The Muggle's Rebirth

I came to my senses when someone was licking my face. Opening my sticky eyes, I saw a wolf's muzzle in front of me, which nearly scared me to death. Fortunately, my head, splitting with pain, realized that this was our wolf - that is, the local one, fed and petted by me several years ago.

"Rex, stop it, no," I spat, but I didn't have the strength to even lift my hand. Overall, the feeling was like I had decided to tear my soul apart again after a heavy hangover and training with Hayato. 

And remembering the ritual that had passed, I can call it nothing other than torture. No, at first everything was fine - I was sharing my mana with Pixie's soul, but when the nymph shoved that very soul into the trunk, it became completely awful. My reserve was draining like into a bottomless well. 

But that was only half the trouble. As the nymph had promised, the tree shared its power with me. And how it shared! I felt like an air balloon inflated to the limit and hurried to convert the plant energy at least partially into mine and send it further to the fairy. 

However, as if that wasn't enough, the pressure kept growing and growing. If I were to compare the sensations, it could be compared to a thin wire connected to a high-voltage line of tens of thousands of volts and hundreds of amperes. Because I really felt how my soul was burning out and being destroyed, not to mention my tempered but purely material body, not designed for such things.

I don't know what the nymph did, but my essence was suddenly compressed as if by a press and began to constantly restore itself. From that moment I fell into some kind of trance state, detaching myself from the ocean of pain and constantly destroying and regenerating soul and body. I didn't care about anything anymore, I just wanted to pass out as soon as possible.

I don't even know if I would have agreed to such a thing if I had known in advance? No, Pixie is dear to me, but... I can't answer that question. It's like asking me if I'm ready to sacrifice my life for Ariel? And hell knows how to answer that question? 

I want to answer "yes," but the vile and cowardly part of my soul selfishly says that I should survive myself, and then I could resurrect her later. And what's most disgusting is that Ariel wouldn't have such questions - she would definitely save me at the cost of her life. 

That's it, I've lived to see stupid questions coming into my head.

I remembered about the ring and wanted to change the stone and cast minor healing on myself, but didn't see it on my finger. Ah, right, I put it in my bag before the ritual. Well, I need to get up somehow.

Lifting my head, I saw a naked girl lying on my chest, very reminiscent in facial features of Ariel or me. Almost platinum blonde long hair, a cute button nose, plump lips. When she grows up, she'll be a beauty. 

Yes, thank all the gods I didn't become stupid and guessed that this was the nymph. And the spiritual connection wouldn't lie, even though using it was really painful. What had she done here?

"Rex," I addressed the wolf and, overcoming the intensified headache, transmitted to him the image of the bag, "Bring me my bag, please."

The wolf turned his head in response. Like, what, did you find a dog here?

"Yeah, I've completely lost my mind, talking to a wolf. Okay, blackmailer, I'll give you meat, tenderloin," The wolf immediately rushed to the bag and brought it in his teeth, wagging his tail, "And they say animals don't understand anything, and wolves don't perform in circuses. Yeah, right."

First, I fulfilled my promise, giving the gray one a piece of first-class meat weighing about three kilograms. And then I took out my ring, changed the stone, and cast healing on myself. Ah, how good it felt, warmth spreading through my body. 

Fortunately, the stone itself also serves as an accumulator for ten spells. So I spent them all on myself and Pixie. Though calling her that would be somehow wrong now. I need to come up with a new name. 

And most importantly — how do I explain to mother where I got the girl from? Ah, what the hell, I'll tell the whole truth for variety.

My body was already fine, but my soul responded with pain to any attempt to use magic, so without any enhancement, which made me feel like a helpless invalid, I picked up my familiar in my arms and hobbled home. Or is she no longer a familiar now? 

Hell knows, I already regret agreeing to this adventure. Though did I have a choice? Rhetorical question.

Finally, I turned around and was stunned — the apple tree had grown three times larger than it was, but energetically everything wasn't so good - channels burned out to the physical plane, exhausted aura, as if a dozen lightning bolts had struck it and only by miracle the tree was still alive. However, it's clear that it will now have to recover for a long time, and I'm not able to help yet.

***

Meanwhile, not suspecting what had happened, Ludwig, Ariel, and Phineas were sitting on the terrace drinking tea with homemade cupcakes.

"I must give credit to your cooking, Miss Marlow. Or should I call you Mrs.?" the teacher of Arthur politely inquired of Ariel, as always.

"You embarrass me with your praise," the girl blushed, taking her future husband's hand, "I'll only become Mrs. in a week, so please address me as Miss for now."

"Should I start getting jealous already?" Ludwig asked, smiling his wide, simple smile.

