"Cockroach Cluster."
The correct password awakened the beastly gargoyle guarding the entrance. It stepped aside slowly, revealing the spiral staircase to the Headmaster's office.
For the second time, Louis climbed the staircase—this time carrying a stalk of slightly yellowed bamboo, dotted with tiny grain-like seeds.
This was lian-shi—bamboo rice. Legend had it that phoenixes ate nothing else. Louis hadn't seen much bamboo in Britain, and he doubted Dumbledore's phoenix had either.
As he climbed, Louis couldn't help but feel something was off.
Why was it that Harry Potter, the so-called Chosen One, had barely been here, yet he himself had already visited several times? Who was the real savior here?
Still, he had no real complaints. Even if for nothing else, just seeing the phoenix again was worth the trip.
Louis had been busy lately, with no time to sneak into the Forbidden Forest to encounter magical beasts. Running into one here was an opportunity not to be wasted.
After all, he hadn't forgotten the special achievement still hanging over him:
Magical Creature Tamer — Increases affinity with, and control over, magical creatures.
Every three successful acts of "tricking" magical creatures would enhance the achievement further. Even in its base form, it was remarkably effective.
He'd already visited Hagrid's hut several times. By now, Hagrid's hound Fang was practically Louis's dog, obeying him more readily than his actual owner.
Hagrid had even grown a little jealous, joking that Louis should stay away from Fang before he stole his best friend.
And that was just the un-evolved form of the achievement. Louis suspected that even a single evolution would allow him to easily approach magical beasts that weren't naturally hostile to humans.
Of course, those born with a hatred for mankind—Quintapeds, Acromantulas, and the like—would still lash out or flee if he came too close.
But human-raised magical creatures, like the three-headed dog? Louis was certain that after just one upgrade, he could tame such beasts without difficulty.
At present, he had successfully fooled both Fafnir and Fluffy. Hastur, however, wasn't counted—because of its different system, the Trickster System didn't register it as a magical beast. So Louis was still one short of his next evolution.
As for Fang… well, the hound rarely left Hagrid's side. And with such a timid nature, tricking him might leave lasting trauma. Louis decided to let Fang off the hook.
That left his sights set on Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes. Hopefully, the Headmaster wouldn't mind a little prank.
"By the way, a phoenix is a bird, isn't it? I wonder what would happen if I injected it with one of those avian genetic enhancement serums…" The thought popped into Louis's mind suddenly, sparking his curiosity.
Unfortunately, genetic serums were rare items, only obtainable through premium draws. Unless something extraordinary happened, there was no way Louis would waste a premium pull for that.
Joking aside, why settle for premium when perfect-grade draws existed? And beyond that, even legendary ones awaited him.
When he entered the Headmaster's office, it was the same as the first time—towering bookshelves all around, Albus Dumbledore sitting with his nose in a book. Hearing Louis's footsteps, he raised his head.
"Welcome, Mr. Wilson. Tea again?" Dumbledore asked with a kindly smile.
Louis removed his top hat with a polite nod. "Good evening, Professor. I'll pass on the tea—I've already had dinner."
As he approached, his eyes flicked to the book Dumbledore was reading. It appeared to be a record of famous British wizards—the page open was on Merlin himself.
"Good evening," Dumbledore replied, then noticed the bamboo in Louis's hand. "Oh? Is that bamboo? And those are…?"
"That's right—bamboo rice," Louis said. "I read in a book that phoenixes like it. So I went out of my way to get some for your phoenix to try."
He swayed the stalk back and forth as he spoke, and sure enough, Fawkes's head swayed along with it, clearly enticed by the bamboo rice.
Louis gave the stalk a final shake—bang! The bamboo and the grains upon it burst apart, scattering into a cloud of fluttering butterflies that danced through the air before dissolving into shimmering light.
Fawkes was stunned.
Not because Louis's trick was especially dazzling, but because the phoenix had never imagined a human would dare toy with it!
It was a phoenix—a majestic creature that could be reborn in fire, survive death curses and Fiendfyre alike without falling. And this human had the audacity to deceive it!
Even so… this human was rather pleasant to look at.
No—wait. The longer it looked, the more pleasing he became.
Fawkes tilted its head, let out two disgruntled cries, yet strangely, it wasn't angry. Instead, it leaned forward tentatively and tapped Louis's palm with its beak.
Mm. This scent is good. I like this human.
The phoenix spread its wings and gave them a slow flap, letting out a regretful cry.
Shame. I already have a master. Otherwise, this boy might be worth a try. Far too likable.
Dumbledore hadn't realized how close he'd come to losing his loyal companion. He only noticed how unusually calm—almost ingratiating—Fawkes seemed, and his expression turned surprised.
Phoenixes were indeed friendly toward wizards, but they were also proud, noble creatures. They never allowed themselves to be tricked.
Even if they wouldn't harm anyone, they would at least scorch an offender with a playful breath of fire.
But now Fawkes was showing affection to Louis? Incredible. The only explanation could lie in Louis's own peculiarities.
…Perhaps it was the bloodline of Merlin. Along with the powers of the Nightmare, came affinity with nature and magical creatures—that would make sense.
But then again, when Louis had first visited, Fawkes had shown nothing of the sort. So what had changed since then?
"Mr. Wilson, it seems Fawkes is quite fond of you," Dumbledore remarked.
Louis cocked his head, glancing at the system's prompt.
> [You have deceived a Legendary Magical Creature: Phoenix.]
> [Harmless Deception.]
> [You gain 500 Trick Points. Current total: 93,500 points.]
> [Your Achievement: Magical Creature Tamer has strengthened. Effect slightly increased].
So Fawkes's sudden change of heart was thanks to the achievement's boost. Still, Dumbledore wasn't wrong—the phoenix truly did (thanks to the system) seem to like him.
"I'm honored," Louis said politely.
He stroked the phoenix's head, feeling the softness and warmth, then placed his top hat on the table and sat down in the guest chair.
This time, the cup before him was filled with rich, fragrant black tea. Its aroma was delightful.
"Headmaster, may I ask what business you have with me?" Louis asked bluntly.
He still had to head to the Room of Requirement that evening to conduct a Dark Qi ritual. There wasn't much time to waste.
"Nothing grave," Dumbledore said, fixing him with a steady gaze. "Only a discussion—about your bloodline."
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