Chapter 347
Episode 106: The Recorders (5)
Suddenly!
Like a bowstring snapping taut, Valeria shot upright.
There was no time to gather her thoughts or assess the situation. Instinctively, she scanned the room for her staff.
When she couldn’t find it, she immediately summoned attack magic in both hands, slipping into a defensive stance—all within two seconds.
Huff, huff, huff…!
Breathing heavily as if she’d just sprinted full speed, Valeria struggled to grasp how much time had passed. Where was she? Was she trapped?
She couldn’t believe she had lost consciousness. It was the first time since her days with the Gray Owl Mercenary Corps.
“Oh! You’re awake! My lord! My lord! Ari—no, wait, guest! You’re awake… huh? Hey, you! Are you seriously aiming that magic at me? Hey, put that down. You can’t do that to someone who’s been taking care of you. Come on.”
Valeria’s eyes flashed red as she glared at Jett.
Like most humans, she had a pathological aversion to losing consciousness—especially since the Gray Owl Mercenary Corps had been wiped out.
“Damn those cursed Jiphl bastards. I’ll tear them apart.”
“Hey, wait. I’m not Jiphl. I’m Tikan’s beloved Jett. Calm down.”
“I’ll kill them all. Every last one…!”
Swoosh!
A beam of magical energy shot from Valeria’s hand. Luckily, Jett dodged it and slipped out the door.
“W-why are you like this? I’ll bring some cold water and a lord to help you!”
Even after Jett left, Valeria remained in a fragile state, her head pounding with a splitting headache, her mind foggy, and her body weak.
“You’re acting like a trapped animal the moment you wake up. There’s no Jiphl here, and no one who means you harm. You’d do better to thank those who helped you.”
It was Jin. He had stepped away briefly to prepare a towel for her forehead.
“Jin. Jin Runcandel…?”
Jin set the towel on the bedside table and met Valeria’s gaze.
“Calm down. Drink this.”
Valeria stared at the glass of water he offered for a moment, then touched her forehead.
“I showed a pitiful sight. Sorry.”
“No one’s hurt, so let’s just move on.”
“How long was I unconscious?”
“Two days. That’s pretty normal for a situation like this.”
As Valeria took a sip, another person entered the room.
“How are you feeling?”
“…Your Majesty?”
“You’re not a citizen of the Holy Kingdom, so no need for formalities. Just treat me like a friend of Jin’s. I’ve heard you’re his companion as well.”
It was Lani.
After Valeria collapsed, Jin had immediately contacted Lani, asking her to come quickly—his comrade was in critical condition.
Jin was the only person in the world who could summon a king, let alone a Holy King, in such a situation.
“I’m fine.”
“That’s good to hear. It seems you two have things to discuss, so I’ll leave you be. I’m scheduled to return to the capital today, but if you need further treatment, don’t hesitate to ask.”
With Lani stepping aside, only Jin and Valeria remained. Valeria’s eyes finally settled, calm as she gathered her thoughts.
“The mana backlash was severe. I had no choice but to call Lani. Don’t worry, she doesn’t know your true identity.”
Like molten iron pouring into her chest, Valeria felt a warmth spreading inside her.
It was a feeling she hadn’t experienced in a long time—genuine remorse and gratitude toward someone. Since the Gray Owl Corps was annihilated, she had never formed a human connection like this.
And with that warmth came a wave of fear.
She had always believed that getting close to people only made her vulnerable.
“So, you’ve confirmed I have no intention of harming you?”
Valeria nodded quietly.
If he’d planned to kill or kidnap her, he could have done so thousands of times while she was unconscious.
“Right. I didn’t find anything unusual in the records I checked before you passed out. Sorry for wasting your time.”
“Whether you call it a waste or meaningful trust-building depends on perspective. I prefer the latter.”
Valeria said nothing, simply staring at Jin.
She recalled the last record she saw before losing consciousness.
<In the records Jin Runcandel examined from Solderet, the ancient elves had a duty to keep records.>
Valeria smoothed the red hair that had slipped over her shoulder.
She thought of Luet’s fiery red hair from Jin’s records—the fact that every person born into the Hister family had that same vivid red hair.
“Ancient elves connected to the Hister family…?”
Since realizing she was a Hister, Valeria had struggled to reclaim her ancestors’ magic and identity.
But she had never once suspected a link between the ancient elves and the Hister.
