"Adaptability is part of survival." Dumbledore smiled, gently stroking Fox's feathers, calming its startled emotions, his words as insightful as ever.
After speaking, the old principal glanced up and down at Ian, this Dumbledore was smiling, his blue eyes under the half-moon glasses flickering with a comforting glow.
"You woke up at the right time."
No one knew if he was saying Ian had woken up just in time to get him out of a jam, or for some other reason. Just as Ian was about to speak, he saw Claire immediately drop the kitchen knife and excitedly lean over, her purple-gold eyes full of curiosity: "How about it? How much did you find out? Did you recall anything?"
She used the word 'recall'.
"Uh..."
Ian rubbed his temples.
He felt his thoughts were still somewhat muddled.
"Still foggy and unclear..."
The little wizard paused and looked at Claire suspiciously, "Is it because of you? The strange situation I encountered in the Misty Illusion Realm earlier, I seemed to see some echoes of history."
There was nothing to hide about being able to enter the Misty Illusion Realm. The Female Titan is a Prophet, even if I didn't tell her, she would surely know.
Not to mention that this Female Titan seemed very familiar with Ian. As for Dumbledore, there was even less need to hide, since Dumbledore already knew Ian could traverse two realms.
"No, it has nothing to do with me, it's just that you feel you should recall certain things." Claire responded straightforwardly, her gaze sincerely leaving no room for doubt.
"At most, I'm just a catalyst." This goddess with a conscience still insisted on her initial explanation, believing Ian didn't remember Raven's memory because Ian didn't want to recall Raven's memory.
In response.
Ian also found it somewhat difficult to evaluate.
The little wizard stared at the Female Titan for two seconds, finally sighing.
"...Alright."
Ian looked into her eyes, trying to judge whether she was telling the truth, yet her gaze was so honest it was almost convincing, leaving him unsure if he should trust her nonsense.
After all, considering this Female Titan wanting to eat Fox, even if her mind isn't troubled, her thinking pattern is certainly extraordinary.
Actually, it's quite normal.
After all, Titans and humans are two fundamentally different species, only they can communicate because both are intelligent beings; humans are not directly created by Titans.
The Gods are.
The thinking patterns of those gods also seemed quite unusual to Ian.
"Sometimes, the truth requires personal verification." Claire didn't seem to mind Ian's misunderstanding, still busy with her pot of soup that didn't contain Fox.
No one knew if she ultimately planned to stew her Phoenix again.
"Echoes of the past?"
Dumbledore gently stroked Fox's feathers, the Phoenix still nestled in his arms with lingering trepidation, occasionally sneaking glances at Claire, fearing she might abruptly mention soup again.
"Looks like you've had a different kind of adventure." Dumbledore spoke warmly, not asking about the specifics, whether he learned something from the Female Titan or simply had no curiosity about these matters.
"I played with Ariana all afternoon." Ian knew what Dumbledore cared about most, so he disclosed Ariana was doing well with a brief comment.
To this.
Dumbledore was startled upon hearing this, with a hint of nostalgia and gentle smiles in his eyes: "Is that so... Is she doing okay?"
"She's doing great." Ian paused, "She even gave me a star candy."
Dumbledore chuckled softly.
"She always does that, conveying kindness through sweets."
He spoke gently.
"Professor, your memory is quite accurate."
Ian smiled slightly.
"How could I not remember?" Dumbledore's eyes shifted slightly, showing a trace of reminiscence and envy. "Those were... rare moments."
It seems the old principal still remembers the details of his youth, reminiscing about the past more fondly than ever, primarily due to having experienced a unique adventure before.
There was a momentary silence in the house, only interrupted by the crackling fire in the fireplace—perhaps also by the sound of Claire grinding spices, as she seemed determined to stew something tonight.
"By the way, Professor." Ian looked at Dumbledore, asking the question he had meant to ask earlier, "How are you here? I thought only I was trapped here?"
Ian could roughly guess the reason for Dumbledore's presence here, but he still needed confirmation, given that as the principal of Hogwarts, he would obviously need to understand any anomalies in the Forbidden Forest.
Dumbledore smiled slightly, his words verifying Ian's guess: "Everyone was concerned about you, so I came to find you—this wasn't an easy task."
Ian raised an eyebrow: "You found a way to cross the Bronze Gate?"
"Yes." Dumbledore nodded.
"After you left, I've been studying that door. It's not just a key to time and dimensions, but a test of wisdom. Only by understanding its essential operations can one truly control it."
The old principal's speech still had that scholarly feel.
Clearly, Dumbledore, previously trapped in memories, had passed the test within the Bronze Gate and comprehended its mechanisms, thus enabling him to reach this current era.