The news from the Duke's family about Soul Hall was enough to stun Ian for several seconds, if not enough to shock him for a whole year.
After all, there was nothing he could do about it.
Anyone else in his position would have been just as dumbfounded.
You could argue that Hogwarts' story is a kind of fairy tale, but no matter what, Ian had never expected to hear the name of his uncle's deep in his heart's lover's name in this era:
Lily Evans!
She wouldn't be born for another thousand years. The mother of the Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter, was actually one of the wizards of Soul Hall and was active in the Middle Ages of swords and magic.
This was definitely information no young wizard could have anticipated, and Ian was one of them. It also implied that Soul Hall could travel along the timeline and must have a way of exempting themselves from, or at least weakening, the effects of time travel.
At the very least, they could reduce its influence. Otherwise, with groups of people constantly crossing timelines, no matter how careful they were, history's original course would be disrupted.
"Is that shadow covering their whole bodies the method they use to exempt or lessen the cost?" Ian thought of the shadow wrapped around the great gray wolf.
The gray wolf he had captured seemed to care quite a lot about this disguise.
When Ian tried to dispel the shadow covering the wolf, the creature's fear and terror were obvious. Perhaps this disguise, while providing benefits, also came at a price.
"Mm, that fits perfectly with the alchemical principle of equivalent exchange." Ian had previously studied the shadow and could confirm that it was not pure magic. It felt more like a "shell" forged through alchemical methods combined with magic.
That was likely the very reason the Duke said all Soul Hall wizards were cloaked in shadow.
Compared to magic, alchemical creation's greatest advantage was that it didn't require extraordinary talent or learning ability. It allowed for the mass production of things comparable to complex magical abilities.
Clearly.
The shadowy "shell" covering the great gray wolf was undoubtedly a Soul Hall "uniform," a mass-produced creation distributed on a scale where every wizard or creature belonging to Soul Hall could have one.
"Still, my uncle's love turning into a Soul Hall witch... that's just too explosive of news. I wonder what kind of reaction my uncle would have if he found out."
His expression would definitely explode, and even his poker face would be ruined. Just thinking about it, Ian couldn't help but look forward to it.
The prankster in him beat with restless excitement. If only he could get a photo of Lily in this age, that would be perfect! Then he could raid Snape's potions cabinet however he pleased.
Even if he emptied it completely, Snape would just pretend not to know and conveniently pin all the blame on Harry Potter. The more Ian thought about it, the more he felt the urge bubbling inside.
"Can you still get in touch with Soul Hall? That Cinderella...or Lily, either one?" Ian finally couldn't hold back his question. His eagerness about Soul Hall caused the Duke to fall into thoughtful silence.
"Of course."
The thoughts running through his mind didn't influence his reply to Ian. For nobles like him, multitasking was second nature. After briefly organizing his thoughts, he responded: "I don't believe I have any such means. Soul Hall has never provided a way to contact them. Usually, they come to me at regular intervals on their own."
"Of course, they're not after me, but my child." The duke turned his gaze toward young Morgan. "Their attention toward my daughter is almost incomprehensible."
The Duke paused for a moment at this point and exchanged a glance with his wife.
"Darling, it looks like you've gotten some sauce on your clothes. Let me take you to change into something else." Lady Igraine immediately understood his intention.
Using the excuse that young Morgan had dirtied her dress at the banquet, she tried to take her away from the table where she had been listening intently to everything about wizards.
It was clear that they were looking for an excuse to send Morgan away.
"Uh… all right." Young Morgan lowered her head and looked at her dress, finding a small stain on the hem. She frowned and reluctantly stood up.
Noble etiquette still held some sway over her at this age. If it were anyone else, she might not have cared so much, but the banquet's guest of honor happened to be her teacher. Sitting through a meal in dirty clothes would indeed be impolite.
"Good girl. Changing will only take a moment. We'll be right back," Lady Igraine said with a smile as she gently took Morgan's hand. As she led her toward the door, she continued to coax her daughter.
Morgan looked at her father, then at Ian. Finally, she nodded and followed her mother out of the hall. Once her figure disappeared through the doorway, the duke's expression grew serious.
He took a deep breath and turned his gaze back to Ian. "Mr. Prince, I wish to discuss Soul Hall with you."
Ian raised an eyebrow. A flicker of doubt flashed through his eyes, and he sounded genuinely surprised. "Your Grace, must this be spoken of behind Miss Morgan's back?"
Clearly, he understood why the duke had arranged for young Morgan to be sent away.
The duke fell silent for a moment, lightly tapping his fingers on the table as if weighing his words. At last, he slowly spoke:
"Morgan has always had an unusual curiosity and fascination with dangerous matters, even from a very young age. She constantly seeks out the unknown and mysterious, even if it means taking risks."
"As her father, I naturally don't wish for her to chase after such perilous secrets." In this respect, at least, the Duke was a good father, far better than the many nobles who showed little real care for their daughters, treating them instead as political pawns.
"I understand your concern. Miss Morgan certainly does possess a powerful curiosity. That is also part of what gives her the potential to become an exceptional witch. But as her teacher, I will do my best to guide her and keep her from stepping into danger." Ian nodded, expressing his understanding. After all, he himself could be considered the same sort of person.
However, he belonged to the peculiar kind who could switch between reckless boldness and cowardly caution. Lady Morgan, on the other hand, seemed to possess nothing but recklessness.
Ian also felt deep down that there was something unreasonable about his teacher Lady Morgan's supposed cause of death. Still, he did not truly believe that his teacher was deceiving him with false memories.
Most likely, there were reasons behind Lady Morgan's death that she had not revealed. This would be perfectly in line with the conduct and narrative style of this legendary dark witch.
Yet, Ian had gone over that memory of Morgan's many times. Considering the circumstances he himself had set in place, he believed that his teacher's death had not been prearranged or deliberate. It had truly been an accident— an entirely unforeseen encounter under particular circumstances.
From this, one could also glimpse what kind of reckless person this legendary dark witch really was. And recklessness was an attribute that, in most cases, was something innate from childhood.
"Mm. Mr. Prince, I am grateful that you understand my concern. But what I am about to say may be even more complicated than you imagine."
"And more...how should I put it...more obscure and unknown. It's best if too many people never learn about it; otherwise, I cannot begin to imagine what sort of chaos it would cause."
The duke's words successfully stirred Ian's curiosity.
"Your Grace, please, go on," Ian said, his expression growing solemn. He leaned forward slightly, his eyes fixed firmly on the duke, ready to receive whatever information the man was about to reveal.
The Duke waved for all the maids and butlers to leave, then drew a deep breath.
(To Be Continued…)
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