“What does it mean to be ‘those who did not betray’?”
She never expected to learn such a truth through Jin.
And the shocking revelation she glimpsed in Jin’s records didn’t end there.
Hister’s record magic never lies. What the records reveal is absolute truth, unalterable by anything.
“He died… and came back to life.”
It was bewildering, but the conclusion wasn’t hard to reach.
Resurrection—the two words that appear countless times in legends and myths worldwide.
It wasn’t something that only happened in stories.
“Looks like Runcandel had one of Numerus’s tears.”
Numerus, the god of hope.
He was said to have vanished in a mysterious incident before the founding of the Holy Kingdom of Vankela, leaving behind eight tears and a hundred drops of blood as his legacy.
The blood was an unparalleled healing elixir, and the tears were the only known means to bring the dead back to life.
Four of the eight tears had documented uses; the other four were missing. Valeria suspected one had been used on Jin.
“But why? Isn’t it too precious to use on the twelfth rider of Runcandel?”
If she were Runcandel, she would have used it on Siron or Luna if they had died.
“What are you thinking, Aria Owlheart?”
Aria shook her head.
“My mind’s just a bit foggy right after waking up.”
“Then let’s eat first and talk. If it’s uncomfortable here, I can bring the food to your room.”
“That would be appreciated.”
Shortly after Jin left, Gilly brought Valeria her meal.
‘So this is Gilly MacLoran, Jin’s nursemaid.’
Gilly smiled gently but said nothing more.
The meal was a hearty minced meat soup, fresh milk, and a slice of strawberry pie for dessert (which made Valeria’s lips twitch into a small smile).
As she ate, Valeria pondered how deep a conversation she should have with Jin.
‘Now I understand. Through Solderet’s records, he discovered the connection between the ancient elves and the Hister family. He obtained this information independently of Runcandel. That’s why he needs me. And since Solderet’s records are damaged…’
Her purpose was different from Runcandel’s or the Jiphl’s. They wanted to use her as a bargaining chip or kill her, but Jin simply ‘needed’ her.
‘The pieces are coming together. The reason I kept seeing Jin in my dreams might be some magic left by the ancient elves or my ancestors. My record magic isn’t complete yet, so it only appears indirectly.’
Their meeting might be fate—an arrangement left by the ancient elves and ancestors.
The biggest reason she believed this was the ‘future record’ left by her ancestors in the Hister family’s heritage site in the lawless city of Mamit.
A record from 1795, stating that someone who found the Hister’s whereabouts would return to Mamit around March 1799.
When she realized that ‘Jin’ from her long-held dreams was that person, she was stunned.
‘I have to hear everything about the ancient elves from Jin. I must stop being overly wary of him.’
After finishing her meal, Valeria sought out Jin.
“Feeling a bit clearer?”
“Thanks to you.”
“You haven’t forgotten our promise, right? From now on, you have to cooperate with me more actively.”
“Of course. Just as you’re using me, I’ve decided to use you more, too.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“May I ask you a few questions, Jin?”
“Ask away.”
“While reviewing your records, I learned that the ancient elves are deeply connected to the Hister family. I only glimpsed a record within a record, so you must know more.”
Jin’s eyes widened. He barely managed to hide his surprise.
“Tell me. What exactly is the relationship between the ancient elves and my family? If it helps my mission, I’ll work sincerely for you.”
“Aria, wait a moment. I think there’s some misunderstanding. I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
“What? The records never lie. From what I saw, it’s clear…”
“If you want, you can check my records again. But honestly, this is the first I’m hearing of it.”
Valeria decided not to doubt Jin.
The information about the ancient fairy tribe and Hister came from the records of Solderet found within the human archives that Jin possessed. It was entirely possible that Jin himself didn’t know everything.
“However, I do know that the ancient fairies had abilities similar to your record magic. So, I’ve thought there might be some connection between you and them.”
“Abilities similar to record magic…?”
Jin spent some time explaining the powers of the fairies to Valeria.
Though he couldn’t recall the exact details that Luet had told him, he clearly remembered what he had confirmed from the records in the third tomb.
“…Can you tell me how and where you saw the recording device that contained the images of the ancient fairies? This is extremely important to me.”
“I saw it in the hideout of the Myoin tribe. And just so you know, I can’t find their whereabouts right now, so rushing off to look for them isn’t an option.”
“I will find them,” Valeria said, her eyes blazing with determination.