Chapter 229: The arrangement is watertight
"You heard it too, my mom said so." Aaron shrugged casually, "Does this have anything to do with our family's mission?"
"Of course it does," Vico said solemnly, "The ancestor used everything he had to mend the universe, but it wasn't entirely without conditions. He struck a deal with the will of the universe, securing sufficient welfare for his descendants, which is us."
"Oh?" Aaron's pupils slightly widened, and memories from childhood flashed through his mind, "But I don't seem to have noticed anything special about me."
"Firstly, our clan is born with top-tier talent; our innate advantage over ordinary people is not small.
Simply put, the Gaius Family has always been linked to the combat power ceiling of each era, or at least very close to it.
Secondly, the bloodline of Gaius can largely circumvent malevolent laws, which is a power even gods envy.
Finally, the ancestor's request to the will of the universe was that his descendants, under certain conditions, could travel to other worlds without any suppression or rejection.
This is the greatest opportunity; you will experience new horizons ahead of time."
Hiss!
Aaron gasped, "I was short-sighted; the ancestor's sacrifice truly wasn't ordinary."
"That's natural," Vico said proudly.
"Then, Father, have you been to other worlds?"
"Uh…" Vico hesitated for a few seconds, then saw the disdainful look in his son's eyes.
"Tsk tsk tsk!
Father, your image in my heart has dropped by half again; now only a quarter remains."
Pfft!
Vico clutched his chest, feeling as if his heart was blocked by something, suffocatingly uncomfortable.
"Do you know why you are the most promising one in the family in a hundred years?
Because not only did I not meet that condition, your grandfather didn't either."
Hearing this, Aaron felt a bit embarrassed, but also had some doubts, "What does our family use to determine if descendants are qualified?"
"Based on this," Vico said, pointing to the three crystal balls on the altar that glowed blue, "When the first crystal lights up at your birth, it means you have this qualification.
When the second crystal lights up, it means you have the qualification to enter the family's Chamber of Secrets for study.
When the third crystal lights up, it's urging me, as the patriarch, to bring you here to fulfill your mission."
"This is too hasty!" Aaron frowned, "I'm not saying I don't believe these three crystal balls, but even the most accurate prophecy can be wrong sometimes. You can't decide my future based on a prophecy."
"What you said makes a lot of sense, but this is a prophecy of the family's bloodline; there's no possibility of error," Vicosaid with certainty, "And your talent is indeed stronger than mine and your grandfather's; this is an undeniable fact.
Besides that, you are also more mature than your peers; your two escapes have already proven your ability."
"Alright! I have nothing to say."
Aaron spread his hands, the last shred of hope in his heart shattered.
He could only say that he was too outstanding, and with a completely accurate prophecy, he couldn't find an excuse to escape.
"So, my mission is to travel to other worlds?"
"Not just simple travel; you have to do meaningful things," Vico looked at Aaron with a complex expression, "Leave the name of Gaius in that world."
"That's too exaggerated!" Aaron's mouth twitched, "I'm only thirteen."
"Age is not an excuse; otherwise, your grandfather and I would have gone long ago; how would it be your turn?" Vicosaid with envy, jealousy, and hatred. It was only because this was his son; otherwise, only the God of Magic would have the ability to go to other worlds, and even then, he would have to bear considerable risks.
"Alright!" Aaron sighed lightly, "I still have a few small questions."
"Speak, I will answer you from the perspective of the patriarch."
"Are there any taboos when going to other worlds?"
"Only one," Vico raised a finger and tapped Aaron's forehead seriously, "Never, ever, ever think about conquering or ruling that world.
This is the strictest rule set by the first ancestor, because that is the origin of almost all calamities."
Gollum!
Aaron swallowed ungracefully, then chuckled, "I don't want that kind of ambition; it's too tiring."
"It's best to think that way, because the consequences of violating this rule are severe. You will be removed from the Gaius Family tree and lose those three privileges.
Even if you are my son, I can only choose righteousness over family."
"Uh… understood.
Second question, how do I come back?
There must be a standard for that!" Aaron said somewhat worriedly.
