Chapitre 4: A personal student, as well as an interesting and useful acquaintance.

My escorts bowed and Francesco pressed his lips to my hand with the cardinal's ring.

— Your Eminence, please forgive us for our actions. We learned that the leader of the Akuisti family became entangled with a dark creature. The Badoer family saw it as their duty to eliminate him and then punish the traitor who brought evil spirits into our blessed city and kept them in his home.

So, pathetically and with pathos, explaining our actions to the cardinal as if we were paladins of the Church on the front lines against vile fiends.

— Let me introduce you to my friend and guest of our family who agreed to help me eliminate the threat to all of Venice: the magician and healer of the Rome's Guild, Svyatozar Zmiev.

I just nodded at that and did not bow down or kiss his hand. I identified myself as a schismatic Orthodox in Rome. This eliminated the need for attending Mass and endless daily church services, which are required of any devout Catholic Christian. Even the Orthodox cross had to be transferred for this purpose.

- Vincenzo Amati, Cardinal of Venice", this powerful man introduced himself to me.

I couldn't call him an old man. Especially after we were next to each other, and I was able to look into his soul. In front of me stood the brightest and strongest representative of apocalyptic, priestly magic in our memory of Salazar and mine. At that moment, it felt like a fifth octane, which was cool. But that is a misleading impression. The full power of these magicians is only revealed when they turn to their god in prayer. It is unlikely that a cardinal would be inferior to me at that point, the seventh octave. A serious person. I didn't want to be their enemy, even with all my might and vitality.

— It's a pleasure, your Eminence.

I nodded at him once more, acknowledging his superiority by virtue of both his age and rank. But I didn't do it in the way one would do for a Catholic leader. Because then, I would have had to kneel down and kiss his hand. The interesting thing was that he didn't seem bothered at all, and took my nod as a given. His aura seemed crystal clear, like transparent orichalcum. His will was unyielding, and his faith was unbending. It was as if his very being resonated with the world, and the egregore of Christianity seemed to respond. Cool. This is what a truly holy person looks like in spiritual vision.

— I have a request for you, Svyatozar. No one disputes your right to the trophy in the form of the body of the monster that you defeated. However, could you provide the body for a short period of time for study by the Church while acting as a consultant? As far as I understand, you are knowledgeable about the nature of this creature and can shed light on its potential danger to humanity.

What an interesting card. I was surprised. I didn't hear any arrogance or swagger from him. He was really waiting for my permission to study kitsune. But until then, I was sure that I would have to confront him in order to defend my right to the trophy. After all, the church has a prerogative over everything related to the other world and magic, which can threaten people.

— Of course, your eminence. I don't see any problems with that. I am even willing to give a lecture to anyone who wishes. I will myself conduct the autopsy and dissect the body into its organs and valuable reagents for this creature with all the necessary explanations.

If the Church has no complaints about me, then it wasn't difficult for me to share my knowledge with them. You see, this would count for me. If I wanted to walk around Europe, where the Catholic Church rules, their gratitude would be worth a lot to me.

- That's fine. Let's not waste anymore time. While I was talking to Venenzo, two knights of the Church, or paladins as they are also known, and a couple of novices had already spread the cloth over the place where the kitsune's body had been moved. We are going to San Giacometto Church, where you, Svyatozar, will be giving your seminar. There are my brothers in faith present, who will find this knowledge very useful in their service.

— Svyatozar, I will send our gondola to the Rialto pier. If you are free and can help the Holy Church, it will bring you back before Castle.

Francesco's face was now very spiritual, and I could sense contentment and joy in his emotions. A cardinal is a significant figure in the Church, but particularly the Venenzo inspired him with awe and loyal humility. Due to this, he was greatly pleased to be involved, even indirectly, in a case where he assisted the Catholic Church through the person of the Cardinal of Venice.

