Chapter 316,
Chapter 96. Afterimages of the past or future (2)
Valeria’s eyes were shifting more and more to the left.
It means tension and confusion are accelerating. Little did she know in her dreams that her long-standing but rarely revealed unconscious habits were being read by Jin.
It had to be. The only people who knew about the habit before meeting Jin in her previous life were the members of the Gray Owl Mercenary Corps who raised her.
It felt as if Jindo’s throat was being burned.
It can’t be.
It was because if Valeria gave up the other half of the magic book, there would be little room for improvement in their relationship in the future.
Hurreuk Hwareuk… Knock knock.
In the silence, the sound of flames burning in Jin’s palms and the sound of blood dripping down York’s dead body could be heard loudly.
“…First, turn off the light and talk.”
done.
“I can’t turn it off until I give you an answer.”
Jin rubbed his chest inwardly and drove a wedge into it. As if fed up, Valeria shook her head.
“Good after. let me help you If that recording device is something I can touch, I will restore it.”
“A wise choice.”
“But this is just a deal, and it doesn’t mean that I will be your person. I want you to make sure of that.”
Woowook Huh.
Valeria’s eyes returned to their proper place as Jin grabbed his hand to extinguish the flame.
“A lasting alliance is ultimately determined by necessity. You will have no regrets.”
“Show me the stuff.”
Jin took out two Reiki Orbs from his bosom.
And as soon as Valeria saw the marbles, she couldn’t help but be surprised again. It was because the aura beads were very similar to one of the many recording devices I had seen in the lore, except for the different colors.
“It’s a device made up of spirit energy. Was it made by the new solderlet you contracted with?”
“okay.”
“Then you could just ask Solderlet to restore the device yourself?”
“For reasons unknown, it is unable to communicate with Solderlet.”
“Then how can you be sure this is a recording device? What if it was just a round lump of aura?”
“Because I’ve personally seen the video footage contained in it.”
“how?”
“Do you really need to know why to be able to do your job? It’s just a business relationship and it doesn’t make me a person, and you’re asking for too much information.”
Valeria shrugged.
“That’s right. Give them a second.”
Valeria, who received the aura orb, created magic in her palm.
Woooooooo…!
Then, a strange wave began to occur near her hand and aura orb.
‘It’s been a while.’
What Valeria was using was the Heister family’s record magic. I wondered if her magic would work on a device made of aura.
Jin pretended not to know and silently watched her actions.
After a while.
ZZZUZ ZZZUW….
CHIZIK!
Jin’s eyes widened.
The device started making the same noise it made when it first got the marbles.
On the other hand, Valeria nodded as if she knew that.
“Definitely a recording device. It is also in a damaged state. It doesn’t work properly.”
“Did you bother asking when you could check it like this?”
“Thanks to that, I learned the information that you’ve lost contact with Solderlet.”
“I should at least praise you for being wild. Can you restore it?”
“Um… maybe.”
Valeria answered as she placed the aura orb on the table.
“The answer is lukewarm, considering that the advance payment has already been received.”
“Hey Gene Runcandel. The recording device is made up of a more sophisticated and complex structure than you can imagine. Besides, this isn’t exactly the same thing my ancestors made, so I need time to check.”
Valeria’s habit, which Jin knew, was not only that her pupils slant slightly to the left when she was nervous.
Gently tying the ends of your hair with your index finger and thumb with your arms crossed.
It was a habit Valeria showed when she was very interested in an object or situation.
‘The fact that Master is interested in Solderlet’s recording device means that it can be restored. Or, it means that it is something that you also need.’
If necessary, it’s probably because it will help recover the Histor family’s record magic.
Jineun Solderlet’s arrangements, the record he left behind, and this meeting today.
Strangely, it felt like fate. At first glance, it seems like a coincidence, but in the end, he feels that he had no choice but to meet Valeria again. Like a puzzle that fits together.
“Okay, give me some time. How much do you need?”
“I don’t even know exactly.”
“Is that because your record magic isn’t perfect yet?”
Right before Jin returned, even 26-year-old Valeria had not fully restored Hester’s record magic.
‘According to my memory, the teacher at this point must have found only three lore sites. I wouldn’t lie about needing time.’
Seventeen-year-old Valeria’s record magic was extremely limited.
“…Looks like Runkandel knows more about me than I thought?”
“At least you will need my protection.”
“As I said before, I don’t need your protection.”
“My mother and older brother are looking for you. I heard you found out what your current name is. The name Aria Owlheart.”
“My pseudonym is not the only one. They are moving well while erasing their tracks.”
“Anka Loffman, Raileen Hazard, Lucille Scop, Hartia Benn.”
Valeria’s eyes twitched when she mentioned another pseudonym. It was a part that showed how embarrassed she was, who rarely expresses emotions when dealing with others except for her habits.
