MMB Chapter 181, Section 180: Royal Power and Wealth, Ian's Heart
Chapter 181, Section 180: Royal Power and Wealth, Ian's Heart
Chapter 181, Section 180: Royal Power and Wealth, Ian's Heart
The scarlet writing gleamed eerily in the firelight.
"Has he returned from the dead?"
Ian's gaze sharpened slightly.
"Who isn't? I just returned too." This was the little wizard's subconscious thought, but despite his grumbling, the crooked handwriting on the wall still made him extremely surprised.
Who would scribble such words on the walls of Hogwarts to scare others?
The answer is self-evident.
Some of Voldemort's Horcruxes are still out there. No one but his good brother Tom would do something like that. With a little estimation, even a young wizard can guess the situation.
What surprised Ian was that what should have been the words, "The secret chamber has been opened; those who are enemies of the successor should be wary," had turned into something that sounded like an acceptance speech.
"I...have returned from the dead?" Ian read the words on the wall, then turned to look at the blond boy beside him. "I didn't expect you to still be such a chuunibyou (delusional) guy."
He knew, of course, that these words were unlikely to be written by Rirem, but that didn't stop him from teasing the somewhat mysterious boy who always gave him a feeling of familiarity yet strangeness.
Rirem was clearly taken aback after hearing Ian's words.
"I'm not some wretched soul clinging to life, I can't write this kind of bragging about being an unlucky guy who doesn't even realize it." The blond boy shook his head with a laugh and responded helplessly.
This made the young wizard even more surprised.
"You seem to know things I shouldn't know." Ian raised an eyebrow, his tone slightly surprised, and looked the blond boy in front of him up and down again.
A normal person wouldn't make such a conjecture.
Most people would simply think it's a prank. Even if they didn't know about the Hogwarts prank twins, a normal person wouldn't think of anything like a resurrected soul.
"Of course."
The blond boy simply chuckled softly in response to the little wizard's gaze.
"Don't underestimate the Ollivander family. The Ollivander family has a noble bloodline. We are descendants of Merlin, the legendary and immortal super wizard who was exceptionally wise, mysterious, possessed boundless magic, was insightful and courageous. At least we are the closest in bloodline. Our lineage is stronger than that of most pure-blood families."
His tone was full of pride, with a shameless boasting. It was a mystery how he could come up with so many adjectives to describe a wizard in such a short time.
"I think your ancestors must have been very happy to have a descendant like you." Ian couldn't help but give a thumbs up, as he had seen someone with even thicker skin than himself in Ririm.
"Yes, of course, he must be very happy." Ririm readily accepted Ian's assessment, his unusually golden eyes returning to the writing on the wall.
"You know, this is something that many ancient wizards were very curious about. It's just a great pity that, throughout history, not a single wizard has dared to try it."
"Now, there really is such an unlucky guy who did something that no one else dared to do. I bet, no matter how it ends, this guy will definitely leave a strong mark on history." The blond boy gently stroked the writing on the wall, his voice light and cheerful with a hint of inexplicable anticipation.
"Isn't that a legend in itself?"
His whispered murmur did not escape Ian's ears.
The little wizard immediately raised his eyebrows.
"What do you mean?" Ian heard the word that seemed somewhat sensitive to him tonight: legend. He couldn't help but take another deep look at the mysterious blond boy.
Lirim didn't have any intention of beating around the bush.
"What I mean is that miracles of the dead and the living are not something that humans can create... It's an event that requires a higher level of power to participate in."
The blond boy's eyes were deep and profound, and his soft-spoken voice carried a sense of admiration, as if he were admiring the person he was talking about.
"What do you think it could be?" Ian was clearly trying to trick Ririm into revealing something, but Ririm didn't fall for it. Instead, the blond boy seemed to have seen through Ian's thoughts.
He didn't give a direct answer, but instead spoke ambiguously.
"Did you know that the reason why the Horcrux-making ritual has been despised for so many years in the dark magic is because the creation of a Horcrux itself requires paying the price of deceiving Death?"
