"I don't want this to be your engagement ring!"
"And I don't like you at all!"
With her face burning red, Cassandra turned and ran away again.
Lucas stood there watching her disappear before sighing helplessly.
"…Actually, I know she likes me."
The system instantly reacted.
"Ding! Astonishing breakthrough detected. The host has finally evolved beyond being a giant block of wood."
Lucas rolled his eyes.
"That's not it."
He shook his head slowly.
"Looking back now, Cassandra obviously misunderstood my intentions from the start."
"But even after misunderstanding, she still allowed me to place the ring on her finger."
"So I made a bold guess."
Lucas smiled bitterly.
"Until now, I genuinely had no idea what she was thinking."
"Apparently this is what people mean when they say girls speak differently from what they actually feel."
"She clearly likes me, but she still says she doesn't."
He paused briefly.
"If this had happened in my previous life…"
"I probably would've believed her completely."
Lucas suddenly felt strangely melancholic.
"…Thinking about it now, I may really have missed a lot of things back then."
The system answered mercilessly.
"Ding! The host deserved to remain single for thirty years."
"…Shut up."
Then the system spoke again.
"Ding! Mission completed successfully."
"Reward: Random treasure chest."
"Would the host like to open it?"
Lucas immediately forgot his embarrassment.
"Open it!"
"Ding! Treasure chest opened successfully."
"Congratulations, host. You have obtained: Hound Step."
"Ding! Because the skill originated from another world, the system has automatically adapted it into local magical form."
Lucas's eyes widened instantly.
On his status panel, a new spell had already appeared.
[Magic: Hound Step]
The moment the thought crossed his mind—
Lucas vanished instantly.
Then reappeared three meters away.
Teleportation magic?!
His expression brightened immediately.
In his previous life, this had been a combat technique from a game called Elden Ring.
Originally, it was a weapon skill that allowed rapid short-distance movement in combat.
But after being assimilated into this world by the system, it had become an actual magical technique.
Lucas tested it repeatedly.
Each activation allowed him to instantly blink anywhere within roughly ten meters.
Most importantly—
Unlike Apparition, this ability activated almost instantly and carried no danger of Splinching whatsoever.
Lucas became increasingly excited.
If mastered fully, this spell would make him nearly impossible to predict during combat.
He could appear behind enemies like a ghost at any moment.
And unlike many of his system abilities—
This magic could actually be taught to other people.
That meant anyone important to him in the future could potentially gain an additional life-saving method.
Lucas nodded with satisfaction.
This reward was incredible.
…
From that day onward, Cassandra deliberately avoided Lucas for several days.
Fortunately, Cassandra's emotional resilience was fairly strong.
And Lucas's shamelessness level was equally impressive.
So after several awkward days, the two eventually returned to normal interactions.
Strictly speaking…
They actually became slightly closer than before.
Time passed quietly.
Lucas remained at the Greengrass estate recovering for most of the month while continuously studying inside the family library.
During that period, he learned an enormous amount of magical knowledge.
By the end of July, his body had finally recovered completely.
And so—
The day of departure arrived.
Lucas stood at the estate entrance while saying goodbye to the Greengrass family.
"Can't you just stay here?" Cassandra asked quietly.
Although her expression remained calm, her eyes completely exposed her true feelings.
Lucas smiled helplessly.
"I can't live at your house forever, Cassandra."
After all, he was still technically a guest.
There was no reason to permanently stay in someone else's home.
He wasn't a live-in son-in-law.
"There's nothing wrong with that," Cassandra muttered softly.
Mr. Greengrass laughed warmly beside them.
"You're welcome here anytime," he said sincerely. "And I'm sure Cassandra agrees."
"Hmph."
Cassandra crossed her arms immediately.
"I don't care whether this idiot stays or not."
Mrs. Greengrass gently rubbed Cassandra's head before turning toward Lucas.
"I've already asked Kafi to escort you to Diagon Alley," she said. "By now, I assume you've already learned a little about the place."
Lucas nodded politely.
"Thank you very much. That helps me a lot."
Then he looked toward Cassandra again.
"Don't look so unhappy."
"Professor Dumbledore said that parting is only preparation for a better reunion."
"We'll meet again at Hogwarts soon anyway."
Cassandra remained silent.
But subconsciously, her left hand gently touched the ring still worn carefully on her right hand.
Lucas waved goodbye.
Then he grabbed Kafi's hand.
Pop!
The two vanished instantly.
The moment Lucas disappeared, Cassandra finally muttered quietly—
"Hmph. If you don't write to me…"
"You're dead."
…
Pop!
Lucas and Kafi reappeared beside a shop near the entrance of Diagon Alley.
Lucas blinked slightly.
Interesting.
House-elf Apparition felt much smoother and more comfortable than wizard Apparition.
He was not entirely sure whether this difference came from his prophecy side effects or simply because house-elves possessed superior spatial magic naturally.
"Mr. Summers!"
Kafi bowed deeply.
"Kafi will leave now. Please take care of yourself!"
"Kafi will miss you very much!"
Lucas smiled warmly.
"I'll miss you too, Kafi."
"Oh—and please tell Cassandra I won't forget to write to her."
Kafi's eyes instantly became watery again.
"Yes! Kafi will definitely tell Miss Cassandra!"
Pop!
The house-elf disappeared.
Now alone, Lucas finally began properly examining Diagon Alley.
The place looked extremely similar to the version from the films he remembered.
However, the real Diagon Alley was much larger and far busier than the movies ever showed.
The streets were wider.
The shops stretched farther.
And people were everywhere.
Lucas looked around with great interest.
Still, before anything else—
He had one important destination.
Gringotts.
Lucas pulled out the map Cassandra had drawn for him personally before leaving.
After checking the directions carefully, he headed straight toward the famous wizarding bank.
Not long afterward—
Lucas stepped into Gringotts with obvious anticipation in his eyes.
After all…
His storage ring was currently packed full of solid gold bars.
....
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