At that moment, Professor Alder's appearance had changed dramatically.
Once refined and elegant, Professor Alder now resembled a stubborn and harsh old man, his face darkened, exuding a strong aura of death.
Locke quickly left the area.
Over the past six months, the increasing number of student deaths linked to working for Professor Alder had led many at Aurelian Academy to suspect something was wrong with him.
However, no matter what happened, no matter how many died, no matter how many letters noble students sent to their families, Professor Alder faced no punishment from the academy. His actions were never restricted.
This instilled fear in many noble students, forcing them to take history classes seriously, no longer daring to fail as carelessly as before.
While chatting with students, Alder looked up at Locke, a complex emotion flickering in his eyes.
"Level 3 wizard talent, that kid's luck is truly remarkable."
"Being young is such a blessing."
"If you work for me..."
Inside a three-story Victorian-style house in the manor district near Aurelian Academy, Locke met with the Augustine family.
First was his father, Earl Augustine.
He wore soft leather shoes and a red woolen sweater, looking travel-worn with a pale face. A bit of white gauze peeked out from under his collar, suggesting a serious injury.
Beside him stood Locke's nominal older brother, Gorya Augustine, the former heir to the Augustine earldom.
According to memory, Locke and Gorya were full brothers, born to the same mother, who had died of plague ten years earlier.
Earl Augustine had remarried a daughter of a minor noble, Sienna Brown, Locke's stepmother.
Sienna Brown had only one child, a daughter, Locke's half-sister.
At that moment, she was holding her daughter's hand, smiling at Locke with a mix of unfamiliarity and fear.
Before leaving the family, the original Locke had a strained relationship with her. Sienna Brown had often argued with Earl Augustine over the substantial funds spent to send Locke to Aurelian Academy.
But now, things were different. Sienna Brown knew the Augustine family's presence here depended entirely on Locke, leaving her with little confidence.
Sienna Brown urged her daughter, "Your second brother is here. Call him 'brother,' quickly..."
Locke nodded slightly at his seven-year-old sister. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on Nov3lFɪre.ɴet
He then turned to his father and brother.
Gorya studied Locke and said, "Locke, you've grown taller and matured."
"I still remember how you looked when you left the family. It's wonderful, we're finally reunited."
Locke could sense his full brother's genuine affection, either for him or the original Locke. Gorya's heartfelt relief stemmed from seeing that Locke, or the original Locke, was doing well.
Earl Augustine coughed and said, "Locke, we owe this to you. I never expected you'd secure the Outstanding Graduate quota."
"What an unexpected joy."
"Father, brother, hello," Locke raised an eyebrow, trying to blend in. In a world with wizards, he had no desire to reveal his identity as a transmigrator.
He had no intention of becoming experimental material for high-level wizards.
Locke looked at Earl Augustine and asked, "Father, you know about the Outstanding Graduate quota?"
Earl Augustine glanced around, then asked Sienna Brown to take her daughter out of the room, leaving only Gorya and Locke.
Though reluctant, Sienna Brown dared not disobey her husband's orders and quietly left with her daughter.
Earl Augustine said, "There are no outsiders in this room now, just you two brothers and me."
Looking at Locke, he continued, "I had vaguely heard that the Outstanding Graduate status at Aurelian Academy commands respect even from kings and popes, granting a special position."
"After arriving at your academy, your dean subtly shared some details with me. After all, in two years, you'll leave Corfu Island for a greater world."
Earl Augustine nodded at Locke. "Locke, you've done well."
"For our family to rise again, our hope rests on you."
"Because of you, your brother and I can now receive the academy's protection. In the future, we might even have a chance to reclaim our lands."
"But we can't help much with your journey to the wizarding world..."
Locke looked at Earl Augustine, slightly stunned. Even if Dean Tongus had shared some information with his father, it was unlikely he would directly mention wizards and magic.
Locke said, "Father, it's not two years, but a year and a half from now, I'll set out."
"If everything goes smoothly."
As long as he became a third-class wizard apprentice before then, and his progress with the Vine Hand spell was not slow, this was not a major issue.
Locke asked, "But Father, how do you know about... wizards..."
Earl Augustine lowered his head. "There are always rumors circulating in noble circles."
"And your mother was a witch. She told me some things about the wizarding world."
Gorya looked at Earl Augustine in shock. "Father, what are you saying? You've never told me any of this."
Earl Augustine shook his head. "I originally planned to tell no one."
"But now, Locke is heading to that world. So I want you both to know the truth."
"Your mother wasn't from Corfu Continent but a witch from the outside world. She was gravely injured and drifted to our Corfu Continent."
"She told me she was being hunted by enemies from the Black Sun Tower and fled to our world for refuge."
"Your mother didn't die of plague ten years ago. She chose to leave Corfu Continent and return to her own world."
"The wizarding world."
Earl Augustine continued, "You actually have another sister, but your mother took her away."
"She said neither of you had wizard aptitude, but your sister had exceptional wizard talent. Since sons belong to the father and daughters to the mother, she took your sister."
"She left you in the mortal world to inherit the title and lands."
Earl Augustine gave a bitter smile and looked at Locke. "Now that you're heading to that world, I knew I couldn't keep this from you."
"A child has the right to seek their mother. Locke, this is her keepsake."
Earl Augustine placed a black meteoric iron ring in Locke's palm. "If you want to find your mother, take this. It might help."
"Locke, it's your choice."
"Your brother Gorya and I lack the aptitude to enter that world. Our world is here on Corfu Continent. But since you have this opportunity, seize it well."
Locke saw that the ring's surface bore a seal with the pattern of a verdant oak leaf, while the inner band was inscribed with a phrase: "Mother taught me to gaze at dewdrops, Father guided me through storms!"
Recovering from the shock of this revelation, Locke suddenly realized that his high wood element affinity likely came from the original Locke's heritage, while his primary element, dark energy, was his own.
Locke asked Earl Augustine, "Father, did Mother use her real name on Corfu Continent?"
Earl Augustine shook his head regretfully. "I never doubted your mother's love for me."
"But to evade her enemies, she didn't dare use her real name, fearing it would bring trouble to me if I knew it. So, she left only this keepsake."
Earl Augustine added, "Before she left, she held both of you for a long time, reluctant to part."
"But she told me the wizarding world is far crueler than ours. Sending children without talent there would be cruel. She preferred you live ordinary lives in the mortal world."