Chapter 38: Gryffindor? A Guaranteed Victory?

Perhaps it wasn't just Ian's imagination.

After all—

The witch, despite appearing utterly furious, still hadn't made a move. Instead, she merely glared at Pandero and Ariana with eyes that seemed ready to burst into flames.

"Ian! We're here to save you!"

Pandero stormed in, brandishing a longsword with righteous fury.

But—

Unlike him, Ariana, who was more perceptive, quickly realized something was off. Inside the grand hall, Ian and Mara hardly looked like a captive and captor. A deep sense of embarrassment washed over her as she realized they might have made a terrible mistake.

"Pandero… Ian doesn't seem like he was taken by force…"

She whispered cautiously.

"Huh?"

Pandero looked puzzled.

"No way! I heard she loves eating kids!"

The overzealous swordsman remained firm in his judgment.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

It was the sound of Mara grinding her teeth in sheer frustration.

"My apologies, Professor. I forgot to find them and let them know I was safe."

Ian quickly stepped forward, trying to diffuse the tension.

"Get your friends off my property. Now."

Mara shifted some of her fury toward Ian, though from her reaction, it was clear she was wary of Pandero's intrusion.

"Huh?"

Even someone as slow as Pandero couldn't ignore the way Ian addressed the witch. His expression turned blank, and his face visibly flushed.

"…Did I get it wrong?"

The boyish-looking "old ghost" suddenly seemed at a complete loss.

He looked around, sword still drawn, yet utterly confused.

The imposing presence he had just moments ago—ready to cut down anything in his path—had vanished without a trace.

"Mara, I'm so sorry! We'll fix everything we broke!"

Ariana, overcome with shame, immediately bowed in apology.

"With his empty head? And you? A clueless little fool? I'd be surprised if you two could even put together a chair!"

Mara scoffed darkly, turning back to Ian with an irritable glare.

"Make them leave. They are not welcome here."

With that, the witch turned and strode deeper into the castle, her long robes billowing behind her. Though they didn't drag along the floor, the torn edge on one side was still quite noticeable.

Behind her, the animated furniture—chairs, tables, and benches—fled in terror.

"She's got a real nasty temper."

Pandero muttered the moment she was out of earshot.

"Pandero, stop. We were in the wrong this time. We destroyed a lot of her property."

Ariana sighed, still remorseful.

"Hmph. She tried to capture me before, so I'd say this just makes us even."

Pandero huffed, clearly holding a grudge.

It was evident—

He had encountered Mara before.

"I don't think Mara is that bad, though. She's taught me quite a bit."

Ian moved toward the entrance, finally getting a good look outside.

The ground was littered with shattered suits of armor, some still twitching feebly. A few severed torsos desperately crawled away, doing their best to put distance between themselves and Pandro.

"Maybe she just had a grudge against me when I was alive?"

Pandero mused uncertainly.

Like Ariana, he barely remembered his past.

He only recalled that he had been waiting for someone here.

Someone who never came.

The longer souls lingered in this mysterious realm, the more their memories of the living world faded. Eventually, they would forget everything—until the time came for them to move on.

"…Anyway, we really messed up this time."

Ariana sighed, anxiety written all over her face.

"At worst, we'll just compensate her with a dragon."

Pandero waved a hand dismissively.

"That one we ran into up north looked vicious enough. Only died a few years ago—way more intimidating than her pile of scrap metal."

Though still stubborn, even he seemed to realize they had made a mistake.

"I'll find a way to make it up to Mara."

Ian patted Pandero's shoulder.

Despite the chaos, he was touched by their "rescue" attempt.

No matter what—

The fact that they cared about his well-being meant a lot.

Even if they didn't realize—

In this dreamlike realm, no one could actually imprison him.

Once time ran out—

He would be sent back to the real world, no matter what.

"You're studying magic under Mara?"

Ariana asked, intrigued.

Ian nodded.

"She's incredibly knowledgeable. Thanks to her, I've already gained a strong head start compared to other young wizards."

He wasn't just saying that to be polite.

"Lucky you."

Ariana smiled, genuinely happy for him—but also a little envious.

"Maybe I could bring you some magic textbooks next time."

Ian remembered how much Ariana had always admired Hogwarts.

"It'd be useless. Magic doesn't work in this place."

Pandero shook his head, speaking with complete certainty.

"You'd be better off learning swordsmanship from me. Then you can cut down whatever you like."

To emphasize his point, the self-proclaimed "Heroic Swordsman" swung his blade in a few flashy arcs.

"I once bested every challenger in this realm! Even that guy from your school… what was his name again? Oh yeah—Godric Gryffindor! I barely broke a sweat sparring with him!"

Wait. What?

Did he just say he dueled Godric Gryffindor?

Ian's eyes widened in shock.

Sure, Mara seemed wary of Pandero, but there was no way she could compare to Gryffindor himself.

That was the Godric Gryffindor—legendary founder of Hogwarts and the fabled "Sword Saint."

Historical records never detailed just how skilled Gryffindor was with a sword, but considering he was a wizard of Gandalf's caliber, any ordinary swordsman wouldn't stand a chance against him.

"You actually met Godric Gryffindor?"

Ian asked, genuinely curious.

"Yeah, years ago. He didn't stay long, though. His swordsmanship wasn't bad, so I remembered him."

Pandero smirked, twirling his blade with exaggerated flair. Then, turning back to Ariana, he continued,

"So, interested? I can teach you a thing or two."

"You're both dead. Does swordsmanship or magic even matter anymore?"

Ian barely dodged Pandero's blade as it nearly nicked his toe.

"…Fair point."

Ariana sighed in agreement.

The souls here had no fear of acknowledging their own deaths.

"There'll be a time when it matters. Trust me."

Pandero declared confidently.

"Uh-huh. Just like when you told me to 'trust you' on the way up this mountain?"

Ariana gave him a knowing look.

"Hey! That was different!"

Pandero laughed awkwardly.

Perhaps to change the subject—

He suddenly turned to Ian, eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Ariana told me you've started learning magic, so we got you a gift! Check this out—it's a rare treasure! I wouldn't go through the trouble for just anyone."

With that, he pulled out an object from his coat.

It was an apple—gleaming like pure gold.

Even in the dimly lit castle, it shone brilliantly, like a fragment of the sun itself—

A masterpiece, as if crafted by the gods.