People grow through experience, and Ian was no exception.
Ever since his visit to Diagon Alley, he'd gained a new level of knowledge and perspective, so the mont Pandero expressed interest, Ian imdiately pulled out a thick stack of contracts with seamless timing.
"Of course, I'd think of you first when I find sothing great, my friend. Let's sign an adventure contract, this is the coolest must-do for adventurers in my ti!"
Ian's smile might not have looked particularly devious, but he was definitely taking advantage of the fact that Pandero had died young, and thus had no clue about the current trends in the wizarding world.
Sure enough,
As soon as Pandero heard phrases like "adventure essential" and "coolest" (the kind of language that would violate advertising regulations), his eyes imdiately lit up several degrees brighter.
"Of course, an adventure contract, I get it, totally get it." Pandero was clearly pretending to understand. He took the contract from Ian and, after barely glancing at it, promptly signed his na.
He didn't even hesitate. Granted, the na he signed probably wasn't his real one, but Ian's contract didn't contain any actual magic binding clauses.
As long as Pandero accepted the terms and contents, that was good enough. After all, Pandero was soone who valued his reputation. He wouldn't be shaless enough to pull an Ian-style stunt and deny everything after signing.
"So when are we setting off?"
With a grand flourish after signing, Pandero was already raring to go. He even pulled out a rugged, old-fashioned backpack from who knows where. Clearly, this guy truly loved adventuring; he was all set to abandon his half-trained "apprentice" Ariana mid-sword practice.
"Can I co too?"
Ariana didn't seem to mind at all. In fact, she looked at Ian with a bit of anticipation,
It was clear that Pandero's "apprentice" and Ian shared a certain chaotic vibe.
Maybe it was because Ariana's life, both before and after death, had been too dull. Now that she had a chance, the spark of youthful yearning for poetry and faraway lands was ignited.
Yes.
This was the wholeso kind of "poetry and distance."
"We might need a bit of preparation, but of course you can join our adventure." Ian didn't even need to think about it. Even if Ariana hadn't asked, he would've invited her anyway.
Setting aside any cheesy declarations about friendship or bonds, he figured that if he "accidentally" let the old headmaster know who was on his team, he might not even need to hire bodyguards anymore. Who knows, he might even score a two-for-one super-value protection deal.
Pandero was the backup.
Ariana was the insurance.
"Yay!"
As soon as she heard Ian's confirmation, Ariana bead with joy and cheered.
She sneakily put down her sword and started slacking off, though Pandero didn't notice.
"What else do we need to prepare? My vast adventure experience is the best preparation!" Pandero slapped his chest with pride, clearly eager to get moving and flaunt his adventuring expertise.
"The treasure I found is in the land of the living. I've got to figure out how to get you out of here first." Ian shrugged helplessly, recalling one of Morgan's earlier warnings.
"Your ring really can't summon … I'm… too heavy." Pandero clearly knew this himself and tried to dodge the issue with an awkward smile.
Ian gave his friend a long, thoughtful look.
The scales of suspicion in his heart tipped a little further.
"Maybe I couldn't bring you before, but that doesn't an I can't now. I think I've co up with a very reliable solution." As he spoke, Ian took out a spare Patronus Ring.
"Wear this. I firmly believe there's no such thing as a truly impossible task, just people who haven't tried hard enough."
Ian believed that the motivation offered by the Tomb of King Arthur was more than enough.
Once Pandero slipped on the Patronus Ring, Ian finally smiled in satisfaction.
Indeed,
His Magic Power, even at the upper limit of a human's potential, couldn't easily sustain the cost of bringing Pandero across the boundary between worlds. Using a traditional Patronus Charm to pull him into the living world was almost impossible.
But,
That didn't an it couldn't be done.
In fact, Ian had already thought of a solution.
It ca to him not long after Morgan had revealed the true identity of the black-robed skeleton.
You only need to slightly modify the Patronus Charm, extract and isolate the circuits for soul-linking and summoning, and suddenly, many things that once seed impossible now had flexibility and potential.
A half-step legend's magic power wasn't enough to support Pandero. But what about a god?
Even one that seed… incomplete.
A god was still a god.
The black-robed skeleton's imasurable magic power remained vast and unknowable.
Yes,
Perhaps at this point, it should no longer be called "magic power," but rather divine power. With such a super-invincible "power bank" backing him up, Ian was confident that sustaining Pandero wouldn't be a problem at all. If it weren't for the fear of being hung up and spanked by the legendary Dark Witch, Ian might have even slipped a ring onto Morgan's finger as well.
"The three of us adventuring together will be so fun." Ariana looked at the ring on Pandero's hand, identical to her own, and couldn't help but look forward to the adventures ahead.
"The Iron Triangle. Sounds like a solid formation." Ian was pretty hyped too. Of course, what he looked forward to most wasn't the treasure, but whether Pandero would ntally crack during this journey and finally expose his little chicken feet.
Pandero, completely oblivious to the malicious delight in Ian's thoughts, stroked his chin and nodded with understanding as he spoke with aningful tone:
"Seven is a number of great magical power. But three… three has aning. It has shaped many epics and legends."
This could probably be considered a full endorsent of the "Iron Triangle" na.
The weather was bright and clear.
With no one else to witness it, another legend and epic may have just quietly set sail.
Sunlight poured generously from the blue sky, spilling over the town square. The golden light danced across the stone-paved plaza, reflecting warmth and brilliance. The three of them were fully imrsed in a harmonious and joyful atmosphere.
Suddenly,
"Break's over. Back to sword practice, Ariana." Pandero's voice ca sharply and unexpectedly. Clearly, he'd been keeping track of how long Ariana had been slacking off under the guise of Ian's arrival.
"Alright, alright, you caught ." Ariana's cheeks flushed slightly. She didn't argue and picked up her longsword again, resuming the form she'd practiced countless tis under Pandero's instruction.
It had been a while, and Ian was surprised to find that Ariana's swordsmanship had improved drastically.
(To Be Continued…)
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