Upon arriving at the church, we entered its deep catacombs. After traversing many tombs, we came upon a vast circular hall, where a kitsune's corpse had already been placed on an ancient altar. Monks in deep hoods stood nearby, reverently bowing their heads. Judging by the complexions of most of them, it was clear that their service to the Church did not involve spiritual guidance. Rather, they were clearly members of a military order serving the Church.When we greeted each other, I started to carve my trophy. Two fighting brothers served me, handing me the tools I requested and putting aside seized organs stacked on dishes. They didn't ask any questions but listened to my explanation about the purpose of each organ. At the same time, I told them about the nature of the creature, its weaknesses and strengths, its habitat, and its history with humans. In general, I told everything I knew about it, hiding nothing except, of course, which potions and elixirs it's ingredients can be used for, only approximate properties. For example, the liver is good for making antidotes, while the spleen is for poisons, and blood is suitable for runes related to illusions and altering the state of matter. This should be clear to any intelligent wizard, especially a potionist, from the information I've already provided about kitsune's nature and abilities.While I was giving a lecture, one of the students took detailed notes of every word I said. Moreover, he did not use pen and ink on parchment, but a pencil on high-quality paper. What more is there to say? But I noticed this only in part, without interrupting the lecture even for a second. It took me about three hours to gut and disassemble the body.

- I have told you and shown you everything I know about this werewolf, Your Eminence, - I said to Vincenzo.

At the same time, I wiped my hands on a cloth handed to me by one of the brothers after having previously washed them in a bowl of consecrated water.

- The Holy Church will not ignore your feat. Your services in destroying the God-abhorrent creature and the information you provided will soon be recognized, Svyatozar, by the gratitude due to you. I can assure you of this, Cardinal of Venice.

It's just unthinkable. Vincenzo bowed his head in gratitude. "Fucked up, comrades." Someone died somewhere, since I was witness to such an event, and they expressed sincere gratitude to me on behalf of the church at such a high level, even promising to thank me later.

— I did what my heart told me to do, Your Eminence. I could not let such a monster be among people. "Fais ce que dois, advienne que pourra" (Do what must be done, whatever happens).

Vincenzo even smiled:

— Marcus Aurelius, I didn't expect to hear this from you. Are you a follower of Stoic philosophy, Svyatozar?

— My views are much broader than those of the classical school of this philosophical trend. After all, every nation can have its own ethics due to historical events, ethnic features, traditions, and geographical differences in the territory where their civilization originated. I respect their right to their own views and existence, but only as long as these views do not threaten my rights, life, and my own opinions.

We were already climbing the stairs to the surface, and the ingredients I had obtained from the kitsune were being dragged along behind me by several brothers as I was having a conversation with Wencenzo.

— You are a very interesting and versatile person. You quote the deceased emperors of the Roman Empire, you are a strong combat magician and also a healer. That's interesting. In summary, do you live by the principle of "live for yourself, but don't interfere with others?" Or was I wrong about you, Svyatozar?

Hmm, an interesting man and a curious conversationalist. I'm already starting to like him. Of course, if you don't take into account his high status in the church, for which I am an a priori enemy.

"Well, generally speaking, that's true," I agreed with him.

Vincenzo and I, accompanied by some monks from a military order that was unknown to me, walked through a market in a small square in front of a church. We then crossed the Rialto Bridge, and found ourselves at a pier where a gondola with the coat of arms of Baedor was waiting for us.

— See you soon, Svyatozar. Vincenzo extended his hand to shake mine, another break in the pattern as well as a reason for caution. The cardinal's attitude was too obvious to me, not in the walls of a cell or office where we were not seen. There were a lot of curious people around. So, tomorrow, the whole of Venice would know that the cardinal and I had said goodbye by hand, like old, close acquaintances. These days, only equals with equals could afford such a thing. Well, it is generally accepted among military aristocrats, knights. And tell Francesco that I will pay him a visit after lunch tomorrow.

