Hogwarts: This Dark Lord is so evil.

Chapter 560 Oh no! I scared Ravenclaw to tears!

"Why?" Ravenclaw blinked her innocent eyes at Riddle. "Why can't I call you Mr. Riddle?"

As is well known, Westerners' middle names are actually quite casual.

Some people have it, some people don't.

But they are usually related to family and are the names of people worth remembering.

You can tell by looking at Harry Potter's naming habits for his children.

Of course, it could also be the names of the parents' relatives or friends, godfather, godmother, etc.

It all depends on how the parents choose to name their child.

However, given Li Weide's current identity, he is an elderly alchemist.

The more middle names he has, the more likely it is that there are many accomplished people in his family or related to his family.

At least that's how Ravenclaw understands it from the start.

“He treated me badly, so I don’t like his name,” Li Weide said with a hint of disdain.

"Oh……"

Ravenclaw could tell that this look of disdain couldn't be faked, but Del was the last word—wasn't that his surname? Could it be that his family treated him badly?
"Then how should I address you?"

“A name is just a label, kid. I only gave you a detailed self-introduction because you asked me. But in fact, you can call me whatever you want as long as you don’t call me Mr. Riddle.” Li Weide was too lazy to make up a story.

Ravenclaw stared at Livid in astonishment, feeling that this elderly alchemist had a truly peculiar personality.

However, Ravenclaw could understand it; older alchemists were often eccentric.

She remembered that her grandfather was similar...

Li Weide had no idea that his casual recitation of the menu would inadvertently make his disguised identity more believable.

"Why were you surrounded and attacked?" Li Weide asked.

Since he had already guessed most of the information he wanted from Ravenclaw's identity, Li Wade had nothing more to ask and instead inquired about what had just happened.

“I…” Ravenclaw’s expression was somewhat sorrowful. “That village we just visited was found to be infected with the plague a few weeks ago. The lord wanted to send people to burn them all alive, but… I couldn’t bear to see these people die, so I used a potion to revive them. I never expected…”

"I suspect someone said you deliberately spread the plague, and then came here pretending to be a good person to treat them..."

"How did you know?" Ravenclaw asked in surprise.

“Never gamble with people’s hearts, kid. That stuff is too dangerous.” Li Weide shook his head, unwilling to say anything more.

“But…why is that?! I really don’t understand! I clearly saved their lives…” Ravenclaw said, unable to comprehend it.

"You just said that you stopped the lord's order to massacre, is that right?"

"Yes……"

"After you cured those villagers, they were extremely grateful to you, and incidentally, they also began to hate the lord who wanted to send people to kill them, right?"

“Yes…yes…” Ravenclaw replied thoughtfully.

"That's it. If you were a lord, would you want to see the people in your territory hate you and worship someone else?"

"I don't want to."

"So what are you going to do?"

“Shift the blame…” Ravenclaw suddenly realized.

“That’s right. All it takes is a little rumor that you were the one who released the plague, and you’ll go from being a savior to an evil witch. Their hatred for the lord will then be transferred to you. After that, they will still dutifully work for the lord and pay taxes, while you… will just be a small sacrifice for the lord’s stable rule.”

Ravenclaw remained silent for a long time, only looking down at his little leather boots.

"But... we can't just sit idly by and do nothing..."

"Oh? Even knowing they'll foolishly kill you, you'd still save them?"

"I...I don't know." Ravenclaw felt something was off, but couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Actually, there's nothing wrong with not saving someone or saving someone; it's just that everyone handles things differently... Not saving someone is respecting their fate, even if that fate is tragic. If you choose to turn away and not take risks, they can't possibly drag you into it. You can protect yourself and ensure your safety as much as possible. Choosing to save someone, on the other hand, is about calming your own conscience. But since you've voluntarily chosen to save someone, don't expect anything in return, as that will often leave you disappointed. Because saving someone is your own choice, and you can't interfere with the choice of the person you're saving. Like in this case, did you expect them to repay kindness with enmity? So, you must remember that the essence of both is actually yourself, and it's always you who makes the choice, not someone else."

“I still don’t quite understand.” Ravenclaw shook his head.

"To put it simply, whether you save someone or not is your own choice, and it's all for yourself. Whether it's to put your mind at ease or to gain something for yourself, you're ultimately making a profit for yourself. It's your personal choice, and even the most noble person can't escape this rule. If you're willing to gamble on the other person's character, then save them; if you're not willing to gamble, or don't want to pay the price for them, then don't save them."

