As Ariana's identity was revealed.
The identity of Teacher Mara is the biggest mystery troubling Ian.
Just like his other friend in the Misty Illusion Realm, Pandro, he hasn't found a trace of either of their identities in the Nameless Bookstore or the Hogwarts library.
There is nothing in history.
Nothing in various biographies or even fairy tales.
The only thing that can be confirmed is that both of them lived before Hogwarts was established, which can probably be verified from the student records of Hogwarts' thousand-year history.
Of course, it's also possible that both of them forgot their names, but from Teacher Mara's teaching style and Pandro's way of doing things, it's not hard to see that they might have lived in the same era.
The early Middle Ages.
This is the one thing Ian could most certainly determine.
After all, Silly Barnabas had commented that Ian's conduct under the tutelage of Witch Mara had the style of the ancient traveling school, and both Witch Mara and Pandro had no impression of Hogwarts or any other magic academies. If they were wizards from such academies, memories from their student days would likely be some of the most unforgettable.
All signs indicate that the era when Teacher Mara and Pandro were active is more distant than Hogwarts, so Ian didn't hold much hope of finding clues to their identities.
Anyway, the journey launched from the Misty Illusion Realm is a new beginning, and Ian thought probing deeper held no value, so he chose to cherish the bonds formed in that realm.
This is how Ian convinced himself after fruitlessly searching.
However.
He never expected that when he wasn't planning to expend more effort searching, clues about Teacher Mara's identity would appear before him in such an unexpectedly compelling way.
"These are the books I want to borrow, thank you, Mrs. Pince." Ian, feeling a bit eager, watched as Madam Pince completed the lending registration.
"Handle them with care, as most of the books from the Forbidden Book Area contain magic, and many are irreplaceable originals. Losing any would be a huge loss for us." Madam Pince meticulously recorded the name of each book and even took out several sheets of wrapping paper to carefully cover the books Ian borrowed.
She is indeed the kind of person who extremely cherishes books, "Although I trust you won't, I must remind you not to eat while reading. If I catch food scraps on the pages, even Dumbledore couldn't stop me from punishing you severely."
The feather duster in Madam Pince's hand is greatly intimidating, invoking long-buried memories in Ian, who immediately nodded repeatedly like a pecking chicken.
"I promise to care for them as much as I would my own underwear." Ian solemnly pledged, secretly borrowing the persona of his good roommate.
Surely, William wouldn't mind when he finds out and might even feel a bit proud and amused?
"Very well."
Madam Pince was very satisfied with Ian's attitude, handing him the neatly wrapped books, upon which Ian picked them up and dashed towards the library's exit.
"????"
Watching Ian's hurried demeanor, Madam Pince suspected whether she had forgotten to record one book, making the little wizard feel the need to escape before she realized.
"Let me quickly uncover your secret identity, my dear mentor!" Ian hurried back to his dormitory, which was usually unoccupied at noon, and eagerly reached for the ancient book.
"Spiritual Manipulation: From Thought Extraction to Soul Stealing"
The title itself reveals its contents are not meant for any good wizard, and Witch Mara, as Ian suspected, may not be any White Wizard.
"The author's name... is somewhat blurry... the gilded lettering is almost completely eroded." Ian noted that if the book's cover had the information he sought, he wouldn't have needed to wait until he borrowed the book back. Nonetheless, he didn't feel disappointed or regretful, as the book's author is clear from the first page to not be Mara Witch herself.
Just as Madam Pince mentioned, some books carry magic, and this book is indeed such; when Ian turned to the first page, he seemed to hear an elderly female voice by his ear.
She spoke.
Of her story.
[When I was an apprentice under her, I always felt unnoticed, because my fragile and pitiful self-esteem constantly influenced me, making me feel dissatisfied and jealous of her and her other apprentices, which resulted in my inability to open my heart as she wished during my magical studies.]
[Who would want others to see their ugly inner self? My teacher, she was always so dazzling. Even the beauty I was proud of seemed to dim in her presence.]
[The longer I stayed by her side, the more my inner feelings of inferiority and jealousy grew rampant. I knew I would never become an extraordinary and powerful witch like her.]
[Dark thoughts sprouted in my heart; perhaps I could blame them on the influence of magic power, but deep down, I always understood I had a sinister personality.]