Well, it's not difficult for me. However, during this time it's worth considering carefully what this influential church official might need from me. I don't think that all his interest in me is just idle curiosity. The fact that I was allowed to keep the kitsune's body alone is worth a great deal. The main prize, the heart, is already in my possession in a ring with space folded into it. If the church wanted to get the kitsune body for itself, then of course I would try, but most likely they would get it from me. After all, I want to visit many places in Europe and a quarrel with the church would greatly complicate unimpeded movement across the continent, and I will never underestimate them. From Salazar's memories, I know what this social institution can do. Moreover, during my years at Hogwarts, the church has gained even more power and their communication has only improved all this time.If I were to smoke here today and leave the city gates slamming loudly when leaving Venice, then tomorrow all of Europe would know about it. So the Church's bloodhounds would be on my trail. Do I need that?

Upon arriving at the Badoer family castle, I was immediately escorted to Francesco's office.

— How did it go? Was Cardinal Amati satisfied? - my former employer asked me impatiently.

Because I considered the contract with him to be already closed, I cured his daughter. He fulfilled his self-imposed obligation by strangling the creature that had cast an illusion on his daughter with his own hand, and there are no debts between us now.

— Come on, Francesco. I am not a circus performer or a prostitute, but for such matters I did not hire anyone to entertain. I fulfilled my promise by cutting up the creature, and giving a lecture on its structure and weaknesses at the church. That's all there is to it. They paid me, you paid off me. There's nothing keeping me here in Venice any longer. It only remains to resolve the issue with you: will you give your consent for your daughter to apprentice with me? - he vented his frustration slightly on the enormously excited and active Badoer.

"You just don't understand, Svyatozar. Whose attention you were able to attract," he shook his head at me reproachfully. At the same time, my interlocutor either didn't take offense at the breakdown or didn't show it.

I didn't scan his mind or emotions. After all, he was constantly covered in artifact protection, and I was mentally and emotionally exhausted while in the catacombs of the church.

I was pretty stressed by the scanning charms. They had to be fooled for all three hours, replacing their essence with an illusion placed on top of them. It was during this covert scanning that the spell fell on me. All that the churchmen saw through the scan was that I was a powerful magician, but also a pure-blooded person. For three hours, I had an invisible duel with more and more new types of charms, which were examined within all the available ranges of Roman magic.

— And who is he? I realized that he is a strong magician himself. So, please clarify who Vincenzo Amato is.

From Slytherin's memory, I saw a magician of such power in the service of the church only once. It was Frederick, confessor to Henry, king of France. The wizard under the French king was fanatical and a powerful operator of the First World. He was connected to her, thanks to his unshakable belief that it was the only first religion blessed by God. He vaporised a huge castle before Godric and Slytherin. The last rebels were just locked in there, driven back by Gryffindor and his group of mercenaries where Slytherin already belonged. The spectacle was truly grandiose. A pure concentrated light hit the castle from the sky which was not smaller than Hogwarts itself. Then in a few seconds the castle evaporated and a large part of the cliffs where it stood. Even Godrick, seeing such a terrible attack, doubted he could survive it. Nothing can be said about Slytherin.He was much weaker than his comrade at that time .

— Venenzo Amati is the Master of the Order of Victorious Knights. Although they call themselves the Knights of the Creator and were named Victorious after their chosen patron Saint, George the Victorious, they are not particularly well-liked in Rome because this order has not participated in any crusades that the Popes have called on all pious Catholic knights to join. Their purpose is to resist darkness, not heresies or apostasy from faith, but manifestations of evil that threaten humanity. That is why the church hierarchy in the Vatican dislikes them, as it has no authority over them but cannot do anything to stop them.

Curious guys turned out to be those very Knights of the Creator, who impressed me with their stated goals.

— Oh, yes. Vincenzo is going to visit your house tomorrow. So, get ready to welcome the cardinal after dinner service.

But we both understand perfectly well that the real reason for tomorrow's Master's visit is me.

