Chapter 26: The True Price to Pay for Those Seeking the Truth

Stan Pines' POV

I can't believe it...

This damn machine finally works after all these years, I can finally bring my brother back.

*bing bing*

Just as the portal is about to work, it slowly stops halfway.

"Looks like we don't have enough energy," I say honestly to the kid named Leylin.

I don't trust this creature. I've lived long enough in this town to know when a creature is dangerous at first glance, and this guy reeks of trouble.

I'd like to get rid of him, but he seems to be the only one who can bring Ford back, and he's just too strong. He literally destroyed my trap.

I also remember the sound of my bones being crushed by his strength. I'm forced to trust Dipper and avoid confrontation as he suggested after I woke up.

"You just need energy, right?" Leylin asks, pulling out a vial containing a strange liquid.

"I'd need a lot of nuclear energy," I explain, pointing to the empty metal barrel.

"Trust me, one drop of this will be more than enough," he says, heading towards the almost empty nuclear energy container.

He just injected a drop of the strange liquid from his vial into the machine's energy reservoir.

*bing bing*

"I've got plenty of energy," I say, finishing the preparations for activating the portal.

I could see that the energy in the machine has become more than sufficient. I don't know the nature of this stuff, but it would solve the energy problem Ford's machine has.

I'm sure this stuff could easily sell for a lot, but I doubt Leylin would give me any for free. Maybe if I offer to completely forget the past...

"Where did you get these nuclear wastes, Uncle Stan?" Dipper asks, looking at the nuclear label on the old metal barrels next to the energy reservoir.

"I borrowed them from a nearby nuclear plant," I reply, trying to avoid his reproachful gaze.

"Looks like you're done," Leylin states, observing the control panels, or more precisely the countdown.

"Yeah, the portal will open in 18 hours, but the time could possibly shorten because of that weird stuff you used," I explain, looking towards the control panel.

"I see. I won't bother you anymore, but one last thing."

After these words, Leylin took a look at all of Ford's journals and used a strange light during his act thanks to strange symbols.

"See you later," he says, wanting to leave, but Dipper rushes to the elevator to block his way.

"Shit," he can't just let this monster leave my house.

...

Leylin Blight's POV

"Is there a problem, Dipper?" I ask, slightly frowning.

"Please, teach me magic!!!" Dipper shouts, closing his eyes.

"Huh!" I was so surprised by the turn of events that I couldn't help but let out a strange sound.

"I know it's sudden and we don't know each other well enough, but I really want to learn how to defend myself," Dipper explains with a sincere tone of voice.

I was conflicted about this request. On one hand, I just want to manipulate him to accelerate the confrontation with Bill Cipher and continue on my way, but on the other hand, I need the mistrust and fear around me to dissipate slightly to guarantee our victory over bill.

"Hmm... I refuse. You don't have what it takes," I say honestly.

"Why?" Dipper asks, slightly confused.

"You won't be able to handle the training, and the motivation that drives you will never make you a good magus or witch," I say, removing the illusion that makes me appear "human".

The moment I removed the illusion that made me look human, I could see the astonishment on their faces.

"You don't have a strong enough motivation to give up your loved ones and follow me on my path, Dipper. So you can never really become my student," I explain firmly, exposing the truth.

Why did I recruit Willow back then? It's simple, she was desperate and easy to shape, but Dipper is different.

He literally attacked Ford when he had slight doubts about him and even scanned his mind to learn more about Ford. He's too paranoid to be easily manipulated and shaped like Willow.

I can allow him to use real magic in theory and not just glyphs. I've been able to study the case of Beast and Huntress who aren't witches but have access to magic.

I would just need to give him titan bone marrow, but also experiment on him...

I need a more manipulable human but not stupid either. I could find that later.

Conclusion: there's no way I'm taking Dipper Pines as a magic student, despite his many qualities that I respect.

He's incredibly brave despite his 12 years and he was unable to abandon Mabel to follow his dreams by leaving with Ford, but surprisingly the opposite has been done several times.

In summary: I want to recruit him but I won't allow him to take the path of magic.

"I..." Dipper seemed to be in an internal conflict.

"Here, it's a little gift," I say, giving him the knowledge of the Farlier family's knight training method and things to consume to accelerate the training.

It's useless information for me, but for Dipper, it's the equivalent of getting a future superpower.

"Thanks Leylin, it's not magic but it's still incredible," Dipper declares. I can see he's sincere.

He shouldn't have any problems in high school or on Earth if he can reach the level of knight or even grand knight, but I doubt it.

You have to experience a near-death experience and reach the peak of the preparatory knight level to evolve to the knight level.

It's the same for the grand knight. I know Dipper is brave, but I don't see him being stupid enough to voluntarily put himself in danger just for a gain in strength.

Personally, I used oracle magic and the help of my inner version to live a near-death experience, and Willow underwent nightmarish dreams to become a knight and later a grand knight.

"What about me? Can you teach me magic?" Mabel suddenly asks.

Thankfully Stan intervened to try to reason with Mabel.

"Mabel, we know almost nothing about him and he's clearly not human," Stan explains, glancing at me, particularly at my ears.

"I know, Uncle Stan, but... But Leylin is clearly not bad and besides, it's every young girl's dream to do magic," Mabel responds in a determined tone.

Shit, I find myself involved in a family dispute.

"I can't teach you. I was born biologically with magic and if you want to learn by another method then..." I didn't say more, I don't think she'll want to leave everything behind to follow the path of a magus.

This reminds me of Wilson Merlin, a wizard from a novel called "A Wizard's Secret".

This man literally left everything behind to follow magic. He returned home after years, even decades .

He finds himself seeing his children and grandchildren as strangers, unfortunately for him it was reciprocal.

The pursuit of eternity and truth has no end, but it comes at a price. Willow will understand this in 200 years when all her loved ones are dead from old age.

"What's the other method?" Mabel asks excitedly. It seems she believes she has a chance of being accepted.

Now that I think about it, I haven't checked her talent for being a magus.