The Disdained Deathly Hallows

In Manus's eyes, the entirety of The Tale of the Three Brothers was really exploring one question—what was the meaning of life?

Was the meaning of life found in invincible power and the sense of honor that came with becoming the strongest?

Once that became one's goal, one was destined to walk a path filled with slaughter and blood. Once one took the first life for that goal, one was destined to lose one's own life because of it.

The title of the strongest made one a target for everyone, because if you were the strongest, everyone would study how to deal with you, search for your weaknesses, and kill you. Once they killed the strongest, they became the strongest.

Was the meaning of life found in making up for past regrets and trying to reverse old tragedies?

Past tragedies were certainly worth remembering, but if one became obsessed with making amends and undoing past regrets while abandoning life in the present, then during that time, one would only create regret after regret.

If everyone became completely immersed in the past, the entire world would be filled with sorrowful tears, with no one changing the present or creating the future.

So, what was the meaning of life?

There was no definite answer. Life was simply life; living was simply living.

Live well. Do not seek death. At every choice, carefully make decisions that you would not regret. Enjoy everything you could enjoy. That was life.

And when death was meant to come, face it calmly.

Only at that moment, when the chapter of life came to its final full stop, would the meaning of life reveal itself.

The Tale of the Three Brothers could be said to be somewhat too heavy for children. This was a story one had to wait until growing up to understand—at the very least, until one could understand the weight of life and death.

But for an old man like Dumbledore, perhaps this story was just right?

Although, judging by a spellcaster's lifespan, Dumbledore had probably not yet passed the halfway point, Manus truly could not be entirely sure whether wizards aged like ordinary spellcasters.

"Was it The Tale of the Three Brothers?"

Manus gave his answer.

"That's right! How did you guess?"

Dumbledore's eyes were full of curiosity.

"Because I think it's the most profound story in The Tales of Beedle the Bard."

Hearing Manus's answer, Dumbledore blinked. Well, it really was an answer that suited this little genius.

"Actually, I like this story because it isn't entirely fictional."

"Death really exists?"

Interest gleamed in Manus's eyes.

Death... what form of existence would it be?

A completely new species? A special spirit body? A Negative Energy lifeform similar to an elemental lifeform? Something created through faith? Though gathering faith in death would probably be rather difficult.

My God, a world with Death. What would Necromancy School magic become in a world like that?

Were there other gods besides Death? If Death were imprisoned, would the lives in this world become undead creatures? Could one become a god by studying Death?

Unaware that Manus's thoughts had leaped so far ahead that he was already setting his sights on Death, Dumbledore shook his head.

"Um, perhaps it exists?"

Ah, then it didn't exist.

Manus visibly became a little disappointed. After all, before his transmigration, even the God of Magic was merely called a god, and many powerful creatures were likewise called gods. Yet true deities matching the descriptions of legends had never been discovered.

One had to know that so many Gods of Magic and plane lords had failed to capture, or even discover, a single god. If he could catch one...

"Cough, cough. Although Death does not exist, the Deathly Hallows do."

Seeing that Manus's attention had gone completely astray, Dumbledore tried to salvage the situation.

"The Deathly Hallows?"

Manus was indeed drawn back a little.

"Are they the things Death gave the three brothers in the story? The Elder Wand that made its wielder invincible, the Resurrection Stone that could summon the dead, and the Invisibility Cloak that even Death could not find?"

"Yes. Although The Tale of the Three Brothers may not be true, these three items do exist."

Just as Dumbledore was about to take out the Elder Wand to see how Manus would react, he saw Manus shake his head.

"What use are they?"

"...What?"

"If Death does not exist, then the Deathly Hallows are merely three magical items whose effects have been exaggerated. If it were the technique used to create them, then perhaps they would have sufficient value."

Even in The Tale of the Three Brothers, where Death did appear, the effects of these three magical items were not especially remarkable, let alone their real-world versions. They simply held no appeal whatsoever.

A wand that could make someone invincible—such words could only be taken as a fairy tale. With even a little logic, one could tell it was impossible.

The wands of this world possessed only one ability: amplifying the effects of Charms. Beyond that, some wands had their own inherent traits, but they had no way to let a spellcaster cast magic they had not mastered.

In other words, if a wizard who had awakened magical power but mastered no Charms held the Elder Wand, the only thing he could still do was wait for death.

Oh, no. Given this world's characteristics, perhaps he could use the intense emotional fluctuations before death to guide his magical power into resisting once. But how effective that would be depended on the circumstances.

The only thing that could truly make a wizard invincible was magic.

The Resurrection Stone's effect was even more laughable. Even if it truly could summon the dead, the dead it summoned were not even under the summoner's control. It directly drove the second brother in the story to despair and suicide.

Honestly, if his obsession had truly been that deep, the second brother would have been better off finding a way to properly research magic and reviving the girl by himself.

This world did not have a systematic form of Resurrection Magic like the Necromancy School, but perhaps that Resurrection Stone could have provided him with some research inspiration and direction. How would he know it was impossible if he did not try?

Even if he could not revive her completely, summoning her soul would have worked too. Of course, it would need to be the controllable kind.

So, what could spare a wizard from such a tragedy was still magic.

As for the Invisibility Cloak... since Death did not even exist, there was no need to talk about evading Death.

And for mere invisibility, if Manus remembered correctly, this world had an invisibility spell called the Disillusionment Charm. It was even in The Standard Book of Spells. Could it be that the textbook edition had removed that Charm as well?

This world had no Weave, nor was there any need to prepare spells. When one wanted to use one, one only needed to wave a wand and recite an incantation. There was no need to specifically wear an Invisibility Cloak just to save Spell Slots.

Even taking care of wizards who had not learned the Disillusionment Charm into account, an Invisibility Cloak was nowhere near valuable enough to be treated as a treasure, was it?