A brave man may not live, but he cannot die

Chapter 201 Yes, I love you too.

Quinn's heart skipped a beat when he heard Hermes reveal Ankuya's name.

Fortunately, after several months in this other world and experiencing various unexpected events, Quinn's mental fortitude has improved considerably, and he remained calm.

If Hermes had figured out Ankua's true background, then he and she would have been nearly finished under the Nibelungen bombardment. Hermes probably only knew that he was introduced by Ankua, but why would he say that?

Although Ankuya never explicitly said so, his arcane teacher should be Grindelwald's headmaster Harry. Could Hermes possibly think that he is a hero recruited by the headmaster?

Quinn decided to test the waters.

"So, you know my background?" he asked calmly.

“Dear Mr. Quinn, please do not answer questions with questions.”

Although it was a snake, Quinn could detect a forced, insincere laugh in the sound. "Heh. I'm asking where you learned your immobilization spell. Headmaster Merlin had no children, and the academy's first generation of arcane mages were all his disciples. Therefore, I'm certain that he never left any legacy regarding immobilization magic. Over the past thousand years, generations of teachers and students have tried countless times, but no one has been able to reproduce the immobilization spell."

"But you did it. That such great magic, capable of freezing mana flow, will, thought, and even the soul, came from a Muggle who knows absolutely no arcane arts—and you say you learned it? Ha!"

Hermes' meaning is quite clear.

Stop talking nonsense.

Quinn raised an eyebrow, then said bluntly, "I have inherited Merlin's legacy."

"Very good." The black snake nodded in satisfaction. "Then why would he give you the inheritance that he didn't give to the academy?"

"Before answering that question, it's my turn to ask one, Dean."

The black snake glanced at him. "You dare use my magic against me?"

"Ha, you don't seem as afraid of this old man as you say."

“You were the one who said we didn’t need to be wary of you.” Quinn smiled slightly. “I want to confirm something with you: is the Child of Prophecy a hero?”

"You seem quite interested in heroes."

"Of course, I plan to use all my salary to gamble on the Clock Tower's 'Hero's Bet' and wait to use insider information to achieve financial freedom."

The melodious, resonant sound of bells, as full and grand as waves crashing on a beach, drifted from afar, echoing amidst the city lights. No matter how boisterous the festival crowds or how vibrant the musical performances, nothing could drown out the undisturbed chimes of this bronze bell, signifying the eight chimes at 8 PM, the Eternal and Time Dragon Cult anchoring time itself.

The black snake raised its head, its forked tongue flicking in the sound of the bells. It gazed at the starry sky for a long while before saying vaguely, "We've always felt that gods are just stronger beings. Do you know why?"

Don't answer with questions.

"Because they cannot manipulate time, even the Dragon Lord who is known as the God of Time. Even if he could reverse his own time, the world's operation would not stop in the slightest. Gods should rule the world. If not, they are just humans who have reached the end of the extraordinary, or ancient races that have survived."

The end of the extraordinary? Quinn listened intently.

Hermes did not answer yes or no, but instead gave the academy's conclusion:

"Although the Dragon Lord's prophecies have all come true without exception, we firmly believe that they are merely divination methods that humanity cannot yet comprehend. And so-called divination—"

"...Just a lucky break for the gambler."

Quinn picked up the first sentence that all first-year students were to learn in their first Divination class, a famous quote written by Nostrada Dammas, the founder of the Divination Department, in "On Observations and Speculations about the Future".

Hermes looked at Quinn, who seemed lost in thought, and said slowly, "You know very well who the Child of Prophecy is, don't you?"

"If she's not a hero, why would the academy protect her?" This was Quinn's last doubt about Celia.

Even if her adoptive father was the chief court arcanist of Britain and the most outstanding student of the academy in this generation, he was not qualified to allow the academy's higher-ups to recruit students illegally.

Grindelwald's students must come from that catalog of magical artifacts, a ancestral rule left by Merlin.

"The academy did not protect her; Celia's name is indeed on the roster. Although we still cannot understand her talent." Hermes paused. "There is only one person in Grindelwald who can change the roster, and if it was the headmaster's decision, we have no right to say anything."

"But I can tell you that heroes are not corrupted by the abyss. You, who have been to the abyss with Celia, should have your own answer."

