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Perhaps there was some favoritism toward sons over daughters, but that was an age-old truth in both the East and West. Sons inherited the family legacy and thus received the majority of parental attention and expectations.
"Arthur...it's a great name. At least it sounds better than mine."
Young Morgan's tone carried a faint trace of jealousy, though not enough to spark hatred for her unborn younger brother. Ian glanced at her; she simply kept her head down, eating her meal with elegant restraint.
"My dear child, your name was also blessed by a powerful wizard. It is a fine name as well. We would never give you a name so plain and ordinary."
Lady Igraine's voice was gentle and warm, a testament to her role as a loving mother, at least for now. She sensed her daughter's feelings and reached out to affectionately ruffle her hair.
"Not just you," She added, "But also your elder sisters, Morgause and Elaine. All of you bear names destined for greatness."
She was speaking of the two daughters who were absent from that evening's banquet.
Perhaps they weren't even within the castle walls at that moment. Truth be told, noble families always gave great thought to their children's names, especially in a world suffused with magic.
A name was the first step on a young wizard's path, and a good name could profoundly influence a life. This was no empty superstition.
"A powerful wizard? Who?"
Morgan's eyes lit up at the mention of something extraordinary. She set down her fork, her gaze flickering with curiosity as she looked eagerly at her mother.
Lady Igraine hesitated for a moment, but the Duke chuckled softly.
"Wizards never reveal their names lightly. Even we cannot answer that question for you."
"In truth," He added with a knowing smile, "You've already found an even greater wizard to be your teacher. You need not concern yourself with any others."
As he spoke, the Duke cast Ian a meaningful look.
He did not dismiss Ian because of his youthful appearance. In fact, his appearance was proof of his strength. Reversing one's age was the stuff of legends and it was a feat spoken of in countless tales.
Noticing the subtle weight behind the Duke's gaze, Ian sensed his emotions and narrowed his eyes slightly. A thought rose to his mind almost instinctively.
"Your Grace," Ian said softly. "The wizard you speak of...they wouldn't happen to belong to an organization called the Soul Hall, would they?"
The moment he finished speaking, Ian distinctly felt a shift in the Duke's emotions.
"..."
As expected.
"Oh, heavens... You actually let some filthy lump of sludge name me?"
Morgan had also noticed her father's shift in expression. She immediately thought of the shadow Ian had captured and described it as sludge.
It was a fitting description, to be fair.
"Uh..."
The Duke hadn't intended to bring this matter up openly. However, after observing Ian's calm demeanor and his daughter's sharp reaction, he confirmed his earlier suspicion.
The supposedly formidable wizard of the Soul Hall had clearly been defeated by Morgan's teacher. Judging from Morgan's attitude, had that mysterious wizard actually been weak in comparison?
Before the Duke could process his thoughts, Morgan stood up, walked over to Ian lightly, and, after sharing a glance of understanding, pulled a small glass bottle from Ian's robes.
Inside was none other than the captured soul of the "Big Bad Wolf." Having witnessed Ian's Animagus form, the wolf's spirit cowered meekly in a corner of the bottle, like a pet trapped in glass.
Even those unable to see through the swirling shadows could sense its subdued demeanor. For the Duke, this was the first time he had ever seen a Soul Hall wizard so silent.
"..."
He hadn't imagined a Soul Hall wizard could be captured and displayed like a specimen.
"I like my name, but can something like this really bless anyone?"
Morgan shook the bottle as she spoke, openly doubting the shadowy wolf's strength.
The Big Bad Wolf said nothing. He offered no protests or rebuttals, just silence. The Duke and Duchess, meanwhile, looked awkward and unsure of how to respond.
"We only have business dealings with the Soul Hall. We're not exactly close."
Overthinking things as always, the Duke decided to quickly distance himself from the organization, especially in front of the young wizard.
And he was telling the truth.
"It's fine. I'm quite familiar with the Soul Hall. We're not enemies, at least."
Ian sounded honest, but the fact that he was holding a Soul Hall wizard prisoner in a bottle made his statement somewhat unconvincing.
The Duke pretended to believe him.
Seeing that Ian didn't seem concerned, the Duke quietly breathed a sigh of relief. He glanced at his still-displeased daughter and then at the bottle in her hand.
"No, child. The one who blessed you was not this Soul Hall wizard."
Morgan raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued.
"Then what kind of wizard was it?"
