pertwk Chapter 167, Section 166: The Banquet! Is he about to be crowned emperor?
Chapter 167, Section 166: The Banquet! Is he about to be crowned emperor?
Chapter 167, Section 166: The Banquet! Is he about to be crowned emperor?
For the down-on-his-luck werewolf wizard Lupin, after leaving the little wizard's magical room, his sleep throughout the night, in fits and starts, didn't even add up to more than an hour.
There's so much to digest.
Whether it was the various shocking events of the past few days, the discovery tonight, or the conversation with the little wizard, they all filled Lupin's still unbelievable mind, causing him to see the scene and images of witnessing the little girl Catherine's magical awakening whenever he closed his eyes.
not only that.
"Even if God forbids it, it can't stop me from granting it." The little wizard's words constantly echoed in his ears, and such shocking remarks were destined to be unforgettable for the rest of his life. As a wizard whose grades and magical skills were perhaps quite good, Lupin still couldn't imagine how a wizard could dare to have such thoughts.
Are wizards gods?
Perhaps even the wizard who first uttered such words never truly intended to place wizards on an equal footing with gods. Lupin really didn't know how to evaluate Ian's remarks.
He only knew that even without considering the entire history of wizards, a wizard like himself could only be considered mediocre, so he probably had no right to judge whether others were audacious or not.
after all.
At less than two years old, he already possessed extraordinary strength, even surpassing Albus Dumbledore in his youth. Who can say that he has no right to make such arrogant remarks?
The fact that a Squirrel abandoned by magic could embrace magic again is already an incredible achievement, and the facts speak for themselves, leaving Lupin no room for further comment.
"Twelve years old..."
The down-on-his-luck werewolf wizard stared at the empty ceiling of the room, letting out a soft sigh in the silence. The slightly bright moonlight from outside the window shone through the glass onto his face.
He still felt a mix of emotions, his heart pounding with turmoil. Amidst the barking of dogs and meowing of cats from the orphanage, he felt as if he were having a faint dream, half-awake and half-asleep.
"Queue up to register your identity."
"Everyone can become a wizard."
"If you want to learn magic, insert this magic floppy disk into your mind, and you will immediately become proficient. For 500 Galleons, you will learn all the courses of seven grades in one minute."
"Hehehehehe, wizards control the world, and I... control the wizards."
……
A bizarre and fantastical dream.
It is filled with one fantastical, absurd, and chilling plot after another. Lupin even saw assembly lines in his dream mass-producing artificial wizards.
"No! Even if I don't have the money to buy a wizarding pass, you can't take away my wizarding status! I want to see Dumbledore! I want to see your leader, Ian Prince!"
"When he was little, I even helped him chop vegetables and kill chickens!" Amidst a series of panicked roars and shouts, Lu Ping, though not on his deathbed, still sat up in terror from his wooden bed.
The terrifying, horrific scene vanished.
The familiar room gave Lupin an unprecedented sense of security.
Outside the window, on a bright and sunny morning, the sky seemed to have been gently painted with soft blue watercolor, with a few fluffy white clouds drifting leisurely across the blue sky.
The sun is quietly peeking out from the horizon. It first shyly reveals a touch of orange-red, then generously showers down its golden rays, gently waking the whole world and the sleeping people.
"It was all a dream..."
Lu Ping wiped the sweat from his forehead, panting heavily as he blinked hard.
"Fortunately, it was just a dream."
Lupin, whose back was completely soaked with sweat, recalled the vivid dream in his mind and couldn't help but feel a bit scared of his absurd and terrifying dream.
"I think I really should try to save some money." For the first time, Lupin truly felt the horror of poverty; he didn't even dare to dream of being a rich man.
Putting aside the fact that the little wizard's personality in the dream was actually very realistic in his opinion, he felt that the other scenes in the dream were indeed feedback from subconscious anxieties.
Yes, Lupin wasn't worried that the things in his dream would happen, but he knew clearly that the reason he had such a dream was definitely related to the events that had happened to him recently.
Especially last night's thoughts about that little wizard and the proof that the [Squid Magic Restoration Potion] truly existed—these are the reasons Lupin thought he would have nightmares.
This is also why he felt that the [Squid Magic Restoration Potion] would cause chaos. Even someone as easygoing as him had subconscious worries, so how could the other wizards not have worries?
