The corner of Lucas's mouth twitched slightly.
System.
Could your timing possibly be any worse?
He was literally preparing for battle here.
What kind of nonsense mission was this now?
"Ding!"
"Mission issued: Convince Dumbledore to allow the host to infiltrate Voldemort's camp as a spy and gain Voldemort's trust."
Lucas refused instantly.
"Not accepting."
Why would he voluntarily run off to become Voldemort's undercover agent?
That kind of miserable life should remain Professor Snape's exclusive profession.
It wasn't that Lucas feared danger.
Honestly, even Voldemort at full strength no longer frightened him very much.
The problem was simpler.
Voldemort trusted absolutely no one.
Which meant this mission sounded outrageously troublesome.
"Ding!"
"As long as the host reaches Voldemort's trust level equivalent to Severus Snape."
"Still refusing."
Lucas remained firm.
This mission sounded exhausting.
Far too many brain cells would die in the process.
Compared to that, lying around comfortably while teasing Kassandra and occasionally bullying Hermione sounded infinitely more appealing.
Then—
"Ding!"
"Mission reward: Druid Talent and bonded Fire Phoenix."
Lucas froze instantly.
"…Repeat that?"
"Ding!"
"Druid Talent: Host becomes beloved by nature itself. All creatures and magical beasts will naturally feel affection toward the host."
Lucas's eyes brightened slightly.
Then the second reward appeared.
"Ding!"
"Mission reward includes recognition by a Fire Phoenix. The phoenix will form a lifelong contract with the host and become a hereditary guardian of the host's bloodline."
Lucas inhaled sharply.
Now that—
That was vicious.
The Druid Talent itself was already extremely powerful.
But the Fire Phoenix reward…
That was completely irresistible.
A phoenix companion.
One that could even remain tied to his future bloodline.
Suddenly, infiltrating Voldemort didn't seem nearly as annoying anymore.
And honestly—
Gaining trust comparable to Snape's level sounded manageable.
As long as nobody asked him to spend three years pretending loyalty while suffering emotional trauma.
Thankfully, all this internal argument with the system lasted only seconds in reality.
Meanwhile, Dumbledore had already risen from his desk.
"Professor," Lucas suddenly called out.
Dumbledore paused.
"What is it?"
"We should remove Voldemort from Hogwarts immediately."
Lucas looked up slowly.
"You said yourself that unless his Dark Magic is broken… he cannot truly die, correct?"
"Yes."
Dumbledore's expression darkened.
"And currently, I still haven't uncovered its full nature."
Lucas inhaled once.
"Then let me try."
Dumbledore frowned slightly.
"…Try what?"
Lucas's expression gradually hardened with determination.
"I want to join Voldemort's side."
Silence.
Absolute silence filled the office.
Even Snape's eyes widened slightly.
"Only by infiltrating them properly," Lucas continued calmly, "can I discover the secret behind that Dark Magic."
Naturally, Lucas already knew Horcruxes were the answer.
His true goal was simply obtaining Voldemort's trust deeply enough to feed information back to Dumbledore later.
Though admittedly…
Harry accidentally being a Horcrux complicated things slightly.
That particular issue would require careful planning.
Dumbledore recovered first.
"No."
His refusal came instantly.
"Absolutely not."
"You are only eleven years old, Lucas."
"There is no reason whatsoever for you to carry out a mission this dangerous."
Lucas frowned immediately.
"You believe it's impossible?"
"Of course it's impossible!"
Dumbledore rarely raised his voice like this.
"Precisely because you are young, Voldemort may lower his guard temporarily."
"But if he discovers your true intentions—"
Dumbledore stopped suddenly.
Lucas quietly interrupted him.
"I'm an orphan, Professor."
The room fell silent again.
"So even if I die—"
"No."
Dumbledore's response came sharply.
"You are not alone."
His voice softened immediately afterward.
"You have friends now."
"You have professors who care about you."
Lucas looked directly into Dumbledore's eyes.
"That is exactly why I want to do this."
"If Voldemort truly returns…"
"Everyone I care about will eventually be dragged into this war."
"I don't want that."
Then his voice lowered slightly.
"I heard countless people died during the first war."
"They sacrificed themselves to create today's peace."
"If they could make sacrifices…"
Lucas's eyes became frighteningly calm.
"…then why can't I?"
The words struck Dumbledore heavily.
For a long moment, the old wizard simply stared at him silently.
Then Snape suddenly spoke.
"I think the plan has merit."
Dumbledore looked sharply toward him.
Snape ignored the look entirely.
Instead, he stared at Lucas coldly.
"Though personally, I still suspect you're hiding something."
His voice became softer.
"If the Dark Lord sees through your thoughts, you die immediately."
"So prove your Occlumency."
Snape raised his wand directly.
"If you can resist me, I'll support this lunatic plan."
"Fine."
Lucas answered calmly.
Snape pointed his wand immediately.
"Legilimens!"
The next second—
Snape's face turned black.
Inside Lucas's projected memories—
Every single image consisted of female versions of Severus Snape dancing enthusiastically.
Some wore dresses.
Some wore ballet uniforms.
One appeared to be tap dancing.
Another was singing opera.
The visual damage was catastrophic.
Snape violently withdrew from Lucas's mind in horrified embarrassment.
Then he glared murderously at Lucas.
His fingers tightened around his wand so hard it almost bent.
At that moment, he genuinely looked ready to cast Sectumsempra.
Unfortunately for him—
Lucas had technically passed.
"So?"
Lucas asked innocently.
"Am I qualified?"
Snape's expression looked ready to kill someone.
Dumbledore pressed two fingers against his forehead helplessly.
Then he sighed deeply.
"I truly wish I could continue refusing you."
"But…"
His blue eyes became complicated.
"Your reasoning convinced me."
"You've placed an old man in a very cruel position, Lucas."
After a long silence—
Dumbledore finally nodded slowly.
"…I approve your request."
Lucas wasn't surprised.
Dumbledore had always prioritised the greater good.
Even Harry's eventual sacrifice became acceptable to him when necessary.
Though thankfully, that plan ultimately succeeded without Harry truly dying.
Still…
Dumbledore had always been capable of making painful decisions when he believed they were necessary.
Lucas reached into his pocket and removed a silver ring.
"This is something I created for my friends originally."
He handed it to Dumbledore.
"If the ring becomes warm, it means I'm trying to contact you."
"Place it against parchment and my message will appear."
"You can contact me the same way."
"Just think of my name while touching the ring."
"The ring on my side will receive the message too."
Dumbledore examined the ring carefully.
"A communication device…"
Then he smiled faintly.
"With this, your safety improves considerably."
"I can also locate you through it."
Snape crossed his arms coldly nearby.
"So."
"What exactly is your plan now?"
Lucas smiled slowly.
"The first step is obvious."
"I need Voldemort to trust me."
Then he looked toward Snape meaningfully.
"And for that…"
"I'll need your help, Professor."
....
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