Atticus's shock was completely evident on his face. Out of all the things he had expected, meeting Magnus here hadn't even been close to being on the list.
'What the hell is happening?' he thought.
Magnus's aura was still as overwhelming as he remembered. Although he wasn't actively releasing his aura, Atticus could tell that the weight of the air inside the room was triple that of the outside where he was standing.
Atticus took a moment to regain his composure before walking into the room. He instantly felt the pressure but didn't allow it to stop him as he closed the distance and approached Magnus from behind.
Throughout the scene, Magnus hadn't once turned or even said anything to acknowledge Atticus's arrival.
Upon reaching a few meters behind him, Atticus suddenly bowed and simply greeted,
"Grandfather."
He was already all too used to Magnus's behavior. Despite how shocked he was and curious about the reason for his presence, he still had to greet the man.
Magnus had his hands clasped behind his back, his imposing and bulky physique standing completely still and silent.
"Atticus," Magnus suddenly called out, causing Atticus to lift his head and listen.
"Before I begin, I just want you to know this: you've done good."
A small smile appeared on Atticus's face. Despite his cold personality, it still felt incredibly good to be praised by Magnus. He knew the man well; he would not say words he did not mean.
The smile lasted for two seconds before it ultimately turned to curiosity. Begin what? Just what was going on?
"Atticus," Magnus called out once more, "Despite how unnerving everything I'm about to say will sound, I would like you to allow me to finish before saying or doing anything."
Atticus's gaze narrowed slightly before he nodded his head with a serious expression on his face.
"I shall start from the beginning. I was aware of everything. I was aware that my grandchild was an unusual one. I was aware of the moment you started absorbing mana when you were still an infant, up to the point you awakened your mana core at two.
"I was aware of your sleepless nights where you kept on meditating and absorbing mana after your mother left you to sleep. I was aware of you mindlessly staring ahead as though you were examining something.
"I was aware of the day you awakened your bloodline, awakening four elements all at once. I was aware of the day you awakened your perception when you acquired your katana. Atticus, I was aware of everything because I was always watching."
Magnus suddenly turned away from the transparent wall, his gaze landing on the figure of Atticus, who had long since lost his composure, the shock on his face completely evident.
Magnus didn't pause nor did he allow Atticus to comprehend what he had just said. He continued,
"You're far from normal, the greatest genius to ever appear in the history of the human domain. You most definitely have your secrets, secrets you obviously have no plans of sharing. Your decision will be respected. However,"
Magnus's voice suddenly turned heavy, as though every word he was about to say came directly from the depths of his heart,
"No matter how questionable your whole existence is, no matter what your secrets are, one fact remains unchanged: you're a Ravenstein."
Magnus took a step closer to Atticus, their gazes locking.
"Atticus, as long as the blood flowing in my veins remains true, as long as nights remain nights and days remain days, I, Magnus Ravenstein, give you this promise: you will never be alone."
The atmosphere that enveloped the room at that moment was hard to describe in words. It was a mixture of two different feelings.
The first was obvious, warmth. The only person who had made Atticus feel this way since he had been reincarnated was Anastasia, but now, his grandfather was doing the same.
The second feeling wasn't as obvious as the first but it enveloped Atticus all the same: trust. Those words didn't sound like the ramblings of a normal individual. They were the words of an honorable warrior, the words of a paragon, the words of his grandfather.
The weight of every single one of those words was palpable. Atticus didn't speak; he couldn't even if he wanted to. He was utterly speechless.
But Magnus was far from done.
"Despite being aware of all these things, my original intention had been to ensure you led a normal life, one free from the enormous burden and responsibilities that shouldn't be placed upon a young child. But unfortunately, our world is a cruel place."
"Thousands of people are dying every day in the war, but the threat is far from being only external. If things are allowed to continue as they are, the human domain will be eaten up by the forces we consider allies."
"Atticus," Magnus suddenly called out, turning to face Atticus once more.
"Despite your overwhelming talent, I was the one who instructed Harrison to treat you like any other student. But then the situation changed, and thus my original intention had to change as well.
"The academy was established by the Paragon Council and thus adheres to its rules. Should any major or minor rules need to be broken, even for something as small as getting a student out of the academy prematurely, it must be agreed upon by the Paragon Council.
"The talks went by quickly, and eventually, two conditions were given before the request could be accepted—conditions that have already been satisfied."
"I shall be specific. I was the one who gave the academy authorization to try out the experimental exosuit on you."
It was as though a nuclear explosion went off inside him. A wave of emotions hit Atticus like a crashing wave, but regardless, he remained utterly silent, allowing Magnus to continue speaking. But the intense clenching of his hands couldn't lie.
Magnus continued, "The second condition was fairer and was simply to satisfy one individual's curiosity and get his acceptance. The leader's summit—we created its rules."