Chapter 74: Curse-breaker lesson

Sebastien reached out, gripping Nero's forearm.

"Hold on," he said simply.

A sharp pull, like being yanked through a narrow tube, and the world twisted around them.

The moment they landed, the cool evening air of London wrapped around them, the scent of damp stone and city life replacing the stale, ancient magic of Gringotts.

Sebastien released Nero's arm, observing him carefully. "Huh. No dizziness? No staggering? Not even a grimace?"

Nero adjusted his cloak and smoothed his sleeve as if nothing had happened. "You didn't expect a second-year Hogwarts curse breaker in the making not to have any experience with Apparition, did you?"

Sebastien blinked, then threw his head back and laughed. "Fair enough, lad. Fair enough."

Nero smirked. "I assume you weren't testing whether I could keep my lunch down."

"Not at all," Sebastien said, shaking his head with amusement.

"But you'd be surprised how many seasoned wizards still get disoriented, especially when they don't initiate the jump themselves. Apparition is like any other magic, some take to it naturally, some never truly master it."

He gestured toward the tall, weathered house in front of them. "Come on. Let's get to work."

They approached the entrance, the street quiet except for the distant hum of Muggle life. Sebastien placed a hand on Nero's shoulder before they knocked.

"As this is a private case, we're stepping into someone's home, which means appearances matter. Clients like to feel like they're in control, even when calling us in. They expect to see a face they can recognize and trust, not some unknown curse breaker from the shadows."

Sebastien tapped his temple. "One of my fields of expertise is illusion magic. Not many curse breakers bother with it, but it has its uses." 

He rolled his shoulders, and in an instant, his entire appearance shifted. His face lengthened, his jawline became softer, and his nose took on a slight hook.

His eyes darkened, and even his hair changed, now a deep auburn instead of its usual shade.

His posture adjusted, carrying an entirely different presence.

To Nero, it was like standing beside a stranger.

Sebastien smirked at his reaction. "Clients expect to see a face. They don't need to know who we really are." He clapped Nero's shoulder, amusement flickering in his now unfamiliar eyes. "Oh, and don't be too confused if the client keeps looking a bit higher than where your eyes actually are."

Nero blinked, then groaned. "Wait, did you make me taller?"

Sebastien chuckled. "Just a bit. A young apprentice needs some authority after all."

Nero huffed but ended up chuckling as well. "I better not be some hulking giant."

"Relax," Sebastien said, knocking on the door. "I have standards."

The door opened a moment later, revealing a middle-aged man in fine wizarding robes, his face drawn with worry.

His home was modest but well-kept, the kind that had seen generations of magic pass through it.

"Mr. Beaumont," Sebastien greeted smoothly, his tone professional but calm. "I'm Thomas Blackwood, and this is my apprentice. We're here about your… issue."

Beaumont wrung his hands. "Yes, yes. Come in, please."

As they stepped inside, the atmosphere immediately shifted. The house felt… wrong.

The air pulsed with an eerie, unnatural presence.

Nero caught the faintest pulse, like a slow heartbeat hidden beneath the walls.

Sebastien must have felt it too, because his expression turned unreadable. "Before we inspect the object directly, we'll need to check the leylines of the house, the wards, and the room itself. Curses don't always stay where you think they should."

Nero nodded, following Sebastien's lead as they moved through the house.

Sebastien pressed his hand against the wooden floor, closing his eyes for a brief moment. Then he glanced at Nero. "What do you feel?"

Nero crouched down, mimicking him.

He reached out with his senses.

The ley lines were present, but… twisted.

They were not broken, but they felt redirected ever so slightly.

Like a stream that had been guided off course.

"It's subtle," Nero murmured. "The magic here flows, but it's… being pulled, ever so slightly. Like something is guiding it somewhere it shouldn't be."

Sebastien's lips curled into an approving smirk. "Good instincts. That tells us the curse isn't just sitting on the artifact, it's feeding off the house itself. Make sure to remember checking everything thoroughly in your future cases, even elements that may seem unrelated at first glance."

Sebastien moved next to the walls, running a hand across the invisible protections woven into the house. "Now, if the wards were properly placed, the curse shouldn't have had such an effect." He turned to Nero. "What do you think?"

Nero concentrated. It took him a moment, but then he noticed it.

There were gaps, faint but present, as if the magic had been stretched too thin. "The wards were strong once," he said. "But they've been weakened over time. I don't feel any trace of damage, but was this… neglect?"

Sebastien nodded. "Exactly. Wards need maintenance. Most wizards assume they'll last forever, but if you don't reinforce them, they fade. The curse found its way in through those weak points."

They then proceeded to step into a dimly lit study, where the artifact in question sat on a desk.

A small, ornate box, carved with intricate symbols.

The pulse of magic was stronger here, vibrating in the air like the hum of a struck tuning fork.

Sebastien took a step forward, then raised a hand to stop Nero. "Before we touch anything, tell me, what do you feel?"

Nero narrowed his eyes, focusing. "It's not just the artifact," he said slowly. "It's the space around it. The air feels… stretched. As if the magic is expanding outward instead of staying contained."

Sebastien smiled. "That tells us the curse is not just placed on the object, but influencing its surroundings. Meaning..."

"...If we remove the box and the artifact without handling the ambient magic, the curse could remain," Nero finished.

Sebastien's smirk deepened. "You learn fast."

Sebastien moved carefully, pulling out a small silver rod from his coat, a specialized tool.

Nero's eyes narrowed as he observed the intricate runes etched along its surface.

"What is that?" Nero asked.

Sebastien twirled the rod between his fingers. "This is a leyline attunement rod. It senses disturbances, curse remnants, leyline shifts, without the influence of a witch or wizard's intent." It helps me read the flow of magic in a place." He smirked. "Staring dramatically at walls works too, but this is a little more reliable."

Nero let out a dry chuckle. "Noted."

Sebastien muttered a slow incantation, and the energy in the room shifted.

The stretched magic shivered, then slowly began to contract. The air grew still.

With precise movements, he traced a sigil in the air, one that shimmered and pulsed before sinking into the box.

The glow around it faded.

Sebastien exhaled, stepping back. "That should do it."

He turned to Beaumont. "Your home should return to normal within the next few hours. Keep your wards maintained, and don't go buying any more curiosities from shady vendors."

Beaumont, looking both relieved and slightly embarrassed, nodded quickly. "Of course. Thank you. Thank you so much."

As they stepped outside, Sebastien gave Nero a sidelong glance. "Not bad for your first case. Learn anything?"

Nero smirked. "That I'm going to learn a lot from you."

Sebastien chuckled. "Good answer."

As they prepared to leave, Nero glanced back at the house, already looking forward to the next time he would be in the field. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

75 chapters ahead on Patreon (Suiijin): Chapter 149: Towards the Lion's Den