"So, according to you, are there no truly good people in this world?"

"Of course."

"Who?"

“You,” Li Wade said, pointing at Ravenclaw.

"I?"

"Of course, people like you who don't think much and just act on instinct to save people are good people, very pure good people."

"Does that mean that if I weigh the pros and cons before choosing to save someone, I'm not a good person?"

"No, if you weigh the options and choose the right way to save people, then you are a smart and good person."

"What if I don't save them?"

"Then you're just an ordinary good person."

"Is someone who doesn't save people also a good person?"

“You didn’t do anything wrong. You just felt incapable of saving people. How can that make you a bad person? For example, if someone is drowning in a lake but you can’t swim, would you recklessly jump in to save them? You might not only fail to save them but also lose your own life. Considering this consequence, some people would choose not to save them because they are powerless to do so. Can you say they are not a good person because of that?”

“If I can’t swim, I’ll find other ways to save him; I don’t necessarily have to go into the water…” Ravenclaw murmured.

"Yes, that's a smart and good person... But your rescue this time, where you rashly used a magic potion to heal the villagers without considering any consequences, is just like someone who can't swim but recklessly jumps into the water to save someone without thinking about the consequences."

"I understand. In other words, if I encounter a similar situation again, I need to consider the consequences first, rather than rushing in to save someone... Even if I really want to save someone, I need to think of a way that won't harm myself..." "That's right..."

"But there are also those who would sacrifice their lives for righteousness."

"Of course, there are people who sacrifice their lives for righteousness, but if there were other options, why would they choose to do so? Those noble people have already considered all possibilities before choosing to sacrifice themselves. They only make this reluctant choice when they realize that only by giving up their lives can they achieve the desired result. Don't think that those who sacrifice their lives for righteousness haven't weighed the options carefully... No one wants to die in vain. Since they have decided to give up their lives, they must have considered how to exchange their lives for a better outcome. Otherwise, they might lose their lives but not get the result they want..."

Levi's words left the young Ravenclaw stunned.

But she was ultimately an extremely intelligent person; she was just a bit naive because she had just started traveling.

"If it were you, how would you save those villagers without causing the same consequences I experienced?"

“Oh…that’s an interesting analogy. Well, if it’s me, then it’s up to me to choose whether I want to gain fame and fortune from this or not,” Li Weide said cheerfully.

"Could you tell me about them separately?"

"Of course... If I wanted fame and fortune from this, I would go directly to the lord and offer him the medicine. I would have him do it for me, and after curing the villagers, he would gain their support... Of course, gaining fame and fortune always involves risks. I would have to be wary of the lord turning against me. If he doesn't, he might share some fame and fortune with you, but if he does, you'd have to run away. If I don't seek fame and fortune, then this matter would have to be done secretly. For example, I could put a healing potion in the well, then lure a patient to drink the well water. Once he recovers, the news that the well water can cure diseases would naturally spread, and others could be saved as well. As for me, I would quietly leave afterward. No one would know that I did it, so there wouldn't be any subsequent disputes with them."

Ravenclaw listened intently. As a novice, no matter how clever she was, she couldn't have imagined that there would be so many reasons behind the decision of whether or not to save someone.

“I’m so stupid, I didn’t even think about these things…” Ravenclaw said regretfully.

Li Weide shook his head. "You're not stupid; on the contrary, you're very smart. It's just that you're still young, and you've spent most of your time researching alchemy and magic. As you get older and experience more, you'll figure out these things yourself."

“But I know now!” Ravenclaw looked at Levine, her eyes shining. “Because you told me! You not only saved me, but also taught me valuable life lessons. You must be a good person!”

"Hehe, kid, you're thinking too simply. The examples I just gave are all based on one premise... that is, you've always been a good person and have no intention of harming anyone."

"This..." Ravenclaw was a little confused again.

"Does saving someone necessarily make them a good person? Not necessarily. Take me for example. I did save you, but how do you know I didn't have ulterior motives? What if I released the plague? What if I spread the rumors? What if this whole thing was a trap I set for you? What if I saved you just to make you grateful and hand over your family's alchemy techniques?"

Levi's words made Ravenclaw shrink back in fear.

"No...no...you're not like that!" Ravenclaw's voice trembled with fear as he huddled beside the rock like a frightened fawn.

“I only said a few words, and you were willing to come with me… You should be glad I’m not that kind of person. Otherwise, you should know what the consequences would be.” After saying that, Li Weide picked up his pipe and started puffing away again.

