Although undercurrents stirred on Rute's side, the four people most likely to clash head-on each had their own reasons for restraint, so things remained relatively peaceful for the time being.
First, Oliva... his moves were not too drastic. Though they carried strong undertones of testing, he did not strike too ruthlessly.
Although he was not particularly willing to see Coyle and Rojas around, Oliva understood that relying on himself alone to restrain the not-quite-normal Aislin was unlikely to work.
Although some strange aromatic relic Gilbert had stored away—possibly several hundred years old despite being well preserved—had temporarily pulled Aislin back from the brink, it only gave her a sliver of hope for survival. It did not mean she could withstand her soul's true owner.
What made him and Rute happy was merely that, once everything was over, Aislin might have a soul of her own, however incomplete, enter the River Styx. It was not that Aislin could play any major role in this matter.
Or rather, preventing the original owner of her soul from acting too recklessly was the greatest contribution Aislin could make... Though the girl's hints had been subtle, Oliva had still noticed them.
However, this also allowed Oliva to figure out something: although the other party possessed almost all of Aislin's memories, she had overlooked certain fragments of mundane daily life.
Especially the memories from before Aislin became a Mage, memories even Aislin herself had buried deep within her Mental Sea.
Who knew how much effort she had put in afterward, or how many cautious tests she had conducted, before she dared reveal even that little trace?
But this also proved one thing: within that small portion of the soul Aislin occupied, she could block that person's observation.
That was why Aislin had not been discovered while