After settling his important matter with Robert and Rebecca, Kai continued to drink in the bar and talk to the blonde man.
Rebecca had long since passed out, probably out of relief that her life wasn't in danger and from drinking alcohol too much. So the only one who became Kai's conversation partner was the blonde man, Robert.
The bar began to be filled with people as Kai put down the barrier. No one particularly noticed them, and they continued to drink while occasionally laughing.
"Hahaha, truly? You're the one who beat Ranga?!"
"Yeah." Kai nodded slightly with a small smile. He sipped the drink he ordered and then smirked. "I don't know that you can't refuse an Oni tradition if you're in their village. I was forced to fight him."
"Is that so? The girl who accompanied you must be really gorgeous if even the son of Oni's chief took a fancy of her." Robert replied casually as he swallowed the last whisky in his glass, leaving Kai dumbfounded.
"Well, yeah."
What made him dumbfounded wasn't the fact Robert could drink the whisky as if it was water. But the fact that he mentioned Ranga being the son of Oni's chief?
'The son of Oni's chief?! That guy is?'
While he suspected that Ranga was a relative of a fairly influential person, he had never thought of that at all. That meant Kirimaru, whom Ranga called pops, was the chief? That was why they made a huge fuss about him defeating Ranga and getting a lot of money from the bed.
'And I got invited to his house… I don't know whether they are just confident in their ability or just that careless. Inviting a stranger to a chief's mansion… Hahaha.'
pαпdα-ňᴏνêι·сóМ He held his laughter by sipping his drink through the straw. In Robert's eyes, he was a reclusive person who had massive power. That also made the blonde pair agree to his condition.
The conversation's direction had been derailed from before. So to hide the fact that he had just found out about Ranga's position, he decided to ask Robert about something.
"Are you going to the Oni Festival tomorrow, Robert?"
"That wasn't in my plan." The blonde man turned to Kai with a wry smile. "I have planned to leave Japan tonight, but I guess that I can afford to stay a few more days because of you. Honestly, thank you very much."
Robert suddenly bowed to Kai, and he noticed tears trickled down the grown man's face, dropping to his knees.
"Thank you… Because of you, we don't need to become troublemakers and can save our family. Once again, thank you." He said with a sobbing sound, inviting some curiosity from other people in the bar.
Kai only smiled wryly. While he did help them, it was only for his own gain. He needed people to work for him and do something he couldn't do. A person to do the dirty job, if needed to be explained in the short term.
And Amber said these people's strengths were similar to Griffin's, someone she said had the ability above average Slayers. They would prove to be useful to him in the long future.
"Don't mention it. It's honestly embarrassing when you say it in a public place like this." Kai scratched his cheek.
"No." Robert raised his head and shook it with a serious look. He wiped the tears from his face and looked straight at Kai as his Spirit Power gathered around his chest. "I will make a vow with my Spirit Power. I, Robert Brennan, will vow on my name to always help you, Kai, whenever you need me."
Then something invisible to normal people's eyes happened. Robert's blue Spirit Power condensed around his chest and seeped inside. Even if it looked like he had just recalled his Spirit Power, it wasn't that simple.
A vow with Spirit Power usually only be done with a trustworthy individual. Because if Robert somehow broke his vow, his Spirit Power that condensed around his chest would crush his heart and kill him almost immediately.
That was why Kai was surprised. He knew about this; it was the second thing Amber told him. She said he shouldn't make a vow easily. It showed how much Robert appreciated Kai's help.
"You…" He muttered but was only answered by a bitter smile from the blonde man.
"It's natural I did this much. I could've died tonight and, by extension, the person I tried to save. But you gave mercy to us and helped us. If I don't do something like this, I will be remembered as an ungrateful person. One dark past is enough for me. I also don't want to put Rebecca in danger."
Robert looked back at the sleeping woman behind him and had a warm smile on his face.
"Is that so?" Kai replied.
"Yes."
Both of them fell silent and continued to drink. Robert ordered another drink, and they talked about various things in general.
Kai felt like he had gained a friend today. What was unexpected was that Robert was actually a doctor in Los Angeles. All his money was gone to try to find a cure for his family member, Rebecca's little sister before he finally found the thing that could cure her.
And the said cure was most likely to be sold out in a few days, that was why he retorted to the plan to kidnap Spirit Foxes.
He also found out that the woman wasn't Robert's girlfriend but his wife. They kept drinking until night, and he kept Robert company while hearing his story. They both drank more than what a normal person could take.
While Kai knew that he was more resilient than normal people to hold his drink, he was impressed by Robert's capability. Not only a friend, but he also found a drinking buddy just by forgiving the blonde man.
He did forgive him, but he remembered that his new friend hadn't apologized to the foxes. Then he quickly told him to apologize tomorrow after the Oni Festival.
Not only that, but he also remembered Amber, who he had left in the inn. Imagining what his partner could do to him if she was angry made him sweat a bucket.
"Oh, shoot!" He muttered as his eyes widened a little.
"What's wrong?" Robert asked him worriedly as sweat began to build on his forehead.
"I forgot about my companion."
He had been drinking too much and forgot about that.
'Alcohol is really bad!' He quickly stood up, placed some money on the table, and turned to Robert.
"I will leave first. If I don't return right now, then–"
[Then what?] This time, he heard a voice in his head. It belonged to Amber, and her tone wasn't as friendly as usual. [Turn around and explain it to me.]
Gulping nervously, he turned around slowly. There, he saw Amber standing with her arms crossed and a sour expression.
"So?" She said, pouting slightly. "Any explanation why you haven't returned since afternoon?"
"Y-Yo, Amber." He nervously raised his hand. Usually, he wouldn't be afraid of anyone or even Amber. But now, he felt that the Phoenix girl's mood wasn't at its best, and she was pissed off.
So, to avoid making the situation worse, he decided on something. He needed a misdirection and blamed someone else. Fortunately, he had a perfect scapegoat beside him.
"You can ask my new friend here, Robert, to explain it to you. Ah, he's the one operating yesterday's marionette puppet!"
Amber slowly turned to Robert, and the blonde man felt like he had been betrayed the first day after he made his vow.
"Ooh?" Amber hummed as she tapped her feet against the floor.
Without knowing anything, he felt intimidated by Amber's gaze and averted his gaze toward Kai.
"Traitor." He whispered.
"It's your own fault. I will buy you a drink, so do your best to survive."
"I would like to hear his explanation." Amber continued with a cold voice, unlike her usual energetic personality.
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