(Audun's POV)
Do you know where I can buy memories?
Kai gave me a quick scan, his eyes lingering on my plain attire.
Narrowing his eyes, he spoke with honest skepticism.
"I do... but uh, do you have a lot of shards?"
Ignoring his judgmental stare, I gave him a quick nod before reaching into my pocket and grabbing the handful of shards I'd liberated from our group's wallet.
Opening my palm, I flashed him a clueless smile as I flaunted my seemingly minuscule wealth.
13 soul shards shone in the castle light, eleven of the awakened variety and two of the fallen.
Is this enough?
Kai's eyes widened considerably before he frantically motioned for me to put them away, eyes darting warily around the nearly empty hall.
I complied, slipping them back into my pocket as the caution blanketing his expression faded into the incredulous look you'd typically give a meth head urinating in the subway.
Judging by his expression, I'd clearly done something nonsensical.
With a sigh, and an oddly... bitter (?) smile, Kai responded in a hushed yet affectionately scolding tone.
"Yes, that's more than enough... But, you really shouldn't go around flashing that kind of fortune! There are plenty of people in the castle who'll target you if they know the kind of money you're casually walking around with..."
Kai shook his head, but eventually, his characteristically bright smile returned.
"Hah~ Well, if you're in a rush, there are a couple of vendors you could probably buy memories from around the castle, but if you're willing to wait a day or two, I could probably get us an invitation to the Memory Market."
I tilted my head in confusion
Is there any difference?
"The vendors aren't nearly as professional, and their spread is normally pretty limited, but the Memory Market is a place where you can peruse different memories and purchase them for a... 'relatively' acceptable price."
Kai noted my thoughtful expression and continued with a small shrug:
"The Memory Market is generally reserved for the elites of the castle, like Gunlaug and his guards and hunters, but if you have shards and aren't barred from entering by anybody with authority, they'll let you in without much issue."
I grimaced, unconsciously drawing parallels between the memory market and the pretentiously exclusive auctions that were commonplace in the empire.
Sounds like a lot of trouble...
Kai shook his head and waved dismissively.
"Meh, not really... As long as you have shards, it's not too hard to get an invitation, and I'm well acquainted with the manager of the Memory Market anyway."
Are you sure?
I scrutinized his expression, but the blindingly well-intentioned smile he wore disarmed any doubts I still had.
Kai reassured me gently.
"Of course! You've already done me quite the favor..."
His expression turned wistful as he continued:
"Just getting a bit of news about the waking world is worth far more to me than some 'invitation'..."
The nostalgic glow coloring his features faded as a beautifully friendly smile spread across his face.
"Well, looks like that's settled."
I nodded, giving him the most grateful look I could muster with my significantly drained social battery.
Thank you.
"It's nothing!"
Both of us paused for a moment.
Kai let out a sigh, giving me a smile tinged with a hint of awkwardness.
"Mm~ It looks like I'll be seeing you in a day or two... I'll be looking forward to it!"
I flashed him a small smile.
Likewise
Kai simply nodded briskly.
"Well, since I'm still free, is there anything else you wanna do?"
I thought for a moment before nodding.
Could you give me a tour of the castle?
Of course, I had already mapped out most of the Bright Castle, but there were a few places I had deliberately avoided because they were extra crowded.
"Sure! Let's go now!"
Kai began to turn around before freezing.
"Uh... By the way, I forgot to ask... How do you walk around unnoticed? I know this is a bit sudden, but uh, you're quite the charmer, y'know? It's kind of hard to imagine that people would just... overlook you."
I blinked, my eyebrow unconsciously rising.
I hid my presence with starlight.
Kai looked genuinely confused.
"Starlight?"
Returning his confused look with one of my own, we fell into momentary silence before something clicked in my head.
Realizing my mistake, I coughed into my fist, averting my gaze in slight embarrassment.
It's related to my aspect.
Kai's eyes brightened in understanding.
"Ah, I see!"
Flashing me a hesitant smile, he scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Well, uh, would you mind..?"
