A world-renowned name in the wizarding world, he was a fourteenth-century French alchemist who successfully created the Philosopher's Stone, using it multiple times to transform mercury into gold.
Using the Philosopher's Stone, Nicolas produced the Elixir of Life, allowing him to survive from the fourteenth century to the present day. His profound knowledge and mastery of alchemy have made his writings the foundation for many aspiring alchemists—Makiya included.
"Unfortunately, those confiscated by Professor Snape have already been damaged," Dumbledore said, handing the firearm to Makiya.
"Damaged?" Makiya looked perplexed. He took the weapon and performed a practiced inspection, discovering that the internal inscriptions were severely worn and corroded.
He pointed the muzzle at his own left hand and funneled magic into it.
Pfft.
A faint sound came from within the weapon as a pale blue orb of magical energy bumped into Makiya's hand, feeling as soft and harmless as a lover's caress.
"This is a sign of extreme overuse. That shouldn't be possible. I tested the design myself; it should withstand at least fifteen hundred mana injections," Makiya muttered, completely baffled. "This gun was sold less than two weeks ago. Surely the owner isn't 'shooting his gun' every single day? Could his stamina even keep up?"
"Young wizards always have boundless energy." Dumbledore popped another Fizzing Whizbee into his mouth, letting the sweet flavor wash through him with a blissful smile. "Have you brought any new works? I wouldn't want my old friend to think I'm prone to exaggeration."
"I did, I did!" Makiya quickly lifted the bag at his feet and placed it on the desk, opening it to reveal an assortment of firearms and gadgets that looked like a small armory.
"Are these enough? If not, I can bring more."
"They are more than enough!" Dumbledore waved his wand to seal the bag. "Fawkes, if you would be so kind."
Fawkes was Dumbledore's phoenix, a bird of brilliant crimson with golden tail feathers and claws.
Phoenixes in this world are highly intelligent magical creatures, symbolizing hope, rebirth, and loyalty. They possess extraordinary strength, powerful magic, and tears with incredible healing properties.
Dumbledore routinely used Fawkes as a delivery owl.
Hearing the call, Fawkes woke from his nap on the perch and soared into the air, circling the room twice before diving down to snatch the bundle. In a flash of fire, he vanished.
It was a form of spatial teleportation.
After Fawkes left, Dumbledore began chatting with Makiya about daily life—simple, mundane matters. He seemed to have no intention of mentioning Makiya's side business of selling alchemical items.
Makiya didn't bring it up either, following Dumbledore's lead and chatting idly.
Lemon Sherbet was a hard candy coated in powdered sugar. During their conversation, the rich citrus aroma filled the air, putting Makiya in a pleasant mood.
Suddenly, Makiya felt a peculiar surge of magic. A mass of flames erupted above the office, and Fawkes emerged from the fire.
The phoenix held a letter in its talons. After dropping the letter to Dumbledore, Fawkes circled once and landed on Makiya's shoulder with a melodious cry.
Dumbledore caught the letter and immediately tore it open, reading the parchment in silence.
A gold badge fell out of the envelope, its purpose unknown.
Another soft cry reached his ears as Fawkes lowered its head and nudged Makiya, seeking his attention.
The bird's calls were melodic, and its feathers felt warm and soft to the touch.
For some reason, Makiya could understand its intent. He nodded in greeting. "Hello, Fawkes. I'm Makiya."
"Chirp chirp— Chirp chirp chirp..."
"Yes, I'm not a phoenix. I'm definitely human."
"Chirp chirp chirp..."
"I'm not sure either. Maybe my ancestors signed a contract with a phoenix? Who knows."
"Chirp! Chirp chirp..."
The human and the bird continued their conversation.
Soon, Dumbledore finished the letter. He tapped the gold badge twice with the Elder Wand before standing up to hand it to Makiya. "Congratulations, Nicolas has agreed. Goodness, it took quite a bit of persuasion. This is a Portkey. I have authorized it to function within Hogwarts. At 7:00 AM tomorrow, channel your magic into it, and it will take you to Nicolas."
"Thank you, Headmaster. I truly appreciate it!" Makiya said, stowing the badge with a solemn nod.
Dumbledore sat back, his blue eyes fixed on Makiya with a fatherly look. "If the power of these alchemical... firearms were any greater, I suspect you would soon be receiving orders from the Ministry of Magic. However, I hope you do not focus all your energy there. Mass-producing the same item won't help your growth much."
"Of course, I understand the priorities. I'll learn properly from Master Nicolas Flamel," Makiya agreed. "Besides, the current products have limited power and few functions. They aren't even bound to their owners yet, so they aren't truly finished products."
Makiya glanced at the scrapped firearm. "I don't want an alchemical gun to be picked up and used by an enemy during a fight. There's still a lot of room for improvement."
"A good mindset," Dumbledore nodded. "But I hope their power remains at this level while inside Hogwarts, all right?"
"Understood!"
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After leaving the Headmaster's office, Makiya's mood was still high, his steps light as he headed back to his cabin.
Once home, he immediately fashioned the gold badge into a necklace to keep it safe. Then he began packing, wondering what kind of gift to bring Nicolas Flamel.
The man had lived for nearly seven hundred years and likely wanted for nothing. Something novel would be his best bet.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. He opened it to find Hagrid.
His massive frame was nearly taller than Makiya's cabin. Hagrid leaned down, trying his best to shove a giant pillow into Makiya's arms.
Makiya held the pillow, which was taller than he was, feeling completely bewildered. "Hagrid, why the sudden gift?"
"When you treated me to hot pot a few days ago, didn't you say you weren't sleeping well? I made this specifically for you. It's stuffed with unicorn hair. It's incredibly comfortable!" Hagrid said with a grin.
"Oh, I see. Thank you... wait!"
"Hagrid, did you just say it's full of unicorn hair?!" Makiya asked again, fearing he had misheard.
"Of course," Hagrid said as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "The unicorns in the Forbidden Forest and I get along quite well. I often brush them during their shedding season, so I just collected some along the way."
Good lord, Hagrid!
Makiya looked at the giant pillow and couldn't help but click his tongue in awe.
"Wait a moment, Hagrid. I have something for you too." Makiya went into his bedroom and brought out a massive double-barreled shotgun. It fit perfectly in Hagrid's large hands.
"Your hand-crossbow is too inconvenient. This has more punch; you can use it for self-defense while patrolling the Forbidden Forest."
Hagrid left, cradling the double-barreled shotgun with joy.
Makiya closed the door and looked at the massive pillow. He whispered a silent apology to Hagrid as he reluctantly tore it open to process and preserve the usable hair.
As for the parts that were unusable, he used a potion to remove the scent and sewed a smaller pillow that was just right for himself.
That night, he slept exceptionally well.
When Makiya opened his eyes, he found himself on a familiar gray path.
He walked along the path toward the mysterious space. Finding that the other Makiyas were absent, he noticed two unfamiliar figures.
"Oh? Newcomers!"
"Great! Thank the Proctologist! I knew the mortality rate of transmigration couldn't be that high!"
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