Chapter 118: Chapter 118: The 'Protagonist's' Treatment and Gains
Sophia's Tavern, a gem embedded in the heart of the ancient merchant town, glimmered with the light of ages.
The guest rooms, a hidden and cozy corner of this gem, offered a peaceful haven for weary merchants.
The light in the room was soft and dim.
On a bed made of rough cloth and soft hay, Ino applied White Fresh Essence to himself, reflecting on the events of the past few days.
It had been a week since the Kelin Town Tower incident, and he had been in a coma for an entire week, only fully waking up this morning.
Thanks to the wizard's constitution, even severe burns healed completely with the help of potions.
A lot had happened while he was unconscious.
The curse on Kelin Town was lifted.
The Grimm brothers found the missing girls in the coffins. Fortunately, they were unharmed, merely unconscious.
The whole story seemed to be over.
...
Ino stood up and put on the linen robe hanging by the bed.
The custom-made robe from his elegant outfit had long been burnt beyond recognition, but he was grateful that he had thrown away his wand at the last moment.
After putting on the medieval linen robe, his gaze naturally turned to the small storage shelf by the bedside, which held his wand, dice, and a small wooden box.
These items were picked up by the Grimm brothers while he was unconscious, and the wooden box was a gift from William, containing half a box of magic beans.
The three magic beans in his pocket had already been consumed by the flames, along with the matches left by Old John.
He accepted this box of magic beans without guilt.
Not to mention the great cost he had paid before, just being the protagonist of the story meant that even if he emptied the tower, he would remain unharmed.
This was the treatment of a protagonist.
Just like Aladdin obtaining the magic lamp, or Ali Baba finding the thieves' treasure, whatever the protagonist gains in the story is reasonable.
Lost in thought, Ino looked out the window, where the merchant town appeared desolate in the twilight.
The merchants had already parked their carriages, packed up their goods, and entered the tavern in groups, chatting or exchanging market information.
Only a few attendants guarding the carriages remained in the square.
As the sky darkened, he picked up his wand.
"Incendio!"
A brass oil lamp on the table was lit, the flickering flame adding a touch of warmth to the room.
But that wasn't the point.
Ino lowered his head, staring blankly at his wand.
After a moment, he spoke again.
"Incendio!"
The flame at the tip of the wand was no longer the bright blaze it had been.
Instead, it was deep and restrained, a flame of hope and redemption, similar to the one from Old John's matches.
...
In the room, the light flickered between bright and dim.
Time seemed to rewind to last summer, under the bridge by the Thames, where the light had similarly flickered.
The Fire Making Spell, or the Fire Making Charm, was the first spell he learned after obtaining his wand, one he had played with for over an hour.
But later, after entering Hogwarts and a new Narnia, learning more spells, the Fire Making Charm was only occasionally used to light the fireplace.
Today, this spell became magical again. It was no longer an ordinary flame, but a symbol of redemption, hope, the weakest yet most tenacious persistence.
This flame was no longer ordinary; it felt like a sacred fire.
"This...this is like a realistic version of 'A Song of Ice and Fire,'"
Ino murmured to himself.
After a brief contemplation, he roughly understood the reason for the change in the flame.
It likely required two crucial conditions: using up all the matches at once and setting oneself on fire to save others.
Of course, above these two conditions, there was a hidden one—being the protagonist.
Otherwise, just setting oneself on fire would be a gamble with life, not to mention the subsequent rescue of others. If not the protagonist, anyone doing this would be making a self-sacrificing act.
But fortunately, everything ended smoothly.
Looking at the change in the Fire Making Charm, Ino couldn't help but recall in the original story, Dumbledore using the Fountain of Magical Brethren in the Ministry of Magic hall to create a water prison, and later, the spectacular Firestorm spell.
The former involved elemental transfiguration, the latter was an advanced application of the Fire Making Charm.
...
Time passed silently.
The sky over the merchant town had completely darkened.
In Sophia's Tavern, Ino extinguished the oil lamp in the room, then quietly opened the window.
With a soft "poof," an elegant black swan appeared above the town.
As the protagonist of the story, he now had to clean up the battlefield at the tower and collect his spoils.
After all, the treatment of a protagonist was rare, almost once in a century.
Imagine meeting the storyteller in the story, and this person writes you as the protagonist...though it's a bit convoluted, that's the reality.
Unless he meets someone named Andersen next and successfully gains their trust, this kind of protagonist treatment is almost one-time.
...
In the deep, ink-like night sky, a black swan danced silently.
The black swan's feathers blended perfectly with the darkness, making it almost undetectable.
Every gentle flap of its wings seemed to stir the still air, yet everything returned to calm instantly, leaving an invisible trail across the night sky.
About an hour later.
In the sky, Ino looked at the familiar tower, feeling as if a lifetime had passed.
The tower remained unchanged, the stone coffins remained unchanged, everything around remained unchanged.
Of course, setting aside the visual perception, everything here had changed.
The ominous atmosphere like that of a graveyard had disappeared from the air, and the forest and soil were nurturing new life. Perhaps by next September's harvest festival, this place would be green and full of life again.
Finding the right angle, Ino swooped through a window.
Entering the room, he was greeted by emptiness.
It seemed the Grimm brothers had already visited. The delicate candlesticks, gold and silver utensils, and even some of the paintings on the walls were gone.
"Aparecium!"
Holding his wand, Ino pointed it at the floor, and the incantation echoed in the empty room.
Moments later, a section of the wall began to glow faintly, as if a hidden power was being awakened.
A trace of joy flashed in his eyes. He finally found the hidden items, making this trip worthwhile.
"Alohomora!"
As the spell fell, the wall slowly separated, revealing a small hidden cabinet.
The cabinet was about a foot square, embedded in the wall.
Inside were two yellowed books, their edges worn, exuding an ancient feel.
Interestingly, these two books gave no sense of dark magic or evil, just like normal books.
But to be safe, Ino cast a detection spell, and after confirming there was no danger, he took the books from the cabinet.
In the following time, he thoroughly inspected the entire tower, including the twelve black coffins below.
After ensuring there were no omissions, he returned to Sophia's Tavern with the two books.
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