Oliver and Gregory followed the mayor as they climbed the stairs and marched through long corridors with numerous sharp turns. The air grew colder and damper as they went deeper into the maze-like structure of the building. Soon, they arrived at their destination; they stood before a pair of massive wooden doors with golden handles. Frederick slowly twisted the handle and pushed the doors open, revealing an impenetrable darkness beyond. Oliver and Gregory hesitated to enter as they peered into the abyss.

Gregory couldn't help but feel a sense of curiosity. "What is this place?" he wondered aloud.

Frederick chuckled nervously. "Oh, pardon me for the inconvenience. I forgot to tell my servants to light up my home office," he said as he entered the dim room.

"Don't worry," Oliver told Frederick.

     Flicking his wrist, Oliver snapped his fingers, igniting every candle inside the office. The candles' wicks burst into life, casting a warm glow that revealed the details of the room. At the end of the room stood a broad wooden desk with neatly arranged sheets of paper.

     Large cabinets and shelves filled with documents and books lined the walls. The candlelights danced across the polished surfaces of every piece of furniture, casting a serene and inviting atmosphere over the room. The scent of old leather and paper flooded the air.

     Frederick quickly went to a cabinet on the office's left side, opened the bottom drawer, and took out a folded piece of paper. The paper was stiff and broader than a table. He then placed it on his desk and unfolded it, setting books on each side to prevent it from curling up again.

"The Podeshire lineage is one of the most heavily documented histories in all of Asbranne," Frederick explained as Oliver and Gregory stepped towards the desk.

"What is that?" Oliver asked politely, gazing at the extensive letterings written on the paper.

"Your family tree," Frederick replied.

"My... f-family tree?"

"Yes, take a look," Frederick said.

     Oliver stepped forward and stood between the mayor and Gregory. He glanced down at the document, and his eyes quickly scanned through the text until he found his name and those of his biological family members. Then, he glanced up to the top of the paper, where the names of the first Podeshires were listed.

Oliver's eyes widened. "Anderson...?" Oliver read the name on the document.

Frederick nodded. "Yes, Anderson Podeshire. He was married to a woman named Osana," he informed.

"Os... Osana...?"

"Osana... she was no ordinary human..." Frederick said. "...She was a kean from Geveria."

"...What's a kean...?" Oliver inquired.

"Keans... they are known for their magical abilities. They can manipulate and summon elements, and Osana was one of them. Anderson and Osana's relationship was considered immoral by the Geverians, but they beat the odds and had a child named John," said Frederick.

Oliver's eyes widened even further. "John Podeshire? The one with the portrait in the City Hall?" Oliver tilted his head.

"Yes. John is the first-ever Podeshire to have elemental powers," Frederick glanced at Oliver. "And he inherited them from his mother, Osana."

"How did Osana have these powers? And how do we inherit them?" Oliver questioned.

"As I said, Osana was a kean, not a human. And keans possess the power to manipulate and summon elements, and John was lucky enough to inherit her abilities," Frederick explained.

Oliver nodded as his gaze fell onto the document. "I see. What happened to them afterwards?" he continued inquiring.

Frederick sighed. "The Geverians learned about Anderson and Osana's relationship. And the two of them were... executed by poisoning..."

"W-what?" Oliver exclaimed. "That's terrible!"

"That's messed up..." Gregory sighed as he listened.

Frederick turned towards Oliver. "Are you still strong enough to hear more?" he questioned him with a sincere voice.

Oliver took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, I want to know our history, please..."

Frederick looked at Oliver and Gregory both with a solemn expression. "Do you know how the Podeshires got the title 'Defender of Asbranne'?" he asked.

Oliver shook his head. "Honestly, I don't," he replied.

"As you may recall from history class, Asbranne was once enslaved by the Geverians. We couldn't fight them, but John Podeshire could. His bravery and reputation helped free our city from Geverian rule," Frederick explained.

Oliver nodded. "So, that's how we're freed from Geveria... but how were we freed from Auxgaurrde?" he inquired.

Frederick hesitated for a moment before answering. "Eric Podeshire, a descendant of John... also one of your direct ancestors... led a revolution against the Auxgaurrdians. Unfortunately, he was beheaded by the King of Auxgaurrde, but his bravery further improved the Podeshires' reputation," he said.

Oliver's eyes widened. "That's horrible..." he gasped in disbelief.

Frederick crossed his arms and sighed. "Yes, it was a difficult time for our city. Even after the revolution, Asbranne remained a city of Auxgaurrde for a few more centuries," he said with a deep and heavy voice.

Oliver's eyes scanned the document, searching for any interesting information. He then came across a passage that caught his attention—the sudden end of some of his ancestors. Oliver leaned in closer, trying to read the words more clearly. "Fred? What happened here? Why is there a sudden stop?" Oliver murmured. "Circa seventeen hundred..." he read aloud.

"Oh..." Frederick's eyes glared at the paper as he narrated the story. "A young woman named Marie Podeshire was chosen to be part of the government to help Asbranne improve its economy. She was so successful that the king of Auxgaurrde... during her time... fell in love with her. However... they didn't get together, and Marie died... as a virgin," he said.

Oliver looked at Frederick in shock. "...Tragic," Oliver thought.

Frederick continued with an ominous tone in his voice. "Yes, it is... after her death, her nephew, Tim, was chosen to take over her position. But, instead of being involved in politics, he became an entertainer in the Auxgaurrde court. But when he retired, he had to choose an heir to take over his position... that's when a young man named Liam Podeshire came into the picture. Liam wanted to be a celebrity in the Royal Palace, but Tim chose his son as the next entertainer. That made Liam disappointed, and he went on a rampage, using his power to kill anyone in his way... and he enjoyed it," he explained.

Oliver's eyes widened in horror. "I couldn't believe a relative from the past would do such a thing." He placed his palm before his mouth. "That's awful," he murmured.

"Indeed, it was awful. Many people died because of Liam's actions, causing the people of Asbranne to rebel and hunt him down. Eventually... everyone gathered and slaughtered him. They even executed all his living relatives who shared his surname," Frederick said as his voice became solemn with each passing moment. "...After all these horrific events, the dead Podeshires are buried in Westside Cemetery..."

Oliver looked at Frederick. "Oh..." he sighed. The weight of the revelation was too heavy for him to bear.

Frederick continued. "The only survivor was Liam's youngest cousin, Elias Podeshire. He kept his identity a secret to avoid suffering the same fate as his relatives. Later in life, he had a child named Alfred, who started a one-child rule to control the size of the family. Alfred then had a daughter named Theresa... and Theresa had a daughter named Charlotte," he said as he pointed his finger down the family tree written on the document. Frederick paused for a moment before continuing with a smile. "But, if you'll ask me... how did the Podeshires rehabilitate their fame? Well.. thanks to Charlotte... after she joined the military against the Auxgaurrdians, she accidentally exposed her real identity but made critical progress in the war," Frederick smiled. "The Podeshires re-earned the title 'Defender of Asbranne' thanks to Charlotte's bravery. Later, during a celebratory party at her mansion, Charlotte met her future husband, Arthur Fjitannburg. And they had a child, your father, Albert," Frederick placed his hands under Oliver's chin. Frederick's expression turned sombre again. "Sadly, Charlotte died on the battlefield, and your father had to take over her position. But after the final clash, Asbranne finally won and gained independence in eighteen-o-three," he said as he regained a gleaming smile. "...And Albert became a fruitful man. He became a good husband to your mother, Margaret Esposhire... and they had countless kids, and their children include you... Oliver."