"…" Theo furrowed his eyebrows and took another glance at the book. If he managed to use this Materialization, he might not need a few skills and replace them with something he couldn't replicate.
"Everything you need to know is in that notebook. Don't give that book to anyone else since it may lead to some problems. If you don't want it anymore, just burn the book to make sure no one other than you can possess it. Also, don't throw the pocket watch on your chest until your next birthday."
Theo closed his eyes and took a deep breath, understanding her words, albeit his master didn't let him have that time.
"Alright. Let's move on to the second question. What do you want to ask me?"
Theo stopped thinking about Materialization for the time being and asked his second question. "Which one is your priority? Me, Griffith Family or your Family?"
"If you ask it that way, I guess the first will always be my family. You can't simply ignore your own family when you know they have been good to you in your entire life, you know. Then, the second one will be you since you are my student. Last will be your Griffith Family. After becoming your teacher, I am a kind of independent force from the Griffith Family, so you will be my priority instead of them. Unless they break their own promise, they won't touch my family no matter my decision. That's all."
She explained it carefully to avoid any misunderstanding.
"…" Theo frowned. "Doesn't that mean if they threaten your family, the position will easily change? Ignore this question if you count it as my third question."
She smiled. "Yes. But that chance is only one percent. And if you try to go against the Griffith Family, then I guess that one percent can increase. As long as you don't have any conflict with the Griffith Family, this position won't change. I still need to ensure the livelihood of my family, you see."
Theo never expected his teacher to give him full support since it was hard to revolve her own life around a mere brat like him. That was why this answer didn't break his heart or something.
Instead, it was enough for him to know his future path. He contemplated his answer for a second. "I just want to learn more about them and decide whether to sever this family relationship or not. Though, the chance to choose the former is already above ninety percent."
"Haha. So honest. No…" She suddenly narrowed her eyes as if she realized his intention. "You want to see my reaction to see the relationship between me and the Griffith Family. To see… If I let them know something like this or not. You have turned into a clever brat."
Theo rolled his eyes, not admitting it. He changed the topic by uttering his last question. "What is your purpose for teaching me?"
"Hmm, this one can't be answered easily. I am your ally, but close to a neutral party, I guess." She answered in a roundabout way. "In fact, there may be a few people approaching you to become your teacher like me, especially after your 18th birthday. All I can say, you need to be careful of these people because some of them are chill like me even if you reject them, and some of them are going to force you and get angry if you reject them. I am here to fend them away."
"Did you forget that you forced me too?"
"If you managed to escape from me at that time, I wouldn't get angry." She shrugged and looked away. "But those who will come at you may try to torture you to accept them as your teacher… Or even kill you. That's all you need to know. I can help you fend them off from time to time, but there's a limit I can do."
"I understand it. I can only prepare for what happens." Theo nodded.
"Also, you need to remember that I'm your ally. For now, they only know about your real identity, so it's going to be fine if you choose another identity. Well, this is the only case after your 18th birthday. You are safe for at least a few months."
Theo nodded with a serious expression.
"One more piece of advice. Don't be too focused on one Aspect. Raise your proficiency on the others as well since I have taught you the basics. Combining two or three Aspects to create something is what you should strive for.
"That's all. Since I have answered all the three questions, it's time for me to leave again." She said and extended her hand, patting Theo's head. "Even if you don't recognize me as your teacher anymore, I will always take pride in my student. Live however you want."
Before Theo could react, the door was already opened by the Magic Power and his teacher disappeared right after, leaving him alone in the house.
Of course, she didn't forget to close the door.
Theo froze for a few seconds before his elbows used his thighs for support while his hands covered his eyes. He was confused about what to do anymore. All he knew was every confusion he had was related to the Griffith Family.
"In any case, I can learn everything about the Griffith Family later since I'm sure many countries have the knowledge about that family. What I need to do right now is to get stronger." Theo stared at the book. "I am going to get the money from Nart, quit school and search for another house tomorrow before buying skills to upgrade my current ones."
Theo decided to take a bath and sleep for the night.
He thought nothing could go wrong anymore, but his wheel of fate started spinning again when he heard someone ringing the bell early in the morning.
He thought Nart or Laust was visiting him to give the money, but when he looked down, he saw a white rabbit, just a bit bigger than a baseball and seemed to fit around his pocket. However, what surprised him was a white envelope in the rabbit's mouth.