After recounting his memory, Edward looked Theo in the eyes with a sad smile. "I'm sorry. I couldn't disobey them."
That statement shook Theo as he gritted his teeth. He wanted to know why he couldn't disobey them, but words stuck in his throat.
Theo looked down while clenching his hands. His body was shaking as he really wanted to know everything.
"Then, you are telling me you abandoned me because of them? Will you kill me if they want me to die?!" Theo slammed the table.
Edward shook his head. "No one in the world wants you to live more than your parents. That's something I can confidently say after witnessing everything… I'm sorry, I can't say anything regarding this matter. If you wish to know about it, you should ask this question to them."
Theo hesitated for a second and took a deep breath, trying to calm his heart down. He had been lying this whole time, so instead of pushing it and getting another lie, Theo chose to avoid asking the question.
He was sick of lies, so he shifted the topic to his pocket watch. Showing it to Edward, Theo asked, "Then, how do you explain this to me?"
Edward raised three fingers. "The pocket watch is an artifact. I don't know if you have heard about it, but I will explain it to—"
Before he finished, Theo waved his hand and said with a cold tone. "I have heard about the artifact. No need to explain the basics to me."
Looking at Theo's eyes, Edward nodded helplessly. "Okay. Then… The pocket watch you have is only half of the artifact."
"Half?"
"Yes. Your father has the other half. At first, your parents have separated themselves from the Griffith Family. However, not long after you were born, they decided to return to the family to protect you. Only then did the Griffith Family give them the Pendant of Identification.
"They gave the other half to me so that I could hand it to you. Well, I should explain the other thing first." He raised three fingers. "The Pendant of Identification has three uses. First, they will continuously transmit Magic Power to each other.
"In a sense, the pocket watch will continuously suck your Magic Power. But fret not; it's only a small amount where you won't even notice the difference.
"Then, your parents can channel their Magic Power into the pendant to know whether the pocket watch has changed its owner or not. According to them, there's a difference in the amount they feel, so they will know if it's stolen.
"So, your parents can know your condition all the time. That's the first purpose. As for the second purpose, the name has said it. It's for identification.
"The Griffith Family always gives Pendant of Identification to their heirs like you and Nella. There are a few other heirs, so all of you have received the same pocket watch.
"The Magic Power that has been sucked and stored inside the pocket watch will react to each other the moment it approaches another Pendant of Identification. The Griffith Family will recognize you as a temporary true heir as long as you possess this until you reach 18 years old.
"Last but not least, you can track the other location of the other half as long as you pour your Magic Power into the pocket watch. Of course, everything I have said can only be done when you reach Supreme Rank, which allows you to feel the minuscule Magic Power fluctuation from the pocket watch."
Theo listened to his explanation with a grim expression. He realized that his parents had been watching over him, but he couldn't really accept the fact they never met him or anything. Even giving him a message would be fine, especially with their status.
"They can only sense the Magic Power in this pocket watch?" Theo wanted the confirmation to know whether his parents watched him directly or indirectly.
"Yes." Edward also knew about his doubt and stated, "Your parents don't know what you're currently experiencing or witnessing. They only know that you're still alive. As for how much information they have regarding you… Even I don't know."
"I understand." Theo kept his poker face. "How about the 18 years old rule?"
"Unfortunately, I can't say anything regarding the Griffith Family's rules. I can only tell you anything I have experienced with both of them. If you wish to know about the Griffith Family's rules, you should ask them."
"…" Theo tried to see whether he was lying or not and soon found out he wasn't. Hence, Theo brushed aside the question and shifted the topic. "But I don't know who will come? I have heard the Griffith Family will dispatch people to come here when I reach 18 years old… How am I supposed to ask them? Are you telling me to become a Mythical Rank Expert first?"
"No." Edward denied it immediately. "They told me one thing. They will definitely come as soon as you reach 18 years old."
Theo fell silent for a minute, hesitating to throw this one question. After gathering his resolve, Theo looked Edward in the eyes and asked with a calm tone. "Who are they, both their title and positions in the family?"
Edward let out a long sigh. "Your mother's name is Valerie Guerrero. Although she changed her name to Valerie Griffith, it didn't change the fact she hailed from the War God Family. You could check their information yourself since their information is spread online.
"Well, you can visit them because I believe they haven't known about you. After all, they…" Edward paused for a moment, hesitating to tell Theo about his mother's condition. He considered a few things and decided to continue, "They thought your mother is infertile. So, they must haven't realized your existence, and I was told not to tell them anything. They also didn't seem to know my existence either, but that's not important."
Theo didn't react as if he had expected to find the same answer as the information he got from Agata. He simply wished to know his father.
"As for your father… His name is Ray Griffith. He is…"