Chương 176: Her Confession
Swallowing the last remnants of her hesitation, Valenoa knocked on the door to Kalin's room. As she did so, despite her best efforts to stay cool-headed and collected, her hand was shivering ever so slightly.
Even though a part of her was still highly unresigned with what she was about to do, it didn't matter. The door opened, and the turning point arrived.
"Can I talk to you in private for a bit?"
Exhibiting none of her usual naivete and pure innocence, but rather a more mature confidence and subconsciously released charm, she looked at the young man standing in the doorframe in front of her with unconcealed restlessness apparent on her face.
For a while, she didn't receive a response. Kalin's brows were furrowed, and he was quite obviously mentally weighing the options that he had been presented with. Seeing him behaving this stand-offish towards her made her heart ache, yet she didn't interrupt his contemplations, instead waiting patiently for him to make a decision.
Eventually, a heavy sigh escaped his lips. He stepped aside, motioning for Valenoa to enter. Only when they were both seated and staring at each other for a while did he finally break his silence.
"Please go ahead."
Being very well aware that parts of what she was about to confess would lead many people into a hurt-fuelled, overly hasty, angry frenzy, which would result in her losing the opportunity to explain herself, she started off with making a small request.
"What I'm about to say may give you the wrong idea at first… so can you promise to hear me out until the end?"
Although he appeared a little unwilling, Kalin closed his eyes for a moment before nodding with some difficulty.
"Alright, I promise."
Seeing him like this, Valenoa's instincts told her that her sweetheart might already know more than she thought, but that didn't prevent her from continuing. There was no way that she was going to stop now that she had already begun taking this step.
"I have to apologize for lying to you - I never had amnesia. My name is Valenoa, and I'm a member of the Adikia Familia, a branch of the Red Blade. Ever since I've been assigned to approach you and your companions, I've been internally referred to as 'operative LI-1'. The 'L' stands for Loki, and the 'I' for your teacher, Isaac Blackshaw. My task was to gather any and all information about the two targets plus your group that I could, and to covertly send it back to my familia."
Having dropped the biggest bombshell right at the beginning, Valenoa almost teared up when she saw Kalin's eyes lose a lot of their luster upon hearing her revelation. He didn't look surprised or taken aback, but rather, it appeared as if something that he had suspected for a while but desperately hadn't wanted to acknowledge or believe had been proven to him beyond any shadow of a doubt. And yet, even though he looked heartbroken, he didn't make a single sound.
Just as hurt about this as he was, Valenoa suppressed her remorse as well as pain and continued, her voice momentarily a bit quivery.
"A-As you may suspect, initially, I pretended to be attracted to you to seamlessly blend into your group and make you open up to me, aiming to eventually make you spill some secrets that you weren't supposed to tell. To do so, I followed what I had been taught during my training and put on a fake persona. But the most crucial aspect was to convince myself that I was truly in love with you. I needed to make myself genuinely believe that the amnesiac me that was attracted to you was the real me. And it worked, splendidly even… except for one tiny little issue. Very quickly, I discovered that I didn't have to lie to myself about my feelings for you any longer. You treated the amnesiac me so gently… that I genuinely fell in love with you."
Even though she was panicking and guilt-ridden about how devastated Kalin was, a slight blush couldn't help but creep up her cheeks as she proclaimed her feelings for him as honestly as she could. She wasn't the only one who felt a bit shy at this time, as even her sweetheart, who had clearly been on the verge of tears all this while, now felt his face warm up a little, in spite of the chaotic, conflicted mess that his heart and mind had become.
"When you suddenly chose to keep your distance from me, I was confused and didn't know what to do. But when I saw you getting intimately hugged by that queen earlier, I finally realized what I want to do. I don't want to deceive you any longer. I want to tell you everything straight, and vie for your love honestly, as the real me!"
Taking a deep breath and staring directly into Kalin's partially clouded, sad eyes, she finished her explanation with a stuttered question.
"T-That's all that I had to say. Is there anything you'd like to ask me?"
Upon realizing that the ball was now in his court, Kalin rubbed his temples and sighed a few times, before somewhat suppressing the negative emotions that threatened to overwhelm him at any moment. He had to stay rational, at least for a good while.
"What do you expect me to do now? Leaving the matter of love aside for a moment, you've just told me that you're essentially a spy. Do you think that you'll be able to stay with us, just like before?"
As she had already prepared herself for an inquiry like this one, Valenoa didn't find it hard to respond.
