Chapter 316: Afterimage of the Past, or the Future (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 316: Afterimage of the Past, or the Future (2)
Valeria’s gaze drifted further and further to the left.
It was a sign that her tension and confusion were escalating. She had no idea that Jin was reading a subconscious habit she’d had for years—one so subtle she was barely aware of it herself.
It was only natural. Before she met Jin in his previous life, the only people who knew of that habit were the members of the Gray Owl Mercenaries who had raised her.
Jin’s throat felt parched as well.
This can’t happen…
If Valeria were to give up on the other half of the magic tome, any chance of building a relationship with her would be gone.
Crackle, snap… Drip, drip.
In the heavy silence, the flicker of flames in Jin’s palm and the sound of blood dripping from York’s corpse echoed unnervingly.
“…First, put out that fire. Then we can talk.”
It worked.
“I can’t put it out until I have a firm answer,” Jin pressed, inwardly sighing with relief.
Valeria shook her head as if she were fed up.
“Sigh… Fine. I’ll help you. If that recording device is something I can handle, I’ll restore it.”
“A wise choice.”
“But this is strictly a business transaction. It doesn’t mean I’m joining your side. I want to make that clear.”
Whoosh.
As Jin clenched his fist to extinguish the flames, Valeria’s eyes finally settled back on him.
“A lasting alliance is ultimately built on necessity. You won’t regret this.”
“Show me the items.”
Jin pulled two Spirit Energy Orbs from his robe.
The moment Valeria saw them, she couldn’t hide her surprise. Though the colors were different, the Spirit Energy Orbs were remarkably similar to one of the recording devices she had seen at a Hister heritage site.
“A device made of spirit energy. Was it created by Solderet, the god you’re contracted with?”
“Yes.”
“Then shouldn’t you just ask Solderet to restore it himself?”
“For reasons unknown, I am currently unable to communicate with Solderet.”
“Then how can you be sure this is a recording device? What if it’s just a lump of spirit energy?”
“Because I have personally seen the images recorded inside it.”
“How?”
“Is knowing that a requirement for the job? You’re asking a lot of questions for someone who insists this is just business and has no intention of joining me.”
Valeria shrugged.
“Fair enough. Hand them over.”
Taking the Spirit Energy Orbs, Valeria manifested mana in her palms.
Sssssss—!
A strange ripple began to emanate from her hands, enveloping the orbs.
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen that.
Valeria was performing the record magic of the Hister family. Jin wondered if it would even work on a device made of spirit energy, but he remained silent, feigning ignorance as he watched.
A moment later…
Zzzzt, zzzzt…
Static!
Jin’s eyes widened. The same noise he’d heard when the devices first activated began to ring out. Valeria, on the other hand, nodded as if she had expected it.
“It’s definitely a recording device,” she confirmed. “It’s damaged, though. It isn’t functioning properly.”
“So you had to grill me for information when you could have just checked it like this?”
“Thanks to your answers, I now know your connection with Solderet has been cut.”
“I suppose I should praise you for being so shrewd. Can you restore it?”
“Hmm… Probably.”
Valeria set the Spirit Energy Orbs on the table.
“That’s a lukewarm answer for someone who’s already received a down payment.”
“Look, Jin Runcandel, recording devices are far more delicate and complex than you can imagine. Besides, this isn’t identical to the ones my ancestors made, so I’ll need time to examine it.”
The habit Jin knew wasn’t just her eyes shifting left when she was nervous.
It was the way she now crossed her arms, gently toying with the ends of her hair between her thumb and index finger.
That was a tell that only appeared when Valeria was truly fascinated by an object or situation.
If my teacher is this interested in Solderet’s recording device, it means restoration is possible. Or it means it’s an item she needs, too.
If she needed it, it was likely to help her recover the Hister family’s lost record magic.
Jin felt that Solderet’s arrangements, the records he left behind, and this very meeting… it all felt strangely like destiny. What seemed like a coincidence on the surface felt more like puzzle pieces clicking into place, as if he were always fated to meet Valeria again.
“Understood. I’ll give you time. How much do you need?”
“I can’t say for sure.”
“Is that because your record magic is still incomplete?”
Just before Jin’s regression, even the twenty-six-year-old Valeria had not yet fully restored the Hister’s record magic.
If my memory is correct, my teacher has only found about three heritage sites at this point. She isn’t lying about needing time.
The record magic possessed by the seventeen-year-old Valeria was extremely limited.
“…It seems the Runcandels know more about me than I thought.”
“Enough to know you need my protection.”
“I told you before, I don’t need your protection.”
“My mother and eldest brother are looking for you. I heard they even found the name you’re currently using: Aria Owlheart.”
“That isn’t my only alias. I’m meticulous about erasing my tracks.”
“Anka Ropman, Lailin Hazard, Lucille Scope, Hartia Ben.”
