Chapter 316
Episode 96: Echoes of the Past, or Glimpses of the Future (2)
Valeria’s eyes were gradually drifting further to the left.
A sign that her tension and confusion were mounting. She had no idea that Jin was reading her long-standing, though almost imperceptible, unconscious habit.
It was inevitable. Before meeting Jin in this life, the only people who knew about that habit were the members of the Gray Owl Mercenary Corps who had raised her.
Jin felt his throat tighten, as if it were burning dry.
It was unlikely, but—
If Valeria were to give up the other half of the grimoire, there would be little chance left to mend their relationship later.
Crackle, crackle… drip, drip.
In the quiet room, the sound of flames flickering in Jin’s palm and the drops of blood falling from the corpse of the dead York echoed sharply.
“…Let’s put out that fire before we talk.”
“No way.”
“I can’t put it out until you give me a definite answer.”
Jin swallowed hard and made his stance clear. Valeria shook her head, as if fed up.
“Hmph, fine. I’ll help you. If that recording device is something I can handle, I’ll restore it.”
“A wise choice.”
“But this is just a transaction. Don’t get the wrong idea—I’m not pledging myself to you. I want that to be clear.”
With a soft exhale, Jin clenched his hand and snuffed out the flames. Valeria’s eyes returned to their normal position.
“A lasting alliance is always based on necessity. You won’t regret this.”
“Show me the device.”
Jin pulled two spirit energy orbs from his pocket.
Valeria couldn’t help but be surprised again the moment she saw them. Apart from the color, the orbs closely resembled one of the many recording devices she had seen in the transmission archives.
“A device made of spirit energy. Was it created by Solderet, the god you contracted with?”
“Yes.”
“Then why not ask Solderet directly to restore it?”
“For some unknown reason, I can’t communicate with Solderet right now.”
“Then how can you be sure this is a recording device? It could just be a round lump of spirit energy.”
“Because I’ve seen the recorded footage inside it myself.”
“How?”
“Do I really have to explain why to get the job done? This is just a business deal, not me becoming your subordinate. You’re asking for too much information.”
Valeria shrugged.
“Fair enough. Hand them over for a moment.”
Taking the orbs, Valeria summoned magic in her palm.
Swoooosh!
A strange ripple began to form around her hand and the spirit orbs.
‘It’s been a while.’
What she was unfolding was the Hister family’s recording magic. Jin wondered if her magic would even work on a device made of spirit energy.
He silently observed her, pretending not to know.
After a moment—
Zzzt, zzzzt…
Crackle!
Jin’s eyes widened.
The same noise that had sounded when the device first activated began again.
Valeria nodded knowingly.
“Definitely a recording device. Though it’s damaged. It’s not functioning properly.”
“So you could have just checked this from the start, huh?”
“Thanks to that, I now know you’ve lost contact with Solderet.”
“I should praise you for being thorough. Can you restore it?”
“Hmm… probably.”
Valeria set the spirit orbs down on the table.
“For someone who’s already been paid a deposit, that’s a lukewarm answer.”
“Listen, Jin Runcandel. Recording devices are far more intricate and complex than you imagine. Besides, this isn’t exactly the same model my ancestors made, so I need time to verify it.”
Jin knew Valeria’s habits weren’t limited to her eyes shifting left when she was nervous.
She also had a habit of crossing her arms and gently twirling the ends of her hair between her thumb and forefinger.
That habit only showed when she was deeply interested in something.
‘If the master is showing interest in Solderet’s recording device, it means restoration is possible. Or that it’s something she needs herself.’
If so, it would likely help in reclaiming the Hister family’s recording magic.
Jin felt that Solderet’s arrangement, the records he left behind, and this meeting today—
all strangely felt like fate. Though it seemed coincidental at first glance, it was as if he was destined to meet Valeria again. Like perfectly fitting puzzle pieces.
“Alright, I’ll give you time. How much do you need?”
“I can’t say exactly.”
“Is that because your recording magic isn’t fully restored yet?”
Before Jin’s regression, even the twenty-six-year-old Valeria hadn’t fully restored the Hister recording magic.
‘If I remember correctly, the current master has only found about three transmission archives so far. So needing time isn’t a lie.’
The seventeen-year-old Valeria’s recording magic was extremely limited.
“…So Runcandel, you seem to know more about me than I thought.”
“At least enough to know I need to protect you.”
“As I said before, I don’t need your protection.”
“My mother and eldest brother are looking for you. They’ve found out the name you’re currently using—Aria Owlheart.”
“That’s not my only alias. I erase my tracks well.”
“Anka Roffman, Lailin Hazard, Lucille Scope, Hartia Benn.”
