Claire put down the spoon, folded her hands on her lap, and looked at the Little Wizard with a serious expression.
Ian frowned, "Why don't you go?"
As soon as he said it, he regretted it.
Because he knew why Female Titan Claire was alone.
He shouldn't have asked.
Claire's expression instantly darkened upon hearing his words, and she let out a heavy sigh. The earlier mischievousness disappeared without a trace, replaced by an almost desolate calm.
"'Exile' means that aside from the small island you landed on, I can't enter any other area on Earth." Her fingers unconsciously rubbed the spoon.
"The exile of a Titan doesn't just mean being driven away... it comes with restrictions on power." The Female Titan raised her head, gazing at some remote point in the void.
"Even if the Titans are gone, this power remains. It's a fundamental rule of the race's internal agreement," the Female Titan explained, revealing a reason with a distinctly sci-fi flavor.
Law.
Ian felt as if she were taking advantage of his lack of understanding of ancient powers, but seeing her expression, he inexplicably felt that perhaps what she said was true.
Evidently, as an alien species, the Titans have their own civilization and laws.
This law does not disappear with the demise of Titans on Earth. It is embedded in every Titan, belonging to a more advanced group management method for social creatures.
Ian didn't understand how much magic or scientific content was involved, but he could tell that Female Titan Claire was not lying. This homebody might not have voluntarily become a recluse.
In the endless years.
Being limited to just one place for activities.
Isn't that a form of imprisonment?
In such a life, being able to find a bit of amusement could be considered a kind of solace—at this moment, Ian felt as if he understood why Female Titan Claire engaged in so many antics.
Pokemon, Digimon, and those Aesir, as well as this ship that is constantly being modified—perhaps it was all because Female Titan truly couldn't find other activities to pass the time.
The room fell into a momentary silence.
The flames in the fireplace crackled.
Highlighting Claire's gentle profile, but unable to illuminate the shadows in her eyes.
"If you want to go home," Claire suddenly spoke, her tone as light and airy as if the previous gloom never existed, "you need to help me with something too~"
She tilted her head, blinking eyes that resembled a cat begging for treats.
Ian: "..."
She's got me pinned.
He let out a long sigh, rubbing his temples. Whether it was to uncover the Dumbledore family's secrets or to return to the real world, it seemed he had no choice.
"Alright." Ian agreed helplessly, "What do I need to gather?"
Claire immediately perked up, pulling out a scroll of parchment from who knows where and unfurling it with a "swoosh"—the paper was densely packed with a list of materials, topped with the words in extravagant script:
"Claire's Material List (Deluxe Edition)"
"Seriously, these can't be the difficulty levels Dumbledore achieved!" Ian stared at the "Claire's Material List (Deluxe Edition)" and blinked. He focused on the "Lava Crystal that must be dug from an active volcano" and "Epiphyllum Honey that must bloom on a full moon night," among other outrageous requirements.
Really speechless.
He suddenly wanted to travel back five minutes and strangle the self who agreed so easily. Is this helping? This is clearly an epic errand mission.
"It's really not."
The Female Titan tilted her head, her silver-white hair draping over her shoulder, a sly smile playing on her lips, "The more capable should do more work~ Dumbledore couldn't, but you can."
Her tone carried a hint of "it can only be this way."
"Huh?"
Ian frowned, "Are you saying...things Dumbledore couldn't do, I can?"
"That's right." Claire nodded, her tone as calm as if discussing the weather, "Because he's Dumbledore, and you're you, the most special individual in the universe."
"What kind of reason is that?" Ian couldn't help but retort.
"Because you possess something he doesn't." Claire set down her teacup, gazing at him with profound eyes, her words carrying a significant amount of information.
"Hmm?"
Ian's eyes returned to the list, focusing on the item "Lava Crystal in the crater," his brow furrowing more and more. He suddenly realized something as he slowly raised his head.
"Which crater is this? This crater... it wouldn't be that crater, would it?" His brow furrowed tighter as he stared at the words, seemingly aware of something.
Claire smiled softly, as if anticipating his question.
"It's that crater." Claire blinked, a mischievous glint in her violet-gold irises: "You need the crystal from the volcano in the Misty Illusion Realm to do the things you've been planning~"
This seems a rather reasonable situation; Ian had previously suspected there was something unusual about that crater, and indeed, that crater harbors a power possibly unmatched elsewhere.
"..."
Ian took a deep breath, striving to calm himself down.
"I can only enter the Misty Illusion Realm once every seven days."
He was being truthful.
"That can be dealt with last~"
Claire waved her hand casually, "You can focus on gathering other items first." Her slender fingers traced the list, "Epiphyllum Honey, Eternal Ice Crystal, Star Dust Sand...they are distributed across different eras, so—"
"So I need to travel into different eras?" Ian interrupted her, his brow furrowing tight.