Phil wanted the fava bean to be just a simple little thing. With Vid's current alchemy skills, he could make it with hardly a breath.
He took out a tin bean and gave it a gentle tap with his magic wand, transforming its appearance into that of a green fava bean. From shape to color, there was no difference, with a circle of shimmering light passing over it, making the surface look like jelly.
Connecting Spell, Heat Spell, Hardening Charm… a few basic spells were added, making it exactly like the fava bean he had previously given to Zoe.
Vid placed the fava bean on the table, preparing to sleep, but when he lay down, he found himself tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.
It was like being an art student immersed in the world of painting for twenty years, usually surrounded by world-class artworks from throughout history, and upon returning, being asked only to draw a simple sketch of a mushroom.
—— It wasn't that I can't draw it, but I can do it even better.
Vid sat up with a jolt, clutching the fava bean, and looked at it under the moonlight.
Small and exquisite, plump and smooth, with a subtle indentation in the middle, and a crown at one end resembling a fingernail.
This shape seemed somewhat familiar.
Vid scrutinized it for a while and suddenly realized — this shape looked exactly like the wireless earbuds he had worn in his previous life.
In an instant, it was as if a bolt of lightning had flashed across his mind, sparking inspiration that flowed ceaselessly like a fountain, irrepressible.
Vid even forgot to sit down, gazing at the fava bean in his hand, though his focus seemed elsewhere. Various ideas flashed through his mind, countless Magic Texts and spells danced and combined in the world of thoughts.
The magic capable of being inscribed on a sheet of parchment was limited, but it was different with a metal-made fava bean.
The House-Elf cleaning today was Phil, who noticed Vid staring blankly at the fava bean and didn't dare disturb him, so he quietly tidied up the room's trash and dirty clothes, then tiptoed over to wipe the wardrobe with a cloth.
Soon came Habi and Zoe—
It wasn't that cleaning a dormitory required three House-Elves, but they all enjoyed coming here to work. If Vid happened to be awake, he would chat with them a bit, which could brighten their entire day.
The three little fellows cooperated seamlessly, polishing the clean furnishings to a shine as if they had been buffed, ensuring not a speck of dust remained in the corners.
As they were tidying the carpet, they suddenly felt the room brighten dramatically—
Vid tapped the fava bean with his magic wand, enlarging it hundreds of times.
Suspended in the air, under the spell's influence, it separated layer by layer, with metal sheets unfolding like pages of a book, resembling a blooming peony. The magical light flowed continuously on it.
The Red Cap Poppet crouching in the corner was taken aback by the suddenly enlarged fava bean. It jumped up, clutching a wooden stick, slightly bent in alertness.
Soon recognizing Vid as the source of the commotion, it put down the stick and curiously moved closer to take a look.
Its master gently swung the magic wand, as if orchestrating a melodious symphony.
Countless fine silver lines intertwined and coiled, forming complex yet harmonious patterns on the metal sheets.
One sheet, two sheets, three sheets... intricate designs were engraved on each metal sheet, with silver light flowing and shimmering, creating a magnificent magical halo.
The light reflected in that person's eyes, seemed as if they might glow, appearing mysterious and ethereal.
Time seemed to stand still in this moment; the glowing place and that person felt as if they were in another world.
Vid had always envied Dumbledore's powerful mastery of magic, watching him manipulate magical elements as if molding pliable clay, shaping it at will.
Unbeknownst to him, at this moment, he appeared just as powerful and cryptic, unreachable in the eyes of the House-Elves and the Poppet.
After a moment of flickering, the designs gradually dimmed and vanished as if consumed by the pages.
The metal sheets folded together, ultimately forming a massive fava bean, which then shrank under the spell's effect, becoming even smaller than a regular fava bean, small enough to easily fit into an ear.
Phil stared blankly at the scene, overwhelmed at the thought that such an item might be for him.
Vid tucked the fava bean into his hand, glanced back at them, and smiled brightly.
"——Guess what this little thing can do?"
He said.
...
"Waterproofing charms, anti-wetting charms, fire protection charm, Scouring Charm, these spells are like the strawberries and figs garnishing a cake, essentially providing defensive functions."
In the Alchemy Professor's office, the Magic Radio played a gentle song. Vid sat by the desk, fiddling with the fava bean, introducing his new creation to Professor Morry.
"The core remains the Connecting Spell."
"Previously, I used this spell to reveal the hidden ink on parchment, manifesting identical text or images. This time, I employed it to harness metal coils."
"The coils drive the adjacent paper cone to vibrate, enabling sound transmission. I tested this a few times with some companions last night. At present, the sound quality distorts slightly but is not significantly affected."
Professor Morry picked up the fava bean, put on his glasses, and observed it carefully, his eyebrows slightly raised.
"You constantly surprise me, child." Professor Morry said, "I suspect it possesses more functions?"
"Indeed, I've added a Colovaria Spell and a Tracking Spell. Also, there's a Defense Spell to enable the wearer to resist some minor Evil Curses."
Vid said, "Then it occurred to me, why not make it smarter? Inject some thought, enabling it to provide more flexible services, like reminding about time or schedules, akin to a Poppet."
"Of course, there's also the Detection Spell, anti-interference charm, and the shell conceals a Disappearing Spell. If anyone attempts to forcibly dismantle its mechanism, it will instantly vanish completely."
"Nevertheless, upon completion during the testing phase, I discovered several new issues."
"Firstly, its usage range isn't as broad as the Friendship Book— it functions well in the United Kingdom, but the signal weakens considerably in France, and becomes completely unresponsive in Italy. I don't understand why the same Connecting Spell results in such discrepancies."
Naturally, it was Relf who helped with the testing.
This House-Elf ran for over an hour, helping Vid measure the operational range of the communicative fava bean, which amounted to a straight-line distance of about eight to nine hundred kilometers.
This distance seems extensive, but compared to Vid's expectations, it falls far short.
For instance, in the United States, the land spans four thousand five hundred kilometers east to west and two thousand seven hundred kilometers north to south. The fava bean's communicative range doesn't even cover half.
More critically, even with his alternate vision, he could see no segments needing adjustment.
To fit all his desired effects into the tiny fava bean, he meticulously refined every part of the spells and Magic Texts to perfection.
Professor Morry, after pondering for a while, said, "Vid, your issue might be— being overly perfectionistic, why don't you try a bit of subtraction?"