As Jin listed her other aliases, Valeria’s eyes twitched. She rarely showed emotion when dealing with others, which only highlighted how flustered she was.
“Are those not your aliases? And as for erasing your tracks—you and I are sitting here having a conversation, aren’t we?”
Neither the Runcandels nor the Zipples yet knew of Valeria’s other aliases, with the exception of ‘Aria Owlheart.’
Besides Valeria herself, Jin was the only one who knew the truth behind those names.
However, Valeria couldn’t possibly know that.
Where on earth did I leave a trail? I was sure I had erased them completely.
She quickly searched her memories but couldn’t pinpoint where she might have made a mistake. The uncertainty meant a trail could have been left anywhere. Anxiety began to bloom in her heart. No matter how strong her will, she was still only seventeen.
“…No matter how many of my names they know, they won’t catch me. And as I said, the only reason you found me was because I chose to talk to you.”
“I like the confidence, but don’t you think you should be more careful? If the Runcandels have found this much, the Zipples have surely uncovered even more.”
“I’d almost be moved to tears by your concern.”
“Those Spirit Energy Orbs are far more precious to me than Shuziel Hister’s magic tome or even your life. I’m saying this because I’m worried you’ll get caught during the restoration and lose them.”
“It’s not as if only a reserve flagbearer with a 400-million bounty like you knows how to hide from the Runcandels and Zipples. Regardless, I’ll take your advice and be more careful.”
Valeria tucked the Spirit Energy Orbs into an inner pocket of her robe.
“I think we’re done here. Give me a safe address where I can write to you.”
“You can send mail to Alisa Badger, the captain of the Tikan Free City’s Central Guard.”
“I’ll send a letter once I’ve made some progress on the restoration.”
“And an address where I can reach you?” he asked, not expecting much. He didn’t think a fugitive like her would give up an address.
Scratch, scratch.
Surprisingly, Valeria pulled out a piece of paper and wrote something down.
The moment Jin saw the address, his eyes went wide.
“…This is in the heart of Samil.”
Samil, the city of the assassin group Nameless. The heart of that city was a district where only the families of Nameless assassins or their special benefactors could reside.
It was the only No-Kill Zone within Samil, and it was also the place Jin had used to win his bet against Oul.
Valeria had no family. She must have gained the right to a house in the heart of Samil as a benefactor.
I suppose it makes sense. In my previous life, the Zipples must have contracted Nameless to find or assassinate my teacher at least once. Is this why the world’s best assassins never caught her?
It was a question he had never considered in his past life. Nor had he known that Valeria had a hideout in Samil.
“I don’t actually stay there, but I can check any correspondence sent to that address. Contact me there if you have any requests.”
The reason Valeria gave Jin an address was simple.
She was also curious about him. It was true she was disappointed that his aura was so different from the man in her dreams, but as they talked… she felt as if she were meeting someone she had missed dearly.
It was a feeling she hadn’t experienced since the deaths of the Gray Owl Mercenaries.
“I didn’t know Nameless treated you as a benefactor.”
“Judging by your reaction, the Runcandels haven’t figured this out yet. I hope you won’t do something stupid like showing up in person.”
Valeria stood up from her seat.
“I’ll be going now. I hope you take good care of my ancestor’s magic tome until I return the restored device.”
“You can ask for anything I can provide that’s needed for the restoration. And once I return, I’ll send something to Samil.”
“Something?”
“You dyed your hair brown, but I can see it’s originally red. Your disguise skills aren’t the best, so I’ll send you some quality dye and makeup tools. I won’t poison them, so think of it as an extra layer of safety.”
“…Dye and makeup tools?”
“You’ll understand when you use them. You’ll be able to live with a thousand faces.”
Snicker.
Valeria let out a small laugh.
“You actually know how to make a joke.”
Standing, Valeria extended her hand to Jin.
“For now, it seems this was a mutually beneficial meeting.”
Jin stared blankly at her small, slender hand.
Is it just because she’s younger than the teacher I knew? Is that why she still has this side to her?
The Valeria he remembered would never have offered a handshake in this situation.
As he took her hand, he felt its warmth.
“Aria Owlheart.”
“What?”
“When you first saw me, why did you say my name without my surname? As if you already knew me.”
It was because of the habit formed in her dreams.
Instead of answering, Valeria simply curled the corners of her mouth into a faint smile.
“Who knows? See you next time.”
*
As soon as Jin returned to the Garden of Swords, a meeting was convened.
Not only the flagbearers but also the heads and key members of the Elder Council were gathered in the meeting hall. This was no simple mission debrief; it was a meeting to discuss a major family matter.
As Rosa entered, everyone stood. With a single glance, she signaled for them to be seated before she spoke.
“Today’s agenda concerns an individual named Aria Owlheart.”