Other wizards were likely even more anxious and uneasy than he was. Admittedly, rescuing the poor Squib was a good thing, but who could resist thinking about other issues?
"Being able to save may also mean being able to take away... It points directly to the greatest fear in the hearts of wizards: the more proud a person is of their own talent, the more afraid they are of losing it."
Lupin was unaware that Ian had already created a related work.
He got up, made himself a cup of hot tea, and went to the window to open it for some fresh air. Despite the not-so-cold weather, the down-on-his-luck werewolf still shivered slightly.
"Whoosh whoosh~"
Lupin stuck his head out of the window to get some fresh air.
Outside, morning light filters through the sparse leaves, casting patterns of light and shadow on the ground, each leaf appearing as if edged with a thin layer of gold. A gentle breeze brings a touch of cool, refreshing air, mingled with the fragrance of earth and the faint scent of distant flowers and grasses.
"what?"
Just as he was trying to compose himself, he spotted a figure dragging a small suitcase.
Since the children were still fast asleep and hadn't gotten up, the orphanage courtyard was rather deserted, so a person entering the courtyard from the building would stand out.
Where are you going?
Lupin grabbed the trousers next to him and pulled them up, then grabbed his old coat and climbed out the window. The second floor was no danger to him.
"School's starting soon, so of course I have to go to Diagon Alley to buy books and supplies for the new semester." Ian tossed the list in his hand, which had been sent last night along with Dumbledore's gift.
In addition, Grindelwald, Snape, and even his own headmaster all sent him birthday gifts. However, compared to Grindelwald's Egyptian crystal ball and Dumbledore's wand maintenance kit, the brand-new potion-making equipment that Snape gave him was not so thoughtful, because the equipment was completely custom-made for an adult's body.
Ian felt that this was Uncle Good getting revenge for the time he had given him the shampoo.
Are you going alone?
Lupin glanced at Ian's small suitcase.
"And there's Miss Hermione Granger... the daughter of the gentleman who came to the orphanage to donate money. He asked me to provide them with some assistance in Diagon Alley."
"They're all Muggles, they know absolutely nothing about the wizarding world." Ian was a kind-hearted man, especially since Mr. Granger had promised to pay him five hundred pounds, which triggered his own kindness.
"I haven't seen that dentist these past few days, have I?"
Lupin looked somewhat confused.
"Forehead."
Ian considered it for a moment, then decided he should respond more tactfully, "Senior Lupin, don't you know there's something called a telephone in this world?"
Perhaps the little wizard's way of expressing himself was not tactful enough.
Lupin was extremely embarrassed upon hearing this.
"Okay...yes, I forgot that Muggles have their own ways of communicating." Lupin scratched his head, trying to change the subject. He noticed that Ian was still carrying a small gift box.
"Is this the gift you're planning to give to that little girl with the big front teeth?"
Lupin's eyes looked a little off.
"??????"
Ian thought this guy's brain was a little oddly shaped.
"Didn't I show you the invitation yesterday? Miss Greengrass invited me to her house, so I'm going to Greengrass's house first and then directly to Diagon Alley. I'll be hosting Miss Hermione Granger and her family starting tomorrow." Ian pulled out the invitation and explained his time management plan.
He is someone who enjoys interacting with classmates.
It was definitely not Daphne Greengrass who mentioned in her letter that her father would reimburse Ian for the exorbitant travel expenses of 200 Galleons whenever he visited. The fact that the Greengrass family was having dragon meat tonight was certainly an attraction for him, and that was the main reason he prepared a gift.
"You're going alone?"
Lupin, somewhat uneasy, reminded them, "The Greengrass family is no benevolent family. Their ancestors amassed a fortune by selling poor black slaves."
This down-on-his-luck werewolf seemed to know quite a bit about all twenty-eight holy races. However, to be fair, the sale of black slaves was something that almost every family with considerable wealth had been involved in.
During the Age of Exploration.
In Britain, almost every large family, whether wizarding or Muggle, is involved in this industry.
"Selling black slaves? That is indeed a heinous act, which is why I should go to the banquet." Ian's train of thought left Lupin somewhat bewildered.
"What the hell?"
The tall and thin Lupin pondered for a long time but still couldn't figure out the cause-and-effect relationship.