I let out a gentle hum, nodding quietly.
With a casual wave of my hand, a thin veil of platinum light coated the two of us, completely obscuring our naturally eye-catching appearances.
Kai gave me an appreciative look before gesturing for me to follow.
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After my brief tour with Kai ended, I made my way back to the westernmost part of the castle, regrouping with Cassie, Nephis, and Sunny in the Tower of Dusk.
The four of us chatted casually, sharing information and such as we made our way down to the Keep.
Though originally suffocating, I had gotten a bit more used to the heavy weight of the crowd, and by donning my starlit veil, the mental strain of sitting in such a populated area became negligible.
As the four of us ate, I recounted my recent experience with the stranded idol, and much to my surprise, the usually stoic Nephis showed the most significant reaction.
"NIGHT? YOU MET NIGHT???"
She slammed the table and shot to her feet with wide eyes, drawing the attention of a few nearby sleepers.
Met with the unexpected fervor, I shrank back and nodded silently in response.
Cassie let out a small chuckle, surprisingly unfazed by Nephis' animated expression.
Ignoring her emphatic tone, Cassie spoke rather casually.
"I guess that explains the hiatus..."
Nephis' gray eyes bore into me as she threw a volley of questions my way, each of my meek responses chipping away at her burning curiosity.
Amid our Q&A, Sunny spoke up.
"Uh, who's Night? What's going on?"
Nephis turned her gaze to our fun-sized friend, staring at him incredulously.
Cassie merely giggled, flashing Sunny a teasing smile.
"Night is the lead singer of an idol group that Neph and I are fans of. The group's been on hiatus for nearly four years, and now, we know why."
Sunny nodded in mock understanding.
Leaning back, Nephis' expression took on a dazed hue, voice tinged with disbelief.
"I can't believe Night's been here for three years..."
Shrugging, I continued, cautiously approaching the topic of the Memory Market.
By the way... I asked Night if he knew where I could buy some memories, and he agreed to take me to an exclusive market in a day or two.
Nephis crossed her arms, her eyes practically screaming "So?".
I hesitated for a moment.
It might get a little expensive though...
Sunny looked at me blankly before piping up in an incredulous tone.
"Aren't those shards yours?"
Nephis simply shrugged.
"We have plenty of time to pay off the tribute. Even if you spend everything, we could always just hunt for more shards later."
She paused for a moment.
"Just be careful."
I nodded, silently appreciating her concern.
After that exchange, we fell back into casual banter as we finished up dinner, eventually making our way back to our rooms in the Tower of Dusk.
Just before we called it in for the night, Sunny asked a question.
"By the way, what's the plan for tomorrow?"
Nephis thought for a moment.
"Me and you will continue to gather information, but..."
Her gaze drifted over to Cassie and me.
A thoughtful expression colored my face.
Honestly, I was planning on making a trip to the ruins to gather more shards.
Nephis narrowed her eyes whilst Sunny nodded quietly.
"Don't go overboard."
I shrugged but didn't respond.
Nephis let out a sigh.
Without another word, she turned and walked into her room, Cassie following closely behind.
Sunny and I exchanged looks, giving each other a friendly farewell wave before stepping into our rooms.
And with that, the second day of our stay in the Bright Castle ended.
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(A/N: Hey guys, I'm back with a brand new graphics card and a wallet 400 dollars lighter...
I just wanted to apologize for the slightly late upload.
I know I said I'd upload yesterday, but my family life's been a little chaotic cuz my sister and dad brought home a dog without telling my mom.
Yesterday, I had to deal with my parents bickering over a brand new family member, so I wasn't really in the mood to write...
I'll try and drop two chapters this Thursday to make up for Tuesday, but I also might just merge them into one mega chapter if it's easier.
Also, just wanted to add, Kai's lie detector will work on Audun despite his glaring lack of verbal dialogue.
In the wiki, it simply said that his flaw told him whenever someone was lying to him, so I thought it'd make sense.
Anyway.
Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and show your support with a comment or a review!
And with that, I'll see you guys tomorrow :D )