bacchusnovels Chapter 108 Singing a Different Tune
Chapter 108 Singing a Different Tune
Chapter 108 Singing a Different Tune (Seeking First Subscription!)
After Sean patiently explained, Xenophilius warmly invited him to come inside and tour his RV, which Sean readily agreed to.
However, when he was led into the RV, he always felt that the girl behind him was looking at him with a curious, or rather, scrutinizing, or meaningful gaze.
This made him feel a little uncomfortable, so he straightened his back, as if he were a sample being placed under a microscope.
He couldn't help but turn around and meet those clear eyes. Luna was standing there quietly, her gaze revealing a complex emotion that was hard to describe.
Xenophilius, who was in front, did not notice the strange behavior of the two people behind him and continued to enthusiastically introduce the things in the car.
"Look, this is where I work."
Sean quickly snapped out of his daze, forced a smile at Luna, and then turned to look in the direction Xenophilius was pointing.
It was a compact and tidy office area.
There was a stack of newspapers and some documents on the table, and a small bookshelf next to it, filled with various materials and reference books.
"The famous 'Queer' was born here?" Sean nodded, feigning surprise.
"That's incredible."
"You've read my 'The Quibbler' too?" This time it was Xenophilius's turn to be surprised. He had thought that his newspaper, known as the "mad tabloid," wouldn't catch the eye of a great writer like Phillips, but Sean's next words shocked him greatly, and even moved him somewhat.
"Yes, I am a big reader of The Quibbler," Sean said sincerely. "I also believe in the existence of the Curved-Horned Snork, and I've read the article about the witch who didn't know she was a werewolf. In fact, I've heard that a few years ago, Professor Trelawney led her students in reading your magazine during a get out of class at Hogwarts."
Sean himself couldn't tell whether the above words were true or just polite.
He did read "The Quibbler," but only when he was bored in the toilet and wanted to find something to read to pass the time.
But this doesn't mean he dislikes "Singing the Dissent," it just means the newspaper doesn't suit his taste. Its existence is justified, and the fact that the newspaper hasn't gone out of business yet means it still has a large audience.
"W-what did you say?" Xenophilius interrupted Sean in surprise, his voice filled with disbelief. "You mean you also believe in the existence of horned beasts?"
No wonder Xenophius was so excited.
If one had to summarize, he spent half his life searching for this creature called the "Curved-Horned Snoring Beast"; if he were to die years later, and his epitaph were to describe him as—Xenophilius Lovegood, a man who spent his life chasing the "Curved-Horned Snoring Beast"; and if all of this were to be further complicated by an additional "if"...
Xenophilius hoped his epitaph would be changed to: Xenophilius Lovegood, the first wizard to find the Curved-Horned Snoring Beast.
This trait of his also successfully influenced Luna, who later became a wizard naturalist and spent her life searching the world for impossible creatures.
Hearing a knowledgeable Hogwarts professor approve of his work was a tremendous encouragement and affirmation for Xenophilius.
Sean nodded, his eyes resolute. "Yes, Mr. Xenophilius, I believe the Curved-Horned Snoring Beast is real."
Before Xenophilius could react, he continued, "I have read all your articles about the Curved-Horned Snoring Beast published in The Quibbler, and they have given me a deeper understanding of this mysterious creature. I believe that we cannot deny its existence simply because we have not yet found conclusive evidence."
This is the truth from Sean.
My not finding it does not mean it doesn't exist.
Inequality solved instantly.
As Xenophilius listened to Sean's words, a hint of emotion flashed in his eyes.
For years, he has dedicated himself to exploring and reporting on magical creatures and phenomena that have been ignored or questioned by mainstream magical society. The Curved Horned Snoring Beast is one of them, and he has devoted a great deal of effort to it, only to often be met with ridicule and misunderstanding.
"Mr. Phillips, you are truly the first person to take my report on the horned unicorn so seriously," Xenophilius remarked. "Few people are willing to believe in things that defy conventional understanding."
Thank you for your open-mindedness.
Sean smiled and shook his head. "No, I should be thanking you, Mr. Xenophilius. Your report broadened my horizons and made me realize that there is still so much unknown in the magical world waiting for us to explore. I believe that, as time goes by, more people will begin to accept and understand these magical beings."
Upon hearing Sean's words, Xenophilius was so excited that he became incoherent and didn't know what to say. Behind him, Luna continued to look at Sean with that inexplicable expression, but this time, she had a smile on her face.
Thanks to Sean's high emotional intelligence, their conversation continued in a harmonious and warm atmosphere. Sean told Xenophilius about his stay at the Weasleys' house over the past few days, and inevitably they talked about the goblins in the garden.
