Only Today Did He Learn of the Family Tradition

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Vico gently stroked Abei's round little belly and exclaimed, "What a magical creature!"

"Of course. Just look at who its owner is," Aaron said smugly, then took it back from Vico's arms.

When he caught sight of his mother's eager gaze, Aaron's mouth twitched slightly, but he ignored her. He could barely hold Abei enough himself!

That was right. Just moments ago, Abei had perfectly won over the Gaius Couple with its masterful cuteness and adorable appearance.

"Son, perhaps you didn't understand what I meant. If you make its existence public, then as the person who discovered and tamed it, you'll gain a level of fame ordinary people can scarcely imagine.

"In the Magic World, Magical Creatures may be precious, but they aren't particularly rare. So long as one has enough luck or a high enough status, one still has a chance of encountering them.

"But your pet is a one-of-a-kind species. Its appearance will absolutely cause a sensation throughout the Magic World."

Aaron lowered his head to look at the pet in his arms, then calmly met Vico's eyes. "I don't want to do that. I trust you understand what I mean, Father."

Vico shrugged, turned to Lisana, and smiled. "I knew it would be like this."

"Very good." Lisana smiled. "That's our son."

Then she looked at Jeans. "Give it to him. At least this trip won't have been for nothing."

"Yes." Jeans took a document from a briefcase and handed it to Aaron. "Young Master, this is an agreement that the Master and Madam specifically had signed on their way back by several retired elders of the Wizengamot and a number of highly respected wizards.

"It proves that Abei hatched from a Dragon Egg passed down through the Gaius Family for thousands of years and is your private property. As long as you can ensure that this dragon obeys your orders completely and will not casually harm others, you may keep it openly."

Aaron sucked in a sharp breath.

Were they really this efficient? He had not even said anything, yet his Parents had already handled everything.

"What about the Ministry of Magic?"

"There's no need to worry about that. Every name on this agreement belongs to someone the Ministry of Magic must respect.

"With their combined influence, even the Ministry of Magic has to give way."

Hearing that, Aaron was somewhat moved. Though he did not know how his Parents had persuaded those wizards, they must surely have paid a considerable price.

Vico naturally saw what his son was thinking and could not help feeling gratified.

He was only eleven, yet he was already considering gains and losses. But in truth, things were not nearly as serious as Aaron imagined.

The ancient wizarding families of the Magic World watched out for and supported one another, and the Gaius Family in particular understood the value of treating others kindly. They had almost never made enemies of other families.

They knew how to stay Low-key, yet possessed deep foundations and abundant connections and resources.

All he and his wife had needed to do was visit each of them, bring a few gifts, and have a cup of tea.

After all, it was only a harmless dragon. Those people merely needed to make a show of support, and there would be no real loss to them.

On the contrary, by doing the Gaius Family this favor, they would earn the Family's gratitude. If they needed help in the future, the Gaius Family would naturally lend them a hand. It was all understood without needing to be said.

"Ahem! Don't overthink it.

"You are the heir of the Gaius Family. Before you grow up, your mother and I are meant to shield you from the wind and rain as much as possible. Consider the matter with Abei compensation for leaving you alone at home for so long."

"Hmph!" Aaron curled his lip. "Fine, I'll forgive you."

Lisana gave Vico a surprised look. When she saw him make an OK gesture beneath the table, she could not help rolling her eyes.

She had been born into the Ollivander Family and was also a pure-blood witch. Looking at the state of the father and son, she could guess what they were thinking.

Her precious son had most likely been fooled—and the kind where he had filled in the gaps himself.

Maturing too early was not necessarily a good thing, because lacking the full picture could lead to mistaken judgments.

Still, she saw through it without exposing it. After all, she was also benefiting from it. The more guilty her son felt about this, the harder he would work in the days ahead, and the easier life would be for her and Vico. It was a complete win-win!

"Oh, right, Aaron..." Vico suddenly remembered something, and his expression gradually turned serious. "You said you wanted to attend Hogwarts?

"I think you should consider that carefully before making a decision."

"There's nothing to consider." Aaron said directly, "Life is precious, love is dearer still; but for freedom's sake, both can be cast aside.

"You arranged for Jeans to stay by my side, and I don't know who else you arranged besides him.

"But what you see as protection is an invasion of my privacy. Ever since I was little, whenever I go anywhere other than home, I feel as though someone is following me. It's especially uncomfortable.