"And Death itself doesn't like being deceived... There are rumors that He has been deceived too many times by certain beings." The things Ririm mentioned were clearly beyond what someone his age should be familiar with.
Ian was somewhat surprised that the Ollivander family might be some kind of long-hidden dark wizard family.
"You even know about Horcruxes?"
It's no wonder the young wizard was so astonished; such advanced black magic knowledge as Horcruxes had never been circulated even among many powerful wizarding groups.
Even some pure-blood families may know very little about it.
"Don't you know that too?"
Ririm immediately countered with a question.
"..."
Ian rarely found himself speechless when asked questions by his peers, let alone by juniors a year younger than him. He felt he should uphold his authority as a senior at Hogwarts.
"I know that's because I'm knowledgeable and have a wide range of knowledge. This isn't something a young wizard should be exposed to." As he spoke, Ian looked at Ririm with a very serious expression.
"Such knowledge will corrupt the souls of those with weak minds." He wasn't trying to scare people; black magic does indeed have the effect of influencing those who come into contact with it.
of course.
It's not as corrupting as Cthulhu.
"My mind is too firm. I believe that I am the one who can influence dark magic, not the other way around." Ririm, however, was unconvinced by Ian's reminder.
"Alright, alright, you can be the fourth Dark Lord." Ian listened to Rirem's disdainful words and felt that he might have discovered a hidden talent in Hogwarts.
"Who is the third generation? You?"
Rirem seemed somewhat interested in this.
"The Third Dark Lord is of course the Third Dark Lord. You'll know who he is when he appears." Ian felt he shouldn't tarnish his good uncle's reputation prematurely.
He glanced at the writing on the wall again and began to change the subject of the conversation.
"Do you think we should disturb the professors' peaceful sleep over this?" This obviously suggestive question was immediately understood by Ririm.
He immediately shook his head.
"If you don't want to be investigated, suspected, or have more rumors about you, the best way is to pretend you didn't see it. I think the professors will also notice the anomaly here tomorrow."
"Whether they see this as a prank or something else, it has nothing to do with us students." Rirem and Ian exchanged a glance.
The tacit understanding is unspoken.
"That's right, that's right. I can't carry any more rumors on my shoulders. The professors should be the ones who're worried, not the two of us. I think whoever left this message, no matter who it is, definitely doesn't have the ability to cause any big trouble for the time being." Ian's judgment was not without reason. Only someone who is bluffing would do something like this to scare people.
A truly ruthless person.
They never give any warning or indication before committing murder or arson.
"I have other things to do. You can continue standing there as punishment. When you go back, chat with our door knocker more often; it will do you good." Ian took a picture of the wall and then prepared to leave.
He thought that Ririm might be quite good-looking, so he really hoped that Ririm could develop feelings for the door knocker. In that case, who knows, that crazy bronze eagle head might fall in love with someone else.
"no problem."
Rirem clearly hadn't anticipated Ian's "malicious" intentions.
He watched as Ian prepared to leave.
"You don't seem very interested in becoming the Dark Lord, and you don't seem to care much about the support of the pure-blood families. I think you should be able to see where we families want to put you."
The blond boy suddenly spoke to Ian, displaying a level of judgment and thought beyond his years—perhaps the maturity expected of a pure-blooded noble descendant.
"Would you like to hear more details?"
Ian stopped in his tracks. The rain was pouring down outside. He turned to look at Ririm, who was still standing in the distance, his eyes filled with a look of confusion that was clearly theatrical.
Ririm was not fooled by Ian's feigned ignorance.
"You know, you've always known... The wizards long for a king, and you're the new option they see, but while you accept their goodwill, you seem reluctant to take on the responsibility."
Not a single mistake, not a single poem, not a single post, not a single piece of content, not a single look!
"Believe me, this is not good. There is no such thing as a free lunch. If you can't give them the future they want, the more they admire you now, the more hostile they will be to you in the future."
Ririm seemed to be giving Ian a warning and a reminder.
just.