"You mean, goblins?" Xenophirus was quite surprised to hear this familiar term.
"Hmm." Sean said with a hint of helplessness, "The Weasleys' garden is almost entirely inhabited by goblins. Every time we throw them out during the day, they come back in droves at night."
"And, I always feel..."
Sean paused here.
Upon hearing Sean's words, Xenophilius quickly pulled a heavy book from the nearby bookshelf and began to peruse it rapidly.
"Goblin, goblin—ah, found it!" he said, pointing to a line of text on the page. "Look here, goblins can be about a foot tall, shorter than elves..."
Then, Xenophilius pulled out a title page tucked inside the book and said, "According to my research, goblins also like to eat insects and Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. Their natural enemy is Javi, a magical beast that looks like a giant ferret."
"And..." Xenophilius seemed to remember something and looked at Luna behind him, "Luna was bitten by a goblin once when she was little."
"Oh?" Sean followed Xenophilius's gaze and looked back, seeing Luna standing there quietly, seemingly oblivious to the two people in front of her discussing her, staring at the ceiling, seemingly looking at something.
"I've discovered that having gnomes in the garden is actually a blessing; their saliva has many unusual benefits..."
"For example, it enhances a person's creativity," Xenophilius gave an example, "It can give a person the urge to sing opera or give a speech in mermaid language."
Sean expressed skepticism about Xenophilius's findings, but he said nothing and continued listening.
"After extensive research, I believe..." Xenophilius suddenly emphasized, speaking slowly and deliberately, "I believe that goblins possess unique magical abilities, different from current wizarding magic."
This viewpoint seems...
Sean pondered for a moment, then asked, "You mean to say that goblins possess their own unique magical system?"
"Yes, that's exactly what I mean." Xenophirus nodded emphatically. "Like fairies,"
They can use magic without a wand. Do you know what that means?
"I understand." Sean nodded as well.
He certainly knew what that meant.
Some wizards use wands because they can make their spells more accurate and effective; but this does not mean that spells cast without a wand are inaccurate or weak.
On the contrary, in actual combat, casting spells without a staff can often achieve unexpected results without being constrained by various conditions.
Moreover, in a culture where wands are ubiquitous, only the most powerful and disciplined wizards can reliably cast wandless magic. Without a wand, transfiguration and spells are especially difficult to cast.
It takes a long time of practice for a wizard to learn wandless spellcasting.
The fairy's talent saved them this time.
At the same time, if the fairy's unique magical system is explored in depth, it will trigger a series of chain reactions.
If these experiments on wizards are successfully verified, then the entire wizarding world will usher in a new revolution.
One plus one may not be greater than two at times, but it will be greater than one.
Sean envisioned that if he had these technologies in his own hands, combined with the potions he had been researching, then controlling the wizarding world would no longer be a pipe dream.
However, he wouldn't be surprised if Voldemort or Grindelwald had brought up the conversation, or even if Lucius had spoken to him.
The person expressing this idea to him was a seemingly honest biologist, a middle-aged editor, a contrast that surprised him somewhat.
Could it be... this old man...?
Indeed, one cannot judge a book by its cover, nor can one measure the depths of the sea.
As Sean was pondering Xenophilius's idea, he suddenly heard the latter shout loudly.
"Yes, I'm glad you understand," Xenophilius said excitedly.
Could it be that Xenophius has already seen through his innermost thoughts?
Sure enough, this seemingly harmless, bookish scholar was merely a facade.
Choosing to disguise himself in this way also reveals his deep cunning and long-term plans.
However, Sean did not want to cooperate with them, nor did he want the other party to discover his thoughts and thus control him.
With the system, he became exceptionally powerful.
Unconsciously, his right hand reached behind him, and he took out a life-saving system scroll from the system space, ready to tear it off at any time if things went wrong; his left hand quietly raised, and the silent casting of "Forget All" had already prepared the skill's pre-animation.
Just as Sean's left hand was already in mid-air, Xenophilius quickly spoke up, praising, "As expected, Mr. Phillips is very knowledgeable, just as I thought! It seems that goblins and fairies may very well share the same origin and have ancient ancestral heritage."
Sean's hand hung awkwardly in mid-air, unsure whether to go forward or backward.
He never expected that the other party's entry point would be: The History of Wizarding Magic?
This was completely different from what he had expected.
In fact, the scholar in front of him had just used three sophisticated words.
"Mr. Phillips, what are you doing...?" Xenophilius asked, somewhat puzzled, looking at Sean's hand hanging in mid-air.