- It's a great honor! I must admit that I was very surprised when we were able to meet him at Akuisti's house yesterday. In fact, not only me and the guests, but also the hosts of the house were surprised. Apparently, the kitsune was careless. She attracted the attention of Victorious Knights, who visited the house incognito. Closing his eyes tightly from today's pleasant memories at Antonio Aquisti's home, Francesco said: "When you and the Cardinal left the hall to go to San Giacomento Church, the Knights of the Order arrested the head of the Aquisti house, his heir, and several other family members. They ordered all guests not to leave until further notice. I don't think we'll hear from those who were taken to the Order's dungeon again, and the whole Aquisti family will be disgraced not only by the Church but also by all noble families in Venice."

Well, Francesco's joy is understandable: he witnessed the downfall of the enemy family and played a role in its destruction.

— I see. But you haven't yet answered my question about your daughter.

It's time to make decisions about your plans, and the issue of kidnapping a student is now even more serious in terms of potential consequences. I have come under the attention, as it turns out, not only of a simple cardinal (although the words "simple" and "cardinal" are already dissonant in the same sentence), but also of an entire order of knights fighting against darkness. And for a moment, I still hold the title of the Dark Lord, bestowed upon me by magic itself, which was inherited from Salazar. There was no sorrow in my heart.

Francesco, a loving father to his children, said:

— I'll give you my answer tomorrow evening, Svyatozar.

That was the end of our conversation in the office of the head of the Badoer house, and we went to dinner. The next day, at three o'clock, Venenzo Amati arrived at our place. He was received luxuriously, as any dinner and reception at this house was held at the highest level, worthy of a monarch, but today it was even more immaculate. The servants were awed by the sight of the cardinal, so it immediately became clear that he enjoys great respect and admiration from the "orthodox" Catholics of Venice. There were practically no conversations during lunch itself. After lunch, Francesco, head of the House of Badoers, and Vincenzo Amato, the Cardinal of Venice retired to the study for private conversation. Well, I went to the library, and there I was surprised, although I didn't seem to be hidden, by Maria's happiness with her success in this matter.She has already heard about the news of what happened at the reception in the Aquisti house and that I was the main participant in yesterday's events, as well as that the whole of Venice was buzzing about it, including the servants of Badoer's house. So, the baby decided to get reliable information from me, the original source. And now, she and her companion were listening to my story with great interest. Noteworthy, my revelation about my personal encounter with Vincenzo Amati and our amicable parting at the pier had a very positive impact on the elderly lady. Therefore, they no longer saw me as an enemy or a crook who had infiltrated the home of noble people. As we continued, we smoothly shifted from the topic of kittens to the magical flora and fauna of East and Asia, but an hour later, a servant interrupted us in the library. Apologizing for interrupting our conversation, he asked me to attend a meeting with the Cardinal.When I arrived at Francesco's office, I found only the Cardinal in it. After a brief exchange of pleasantries and proper greetings between the two noblemen, Venenzo moved on to the subject that was of interest to him.

— Francesco told me that you, Svyatozar, wanted to take his youngest daughter as an apprentice. Can you tell me why you need this?

From his impassive voice, it was impossible to understand his true attitude towards my intention to become a student. As for surface monitoring of his psi and emophone, it did not yield anything. The cardinal's soul was hidden behind his aura of holiness, and without aggressive influence, I could not penetrate it. Due to this, I was in the dark about his true feelings and thoughts. This was very unusual for me, as I had long been accustomed to the fact that the thoughts and feelings of my interlocutors were an open book to me.

- I'm a researcher and a scientist, not just a magician. All my life, I've been trying to understand the mysteries of the universe. Maria is a talented magician with a unique ability. I might be the only magician in Europe who has the knowledge to help her unlock her potential. I want to teach her how to use her gift. Not only do I learn from my students, but I also learn from them. That's why I offered to be Maria's mentor. Like that, he didn't lie, but told the truth. I haven't told you anything that could compromise me.

"You're not lying, Svyatozar.

