EFB Chapter 155 Lin Qi's Conditions
Chapter 155 Lin Qi's Conditions
Chapter 155 Lin Qi's Conditions
He gasped, his eyes widening in disbelief, then burst into an extremely enthusiastic, almost exaggerated exclamation of surprise. "Merlin's beard! I knew it!" Lockhart nearly sprang from his chair, his voice rising with excitement. "This is truly exhilarating! Distinguished board member! No wonder, no wonder you possess such extraordinary bearing!"
He quickly seized on the topic, like a drowning person grabbing onto a piece of driftwood: "Look, what a wonderful coincidence!"
You may not know this, but my collaboration with the Stone Tower Merchant Guild has always been extremely close! The new Floo Powder and instant messaging boards, which I personally promoted, have seen sales soar and received unprecedentedly positive feedback! We are both committed to bringing superior products and services to the wizarding world; it's a perfect match!
Lockhart went on and on about his "achievements," trying to tie himself closely to the Stone Tower Merchant Guild and to pull closer to Lynch.
Lynch merely nodded slightly, dealing with Lockhart's overly enthusiastic self-promotion. His deep eyes seemed to see through all the flowery words, and beneath his calm gaze, he was pondering the true purpose of Lockhart's sudden visit.
But it didn't give him much time to think about it.
Lockhart, seeing that the groundwork had been laid and his heart pounding, finally revealed the ultimate goal he had been brewing all along.
His face still wore that radiant smile, but his tone was deliberately relaxed, as if he were merely offering a trivial suggestion:
"Since we have such a strong foundation of cooperation and are colleagues, in order to further strengthen our connection, I wonder if I have the honor of inviting you to be my assistant and jointly teach a unique practical lesson on defense against the Dark Arts to the students? I believe that with your knowledge and expertise, you will definitely bring the students an unparalleled and awe-inspiring experience!"
The room fell silent for a moment after the words were spoken.
Lin Qi looked at him calmly, without answering immediately.
But that calm gaze made Lockhart instantly realize the rashness of his choice of words—the word "assistant" was far too dismissive and presumptuous for a powerful and influential person.
Cold sweat almost instantly soaked his back.
He almost immediately changed his tune, his smile stiffening, and his tone carrying a clear sense of pleading and attempts to salvage the situation.
"Oh! No, please forgive my slip of the tongue! What I meant was to implore you to teach a lesson on Defense Against the Dark Arts."
I sincerely hope to have the opportunity to learn from you and let my students witness how truly powerful wizards face challenges.
After he finished speaking, he tried his best to suppress the intense anxiety in his heart, maintaining an expression of expectation and respect on his face, waiting for Lin Qi's response.
The only sound in the room was the soft crackling of the burning wood in the fireplace, making each second feel incredibly long.
Lynch's fingertips tapped lightly on the soft leather armrest of the sofa, the steady rhythm seemingly measuring the depth behind Lockhart's suggestion.
He remained silent for a moment, his eyes, which could see through people's hearts, revealing no emotion whatsoever.
Just when Lockhart thought he was about to be rejected.
He spoke, his voice steady, but he did not directly respond to Lockhart's request.
"Professor Lockhart," he said, his tone even carrying a perfectly appropriate hint of appreciation, "to be honest, I have read several of your works."
These words were like a shot of adrenaline, instantly lifting Lockhart's spirits from the depths of despair, his face practically radiating a dazzling light—and look! Indeed! Even a great figure like Lynch couldn't resist the magic of his words!
However, Lynch's next words froze his newly formed joy on his face.
"Some of the stories, in particular, are truly impressive," Lynch continued, his gaze seemingly recalling scenes from the books. "For example, in 'Wandering with the Werewolf,' you mentioned using a spell called 'Werewolf Enemy Spell' to successfully subdue a werewolf in its full transformation on a full moon night."
He leaned forward slightly, seemingly genuinely intrigued by the academic prospect, yet his eyes held a cool, inquisitive gaze: "You know, most conventional spells have little effect on werewolves' tough fur and magical resistance. This 'Werewolf Enemy Spell' is remarkably effective, which is quite peculiar. As someone with some knowledge of magical principles, I'm very interested in the spell's structure, its underlying principles, or rather—the story behind it."
Lockhart's smile became incredibly stiff.
The initial euphoria quickly faded, and a chilling panic began to creep up his spine.
Lockhart's mind was screaming wildly.
In the story of that book, the real hero is that poor old Irish wizard, who was only interested in enjoying the other's wonderful "performance" and the final result of subduing the werewolf. He had no interest in remembering the specific details and origins of any complicated ancient spells.
A single spell of oblivion cleanses everything, and all glory naturally follows. Who needs to delve into those tedious origins?
He habitually waved his hand, trying to mask his feelings with a vague, grand narrative: "Oh! That spell! Yes, it really was a pivotal moment! You know, facing a raging werewolf requires more than just courage; it requires original thinking! It was on a frigid night in Northern Europe when inspiration struck me like Merlin's blessing—."
He began to describe at length the “atmosphere”, the “danger”, and his own “heroic decisiveness” at the time, but he skillfully avoided talking about the specific details of the “Wolf Enemy Curse,” the magic gestures, the spell syllables, or any other substantial content. His words were evasive and he talked about other things.
Lin Qi watched his performance calmly, his mind as clear as a mirror.
Those incredible adventure stories may be true, but the real protagonist is definitely not this slick-haired guy in front of you.
He merely stole the memories of a true hero and then used a forgetting spell to ensure no one would discover his deception.
He didn't expect Lockhart to actually teach him this spell, which might not even exist.
But he was almost certain that Lockhart must have come across some fragmented, real clues when he stole those memories—perhaps an ancient manuscript fragment, a place name, a name, or simply a few words from the original owner's memory about the origin of the spell.
When Lockhart, running out of words, gradually stopped his empty narration, and his face showed obvious panic, Lynch slowly spoke again, his tone still calm, yet carrying an undeniable weight:
"I will not participate in your Defense Against the Dark Arts class as an 'assistant' or 'mentor,' Professor Lockhart." He rejected the initial offer directly and clearly, but then changed the subject, offering his terms: "However, if you can tell me more precise information about the 'Wolf Enemy Charm'—such as its origin, or where and from whom you 'learned' it—any clues you deem valuable."
Lynch paused, looking at Lockhart's suddenly bright eyes, and continued, "Then, I can consider providing some—appropriate help—in your upcoming Defense Against the Dark Arts class, where you need to 'regain your glory'."