For some reason, Quinn breathed a sigh of relief.

"Alright, now it's time to answer my question. What makes you so special that Headmaster Merlin would pass on his magic circuits to you?"

The snake-eyed man's vertical pupils stared intently at Quinn: "Or rather, in what capacity did you receive this inheritance?"

Quinn slurped up the camel milk in his glass in one go, leaving only the ice cubes sloshing around, before calmly staring at the snake.

"Dean."

"Does your knowledge of my identity mean that I will completely belong to the academy?"

Don't answer with questions.

"I'm a hypocrite, so give way to me."

"The academy and the religion are different countries, and they won't restrict you. Isn't that a good thing?"

"The Vatican needs heroes to defeat the Demon King, the Eternal Church needs heroes to prove the prophecy, and the nation needs heroes to consolidate its power. So what do the academy need heroes for?"

The evening breeze was gentle, and the night was bright.

After a long while, Quinn did not receive a reply from the black snake. When he turned around, a tall, thin old man dressed in a black tailcoat and holding a snake staff stood in front of him. He had tortoiseshell glasses perched on his hooked nose, and his gaze was like a silent lighthouse in the night, fixed on him.

"We hope to transform arcane and mystical arts into a more harmless, purely human-serving tool of production. In short, the Academy envisions an era without arcane mages and supernatural beings."

"There are only non-magical humans and their magical creations."

“Elon’s ideals are good, but I don’t know if he really thinks that way or if he has other purposes. But I know he is destined to fail, and even if the Academy can abandon its principles to help him, this ideal will not leave Eswell.”

"To achieve such a society, it is not enough to rely on one or two politicians. All of humanity must have the ability to acquire knowledge and tools of production. These abilities cannot belong to only a very small number of arcane clans or the ruling class protected by supernatural powers."

"In his early years, Merlin was a radical reformer who, like Elon, wanted to change the world by directly intervening in politics. But in the end, he chose to establish the Academy and pass on this ideal to future generations and time."

Quinn scratched his head and said with a wry smile, "This is really unexpected."

Let there be no more arcane sorcerers and superhumans in the future.
Isn't this making an enemy of the whole world?

The academy's genius is an arcane sorcerer among arcane sorcerers, or rather, a madman among madmen.
"Of course, until the final war against the demons ends, the academy's mission remains to train arcane mages for humanity to fight against the demons," Hermes said solemnly. "But after that, a new era will begin."

"We need a god on earth to help us overthrow everything old. This is not something that can be accomplished overnight, but at least we need to get started. And the person who can do this..."

Only the brave.

After Hermes finished speaking, he silently looked at Quinn, who was deep in thought.

He was old enough to not see that era arrive, but fortunately he had enough patience, like an old farmer who had spent his whole life sitting on the yellow earth waiting for the drizzle to nourish his crops.

“I want to see more,” was Quinn’s reply.

Hermes smiled, perhaps the most genuine smile Quinn had ever seen on the face of this cold, serpentine old headmaster.

"very good."

"So, would you consider this a productive and open conversation?"

"Heh," Hermes knew what Quinn wanted. "I can tell you the monster recipe, but there's an easier way that saves time and effort."

"What is it?"

"An ancient artifact from the academy contains the extraordinary characteristics of the thief Sequence Seven. Once it is destroyed, you can directly absorb the extracted extraordinary characteristics without needing to concoct any potions."

Quinn thought to himself, "Is this some kind of good thing?"

"I had heard that the college had good benefits for its faculty and staff, but I only found out after I joined."

"Heh, it's not that good."

"Tsk."

Hermes tapped his snake staff, and the small black snake slithered up to his shoulder.

“If you were a hero, the academy would support you with all its might. But you are only a senior teaching assistant now. Even professors have to exchange years of research results for a Sequence 7 artifact. You are not qualified.”

"As the dean of the academy, you must have a way to make an exception," Quinn said with a broad smile, rubbing his hands together.

"I'm an old codger, you better let me pass."

Quinn laughed in anger. "You dare use my magic against me?"
“That’s the academy’s property, and we can’t just give it to you. However, you can exchange it for commensurate labor.”

