The wondrous artifact known as the Soulmark Lantern carried a wisp of spiritual energy of a Magus. Its main usage was to let the holder of the lantern know about the life status of the owner of the wisp.

If the owner still drew breath, then the wisp inside the lantern would glow a soft blue color. However, if the owner of the wisp perished… then it would turn a dark red.

Additionally, it would continue to relentlessly tap against the glass walls of the lantern, guiding the holder of the lantern in a certain direction, towards the one who had slain the wisp's owner.

Every renowned Magus Family possessed Soulmark Lanterns. The same held true for prominent arcane organizations and institutions as well.

When Adam was a teenager, Berger had instructed him to leave a wisp of his spiritual energy inside the Soulmark Lantern he owned. This was how the gnome stayed informed about Adam's well-being over the years.

When Anna saw the wisp inside the lantern glow a soft blue, all her worries instantly vanished. Sitting beside her, even Ada was moved to tears, and she couldn't help but gently hug Anna.

A few moments later, the crimson-haired princess turned to the elderly gnome, who was still leisurely smoking from his long, wooden pipe, and said sincerely:

"Lord Berger, thank you. Truly, I mean it. You don't know how worried I'd been. This… eases my mind greatly. I am deeply grateful."

She paused for a moment, then added with a serious look on her face, "Please ask what you wish to. I will answer to the best of my abilities, and try to clear whatever doubts you may have."

Berger remained silent for a few moments. The rest of the Magi sat at the edge of their seats, anxious to hear what questions the gnome might ask.

Anna was the most nervous out of them all. After all, it directly involved her little brother, and her answers would change Adam's relationship with Berger forever.

"Before we start," said the gnome, his tone oddly grim. "I will know if you lie."

Anna deeply looked into Berger's eyes. A moment later, she nodded.

"Very well," the gnome began. "Before I question you, I should inform you about what transpired towards the end of the Battle of Ravenfell."

The other Magi paid rapt attention to the gnome's words. After all, until now, they had only heard rumors from passersby, stories that had been blown so much out of proportion that barely any truth remained in them.

But now, hearing it from a Mana Core Magus, one who had actually participated in what was said to be the most brutal and vicious battle in the last thousand years in the Empire, they could finally grasp what had truly transpired.

"…Towards the end of the battle, Marden cast a spell, or perhaps it was an artifact, that subtly warped the minds of all the people that had survived the Battle of Ravenfell. In fact, even the people at Saratoga were affected by this insidious spell," Berger began, his tone grim.

"According to mine and Blackie's observations in these past few months, we have drawn certain… conjectures. First, the spell affects the minds of the targets, making them accept lies as truths. And second, it tampers with the memories of the targets, reshaping them according to the caster's intent."

He paused for a few moments, allowing the Magi to digest this knowledge. He deeply looked at Anna and continued, "Only the minds of those in Ravenfell and its surrounding lands were directly affected. But as news and rumors spread, the entire continent felt the consequences indirectly."

Anna and the rest had never even heard of a spell so treacherous, capable of inflicting such devastation. Turning the entire world against a single person… it was simply diabolical. The sheer terror wrought by the School of Enchantment was almost too much to comprehend.

"I will tell you how our memories were altered," Berger continued, his tone involuntarily turning cold.

"We were made to believe that Adam had been raised by the Cult in the Southern Federation, trained to become a spy within the Empire, that his time at Saratoga was nothing more than a cover, that every action of his had been a ploy to win Ravenfell's trust, and that he… had always been a servant of the Cult of Bones."

"Those are ludicrous claims," Anna immediately retorted, her expression grave. "I can assure you, Lord Berger, that none of them are true, especially the false memories about Adam's childhood!"

Berger inhaled deeply. He set aside the smoking pipe on the table, then began massaging his temples. Moments later, he turned to the princess and gestured. "Explain."

Anna spoke without hesitation, flames dancing in the depths of her scarlet eyes, "How can Adam have been raised by the Cult when it was I who raised him? Adam, he… he's had a very rough childhood. He was born in a poor household. His parents were farmers.

"They barely had two to three meals a day, but they were at least lucky they had a roof over their heads. Both his parents died when he was five, and he was forced to take on several odd jobs just to make ends meet. The amount of pain and suffering he's had to go through back then…"

Anna's eyes instantly reddened, partly from anger and partly from overwhelming sadness. "His childhood only began to have a semblance of normalcy when I first met him when he was eight. I was the one who taught him how to read, how to defend himself, and how to do every other thing that he never had the chance to learn.

"I was the one who raised him, so it is completely ridiculous to claim that the Cult had a hand in it. I stayed with Adam until he was fifteen, and before returning home, I made sure that he safely reached Clover Academy. That is how he spent his childhood… not in some dungeon trying to learn how to be a damned spy for the vile Cult!"

Berger and everyone else at the table could feel Anna's emotions. The gnome lowered his head, his gaze turning distant… and weary. At least, he heaved a heavy sigh as he reached out for his pipe.

"It all makes sense now," he softly said.

Anna couldn't help but frown a little. "What does?"

As Berger stuffed fresh tobacco in the pipe, he gently said, "Back in Moon City, Adam would always go out of his way to take care of me, his friends, or really anyone he was on friendly terms with. Yes, he was a mischievous little brat and loved to drink, but he also showed more care for others than anyone else I knew. Do you know why?"

Anna's lips quivered, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She gave a light nod as memories of Adam's gentle kindness resurfaced in her mind.

"Yes," she whispered, her voice trembling, "he likes taking care of people because, in doing so, he heals that part of himself that always longed for someone to take care of him…"

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