We had been in the Shantium Clan for two weeks.

Valensia had spent almost all of her time in her office, reading documents and seeking advice from the elder.

As for me, I had explored every nook and cranny of the village and contacted every single resident.

I had a mission to accomplish, but...

« No one has great magical power... It's a failure. »

I went to Valensia’s office.

« Come in, Astur, » she replied after I knocked on the door.

« Valensia. Still here, I see. »

« I’m almost done. Was your investigation successful? » A slight mocking smile played on her lips.

« No. You? »

« What do you think? » Her eyes sparkled with mischief.

« Don’t play with me. No one here has great magical power. I’ve met every single resident. I think we’ve wasted our time. »

« For someone so gifted, you’re not very smart, » she replied, rolling her eyes.

« Don’t tell me you’ve found her? »

« Of course I have. I found her since we arrived. We are bound by destiny after all. »

Here she was again, with her delusions. She was usually cold and self-assured, but as soon as this particular subject came up, she sounded like a stupid teenager.

« Spill the beans, I don’t want to hear you saying your weird lovey-dovey things all day. »

She answered me with a long, icy stare.

And, as usual, she launched into a long explanation instead of answering frankly.

« I have a multitude of documents at my disposal. They’re all fascinating. Each member of the village has their own little page, of varying length. Their names, first names, affiliations, abilities, the tasks they perform in the village, their history at the center, their arrival here... Truly interesting. »

I was losing patience, but I knew she would only get to the point when she decided to. She continued.

« Oddly enough, the oldest person in the village has the shortest page. Looking at her, you’d think she’d have at least two pages... » She snickered to herself.

« Viera Nivera. Doyenne. Arrived thirty years ago. Cooks and assists with light care. No powers, no fighting skills, no family, no children. The end. We don’t even know her date of birth. »

« So? » I didn’t understand what she was getting at. She was old, after all. Perhaps the original documents had been misplaced or she no longer remembered certain things.

« Nivera, if you forget the letter J, it’s an anagram. Even Viera is the end of ‘Janvier’ with an A added. » She started giggling like a child.

« Ahhhh, honestly, she didn’t really try! » She was still laughing.

« Don’t tell me that old dean is the legendary magician! Besides, there really isn’t any magical aura around her. Even people who aren’t adept at magic have one, however slight! »

« Idiot. »

« What? »

« The greatest sorceress of all time, who even old age can’t overcome... Do you really think concealing her magical power would be impossible? She can even awaken the dead. »

I didn’t know what to say. Maybe she was right? I lost myself in thought.

« Ahhhh, isn’t she perfect? It’s so funny. »

« Are you going to talk to her...? »

« Of course not. Not yet. I want to woo her. »

Just the image made me uncomfortable. She was truly unashamed. But that’s what I liked about her. This girl... I smiled to myself.

Someone knocked at the door. It was the Doyenne. She came in.

As I stared at her, wondering a thousand times about Valensia’s words, she addressed Viera:

« Oh Elder! You’re here! I have a few questions for you concerning this file. »

She held out the paper to her. But just as Viera was about to grab it, Valensia pulled it back and stared at her, saying:

« Elder, those beautiful green eyes… were they always this stunning? »

Valensia gave me a brief wink.

« Wait... is she flirting? » I said to myself.

Upon closer inspection, it was true: Viera had the same eyes as in the picture in the legendary magician’s book. Perhaps she was right.

As I was lost in my thoughts again, Valensia kindly invited me to leave.

I left the room and left her to her delirium...