"If I were younger, we would surely have fought for her hand and heart. But alas, I'm old and only glad that young people find their love. It reminds me of my youth. By the way, I heard you went to the healer today?" Black asked tactfully in such a way that if the future newlyweds refused to discuss this question with him, it would be easier for them to decline.

"Yes, the pregnancy was confirmed, as well as the fact that we'll have twins," Ariel answered joyfully, who wasn't embarrassed by such questions at all, since she treated her son's teacher like her own relative. 

After all, her own mother had died long ago, and she had no other relatives. Therefore, she treated all more or less close people extremely warmly and tenderly, "I'm surprised how Arthur determined all this so quickly, when it took the doctor considerable time in the diagnostic circle with spells."

"Perhaps we all have our secrets and talents," Black nodded, "And that doesn't make us worse. It makes us human. However, I myself am sometimes amazed by him. Take just one of his assumptions, thrown out recently in passing, casually."

"Which one?" Ludwig asked with interest, who actually didn't know how to behave with Arthur. Like a father? But he behaves too adult and independent. Like a friend? Von Schroeder himself couldn't force himself to behave that way with what was essentially a boy. 

This was the first time he was in such difficulty, and that's exactly why his beloved's pregnancy made him so happy. He'd figure out how to behave with his own daughters, and he loved children who behaved exactly like children. Though deep down he hoped there would be sons, and Arthur's comment about his weakness had rankled him. Especially when Ariel explained how veela are born.

"We were discussing time-turners. These are artifacts that allow time travel. And the paradox associated with their use, when an attempt to change something in the past leads to the disappearance of the fool who dared to do it," Taking a sip of tea, Black continued, "And then Arthur suggested that perhaps it's not a time-turner at all."

"Then what?" Ariel asked curiously.

"A teleporter, only it doesn't send you to another part of the world, but to another world parallel to ours. And if a person doesn't do anything that affects this very world, then the time-turner sends him back with new knowledge about the 'past,' which is actually the present for that world. 

But if such a person interferes, then either the artifact leaves him there or sends him to another parallel world already adjusted for the traveler's changes."

"What made him think that?" Ludwig asked.

"The fact that according to old treatises, time travel is impossible, at least for wizards. Too much energy would be required to roll back time and tear souls that have already gone to reincarnation back. So much that all the energy of our universe might not be enough for such a thing. 

And the most interesting thing is that after this, my... ahem, student went to play with his fairy, leaving me in thought," Black chuckled, "I think Rozenpack spoiled him — he used to be more serious and collected."

"And I like that he's become more spontaneous," Ariel disagreed, "Before he didn't like hugs and my kisses, which disappointed me. It was as if he was only thinking about himself, always running off to train. And now he's as if learning to live anew. Strange, probably, to say that about a twelve-year-old boy?"

"Children grow up, change. Especially don't forget about adolescence," von Schroeder said, "You'll see, he'll still bring home girls..."

At that moment, Ludwig's hand with a spoon holding a piece of cake remained in the air, not reaching its destination. Ariel and Phineas also froze like statues, watching as Arthur dragged a naked girl his age wrapped in one cloak along the road from the forest.

"I didn't think it would happen so soon," Ludwig said, lowering the spoon back to the saucer.

"Listen," Phineas turned to the man and asked, "You wouldn't happen to be a seer, would you?"

***

"So you agreed to an unknown ritual with a nymph and didn't tell me about it? I'm disappointed in you, Arthur. Not that you didn't tell me anything, but that you went for it even without any guarantee from the spirit of the place," Having heard the whole story, Phineas said to me. 

I had put my familiar on the couch in the living room for now — she was just sleeping.

"Do you think she would have agreed to an oath?" I smirked, "Besides, nature spirits don't lie. They don't tell the whole truth, yes, but they don't lie."

"And still the risk was too great," the teacher agreed with my arguments, understanding that the nymph could indeed circumvent a magical oath, just out of principle. 

Lerach's book had many examples of attempts to impose one's will on gods and nature spirits, and they all ended very badly, since they don't like it when mortals try to do this. On the other hand, gods and nature spirits always try to follow at least the letter of the agreement, naturally not without their own benefit. 

The exception is only dark gods and demons - for them, deceiving a mortal is something like a matter of principle; their own will laugh if you don't deceive, "It's better not to get involved with them at all."

"I was aware of the risk and that's exactly why I didn't want to involve you. Besides, I was acquainted with her before this, and though she's self-serving, she still helped me," I don't like making excuses, but I can't stay silent anymore.

"Self-serving, you say?" Phineas thought, looking at the girl on the couch, "So she told you that this nymph was born from the tree you planted?"

"Yes, that seemed doubtful to me too. But the sensations from the nymph's consciousness are the same as from Pixie. Though it's painful for me to use magic now, so I didn't probe far," I had to admit my ailment.