“I know you’re definitely not that kind of person. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have needed to tell me so much. You wouldn’t have needed to use yourself as an example. With the abilities you’ve shown, you wouldn’t have needed to go to so much trouble to get information out of me…” The girl started sobbing as she spoke.

"Hey? Why are you crying?"

The young Ravenclaw didn't speak, but just hugged his knees and sobbed softly.

How could she admit that she had just been scared to tears?
"Okay... I was wrong. I shouldn't have used myself as an example." Li Weide really couldn't believe that his casual boasting had actually scared Ravenclaw to tears...

That's Ravenclaw! One of the Big Four!
But that's the reality. Ravenclaw, who hasn't been toughened up by society, is far from becoming one of the four giants. Right now, she's just a simple little girl who only knows how to do academic research.

Li Weide had to use some treats to coax the little girl for quite a while before he could calm her down...

The desserts and snacks of later generations would be considered game-changers in this era. Otherwise, we'd be crying for a long time...

“Now I’m sure you’re not a bad person,” Ravenclaw said, wiping his red eyes. “Bad people don’t have the patience to coax others. They would have arrested me and tortured me long ago.”

"I'm sorry, it was indeed my fault, but I just wanted you to be more careful... The outside world is very dangerous," Li Weide said helplessly.

Even a thousand years later, in a world that is moving towards peace, danger still lurks everywhere, let alone the era a thousand years ago when black wizards and bandits roamed freely...

“I know you’re doing this for my own good…” Ravenclaw looked at Levi with curiosity. “You must have experienced many similar things, right?”

“That’s not a small amount,” Li Weide nodded.

Back then, he had just stepped out of the orphanage when he encountered human traffickers and such... Evil things will never be lacking in any era.

"Then... can you tell me what you considered before you tried to save me in that small village?"

Ravenclaw, thirsting for knowledge, had barely dried his tears when he raised another question.

“Back then… I didn’t think too much about it, I just saved her.” Li Weide looked up and thought for a moment. “If I really want to analyze it in detail… first, I weighed the difference in strength between myself and those villagers, then I weighed the difference in strength between you and me, and then I asked myself if I wanted to save her… and then I took action. I couldn’t just watch a young witch get killed like that.”

“What if I’m the bad guy?” Ravenclaw asked.

"It won't have much of an impact. We'll judge after we rescue you. If you're a bad person, we can kill you after we rescue you. Anyway, when I rescued you, none of the villagers knew I had intervened, and they weren't harmed at all."

"Then how do you know I'm not a bad person?" Ravenclaw continued to ask like a curious child.

“My strength is immense, child. No one can hide their true face from me…”

“Powerful strength… When you saved me before, you didn’t think too much about it, probably because you were confident in your own strength?” Ravenclaw suddenly realized.

"Yes, as long as you are capable enough, you don't need to think too much. But when you are still weak, you need to weigh things more carefully."

"I'm actually quite good, not weak at all..." Ravenclaw's voice trailed off, gradually losing confidence in himself.

Because she had just been nearly beaten to death by those ordinary Muggle villagers...

“Yes, you’re not weak at all,” Li Weide nodded.

"Huh?" Ravenclaw looked at Livid in surprise.

"It wasn't that you couldn't beat those Muggles, it's just that you didn't want to hurt them. Because at that time, you just couldn't believe that these people would do such a thing to you, their savior. You thought there must be a misunderstanding, and you wanted to explain things to them..."

“You’re amazing. You guessed so much just by looking at it…” Ravenclaw sighed. “But I won’t fall into the same predicament again… because I have fully understood the lessons you taught me.”

“Yes, a smart person doesn’t fall into the same river twice…” Li Weide nodded in approval.

"Could you be my teacher?" Ravenclaw suddenly asked, looking at Levi with hopeful eyes.

"Huh?" Li Wade looked at Ravenclaw in astonishment.

“It is because of your guidance that I know what mistakes I have made. If you can continue to teach me, I will definitely avoid many detours in the future…” Ravenclaw smiled and said, “Moreover, once you become my teacher, I will no longer have to worry about what to call you. I can just call you teacher, right?”

“This…this…isn’t that a bit inappropriate…How can you just call a stranger your teacher?” Li Weide suddenly panicked.

No way! No way! Could I be the teacher Slytherin was talking about?! This doesn't make sense!

Could this not be another parallel world, but a thousand years ago in the original world?
(End of this chapter)