Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

The next two days passed uneventfully; the weather was beautiful, and the sun made the sea shine.

Freya seemed to have forgotten about the question after asking it, and never brought it up again.

Regulus didn't ask, treating the matter as an open-ended script, waiting to see how the story unfolds.

For him, this was a novel experience.

From birth, he knew what the future held.

Voldemort will rise, war will break out, his family will split, and he will move forward amidst this situation.

He believed that given time, even if he couldn't surpass the top few, he wouldn't be completely out of reach of them.

Perhaps by then he will be free to pursue what he truly wants.

But he doesn't have that power yet, and that freedom won't come to him anytime soon.

Therefore, he desperately wanted to gain power, because every bit of power he gained would provide him with more security in the future.

While other young wizards of the same age were worrying about their homework, getting excited about Quidditch, or tossing and turning at night because a boy or girl had glanced at them, Regulus always seemed to be chasing after him.

It has a concrete image, Voldemort, but it's more of a feeling.

It seems that if we don't hurry up, we'll miss something; if we don't become stronger, we'll be swallowed up by something.

He dared not relax, nor could he relax; he knew what he was about to face.

Voldemort's gaze, the Death Eaters' probing, the pressure of the family's survival, and that inevitable moment of choice.

These things have been there since he can remember, like a mountain, standing far away, but visible when he looks up.

Now he stands in a rocky town on the North Sea in Germany. The mountain is still there, but it seems farther away.

There are no Voldemort's eyes and ears here, no opposing alliances among pure-blood families, and no factional infighting within Slytherin.

There's only the sea, only the wind, only the three daily patrols, and a German witch who doesn't talk much but is easy to get along with.

Regulus found himself relaxed, both mentally and physically.

He smiled more often, occasionally joking with Freya during patrols, and offering his opinions on which dishes were the best during meals.

Occasionally, he would ride a broomstick out to sea and fly back to tell her what he had seen that day—a group of dolphins, a giant sea turtle, or a rainbow rising from the distant sea.

Freya's expression was always indifferent when she listened to him say these things, but Regulus could tell that she was listening attentively.

But even though he was relaxing, he didn't neglect his duties and continued practicing magic every day.

Come to think of it, the reason he can still feel relaxed in Germany is because he has enough strength.

Otherwise, he would be like Sirius Black now, spending his days holed up in the training room, repeatedly practicing those basic spells.

If he lacks power or is not good enough, Orion will not allow him to make his own arrangements, do what he wants, practice the magic he wants, or give him considerable autonomy.

The Black family needs a qualified heir, and Sirius Black is already in that state, so he must take over.

Fortunately, although he is not strong enough, he is actually quite capable.

But Regulus knew that this was just a temporary transition during his vacation.

He will eventually return to England, back to the place where he needs to stay alert at all times.

That was the foundation of the Black family, the place where their ancestors had struggled for over a thousand years to acquire everything: status, power, wealth, knowledge, and property.

Those things need someone to protect them, someone to inherit them, and someone to ensure they continue to exist and even shine in the new era.

But at least for now, he's enjoying it all.

He could even feel his magic changing—light, cheerful, and active, as if something was awakening within him.

The guardian spirit seemed to have been summoned as well; it wanted to come out and soar.

Regulus stood on the edge of the cliff, feeling the surge of emotion within him.

With a slight thought, a silvery-white light surged from his chest and condensed in front of him into that familiar creature.

The starry kite spread its wings, raised its head, and let out a clear cry, a sound carrying a joyful quality, like a cheer.

Regulus smiled and raised his hand.

He cast a flight spell, and his body slowly lifted off the ground, flying forward and upward.

The sea breeze blew into my collar, bringing a slight chill, but the sun felt warm and comforting on my skin.

A starry kite circled above his head, its wings scattering a shimmering silver light with each flap.

Occasionally it would flash and disappear from its spot, only to reappear a few dozen meters away above the sea, then flash again and land on Regulus's shoulder.

Regulus's mind raced again.

An orange-red bird materialized from his fingertip, took flight, and landed on his other shoulder.

Fiery Bird.

Two birds, one silver-white and the other orange-red, perched on his left and right shoulders respectively.

