Salazar Slytherin rarely smiled.
Rey didn't know where he had picked up this conclusion, but he believed it deeply.
So, when Salazar Slytherin smiled at him, Rey felt like a prey animal being eyed by a viper that had just spotted a particularly juicy meal.
It made Rey panic. It made him question whether his decision to learn the Dark Arts from Salazar Slytherin was brave or incredibly stupid.
But it was too late for doubts. He just had to go with the flow. At the very least, as long as Salazar hadn't broken ties with Godric Gryffindor yet, Rey wasn't in any mortal danger.
Felix Felicis. It was a gift from Salazar to Rey. And Rey was incredibly grateful for it; it had saved his life.
Logic dictates that once a gift is given, you don't ask for it back.
However, in extraordinary times, logic often goes out the window.
Rey understood this perfectly. If he hadn't drunk the potion clean, he would have handed it back to Salazar without hesitation.
---
"Not a single drop left?"
When Rey awkwardly admitted he had finished the entire bottle, Salazar Slytherin frowned and asked.
Rey nodded helplessly, looking embarrassed. He began to explain why he had consumed a whole bottle of Liquid Luck.
The reason was simple: he encountered a Dragon Soul. That excuse was sufficient. At least Salazar's face didn't get any colder.
Rey didn't tell the true story of what happened underground because it was too bizarre. Even he wasn't sure if what he saw was real or an illusion.
"Salazar, didn't you say the probability of encountering a Dragon Soul was pitifully low?"
Hearing Rey's explanation, Rowena Ravenclaw looked displeased. When she had questioned Salazar earlier, he had analyzed the situation and claimed the odds of Rey meeting a dragon were close to zero.
But he hadn't accounted for the unpredictability of luck. Rey had actually run into one.
Rowena was naturally protective of her student. If Salazar had put Rey in such danger, then Rey drinking the Felix Felicis to survive was only natural.
"Alright, alright. Salazar, even if the Felix Felicis wasn't used up, I wouldn't have drunk it."
Godric's hearty laughter filled the tent. He agreed to let Salazar take the potion back solely to soothe his friend's mood.
Even if that bottle were in his hand, Godric Gryffindor wouldn't drink a drop, not even on his deathbed.
Using Liquid Luck would defeat the purpose of a duel. Since Rey had drunk it, it actually suited Godric just fine.
---
"Since you've already drunk it, tell us about the Dragon Soul's strength and the battle," Rowena said.
As Rey's teacher, she always wore a kind smile. It was certainly much more approachable than Salazar Slytherin's.
Hearing that Rey was going to recount a battle with a dragon, even the four greatest wizards in history listened with rapt attention.
After all, the dragons they had seen and fought were powerful, yes, but they were vastly different from a true Ancient Dragon or a powerful Dragon Soul.
Rey steadied himself and tried to recall the "Century War" he witnessed in that strange world beyond the wasteland.
There were many dragons there, but the black dragon fighting the demon leader left the deepest impression.
Rey was certain that the dragon in the Forbidden Forest castle couldn't compare to the one on that battlefield. So, he mentally scaled down its size and power level to a reasonable ratio.
The result was the version the Founders heard now.
The dragon's physical body is tough; ordinary swords cannot harm it. Its wings can generate hurricane-force winds, and it breathes fire like magma.
Ordinary magic is ineffective against it. Furthermore, the dragon can use magic itself—exclusive Draconic Magic.
After Rey finished describing the scaled-down version of the battle, the group quickly reached a conclusion.
A physically strong dragon wasn't too worrying. Breathing fire was expected. But using magic? That was a problem.
The magic Rey described wasn't just an innate ability like breathing fire. It was casting spells, just like a wizard.
A dragon like that possessed high intelligence. And judging by the syllables Rey mimicked, it was undoubtedly Dragon Tongue magic.
This was going to be difficult.
Of the four, everyone except Godric Gryffindor lowered their heads in thought, trying to devise the safest strategy.
However, as Godric listened to Rey, the light in his eyes grew brighter and brighter, and a wide grin spread across his face.
He was incredibly satisfied with this dragon. Only a creature of this caliber was worth challenging.
When he first saw the dragon, he had hesitated. But hearing Rey's description now, he felt his blood burning.
It was excitement. This was exactly the kind of dragon he wanted.
He could finally rest easy knowing the black dragon was sufficiently powerful.
---
Rey's voice grew quieter and quieter until it was drowned out by Godric's ecstatic expression.
Then, under Salazar Slytherin's murderous gaze, Rey excused himself and backed out of the tent.
"Phew! ..."
Once outside, Rey let out a long breath. The pressure from Salazar had been immense. The old snake-charmer's eyes had practically turned into vertical slits. It was probably because Rey's story had successfully turned the crazy lion, Godric, into an even crazier lion.
Rey was genuinely afraid that a venomous snake might crawl into his bed tonight. It was his own fault for blabbering; his description of the dragon's power perfectly matched Godric's wildest fantasies.
"Hey. I heard you met a Dragon Soul?"
Just as Rey was lamenting the sharpness of Salazar's glare, Helena Ravenclaw appeared beside him out of nowhere.
Startled by her sudden, silent arrival, Rey froze for a second.
Suspicious, he asked, "How did you know that?"
Helena didn't answer. Her eyes lit up. "So you really did meet a giant dragon. It seems Terence wasn't lying."
Terence went to find Helena?
And he went immediately after getting back?
Was the guy really that desperate?
Rey had explicitly warned Terence that to get Helena's attention, he needed to stay away for a week to spark her curiosity.
Instead, Terence treated Rey's advice like a fart in the wind. The moment he returned, he couldn't resist running to Helena. He had probably embellished his own experience in the Valley of Evil Spirits while downplaying Rey's.
He likely ended with a mocking mutter: "Rey Faest just got lucky. He met a Dragon Soul and drank the entire bottle of Felix Felicis the teacher gave him. What a waste of a divine treasure."
And that was why Helena was here.
The mention of an "Evil Dragon Soul" had thoroughly piqued her curiosity.
---
Rey's face twitched. He felt a profound sense of exasperation, like a teacher watching a hopeless student.
Terence might be a decent noble and a skilled wizard, but when it came to chasing women, he was an absolute moron.
Helena had made him lose himself. He had lost his bearings.
A person who loses their bearings is like a car with no driver. Where is it going? What road is it on? They don't know anymore.
All they can see is the delusion in their own eyes.
And Terence Barrow's delusion was Helena snuggling into his arms, recounting his virtues, and gazing at him with deep affection.
---