Professor's Weakness! Got Him!

Ian really did not like dealing with people who spoke in riddles.

He only liked being the riddler himself.

Fortunately, although the mysterious Witch had picked up some of the wizards' bad habits, her fondness for riddles was not too severe. When she saw Ian's bewildered, beady-eyed look, she gave him a more detailed explanation.

"You and that little girl have often discussed a Dark Wizard named Tom on the grass by the river over the years. You talked about how dangerous it was to attend that school called Hogwarts... Perhaps next time, you should speak a little more quietly." The mysterious Witch had clearly grown accustomed to Ian's "dullness."

This was truly an answer Ian had never expected.

Yet it seemed perfectly reasonable.

Observation?

More like eavesdropping!

Ian grumbled inwardly, but forced out an awkward smile on the surface. "I never expected that you had been quietly evaluating me since so long ago."

What else could he say?

Of course, he could only pull out some classic responses from The Road to Civil Service Promotion! He had studied them before being transported here but never had the chance to use them. Who would have thought they would come in handy in such a strange situation?

"Evaluation, yes... evaluation." When the mysterious Witch narrowed her eyes, they curved like crescent moons. Rather than seeming innocent and lovely, she looked fox-like and cunning.

"We have spoken for a long time, and I have answered quite a few of your foolish questions. Yet even now, it seems I have never heard you call me Teacher?"

Her tone remained soft and slightly lazy, but beneath the Witch's seemingly gentle voice lurked a faint, imperceptible edge.

"That is because you have not yet told me your honored name." Ian immediately straightened up, bowed slightly, and proved through his actions that he was not truly one of the "dull-witted."

"You may call me Teacher Mara."

The Witch Mara's Corner of the Mouth lifted slightly, forming a faint smile. Her smile seemed to carry deeper meaning, like Flowers blooming in a rainforest—beautiful, yet thorny.

"Teacher Mara."

Ian blurted it out at once.

He looked like an obedient child.

However.

At the same time, doubts rose in his heart—in the Harry Potter stories widely known to most people, he seemed never to have heard of any famous Witch by that name.

Was it a false name?

Or had this teacher's name simply been buried beneath the dust of history as time passed? Hmm, then this teacher probably was not an especially powerful wizard. After all, whether it was the Four Founders of Hogwarts or Merlin, the names of those at the very pinnacle never faded with time.

Of course.

Teacher Mara might have come from an even more ancient era. Or perhaps this was not her original name at all, but one she had given herself after her memories faded.

Thinking of this.

Ian recalled some of the things Teacher Mara had said earlier. His heart stirred, and he could not help asking with a mixture of curiosity and confusion.

"Teacher Mara, you said you no longer possess the power and magic you had while alive?" Ian was extremely cautious, but he still drew the Witch's pressure-inducing gaze.

"Do you think I have nothing to teach you?"

The Witch smiled warmly.

"Of course not. I was simply curious about those pieces of tableware that ran away. Weren't they enchanted?" Ian used the motion of looking around to avoid meeting the Witch's eyes.

"The mortal world can take away my magic, strip me of my power and bloodline, but..." The Witch leaned against the bench and raised a slender finger to point at her head.

"Knowledge will never betray its owner. My apprentice, remember this: knowledge is the most precious wealth we possess. It will accompany us through every part of our journey."

"Until... the end."

For the first time, the Witch gave Ian a meaningful lesson with complete seriousness.

"The end?"

Ian looked at the Witch.

"For me, and for every soul here, that represents the unknown road ahead." The Witch answered with a smile, and there was even a hint of anticipation in her tone.

Every soul that remained in Misty Illusion still held some lingering obsession. To be honest, Ian was now truly curious about what obsession troubled Teacher Mara, who was so full of expectation for the road ahead. However, since this might touch the scars of certain souls, he did not dare ask why she still remained in Misty Illusion.

"Teacher Mara, then what knowledge can I learn?" Since he had already called her teacher, Ian naturally wanted to learn with insatiable hunger.

"Magic or potions—which would you like to learn first?" Witch Mara was clearly very confident in her abilities. Her tone and manner showed it in every way.

"You can brew potions too?"

Ian was somewhat surprised.

He wondered who was stronger in this field, Teacher Mara or Professor Snape. It should be Snape, who lived many years later in a more advanced era.

"Of course."

Witch Mara nodded noncommittally, then suddenly changed the subject. "However, this is a field with a very high threshold. Few can appreciate the marvelous beauty of a cauldron simmering over a low flame, white smoke rising from it and carrying a truly fragrant scent. Even fewer can truly sense what kind of magic lies within the liquid that flows into people's veins."

Her drawn-out voice seemed to contain the mystery of ancient legends.

However.

The more Ian listened.

The more familiar it sounded.

"Uh, are you about to tell me that as long as I am not a fool, you can teach me how to improve one's reputation, brew glory, and even stop death?"

How could it not sound familiar!

It was the opening speech Snape gave to new students every year!

Did all you potion masters use the same script?

"Heh."

Witch Mara was slightly stunned at first, then let out a soft laugh. "It seems that even in the mortal world, some Traces of my existence still remain."

What did that mean?

Ian's thoughts raced.

He immediately understood what she meant—Snape was a plagiarist!

"Did you once write words like those?"

Ian's eyes lit up.

His appetite for gossip surged.

He felt that he had uncovered Snape's great secret.

"Of course. I should have left behind a book."

Witch Mara murmured softly. She seemed to sink into memory, yet could not grasp those memories that had already faded with time. A trace of sorrow flashed across her delicate face.

However.

Ian failed to notice it.

He was still immersed in the shocking revelation that Snape was a plagiarist.

Come to think of it, it really made sense!

Snape had once obtained a book left behind by Teacher Mara!

Perhaps he had deliberately sought it out?

After all, Snape had a passion for and pursuit of potions, so naturally he would search for those unknown Ancient Books on potion-making. It was indeed possible that he had acquired the potion book left behind by Teacher Mara.

Just like phrases such as "The King Cannot Be Insulted" and "Shouldering all living beings, standing alone through the ages." Their Half-Blood Prince might have seen stirring words in Teacher Mara's book that ignited his chuunibyou soul. From then on, he copied that passage down and turned it into the opening speech he had to show off to new students every year.

Hiss!

The more Ian thought about it, the more likely it seemed!

Ian felt that he had Seized Snape's weakness!

After all.

It was like how Wu Cheng'en could not possibly have written Journey to the West after playing Black Myth. Teacher Mara was an old ghost who had been dead for many years. She could not possibly have stolen Snape's classic lines, could she?