The werewolf's hearing was sharp. Although the girl named Claire seemed a bit distracted, the moment Vid stepped into the alley, she immediately looked over alertly.
Seeing that the other party was a stranger Wizard, Claire shifted her body, leaned against the wall, and made way.
But the stranger Wizard stopped not far in front of her.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop." The stranger Wizard said gently, "But I think I just heard you say... you're a werewolf?"
"Ah!" The girl was startled and hurriedly said, "Sorry, I-I'll leave right away!"
Even within the Magic World, werewolves are a discriminated group. Claire hurriedly tried to leave but accidentally stepped on a can on the ground, falling backward, her hands waving frantically.
Suddenly, her arm was caught, and she was pulled back upright.
Claire stared wide-eyed, looking quite surprised, then stammered, "T-thank you."
"Don't worry, I mean no harm." Vid reached out again, saying, "Let me introduce myself; I'm Vener, as you can see, a Wizard."
"Ah, I... I'm Claire."
Claire cautiously extended her hand, gently shaking Vid's, still showing a worried expression, but feeling slightly relieved.
A few minutes later.
The two sat outside an ice cream shop, Vid ordered two ice creams, and he pushed one toward Claire. The girl scooped a small spoonful, put it in her mouth, and then squinted slightly, showing a very satisfied expression.
"It's delicious." She exclaimed and then smiled, "Thank you for the ice cream."
"It's nothing," Vid said.
"So... what do you want from me?"
Claire held the spoon and whispered, "As you see, I turned into a werewolf from an ordinary person, can't use Magic, and am not very strong... and I have no money."
Vid was silent for a moment. Seeing Claire looking very tense, as if ready to flee at any moment, he said:
"Actually, I want to research whether Lycanthropy can be cured, so I'm looking for a cooperative werewolf... I think I just heard you say you'd like to help test the Magic Potion..."
Hearing Vid's purpose, Claire's eyes immediately lit up, and she hurriedly nodded before he finished, saying, "Of course, of course! If it can stop me from becoming a werewolf again, I'll do anything!"
"But testing the Magic Potion can be dangerous... and I can't offer much compensation..."
Seeing her very eager, Vid pretended to be troubled.
Claire bit her lip and said, "It's okay, I don't need money!"
"That's not right; you definitely can't work for free."
Vid smiled slightly and said, "Actually, this kind of research is best with a comparative reference group. Can you introduce your Magic Power companion to join our research? This way I can exclude the interference of Magic and find out what causes Lycanthropy."
"Will..." Claire hesitated and then said, "Will might not be able to; he has work to do... Can I introduce other werewolves to you? They also have Magic Power."
"Sure, that's fine," Vid said casually, "You know a lot of werewolves?"
"We have our own community where we help each other because... you know, most wizards can't accept the existence of werewolves." Claire said as naturally as possible.
"So how do you maintain your life usually?" Vid asked.
"I usually find odd jobs in the ordinary towns, like working as a restaurant waitress or distributing flyers." Claire said softly, "Since I can't work before and after transformation, I often get fired."
"What about during transformation?"
"I just lock myself up in advance, and I would take a few sleeping pills... but they're not very effective. It's said that the Life and Death Potion is very effective, but... Magic Potion is too expensive..."
Claire tried to smile as if saying 'it's no big deal,' and unconsciously pulled her sleeves longer until they covered her hands.
Even in July, she was still wearing long sleeves and pants, with an old scarf around her neck.
But even so, Vid could still see a thin scar near her ear.
He thought of some information he had read about werewolves.
For example, after transforming on a full moon night, werewolves can become very violent, attacking anyone in sight indiscriminately, even if they're family or friends.
The Ministry of Magic dictates that werewolves must lock themselves up on full moon nights to prevent harming others.
However, werewolves without targets don't become quiet; their blood still boils with frenzy and a thirst for blood. Only with the company of other animals will they become comparatively peaceful.
If there is no companion, they will turn to attack themselves, waking up in the morning full of scars, returning to human form, while recalling all behaviors post-transformation.
This process is obviously painful.
Therefore, law-abiding werewolves appear more haggard and weak, while those who let themselves go gradually lose their humanity.
The Wolf Poison Potion allows werewolves to maintain their sanity post-transformation, not harming others or themselves, simply getting through the night peacefully.
Yet, this period is still tough, so after Lupin transformed, he always seemed extraordinarily weak in the following days. Until Sirius was released from prison and always accompanied him, Lupin visibly regained his healthy appearance.
Only now did Vid suddenly realize why he felt something was off when he first saw Will, but couldn't pinpoint the problem.
—That person's mental state was too high-spirited.
Although he was thin like Lupin used to be, he showed no hint of gloom or depression. In contrast, his attitude was very enthusiastic, his smile so bright that Vid felt it had some aggressiveness.
Of course, one can't assume someone has issues just because they have an outgoing personality... After all, Will might just be a natural extrovert who faces any adversity cheerfully.
Or maybe his recent living conditions have improved, allowing his happiness to be displayed more flamboyantly.
Vid gently rubbed the handle of his Magic Wand, and suddenly many thoughts arose in his mind.
"Um... Mr. Vener..."
After finishing her ice cream, Claire quietly asked, "When do I start working? Do I need any preparation?"
Vid originally found a casual excuse to talk, intending to casually respond. But before speaking, he saw Claire's eyes.
Her eyes were filled with intense desire, hoping that his spoken words would become reality, yet seemingly aware that it might be impossible.
In those eyes lay both dependence and plea, and also deep-seated fear.