“Aren’t those your pseudonyms? And to say that I erased the traces well, aren’t you and I having a good conversation after meeting like this?”
Not to mention Runkandel, even Ziffle didn’t know Valeria’s other pseudonyms except for ‘Arya Owlheart’.
Except for Valeria herself, only Jin knew the identities of those pseudonyms.
But Valeria couldn’t possibly think that way.
‘Where did you leave your mark? I thought I had erased it for sure.’
A quick search of her memory, but Valeria wasn’t sure where she had made a mistake.
Not being sure where it was meant that traces could have been left anywhere. Anxiety bloomed in Valeria’s heart. No matter how hard you have the inside, you are still only 17.
“…no matter how many names they know, they won’t catch me. And you found me, as I said before, because I decided to talk to you.”
“It’s nice to look confident, but shouldn’t we be more careful? If Runkandel is like this, Ziffle must have found out more information about you.”
“I feel like I’m about to cry because of your concern.”
“The aura orb you have is more precious to me than Shuziel Hester’s spell book or your life. I’m afraid you might get caught during the restoration and lose it.”
“Hiding from the eyes of Runcandel and Ziple is not possible only for Jin Runcandel, a reserve rider with a total bounty of 400 million. In any case, I will take your advice to be more careful.”
Valeria put the aura orb in the pocket inside her robe.
“I think the story is almost over. Give me an address where I can write. To a safe place.”
“You can send it to Alyssa Badger, the commander of the Tikan Free City Central Guard.”
“I’ll go back and send you a letter when there’s any progress on the restoration.”
“What is the address where I can reach you?”
It was said without expectation. Because I thought that she, a fugitive, would never give me an address.
Snug.
But unexpectedly, Valeria took out a piece of paper and wrote down the address.
And as soon as Jin saw the address, he couldn’t help but open his eyes.
“…This is the center of Samil, isn’t it?”
Assassination Group Unknown City of Samil.
The center of the place was a space where only the families of unknown killers or special benefactors could live.
It was the only forbidden killing zone in Samil, and it was also where Jin used to win a bet with Oul in the past.
Valeria has no family. As a benefactor, she had obtained the right to own a house in the heart of Samil.
‘Well, in my previous life, even though Jiple was unknown, he might have suggested a request to find or assassinate his teacher at least once. Was this the reason why the master hadn’t been beaten by the world’s best assassins until now?’
It was something I had never thought about in my previous life. That there is Valeria’s hideout in Samil as well.
“I don’t really stay there. Instead, I can check the correspondence sent to that address, so if you have any requests, please contact me.”
The reason Valeria gave Jin an address where he could be contacted was no different.
It was because she was also curious about Jin. It’s true that I was disappointed because the atmosphere was so different from the man in my dream, but I was talking quietly for some reason.
I felt as if I had met someone I had longed for.
Excluding the dead Gray Owl Mercenary members, this was the first feeling he felt.
“I didn’t know you were treating me as a benefactor.”
“Judging from your reaction, it seems that even Runkandel has not grasped this place. I hope you won’t do anything stupid by coming to me.”
Valeria stood up from her seat.
“I’ll just go back. Until I restore the device and give it back, I hope you will cherish the ancestor’s spell book.”
“You can always ask for anything I can get you to restore the recording device. And when I go back, I will send an item to Samil.”
“thing?”
“I dyed my hair brown, but you can see all of my original red hair. It seems that the level of disguise is not very high, so I will give you good hair dye and makeup tools. Think of it as adding a safety device, since you won’t be poisoned.”
“…Dye and makeup tools?”
“I know when I write. You will be able to live with a thousand faces.”
food.
Valeria burst into laughter.
“You know how to talk nonsense.”
Valeria stood up and held out her hand to Jin.
“I think it was a mutually beneficial meeting.”
Jin blankly stared at her small, slender hands.
‘Is this aspect of me remaining just because I’m younger than my teacher before returning?’
The Valeria he remembered would never have asked for a handshake in a situation like this.
As soon as he held Valeria’s hand, warmth was transmitted.
“Aria Owlheart.”
“why?”
“When you first saw me. Why did you call me by my first name instead of my last name? Just like someone I used to know.”
It’s because of the van habit in the dream.
Instead of answering like that, Valeria raised her mouth.
“Okay, see you next time.”
* * *
As soon as Jin returned to the Garden of Swords, a meeting was held.
Not only the riders, but also the heads of the elders and the chiefs were gathered in the conference hall. It means that it is not a simple mission, but a meeting that deals with important issues of the family.
When Rosa entered, people rose from their seats. Rosa put them back to their seats with a glance and said:
“Today’s agenda is about a character named Arya Owlhart.”