While Venenzo was thinking about something, I prepared for any possible future events. After all, from the first second of our communication with the cardinal, I felt tension and my intuition told me that fateful events were happening in my life.

Then our conversation turned to my past. It was difficult to tell him where I came from or what I had seen. Venenzo skillfully built the conversation, and it was easy to avoid answering questions he was interested in without betraying my desire to hide them. He sensed the lie, so I did not try to lie to him openly. Our acquaintance-interview exhausted me, and I was glad when it ended, allowing me to leave.And in the evening, I had a meeting with Francesco, and he gave his consent to Maria's education. In the student agreement, he found no pitfalls or hidden nuances that could threaten his family or Maria. Then, we signed a magical contract with him and he allowed Maria to take the oath as my disciple. The ritual of accepting Maria as a student and consolidating the magical contract took place the following day, at the same estate in the outskirts of Venice where I had earlier removed the illusion killing Maria.When she became my student just before the ceremony, and the vows were exchanged, she discovered the truth about my full name and title. She was surprised and shocked to learn that I was a courteous and gallant Dark Lord, and in the past, I had been named Salazar Slytherin. His name has long been associated with treachery and dark magic, but he killed many people, especially in France and Germany. Despite this, the fact that he founded the most prestigious magic school in Europe has made him an important historical figure. Anyone who is involved in the magical world knows the name "Salazar Slytherin", and little Maria was not an exception.

"Just don't tell anyone about my past," I said with a smile to the stunned face of my first and only student. "The past is the past," I agreed.

— Yes, — she gathered her thoughts and collected courage, but then decided and asked, — Will you teach me how to be a dark lady?

Holy shit! Is there delight, anticipation, and adoration in your eyes now? What else don't I know about you, dear one?

— Do you want me to teach you?

And what will you answer me, sweet and little lady from the Badger family, zealots of the Catholic faith?

- yes!

Ohhh! And her eyes are shining with excitement. Yeah, I wonder what she has already imagined there? It's a pity that direct Legilimency cannot be applied to children. It is only superficial, but Maria now has an artifact and I can only read her emotions. Generally, before the age of eleven, penetrating the mind of a child can lead to irreversible consequences in the form of mental disorders, such as phobias, distractions, and even schizophrenia. Only after the age of 11 is it possible to influence a child's mind in some way and read their thoughts without high risk to the child, but even then this is fraught with danger. Okay, this isn't the point.

- Let's see. Firstly, we will focus on developing your innate abilities, that is, the gifts that led me to choose you as my student, I answered my ward truthfully.

I could now be completely honest with her, as she has become my student according to the old ritual and taken an oath in Sumerian. Francesco was surprised when he checked the contract we signed with her. It said that my student would bring me "The Ancient Oath of Disciple, which the world still remembers", and this is what the oath of Roman magicians usually calls. Of course, it also protects all the secrets of the teacher and through the student while he is alive it is impossible to find anything about his teacher. But what prevents him from killing him first, capturing his soul and then learning secrets? The oath Mary gave me makes her, in fact, my possession for the entire duration of my apprenticeship, which I define. Therefore, the agreement between me and her father was a mere fiction. It says that I cannot harm Maria Francois Badoer or her family.But the oath she swore to me made her my property for the duration of her studies. Accordingly, she was excluded from the contract with her father, and was no longer considered Francesco's daughter. This oath fell upon her soul. Even after she ceased to be my apprentice, the oath would still keep her secrets, even in her afterlife, until her soul was completely purified in Samsara's wheel.

Of course, I wouldn't use the full extent of my power over her, but an extra safety net hasn't hurt anyone yet and may well protect me from unnecessary encroachments. If her dad suddenly tries to take advantage of any points in the agreement between us regarding her education, it will end very badly for him. Now, Maria has no voice or identity in front of magic and all rights are in my hands, making her my responsibility. If she makes a mistake, I will have to answer for it to magic and authorities.

"What kind of gift do I have?" Dad didn't tell me anything about him, and you also avoided answering this question all the time.