Clearly, she cared deeply about the answer.
The Duke hesitated for a moment.
"How should I put it? As I said, we don't know much about the Soul Hall. All I can tell you is..."
He carefully chose his words, raising his hand and making a small, slow turning gesture.
"It was another...well, to use your words, another lump of sludge-like shadow."
Morgan's face instantly fell into an expression of exasperation.
The Duke immediately displayed fatherly love.
"Trust me, my dear. The wizard who named you was an even bigger lump of sludge. I'm certain that means she's far stronger."
His words were resolute.
But...
The uncertainty in his tone betrayed him.
"?"
Morgan opened her mouth.
In the end, though, she didn't roast her father on the spot.
At that moment, someone asked, "Your Grace, do you truly not know the name of the Soul Hall wizard who named Miss Morgan?"
Ian wasn't interested in the shadow's size or presence. What caught his attention was the flicker of emotion he sensed.
As expected.
Seeing Ian speak and even raise his gaze toward him, the Duke, much like his daughter, parted his lips, but hesitated. After a moment of deliberation, he chose to answer.
"I have a guess, though I'm not entirely certain. I heard the name from another wizard while I was in the presence of two Soul Hall wizards."
His gaze shifted to his daughter as if he were slipping into a distant memory, back to the night Morgan was born and the first time he encountered a Soul Hall wizard.
"And that name is…?"
Ian did not use Legilimency; he simply asked again, his tone polite and patient.
The Duke set down his plate, his eyes drifting once more to the glass bottle in Morgan's hands.
"If I recall correctly, she should be one of the Soul Hall's leaders. The others called her..."
The Duke paused briefly.
"Cinderella."
His voice dropped to a soft, deliberate whisper as he uttered the name.
"As expected."
Ian looked mildly surprised, but not shocked. If a "Big Bad Wolf" existed, then the idea of a "Cinderella" wasn't so unbelievable.
This so-called Soul Hall...
It seemed to be a collection of characters plucked straight from fairy tales. Just as the Big Bad Wolf had introduced himself, they were beings born of stories, their existence a continuation of those old tales.
As Ian pieced together his understanding of the Soul Hall, the Duke continued speaking.
"I also recall that the Soul Hall wizard arrived at my home with a companion. I haven't seen that companion since..."
He trailed off briefly.
"But I still remember some details about that wizard."
For reasons unknown, the Duke seemed eager to reveal everything he knew about the Soul Hall.
"Did you hear that wizard's name as well?"
Ian guessed.
The Duke nodded again.
"Strictly speaking, it was my wife who spoke with her. Lady Igerna was not in good health after giving birth to Morgan, so the wizard prepared a potion for her."
He turned his gaze toward his wife.
It was obvious.
She did not wish to "betray" the wizard who had once helped her. Seeing the resolute look in her husband's eyes, she could only sigh helplessly.
"Yes, that's right. I spoke with that wizard for quite a while. Like all Soul Hall wizards, she was veiled in shadow, but she voluntarily told me her name."
As she spoke, Lady Igerna glanced at her husband as if unable to understand why he was being so fickle.
Perhaps...
He knew something about their daughter's teacher that he wasn't sharing. With that thought lingering, the conflicted Lady Igerna finally made her choice.
"Let me guess, Belle? Dorothy? Esmeralda? Pocahontas? Maybe Maya? Or Alice?"
Ian rattled off a string of female names straight out of fairy tales.
He'd noticed that the Duke and Duchess had used feminine pronouns when referring to the Soul Hall wizard.
"No... none of those."
Lady Igerna gave Ian a strange look before speaking softly.
"She told me her name was Lily Evans. She's a potions scholar."
The words dropped like a thunderclap. Perhaps Lady Igerna thought the name was obscure and insignificant.
But Ian and Riddle both froze in shock the moment they heard it.
Clang!
Riddle's knife slipped from his hand and clattered onto his plate. Of course, he knew that name. After his resurrection, he had studied history and was well aware of what had happened to his original self.
"What did you say? Lily? Lily Evans?"
Ian could hardly believe his ears. Even though he was prepared for surprises, he had never expected this.
Harry Potter's mother...his own uncle's lost love...in the Soul Hall?!
Hiss! Could it be because Hogwarts itself was a fairy tale?
But that was absurd!
Lily was a Soul Hall member.
And in the Twilight Zone, old man Potter left behind, alone in grief?
(End of Chapter)