Obsession and Legacy

Linley nodded. "Professor Green, I am willing to become your apprentice and learn Alchemy from you!"

Professor Green readily agreed. From a pocket enchanted with the Undetectable Extension Charm, he took out three items: a metal bracelet, a one-meter-long scepter, and a sharp dagger. He handed them to Linley.

"Though I am French, I know that your British wizarding world has not been peaceful these past few years. Therefore, I intend to give you some Alchemical tools for self-defense, as a gift for becoming my apprentice."

"There is no need for me to explain the first Mana Suppression Bracelet. This scepter is a single-use Mana Suppression Scepter. Once you inject it with magic power, it can unleash the power of a Mana Stone, suppressing magical power within a hundred-meter radius and rendering the wizards in that range unable to cast magic, like dud cannons. However, the Mana Suppression Scepter can suppress magic power only up to Auror level; its effect on a Demon King level wizard is extremely limited. As for the third item, it is a dagger upon which I personally engraved an Alchemy Formation with the 'Sharpness' attribute. It will allow you to protect yourself within a mana-suppressed area."

As Professor Green introduced the items, their fresh magical aura made it clear that he had likely crafted them only recently.

Clearly, Professor Green had intended to take Linley as his apprentice even before this lesson began.

Moved, Linley accepted the three gifts and solemnly placed them in the canvas bag hanging from his waist.

"Thank you, Professor! But the effect of your Mana Suppression Scepter seems far beyond that of the Mana Suppression Bracelet. Could this be your ultimate work?"

Linley thanked Professor Green first, then asked his question.

Professor Green nodded. His gaze at the Mana Suppression Scepter seemed tinged with loneliness. "Yes. I once crafted a Mana Suppression Scepter, but it led me to commit a grave mistake. I thought I would never craft a second one in my life. But now, I have met you—the most gifted student I have ever seen. I am willing to craft another Mana Suppression Scepter, and I hope that once you have mastered your studies, you can fulfill that regret for me—"

"—Perfect the Mana Suppression Scepter!"

Professor Green's tone abruptly became solemn as he spoke gravely.

"A regret? Could it be that some terrible event caused this Mana Suppression Scepter to become your regret, Professor?" Linley asked softly. He had a feeling that Professor Green's so-called regret must be related to the unbearable past Madam Rosmerta had mentioned.

Professor Green lowered his head slightly and sighed. The gloom in his pale blue eyes deepened. "Yes. It is related to something I experienced in the past. That incident destroyed everything I had."

"As I said earlier, this Mana Suppression Scepter is imperfect because its ability to suppress magic power is limited. It cannot completely suppress the casting ability of a Demon King level wizard. But when I first crafted it, I did not realize that. At that time, the Dark Lord Gellert Grindelwald was ravaging the magical world. I foolishly believed my Mana Suppression Scepter was perfect and could suppress his power."

"So, I bought two firearms from the Muggle world and searched for the Dark Lord Gellert Grindelwald with my wife. In the end, we found him. I activated the Mana Suppression Scepter's power, but—"

Pain appeared in Professor Green's eyes.

"—the Mana Suppression Scepter completely sealed my magic power and hers, yet it failed to completely seal that Demon King level wizard's magical power. Grindelwald, who retained the ability to cast spells, was far beyond what mere Muggle firearms could handle. That act of binding our own hands and feet robbed us of the ability to resist."

"I thought I would remain there forever, but she—my wife—used an ancient emotional magic. At the cost of her own life, she briefly broke through the Mana Suppression Scepter's restrictions and Apparated away with me. Because of my arrogance and recklessness, I lost her forever!"

Professor Green painfully clawed at his hair, as though he had returned to that battlefield.

"Therefore, completely perfecting the Mana Suppression Scepter—allowing it to truly seal all magic power and make all beings equal—became my ultimate obsession. I know she cannot return, but I do not want her sacrifice to have been in vain! If I can perfect the Mana Suppression Scepter and give it its true value, then even if I must die as well, I am willing!"

Professor Green roared, his eyes flashing with the madness unique to a scholar.

"But I am already old. I have lost the ability to improve. So my student—you, Linley—will complete my ultimate work for me. Linley, will you do everything in your power to perfect this creation in the future?"

Professor Green stared fixedly at Linley.

Looking at Professor Green, who seemed to have fallen into madness, Linley recalled everything he had seen at The Three Broomsticks last Sunday. He nodded. "I am willing, Professor. I will do everything in my power. I promise!"

Seeing Linley's still-youthful face, Professor Green sighed. "I am sorry, Linley. I have made a fool of myself before you today. I do not know whether it is appropriate to place this responsibility upon you so early, but I have no other choice. I..."

Linley interrupted Professor Green. "Professor, this is my choice. Besides, I truly am interested in researching Mana Stones!"

Professor Green fell silent. He glanced at Linley, then rose to his feet and flicked his Wand twice.

A silently cast Scourgify struck his body, restoring Professor Green's appearance to its neat state.

A book in the distance transformed into a blackboard, and lines began to appear across it, eventually forming a pattern that closely resembled a Circuit Diagram.

"Although you have chosen Dual Cultivation of Formations, Spell Alchemy has higher requirements for a wizard's magic power, so I will begin teaching it to you next year. For now, I will teach you Formation Alchemy," Professor Green said. "Formation Alchemy requires an Alchemist to combine scattered Alchemy Runes with magic power, turning them into specific Alchemy Formations. Such Alchemy Formations are, in fact, rather similar in principle to Muggles' Circuit Diagrams."

"Oh, pardon me. I forgot that you probably do not know what a Circuit Diagram is. After all, not everyone is like me and would specifically go study at a Muggle university for two and a half years!" Professor Green seemed to recall something and laughed self-deprecatingly.

Though he had done so to learn more knowledge, by the generally conservative views of the wizarding world, living among Muggles was something worthy of ridicule.

However, Linley shook his head and interrupted him. "No, Professor, I know what a Circuit Diagram is."

Under Professor Green's rather surprised gaze, Linley pointed at the Circuit Diagram on the blackboard. "This is a schematic diagram, a type of Circuit Diagram used to represent the operating principles of an electronic circuit. It includes basic circuit structures such as power supplies, switches, and components, and it has two different connection methods: series and parallel."

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