Chapter 154: Guardian Charm
Chapter 154: Guardian Charm
Liam, who had just relaxed, suddenly thought of something and asked Fernand, “I’ve always wondered what Aunt Betty went through back then. She’s never told me anything about it.”
“I can tell you that,” Headmaster Fernand said. “Back in the day, a Murderous Warlock appeared in Britain, preaching the supremacy of Purebloods. This led to a very difficult time for non-human intelligent beings. Under those circumstances, the Centaurs sent the foals with the ability to communicate with the Emerald Dream away from Britain to seek refuge. Aunt Betty was one of those foals who came to me.”
At this, a warm look appeared in Headmaster Fernand’s eyes as he recalled, “Back then, Betty was about your age, as lively and cheerful as a real foal. She stayed here for ten years, until that villain died and she could return home.”
“Ah, that explains why Aunt Betty seems a bit different from the rest of the Centaur Tribe.”
“Yes, but I also feel guilty about it. In her last year here, she accidentally uncovered a plot by evil wizards against the School during a Jungle Expedition. Although the faculty and students acted in time to severely damage the evil wizards’ organization, Betty was cursed by their leader with a terrible curse that left her unable to bear children. You see, fertility is very important to Centaurs.” Headmaster Fernand sighed sadly.
No wonder Aunt Betty’s gaze was so complex when she watched the young adult Centaurs during the Coming-of-Age Ceremony. She must have had this painful past.
“Mr. Fernand, how can this curse be lifted?”
“Either you need to reach a certain level of understanding of nature, and then use Natural Power to expel the curse. Or you can kill the person who cast it, and the curse will automatically be lifted. Those are the only two methods I know, but unfortunately, I can’t do either.”
Liam made a mental note of this, deciding to keep an eye out for other solutions in other worlds. After a moment of silence, Headmaster Fernand cleared his throat and said, “Since you are Betty’s apprentice, you can have access to a lot of knowledge. However, I hope you can help me with something.”
“Of course, anything I can do, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
“You know that there are six students in the School who can enter the Emerald Dream, but they do so through the masks, not by their own power. This worries me, so I hope you can share with them how you learned to enter the Emerald Dream on your own.”
“Aunt Betty said I earned the approval of nature, so after she took me in a few times, I learned to enter the Emerald Dream on my own. But I’m not sure how to explain it to others,” Liam said, puzzled.
“Nature’s Blessing? I always thought it was just a legend. After all, it requires a significant contribution to the Natural Balance.” Headmaster Fernand looked at Liam with surprise and continued, “Given that, you can choose what to share with them. I think their lack of progress might be due to some arrogance. Perhaps a peer like you can help them see themselves in a new light.”
Liam couldn’t help but admire the headmaster’s dedication to his students. Besides, as a practitioner of Nature Magic, he believed in the principle of equivalent exchange. If he gained a lot of knowledge just because of his relationship with Aunt Betty without contributing anything, he would feel uneasy.
So, in the days that followed, Liam spent his days at school and his nights in the Emerald Dream, sharing his insights on Natural Power with a few senior students from Castrobrusso. A week passed in a blur of activity, and it wasn’t until Friday at lunch when an unfamiliar local student reminded him to go to the Combat Professor’s office in the afternoon to learn the Guardian Charm that he remembered.
After lunch, Liam made his way to the Combat Professor's office on the third floor, where he saw David and another boy waiting. It seemed they were the top two from the competition that day.
Upon seeing Liam, David greeted him cheerfully, and the three of them chatted quietly outside the office. Liam learned that Peter, the champion from the previous competition, was actually a very shy person. However, he came from an Indigenous Tribe in the Amazon Rainforest, which gave him a beast-like intuition in combat.
At half past one in the afternoon, Combat Professor Jason, carrying a book, walked down the corridor toward them. Seeing that Liam and the others were already waiting, he nodded slightly and opened the office door, gesturing for them to come in.
Stepping into the office, Liam noticed how simple and unadorned it was. Apart from a large open space, there was only a desk and a chair. The only indication that this was the Combat Professor's office was the various dark creature parts and weapons displayed on the wall, including a rifle.
Noticing Liam staring at the gun, Professor Jason explained, "This is a rifle, a Muggle weapon. Adult wizards can easily trigger defensive magic to block bullets when they come into contact with them. However, this weapon can be lethal to young wizards and some careless ones."
After the explanation, Professor Jason conjured a blackboard and began to lecture on the usage of the Guardian Charm. Magic isn't something you can just cast by knowing the incantation. Unfortunately, books on advanced spells are hard to come by, so the teaching had to start from the basics.
Magic isn't as simple as knowing the incantation. Even a basic spell like the Levitation Charm has specific requirements for pronunciation, breathing, and wand movement. More complex spells like the Guardian Charm also require emotional control.
For example, the incantation for the Killing Curse is its name. But without proper training, casting it would have no effect. As Fake Moody said, Avada Kedavra requires a significant amount of magical power. Otherwise, it might just cause a nosebleed. This magical power includes not just magic level but also knowledge of magic.
Therefore, Professor Jason spent most of the first class on theoretical teaching. Once everyone had a good grasp of the theory, he allowed them to take out their wands and begin practicing.
Fortunately, this advanced spell they were learning was the Patronus Charm, which requires positive emotions. Even if they made mistakes, the consequences wouldn't be too severe.
If they were learning a dark magic spell that required negative emotions, such as a high-level offensive spell, the theoretical and simulated practice would take several classes before students could attempt it. Otherwise, the backlash could be disastrous.
It was correct not to allow younger students to learn dark magic. Without sufficient experience, knowledge, and magical power, young wizards could easily be led astray by prolonged exposure to negative emotions, let alone the potential for fatal consequences from a backlash.
(End of Chapter)
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