Was Sean captivated by the silver-haired girl's beauty? Not entirely. Even before activating his Magic vision, the moment she stepped into the pizza shop, he felt a calming, almost soothing aura emanating from her.
When he finally observed her with the Magic vision, he became certain—she possessed magic. Although she looked only seventeen or eighteen, far too young to have known Dumbledore for thirty years, Sean remembered that elves were said to have extremely long lifespans. Living for centuries was nothing unusual. That was why he had assumed this girl was the one they were looking for—Arwen Selwyn.
"It's not her," Dumbledore shook his head. "But they're likely related."
Clearly, Dumbledore had also sensed the girl's unique aura. Though she didn't resemble the Arwen Selwyn he remembered, that natural affinity in her magic made it obvious—they were of the same kind.
The silver-haired girl also noticed Sean and Dumbledore. With the elves' keen senses, she immediately recognized them as wizards.
She became wary. This town had fewer than twenty thousand people, and in all her years here, she had never seen wizards before. The only beings with magic nearby were her own kind, living in the forest village.
"Linda, you're here earlier than usual this time," the pizza shop owner greeted with a hearty laugh.
"Got a craving," the girl replied with a grin. She leaned against the counter, tilting her head slightly as she whispered, "Who are those two?"
The owner glanced over discreetly. "They've been here for over an hour. Sound like Brits—probably tourists."
"Brits? Tourists?" She didn't believe that for a second. She turned to look at Sean, only to find him already looking at her.
"Go talk to her. We need to know how to reach the elf village," Dumbledore said to Sean.
"Professor… haven't you been there before?" Sean asked.
"Of course not. The elf village is protected by powerful magic. Without an elf to guide you, it's almost impossible to find," Dumbledore replied seriously.
"So… you haven't seen each other in thirty years?" Sean suddenly felt uneasy, wondering if Dumbledore had just made up this "friend."
"That's right. Strictly speaking, we only knew each other for two months. When I was traveling across the Nordic countries, she happened to leave her village. We met in this very pizza shop and traveled together for two months."
"…A travel buddy you met halfway?" Sean thought. "After all these years, who knows if she even remembers him."
Taking a deep breath, Sean adjusted his expression and walked toward the girl.
"Hi."
His awkward greeting hung in the air. The girl ignored him completely. The atmosphere instantly became stiff. Sean almost retreated, casting a desperate glance toward Dumbledore.
Dumbledore simply blinked at him, as if to say, "You've got this."
"Hi… I'm Sean Grylls," Sean said, introducing himself.
The girl finally responded, sparing him complete embarrassment. "Linda Bellman."
"Miss Bellman, we can tell… we're the same kind of people."
From the pizza shop owner's perspective, Sean's attempt at conversation was painfully clumsy. He couldn't help but comment, "Kid, that's not how you start a conversation."
But just as the owner was about to give Sean some advice, Linda's reaction made him awkwardly fall silent.
"I know. We're the same kind… and not the same kind," Linda replied.
Hearing that, Sean realized she had already identified him and Dumbledore as wizards. He gestured toward Dumbledore's table. "Would you mind talking over there? We're actually looking for someone. I think you might know her."
Linda moved over and sat down at their table. As soon as she did, Sean introduced Dumbledore.
"Professor Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Britain."
"Linda Bellman," she replied simply.
"Nice to meet you, Miss Bellman. Do you know Arwen Selwyn?" Dumbledore asked directly.
Linda's expression immediately hardened. Her eyes filled with suspicion. "Why are you looking for her?"
Dumbledore noticed her tension and spoke calmly. "There's no need to worry. Arwen and I are old friends. Thirty years ago, we traveled across the Nordic countries together."
"Friends? Great-aunt actually has a human wizard as a friend?" Linda muttered. Though quiet, both Sean and Dumbledore heard her clearly.
They exchanged a glance. They had found the right person.
"You're her great-niece? Could you take us to see her?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes… but even if you know her, outsiders aren't allowed into the village," Linda replied.
"We don't need to enter. You can just ask your great-aunt to come out," Sean suggested.
Linda thought for a moment. "Alright. Wait here. I'll go inform her."
"How long will it take?" Sean asked.
"About three hours."
Linda left the shop with some pizza and snacks. Sean and Dumbledore waited inside for three hours—but she didn't return.
"Professor… did we just get tricked?" Sean muttered.
"Let's wait a bit longer," Dumbledore said.
Meanwhile, in a mountainous region somewhere in France, a castle hidden beneath concealment magic revealed itself as Haerpo and Voldemort—currently possessing a rat—arrived.
"Impressive. As expected of a renowned alchemist. This magical barrier is quite well-made," Haerpo remarked.
"How do you plan to get in?" Voldemort asked.
"Walk in."
Haerpo stepped forward into the forest. When he touched the barrier, his body seemed to phase, passing straight through.
Inside, a quaint castle came into view. This was Nicolas Flamel's secluded residence.
"What kind of magic is this?" Voldemort asked.
The castle had two layers of protection. One concealed it from Muggles, and the other prevented magical creatures from entering. Since Voldemort was currently inhabiting an ordinary sewer rat, he was able to pass through.
"Advanced spatial magic," Haerpo replied.
Inside the castle, Hoff noticed the warning crystal ball light up. A red dot had appeared on its surface—someone had intruded.
The castle's guardians—alchemical constructs—activated automatically. Three of them began moving toward Haerpo's location.
Hoff immediately went to Nicolas Flamel's room and knocked. "Master, there are intruders."
An aged voice came from within. "Leave. I can smell death. Today will be the end of my life."
The three alchemical constructs each seemed to wield only one type of magic. Though they attacked together, they were no match for Haerpo.
"Aunt!" Linda cried out.
Above the hidden elf village, a beautiful silver-haired woman floated in the air, confronting a brown-haired man.
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