Valeria's eyes are shifting further to the left.
It means that her tension and confusion were accelerating. Not even her wildest dream could she ever imagine that her long-standing but almost imperceptible unconscious traits were being read by Jin.
It was no surprise. Before meeting Jin in past life, the only people who knew about this trait were the members of the Gray Owl Mercenaries who raised her.
Jin was equally as tense. It's highly unlikely, but who knows if Valeria gave up the other half of the magic tome, there was not much room left for further improvement in their relationship.
Fwoosh… tip…!
The sound of flames burning from Jin's palms and the sound of blood dripping from the dead Yorke's body could be heard loudly in the silence.
"...Why don't you get rid of the flames and talk this over?"
Alright, then.
"I can't remove the flames until you give me a definite answer."
Jin sighed in relief inside but shook his head to drive a wedge. Valeria shook her head in forfeit.
"Haa, okay. I'll help you. If that recording device is something I can work with, I'll restore it."
"It's a wise decision."
"But it's just a deal, it doesn't mean I'm going to be your ally. I want to make it clear."
Swoosh.
Jin closed his hand and put out the flame, and Valeria's eyes returned to the center again.
"Continued alliance is a result of mutual need, after all. You won't regret this decision."
"Show me the item."
Jin took out two shadow force marbles from his pocket. And as soon as Valeria saw the marbles, she couldn't help but be surprised once more. It was because the shadow force marbles were very similar to one of the many recording devices she had seen in the succession temple. They were only different in color.
"This device is made of shadow force. Is it made by Solderet, the god with whom you signed a contract?"
"Yes."
"Then why can't you just ask Solderet to restore the device?"
"For some unknown reason, I am unable to communicate with Solderet."
"Then how do you know for sure that this is a recording device? It's just a round mass of shadow force?"
"Because I've seen the recorded footage in it myself."
"How?"
"Do you have to know the reason to be able to work on them? I thought we were only making a deal, and you weren't my ally. You are asking for too much information."
Valeria shrugged her shoulders.
"You have a point. Give me a minute."
Valeria took the shadow force marbles, and raised mana in her palm.
Suuu….!
Then, a strange resonance began to occur between her hand and the shadow force marbles.
'It's been a while since I saw this.'
What Valeria was using was the record magic of the Hister clan. Jin wondered if her magic would really work on a device made of shadow force.
Jin silently watched her actions, pretending not to know.
After a while.
Tsst, xxxt...
Tsst!
Jin's eyes widened.
The marbles started making the same noise as when they activated for the first time.
On the other hand, Valeria nodded her head as if she had expected this to happen.
"It's definitely a recording device. It's also damaged and doesn't work properly."
"You are able to check it like this, so why did you ask so many questions?"
"Thanks to that, I learned that you lost contact with Solderet."
"I should at least praise you for being smart. Can you restore it?"
"Um… maybe."
Valeria answered as she set the shadow force marbles on the table.
"Your answer is lukewarm considering that you have already received the advance payment."
"Hey, Jin Runcandel. The recording device is more sophisticated and complex than you can imagine. Besides, it's not exactly the same thing my ancestors made, so I need time to check it out too."
The trait of Valeria that Jin knew was not only that her eyes shifted slightly to the left when she was nervous.
There's another trait, she gently stroking the ends of her hair with her index and thumb with her arms crossed.
It was a trait that Valeria shows when she's interested in an object or particular situation.
'The fact that she is interested in Solderet's recording device means it can be restored. Either that or she needs the item as well.'
If she ever needed them, it was probably because it would help her in recovering the record magic of the Hister clan.
Jin thought about Solderet's arrangements, the record he left, and this meeting with Valeria today.
For some reason, it all felt like it was fate. At first glance, it seems like a coincidence, but Jin felt as though he and Valeria were destined to meet again in the end, just like two pieces of puzzle.
"Okay, I'll give you time. How much do you need?"
"I don't know that either."
"Is this because your record magic isn't perfect yet?"
Just before Jin regressed, even the 26-year-old Valeria had not been able to restore all of Hister's record magic.
'According to my memory, she would have found only about three successful temples at this point. She is not lying about requiring more time.'
The record magic of 17-year-old Valeria was extremely limited.
"...Runcandel seems to know a lot more about me than I thought."
"Enough to require my protection, at the very least"
"As I said before, I don't need your protection."
"My mother and eldest brother are looking for you. I was told that they figured out what your current name is. Arya Aulhart."
"That's not the only name I use. And I'm moving while erasing my tracks."
"Anka Roffman, Rileyne Hazard, Lucille Skoppe, Hartia Ben."
Valeria's eyes flinched as Jin spoke of her other aliases. It's an expression that shows how shocked she was. She rarely expresses emotions when dealing with others, except for a few traits.