Well, it's understandable. I was seriously intimidated by Francesco by the danger of revealing information about his abilities. Well, until the student oath took place on his magical, astral, and mental body, I had no guarantee that the boy would not tell anyone about it. Now, the child cannot tell anyone what he is telling or teaching me without my permission.

"You're a dream walker, Maria. This is a very rare and dangerous gift."

Oh, how she leaped at the words "rare" and "dangerous"! She's now already fidgeting with curiosity, wanting to learn more about him.

— And what can he do with this gift, well?

— You will be able to travel through the world of dreams and visit other people's dreams.

Heh-heh-heh, why are you depressed?

— It doesn't sound cool.

Trust me, it's a very powerful ability. You will learn more about it the moment you learn to feel your own magic and gain at least some control over it. Until then, you will need to spend years meditating, reading specialized literature on general magic and its theory, and making the simplest potions.

Well, she's revived again.

— I love reading and "making potions" sounds interesting. What is meditation?

M-yeah, how did the Romans lower the general level of magical science and practice... By destroying, in fact, the schools of shamanism and astral magicians in Europe, as well as related disciplines such as spiritualism, demonology, and spirit magic. They deprived modern magicians of knowledge about meditation techniques, which were the basis for training in the above-mentioned schools. But the paladins of the church were trained by them, although that is a very simplified version. It aims precisely to concentrate and strengthen the will that they forge through their lives from their sensory spirit.Now, if anyone has knowledge of meditations on magic in their ancestral libraries, it is kept like the apple of their eyes. This information is not shared with the public. These days, either those born with a natural gift and who have felt the currents of magic energy within themselves from birth or very ancient magicians are able to sense their own magic. Moreover, only those who have been training in magical disciplines throughout their lives and have achieved the necessary level of mastery of their powers can feel magic within their bodies and souls. But that's just the tip of the iceberg.

However, in the East during Salazar's time, gifted children aged three to five, depending on their talent and diligence, were only taught this. In parallel, they received only theoretical knowledge. I will teach my students using the most advanced and effective techniques that I know.The next day, after we returned to the Badoer family's home in Venice, I started training and teaching Maria. During lunch, it turned out that the Cardinal Amati was now the confessor for this family, specifically Maria. Therefore, we would see him every day. And it was hard to tell whether it was for good or bad.

Venenzo was a good conversationalist and an interesting person, but his open interest in me bothered me a lot. I hadn't screwed up anywhere, but he didn't know that I was partly Salazar Slytherin, so why was he hanging around me? After the first week of training, I had made a detailed plan for Maria's lessons. It included three hours of meditation each morning, a lot of literature to read and understand, and many potions and elixirs that the girl would have to drink every day.That's how I spent a month puzzling my student with training and interesting reading, hoping to finally have some time to devote to my own affairs. In my spatial pocket ring, I still had the kitsune's heart. The nature of Naga is not far from that of kitsune, so we can increase our strength by consuming the organs and flesh of powerful magical creatures, and the heart is a special delicacy that gives a significant boost to strength. The heart of a kitsune is its core, the essence of its magical abilities, which not only adds to mental and magical powers, but also gives the possibility of adopting their unique magic, albeit not in full. Even the fact that the heart can give me a rudiment of another's gift makes it invaluable. Therefore, I decided to retire to seclusion, consume the seven-tails' heart, and practice my newly acquired abilities.But that's not all I wanted to do, and that's why I needed a short break. I didn't expect to find a student in Venice, or be tied to that place for at least ten years, perhaps even twenty, if I wanted to avoid quarreling with the most powerful family in that city. It seems unlikely that they would quietly allow their daughter to travel with me, and, by the way, Rowena Rovenkelo's tiara is waiting for me in the forests of Albania, hidden in an old oak's hollow, covered with enchantments. To find its exact location, I needed to use a ritual from ancient Sumerian demonology and summon the Scorpion Man.Why do I need them? Then, to gain control over Hogwarts. Godric's Sword, Salazar's Medallion, Helga's Chalice and Rowena's Tiara are artifacts that give the right to vote on the management of the castle. Any change to the Hogwarts charter is possible only through voting with their help. Also, I have plans for the future. However, they still need to be implemented. But, anyway, with two of the four keys to Hogwarts, I can easily enter the castle. My word will be the law at Hogwarts. After all, interrupting my word requires a veto, which is only possible for the owner of two keys. I will take Godric's sword with me when I return to the castle, because I know where it's stored. Salazar and Godric were twin brothers, and this was not just a blood bond but also a spiritual bond, which I and the trailer inherited from the soul of Slytherin that was absorbed into us. But how to attach the tiara to myself - I still have to figure that out.

