Chapter 118 — Suicide if You Can’t Learn

Chapter 118: Chapter 118 — Suicide if You Can’t Learn

Chapter 118 — Suicide if You Can’t Learn

Nicolas Flamel already knew that Perenelle would like Vesey.

After all, the diary had shown that Perenelle had a very good relationship with Vesey.

Even after Vesey eventually died, Perenelle followed her onto the path of self-destruction.

And self-destruction meant that even the soul would dissipate.

With feelings that deep, how could Perenelle possibly dislike Vesey?

So Nicolas had followed them invisibly for a while, waiting for the two of them to develop a bond.

Sure enough, it hadn’t been long before Perenelle had already started glaring at him because of Vesey.

He sighed and finally revealed himself in front of Vesey.

"Oh, my! Who is this? Why is there someone in our manor?"

Nicolas exclaimed exaggeratedly.

Vesey hurriedly said, "Hello, I’m Vesey Potter. I..."

She introduced herself.

Just as she had told Perenelle, she answered honestly without hiding anything.

Nicolas listened quietly.

When Vesey mentioned the events of her past, he still listened with a smile.

Finally, when Vesey finished, he deliberately pretended to be surprised.

"I remember you now. Dumbledore told me that you didn’t want to become my student. Have you changed your mind?"

His smug tone left Perenelle stunned.

What?

The child hadn’t agreed to become her husband’s student?

Then why had he been telling her all this time that his student would be coming during the summer holiday?

So what exactly had he been pretending about?

Of course, Nicolas Flamel didn’t notice Perenelle’s speechlessness.

He had learned from Dumbledore that Vesey had refused to become his student, but he wasn’t angry.

He understood very well that they had never met before.

How could Vesey possibly be willing to become his student without even knowing him?

And besides, becoming his student meant leaving Hogwarts.

Although Nicolas was extremely famous, he knew that Vesey was a genius and would become incredibly powerful in the future.

There was nothing wrong with such a genius choosing someone else as her teacher.

Nicolas understood all of this.

So he had planned to have a serious conversation with Vesey and let her truly understand the charm of alchemy.

He believed that Vesey would eventually discover how fascinating alchemy was.

And when it came to alchemy, Nicolas Flamel was the undisputed authority.

He knew Vesey would come here during the summer holiday, so he had stayed at the manor and waited.

Sure enough, Vesey had come.

The moment he met her, he felt that this girl was a good child.

She seemed pure-hearted and free of malicious intentions.

As for whether Vesey was merely pretending?

Nicolas Flamel wasn’t foolish enough to believe that.

He had been observing Vesey for quite some time.

This child’s character was genuinely good.

During the vampire wizard incident, she had even willingly gone away with them to protect everyone else.

She had nearly died because of it.

Nicolas also knew some of the reason Vesey had come here.

She had thrown herself in front of Dumbledore to block the spell.

Nicolas believed that Dumbledore would have no trouble blocking an ordinary spell himself.

But Vesey obviously didn’t know that.

She thought the witch was trying to kill Dumbledore, and because she didn’t want him to be hurt, she had blocked the attack herself.

Nicolas didn’t know why that woman’s spell had been able to teleport Vesey here or even affect his manor.

But he regarded the whole thing as a gift from Merlin.

Merlin knew that he lacked an heir, so he had sent Vesey to him.

Merlin knew that he had lost his heir in that other timeline, so he had given him the diary and allowed him to make up for those regrets from the beginning.

Nicolas Flamel desperately wanted to make up for the regrets of his past.

He sighed deeply.

Then he looked at Vesey.

"Yes. I am Nicolas Flamel."

Vesey looked shocked.

"You’re Mr. Flamel?"

Then an apologetic expression appeared on her face.

"I’m sorry, but I still have to insist on my decision. I can’t become your student.

"Professor Dumbledore said that if I became your student, I’d have to leave Hogwarts.

"I can’t leave my brother.

"And I don’t want to leave Hogwarts, the professors, or my classmates.

"Even the cat there... I don’t think I could bear to leave it."

Vesey spoke seriously.

Nicolas fell silent.

He hadn’t expected the child to be so determined.

He had always thought he had plenty of time.

As long as he could keep this child here, she would be safe.

But Vesey had said she didn’t want to stay.

Yes.

Who would want to remain in the same place forever?

Even he and Perenelle occasionally went out for walks.

How could he expect a child like Vesey to be content staying here forever?

If she refused to leave Hogwarts, then perhaps...

She really would eventually die there.

"I’m not afraid of death," Vesey said firmly.

"If it’s a death worth dying for, what’s there to fear?"

Only then did Nicolas realize that he had accidentally asked the question aloud.

And the child had answered without hesitation.

She wasn’t afraid of death.

If it were anyone else, Nicolas might have suspected that such words were merely bravado.

After all, most people were terrified of stepping into that unknown darkness.

Voldemort had even split his soul apart and turned himself into something neither truly human nor truly dead simply to avoid death.

But Nicolas knew that Vesey really wasn’t afraid.

She had already learned to face death calmly.

At such a young age.

He felt deeply sorry for her and didn’t know how to persuade her.

Moreover, if Vesey truly had to face death one day, did he really want to accept her as his student?

Could he truly bear the pain of completely losing another person he loved?

While he was hesitating, he suddenly heard Perenelle ask quietly,

"I have to drop out of school to become your student?

"Since when was that the rule?

"And Vesey is still so young. How could she possibly die?

"You’ve managed to keep me alive for this long. Can’t you save one Vesey?"

Nicolas was stunned.

Then he slapped his forehead.

The reason Vesey had faced death in the diary was because she had wanted to die.

But if he hadn’t been angry with Vesey, hadn’t fallen out with her, and had gone to find her himself, he might have saved her long ago.

If someone asked this child to live, she probably wouldn’t refuse.

Nicolas, who had always possessed a keen eye for talent, had long since realized that Vesey was deeply emotional.

She couldn’t even bear to abandon a cat.

She must simply have been overwhelmed by the situation at the time.

There had only been a few unreliable girls around her, and they had all wanted to make her happy.

So they had allowed her to die.

But if he had been there, he would have healed Vesey immediately and given her no reason to seek out that dangerous adventure.

Thinking of this, Nicolas immediately became cheerful.

He looked at Vesey and said,

"All right. I’ll take a step back.

"You don’t have to leave Hogwarts.

"You can continue attending school as usual.

"But every summer, you have to come here and learn alchemy from me!"

Vesey looked stunned.

"But... I’ve never studied alchemy before. I don’t know if I can do it.

"I’m actually quite stupid. Maybe..."

She hesitated.

But Nicolas had already made up his mind.

A fox-like smile appeared on his face as he said cheerfully,

"That’s your problem.

"You should know that I’m already six hundred and sixty-five years old.

"Perenelle couldn’t hold on any longer and left before me.

"I originally wanted to leave with her.

"But your appearance gave me a reason to keep living.

"If you can’t learn alchemy, I’ll kill myself right in front of you!"