The young wizard didn't take it seriously.
"My dear junior, you've talked about far too many things you shouldn't be talking about at your age, and you know far too many things you shouldn't know at your age..."
Ian first gave Ririm a deep look.
He gave a heartfelt evaluation.
Then he changed the subject and began to respond to Rirem's question.
"Of course I know that you have to give something to gain something. I just don't want to become the kind of person you expect me to be, but that doesn't mean I can't fulfill your wishes." Ian would never normally talk about such things with people his age, but he had already realized that Rirem was a little different.
"What do you mean?"
Upon hearing the young wizard's answer, Ririm frowned, his eyes flickering slightly.
"It's simple. I don't want to be controlled by you, but I also admit that I'm happy to accept the benefits you offer, so I've already come up with a win-win-win solution."
Ian's smile looked somewhat less than sunny in the firelight.
"Oh?"
Ririm looked surprised.
He seemed to be asking a question with curiosity through his golden eyes.
"You want a king, so I'll give you a king, but this king doesn't have to be me... In this way, everyone wins, and everyone gets what they want." Ian wasn't just expressing his thoughts on a whim; he had been thinking about this for a long time.
"Give us a king..."
Upon hearing this, Ririm's eyes narrowed slightly.
but.
That somewhat meaningful expression was fleeting.
"Shouldn't this be called a win-win situation? Who else won?" After regaining his senses, his focus had completely shifted, and his confused voice was filled with curiosity.
The little wizard immediately burst into a cheerful laugh.
"No, it's a win-win-win situation. Whether I can find a winning strategy or not, I have to win twice." Ian's response left Rirem speechless for a long time.
He truly didn't know what to say; how could there be such an outrageous person in this world? Just as Ririm seemed to have gained a new understanding of Ian once again.
"Alright, it's getting late, I have to go study." Ian waved to him, lifted his foot, and walked along the winding corridor toward the alchemy professor's office.
His figure disappeared into the night sky, a tapestry of lightning and fire.
After a while.
"What do you mean by giving all wizards a king? This guy is really arrogant." A nightingale with colorful fur all over its body silently emerged from Ririm's arms.
Its tone was somewhat indignant.
It's clear that he overheard Ian and Rirem's entire conversation.
"I don't think there's anything wrong with it, it's just a bit unexpected... Well, maybe this is the normal situation, his subconscious perception is still influencing him."
Rirem's gaze remained fixed on the discovery that Ian had left.
His thoughtful voice puzzled the little nightingale.
"What subconscious cognition? Did you hear ghost stories about the Wizard King when you were a child?" It has to be said that the little bird with the soft, sweet voice has a rather peculiar way of thinking.
Her complaints did not receive an immediate response from Ririm.
The blond boy turned to look out the window—the corridor light was dim and warm, a stark contrast to the outside world. Outside, the sky seemed to be torn apart in anger, thunder and rain raged, and the wind howled. The raindrops, like dense drumbeats, violently pounded against the windows and roof, producing rapid and powerful sounds.
"The subconscious is a very interesting thing; it can be even more stubborn than memory. My 'senior' is so resistant to becoming the king of all wizards, which is probably due to his subconscious."
"His words and his thoughts all confirm this: he did not want to bear the responsibilities of a king, but he was extremely willing to do what most people would not dare to dream of."
A dazzling bolt of lightning ripped across the sky, like a divine sword, splitting the darkness in two, illuminating the entire world, and also illuminating Ririm's furrowed brow and deep eyes.
"Huh? What the hell do you mean? Speak like a human! No! Speak in a language that birds can understand!" The nightingale felt that its little brain wasn't quite up to par; it just sensed that the blond boy's voice had a rather sentimental tone.
"Don't you understand yet, my friend?"
Ririm's eyes reflected the arcs of lightning in the sky.
"This is called, royal power and wealth cannot compete with... the divine right of kings."
Thunder rumbled.
Amidst the roar.
The blond boy spoke softly, revealing his innermost thoughts.
……
(End of this chapter)