your help.

I hear Alicia has finally woken up from her slumber, and I can bet that she's feeling pretty homesick at this point. Now is a better time than ever to consider a serious partnership and also make good on your side of the deal to join forces and find us both a way home.

If working together still sounds good to you, then find a way to reach me. I'm currently writing from my dorm room in the Dragon Academy of the Empire. It's located in the Academic City right next to the Capital, but I can't even go beyond the walls anytime soon.

I'll need your assistance for that.

I look forward to your favorable response!~