Regulus Felt Something Was Off

Regulus rarely had a moment of restlessness; ever since he could remember, he had never been someone who was easily swayed by his emotions.

Calmness and self-control don't need to be trained; he was born with them. Before coming to France, he thought he could wait, as he has always been good at waiting.

But after arriving in France and waiting for half a month, he found himself getting restless. Not anxious or uneasy, but just a bit agitated.

He had no worries about his safety and had a good grasp of Voldemort's methods. To put it bluntly, even if Voldemort came in person, he could handle it, given his experience.

But he was just restless, a surge of energy coursing through his body, unable to find an outlet, so he could only suppress it.

He knew what was going on, Geralt.

From the day he became Geralt, the imagery of Betelgeuse's explosive power lingered, all his Magic Power tinged with the colors of that red supergiant, expanding, burning, exploding, and spreading outward.

A wizard's Magic Power and emotions have always had a two-way influence: the quality of Magic Power shapes emotions, and the fluctuations in emotions, in turn, stir up Magic Power.

Having acted as Geralt for over half a month, the imagery of Betelgeuse constantly burned his Magic Power, making it impossible for him to remain unaffected emotionally.

Geralt is now offline, Betelgeuse is gone, and the Magic Power has switched back to Regulus's cold restraint, but the inertia of emotions won't subside so quickly.

His body memorized that rhythm, the action, the fight, the pursuit, the high-speed maneuver, smashing half of Dolohov's face with a single punch, chatting and boasting with the Prewett brothers at the Hog's Head Inn, and walking side by side with Dumbledore on the sea cliff.

He suddenly stopped, his body still propelled forward by inertia, the Magic Power pushing him to move, to do things, and to find a place to release it.

Besides Magic Power, there's also personality.

Geralt is much more outgoing than Regulus. He speaks directly, acts even more directly, and wears his heart on his sleeve. He laughs when he laughs and is unhappy when he is unhappy.

Regulus's daily routine is one of control; every expression is restrained, and every decision is rational.

Geralt's daily life is about letting loose, doing whatever he wants, a smirk, a sparkle in his eye, and striking without hesitation.

After Geralt returned to Regulus, his body and Magic Power returned, but some things didn't immediately follow.

The way he speaks, the speed at which he makes decisions, the way he looks at people—occasionally he'll gravitate towards Geralt's channel first, only to be pulled back by himself.

This feeling isn't bad.

If a person lives their whole life with only one face and interacts with the world in only one way, their soul will probably only develop into one shape.

But Geralt wasn't pretending; it was something he already possessed that was amplified.

The flamboyance, wildness, and recklessness that were once suppressed by calmness and restraint have now surfaced, transforming him into a complete person capable of independent action in the outside world.

Regulus was cold, Geralt was hot, and he neither intended to drive away the heat Geralt brought, nor could he.

Having another identity and another way of doing things gives your soul another pillar, allowing it to accommodate different versions of yourself. Only then can your soul be expanded and accommodate two completely different lives.

But this restlessness is indeed a hindrance. He's here to take on the challenge, waiting for Voldemort's side to show up. He's been waiting for more than half a month and there's still no movement. There's no point in continuing to be restless.

There are important things to do every day, and restlessness is a useless emotion at this time.

He closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into the depths of his mind.

The Star Orbit Meditation began, and the six stars of Orion lit up in the Mental Space, their cool and steady light sweeping across every corner.

The complex thoughts were soothed layer by layer by the grand imagery, the Magic Power circulated along the trajectory of the stars, and the spirit gradually calmed down, returning from restlessness to tranquility.

His breathing slowed down.

He's just Voldemort; he can't neglect reading and studying.

In mid- April, the sun in Provence grew stronger day by day, and the Mystra wind blew from the Mediterranean Sea, blowing from morning till night.

The tender leaves of the old vines on the south slope rippled in the wind like silvery-green waves, the edges of the leaves beginning to curl slightly, the plant regulating its own transpiration.

The bushes around the Mooncalf's cave were mostly withered, their leaves drooping, only perking up at dawn and dusk.

The Special-Horned Beast hid deep within the old vines, its nostrils spewing hot mist that dissipated much faster in the dry air than in winter.

The estate's employees changed into thinner robes, Jean-Pierre started wearing a straw hat while working, Claire added an extra round of water to the irrigation canal each day.

When spring first arrived, the heat felt comfortable, but now it's really hot.

Regulus lived a life with a fixed rhythm, having an English breakfast every morning: bacon, fried eggs, and coffee with milk.

Lunch was an English meal: thickly sliced roast beef, fluffy and crispy Yorkshire Pudding, mashed potatoes mixed with Butter, and steamed vegetables sprinkled with a pinch of sea salt.

Felix probably felt that his son eating UK food in France was an insult to the entire French nation, and to this day he still upholds the dignity of the France by eating baguettes and croissants.

In the morning, I would read or practice alchemy; in the afternoon, I would continue; and in the evening, I would wait for Baruk to run back from the west slope.

This guy's eating Dragon Meat again. Felix got the neck meat of Swedish Short-Snout through the Black family's supply channels in France.

Young Master Black paid the bill.

Baruk's operations on the western slope had already taken shape, with the area of the spider web expanding from three rows of trellises to five, and the distribution of the main and Radiation threads becoming increasingly orderly.

The irrigation system was also completed, with miniature water troughs woven from spider silk drawing water from the irrigation canals and diverting it along the main strands of the spider web to the roots of each young vine.

Dupont would occasionally go to check on things, and each time he would stand there for a long time without making a sound or disturbing anyone; he would just watch.

The young vines that were cared for by spiders grew significantly better than those that were not cared for; their leaves were larger, darker in color, and they grew faster.