Starry Sky Kite turned its head to the side, tilting its head slightly, as if sizing up this suddenly appearing companion.

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It stretched out one wing and carefully touched the Fiery Bird.

The Fiery Bird remained motionless, merely glancing at it; it was controlled by Regulus.

The starry kite touched it again, this time the area of ​​its wing touching it was larger.

The orange-red flames and the silvery-white light came into contact, producing a soft sizzling sound.

As if burned, the starry kite abruptly retracted its wings, its entire body leaning back, almost falling off Regulus's shoulder.

It spread its wings, shook its feathers, and scattered silver light everywhere.

Then it approached again, but this time it was smarter and just watched from a distance, no longer stretching out its wings to touch it.

The fiery bird stood quietly, letting it scrutinize it.

Regulus's smile deepened as he watched this scene unfold.

The starry kite reflects a certain aspect of his inner self: freedom, curiosity, and a desire to explore the world.

The Fiery Bird was completely under his control; it was an extension of his will.

The simultaneous appearance of both is like the simultaneous display of two sides of his inner self.

Starry Kite tried a few more times, but finally gave up interacting with its unresponsive companion and took flight on its own, circling around Regulus.

In the distance, Freya stood at the window of a small house, watching this scene.

From this distance, Regulus's figure appears small, but the swirling silver-white dot of light is quite conspicuous.

Freya watched the boy fly freely above the sea, watching the silver and orange-red light intertwine on his shoulders, and the genuine smile on his face.

A gentle smile appeared on her face, which was always stern even when she was alone.

That smile softened her entire demeanor, adding something beyond her heroic spirit.

But her smile quickly faded.

She thought of that person's arrangements, of that magic that sounded eerie just from hearing about it, that made all her learning seem naive, and of the question she had asked herself.

A sense of worry welled up inside me.

She used to think it didn't matter; he was just someone she had heard of and knew about, but not someone she actually knew.

That person said he had a special destiny, so let him have it. It has nothing to do with her; she's just here to complete a mission.

But things are different now. After spending more than ten days together, they have become friends who can exchange magic, discuss the situation, and sit down to eat quietly together.

Although there was a thirteen or fourteen-year age gap, and although she was much taller than him, she would always subconsciously ignore his age, both when speaking and when interacting with him.

She didn't want to see anything happen to him.

Freya stood by the window and watched for a while longer the figure flying freely over the sea.

The guardian deity and the fiery spirit appear together and can even interact.

It's normal for a skilled wizard to summon a guardian spirit.

It's not easy for a powerful wizard to control Fiendfire, but it's also normal.

But to make Fiend and the Guardian appear at the same time, and to make them interact like real living beings, is not something that can be done normally.

These two forces are naturally in conflict: one is the purest expression of positive emotions, and the other is the most dangerous and destructive flame.

The fact that this boy can control them simultaneously and keep them from clashing shows that his understanding of magic has gone beyond its application.

He was living in harmony with magic.

Freya decided to trust him more.

After their evening patrol, the two went to the tavern again.

My usual spot by the window: two glasses of pumpkin juice, a plate of grilled sausages, and a potato salad.

Freya put down her fork and looked up at Regulus: "Something happened in the family."

Regulus put down his fork and looked at her as well.

"An important member has been injured," Freya said calmly. "The chieftain has issued an order for retaliation."

She drew her wand and waved it lightly above the table.

Silver light surged from the tip of the staff, weaving into a three-dimensional map in the air.

The coastline, the location of Reef Town, the sea stretching northward, the outline of several small islands, and a dot marked in dark red.

She pointed to the red dot: "This is an important stronghold of Whispers of the Abyss, about 120 nautical miles from Reef Town."

Regulus looked at the map and made a mental estimate.

"Shall we go?" he asked.

"We," Freya nodded, "tomorrow."

She looked at Regulus, waiting for his reaction.

Regulus simply nodded: "Okay."

A hint of anticipation even appeared on his face; he wanted to try naval warfare too.

Freya wasn't surprised at all that he agreed so readily.

When they first met, she did have doubts about the boy's strength.

That person said he had a special destiny, and that he would do this or that in the future, but that's all in the future.

He's only twelve years old, what can he do?