"Long time no see, my lady." Ace casually greeted Eleanor as if meeting an old friend while ignoring both women's dumbfounded expressions.
Zaria was first to recover as she glared at him and barked, "What are you doing here?!" Although she wanted to ask how, he snuck up on her without alerting her, sensing she didn't want to be in front of Eleanor. Nonetheless, Zaria was extremely curious since Ace had only been gone for a week or three, yet his aura was completely different. Before, she could still sense him, but now, he appeared completely invisible without any trace of presence, as if he was one with the surrounding space. Unless someone was looking for him, they wouldn't be able to notice him, but Ace's deadly face makes it almost impossible.
Furthermore, Zaria was displeased because, appearing , he was not giving her any face in front of Eleanor, and he was too close, and they almost seemed like... friends.
Eleanor finally snapped out of shock as she looked at Ace and couldn't help but think, 'How did he become even more handsome in a month?"
Still, she quickly regained her noble lady-like bearing, looked at Ace sternly, and said, "What are you doing here?"
Although she was relieved that Ace wasn't dead, she still found this situation quite strange since Ace didn't seem like a prisoner who had seen his savior. In fact, he appeared to be right at home, which made Eleanor suspicious, and her aggro shifted to Ace.
Eleanor's visit was naturally a massive surprise for Ace, and he didn't want to miss his chance of reconciliation with the Ravens, so despite not finishing his training yet, he appeared.
After all, the thief's house was his eyes and ears, and he could observe the area equivalent to his Law Thief Sense, so he was naturally alerted when a newcomer with a familiar soul signature entered his detection.
Nonetheless, Ace can now control his strength without destroying things, so as long as he doesn't fight or become agitated, he would be fine.
Furthermore, Ace also noticed that his presence had completely gone after cultivating the Universal Ascension Black Physique, just like a spirit weapon, which usually didn't have any kind of presence unless its owners used it.
The Darkness Force also had a part in it since darkness also had no presence, yet it existed in everything.
This characteristic significantly matches Ace, and he knows he still has a lot to discover about this new power.
He replied innocently while pointing at Zaria, "Well, I was forced to become a shopkeeper here, and apparently, I don't have a choice."
Zaria gave Ace a menacing glare since he didn't sound like someone who was being forced to stay here, and he was painting her as a villain.
"But..." Ace suddenly continued, "I have convinced Boss Zaria to let me leave. She's very kind and has been taking care of me all this time."
"Kind?" Zaria muttered with disbelief as she cringed and almost wanted to punch him for sullying her reputation.
Eleanor also appeared bewildered as she glanced at Zaria, who didn't seem kind at all. However, Ace didn't care about Zaria's expression. He looked at her with a meaningful smile and said, "Boss Zaria, Lady Eleanor is my lord I was telling you about, and he's very generous, for she took someone like me under her wing. Let me explain to her what is going on. I'll be back."
Ace then quickly stood up under Zaria's murderous glare and singled Eleanor to follow him, and despite Eleanor's misgivings, she followed Ace while giving Zaria a strange, smiling glance.
Zaria was even more dumbfounded as she watched them leave the shop before she clenched her teeth and cussed, "Damn, scoundrel used me again to woo that bitch! And what the hell did she look at me like that, huh?! Did she think I'm ugly or something?! That damn Harlot!"
After exiting the shop, Eleanor finally looked at Ace with a quizzical glare as she wanted to know what was happening.
Ace finally dropped the act and looked at Eleanor seriously, "I think Raven is trying to kill me."
Eleanor was startled momentarily before sarcastically replied, "Oh, and why do you think that is? You were given a mission, yet you are flirting with that uncouth woman! I was worried about you, you know! Hmph, but it seemed you are living quite leisurely with that 'Boss' of yours."
Ace could feel Eleanor's indignation and a hint of jealousy, but he didn't react and pulled a bitter smile, "No, you don't understand. Zaria really forced me to become a shopkeeper when I was here to seek information about the western district.
"And you must know she's terrifyingly strong, even more than you. So, I had no choice but to comply to preserve my poor little life. But I still managed to convince her to let me go.
"However, it is already too late, and the deadline given to me by Raven is already past. So, I'm afraid to leave because I know he'll be going to kill me if I leave Zaria's protection, so I was waiting for you.
"Can you please tell him not to kill me? Since it was my fault, it was a circumstantial blunder. And besides, the mission he gave me is almost impossible to complete. He's clearly trying to eliminate me from the start. Ace sighed with a hint of indignant. Eleanor became silent since she also had guessed Raven's intentions, and Ace just. happened to meet with back luck.
She pursed her lips and said, "I think you should stay here for now. Raven won't be able to do anything as long as you are with that tyrannical woman. She has a terrifying backer, so you'll be safe.
"As for joining the group, forget about it. It's very dangerous anyway. Once we achieve our objective, I'll come fetch you." She gently stated.
However, Ace shook his head as he looked into Eleanor's eyes with worry, making Eleanor's heart race as she avoided his gaze.
"No, I can't do that. Don't forget I have signed a law contract with you, and I meant it when I said I'd use my abilities to help you. So, I want to do whatever you are doing. And the only way to convince your group is to tell them about my special ability."
Eleanor's eyes widened since she wasn't expecting Ace to reveal his secrets for her sake, and she quickly shook her head, intending to reject him.
But Ace quickly stopped her by saying, "Just do it. Don't forget. I have another body. Just don't reveal anything about it. Furthermore, with my current relationship with Zaria, I can extract information from her. She has a profound connection with the Runic King Palace. So, add this information as well. Just try it if it doesn't work; I'll do as you say.
Eleanor's expression flickered as she finally showed hesitation, but looking at Ace's determined look, she finally gave in and nodded, "Alright, I'll try, but if it doesn't work, you have to listen to me and wait here until I'm done!"