Baruk doesn't just stay in its own area. When it's had enough of the western slope, it will go to the Old Vine District in the middle of the southern slope to linger and use Natural Magic Power to establish a preliminary sensory connection with the old vines.

Old vines are harder to deal with than young ones; they've been around for hundreds of years and are very composed, not easily responding to a spider's probing. But they're still much easier to talk to than the trees in the Forbidden Forest, at least they don't reject you.

Baruk was full of energy every day, busy from morning till night, and would rush back in the evening to report to Regulus which plants he had learned that day.

Regulus saw it all.

Whether it's a human or a spider, finding something you're interested in and happen to be good at is all about luck.

Interest provides direction, talent provides speed; when the two come together, he's happy for them.

When it comes to things I'm interested in and good at, Alchemy is indeed quite fascinating.

Beauxbatons flipped through the textbooks from third grade to sixth grade, mastered all the basic operations, and Magic Power affinity recognition was his forte. His perception accuracy far exceeded the highest standards required by the textbooks.

Drawing alchemical circuits is an extension of Magic Manipulation and also his forte. Targeted conversion took a little time. The difficulty wasn't in the principles, but in the need to be familiar with the Magic Power texture characteristics of different materials.

He had grasped most of the deep structure of metals in fifth grade, and the correspondence between metal lattices and Magic Power patterns suited his habit of systematic thinking.

The sixth-grade students are still digesting the theory of Magic Power and matter interaction and transformation; it involves deeper concepts and requires time.

Seventh grade requires the accumulation of knowledge from all the previous grades; it can't be rushed.

After completing the bistable copper sheet, I did a few more small exercises, changing the metal's Magic Power Conduction properties, adjusting the ore's hardness and toughness, and trying composite circuits. All of them were successful and not difficult at all.

At night, the moon hung over the mountain ridge outside the window, almost full, its silvery light covering the entire hillside.

The night sky was filled with stars, Orion hung low in the west, Betelgeuse twinkled with a dark red light.

Baruk, who had just finished eating Dragon Meat and taking a fire bath, was lying by the table, idly using one of his front legs to poke at the dried lavender in the rough-glazed vase on the corner of the table.

With one nudge, the dried flower spike wobbled twice at the bottle opening; two more nudges, four more wobbles; with a third nudge, the flower spike almost fell out, but it quickly caught it with its other leg, carefully tucked it back in, and then lay down and rested its head on its front leg.

All eight amber eyes turned to look at Regulus. Knowing he was busy, it didn't come closer, but it didn't sleep either; it just lay there quietly, waiting for him to finish.

Regulus sat at the table, several finished practice pieces spread out in front of him.

Samples of Magic Power Conduction conversion of copper sheet, samples of hardness adjustment of tin block, and an alloy sheet that has undergone composite circuit testing.

It was all a success. Everything was taught in the textbook, without missing a single step, and it was all useful. They were all qualified alchemical products that could be sold.

But the more he did it, the more he felt something was wrong.

The textbook focuses entirely on application: how to choose materials, how to draw circuits, and how to make Magic Power flow along specific paths to change structures. Each step has a standard procedure, and each exercise is accompanied by a circuit Bestiary.

Just follow the instructions; there's no need to ask why. It's very practical, but it's more like a craft.

The core of Alchemy lies deeper, in the first cause of matter transformation, in the boundary between mass and Magic Power that allows them to penetrate each other.

The Emerald Tablet describes the same principles applied to different levels, from the movement of stars to the transformation of metals.

These are the principles; the textbook only touches on them briefly in the introduction before shrinking back, and then hundreds of pages are dedicated to teaching people how to operate them.

This is similar to using advanced mathematics to calculate change at the market—you can calculate it correctly and quickly, but who uses advanced mathematics for this?

The exercises he's doing now are about making change.

The bistable copper sheet is slightly better, at least it's based on a custom design, but ultimately it's just a fancy application.

The relationship between theoretical Alchemy and applied Alchemy is roughly similar to that between theoretical physics and applied physics.

Applied physics teaches how to build bridges, how to make light bulbs, and how to prevent things from falling.

Theoretical physics studies what gravity is, why it exists, where mass comes from, why space is curved, and what the bottom layer of matter looks like.

The textbook doesn't teach these things; it only says that doing it this way will make it work.

He wants to know why, but he's only just started learning how to use the tools. It's too early to ask why. He should familiarize himself with the tools first, and then ask about the principles behind them.

Then his thoughts took a turn.

The first chapter of the textbook teaches how to identify the Magic Power patterns inside materials. The method is to use your own Magic Perception to explore and judge the direction and density of the patterns by experience and touch.

Beginners need to practice for months or even years to be able to steadily identify the texture of basic materials. Those with good talent will do so faster, while those with less talent will do so slower. Some people may practice their whole lives and still not reach sufficient precision.

Alchemy is different from ordinary Spellcasting. Spells are the outward exertion of Magic Power. As long as it's not Squib, even the dumbest person can make some noise.

Alchemy is about exploring Magic Power; if you can't find it, you can't find it. Diligence can make up for lack of talent in the basic stage. If you can't learn it, practice like crazy, and you'll eventually get to the basics.

But at a higher level of transformation, insufficient perception accuracy is simply insufficient, and no amount of hard work can compensate for it.

The Wizarding World is a place where talent matters, Alchemy is no exception.

Regulus didn't need to train; his perception was already far more precise than that of ordinary people, a natural trait, and the Star Orbit Meditation further enhanced that innate ability.

The book said that it takes repeated practice to perceive something, but he saw it as soon as he lifted his eyelids.

But this advantage only applies to him; if it were an ordinary wizard, he would still have to train.

A question suddenly popped into his mind: Why rely on humans to perceive things?

(And there's more!)