Still, no matter how much he looked up to them, Theo's only memory about them was pure violence and torment. There was no justification for what they did.
And his grandfather or Valerie's father, the former head of the War God Family, had understood everything and said such a thing to Valerie.
However, he also didn't do anything because he couldn't come up with another plan like that. Valerie must have been using her brain for a few months to come up with all these ideas.
Although he practically needed to give Theo a blank check that would surely dry him up, Valerie paid him back by simply having Theo see him in bright light, unlike them, who could only become a villain.
Theo's good opinion alone might not be that much in his current state, but when he reached Supreme Rank Expert, if not Mythical, it could increase the family's reputation and other businesses.
…
And as expected, Theo was clenching his fists, not understanding what had happened behind the scene.
Even though he wanted to scream right in front of his brother's face, he seemed to understand his mother's plan. It was only a gist, but that was the only thing that kept him sane this whole time.
Theo suddenly remembered the unanswered question Edward wanted to explain later. He asked with a shaky tone. "There is an Eilric Family in Thersland…"
Understanding what he wished to know, Edward nodded with a serious expression. "Yes. To explain the Eilric Family, I guess I should explain it from your current master. Your master's name is Nina Eilric and her title is Demonic Granny. She is the wife of Nart Eilric, who is later expelled to this country."
"!!!" Theo's body shook when he heard about her identity.
"I won't comment about their love life, but your parents are close to her and Nart Eilric… Though, only Nina Eilric knows about your existence.
"In the past, Nina and Nart experienced a hardship which resulted in their daughter-in-law almost getting raped and their son nearly dying. Father played a significant role in helping her while Nina Eilric exterminated the entire enemy's family, whether they were young, innocent, or old.
"It was then she got her title… And to repay her debt, she decided to obey your father's plan by waiting for a decade before becoming your teacher. And that's also when she came to visit her husband for the first time after a long decade."
Theo rose from his seat as his breath started becoming rough. "She is…"
He fell silent and came to a realization. He soon remembered when Nina told him how much she hated the Griffith Family.
Considering she experienced that type of thing with a problem that seemed to be related to the Griffith Family, he could understand where the hatred came from. And if she told him she was Alea's grandmother, there was no way he would accept her as his master.
Hence, she chose to remain anonymous. Although there was an instance where he, Alea, and Nina met, Alea was unconscious at that time, unable to discern Nina's real identity.
Theo already knew his life was a lie this whole time, but this was the first time he saw the scale. It was simply beyond his imagination.
"So, the reason the Eilric Family didn't approach me this whole time was due to this promise?"
"Yes. In the meantime, I dealt with other Supreme Rank Experts." He nodded.
"You are eleven years above me…" Theo stopped, realizing it was enough time to reach Supreme Rank Expert.
"Yes. However, it doesn't change the fact that I have abandoned you for that long. There's no excuse to justify such an action. That's why I won't call myself your brother anymore." Edward closed his eyes.
Theo's body was shaking as he couldn't handle the entire truth. His feet became limp, and he dropped to his seat.
Edward was slightly surprised when Theo's reaction was calmer than he expected. However, he also understood what this meant. He closed his eyes and said inwardly, 'Father, Mother. We may be able to push Theo away from the Griffith Family but at the cost of him being indifferent to us.'
"Still, Fa…Father is the current head of the family, right?!" Theo gritted his teeth and started mumbling uncontrollably. "I can understand the Eilric Family, but why? Why are the ones I wish were there the most never around? Everything… Everything…"
He couldn't help but remember how he had lived for the past decade.
"When you still lived together with me, our lives were somewhat decent. Even though we weren't particularly wealthy and couldn't have the luxury to be picky, we managed to maintain happiness in the family…"
Theo was understanding and Edward kept cheering for him and that was enough.
"I didn't mind if we needed to live in a rundown apartment. As long as I had a home to return to, everything would have been easier.
"There were times I hallucinated about my parents and you smiling at me when I came home, but I soon realized all of them were not real…"
Recalling all his past, tears couldn't help but stream down his cheeks.
Seeing him like this, Edward clenched his fists, almost cutting his own palms with his nails. He wanted to cry as well, but the situation didn't allow him to.
It was hard for him not to say anything and keep showing him how bad his parents were. However, he had promised them to do this despite the unbearable urge to disclose the entire situation.
"Why?!" Theo slammed the table and shouted with his shaking voice. "Why? Everything would have been easier… Why?!"
He kept shouting for a few minutes as he couldn't accept the entire truth.
In the end, Theo raised his hand, gesturing to him that he wanted him to stop talking. "No… I don't need to hear it anymore and don't want to…"
He took a few deep breaths while wiping his tears.
"I want to know more about the Griffith Family. What are their traditions and rules and who are they?"
Edward closed his eyes and shook his head. "I'm sorry. Even I don't have the information about the Griffith Family.. At the same time, you can only learn it after reaching 18 years old, so your parents will be the one to answer that question."