"I can use Limbo to smuggle things!"
Only those who had been short on money understood how important it was.
That was the first bold idea that popped into Ian's mind. If he could use Limbo to smuggle goods, then who else could earn Galleons if not him?
Even if the Aurors and the police in the Muggle world knew he was a smuggler, it probably wouldn't matter. They didn't have the ability to chase after contraband in Limbo!
The more he thought about it,
the more Ian felt it really was a wonderful idea! Of course, he could only enter Limbo once a week, so it wasn't very efficient. He'd probably have to choose high-value goods.
Dragon Eggs?
Dragon corpses?
He could even rob a vault at Gringotts!
Ahem.
That might be a little too difficult, and it was getting a bit off track... Although he was very tempted by this path to riches, Ian still had enough sense not to blurt it out.
He opened his mouth.
Deep down, he knew that the more impressive thing the witch had mentioned probably wasn't this. Although Ian considered it a great undertaking, clearly most wizards didn't care about Galleons.
"Not bringing things from outside in here and hiding them... But I clearly can't take anything from here out, either." Ian frowned and began to ponder again.
And just then,
"Enough, my apprentice. You're not strong enough yet, so the time you can spend here is very limited. I don't want to keep watching you squat there as if you're holding in a shit."
It was hard to imagine that a witch with such an air of nobility could say something so vulgar. Even Ian, who had just been mocked, couldn't help feeling embarrassed.
"I was just thinking about what you said, Teacher Mara."
Ian tried to explain himself.
"You'll have plenty of time to think once you're back in the real world." The witch raised a hand, and one corner of the picture frame on the nearby wall flowed toward Ian like clear water.
He instinctively raised his hand.
The liquid-like metal solidified in Ian's hand, forming a wooden wand.
"Come on, show me what you can do."
The witch first turned toward the kitchen. A roasted suckling pig came flying out, grunting and squealing—in fact, it was a roasted suckling pig, and it was grunting and squealing as if it were alive.
Ian gaped at it.
"I hope you haven't been slacking off."
The witch rested her cheek in one hand, lounging lazily against an elegant, glittering chaise.
Her meaning was clear.
Ian immediately pointed his wand at the "living suckling pig."
"Fear Descent!"
By the principles behind this spell, it had something in common with Legilimency, though it was much easier. Its main purpose was to awaken the target's most immediate, deepest fear.
Everyone feared different things.
But everyone's subconscious knew exactly what they feared.
Well.
Presumably, the same went for roasted suckling pigs?
A slightly ashen beam shot out, and the roast pig, which seemed to have come alive, let out a piercing, terrified squeal.
The sound was so awful
that even the furniture trembled in fright.
"Not bad."
The witch seemed very pleased with Ian's performance, and her smile grew a little wider.
"It's all thanks to your teaching, Teacher."
Ian hurried to flatter her.
The witch was quite pleased.
"Runes aren't easy to understand. To learn this spell in just seven days would have made you exceptionally talented even in my day."
The witch's praise was never understated.
Ian liked that.
"Excellent wizards need even better wizards to teach them. I'm very lucky to have met you, Teacher Mara." Ian didn't go overboard with modesty as he buttered her up.
By watching her expression,
he had discovered that Teacher Mara didn't seem to care whether her students were modest.
After all,
"Of course."
The witch herself wasn't a modest wizard.
"When I first learned this spell, it took me only two days. I knew I was destined to become a powerful wizard, and the facts proved me right."
The witch proudly told him a little about her past.
"..."
Ian opened his mouth.
Then closed it again.
However,
the witch didn't notice.
"In the information I left for you, I used a few little tricks. The fact that you learned this spell means you've already mastered the use of Runes."
"That will save you a lot of trouble in your studies from now on."
The witch raised a hand again. The still-squealing roast pig seemed to lose its life and returned to its delicious-looking state, then flew back toward the kitchen in a flash.
Ian marveled at this sight once more.
"Learning a spell isn't as important as truly understanding the knowledge behind it. Runes are the best key for helping wizards understand the nature of magic."
She paused briefly.
Then the witch added,
"At least, that's how it is for me."
She still didn't state it too definitively.
Perhaps
it was only when it came to the study of knowledge that the witch showed the rare quality of modesty.
"Understood. I'll remember that."
Ian nodded seriously for once.
"As for Potions, I'll need to study them first. Before that, what you need to do is..." The witch was about to begin her formal lesson for Ian.
"It's him!"
"He's back!"
"Quick, tell the master! Ah! I've been cut in half again!"
Outside the castle,
a sudden clatter and commotion rang out.
"Hm?"
Ian was startled.
He hurriedly looked at the witch.
He saw that
the witch, who had been smiling moments ago, now wore an expression as sour as if she'd gone to Snape for lessons. Her eyes seemed to be spitting fire.
Ian was about to ask her cautiously
when the sounds from outside immediately made him realize what was happening.
"Pandero, is Ian really here?"
"Anna! Trust me! Ian must have been captured by this evil woman!"
"I don't think that lady is a bad person, but her suits of armor are really scary!"
"Don't be afraid. They're all made of paper, really. Watch me skewer three with one sword... No, four!"
"Oh my gosh! You're so strong!"
"Hahahaha, the gate's just ahead! One kick and it'll shatter into more than seven hundred pieces. I tried it last time."
The voice belonged to a friend Ian knew very well.
Perhaps
it was Pandero, the boisterous boy from Ian's memories. His last remark seemed to push Witch Mara over the edge. She hurriedly cursed and waved her hand, making the gate swing open by itself.
Ian hurriedly looked over.
"Ah, the gate's open? Tsk, what a shame. You won't get to see me in all my glory now, little girl."
Sure enough,
a boy dressed in plain hemp clothes swaggered in, accompanied by a girl whose face was a little pale. They were none other than the overly aggressive Pandero and the timid Ariana.
Seeing the two of them,
Ian was surprised and delighted.
The witch, on the other hand, reacted in the exact opposite way.
"Damn you, Butcher! You think I'm afraid of you?"
The witch roared.
But
Ian couldn't help feeling that her roar... sounded a little lacking in confidence.