The next morning.
When Bernadette woke up, Harry was already gone.
A faint aroma filled the living room, and on the dining table was a plate with fried sausages and fried eggs, along with a note.
"Dear Wizard,
Thank you for your hospitality last night. I slept very well, better than I have in years.
The breakfast on the table is what I made for you. Though I know it's impolite to make decisions on my own, this is the only thing I can do for you.
If the breakfast has cooled by the time you wake up, please remember to heat it.
Once again, thank you.
PS: I will find another opportunity to come over today to help you study English.
Harry Potter."
Bernadette smiled. "Heh, interesting kid."
She sat down at the table, resting her chin in her hand as she stared at the end of the note, murmuring, "Harry Potter..."
...
In the Lord of The Mysteries World, Emerald City.
Vincent Moriarty sat on the semi-open terrace of a room, one hand flipping through a book while occasionally glancing out at the glittering, sapphire-like sea in the distance.
It had been two days.
Vincent had been swimming in the sea of knowledge for two days, nearly drowning in it.
In these two days, he had, of course, tried using magic in this world, but to no avail. In theory, magic is a force of emotion, mind, and soul.
Since his soul originated from the Harry Potter universe, there was no reason he shouldn't be able to use magic—unless the rules of this world prevented it, and magic simply couldn't exist here.
So, he tried communicating with the spirit within this body. Since it could respond instinctively to danger, it should be "alive."
Since it's "alive," communication was possible, and perhaps, by connecting with it, he could gain "permission" to use Bernadette's extraordinary abilities?
The good news was that the spirit did respond to Vincent's attempts; the bad news was that it only delivered one message: Don't touch me!
"Snap."
Vincent closed the book and stretched, "Time to take a stroll, balance work and rest."
He stretched his limbs, then, from the frail wizard's body, he leaped into the air, becoming a half-god with great strength. He loved the feeling.
He landed in a garden filled with blooming flowers, with a swing in a prominent spot, draped in green pea vines, swaying gently in the sea breeze.
He didn't stop there. Instead, he walked skillfully through the weathered Emerald Corridor, eventually reaching the castle's exit. He gently pressed a button, opening the heavy bronze doors.
"Hey, I'm back," Vincent said, poking his head out and waving at the mysterious stone guardian made from an unknown material.
"..."
This lion-bodied, woman-headed guardian statue was very unfamiliar to most people in the mysterious world because it didn't exist in their reality—it's the Sphinx, the famous lion-headed, woman-bodied statue.
Bernadette must have been influenced by Emperor Roselle in using this form for the guardian statue, which, like the Sphinx, asks questions and tests whether to open the door for strangers.
Vincent raised his hand and patted the statue, saying, "Go ahead, continue asking me questions."
The statue remained silent.
He crossed his arms, smiling and saying, "If you won't ask me, then I'll ask you."
Statue: "I am the questioner, not the answerer."
"I'm your master. I command you to answer."
Statue: "..."
Thankfully, as an alchemical creation, the guardian statue didn't have true intelligence; otherwise, it would have probably pointed at Vincent and said, "You're crazy!"
Vincent stroked his chin, thought for a moment, then said, "Listen carefully!"
"Why do criminals always have photos? Why not just catch them when the photo is taken?"
The statue paused for a moment, then answered, "Because..."
"If all the prisoners are in the prison, why don't the police just go there to catch them?"
The statue opened its mouth but no sound came out.
"If you only need to eat the third loaf of bread to be full, why not just eat the third one, why eat the first two?"
The statue: "???"
"If I ask the next question and you can only answer with 'yes' or 'no,' then is your answer 'no'?"
The statue: "&%&%&%&#¥"
After asking over ten absurd questions, Vincent felt quite refreshed. It served as a test of his two days of language learning.
"That's enough for today, see you tomorrow."
Just as he took a few steps, the corner of his eye caught sight of a small boat in the distance on the sea. No, not a small boat, but a pirate ship, though it appeared small because of the distance.
Vincent's heart tightened. "Could it be heading towards Emerald City?"
No.
Bernadette had great confidence in the security and secrecy of Emerald City. There had to be magical wards like banishment or loyalty charms in place. Even if someone accidentally passed by, they shouldn't be able to spot the island. To outsiders, it would seem like an uninhabited, deserted island.
Vincent hurriedly shut the bronze doors and walked back quickly.
All the while, he kept an eye on the ship's movements. By the time he returned to the room and looked through a monocular, he could confirm... that pirate ship was indeed headed straight for Emerald Island!
He gripped the railing, his brow furrowed. I remember, in the original story, Bernadette was quite impressive and strong. There's no reason her private palace would be so easily found.
Just as he thought this, he heard a soft "whoosh," and a letter materialized in his hand.
"Mm?"
Vincent curiously unfolded the letter.
"Your Majesty the Queen,
I hope this letter finds you well.
I have arrived at Emerald City, carrying the items I obtained from 'King of the Five Seas' Naster. As per your previous instructions, I have placed them on the desk in your palace room."
The handwriting was elegant, likely from a woman, but there was no name left, so Vincent had no idea who it was. He picked up the monocular again and looked towards the pirate ship. His heart eased a little. "So, it's one of Bernadette's subordinates?"
But then, he furrowed his brow. Anyone who could come to Emerald City must be someone Bernadette truly trusted and knew well. If someone noticed something wrong, it could be troublesome.
Should I reply and ask them to come back in two days?
But the handwriting doesn't match.
Maybe I should send that little guy to deliver the message on my behalf?
Or…
Vincent lowered his head and spoke to "himself": "This situation is urgent. Why don't you consider directly taking me across the spirit realm to leave?"
The only response was the rising and falling of the soft, full white chest.
"..."
At that moment, the dressing mirror suddenly lit up with a "buzz," turning into a "screen," and an image began to form.
"This... is the 'monitoring' at the castle door?"
Vincent froze for a moment, then was stunned. "Hey? That's strange, the ship is still so far away. How did the person arrive so quickly?"
Meanwhile,
A girl, seemingly in her twenties, wearing a classical robe adorned with many symbolic patterns and magical marks, and glasses, stood in front of the castle gates. She had just heard the guardian statue's questions and was left in confusion:
"Why do criminals always have photos? Why not just catch them when the photo is taken?"
"Since all the prisoners are in the prison, why don't the police just go there to catch them?"
"If you need to eat the third loaf of bread to be full, why not just eat the third one, why eat the first two?"
"If I ask the next question and you can only answer with 'yes' or 'no,' then is your answer 'no'?"
To be continued…
Guys, please donate me your power stones!