#769 - Nick Flamel (asking for monthly ticket recommendation)

As the young wizards were enjoying their vacation, Anduin quietly left the manor and arrived at a café near the opera house on the south bank of the Seine in Paris.

There, Anduin saw Dumbledore, who had been waiting for a long time. The old man's strange appearance didn't attract the attention of the surrounding Muggles, as he knew the other party must have used magic to influence the crowd.

"Good afternoon," Dumbledore said, raising his coffee cup as a greeting as Anduin walked in.

“You're here so early; I thought I was late,” Anduin could tell that Dumbledore had been in the shop for a while.

"I couldn't resist the deliciousness of the coffee. This shop has been in Paris for over fifty years, and I suggest you try it too," Dumbledore said, smacking his lips after putting down his cup.

"Sounds good, but let's take care of business first."

"Hehe, young people are so energetic, unlike an old man like me, who only knows how to enjoy life," Dumbledore said, patting his robe as he stood up. "Come on, let's go."

With that, Dumbledore led Anduin through the back door of the café and through the small alleys of the residential area until they arrived at an inconspicuous dead end.

"Nicolas Flamel lives in a place like this?"

Anduin raised his eyebrows in surprise. He thought the legendary alchemist would stay in some deep mountain forest. He expected Dumbledore to take him Apparating after meeting him here, but it turned out that he was brought to the café purely because it was nearby.

"Otherwise? Although Nicolas is reclusive, it doesn't mean he likes to live like a hermit. This kind of place, located in the city center and quite quiet, is more concealed than the wilderness," Dumbledore said with a smile to Anduin, then took out his wand and tapped it in the air, as if sending a message.

Is this the so-called 'hiding in plain sight'? Anduin nodded silently in his heart. No wonder people in the literature always saw Nicolas in places like opera houses. It seems that he is not the kind of person who is indifferent to worldly affairs.

Soon after Dumbledore released the signal, the air seemed to open up, and a palm-sized piece of parchment floated out, landing in the old man's hand.

Then Dumbledore showed Anduin the content on the note, which was a line of address. Obviously, Nicolas's house was also protected by the Fidelius Charm.

After seeing the address, the dead end in front of them suddenly disappeared, and a three-story cottage with a rural style appeared. The cottage even had a yard around it, which was quite outrageous.

The appearance of such a building in the center of Paris surprised Anduin. This Mr. Flamel seems to have a peculiar sense of humor, making his residence so incompatible with the surrounding style.

"Hey, Nicolas, Perenelle!" Dumbledore shouted loudly as soon as he entered the yard, not at all worried that his voice would disturb the residents outside the yard.

With his call, an old man opened the door. Nicolas Flamel looked very thin, with white hair just past his shoulders. His skin was much paler than normal, but his complexion looked good. Although there were wrinkles on his face, they were not obvious.

His wife, Perenelle, who was behind him, was in a similar state to Nicolas, looking like a well-maintained old woman. Judging from her appearance, she must have been a beauty when she was young.

"Albus, long time no see. Perenelle just made a jar of honey milk candy a few days ago, and it tastes amazing," Nicolas said, smiling at Dumbledore.

"That's great," Dumbledore laughed heartily. "I've always missed Perenelle's craftsmanship."

"Wonderful things must be shared to be appreciated," Nicolas said, then looked at Anduin next to him. "This must be Anduin, whom you always talk about. He's really a talented person, even more handsome than I saw in the newspaper. His achievements in alchemy are even more remarkable. Maybe it won't be long before you surpass me."

"You flatter me," Anduin said modestly with a slight bow. "Mr. Flamel is a legendary figure in the minds of all alchemists. How dare I compare with you?"

Anduin had complex feelings towards Nicolas Flamel, with both admiration and reverence for the legendary alchemist, and a secret fear of him in his heart.

He knew that this old man was probably connected to the plague hundreds of years ago, and his position was still unknown in Anduin's eyes.

Nicolas was very frank about Anduin's modesty.

"You don't have to belittle yourself," Nicolas said with a smile, shaking his head. "I am a loyal customer of Silver Spark Trading Company. Many of your works are very novel to an old antique like me. By the way, what is this 'Magic Net' mentioned in the newspaper? When will you be able to roll it out in France? I can't wait."

"Alright, stop complimenting each other," Perenelle said with a smile, beckoning to the two. "Let's talk inside. Don't just stand outside."

"Yes, yes, yes!" Nicolas's nostrils made a slight humming sound. "Sorry, I'm getting old and like to ramble. If Perenelle hadn't reminded me, I would have forgotten to greet the guests."

Then the Flamels opened the door and led the two into the house. As soon as Anduin came in, he found that there was no magic used to expand the space, just an ordinary house.

Even in his perception, the cottage itself did not have any extra protective magic, and even the most basic Floo Network was not connected.

"Come, sit down. Perenelle and I don't like overly extravagant environments, so the place is small. Please make do with it," Nicolas said, pointing to the small living room.

Although the space here was not large, it was decorated very warmly and full of life.

After sitting down, Nicolas took the lead in chatting with Dumbledore about their family affairs. The two sometimes recalled the past and sometimes shared their recent situations, allowing Anduin to see the sincerity of the friendship between them.

Nicolas showed a strong curiosity about Anduin. From time to time, he took out the products he bought from Silver Spark Trading Company from the drawer next to him and discussed alchemy topics with Anduin.

When talking about the unique features of the props, Nicolas was generous with his praise.

From the simple exchanges, Anduin could feel that Nicolas's alchemy skills were indeed extraordinary. Many techniques that he had studied for many years to understand were like readily available skills in the other party's eyes.

