Thinking Azrael might not have the potential to replace the ancestor when he dies, they asked Gredor to return, and once again, secret clan meetings started in the past year that excludes the Night and Silver clans.
"Senior Sister, I don't understand why you still want to waste your time on this kid. I don't see any potential in him.
How about letting him live in peace? Your training is only becoming nothing but torture for him for the past three years…" Gredor spoke as if he was sympathizing with the boy.
Avia replied in her usual cold tone while still observing her disciple, "Why don't you get back to your training and try to breakthrough seven-star, instead of wasting your time with scheming with those fellow clan-heads and partying with girls outside. Oh! By the way, Evelyn sent a message. If Evelyn hears it, you'll be beaten to a pulp."
Upon hearing the word Evelyn, his body shivered for a second and asked as he gulped, "when is she returning?"
Avia answered, "Tomorrow, perhaps."
"I see… I just remembered that I have something important to do. Then, I will not disturb you, any longer. Excuse me…"
Gredor quickly left the Pavilion on a flying card to his clan in a hurry.
Not paying attention to him, Avia continues to observe Azzy, who was meditating on the 304th step. The strange thing is that he absolutely has no sweat or so whatever.
30 minutes later;
Suddenly, the soul card and Hourglass appeared beside him. Still, there was no exhaustion on his face with half of his soul power remaining. "It's time."
Avia, who was used to this kind of scene for the past 3 years, mumbled, "Did he reversed the time once again?"
A genius like her long figured out the ability but she didn't confront him about it and let him use it as much as he wants, following her grandfather's orders.
Meanwhile, Azzy, who turned back the time, stood up on his feet. The energy particles of his soul power slowly flowed through the veins and later, a faint aura enveloped his body.
Azzy then stepped on the 305th step, where the gravity is now 20 times the original.
He neither collapsed on the knees nor did he struggle to climb another step.
Looking at the scene, a rare smile appeared on Avia, even though it disappeared after a second, "yesterday, it was imperfect. Now, it looks complete. Is the kid finally decided to finish it?"
Azzy easily passed the steps of November and didn't stop even after landing on the steps of December. As he was going against gravity, the ball of light that was containing soul power slowly but steadily expanding its size.
Meanwhile, the numbers on the soul card that's inside of him slowly started to change.
991, 992… 993, 994, 995…"
And he took the final step on to the Violet Pavilion, where his master stood there like a statue for several hours.
But, just then, the gravity increase to 44 times all of a sudden, and a huge pressure dawned upon him.
He used all of his remaining soul power to force himself to stand before her properly and said, "I finished the first step of tempering my body."
Avia nodded in satisfaction, "Good job. But, it is still incomplete. Now, until you get comfortable with the environment over here, you shall live here. During this time, I will teach you the basics, Theoretical classes. Follow me."
Then, she took out a card that's made of Emerald and placed it on his forehead.
As the energy flowed through his body, Azzy felt the gravity around him disappeared.
"It's an anti-gravity card to lighten your body and enhance your speed for 12 hours. This one lightens your body by 50 times." She explained to him before he asked her. "And no, you can't buy it. It can only be earned through mission points."
'I'm not curious about it, although feels like it must be expensive,' Azzy thought as he followed her. Then, he asked about the mission points.
"It is only for those above 18. You are still too early for that." All he got a nonsensical reply from her.
"It's a rule since ancient times," Avia spoke once again as if she read his mind. Azzy kept silent and didn't refute her statement even though he never thought as she imagined.
Azzy observed the Pavilion, which is as big as a normal village with several training grounds and Halls.
Except for two to three people, he hardly saw anyone walking around.
When asked, Avia answered that the rest of the disciples are either busy at the training grounds or the missions, outside the clan village.
Azzy didn't reset the time again and took a rest for the whole day.
The next day morning, as Azzy woke up from his sleep, he felt light for some reason even though the effects of the card must have disappeared a few hours ago, 'Did she use that card on me, again?'
Hall of Elders, Violet Pavilion;
Azzy took a seat in the office of Avia.
She started her Theoretical class with Death Clan.
As Azzy knows all the history of the Death clan, how it formed, he didn't pay much attention to it.
Even though Avia realized it but she didn't stop the lesson.
"So, the clans of Night, Silver, Crescent, Blood, Smoke, and Ash are the six subordinate clans of the Garcia family. All of them collectively together are called the Death Clan.
Our Night clan is basically the clan of Assassins. Most of our clan members have daggers as their Arcana."
As she said that, twin daggers were summoned in her hands to show him.
"Then, the Silver Clan. The members usually have some metal tools or beasts as their Arcana. Those who awaken metal beasts are regarded highly in the clan.
Crescent Clan is also generated from the founder through one of his three concubines. So, they are considered intermediate nobles, a position slightly above Night and Silver clans."
Azzy then asked, "What about their Arcana?"
Avia shrugged her shoulders, "Well, their Arcana aren't that special. It's normal. Because of having marriages with several other clan members, it became mixed, although powerful. Our Night clan considers them impure."
Azzy was stunned, "does that mean the marriages in the Night clan happen within the clan to maintain purity?"
He thought whether they are insane. Who in the world would follow such customs at present times…
"No." Avia shook her head, "we marry people from the outside world. Our partners are often people with less background, mostly mortals.
It's because our DNA is far stronger, the next generation will normally inherit our traits and talent. That's how we preserve our bloodline.
We aren't allowed to fall in love with a powerful bloodline. Those who marry such individuals will be exiled from the clan. My father ran away with a noble family of the nation of Snieca."
"Then, what if a child inherits the weaker kind?" Despite knowing the answer in his mind, Azzy still asked her.
But, he didn't expect her's answer to be different from his imagination.
She shrugged her shoulders, "nothing. They can either stay here to become servants or their family can move out to the outside world.
Honestly, even if the child is a genius, the clan won't provide resources to him unless he/she has the potential to become an assassin.
Their fate is either to marry into other clans and join them or work at our branches that were located all over the continent.
Luckily for me…"
She then summoned a whip and continued, "I also awakened the twin daggers as my second Arcana, or else, I wouldn't be in this position."
While she was trying to explain that she was indeed lucky, on the other hand, eleven-year-old Azzy was stunned as he realized she is a twin Arcana user.