"I think it all depends on you. Only the two of us know what I just told you. If we don't tell anyone else, then neither my familia nor your companions will ever find out. So technically, if you want to, we can continue to be just like before. However, I would advise against that. You might not know, but Váli's Blades are about to put the 'Isaac Blackshaw Eradication Campaign' into action, which will result in the death of your teacher. It's very dangerous to stay here! How about the two of us… just run away together?"
Staring into her pleading eyes full of genuine sincerity, fear, self-reproach and anticipation, Kalin heaved yet another heavy sigh.
"So you're telling me to leave my friends to their deaths and make a break, just the two of us? Do I really look like such a person to you?"
Overcome with worry, Valenoa's expression turned a little stern.
"But if you stay, you'll die too! I don't want you to die!! If I could do something about that dumb campaign, I would. But I'm simply not in the position to change anything… If it's just the two of us, they might let us go and allow us to live out our lives in some secluded corner of the world."
Under normal circumstances, Kalin would have been quite touched by how concerned for his wellbeing Valenoa evidently was, but currently, his heart was too bitter to fully appreciate it. Not that there was much of a need to, anyway. After all, this enchanting beauty didn't have any idea what her faction was up against.
"... even if you had a clear picture of the situation, I wouldn't go with you. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did. But thankfully, I don't have to make a choice in the first place."
Confusion apparent on her exquisite features, Valenoa slightly tilted her head.
"What do you mean?"
Smirking wryly, with a hint of pity evident in his eyes, Kalin chose to reveal the tip of the iceberg. After all, judging from his teacher's actions so far, this shouldn't be an issue. Valenoa would never be able to send news of this back to the Red Blade either, unless Isaac allowed it to happen.
"I'll admit, you had me fooled for the longest time. Your amnesiac act was pretty much flawless. I completely and utterly fell for it. However… while you might be a great actor, you're not a good spy. You don't have a clear picture of my teacher's capabilities - in fact, you don't have even the slightest clue. There is no way at all that he can lose against Vali's Blades."
Frowning a little, partially out of puzzlement, but also because she thought that Kalin might be deluding himself to escape reality, Valenoa chose to elaborate.
"There are many gods and even primordial deities out for your teacher's blood. I admit that he is most likely the most talented mortal that has ever been, as well as a smart and refined gentleman. If he had been targeted by mere mortals, then I'm confident he would eventually have the last laugh, even if he was facing the entirety of the Lower World. However… the deities are different. They might portray themselves in a slovenly, unreliable manner most of the time, but their true capabilities are absolutely terrifying. We mortals cannot successfully rise up against them."
The pity in his eyes growing ever more prevalent, the corners of his lips rising in amusement as he looked forward to her reaction to what he was about to unveil, Kalin shook his head.
"And that's exactly where you're wrong. My teacher isn't a mortal. I don't think calling him a deity is enough to do him justice either. That said, could you please update my Status, teacher?"
Ever since he had met Zoe within the Ring of Perpetuity, he hadn't had the chance to take a look at the Skill that she had bestowed upon him, so he took this opportunity to both open Valenoa's eyes, as well as to satisfy his own curiosity.
"Sure thing. Hold still for a moment."
The disembodied, relaxed voice of Isaac rang out within the room, then a golden drop of Ichor seemed to come into existence in front of the girl's eyes. It casually floated over to Kalin's back and phased through his clothing, before getting to work on the Falna underneath.
As this was happening, Valenoa's eyes had widened in extreme shock and her back began to get drenched in cold sweat. She wasn't an idiot - from the peculiarities of this single event, she could already guess many things, and the implications of them made her terrified beyond belief.
Isaac Blackshaw could hear and see everything around him, in an area whose size was yet to be determined. He could also interact with the things and beings inside remotely. Didn't that mean that nothing could get past him, and that he could kill anyone he deemed a danger at any time? Of course, his area of influence was surely not as extensive as the entire Lower World, but that didn't really matter. It didn't change that she herself was at his mercy right at this moment!
Her earlier words suddenly felt like a pathetic joke. Nobody would know about their conversation? Oh, how ignorant she had been!
Everything she had seen and heard likely had been carefully curated, so that she would only send back unimportant or even false data to the Red Blade. A being of Isaac Blackshaw's capabilities surely would have monitored her ever since she first approached his people. To be honest, now that it was revealed that he was a deity of some sort as well… she could no longer determine which side would win. It was apparent that she was far too in the dark to make an appropriate judgement. Could Kalin's earlier claim have been correct, perchance?
