Pioneering Contribution Award

Albert felt as though he had only just closed his eyes when urgent knocking from outside the door woke him.

He groggily opened his eyes, instinctively reaching for the wand by the bed, and muttered softly, "Bloody hell, what time is it?"

Mr. Sera had mentioned yesterday that they needed to get up early today, but surely not this early? It was still pitch-black outside the window.

He yawned again and flicked his wand lightly, causing a ball of light to detach from it and hover above his head. Its soft white glow immediately dispelled the darkness in the room.

"What, is it time to leave already?" Isabelle asked sleepily.

The urgent knocking sounded again outside.

Albert glanced at the Scrying Mirror on the bedside table. The magical alarm had not reacted, which meant there should be no danger nearby, so he called toward the door, "I'm awake. I'll be down in a moment."

Though the Scrying Mirror was highly unreliable, Albert had to admit that it was still somewhat useful. At the very least, it could provide them with a warning.

It would be even better if he could combine the Scrying Mirror's detection and warning capabilities with the Footprint Charm and turn it into an early-warning radar.

Unfortunately, Albert's attainments in alchemy were limited. He still could not make it happen. Making magical items perform overly precise work could be quite difficult sometimes.

He stretched, threw back the thin blanket, and got out of bed. Then he covered another yawn as he began changing clothes in a sleepy haze.

"What are you staring at me for?" Albert asked after getting dressed, noticing that Isabelle was gazing blankly at him.

"Need me to help you get dressed?"

As he spoke, he casually brought Isabelle's clothes over and reached out