In fact, Mrs. Wilson did not leave immediately. She walked away, then quietly returned, hiding at a distance far enough not to be noticed but close enough to observe Richard clearly.
Her expression was filled with confusion as she watched him.
’Young Master Richard, how could he possibly practice magic when he has no affinity with any element and his soul is only a Mortal Soul? By theory, practicing magic should be impossible for him. Yet, he already possesses Tier 3 Aether at such a young age. Even among the Moonshadow Clan, aside from the ancestor who once competed for the World Magic Aether in the previous era, only Madam Rebecca ever attained Tier 3 Aether.’
Of course, in her heart, she regarded Richard as her young master. Addressing him by name was nothing more than pretense to keep him from knowing the truth of his background.
’Unless I was mistaken when I detected his soul and Elemental Affinity back then? Impossible, I used the finest detection artifact owned by the Moonshadow Clan.’
’Could this be because of his teacher? But what kind of person could train a child who, by theory, should never be able to touch magic? And why would such a figure bother to help Young Master Richard? I find that possibility hard to believe.’
Mrs. Wilson cycled through many speculations, but doubt always clouded her reasoning.
In the end, she grew more inclined to believe that she had been the one mistaken when assessing Richard’s talent, despite having relied on the best artifact available.
’What if Madam learns of this?’
Mrs. Wilson imagined the day Rebecca might take Richard back as her son, raising him properly, and the two becoming a brilliant mother and child pair.
But the moment that thought arose, Mrs. Wilson shook her head. She knew Rebecca’s temperament too well.
’It is better this way. Madam would never lower her pride to regret her decision. Worse, she might become enraged upon learning the son she discarded turned out to be so gifted.’
If that woman grew angry, Mrs. Wilson dared not imagine what she would do. Rebecca was merciless to anyone, and over the past seven years, she had only grown harsher.
After much thought, Mrs. Wilson finally chose to leave, resisting the urge to pry further into Richard’s mysterious teacher. She feared that digging too deeply would only bring trouble upon herself.
Richard returned to the orphanage with Sister Lisa, leading his horse, Athena, who immediately drew the attention of the villagers.
Now, no other horse could rival the Black-Red Steed.
Naturally, the villagers speculated about where Richard had acquired such a mount.
Everyone knew he was the boy under Mrs. Wilson’s care, and she always paid close attention to his growth.
When it came to Mrs. Wilson, the villagers understood well—no one was to interfere with Richard.
Richard left his horse beside the orphanage, in an area always thick with fresh grass.
Athena seemed quite content there.
The other children quickly turned the horse into their spectacle.
Unfortunately, Richard had not gone fishing that day, so there was no grand feast like the night before.
That night, Richard did not train. He fell asleep earlier than usual.
Of course, he still received improvements from the System, and quite a few.
(Your Aether has increased from 856 to 857!)
(Your Aether has increased from 857 to 858!)
[Aether: 858/1000 ] +2
[Aether Accumulation: 858 ]
(Your Mastery of the Codex of the Dragon Emperor has increased from 24% to 25%!)
Codex of the Dragon Emperor (25%)
(Your Affinity with the Cloud Element has increased from 57% to 58%!)
The next morning, Richard awoke and immediately began his day, bathing and eating breakfast early.
He then went to check on Athena, who had already eaten and was drinking from a small ditch.
Upon seeing him, the horse immediately took a ready stance, eager to begin their journey.
Richard climbed onto her back and directed her toward the forest.
Yesterday, he had not visited his ancestor, and he worried that the old man might not have eaten.
As Athena began to run, Richard finally understood what speed truly meant.
The horse was unbelievably fast—so fast he struggled to take in his surroundings.
Yet, she possessed an extraordinary advantage: her balance. Despite the pace, Richard was not badly jolted around. All he had to brace himself against was the rush of wind from the front.
The horse also showed intelligence, choosing open paths to ensure her rider was never struck by branches.
Before long, Richard noticed they had reached his ancestor’s hut. He quickly tapped Athena, signaling her to slow down.
As she eased her pace, Richard saw that the hut had grown larger once again, his ancestor hard at work expanding it further.
He also noticed the Fire Spirit Queen, still unconscious and tied to a tree.
When Aldric saw Richard arrive riding a horse, his brows rose in surprise.
Then, he shouted, "Boy, why didn’t you come yesterday? Do you know that I found something incredible washed down by the river? Quick, come and see! This could cut in half the time you need to reach the Realm of Aether Will."
"What?" Richard was utterly stunned by his ancestor’s words.
Something that could cut his time to reach the Realm of Aether Will in half?
He was already close to that realm—if his progress could be hastened, could it mean he might achieve it very soon?
Richard leapt down from his horse and ran straight toward his ancestor.
"Grandfather, what is it?" he asked, excitement lacing his voice.