After only a moment's hesitation, Brank sighed and said, "Yes. Magdal was actually discovered by my grandfather."
"What?" Brando was startled. He had originally thought Magdal might have belonged to the generation of the current head of the Antobruo Family, but he had never expected her to be from the same era as the marshal before him.
At the same time, he heard the sound of those footsteps coming to a halt.
"You guessed correctly, Young Master Brando. I grew up with Magdal." Brank gave a bitter smile. "Back then, very few people knew the secret behind Magdal, and I was no exception. I only thought she was my younger sister."
"Until something happened later..."
Brank slowly recounted the story that had taken place nearly a century ago.
The Duke of Antobruo from roughly four generations ago discovered Magdal during a special experience. Realizing that the girl was extraordinary, he brought Magdal back to the duchy and told a select few people about her origins, strictly ordering them to keep it secret.
Brank's father was among those people, and the little girl was assigned to him, becoming his daughter.
As Brank described the events, he took something from inside his robe. Brando saw that it was a palm-sized, rust-covered piece of iron, with what seemed to be paint on it. As he spoke, the old marshal stroked the metal plate with deep emotion.
He studied the plate carefully for a moment before handing it over. "We confirmed that Magdal was one of the Ancient People because of this object. I was supposed to leave it to my good-for-nothing son, but I left in such a hurry back then. I was worried that keeping this thing behind would bring trouble to Magdal, so I took it with me."
Brando accepted the