"So don't even think about sending me to Durmstrang. At least at Hogwarts, I can experience the freedom I've long been denied.

"You've never experienced it, so you won't understand that feeling."

Upon hearing his son's words, Vico fell silent. After a long while, he laughed self-deprecatingly. "Who says I've never experienced it?"

"Hm?" Aaron's mouth fell slightly open, and an especially strange suspicion suddenly arose in his heart. No way... Could Dad have been the same?

"That's right." Vico shrugged helplessly. "Your grandfather arranged one for me too.

"Not just me—your grandfather had one arranged by your great-grandfather, and your great-grandfather had one arranged by your great-great-grandfather.

"In short, it's a tradition of our Gaius Family. It has continued for over a thousand years.

"So don't tell me I don't understand you. No one understands better than I do.

"Actually, your mother and I should thank you. If you hadn't been mature and steady enough, we would never have resolved to travel around the world.

"Originally, we planned to begin after you became an adult, or perhaps even later, after you married and had children. But your performance moved it forward by many years."

Aaron's mouth twitched violently as he suddenly realized something. "Wait, then Grandfather didn't disappear when I was five. He..."

"You guessed correctly. Your father here was rather incapable, so he was always worried.

"Then you were born, and for the joy of looking after his grandson, he delayed his time to let himself go a little longer. He should be in Antarctica feeding penguins now!

"You definitely won't see him anytime soon, but he'll certainly return once you take over the family or get married."

"Heh." Ling Ge gave a cold laugh, barely restraining the urge to slam the table. "What kind of bullshit tradition is this? I object."

Vico glanced at his wife and said with a bitter smile, "Objection denied.

"I objected back then too, but your grandfather sternly rejected it.

"After having you, I came to understand the importance of this family rule. Before a child grows up, necessary protection truly cannot be lacking."

Aaron finally understood why his Parents had traveled around the world when he was eight. They had fucking been unable to hold themselves back any longer.

Still, it made sense. They had finally escaped the guardians arranged by the previous generation, only to be forced to raise a child themselves. The fact that they had endured for eight years was already far from easy.

Then Aaron suddenly realized that he would probably have to go through this entire process himself in the future. His heart was immediately filled with dark clouds and flashing lightning, followed by a rain of blood, and both his arms unconsciously tightened.

It was not until Abei was nearly unable to bear the squeeze and thumped his arms with its little claws that he barely came back to his senses.

"Then according to our family tradition, when can I be considered truly free?"

Vico smiled, his gaze at his son becoming even more affectionate. "That part is fairly simple. There are several ways. The easiest is to defeat those assigned to protect you and prove through your strength that you do not need their protection.

"Your talent is greater than mine. You'll definitely manage it before graduation."

Aaron had just been about to ask about the second method when he heard that last sentence. There was suddenly a trace of sympathy in his gaze as he looked at Vico. "Dad, you're so pitiful. You couldn't even beat them before graduation?"

Vico froze, looking a little embarrassed, while Lisana could no longer hold back her laughter.

"What's the second method?"

"The second method is to have a child. As long as you can raise a descendant more outstanding than yourself, congratulations—you'll be free.

"Though it may be somewhat demanding, this is for the continuation of the bloodline. It cannot be handled carelessly."

Aaron suddenly shuddered. I'm only eleven! Is it really appropriate to be telling me this?

"What else?"

"The third, and final, method." Vico's expression turned solemn. "Reach the level of an Archmage before graduating from school—that is, before turning eighteen."

Aaron: ...

Was there any difference between saying that and saying nothing?

"Isn't that condition a little redundant? If I were capable of that, I'd have gained freedom through the first method long ago."

"Not necessarily." Vico spoke meaningfully as he shifted his gaze to Jeans. "Your Uncle Jeans is an Archmage.

"Under the first condition, you would need to defeat at least one Archmage!"

"Holy shit!"

Lisana glared at her son in reproach. "No swearing."

Vico stepped forward and gently patted his son's shoulder. "Actually, it's thanks to this excellent tradition of our family that nearly every generation has reached the level of Archmage or above. We can be considered a powerful family in the Magic World.

"But the drawback is that, after completing the family's trial, every one of them becomes particularly free-spirited—sometimes even restless. That means family members spend more time apart than together.

"If your grandfather wasn't lying to me, your great-grandfather, and even your great-great-grandfather, should still be alive. I just have no idea where they're off having fun!"