On the third shelf of the cabinet sat another book, a very thick one. Nicolas Flamel had Adam take it down from the cabinet and place it on the table.
"This is a contact book."
With a hint of nostalgia on his face, Nicolas Flamel patted the book's cover.
"Emma told me that you've only recently entered the wizarding world, but you must have seen those portraits at Hogwarts that can move and talk, yes? I may not have had many friends, but I did have some. A few of them worried that the two of us would be too lonely, so they gave me their portraits."
"It is regrettable that, as an elder, I must leave after meeting you only a few times. So I am giving you this book, hoping that the friends within it can offer you a little help in life in place of Perenelle and me."
Nicolas Flamel gently pushed the book toward Adam.
"Every wizard in this book was once a legend. Their lives were far more remarkable than those of an old man like me, who wasted half his life away. These portraits took a great deal of effort to make. Though they are not the real people, they can think much like their originals. When you feel lost, perhaps you can try asking them for help—don't be shy. I have already spoken to them about it."
Adam swallowed and touched the cover.
"Are your and Madam's portraits in this book too?"
"I'm sorry, child. We did not have time to make portraits of ourselves."
"Then perhaps I could have a photograph of you two?"
Nicolas Flamel paused, then reached out and patted Adam's head.
"Of course."
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, Nicolas Flamel added,
"Oh, right. The owners of the final two portraits in this book have not yet passed away. If you encounter danger or some difficult problem, you can try using their portraits to contact them directly—provided they also have portraits of themselves nearby."
"Two portraits... who are they?"
"One is your headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. The other is also a child from Hogwarts. You may have heard his name. He is Newt Scamander."
Senior Newt?!
Adam's eyes lit up.
Unaware of Adam's thoughts, Nicolas Flamel led him back to the sofa.
"And then there is this. Take it, child, and open it."
Nicolas Flamel handed Adam a piece of parchment that looked rather old.
Adam unfolded the parchment. It was covered in dense writing.
What was this?
"Including the place beneath our feet, these are the addresses of my 192 properties around the world. Every one of them is protected by the Fidelius Charm. I am giving them to you."
Nicolas Flamel said it as casually as if it were nothing.
During his travels around the world with his wife, he had never chosen to stay in hotels for the sake of safety. Instead, whenever he arrived somewhere, he simply bought a property there—after all, money was no concern to him.
Nicolas Flamel then waved his hand over the parchment. A scattered few addresses were marked in red as he added,
"These addresses marked in red are known by people besides Perenelle and me."
No further reminder was needed. That one sentence was enough.
Adam nodded, rolled the parchment back up, and put it away.
Nicolas Flamel's final inheritance was a key.
"This is the key to Gringotts Vault Number 4."
Nicolas Flamel took the key from his pocket and placed it in Adam's hand.
"There are no Galleons or anything like that inside, though I do not think you need them."
Nicolas Flamel smiled faintly at the new owner of the Sorcerer's Stone.
"Once you open the vault, you will see half of it piled high with papers. They are the manuscripts from my lifelong research into alchemy and magic. If you have no interest in them, please donate them to Perenelle's and my alma mater—Beauxbatons."
"The other half of the vault contains some of my collections and inventions... most of them are not especially valuable, but they are quite interesting. I hope you will like them."
Having spoken so much in one breath, telling stories and giving away his inheritance, clearly placed a great burden on Nicolas Flamel. Yet judging by the sparkle in his eyes, he seemed rather excited.
After handing Adam that final key, Nicolas Flamel sent him away and refused Adam's request to attend their funeral.
"We do not intend to hold a funeral. After meeting you, I have already said everything I wished to say to everyone I wanted to bid farewell to. At the end of our lives, please let us enjoy some quiet time alone together."
For the Flamels, the day of their deaths had been chosen by themselves. Thus, they dealt with their final affairs with remarkable composure. They could even bid farewell to everyone they wished to see one by one, so a funeral was hardly necessary.
After telling Adam when they would die and where their graves would be, and giving him a photograph of the two of them as promised, Nicolas Flamel closed the door.
Adam stared blankly at the door for a while. He knew that this had been the last time he would ever see Nicolas Flamel.
"What's wrong with Adam?"
While eating cake, Kero looked at Adam and could not help asking Suppi beside him.
"If you're asking me, who am I supposed to ask?"
Suppi rolled his eyes.
"How about you put down that fork and go ask him yourself?"
"No! Otherwise, you'll definitely gobble up all the remaining cake at once!"
"That's slander!"
Hearing the two Sealed Beasts bickering, Adam came back to himself. Looking at the fluffy little creatures tangled up in a fight, he could not help smiling.
Nicolas Flamel's story had come to a perfect close. Adam's own story, meanwhile, was only just beginning, wasn't it?
"Divine Punishment!"
A cat far too large for Kero and Suppi in their energy-saving forms joined the battle.
"Hey! Adam! Over here!"
Ever energetic, Klon was always the most lively one in the dormitory. The moment Adam arrived at the airport, he heard Klon calling him.
When he walked over, Bernard and Klon had already arrived. A woman stood beside Klon, while Bernard was alone.
"My parents have clients they booked long ago, and it would not be convenient for two ordinary people to go either."
Sure enough, it was much the same as Adam had expected.
"Adam, long time no see~ My parents were busy too. This is my sister Kelly, and this is Adam, the one I told you about~"
"Hello."
Kelly looked Adam up and down. She was clearly curious about this roommate whom her younger brother had described as so extraordinary.
"Hello."
After politely greeting Kelly, Adam introduced his grandfather as well. Perhaps the matter of the Flamels had made Emma somewhat upset, so she had not come with Adam.
"Now we're just waiting for Eugene... Oh! Here he comes!"
Klon had just raised a hand to wave when he exclaimed in surprise,
"Eugene's outfit... wow~"
"Long time no see."
Dressed in expedition gear that looked like something out of a movie, carrying a large pack, and leading an elderly woman dressed much the same way, Eugene walked over and nodded to everyone.
"My parents were busy. This is my grandmother."
"Hello, everyone."
Eugene's grandmother looked very kind. From Eugene's personality, they could roughly guess what sort of person this grandmother who had raised him must be.
Once everyone had arrived, the plane was delayed, just as expected.
"Would everyone like something to eat?"
At lunchtime, Adam opened the backpack whose space had been expanded with the Wheel Card and took out a pile of packaged rice balls.
"There are four flavors: teriyaki eel, black pepper beef, honey-glazed char siu, and vegetable mayonnaise~"
Before you continue