When Valeria heard the other aliases, her pupils flickered. Aside from her usual habit, she rarely showed emotion when dealing with others, so this was a rare sign of her being unsettled.
“Aren’t those your aliases? And if you erased your tracks so well, why are you sitting here talking to me now?”
Neither Runcandel nor Zipple knew about Valeria’s other aliases besides ‘Aria Owlheart.’
Except for Valeria herself, Jin was the only one who knew the truth behind those names.
But Valeria couldn’t accept that.
‘Where did I leave traces? I was sure I erased everything.’
She quickly searched her memory but couldn’t pinpoint where she’d slipped up.
Not knowing where meant the possibility that traces remained somewhere. A creeping unease stirred in her heart. No matter how strong her inner self was, she was still only seventeen.
“…No matter how many names they know, they won’t catch me. And as I said, you found me because I decided to talk to you.”
“Confidence is good, but shouldn’t you be more careful? If Runcandel knows this much, Zipple must have uncovered even more.”
“I’m almost moved to tears by your concern.”
“The spirit orbs you have are far more precious to me than Suziel Hister’s grimoire or even your life. I’m worried you might get caught and lose them during restoration.”
“Hiding from Runcandel and Zipple isn’t something only Jin Runcandel, the bounty hunter with a total reward of 400 million, can do. Still, I’ll take your advice to be more careful.”
Valeria slipped the spirit orbs into a pocket inside her robe.
“Well, I think that’s about it. Give me an address where I can send letters. Somewhere safe.”
“Send them to Captain Alisa Badger of the Central Guard in the Tikan Free City.”
“I’ll write when there’s progress on the restoration.”
“Do you have an address where I can contact you?”
Jin asked without much hope, thinking a fugitive like her wouldn’t give out an address.
But surprisingly, Valeria pulled out a piece of paper and wrote down an address.
Jin’s eyes widened the moment he saw it.
“…This is the heart of Samil?”
The city of assassins, Nameless.
Its center was a place only the families of the Nameless assassins or special benefactors could live.
It was the only golden zone in Samil, and the place Jin had used in the past to win a bet against Owl.
Valeria had no family. She had earned the right to a home in the heart of Samil as a benefactor.
‘Well, in my previous life, Zipple might have once suggested finding or assassinating the master in Nameless. Maybe that’s why the master has never been taken down by the world’s top assassins.’
It was a problem Jin had never considered before—Valeria having a hideout in Samil.
“I don’t actually stay there. But I can check any letters sent to that address. If you need anything, contact me.”
The reason Valeria gave Jin an address was simple.
She was curious about him. Though the man in her dreams was very different and somewhat disappointing, somehow, as they quietly talked—
she felt like she was meeting someone she’d missed.
It was the first time she’d felt that way since the Gray Owl mercenaries died.
“I didn’t know Nameless treated you as a benefactor.”
“Judging by your reaction, Runcandel hasn’t figured this out either. I hope you’re not foolish enough to come looking for me yourself.”
Valeria stood up.
“I’m going back now. Until I restore the device and return it, I hope you’ll treasure my ancestor’s grimoire.”
“If you need anything to help restore the recording device, just ask. And when I return, I’ll send something to Samil.”
“Something?”
“I dyed it brown, but you can still see the original red hair underneath. Your disguise isn’t very convincing, so I’ll give you some high-quality dye and makeup tools. Don’t worry—I won’t poison you or anything. Think of it as an added safety measure.”
“…Dye and makeup tools?”
“You’ll see once you try them. You’ll be able to live with a completely different face.”
Valeria chuckled.
“So you can be silly sometimes, huh?”
Standing up, Valeria extended her hand to Jin.
“For now, it seems this meeting has been mutually beneficial.”
Jin stared quietly at her small, slender hand.
‘Is it just because she’s younger than the mentor I knew before the regression that she still has this side to her?’
The Valeria he remembered would never have offered a handshake in a situation like this.
When he finally clasped her hand, warmth spread through him.
“Arya Owlheart.”
“Why?”
“When you first saw me, why did you call me by my first name only? Like we were old acquaintances.”
It was a habit from his dreams.
Instead of answering, Valeria just smiled faintly.
“Well, let’s see each other again sometime.”
As soon as Jin returned to the Garden of Swords, a meeting was convened.
Not only the order members but also the heads of the elders and key figures gathered in the chamber. This was no ordinary mission briefing—it was a meeting to discuss a grave matter concerning the family.
When Rosa entered, everyone stood. With a single glance, she signaled them to sit back down, then spoke.
“Today’s agenda concerns a person named Arya Owlheart.”