177 Plans Among Plans
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Calming down as he imagined choking a certain magician in his mind, Hadrian turned his focused back to the Flamels.
"You two are in accord with opa's suggestion then?" He asked, wanting clarification on their decision.
"Oui (Yes)." Nicolas said, nodding in confirmation. "I trust Zel. He has yet to steer me wrong when it comes to his suggestions."
"I also feel the same. The man can be quite mysterious with his ways and highly eccentric, even more so than my husband here, but he has never betrayed our trust before in the past." Penerelle added with a small smirk. "I will go along with his advice."
"Although… I do wonder what he meant by that second part of his message." Nicolas mused aloud, a thoughtful frown on his face as he took a sip on his tea.
"Nothing you mind." Hadrian cut in casually, emerald eyes closing briefly as the ancient couple turned to him with similar curious expressions. "It's simply a hint for me to discover in the near future."
"Regarding what?" Penerelle asked, one delicate brow arise.
"The murder cases." Hadrian stated simply, unmoved by the surprise that crossed the ancient couple's faces.
Sobered by this new information, Nicoals let out a loud sigh as he scratched the back of his head.
"I see…" The ancient alchemist began, looking resigned as he leaned back in his seat. "Then, I suppose it is imperative for you to go there. The main reason you are here is your main priority above all else, after all. Despite my own views regarding Voldemort, the matter with Prelati is far more serious than anything else that exist in this world."
"Indeed." Penerelle agreed with a solemn nod, gently returning her tea cup back to its saucer as she continued. "Vile as Voldemort is, Prelati requires our utmost attention."
Recognizing their unanimous sentiments and support to his cause, Hadrian began to shift the topic from there.
"Now, this magical academy, Beauxbatons, where is located?" The young mage asked.
With a smile, Penerelle answered.
"Here, in France." Seeing the curiosity on his face, she continued. "Other than Hogwarts, Beuaxbatons is one of the most prestigious magical academies in all of Europe. But here in France, it's renowned to be the most well-regarded school as they have produced a fine and long generation of witches and wizards talented in various branches of magic."
"Penny and I had taught there a long, long time ago." Nicolas added with a fond smile. "She was a Charms Professor, and I, of course, had taught Alchemy and Potions."
"How long was that?" Astolfo asked with childlike curiosity, much to the couple's amusement.
"Quite a long time ago, dear." Penerelle answered with a mysterious smile.
The mere response caused the pink haired paladin knight to tilt his head in wonder.
Knowing better than to ask for the woman to elaborate on how long that was, Hadrian put forth another question he had in mind.
"How can I be transferred there? Do you still have contacts in that school?" He asked, connecting the dots by discerning their previous statements.
"Oui, we do." Nicolas confirmed with a slight nod and a smile. "Penny and I will speak to the current Headmistress of Beauxbatons, Madame Maxine, regarding your transfer in the near future. Probably in the next few days since I've heard that she has been busy lately with sorting out her paperwork regarding the institution."
"Teaching the young is always rewarding in of itself, but the amount of paperwork that comes with position is something I will never miss." Penerelle commented with a wry smile.
"Agreed…" Nicolas huffed with a solemn nod.
In Hadrian's case, he disagrees, but made no comment to their input whatsoever.
Thinking of his plans for tomorrow, Hadrian nodded to himself, accepting to the couple's plan to approach the Beauxbatons Headmistress.
"Then, I shall leave you two to speak to the Headmistress. It's a better approach than what I had in mind." The young mage said with a sigh.
Seeing the curious expressions on their faces, Hadrian began to elaborate.
"Initially, I thought that I have to go there and speak to her in person. But now that I realized of your history with the academy, I won't have to."
Quickly, the solemn mood in the air lightened at his response.
Nicolas laughed, causing his wife to giggle alongside him as they heard his explanation.
"Wouldn't that be a sight? You going there and speak to the Headmistress in person." The ancient alchemist bellowed another laugh.
"It's quite a sight to imagine, even in my head." Penerelle chuckled.
Noticing the genuine mirth in their eyes, Hadrian became curious.
Although, it was one of his aides, Charles, who asked them in his stead.
"What's funny?" The retainer asked, wondering what amused the couple so much.
"Oh, nothing, lads." Nicolas reassured with a chuckle, waving a hand to disperse their curiosities.
"You'll see once you meet her in person, seeing as you are going to be transferred in Beauxbatons next week." Penerelle added with a vague smile, still amused.
Noting the confidence in their demeanors, Hadrian could not help but make a comment.
"You two sure sound confident that she would accept me into her school already, even though she has yet to meet me in person."
"Yeah, aren't you worried that master might not get accepted?" Charles added his input, frowning thoughtfully.
Again, their comments caused the couple to laugh out loud.
"Don't worry, lad, Maxine is a nice and kind woman." Nicolas grinned. "She's a stickler to rules, manners and education, but above all else, she is the Headmistress who cares for her students and staff alike."
"Oui." Penerelle nodded her head with a smile. "Despite her appearance and position as the Headmistress, Maxine is a thoughtful woman. You're a studious and determined young man, Hadrian, I'm sure she will be impressed with your level of intelligence and dedication to your education. Beauxbatons could use another student like you to roam its halls."
Catching onto Penerelle's wordplay, Hadrian can only assume that the Headmistress the couple was speaking of was someone with a unique appearance.
It was the one thing makes sense to him, given the fact that the two would not stop laughing earlier.
It was either that, or the ancient couple had gone a bit loony. Only the Root knows, really.
Recalling the ancient alchemist's earlier statement, Hadrian moved on to another topic.
"By the way, what's the second reason that I'm here?" He asked, startling the ancient couple out of their amusement high.
At his inquiry, Penerelle and Nicolas shared a glance and a smile, which caused three pairs of eyebrows to rise and furrow.
It was Nicolas, however, who answered for the both of them.
"The second reason is due to this." The ancient alchemist said, leaning forward a bit as he grabbed something from beside him.
Hadrian had never noticed it before, but there was a large box situated beside him.
The box was made of dark polished oak, decorated with intricate details and ornaments such as molten gold and a few small jewels embedded here and there.
Even from where he was sitting, Hadrian can sense a great amount of magical energy leaking through the confines of the box, despite the amount of runes and enchantments carved upon its interior.
Carefully, Nicolas gently laid the box on the coffee table with both hands, then he pushed it a bit into Hadrian's direction, who leaned forward in his seat slightly to get a better view.
With a mysterious smile, Nicolas slowly opened the box, revealing the content within.
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