The Worst Possible Accident

With a backpack full of materials on his back and a Flying Broomstick in hand, Anton carried all his worldly possessions downstairs.

He had grown used to carrying his most important belongings with him wherever he went.

Besides, Pedro the Goblin visibly hated humans. Anton did not know why, but Pedro would occasionally reveal his disgust toward him without meaning to.

And there was that infuriating Old Wizard, too.

Anton felt that the Goblin might throw him out at any moment.

The moment he arrived downstairs, he heard the Old Wizard mocking Pedro.

"Caw caw caw, foolish Teacher, you must have the 'Eye of the Wizard' potion. Hurry and take it out so Anton can finish it. Your butcher-like treatment methods are utterly idiotic."

"Shut up!" Pedro snarled, gripping his Dragon-Rib Rune Longsword and waving it furiously.

"Caw caw caw, I saw it, I saw it! Back then, I observed your habits so carefully. I know you far too well. You glanced at your wrist—that's the 'Goblin Treasure' rune, isn't it? Caw caw caw, I know there's a forest inside. Did you put the potion in there?"

"Shut up, shut up!" Pedro wailed.

"If you keep chirping away and distracting me, will you take responsibility if the operation fails?"

"Caw caw caw, that would be wonderful." The Old Wizard drifted about, even tugging at his own hair and swinging his head like a flail, looking positively delighted. "Hahaha, if foolish Teacher's operation fails, the Unbreakable Vow curse will kill you."

Anna's eyes went wide at the lively scene.

Anton happily enjoyed the show.

The Old Wizard had buzzed in his ear like that before. Sometimes, Anton truly admired his own patience.

But he had still caught a word with his sharp ears—Goblin Treasure Rune.

Rune?

That was clearly a new term. Unfortunately, human and Goblin magic could not be learned from one another.

What interested him more was that Goblin Treasure was a forest? In other words, the forest on the second floor was actually in Pedro the Goblin's possession?

The wonders of the Wizarding World were always so captivating.

Finding the right emotional beat in their exchange, Anton quickly cut in at the moment the conversation reached a delicate point. "Teacher, I'm here. Let's prepare for the operation. Aren't you curious about Werewolves too?"

Only then did the Old Wizard stop interfering. Pedro breathed a sigh of relief, glanced at the gloomy sky outside the window, calculated the time, and hurried off to prepare for the operation.

One in the afternoon.

An exquisite machine sprayed purple-pink gel-like matter into the spacious hall. The substance formed a cage covered in tentacles.

Two in the afternoon.

Lupin walked into the cage wearing a loose hospital gown. His face was somewhat pale, but he was clearly in good spirits. When he saw Anton, he even gave him a gentle smile.

Three in the afternoon.

The Goblin assembled another enormous machine, and countless twisting beams of light drifted through the hall.

The Old Wizard quietly explained beside him, "This is the Magic Sense Amplifier. You can think of it as an alternative kind of magnifying glass. Within these lights, you'll see the Werewolf become a ten-meter-tall Giant. Don't get frightened when the time comes. I don't want foolish Teacher laughing at my disciple."

Anton nodded, observing it curiously.

Four-thirty in the afternoon.

Only one hour remained until the moon rose.

Yes, it was already autumn. Night would fall earlier than usual.

Pedro carried a huge box on his back. Five strangely shaped arms extended from it, one of which held something like a telescope before the Goblin's left eye.

He was studying it intently.

Five in the afternoon.

Everyone became tense.

Just then, someone knocked on the door of the Island Hut.

Knock, knock, knock.

The dull knocking startled everyone. The Goblin waved a hand and impatiently said to Anna, "Whoever it is, tell them to come back tomorrow."

Anna nodded, and Anton warily followed behind her.

Nothing could go wrong at a time like this. If the little girl could not handle it, he would have to do everything he could to create an environment suitable for Pedro's operation.

When Anna undid the bolt, a strange rune pattern flashed across the door before vanishing in an instant. Only then did she open it.

Creak~

A middle-aged wizard stood outside.

He was broad-shouldered and rather tall, with greasy instant-noodle hair that looked as if it had been washed with Muggle gasoline, a high hooked nose, and lifeless eyes.

It was actually Snape!

"Idol!" Anton cried in delight, shifting his feet to block the gap in the doorway beside Anna.

Fuck, Lupin was in the hall.

Lupin—the man Snape hated to the bone. He had been part of the group of four who had stolen Snape's love, bullied him at school, and nearly gotten him killed or turned into a Werewolf.

Anton knew Lupin was a good person, but who knew whether Lupin had been an accomplice back then or merely a helpless voice trying to persuade them otherwise?

It was over. It was over. Barbecue.

This was the accident he had least wanted to encounter!

Meanwhile, the sky on the horizon had gradually turned dusky, and the moon had revealed a faint silhouette above the sea.

A huge Iron Cage floated behind Snape. Inside, an enormous Viper looked close to death.

"Snake!"

Anna's terrified scream sounded as if she had put every ounce of strength in her body into it, nearly scaring Anton to death right beside her.

He turned around in shock, only to see Anna straighten her body, squeeze her eyes shut, and collapse.

She had actually fainted from fright just like that!

Anton swiftly caught her in his arms.

Thud, thud, thud.

Pedro strode over with the enormous metal box on his back, yanked open the door, glanced at Anna, then fixed Snape with a cold stare.

"Ha, the famous Snape. What do you want from me?"

Snape gestured to the Iron Cage behind him. Before he could speak, Pedro impatiently waved a hand as though shooing away flies.

"Damn it!"

"Just because I invented the Blood Curse doesn't mean every Blood Curse Orc who was created by it should come looking for me, does it?"

Anton keenly noticed that Pedro glanced at Anna as he spoke.

"???"

Could it be?

Anton looked down at Anna in his arms. The little girl's brows were tightly furrowed, and her hands clenched her clothes as if she feared something horrifying. Unlike her usual youthful version of an "elegant noblewoman," she now looked as fragile as a small flower that could be destroyed by a rainstorm at any moment.

Blood Curse?

Invented by Pedro the Goblin?

Snape shook his head. "I apologize for disturbing you, Master Pedro. I hope you can help determine whether another soul resides within this snake's body. You are an expert in this field."

"No time!" Pedro slammed the door shut roughly.

A spell's light flashed, and the door opened again.

Snape's indifferent eyes stared at Pedro. "This matter is extremely important to me. You only need to take one look with your 'Goblin Eye' magic. For the inconvenience caused, I will later send you a letter of apology, along with the answer to the potion question you asked about last time."

Pedro hesitated, but ultimately agreed.

Ripples of circular rings appeared before his head, and his eyes seemed to become incomparably enormous.

He stared at the snake for a long while before finally shaking his head. "I don't know what you were hoping to find inside, but there is clearly only one woman. And that woman's soul has completely transformed into a snake. There is almost no way for her to become human again."

Snape visibly relaxed. The Iron Cage behind him crashed heavily onto the ground before the door. "This snake is yours, as compensation for my rudeness."

He turned and left.

Suddenly, he turned back again in confusion.

His gaze passed through the gaps between several people and fell upon a familiar figure in the hall.

"Lupin?"