—Francesco, Maria, Your Eminence, " I nodded to everyone in Francesco's office at that moment.

And why are all three of them here? Is she really washing my bones? Well, well. Even if my student wanted to, she wouldn't be able to shed light on my personality or our studies. She doesn't want to, either. This egosa has almost climbed onto my neck and is trying to manipulate me. No, nothing criminal. She's a decent and kind girl, but she has a lot of feminine cunning and perseverance, so she's using feminine tricks (even if they're still stupid) to get me to teach her cool and dark magic! Anyway, it seems like she has a huge crush on me, and I really hope her childhood crush passes by the end of our studies.

— Svyatozar, do you want to talk about anything? Maria's father asked in surprise.

Well, yes, usually at this time, I lock myself in the potions room on the lowest basement floor of the castle. There, I make elixirs that help Maria rapidly develop her magical nature, increase its elasticity and encourage growth, as well as conducting experiments. Oh, who would have thought that I would get such a passion from Salazar? As soon as I began analyzing the ingredients I received and decided what to cook for Maria, I became very absorbed in this activity. So, having done everything possible with the ingredients available to me for my student, I plunged headfirst into experiments. I tried out all the theories and ideas that occurred to me when faced with all the wealth from kitsune that I had. But all these things cost fabulous money, probably like this very castle in which I am staying right now.

— Yes, Francesco, I have to leave Venice for a while for personal reasons. I think it will only take me a month to finish everything and I will be back soon. Maria will know what to do during this time. I have provided her with all the educational materials and potions and elixirs needed for her development.

A couple of weeks should be enough for me, but I decided to allow for some extra time.

"Do you need any help?" Just let me know, after all, we're no longer strangers to each other.

Yeah, we know you merchants: the entrance costs a ruble, and the exit costs two.

"Thank you, Francesco, but that's unnecessary. I just need to meet an old friend. It's just a meeting of old friends, nothing more."

Oh, how curious the Cardinal was! He has never been able to figure out who I really am. Catholics have a difficult relationship with Schismatics, and it is difficult for them to get information from lands where Orthodoxy predominates. So his curiosity is understandable.

"And when are you leaving?"

"Now," I said, "I don't need to give you time to look after me. Why would I bother leaving behind a trail?" And while I'm away, Maria, I hope you will not be lazy, but follow my instructions strictly.

Hee hee hee! What a funny little dog she is, full of indignation! "Teacher, what are you talking about?!" I would never do that!" But then the cardinal spoke up,

"Maria Francoise, where is your humility and respect? This is not what we have been talking about for the past two weeks. It is not appropriate for a lady to react so strongly."

No, I will not let you spoil my joy for me, old man. I love her spontaneity, her enthusiasm, and her eternal positivity. She never ceases to surprise me with her curiosity and hard work."

Your Eminence, lack of passion in a nun's heart can be seen as a blessing. But for a magician, passion is as essential as their magical gift."Yeah, why are you laughing now, Venzo? It's obvious. This whole show was just for me. He studied, as if through a microscope, and tracked reactions to different situations, evoking emotions. Too bad for me, an amateur medieval psychologist.

"Okay, I have to go. Don't see me off. See you later."

Well, that's it. It's time for me to head to Albania!