From the perspective of craftsmanship and technology, Nicolas's accumulation had reached its peak, allowing Anduin to absorb a lot of valuable experience from his unconscious words.

This included the history of various runes and spells, unpopular combinations, and some unique techniques for making alchemical items.

"On this 'Children's Mirror', you actually used the rare 'Soul Tracing' rune to peek into the past images through the wizard's soul. From a creative point of view, it's really a masterpiece."

Nicolas praised endlessly.

"And your prop only sells for 5 Galleons. It must be even cheaper in the UK. But at such a cheap price, you can make the runes engraved in each 'Children's Mirror' exactly the same. This is something I can't even do."

After praising, Nicolas suddenly shook his head. "It's a pity that the 'Soul Tracing' rune on this 'Children's Mirror' is incomplete."

"But that's understandable. The creator of this rune, Morgan le Fay, was a figure of the same era as Merlin. It's really difficult to pass down the rune completely."

Then Nicolas smiled and looked at Anduin. "You're lucky. I happen to have the complete 'Soul Tracing' rune here. I'll give it to you as a gift."

"Are you serious?" Anduin was overjoyed when he heard this. He didn't expect to get such a big harvest from Nicolas.

'Soul Tracing' was an incomplete rune that Anduin had dug up from an ancient book during his travels. Its complete function is now unknown.

After a long period of research, Anduin had only developed two basic functions: observing the soul and recalling the appearance through the soul.

The technique used to observe Voldemort's soul before was also obtained from 'Soul Tracing'.

But other than that, the incomplete 'Soul Tracing' had no other use. Even the possibility of restoration was extremely slim due to the complex structure of the rune.

Therefore, in Anduin's eyes, 'Soul Tracing' was very tasteless. For this reason, he only made a toy like the Children's Mirror, and the resulting income could not even compensate for the time he wasted on it.

But Nicolas actually had the complete 'Soul Tracing' rune here, which was great news for him.

What surprised him even more was that the other party was willing to give it to him. Given the rarity of this rune, it was no less than a primitive rune.

"Of course, it's true. This kind of dead object has no value to me now, and I'm looking forward to what amazing works you can create with it."

Nicolas laughed heartily, as if it were just an easily obtained miscellaneous item.

"Thank you so much," Anduin nodded sincerely, then took out the wooden box containing the Philosopher's Stone from his body as if he remembered something. "Sorry, I was so engrossed in talking to you that I forgot to return this treasure to its original owner."

"Ah, the Philosopher's Stone. It doesn't matter if you don't return it to me so early. The elixir of immortality can still be used for a long time."

Nicolas opened the wooden box and glanced at it casually, then looked at Anduin curiously. "You must have studied the Philosopher's Stone for a long time. I wonder if you have gained any special inspiration from it?"

"It is indeed an alchemical treasure," Anduin did not hide his love for the Philosopher's Stone. "Almost infinite magic power and extremely pure life energy. Having it is like having infinite possibilities."

"You even study life energy? What a remarkable young man," Nicolas turned to look at his wife. "When I was Anduin's age, I was just a fool who couldn't even carve runes clearly."

Perenelle looked at her husband, then focused her gaze on the Philosopher's Stone, a faint smile on her serene face. "You also said that when you first met Albus. It's not polite to praise others in front of them now."

Nicolas chuckled when he heard this. "Haha, it is a symbol of progress in the wizarding world that young people can surpass the older generation. I believe Albus thinks so too."

"That's right," Dumbledore also nodded in agreement. "As an educator, wouldn't it be our dereliction of duty if the younger generation is not as good as the previous one?"

Then Dumbledore added, "But even so, Anduin's achievements have exceeded my expectations. That's why I often mention him to you. You have to help me take care of him."

The meaning in Dumbledore's words was very clear. He hoped that Nicolas Flamel could guide Anduin.

"I believe in your judgment," Nicolas nodded to Dumbledore, then looked at Anduin. "The Philosopher's Stone is indeed a treasure. Have you ever thought about becoming its owner?"

"Its current owner is you," Anduin looked at Nicolas with a calm expression. "And for me, the research value of the Philosopher's Stone is more important."

"Research value? Just like I was back then..."

Nicolas muttered to himself, staring intently at Anduin's eyes, as if trying to see something.

"It seems that you are more sober than I thought, and your willpower is also surprisingly firm. No wonder you have achieved today's achievements," Nicolas nodded with satisfaction.

"But since you mentioned research value, what do you think is the most fascinating value of the Philosopher's Stone?"

Anduin was also staring at Nicolas at this time, then said softly, as if there were hidden meanings in his words, "That is naturally the method of making the Philosopher's Stone. I hope it is not what I think it is."

Nicolas and Perenelle were slightly stunned when they heard this, and looked at each other involuntarily. Then Perenelle suddenly turned her head and smiled at Dumbledore, "Albus, would you like to come to the kitchen with me and try some of the new desserts I have prepared? You are an expert in this area, and I would like to hear your opinion."

Try desserts? Is it necessary to go to the kitchen specifically to try them? Wouldn't it be better to bring them out for everyone to taste together?

Dumbledore was a little puzzled, but he also saw that Nicolas seemed to have something to say to Anduin alone, so he nodded in agreement.

After Dumbledore and Perenelle left the living room, Nicolas looked at Anduin again. "It seems that you have your own guess about the way the Philosopher's Stone is made. Can you share it with me?"

Seeing Perenelle's behavior of dismissing Dumbledore, Anduin had already made a judgment in his heart, then stared straight at Nicolas with a straight face, muttering, "Black Death!"