Leaving her to her thoughts after he had gotten his fill of her stupefied expression, the still-heartbroken young man grabbed the sheet of paper that had appeared in midair, scanning his Status for any changes.
Because he hadn't gotten a chance to gain any excelia for a week due to all the events that had taken place, his base stats hadn't changed much at all. But as soon as the update had finished, he had felt an unfamiliar power welling up inside of him, one that he couldn't fully grasp yet. Just as expected, the 'culprit' of that sensation was his new, first Skill, the one that he had been eagerly anticipating.
[ Archē Princess' Consort: (Active) Once the user has made conscious contact with anything, it can be absorbed and turned into various forms of energy, which can be fashioned into, amongst others: Skills, Magics, Development Abilities or stats. Every time the user ascends into a more superior lifeform, more options will be unlocked. (Caution: The absorption isn't instant, but a gradual process!)
(Passive) Bonus Skills: None; Bonus Magics: None; Bonus Development Abilities: None; Bonus Stats: None ]
Even though he had already expected something great, Kalin couldn't help but momentarily forget about his heartache when he saw the description of this Skill - for multiple reasons.
Its title gave him very mixed feelings - something between excitement, exasperation and incredulity. But what truly astonished him were the details of it. This Skill had, quite literally, infinite potential. Honestly, he probably couldn't even remotely grasp just how broken it truly was.
Once he got over the initial shock, he remembered the situation that he currently found himself in and put his Status sheet aside for now, deciding to take a look into this Skill at a later time. For now, he wouldn't be able to keep a clear-enough head due to the emotional damage that he had taken.
"You should now have a pretty good idea as to what my teacher is capable of, right?"
Seeing Valenoa nod in response, clearly still a little bit out of it, his heart almost softened… but only almost. He couldn't just forget about the fact that she had been lying to him all this time.
Noticing the sorrow that overtook him once again, the red-haired temptress' eyes grew red, shimmering with imminent tears. Although she was terrified of what he might say, she still chose to ask the question that had come to mind.
"D-Do you think you'll be able to… forgive me for deceiving you someday?"
After a few moments of silence, Kalin eventually replied to her.
"I don't know. I'll definitely need some time to come to terms with all of this first. I'll give you a proper answer afterwards."
In all honesty, Kalin felt deeply hurt by what Valenoa had revealed to him today. Although it was touching that she would tell him all these secrets, that didn't change that she had been misleading him until just earlier. Everything that he had believed to know about her was fake, her entire image a mere act. Although she claimed that she truly loved him, he didn't know whether he could believe her or not - she did seem genuine, though. However, that last bit of doubt didn't stop whispering into his ear. He felt betrayed and devastated. Ever since she had started to lay out her situation frankly, he had wanted to curl up into a ball and cry his heart out.
But that wasn't the biggest issue. Instead, it was a question that he had to ask himself: Did he truly love this girl? Before her veil of lies had been removed, he had thought to have found the answer for a time, but now, after it was revealed that he had never gotten to know her at all… he just didn't know.
Doing her best to stay calm despite the tears that were dripping down her chin, Valenoa squeezed out one more sentence.
"I'll wait, however long it takes."
Following this, the two of them found themselves in an awkward silence for a few minutes, until Isaac's voice resounded next to their ears again.
"For now, I'll transfer Valenoa to my private world, where she'll stay at least until the conflict with Váli's Blades is resolved."
Right as his words concluded, the enchanting spy had already disappeared from Kalin's room, as if she had never been there. The only evidence of her presence were the few teardrops on the floor, which had yet to dry. The young man was finally left completely to his own thoughts.
'Thank you, teacher.'
Forcing a small smile, Kalin walked to his bed and sat down, before grabbing his blanket and wrapping himself tightly within it. He hadn't even had any mental energy left to continue the conversation, which was why he hadn't spoken - and from what he could guess, Valenoa should be in a similar state.
Not caring about keeping his cool any longer, the floodgates broke. The tears and snot ran unabated, and almost inaudible sobs escaped his lips.
Ever since the death of his father about one and a half months ago, he had been kept on his toes by all those continuous, rapid developments. New people had entered his life at a fast pace, and he found himself in a leadership-esque position with lots of responsibility multiple times. Even love and the attention of the opposite sex had kept his heart busy. Never had he really had an opportunity to truly grieve, to catch a proper breath, or to fully come to terms with all of the borderline fantastical events that he was experiencing.
