Lies and Contracts

Professor Baker concealed the reason why he had created a Horcrux.

Avada's Magic Sense allowed him to intuitively "see" the most fundamental shifts in a person's mental energy, enabling him to directly perceive their true emotions and thoughts. It was equivalent to having a built-in, simplified form of Legilimency—one that left no traces and ignored Occlumency entirely. Therefore, whether the other party was acting with good or evil intentions, sincerity or hypocrisy, joy or irritation, or whether they were lying or hiding something... nothing could be concealed from him.

Although the vast majority of what Professor Baker said was true, there was one exception: at the very beginning, when he explained his reasons for creating the Black Crystal Ball, his mental energy fluctuations displayed a subtle state of "concealment."

He certainly couldn't say it—if he had admitted that he committed murder in pursuit of immortality, who would be willing to help him? The fact that he would rather seek help from two first-year students than approach other professors suggested he did not want the nature of his Horcrux to be seen through.

Furthermore, in his subsequent descriptions, he deliberately avoided the word "soul," choosing instead to emphasize the state of his "consciousness" repeatedly.

However, one thing left Avada deeply puzzled: when Professor Baker swore that he had not committed evil, and when he answered Baron's question about whether the crystal ball was a Dark Magic object, he was actually telling the truth!

In other words, Professor Baker was indeed profoundly skilled in Dark Magic, this Black Crystal Ball was indeed a Horcrux, and the reason for crafting it was indeed unspeakable—yet Professor Baker had somehow not committed any evil while creating it?!

This completely defied Avada's understanding.

But he could barely accept it; after all, he knew he had only been exposed to magic for a few months, and his understanding of the magical world was but a drop in the ocean. He only had a slightly broader perspective because he had read the original work, but that knowledge was also very generalized—perhaps there was a method he didn't know about for creating a Horcrux without the soul being corrupted by Dark Magic?

And if Professor Baker truly hadn't committed evil, but had instead split his soul only after killing a heinous Dark Wizard...

"You intend for us to help you?"

Baron asked with a frown, "We are only first-year students; how could we possibly solve problems of this nature?"

"Rest assured, even for a first-year wizard, as long as he isn't too dull, helping me is not difficult, nor will it be dangerous. Besides, I have taught you for half a year, and I can roughly perceive that your abilities are far beyond those of your peers... And if you are truly willing to help me, I will not only provide generous rewards afterward—including but not limited to wealth, some of my unique techniques, as well as secret intelligence and potion recipes... I will also do my best to guide you, teach you specific methods, and control the risks for you."

"However,"

He suddenly gave a wry smile and said bluntly, "You didn't intend to trust me from the very beginning, did you? Especially you, Mr. K?"

Avada's pupils constricted.

"As an adventurer who specializes in dealing with Dark Wizards, I have the ability to judge psychology by observing subtle expressions," Professor Baker said helplessly. "Moreover, a wizard with ulterior motives, proficient in Dark Magic, bringing a top-tier Dark Magic object into the school and deceiving everyone with a hypocritical face... such a person is inherently suspicious, right?"

"But don't worry, since I dare to make this request, I naturally have a way to earn your trust."

"Mr. Shafiq, I recall that you are a direct descendant of the 'Shafiq Family,' one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, correct?"

Baron looked at him vigilantly: "So what if I am?"

A hint of a smile appeared in Professor Baker's voice: "Then as an ancient pure-blood family, you must have a 'Mental Imprint Contract' among your possessions, right?"

Baron did not speak, but the expression on his face gradually shifted from vigilance to contemplation.

"Mental Imprint Contract? What is that?" Avada had never heard the term and turned to ask Baron.

"It is a magical contract that does not require a wand signature; it must be signed by leaving an imprint of mental energy upon it," Baron said thoughtfully. "It is a higher-level magical contract used specifically between powerful wizards. Because their control over their own magic is already masterful, it is very easy to perform small tricks when signing with a wand..."

"And it is very suitable for my current situation."

Professor Baker added in a relaxed tone, "I don't have a body right now, so even if I wanted to sign a contract with a wand, I couldn't. I can only use a Mental Imprint Contract. If I am willing to use a magical contract to guarantee what I have said and to constrain my own behavior, would you be willing to grant me a certain amount of trust?"

Avada and Baron exchanged a glance, both falling into thought.

"Of course, there might be a more convenient way for me..." Professor Baker said slowly. "For instance, I am currently controlling the Spatial Magic in this room. I could easily threaten to trap you here until you die, forcing you to take an Unbreakable Vow to help me—but I will not do that. I would rather complete this cooperation based on mutual trust rather than unilateral coercion, especially since you are my students."

As soon as he finished speaking, Avada immediately sensed that the chaotic space in the room returned to normal. Professor Baker's voice echoed in their ears once more: "Very well, the Spatial Magic has been lifted; you are free to leave now."

"I will not place any constraints on you, only one request: if you agree to sign the contract with me, please do not tell anyone else about my affairs."

"Is it merely a request?" Baron asked. "What if we don't accept?"

"I have already shown all my sincerity. If even this cannot earn a shred of trust, then I suppose I deserve it," Professor Baker sighed.

"After the Christmas holidays end, I will await your reply."

Once these words were spoken, Professor Baker's voice vanished from the room. The black crystal ball rolled quietly onto the floor, appearing entirely unremarkable among the countless treasures in the Room of Requirement. No one would ever guess that the soul of a powerful wizard was hidden within such a plain-looking crystal ball.

Avada and Baron looked at each other, staring intently at the black crystal ball while slowly backing away toward the door of the Room of Requirement. Finally, just as they were about to press against the door panels, Baron reached out and pulled the door open. Both of them bolted out at top speed, then slammed the door shut with a loud bang!

Watching the smooth door panels gradually fade away until only an empty wall remained, Avada and Baron slumped to the floor simultaneously. Their faces turned deathly pale, cold sweat poured down their foreheads, and they gasped for air.

The confrontation with Professor Baker had been far too tense and mentally exhausting. Especially when they didn't know his true intentions, it had been like walking a tightrope over a cliff, fearing that a single mistake would cost them their lives.

It took a long time for them to gradually recover.

Fortunately, few people remained at school for the Christmas holidays, and no one usually came to the eighth floor. Professor Flitwick was likely still sleeping in, so no one noticed their strange state.

"Do you intend to trust him?"

After a long while, Avada was the first to speak, posing the question to Baron.

He himself was willing to grant Professor Baker a certain degree of trust—by observing the shifts in his mental energy, he could directly "see" that Professor Baker's goodwill and sincerity were genuine. And it was indeed as he had said; he could have trapped them and forced them to take an Unbreakable Vow, yet he had chosen not to.

Although the matter of the Horcrux still worried him, if a contract were used as a constraint, that would no longer be an issue.

However, the Mental Imprint Contract was in the hands of the Shafiq Family; if Baron was unwilling to provide it, there was nothing he could do. He certainly wouldn't dare to help a guy who had absolutely no constraints!

Oh my, the book has over five hundred collections only three days after signing! Thank you all for your love and support!