"Aren't those your aliases? You say you hide your tracks, but somehow, you and I are having this conversation now."
Not even Runcandel and Zipfel know of other aliases of Valeria yet, except for 'Arya Aulhart'.
Other than Valeria herself, only Jin knew all those aliases. But Valeria had no choice but to assume the worst.
'Where did I leave my traces? I thought I had erased it for sure.'
She tried to remember quickly, but Valeria isn't sure where she had made a mistake.
Not being sure where she slipped meant that there might be traces left somewhere. A faint uneasiness bloomed in Valeria's mind. No matter how strong she was, Valeria was still only seventeen.
"...No matter how many names they know, they won't be able to catch me. And, as I said before, you found me only because I decided to talk to you."
"I like your confidence, but shouldn't you be more careful? If Runcandel can find this much, Zipfel must have found out more about you."
"I feel like I'm going to burst into tears after seeing your concerns for me."
"The shadow force marbles you have is far more valuable to me than Schugiel Hister's magic tome or your life. I'm afraid that you might get caught during restoration and I will lose them."
"Runcandel's reserve flagbearer with a total bounty of 400 million on his head isn't the only person who can hide from the eyes of Runcandel and Zipfel. Anyway, I will take you up on the advice to be more careful."
Valeria put the shadow force marbles into the inside pocket of her robe.
"I think our conversation is almost over with this. Give me an address of a safe place where I can contact you."
"Send it to Alisa Badger, the commander of the Central Defense Guard of the Free City of Tikan."
"I'll send you a letter if I make progress in restoration work after I return."
"What address can I contact you at?"
Jin said it without any expectation. Because he thought she couldn't give him her address, as she is a fugitive.
Swish.
But unexpectedly, Valeria took out a piece of paper and wrote down the address.
Jin's eyes grew wide with surprise when he saw the address.
"...Isn't this the center of Samil?"
The city of Nameless assassination groups, Samil. The center of it is a space where only the families of the Nameless assassins or special benefactors could live.
It was the only safe zone in Samil, and it was also used by Jin to win a bet with Owal in the past.
Valeria had no family. She had obtained the right to have a house in the center of Samil as a benefactor of the Nameless.
'Well, now that I think of it, Zipfel could have always contacted the Nameless to located or assassinate my teacher in my past life. Perhaps this is the reason why she had not been attacked by the world's best assassins until now.'
It was a problem Jin had never thought about in his past life and nor did he think Valeria might have a hiding place in Samil.
"I don't actually stay there. But I am able to check any letters coming to that address, so if you have any requests for me, contact me there."
There was a reason why Valeria gave Jin an address where he could reach her. She wanted to know more about Jin. It is true that she was disappointed about how different he was from the man in her dream, but somehow, talking with him made her feel something
Valeria felt as if she had met someone she had missed.
It was the first time she felt like this for someone other than the dead gray owl mercenaries.
"I didn't know you were treated as a benefactor by Nameless."
"Given your reaction, it seems that even Runcandel doesn't know about this location yet. I hope you won't be foolish enough to come to this address in person."
Valeria stood up from her seat.
"I must go now. Until I restore the recording device and return it, I want you to cherish the Magic Tome of my Ancestor."
"You can ask for anything you need to restore the recording device, I will get it for you. And one more thing, I'll send you an item to Samil once I return."
"An item?"
"You dyed your hair brown, but I can see that your hair is actually red-colored. Your disguise doesn't seem very good, so I'll give you some good hair dye and makeup tools. I'm not going to put poison or anything on it, so don't worry. Think of it as an extra layer of protection."
"...Dye and makeup tools?"
"You will know when you use it. You will be able to live with a thousand faces."
Valeria burst into laughter.
"I didn't think you were capable of making jokes."
Valeria stood up and held out her hand to Jin.
"For now, it seems to be a mutually beneficial meeting."
Jin glanced at her slender wrist and small hand.
'Is she acting like this because she is younger than when I met her in my past life?'
As Jin remembers, Valeria would never have asked for a handshake in a situation like this.
Jin grabbed Valeria's hand, and he felt warmth in her hand.
"Arya Aulhart."
"Yes?"
"When you first saw me, why did you call me by my first name, as if you knew me?"
It's because of my habit in her dream. Valeria raised the corners of her mouth instead of answering.
"Who knows? See you next time then."
***
A meeting was held as soon as Jin returned to the Garden of Swords.
Not only the flagbearers, but also the heads and main pillars of the elder council were gathered in the meeting room. It means that this meeting was not about mere mission, but concerned critical issues within the clan.
Everybody got up from their seats when Rosa entered. Rosa ordered them to take their seats with a single glance, and spoke.
"Today's meeting is about a person named Arya Aulhart."