Inside the Vice-Principal's office, the conversation between Layla and Chris had not yet ended; instead, a new topic was raised.
This time, however, it was Layla who initiated it.
"Um... actually, there is one thing I would like to ask the Vice-Principal for help with."
"Oh? What is it?"
Chris had originally intended to end the meeting and get back to work, but hearing this, she looked up at Layla again. She didn't mind helping; she was mainly curious about Layla's request.
"In my family, there is a trust that has been passed down for generations."
"According to my late mother, this matter was left behind by the ancestor of our Heartfilia family, and the descendants were told they must realize it. Calculating the time, it has been passed down for nearly 400 years now."
Hearing this, Chris felt even more surprised. To have a family and its descendants pass down a mission for four hundred years without it fading away—and perhaps even continuing further... just how important was this matter?!
"Now I'm truly curious. Tell me about it... no, wait, let me try to guess first!"
Chris pondered for two seconds, then, as if struck by a realization, chuckled. "Since you're bringing this up to me now, could it be related to the Celestial Spirit Keys?"
"That's amazing! You guessed it immediately!"
Layla let out a cry of surprise, her heart filled with absolute admiration for Chris's wisdom.
"You're right; it is related to the Celestial Spirit Keys. The Heartfilia ancestor left behind a 'Family Book.' In that book, the ancestor wrote: [To the children of the era filled with supreme magic: when the sun and moon intersect, open the gate with the twelve keys]."
"The twelve keys mentioned there are the Celestial Spirit Keys!"
Chris's eyes immediately filled with doubt. "Using the keys to... open a gate?"
She knew that in magical theory, the function of a Celestial Spirit Key was to open a "gate" to the Spirit World, but in reality, those "gates" were quite abstract existences with no physical form. But now Layla was suddenly talking about using the keys to open a door...
What kind of gate did the Heartfilia ancestor truly want to open?
"Yes, open the gate! According to the ancestor, this gate is called the 'Eclipse Gate.' It seems that since that era, it has been kept in the collection of the Fiore Royal Family."
The Fiore Royal Family? The Heartfilia ancestor actually had a connection with the Royal Family? To think such secrets existed...
"What happens after the gate is opened?"
Since she was asking for a favor, Layla answered every question: "I'm not entirely sure about that part myself. But it is recorded in the book that the 'Eclipse Gate' is a gate that connects time and space. If it is opened, I think perhaps something like 'linking the present and the past' might occur."
Chris was stunned. "Linking the present and past... could the Heartfilia ancestor have wanted to achieve 'Time Travel'?!"
In this world, there had never been a precedent for time travel, but that didn't mean humans lacked fantasies about it. In fact, among the fantasy stories circulating in Ishgar, there were many brilliant tales involving time travel. When Chris was young, she had heard plenty of stories with travel themes from Weston, so she was familiar with the concept.
Layla replied in a low voice: "I can only say that the possibility cannot be ruled out. Although the ancestral trust is important, collecting all the Celestial Spirit Keys is, after all, too difficult. Setting aside the fact that we have no data to judge what constitutes an 'era filled with supreme magic,' simply collecting all twelve keys is incredibly hard. The Heartfilia ancestors spent hundreds of years and had only collected two keys until now."
"So before this, I didn't think much about 'completing the ancestor's trust.' But..." Layla paused.
Chris finished the sentence for her: "But after coming to Fairy Academy, you learned that my family has collected almost all the remaining Gold Keys, so you believe there's a chance to realize your ancestor's last wish?"
"Yes! In my view, this might be the Heartfilia family's greatest—and only—chance!"
Although Chris liked Layla as a junior, she didn't blindly agree. Time travel was no small matter. If someone from the past traveled to the future, the impact might be relatively small; but if someone from the future traveled to the past, it could trigger a grandfather paradox, causing the entire world to collapse because the traveler rewrote history.
Though, since this was a message passed down from the Heartfilia ancestor, it was likely the former. Still, it required careful consideration.
"I've noted this matter. I will discuss it in detail with others later. If it is eventually deemed feasible, I can help!"
"I understand. Then I'll leave it in your hands!"
A short while later, Layla respectfully left the office. Once she was alone, Chris pulled out her Magic Phone, selected the "Loving Family" group chat, and sent out the details of what Layla had said, asking if they should help.
When she told Layla she would "discuss it with others," those "others" were naturally no ordinary people. Usually, Chris's first choice would be her brother Darwin and sister-in-law Erza. If the three of them couldn't reach a conclusion, they'd seek more help. But since this involved the ancestral keys, she chose to post directly in the family group.
This was not just to contact those two, but also to inform her elderly parents who had been in seclusion on Tenrou Island for decades.
Three minutes later... Ding-dong!
"Oh... a reply so fast?!"
Chris slowly picked up her Magic Phone and opened the chat, her eyes widening. The person who replied was actually her father, Weston, with whom she hadn't been in contact for a long time. His answer was simple, consisting of only one word: Help!
After leaving the Vice-Principal's office, Layla's heart remained anxious. Even after returning to her dorm, she couldn't calm down. The first thing she did was take out the ancestral book she had flipped through countless times and read it seriously once more.
"Time travel..."
"Just thinking about it feels unbelievable! Can I really do something like that? With the Vice-Principal and everyone's help, I should be able to, right..."
Suddenly, Layla closed the book, her gaze becoming incredibly firm.
"No, it's not 'should.' I must do it! I don't want my descendants to continue carrying such a heavy responsibility!!"