8: Experience Passed Down by the Ancestors

The night was as dark as ink.

Soft moonlight streamed through the window into the quiet bedroom. Under its gentle caress, Ian's long eyelashes slowly lifted, revealing bright gemstone-like green eyes gleaming with light.

As his gaze shifted from confusion to focus and he returned to reality, Ian instinctively looked at the clock in the bedroom—just as expected, the hands of the old wall clock were stopped at 12:07.

It had always been like this over the years.

Whenever he returned from the Misty Illusion, it was always this time. The hour hand might point to a different number, but the minute hand would always point to that magical number.

Seven.

Ian did not know what secret lay behind it. He only knew that every week, he would inevitably have an extremely similar experience.

In the past, the people Ian encountered in the Misty Illusion had only been Ariana and the occasionally appearing Pandora. This time, however, there was an elegant Witch of mysterious origins.

"She wants me to help her retrieve the Mirror she left behind in the real world..."

Ian did not know whether the elegant Witch was good or evil. Perhaps judging a soul solely by good and evil was too shallow. He was simply very curious about the mysterious Witch's identity.

A Witch who lived in a mysterious castle within the Misty Illusion.

Had she once been a renowned figure in the wizarding world as well? After all, that graceful and luxurious bearing was clearly not something an ordinary Witch could possess.

"Was she a wizard from the last century, or someone active in the Middle Ages?"

Ian's limited understanding of the fantastical world he lived in came only from a few movies with unimpressive special effects, as well as the handful of fanfictions riddled with conspiracy theories.

Precisely because of that.

The many hidden mysteries of this world were only vaguely known to Ian. The only Mirror he could recall was the Mirror of Erised, which hid the Philosopher's Stone at the beginning of the story.

A golden frame.

It could show people the deepest, most urgent, and strongest desire in their hearts.

If the Mirror the mysterious Witch wanted to find was the Mirror that would eventually appear at Hogwarts, then perhaps Ian truly had a chance to bring it into the Misty Illusion and hand it over to her.

"I just don't know whether I can bring something that large there the way I bring candy." Ian was not sure. He had never tried anything like it.

To be honest.

Even now, Ian was utterly confused about the miraculous talent he had possessed since childhood. He had not even figured out why candy could be brought in while the bed he slept on could not.

Of course.

Being able to enter the Misty Illusion in his sleep was undoubtedly an extremely special talent, just as the mysterious Witch in the Misty Illusion had said.

Ian... was special enough.

But what exactly that specialness meant, perhaps only that Witch could provide an answer. Ian could clearly sense that the mysterious Witch in the Misty Illusion cared greatly about this.

"Learn magic from her..."

It had to be said.

Ian had indeed been tempted by the proposal, but he could not tell whether her kindness was merely a disguise to achieve some purpose or related to his special nature.

If she really had once owned the Mirror of Erised, then she was definitely some old ghost who had lived for who knew how many years. The thoughts of an old female ghost might be even harder to fathom than those of a living woman.

"She's also a beautiful female ghost. Zhang Wuji's mother had something to say about that."

"I don't need to take that risk... I can learn magic at school too. The professors there might not necessarily be weaker than the Old Witch in my dreams."

Reason overcame greed.

Ian suppressed the restless urge in his heart.

Just as he had the experience passed down by his ancestors.

The Great Ying Empire also had a long-standing tradition—aside from the custom of pursuing boys, this place had long possessed a peculiar culture of pedophilia as well.

What if she really was an Old Witch who liked playing with Little Boys?

Or rather, what if the kind of playing she meant was not the kind Ian liked? That was not something Ian wanted to gamble on.

"Phew~ Namo Gatling Merlin Bodhisattva... This really isn't worth the risk."

After weighing the pros and cons.

Ian rearranged his pillow, closed his eyes, and returned to real sleep.

During the years when he had no chance to learn spells, the greatest benefit Ian had gained from possessing wizard blood was probably that he could easily learn how to create Lucid Dreams.

He dreamed through the night.

The next day, Ian was refreshed and full of energy.

In every gesture.

He seemed to carry just a little more high-spirited confidence and carefree elegance—no one knew what sort of beautiful dream he had crafted for himself last night.

Successfully read Roman. Language Mastery proficiency +1

Successfully read Roman. Language Mastery proficiency +1

Successfully read Roman. Language Mastery proficiency +1

Before the morning sun had risen, Ian had already begun his daily studies. He had always taken the improvement of Language Mastery seriously.

After all.

Ian had always harbored a hope in his heart. He wanted to use the Extraordinary Trait gained through this skill to touch upon a unique talent possessed by only a small number of people even in the magical world.

Animal Communication.

He did not seek to become a cross-species communicator like a Parseltongue. It would be enough if he could be like Newt Scamander and understand the emotions and meanings animals expressed.

"Of course, if it lets me gain Listening to the Voices of All Things, I wouldn't mind either." Forgive Ian for having read a rather mixed assortment of literature in his previous life, and for having played Bandit King in his dreams last night.

Successfully read Roman. Language Mastery proficiency +1

Successfully read Roman. Language Mastery proficiency +1

Just as Ian occasionally let his thoughts wander and had gained roughly ten points of Language Mastery proficiency, hurried footsteps suddenly Sounded in the corridor outside the door.

There was also a series of clattering noises.

Who knew which unlucky little fellow, likely about to be scolded, had knocked over something placed in the hallway.

"Ian! Ian! Come on! Um... the school teacher is here again!"

Catherine's voice Sounded outside the door. She was panting, and several little hands were urgently slapping the door. It felt as if these Children cared even more about going to school than Ian did.

"Someone from Hogwarts has come?"

Ian felt somewhat puzzled and surprised. He walked over and opened the door. Immediately afterward, with several rustling thuds, a group of Children who had nearly been pressed against the door stumbled crookedly into the room.

"Ian! Ian! Ms. Elena wants you to go over! Are you going to school?"

"Will you come back? Can you bring a teacher back for us too?"

"You can use your looks to bewitch those female teachers!"

The Children surrounded Ian and chattered all at once, mixed with a few remarks that seemed somewhat too mature for their age—orphans always grew up faster than their peers in every respect.

"Will you come back and teach us?"

Catherine, who knew the true nature of Hogwarts, was also looking at Ian with Eyes Full of expectation. What she clearly meant was magical spells.

"If I get the chance, if I can... then of course."

Ian patted the heads of several Children beside him, but he did not dare make them a real promise. Perhaps Catherine would have a chance to attend Hogwarts.

But most of them would ultimately find it difficult to cross that threshold.

"I'll take you to Ms. Elena!"

Catherine was incredibly excited. She grabbed Ian and ran outside. Although the other Children only vaguely understood what was going on, they still eagerly swarmed after them.

"Ian, I don't want to attend that school anymore. I'll just wait for you to teach me how to make candy in the future. The teacher who came today looks exactly like the Gargamel you told me about!"

On the way.

Catherine moved close to Ian and lowered her voice, speaking with a little fear. Her words made Ian, who had already been curious about which professor had come, feel his heart tighten.

He looked like Gargamel?

Very scary?

Ian had a Bad Feeling.

Surrounded by the Children, he arrived outside the headmistress's office at just that moment.

The door was not closed.

Therefore.

Ian immediately saw the figure seated opposite the headmistress, seemingly shrouded in gloom. Even from behind, the figure made people feel tense and oppressed.

He looked somewhat like... the Dark Wizard Ian had encountered before.

"Why is it him!?"

Ian wore a dumbfounded expression.

Where was my big fluffy Dumbledore?!

Why had this Black Bat come instead!!