Chapter 270: The Greedy One
Chapter 270: The Greedy One
"You truly are greedy!" Isabelle remarked to Albert as they parted ways after the Magic Club meeting.
"Greedy? In what way?" Albert turned to look at the witch walking beside him.
"Greedy in every sense of the word," Isabelle replied nonchalantly.
"Am I? I've always thought of myself as easily content." Albert didn't take Isabelle's words to heart; he knew she meant no harm and was merely jesting, like friends often do.
"That's just a delusion brought on by your self-satisfaction." Isabelle wasn't wrong; she felt that Albert was like a bottomless pit, constantly devouring knowledge related to magic.
The two strolled down the corridor, chatting casually and occasionally cracking jokes. Fortunately, they were alone, or else who knows what sort of gossip would start spreading around the school.
There were always students with too much time on their hands, eager to spread the latest juicy gossip. And among them were certainly those who envied Albert or Isabelle, deliberately seeking to tarnish their reputations.
"I just asked a few extra questions," Albert said, referring to his inquiry session with Professor Flitwick during the Magic Club meeting. After all, he had also been angling for the professor's signature.
The "Magic Taboo" quest was almost complete, and he wanted to avoid any delays if possible.
In truth, Albert was eager to raise his Wizard Bloodline to level five and curious about the upper limit of the skill level on the panel. More importantly, increasing his magical power would enable him to master spells faster and enhance their potency.
"A few extra questions? Your list was longer than most!" Isabelle's face twitched as she felt Albert's audacity surpassed even her own.
Indeed, Albert had read his lengthy list of questions about curse magic from a scroll. It was so extensive that not only Isabelle but even Professor Flitwick had been left momentarily speechless.
Eventually, the professor had taken the scroll, selected a few simpler queries, and provided Albert with explanations.
"That aside, I'm not as bad as you in that regard. And how can a thirst for knowledge be considered greedy!" Albert retorted with feigned seriousness.
Wasn't it said that a scholar's pursuit of knowledge could never be considered stealing? "And I seem to recall Rowena Ravenclaw's famous saying: 'Knowledge is mankind's greatest treasure,'" Albert added, standing his ground.
"I'm not aware of any change to Ravenclaw's motto," Isabelle acknowledged, recognizing Albert's playful tone. She corrected him nonetheless: "'Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure.'"
"It's the same thing," Albert argued.
Isabelle rolled her eyes at Albert's defense but chose not to engage further. They continued walking in silence until they reached a corner, when Isabelle spoke up again.
"Why do you want to learn the Untraceable Extension Charm?"
"If you know it, you can teach me. We can negotiate the payment," Albert said. "Hmm, I can give you some more Galleons."
"You're quite wealthy, aren't you?"
"I made a small profit recently."
"Unfortunately, I don't know that charm. The Untraceable Extension Charm is advanced magic and difficult to learn. Even if you master it, you mustn't use it indiscriminately," Isabelle warned. "The Ministry of Magic heavily restricts its use, and if you're caught, you could face a hefty fine."
"As long as you don't get caught, it's not illegal according to the laws of the magical world," Albert said dismissively. This was a loophole that Herb and Daisy had pointed out after perusing those laws.
"You can ask Professor Smith; he might know the charm. If he's willing to teach you, that is," Isabelle suggested. "As for a spell that can freeze objects, I can't think of any off the top of my head."
Albert had once believed that the Freezing Charm was what he sought, as it could freeze the highly flammable Ash Snake eggs. However, after reading The Book of Spells the previous year, he realized he had been mistaken.
The Freezing Charm didn't actually freeze objects; instead, it immobilized and halted their movement, similar to a Full-Body Bind Curse. Its applications were broader, as evidenced by its ability to silence an alarm clock.
This realization had been a disappointment to Albert, who had planned to create a magical refrigerator or cooling cup by summer. Now, those plans seemed to be going up in smoke.
Albert considered inventing a cooling charm, but he knew it wouldn't be an easy task. All his attempts at creating new spells, like 'Condense Water into Ice' and 'Freeze into Frost', had failed miserably.
What frustrated Albert the most was the unexpected appearance of a related quest on his panel.
Summer's Regret On a scorching summer day, there's nothing quite like a bowl of ice cream, shaved ice, or an iced milk tea to beat the heat. To ensure a comfortable summer, strive to create a magical item capable of lowering temperatures.
Reward: 1000 experience points, Ice Magic +1 Ice Magic?
Albert had never heard of such a branch of magic, and despite his extensive reading, he had no recollection of coming across it.
He had inquired with Professor Flitwick, but the professor was unfamiliar with it as well.
Albert suspected that this type of magic might not have been discovered yet, and the quest intended for him to be the one to develop it.
Honestly, Albert felt like complaining. Did the quest already have a name picked out for the spell? He had to admit that his naming abilities were rather lacking...
But that wasn't the point.
Inventing a new spell wasn't necessarily difficult, but it could also be challenging. Most of the time, spells were created unintentionally.
Albert didn't feel confident about his chances, so he had also asked Isabelle, the genius, for help.
After all, Hermione had possibly invented her own spells shortly after starting school, so perhaps Isabelle could surprise him as well.
If creating a magical item that lowered temperatures would reward him with Ice Magic, Albert believed he could achieve it. The quest didn't specify whether the temperature reduction had to be magical or physical.
Using magic to create a physical cooling device wouldn't be too difficult for Albert.
"I could help you," Isabelle offered after a moment's thought. "But I'd like you to do something for me in return."
"What is it?" Albert asked, his tone turning odd. "And aren't you taking advantage of me here? A fair transaction should be based on equal value."
"Then... let me prepare a gift for you. You'll receive it soon," Isabelle suggested.
"Alright... I'll do my best," Albert agreed, raising an eyebrow.
In truth, Albert could understand Isabelle's concerns. After all, he was an older brother himself and could empathize with her worries about Katrina.
However, he felt that Isabelle's behavior sometimes bordered on sis-con.
(End of Chapter)
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