But now, Valenoa's confession - the last straw - had broken the camel's back. All the pent-up emotions assaulted him at once, overwhelming him with misery. And yet, despite the pain, this wasn't really a bad thing - the healing process could finally, slowly but surely, begin.
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Settling down Valenoa in his private world wasn't an issue, as she was very cooperative. Isaac chose to assign her to one of the Book Seeker residential buildings temporarily, as they wouldn't all be filled with inhabitants for quite some time to come.
Getting Barca to be his architect was undoubtedly one of the best decisions that he had recently made, as the man had managed to finish a total of five buildings since he had surrendered - moreover, it had only been around a day! His Level 4 stats made him practically a superhuman compared to regular people, enabling him to proceed in his tasks at an unfathomable pace.
The very first building that he had worked on was the cottage that Vidar had gotten 'peacefully relocated' to, while the second one had been a small house for both Filvis' to live in. Ever since then, the residential district for the Book Seekers had become Barca's priority, and Martin had already moved in.
For now, Isaac didn't intend to actively intervene in the relationship between Kalin and Valenoa any longer. If it wasn't for the fact that he wanted to properly raise his student, then Valenoa might not even have been given the opportunity to survive. Well, maybe for a short time, but not for long. Thinking of this, he sent Ais a message, letting her know where to find the red-haired enchantress.
Moments later, he felt a presence approaching.
"Has that girl joined your faction, or is she being confined here?"
Appearing out of thin air right next to him, Hel nibbled on a snack that she had pilfered from the Loki Familia's kitchen. She was carrying a whole plate full of sugary treats with her, enjoying them to her heart's content.
"It's the latter. Thanks for your help, by the way. I couldn't have dealt with this matter this casually without you keeping an eye on her back then."
Showing a slight but genuine smile, Isaac nodded in her direction, before returning most of his focus to his magic stone research. Whenever he had some free time, he spent most of it on trying to understand the rune language better. While he had made some progress, it hadn't yet resulted in something groundbreaking, so he could only make slow but steady advancements for now.
Subconsciously puffing out her chest in pride due to his praise, Hel smiled confidently as she was wolfing down her snacks in delight. She was fully aware that Isaac didn't need her help to monitor those in his surroundings any longer, but initially, he would have had quite the headache without her support.
When Valenoa first appeared, he hadn't even been aware of her existence because he was absent due to the Loki Familia's expedition, so the spy could have had free reign during that time - if Hel hadn't voluntarily stepped forward to keep an eye on her. Although he pretty much instantly felt Valenoa to be suspicious when he encountered her upon his return to the surface, Isaac would have had to personally set aside time to tail and observe her if he had wanted to investigate her.
Due to Hel having already done this at that point in time, all he had needed was to look at her as she stood nearby in her invisible state, and exchange glances with her. The details of what she had seen were then discussed by the two later on, when he had found some time.
Honestly, Valenoa hadn't done all that much, she had only written down inconsequential information and exchanged it with other members of the Red Blade whenever she had the chance. Sometimes, she would accidentally bump into someone on the street while out with the kids, at other times, she would get lost courtesy of her 'amnesia' and exchange intel during those moments.
Because Isaac's students were all well behaved and had been cautioned beforehand to keep some things a secret from everyone, Valenoa hadn't had access to any of the core secrets of the group. Aside from the existence of Averin, the general dynamic and relationships of the students, as well as the fact that they had all used grimoires, she couldn't report much of anything else.
Therefore, nothing of substance was ever communicated back to the Red Blade. In the beginning, that was not for a lack of trying, but especially during the last week, ever since Kalin had given her the cold shoulder, it was mostly because Valenoa had deliberately avoided putting much effort into her work, instead priming herself to be ready to escape at a moment's notice.
Swaggering off to a sofa nearby, Hel finished the last of her snacks, before asking the nearby Titania to pour her a cup of tea. Once that was settled, she laid down, making herself comfortable, and pulled out a book that she had borrowed from Loki's study, getting lost within its pages soon after.
"By the way, your 'mother' is going to descend tomorrow."
One seemingly innocuous sentence by Isaac later, she almost fell from the sofa in shock, then an excited, warm grin blossomed on her sickly-blue lips.
SUY NGHĨ CỦA NGƯỜI SÁNG TẠO 
Shiro_the_Hero
Shiro_the_Hero I wonder how many of you figured out Valenoa's true identity before it was revealed? And when did you do it? I peppered many hints into the story ever since her very first appearance. They grew extremely clear only recently. I'm curious to hear about your reading experience :D
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