"What? Why?" Ariel worried, and Black began casting cascades of spells on me, frowning more and more.

"I have two pieces of news for you, good and bad. Which should I start with?" my teacher asked me.

"Let's start with the bad," I said, enjoying Ariel's embrace. Though I was ashamed that I made her worry.

"Your soul and especially magical channels look like they've been gone over with sandpaper. I don't know how it didn't fall apart at all," Ariel gasped behind me and hugged me tighter, "Recovery will take several months. However, the time can be reduced with some expensive potions and rituals."

"And what's the good news then?"

"The speed of production and mana reserve have increased several times and almost reached two-thirds of my level, but the conductivity of body and soul has grown even more. You can now use much greater enhancement and powerful spells without harm to yourself. 

Honestly, I wouldn't mind going through such a thing myself to get such a quick result," he stunned us, "Also, judging by how much plant mana and prana you passed through yourself, as well as the connection with the nymph, your inclination toward plant magic should have greatly increased."

"So maybe..."

"I understand what you're thinking, but without a nymph who will hold and restore your soul, such a trick can't be repeated. And you'll only fully recover in about ten years - the soul isn't rubber, everything has consequences. 

So rejoice in the pluses you got and remember that everything could have ended sadly. You were incredibly lucky that the nymph decided to play relatively honestly with you, though we don't know what other consequences there will be in the future," Black scolded me, and I generally agreed with him.

I had relaxed in Rozenpack, oh how I had relaxed. I got used to complete safety and honesty of the inhabitants there. And not only that. Both Black and Ariel and Jacqueline all treated me well, and there were essentially no dangers. 

Well, there was an attack by poachers once, but the veela fried them so badly that first they had to be taken to the hospital, and only then to the Auror office.

"I understand, teacher. This won't happen again - at minimum I'll come to you or Ariel for advice."

"I hope you really understood. Now let's go look at the nymph's gift," Lifting the girl with Levicorpus, he dragged her to the basement, where we had an "official" ritual circle for home rituals. 

Ludwig hadn't been here yet and was surprised by such a structure in our house, since essentially ritual magic wasn't approved by the Ministry, and blood magic was also banned. So having such a thing in your basement led at minimum to a thorough search with the involvement of the Department of Mysteries to check for the use of forbidden rituals. And you'd pay for the check itself out of your own pocket.

There, Phineas pulled out his reduced diagnostic circle, like mine. Only with a wave of his wand he changed some runes around - research on magical creatures, people, men and women is conducted with slightly different runic chains. 

Placing the girl in the center, he began creating dozens of nonverbal spells in the air with his wand, which hit either the circle itself or the nymph and created various graphs and matrices right in the air. They were all quite complex, and only the specialist who created them can figure out what those or other runic combinations mean. 

There's no simple method yet where you launch spells and get everything written on paper, and by the way, this is one of the reasons for creating a magical computer — connect it to the circle and you can immediately get results in digestible form. Black was getting by on skill and experience.

"Interesting, very interesting," Phineas told us after a whole hour of work. But despite the duration, none of us left, watching the master's work spellbound. And he didn't drive us away, especially since for me this is part of learning, and the others won't understand anything without explanations anyway.

"What's there, teacher?"

"I can say that the nymph really didn't deceive you. She merged your fairy's soul with the soul of a newborn, I'd even say not yet born nymph, since the consciousness remained the same. Naturally, all the shells were greatly strengthened — no comparison with what was before. 

Your connection became much stronger, but I think you feel that yourself. However, the most important thing isn't this, but that she has a real, not pseudo-ethereal body!"

"And what's so special about that?" Ariel asked.

"The fact that such higher nature spirits as nymphs don't have real bodies! More precisely, their real body is the tree from which they appeared, and what we see as a young and, let's face it, attractive girl is just a projection created from ethereal particles. 

But here I see exactly a physical body, moreover having strong kinship exactly with you, Arthur. Not blood kinship, but how should I put it... as if your structure was used as a basis, but her genetics are already of another being."

"So she's a veela?" I asked.

"How should I put it to you? Not exactly. Veela have their second essence as a harpy, and she has a nymph. But mainly she has the same features in the form of fire and aura, well, and from the nymph a very big inclination of powers toward the ability to control plants."

"And how did you figure all this out?" Ludwig asked, "Sorry, I don't want to say I don't trust you, but..."

"No, I understand everything. It's just that in my time I spent a very long time studying exactly the structure of souls and bodies of magical creatures, wizards and ordinary people, as well as their comparison. I even have a book 'Homo Magus.'"

"So you wrote that? In its time it was famous for being immediately banned from sale in more than a hundred countries worldwide," Ludwig looked at my teacher in shock.

"And what was so special about it?" Ariel asked.

