In front of the checkout counter at Flourish and Blotts, a long line was forming, mostly consisting of young wizards who had come to purchase their textbooks for the new semester.
It was almost Lucien’s turn.
Hermione, who was standing behind him, gritted her teeth and asked: “Lu, Lucien, you bought so many books, will you be able to finish them?” Lucien turned his head and shrugged: “Just about.
Anyway, by the time I finish these, school will be starting.
I can just go to the Hogwarts Library then.” Hermione’s eyes widened slightly; she had meant to ask if Lucien could finish all these books within a year.
Was he actually planning to read them all before school started?
There was only one month left.
Looking at Lucien’s handsome profile, Hermione felt that his gaze was very serious, and he didn’t seem to be bragging.
Just as Hermione was about to say something, it was Lucien’s turn to pay.
Lucien took out a handful of Galleons and handed them to the clerk.
Glancing at the book on top of the pile, “Magical Creatures Care Guide,” Lucien added: “If you want to read it, I can lend it to you once school starts.” “Ah, thank you.” Hermione nodded repeatedly.
As long as she had books to read, she didn’t mind.
The clerk quickly counted the change, and Lucien picked up the books and left.
He didn’t wait there for Hermione to finish paying or make small talk.
Lucien couldn’t wait to go home and absorb the knowledge in the books.
Of course, he was even more eager to check on his pet, the divine beast Little Qilin.
— Greenwood Manor.
Lucien looked at the egg on his bed and couldn’t help but fall into deep thought.
The egg was about half a meter high; Lucien could just barely wrap his arms around it.
“System, what is this?
Where is my Little Qilin?” [Host, this is a Little Qilin…
egg.] Lucien’s mouth twitched.
“Uh, System, are you sure Little Qilin is born from an egg?” […This is more convenient.] Ignoring the System, which was trying to act cute with its robotic voice, Lucien leaned in to observe the Little Qilin egg.
“How long until it hatches?” [Three.] …
After waiting a few seconds, the System didn’t continue.
Lucien was speechless and didn’t really want to play along with the System’s joke.
“Two, one?” Crack, crack, crack— A crack appeared on the surface of the eggshell.
Immediately after, numerous cracks spread across the shell, accompanied by a rustling sound.
The top half of the eggshell shattered, and a small head poked out.
A pair of large, golden-red eyes looked at Lucien.
The gaze was clear and bright, as if looking at its closest being.
The Little Qilin was covered in fine, pale gold scales, and the short horns on its head had not yet fully grown.
“Hungry—” A childish voice appeared directly in Lucien’s mind.
Lucien looked at the Little Qilin in surprise.
Telepathic communication?
Is this a talent of the Little Qilin, or a result of the System?
“I’m hungry—” Another voice entered Lucien’s mind.
At the same time, the Little Qilin’s mouth opened.
Lucien asked the System directly: “What does a Little Qilin eat?” [Pure dew, the essence of plants and trees.] Dew is literal, but it was already night, so Lucien couldn’t get any.
“What does the essence of plants and trees include?
Ordinary fruits and vegetables?
Herbs?” [It includes all of those.
The older the plant, the higher the quality, and the richer the essence it contains.] Lucien immediately walked out of the bedroom and instructed a maid: “Losia, prepare some fruits and vegetables and bring them to my room.
Bring some of the herbs stored in the house as well.” After giving the instructions, Lucien returned to the room and, looking at the young Little Qilin, said gently: “Just wait a little longer.” Hearing Lucien’s soothing words, the Little Qilin actually nodded in a human-like manner.
Lucien was somewhat surprised.
“You, can you understand me?” “A little bit—” That same childish voice echoed directly in Lucien’s mind.
Lucien communicated with the Little Qilin for a while and discovered that its intelligence was already equivalent to that of a five- or six-year-old human child.
It could simply express its needs, but since it had just been born, it still lacked knowledge of the world.
Within ten minutes, the maid Losia knocked on Lucien’s door.
Lucien went out and took two trays from her.
One contained common fruits and vegetables like tomatoes, radishes, and apples.
The other plate held a few herbs.
He brought them to the Little Qilin.
The Little Qilin stretched out its body and sniffed them one by one.
With a forceful inhale, small wisps of cyan-green energy emerged from the fruits, vegetables, and herbs, drifting into the Little Qilin’s nose and mouth.
While observing the Little Qilin’s unique way of eating, Lucien asked the System: “What abilities does a Little Qilin have?” [Control fire] [Ride clouds and mist] [Telepathic communication] [Sense the goodwill and malice of other living beings] [Strong magic resistance; only a very small number of magic spells can harm a Little Qilin] [Qilin blood has the effect of curing diseases and prolonging life; it is an excellent material for making Potions] [Born with the ability to use Apparition; at the same time, it can lock down a certain range of space, causing Apparition within that range to fail] Lucien stroked his chin, marveling at it.
It truly is a divine beast; its abilities are not only diverse but also extremely powerful.
Being able to sense the malice of living beings, combined with strong magic resistance, means the Little Qilin can naturally avoid many disasters.
With Apparition, running away is even more convenient.
If it were used for delivering letters, it would definitely be much faster than those round-faced fat owls.
Furthermore, the Little Qilin is a divine beast after all; its combat power shouldn’t be bad once it grows up.
Coupled with the ability to lock down space, in future battles, it could even cut off the enemy’s escape route.
As for the Qilin blood that can cure diseases and prolong life, it made Lucien fall into deep thought.
Judging by the System’s description, his Little Qilin is very different from the native Qilin of this world.
He didn’t know if, in the perception of those wizards, the native Qilin blood had similar miraculous effects.
If the Qilin of this world also had such effects, then before his own strength increased or the Little Qilin grew up, he couldn’t expose its existence casually, lest it attract unwanted covetousness.
“I still need to read and master more knowledge.” Lucien rubbed his forehead.
He turned his head to look at the pile of books on the desk.
Lucien raised his wand.
Pointing it at “Magical Creatures Care Guide,” he said: “Accio Book.”