However, as the distance between Lucien and the Abraxans shortened and they sensed his aura, the wariness in their eyes lessened considerably.
Noticing this, Lucien smiled slightly and tapped his wand, causing the barrel lids to flip open automatically. Wisps of breeze emerged from the tip of his wand, carrying the aroma of wine toward the herd.
Smelling the rich fragrance of the wine, the Abraxans' nostrils flared, and the wariness in their eyes vanished completely. One or two young Abraxans even began trotting in place and stamping their hooves, looking impatient.
They really are "drunkard horses," Lucien thought, glancing at the single malt whisky in the barrels, which was a favourite drink of Abraxans.
The area he was currently in lay on the outskirts of Beauxbatons. This vast mountain range was similar to Hogwarts' Forbidden Forest and was home to a wide variety of magical creatures, including the local speciality, the Abraxan.
Lucien had come here both to observe these unique creatures and to try collecting some materials for Alchemy and Potions.
Of course, before setting out, he had applied for permission from Madame Maxime.
After all, he was away from home. This was not like Hogwarts, where he could stroll through the Forbidden Forest as though it were his own garden.
"Student from Hogwarts, I suggest you don't get any closer. Those horses don't have very good tempers."
A pleasant yet cold voice rang out behind Lucien.
But Lucien did not seem surprised by the sudden warning. He continued walking toward the Abraxans at his original pace.
"Thank you for the warning, Miss Delacour."
On the snowy ground about a dozen metres away stood a young girl who looked like a snow fairy.
She wore silk school robes embroidered on the chest with two crossed golden wands, each emitting three stars: the crest of Beauxbatons.
A faint silver light, like moonlight, surrounded the girl's body, making her beautiful face appear even more ethereal.
Hearing Lucien directly reveal her identity, a flash of astonishment appeared on Fleur's beautiful face.
She had been following him from a distance, and seeing Lucien's lack of reaction, she had thought he had not noticed her at all.
While she hesitated, two young Abraxans had already trotted up to Lucien.
Even though they were not yet adults, the two Abraxans were already large enough to look down at Lucien.
Fleur instinctively wanted to warn Lucien to be careful. After all, Abraxans were magical creatures with fierce tempers. They were particularly resistant to the approach of strangers and were prone to attacking.
But the scene that followed made Fleur's words stop in her throat.
The two Abraxans lowered their enormous heads and proactively rubbed against Lucien's raised palm, appearing extremely affectionate.
Lucien waved his wand, and the amber single malt whisky floated out of the barrels, the liquid turning into several crystal-clear streams.
Snap.
As Lucien snapped his fingers, a ball of orange flame ignited in mid-air.
The streams of whisky passed through the flame, turning from cold to warm, before floating into the Abraxans' mouths wrapped in white steam.
Only then did Lucien turn to look at Fleur behind him.
"Thank you again for your kindness just now, but I'm quite good at getting along with magical creatures."
But his words made Fleur's beautiful brows knit slightly.
"I thought a student of Nicolas Flamel would be entirely focused on Alchemy."
Just like her previous warning, Fleur spoke in English, though with a distinct French accent that made her voice sound somewhat husky.
The moment he heard Fleur's words, Lucien's first reaction was to wonder whether this girl was looking for trouble.
Hadn't she kindly warned him earlier so he wouldn't be accidentally injured by the Abraxans?
Activating the Eye of Peering Magic to enhance his vision, faint swirls appeared within his dark green eyes. He noticed that Fleur's expression was very serious, and the sincerity in her eyes suggested that she had truly only asked a simple question.
Uh, she probably wasn't deliberately looking for trouble.
Lucien remembered Teacher Nicolas mentioning before that if he had not met Lucien, he might have taken Fleur as his student...
Roughly guessing Fleur's thoughts, Lucien spoke.
"It's all right. I'm rather good at learning, and I have some talent in many areas."
Lucien spoke in French. His pronunciation was pure and his articulation fluent, leaving Fleur with nothing to criticise.
However, this straightforward answer still took Fleur aback.
She was naturally proud and usually acted quite candidly.
But someone like Lucien, who openly said that his talent was good, was rather rare.
Since the other party also knew French and spoke it so well, Fleur switched back to her mother tongue. Her red lips parted slightly as she said,
"I'm simply very curious. What kind of genius could earn the recognition of Nicolas Flamel?"
Fleur took light steps, walking across the white snow toward Lucien.
As she drew closer, that peerless face became increasingly clear in Lucien's eyes. The faint silver light reflected by the white snow made his heart race once again.
Lucien knew perfectly well that this was the Veela blood flowing through Fleur's veins at work.
Veela were intelligent humanoid magical creatures. They possessed breathtaking beauty, their skin constantly emitted a soft silver glow like moonlight, and their long hair could flow gracefully even without wind.
To men, Veela possessed an irresistible charm, enough to drive them into obsession.
However, when a Veela became angry, they would transform into a terrifying bird-like form. Their heads would become bird-like, and scaly wings would sprout from their shoulders, allowing them to breathe and throw fireballs at their enemies.
Fleur was part-Veela, though she only had a quarter of Veela blood, inherited from her mother.
Clearly, Fleur had inherited the beauty and charm of the Veela.
Lucien lowered his eyes in thought.
Aside from these external manifestations, did Fleur possess any other special traits?
For instance, could she transform into a bird-like form like a full-blooded Veela?
Could she use Magic unique to the Veela race?
While Lucien was thinking, a pair of deep blue eyes suddenly met his. The faint silver light hidden within them carried a soul-stirring charm.
Staring into Fleur's eyes at such close range even caused Lucien's train of thought to briefly stall.
He was unaccustomed to this feeling of his thoughts stopping, and he disliked it very much.
His Magic surged almost subconsciously, and the black swirls in his pupils instantly expanded, becoming incredibly deep.
But because Lucien's Eye of Peering Magic had been modified by merging it with the Basilisk's Magic Eye, it now caused any creature that made eye contact with him to become paralysed.
And at this moment, Fleur had the honour of becoming the first human to look directly into those eyes.
Unlike the biting cold of the surrounding wind and snow, Fleur felt a soul-piercing chill seep from those eyes and spread through her, as both her body and soul began to stiffen.
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