"Nothing special, I just presented arguments and facts that all currently existing wizards are descendants of ordinary people and in theory they too can gain magical abilities with proper training. And also that all currently existing intelligent magical creatures are descendants of wizards and nature spirits. 

They ridiculed me, banned the book, and that was the end of it," Now it's clear why the teacher was more pleased not with Lerach's new spells or rituals, but with nous training and ether absorption, though in theory at his age it won't help him much — the older a person becomes, the harder it is for him to develop, since not only the first shell of the soul is subject to aging, but the others too. 

That's exactly why it's not enough to have an immortal body — only those who have eight shells are truly immortal.

"Sorry for doubting you," Ludwig apologized, which does him credit. However, if he weren't like that, I wouldn't have given him Ariel.

"It's nothing, everything's fine, you had reasons for doubt. And to you, student, I can only advise one thing - treat your familiar, if she can be called that, well, because apparently she'll grow up to be very strong."

"Why 'if she can be called that'?"

"Because the connection of your souls is stronger than in a marriage ritual. I don't know what the nature spirit did there, but it can't be broken without serious consequences, so you'll most likely live together until the end of your life," I said nothing about the connection ritual, so Black attributed its consequences to the nymph.

"Yeah," I sighed heavily, "They married me off without me. Though no, still with me."

"Well then, I'll immediately go to my acquaintance, Italian master potion-maker from Italy, Giuliano Medici to order potions. And you, my young student, don't you dare practice magic, or the term of your recovery may increase several times, if you don't get damage at all," Phineas said to me sternly.

"We have money, we can pay," Ariel offered.

"I'm grateful for the offer, Miss Marlow, but I'm not in need and a teacher is responsible for both his student's successes and his mistakes. Besides, Giuliano is an enthusiastic person and rarely brews to order for money, more often for some rare recipes or ingredients."

"Teacher," an idea came to me, "What if we give him my apples? Let him also enhance the potions for me with them."

"Are you sure? I thought you wanted to keep them as your family's treasure. And do you realize what a battle will start for them if others learn about their properties?" 

Of course, I had told Phineas about the apples without even imagining how much he would later reproach me for not knowing common knowledge. I practically didn't deal with potions myself, except for using them in artificing, and preferred to buy what I needed rather than brew and age it for months. 

But Black explained to me how masters fight for every percent of potion effectiveness increase and reduction of their side effects. Recently, one Greek wizard got his mastery just for increasing the effectiveness of rowan decoction that heals wounds by ten percent. 

My apples, when added to potions as a catalyst, enhance practically all healing potions by at least fifty percent! That's if you take me, frankly not a potion-maker, though better than those who brew only by recipe, but not much. What can a master of his craft achieve, especially if he uses additional ingredients that enhance this effect?

"What's the point of just storing them and not using them? Besides, only I can lead to these apple trees, and I hope your acquaintance won't wag his tongue?"

"He won't, but he might request more apples."

"No problem, a grateful master of potion-making won't hurt me either."

"Well, finally you started thinking with your head," Black approved, "Then I'll take my leave. Goodbye to all and good evening," The elderly man tipped his bowler hat and disappeared without a pop. 

After all, he too became interested in the meager knowledge about spatial magic that I had in Lerach's notes and didn't fail to improve his apparition. Though it uses more energy, the movement itself is much more comfortable.

"Son, we need to talk," Eh, and I thought I'd already been scolded. But apparently the second round is beginning.

Ariel scolded me, cried, rejoiced that I came out dry, and asked me not to do it again. After which they fed me and sent me to my room to sleep. 

With the familiar, however, there was a small hitch. She still hadn't come to her senses, and while sleeping with a familiar is completely normal, if only she didn't look like a completely ordinary girl. Moreover, separating us could be fraught with consequences — who knows what processes are happening inside Pixie... no, I need to come up with another name. 

Maybe Venus, Aphrodite? Somehow too much. Maria? No, also not right. Oh, Dorothea, meaning God's gift in Greek. Quite suitable.

So, having transfigured underwear and a nightgown on the girl, they expanded my bed and laid her next to me, with a firm order not to do anything "strange" with the girl. 

Yeah, Ariel is quite the mother if she's still embarrassed to tell me how children are made. But this can be attributed to childhood trauma and upbringing in a brothel, which she rarely talks about. After all, there are two reactions to such upbringing — either excessive frankness and liberation, or extreme shyness, and Ariel has exactly the second variant. 

What can I say, if before Ludwig she only had sex with me in my previous body, and before that she was a virgin with an appearance complex?

I myself didn't feel exactly sexual attraction to my familiar — though her face was beautiful and devilishly cute, the body of a twelve-year-old only aroused a desire to cuddle and protect. So I went to bed and immediately fell into dreamless sleep, resting after a difficult day.

***

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Thank you for the help with the power stones!!!