"Ten more minutes of lecture in the Demon Defense class?" Quinn was preparing to work overtime. "...Stop talking about your crappy katana to the arcanist."

Hemo leaned on his cane and said slowly, "The R&D department has a project. If you are willing to participate, the contained objects can be used as payment."

"It works, that's fine."

Quinn pointed to himself, "But you want me to participate in the R&D department's projects? Are you sure?"

Grindelwald has three main departments: the Administrative Office, the Academic Affairs Office, and the Research and Development Department. The Research and Development Department is like the United Nations; elites from all departments and units of the college cannot get in. Only freaks, pure freaks, can get into that place to do research.

Quinn felt like Ding Zhen, who was told he was going to give a speech at the United Nations.

“That research doesn’t really need arcane magic, but it does need some,” Hermes pointed to his temple, twirling his index finger, “and some avant-garde ideas.”

"Then I'll have to bring my talent to the R&D department. As for the divination department, I wish Amamiya Nene all the best."

Quinn readily accepted the good advice.

"Your daily work will continue as usual. As for that side, you just need to come up with ideas and let the researchers in the R&D department put them into practice." Hermes said calmly, "This is not favoritism. Compared to the cost invested in that project, a Sequence 7 containment item is insignificant."

"Perhaps you already know this, but I still want to remind you of something."

Even a hero.

"It can also get out of control."

The man and the snake looked down at Quinn, his face illuminated by the lamplight in the night.

“Starting from Sequence Seven, it is the second tier of the extraordinary sequence, which is different from the ‘Faded Ones’ of the ‘Extraordinary Ones’. Are you mentally prepared?”

Quinn listened to the songs coming from the airport; the party was almost over.

The little girl must have finished her lemon pie, so what's she doing now? Watching a show? Petting a fox? And then Amamiya Nene asks her with a mischievous grin if she has a crush on anyone?
As long as it wasn't a broken, soulless creation floating in the sky because of him, Quinn felt that this was the correct timeline.

“Of course.” Quinn smiled. “I want to serve the academy and become strong enough to smash the Demon King with one punch.”

Hermes asked no further questions.

"The items will be delivered to your dormitory via the fireplace. The thief's Sequence Seven is called [Assassin]. Advancement in the ladder signifies a transformation of extraordinary nature. If you don't understand, you can ask me."

The boss once said that the Sequence 7 Thief is no longer that useless combat class; in a sense...
This will be the strongest presence in an urban environment.

"Although I don't know why you advanced so quickly, going from Sequence Nine to Sequence Seven in just three months, as agreed, I still need to give you a potion recipe."

"The thief's Sequence Six is ​​called [The Assassin]. The potion recipe will be delivered to your dormitory. The materials are not easy to collect, but if you can help the academy's projects, you can also ask for corresponding rewards."

The Hidden One.
What's the purpose of this strange name, my fellow villager suggesting I choose this combat class?
"Are there any precautions to take when taking potions?" Quinn asked cautiously.

"Those below the high sequence don't need any special promotion ceremony. However, according to our summary, the name of each potion represents a corresponding affinity. The better your affinity, the higher the success rate of fusion. As you thought, assassins need to kill. But judging from your actions in the abyss, there shouldn't be too much of a problem."

Quinn's eyes flickered. The boss hadn't mentioned this before; the academy indeed had unique research on the extraordinary.

So he took the [Thief] and [Rogue] potions so easily.
Are we compatible? Heh.

"By the way," Hermes paused, "if you want to reduce the mental pollution during the transformation of extraordinary characteristics, it's best to keep your mind clear."

"Mindset. Clear and unobstructed?"

Hermes didn't look at him, but turned around and slowly walked away.

"I have lived a life without regrets towards the academy."

"But if I could do it all over again, I wouldn't have watched that girl run away like you did."

The hustle and bustle of the city returned to their ears, and passersby were craning their necks to look at the airport, waiting for the final fireworks display of the evening.

Quinn didn't think too much. After confirming that Hermes had disappeared, he quickly disappeared into the city's alleyways, turning and turning rapidly until there were no pedestrians left before collapsing against a wall.

As if relaxing after being extremely tense, his expression exaggerated, he muttered in a low voice that only he could hear:
"Damn, that was dangerous. I have to tell Ankuya this immediately. Luckily, he didn't notice anything. Why is this damn potion so difficult to obtain?"