He worked tirelessly in another world, but didn't know how to return; that was no different from exile.
If he went to a more developed world, it would be fine; at least he wouldn't have to worry about food and drink. But if he went to some barbaric land, that would be more than just sad.
Thinking of this, a scene of Aaron following a group of primitive people fishing in a river suddenly appeared in his mind, and he shivered subconsciously.
"You don't have to worry about this; the family's historical records will record all the important things you've done.
When it turns enough pages, you will naturally have the right to return," Vico said, pointing to the historical records, "There's also another way: breaking through to the level of the God of Magic. At that time, you will find the exact coordinates of our world on yourself."
Aaron: …"Alright! Very reasonable.
But if I'm already a God of Magic, why would I still want to come back?"
"Don't you want to come back and see your mother?" Lisanna said with some sadness, looking at Aaron with a resentful gaze, "This world has your family, your friends, your home…"
Slap!
Aaron slapped his forehead.
"I was wrong, Mother.
I promise you, I will definitely come back."
"That's more like it." Lisanna nodded and smiled, unconsciously tightening her grip on Abey's arm, almost choking the young dragon.
"Third question," Aaron said with some hesitation, "What if, and I mean what if!
What if I go for ten or eight years, or even longer, and can't come back?"
"You can rest assured about this; our world is very special, and the time ratio with other worlds varies greatly, even reaching an astonishing one to one hundred."
"So that means if I stay in another world for ten or eight years, when I come back, less than a year might have passed here," Aaron said with some astonishment, but a strange joy filled his heart.
A time accelerator; this was even more of a cheat than a thought form, capable of boosting efficiency by an exaggerated hundredfold.
"Wait, that's not right either!" Aaron suddenly thought of something, his expression solemn: "When I come back, I'll be old and gray, while you two are in your prime. For a middle-aged or even elderly person like me to call you Mom and Dad… isn't that too ridiculous?"
"What? You're unwilling?" Lisanna glared.
"No, no, of course I'm willing," Aaron said immediately, "You are my mother for one day, and you are my mother for life."
"In fact, the flaw you're thinking of doesn't exist at all," Vicosaid smugly, "The ancestor arranged everything. The historical records will record your state when you left; you'll be the same as when you left, unless you yourself don't want to be."
"This is too thoughtful!" Aaron looked at the constantly turning giant historical records, silently giving it ten thousand likes in his heart; this service was nothing short of meticulous.
"Wait, this book… why is it still writing?
Didn't I not leave yet?"
"Hmm… you've hit the nail on the head with that question," Vico snapped his fingers, "Because some ancestors didn't want to come back, or left Gaius bloodlines in other worlds, forming branches of the family.
Coupled with the terrifying contrast in time flow, the development speed of the branch families is extraordinarily exaggerated.
Although they lost the direct permission to travel between worlds, their talents are equally impressive, and it's only natural for several Gods of Magic to emerge over such a long period."
Aaron swallowed with immense astonishment, "What kind of family do I even have?"
He suddenly felt that Lord Voldemort and Dumbledorewere minor characters now. No wonder Vico, Lisanna, and even Gines didn't take them seriously.
Not to mention the ancestors in the Chamber of Secrets, their family had a bunch of God of Magic relatives; any casual move from them could crush those two.
"Just consider yourself to have a background as vast as the heavens!" Vico laughed, "Besides the family's strength, the Gaius Family has always been friendly with others and has many friends. They won't be stingy when help is needed."
"Understood." The excitement on Aaron's face was almost impossible to hide.
When going out, strength is important, but background is equally important.
And behind him was a complex web of relationships; anyone who dared to oppose him would have to think twice.
"Don't get too happy too soon," Vico directly poured a basin of cold water over Aaron's head, "The Gaius Family has many friends, but also quite a few enemies.
The ancestral teachings clearly stipulate that unless it's a critical moment of clan annihilation, no one is allowed to seek help from others.
Moreover, the world you go to will very likely be a place Gaius has never set foot in. Your so-called background simply won't exist, because no one will know who you are.
