The ability to keep his distance from people, to let them know only what was safe or relevant for them to know and to let them form their own impressions otherwise that he could control - it was something honed and cultivated to a fine edge, as much a skill and weapon as the actual weapons he kept on his person.

He trusts very few people. He can't exactly say that he trusts Héctor, necessarily, not the way other people would define it. But there's a connection there that isn't something he extends to most.

He laughs, livelier this time, hands and arms flicking outwards in a showman's flourish. "You'd think they'd be more spirited about it, but apparently not! Such a shame."

And- well, if it's what Ekkehardt finds fun, then Héctor is certainly in luck as far as finances go. "Well, since you insist on paying, then there's the tavern. I'm sure you've seen it, that one tucked away in a corner of town?"

He smiles, a little more sharply amused than the softer expressions of before. "I go drinking there, sometimes. It's entertaining to see who comes in. And, of course, it's cheap."

He goes there for the people-watching, not the drinks, but really, it goes hand in hand. Not having a drink makes you stand out in a place where it's all about drinking, so he does so.