"Damn it, this crappy job is so dangerous, can't they at least provide some extraordinary potions? What if they get caught?"

He spoke while panting, and after a while, he patted his cheeks and left as if nothing had happened.

To secure a spot to watch the fireworks, many citizens and tourists were crowding in front of the airport. The usual methods were no longer effective in getting back. Quinn had no interest in watching the fireworks, so he turned around and headed back, intending to take the train back to the academy while no one was around.

Too much happened today, I'll wait for Ankuya in the dorm.

Thinking this, Quinn walked on in silence, when suddenly and uncontrollably, the image of a girl running away flashed into his mind.

Where would she run off to?
Quinn couldn't help but inwardly criticize the hero.

I fantasized again, fantasizing that the hero could turn back time and go back to last night—no, back to the goblin cave in March—to become a purely perverted, lecherous man in her heart, erasing all fantasies.
As time seemed to rewind, Quinn suddenly remembered Hermes' words.

Even the gods cannot manipulate the time of the entire world.

But can the hero's cheat ability really work?

The transmigrator's system is above the gods?
What exactly are these things? Three broken systems, like silent tombstones, lay dormant in Quinn's mental world.

Quinn wasn't interested in thinking about it in detail.

I've already decided not to deceive those who have good intentions towards me for malicious purposes.

But right now, Elon, the most likely candidate for hero, is the target he must approach. Maintaining his relationship with Chaldale is the most efficient and natural way to investigate further.
Are you going to continue being a con artist, stringing people along?
When he arrived at the train station, the vendor who had once bought him a cup of orange juice was still there. Quinn had become a regular customer after a while. The vendor greeted him, and Quinn nodded in response. If he wanted to buy a straw, he still had to go to the convenience store next door.

Actually, he knew back then that he shouldn't have accepted the glass of orange juice.

You knowingly flirted with someone, what a scumbag!
With that thought in mind, Quinn walked down the stairs through the unusually quiet evening platform. At this hour, no one should be using the special train; he could get back to the academy quickly.
Suddenly, a figure appeared before them. She was wearing a beautiful dress and sitting at the bottom of the dirty steps, hugging her knees with her hands. Her long pink hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall.

Hearing footsteps, she didn't turn around, but said sullenly, "I'm from the Branson family, and I own a share of this station. I can sit wherever I want, don't mind me, thank you."

After a long while, without hearing a response, she raised her head, then suddenly turned around and met the gaze of a bewildered Quinn.

Her eyes trembled, her gaze filled with astonishment, surprise, disbelief, and helplessness, which was then replaced by a faint sadness and a deep sense of retreat.

Quinn raised his hand, as if to say hello.

But what came out instinctively was, "Uh, I can explain."

"About that student. If you'd like to hear about it."

After saying that, Quinn looked up at the sky. The red brick walls, modeled after those in the Harry Potter movies, seemed to be mocking him. What a complete jerk!
Xia Dai'er moved her mouth, but did not stand up.

That day, you said you had someone you liked.

"Ah."

Is it her?

Quinn took two steps forward and sat down next to Chaldale, hugging his knees like her.

"I actually took you home that day."

Xia Dai'er stared intently at him.

"Well, it's raining, and I've been following you all this way. To be honest, I'm not exactly a comfortable partner either. Actually, you should be able to tell that I'm not a stable relationship. Although Grindelwald's job is indeed quite good, your family isn't short of money. What I do is dangerous; I could kick the bucket any day, or just suddenly disappear."

He kept rambling on and on, but Xia Dai'er seemed not to be listening.

Instead, he waited until Quinn finished speaking before stubbornly asking, "Why do you feel so uncomfortable?"

"Well, I didn't say it wasn't you."

Her pupils suddenly dilated, and she looked like she wanted to say something, tears welling up in her eyes.

But just then, the girl's stomach growled, which was quite out of place.

Immediately, her pretty face flushed red as she tried to cover her flat stomach. "I didn't eat today. Never mind! W-what, it wasn't me?"

"Well, how about trying Grindelwald's dining hall?"

Quinn pointed to the silver train parked at the platform.

"Secretly, just like usual."

(End of this chapter)