Even if you go to a place one of the ancestors visited, the background will only be symbolic. Perhaps someone will give you face, but that's all.
When it comes to real interests, they won't care who you are.
Furthermore, to prevent heirs from being complacent or bullying others by relying on their status, the family's attitude towards heirs is two words: free-range.
That is to say, when you're home, you're the heir of Gaius, but once you leave home, you're just an ordinary Wizard, understand?"
Damn it!
He got excited for nothing.
Aaron gritted his teeth.
Indeed, when you're out, you can only rely on yourself.
"Then why don't you tell the butler and those guards to stop following me around!"
"They are only protecting your safety; this is your basic setup as an heir.
Unless you actively violate the Gaius Family's thousands of years of rules and participate in the power struggles of the Magical World, they will protect you to the death until you grow up."
"Nice," Aaron clapped his hands, "I feel like everything is perfectly arranged."
"It should be; this is accumulated experience over thousands of years," Vico shrugged, "If possible, I really hope you can find some loopholes, so my future grandchildren will have an extra layer of security."
Aaron's mouth twitched uncontrollably.
The fiancée issue wasn't even over, and he was already thinking about the generation after next; that's too much!
Whew!
Aaron took a long while, taking several deep breaths to suppress the urge to curse, "What if I die?
That's a possibility, right! One ancestor even said something like 'don't die'."
Hearing this, Vico and Lisanna both fell silent for a moment.
"You two, say something!"
"I told you, you won't die," Vico said, trying to sound casual, "So far, no one has died except those who died of old age in other worlds!"
"Can you tell me the truth?"
"That is the truth," Lisanna said, "We absolutely will not let you die."
Seeing his parents' certainty, Aaron chuckled and shook his head, "I hope you can be a little more honest with your son.
Firstly, that ancestor definitely didn't lie to me, because that was the only piece of advice he could give me.
Also, you really shouldn't have arranged Flo's lessons for me; he's a psychology expert.
Although I haven't been studying for long, I can still analyze whether someone is lying."
Hearing this, Vico was about to say something when he felt a chill down his spine and turned to see Lisanna's angry gaze.
"Hey, hey, hey, don't look at me like that," Vico said guiltily, "Although I am the patriarch and can arrange my son's schedule, Flo's lessons are special and cannot be stopped."
"So what happens if I die?" Aaron looked at his father with sharp eyes, "Don't lie to me; I can also tell whether what you're saying is true or false."
Vico was silent for a few seconds, then sighed deeply, "If, by any chance, something unexpected happens to you in another world, I, as your closest relative, have the right to bring you back.
But don't worry, I won't die either; I'll just stay in that world forever.
Originally, just me would have been enough, but your mother was worried I'd flirt and let loose in other worlds, so she insisted on coming along. I couldn't do anything about it."
Hearing this answer, Aaron's mood was incredibly complex.
Before, he only thought Harry Potter was especially lucky that his mother was willing to use her life to cast a blood protection charm for him, but now it seemed he wasn't so bad either.
He admitted that he was sometimes selfish, but not so selfish as to let his parents suffer in his stead.
"It won't come to that," Aaron slowly raised his head, trying not to shed tears, "This is just an ordinary trial. I've learned so much, and my own strength isn't weak; nothing will happen."
"We hope more than anyone that you can return safely, but we also have to prepare for the worst.
Sending you off is the patriarch's responsibility, but ensuring your safety is a father's duty." Vico said, a smile appearing on his face, "You don't have to think too much. With our strength, even if we go to another world, we can do well.
I've already spoken to your grandfather; when we're not here, he will come back to handle the family's affairs until you become a qualified patriarch.
Your mother has also chosen a suitable fiancée for you. Although we might not get to hold grandchildren, we don't have to worry about your lifelong affairs."
"Enough!" Aaron shouted loudly, then looked at the two with a bitter smile, "You two really put a lot of thought into this!
You've even arranged the aftermath in advance; do you have so little faith in me?"
"It's not a lack of faith, but the situation in some worlds is particularly complex."
"I know." Aaron waved his hand, interrupting Vico, "Last question: Can I not go?"