"Since the Greengrass family's gold is ill-gotten, I naturally need to try my best to get as much Galleon as possible from them. Do you know they're going to reimburse me 200 Galleons for travel expenses?"
Seeing Lupin's bewildered expression, Ian patiently explained, "I can't save the ancestors of my Black friends, but I can save the Galleons that were traded for their ancestors!"
What a righteous and awe-inspiring speech!
The little wizard delivered his unconventional remarks with a straight face.
"..."
Lupin had no idea how to respond. His reason told him that this was obviously a hellish joke, but he always felt that there was a bit of twisted logic in this hellish joke.
bah bah bah!
I must be out of my mind from sleeping!
"Aren't you afraid they might have bad intentions towards you?" Lupin shook his somewhat "contaminated" mind and reminded the young wizard again in a serious tone.
"If that's really the case... that would be wonderful."
Ian's reaction once again surprised Lupin. "I never dreamed of such a good thing. If any conflict were to occur, I would practically be saving the ancestors of all my Black friends!"
His words carried a hint of anticipation.
With a sense of eager anticipation.
It took Lupin several seconds to understand the meaning behind the little wizard's words.
"??????"
The indescribable expression on his face was as if a million alpacas were galloping through his mind. How could a twelve-year-old wizard's heart be so filthy!
"If you're worried, you can come with me. Anyway, Dumbledore asked you to watch over me... We'll have dragon meat tonight, and who knows, we might even be able to take the rest of the dragon with us."
Ian looked on with anticipation.
His craving for dragon meat wasn't something that had only been going on for a short time.
"Even these pure-blooded families who consider themselves nobles wouldn't be so extravagant as to openly buy a dragon to slaughter..." Lupin wasn't intentionally trying to upset Ian.
He was simply stating the facts as he knew them.
however.
"Look, there really is a dragon. Daphne said that a dragon in a dragon farm in which her family has a stake accidentally fell to its death, so she sincerely invited me to taste dragon meat."
Ian pulled out the invitation he had received the night before. It was because it included a photo of a whole dragon being slaughtered that he felt that even if it was a trap, he wouldn't lose out.
"I suspect his father forced him to write this letter." After saying that, the little wizard added, since the tone of the invitation didn't seem like Daphne's personality.
His relationship with Miss Daphne Greengrass at school wasn't exactly good.
"Forehead……"
Lupin looked at the photo Ian handed him with some surprise. In the center of the picture, a huge dragon lay there quietly, its massive body covered with scales that shimmered with a faint blue light.
This predator, at the top of nature's food chain, was being butchered like a dead pig. A little elf, wielding a seemingly ordinary knife that shimmered with magical light, deftly moved among the dragon's hard scales, each cut precise and accurate, the scales gently falling away to reveal the tender flesh beneath.
The other one is responsible for collecting these carefully cut pieces. Its hands seem to have an invisible power, easily lifting heavy objects and placing them into a basket that has been prepared in advance.
"This family is really willing to spend a lot of money..." Lupin followed behind Ian. He really wasn't very interested in eating dragon meat; what he cared about was the task Dumbledore had entrusted to him.
"You know they want to befriend you and invest in you, right? This is a common tactic used by pure-blood families." Lupin felt he should continue to analyze the truth of human nature for the young wizard.
"Of course I know."
Ian nodded, unsurprised.
"This shows they have good judgment."
His tone carried a hint of smugness.
"All investments require a return. What do you think they would want in return?" Lupin continued in a low voice, trying to guide the young wizard's thinking.
however.
"Take the benefits first, as long as no contract is signed, there's no room for negotiation later." Ian's answer left Lupin speechless.
He felt that the little wizard's thoughts were sometimes even more shameless than those of the people in Knockturn Alley.
No.
He's even more shameless than Tom Riddle.
Despite his deep hatred for Voldemort, Lupin had to admit that the Dark Lord, when he received benefits from someone, at least knew how to offer a seemingly attractive promise.
The little wizard in front of us now has nothing but white votes in his heart and the desire to save the "ancestors" of the black people... It can only be said that even if the Dark Lord came, he would probably look like a pure white lotus flower.
"The Greengrass family must have had the worst luck in eight lifetimes to think of investing in you ahead of time." All the words in his heart were ultimately reduced to a deep sigh from Lupin.
"Can you Apparate to this place? Miss Greengrass lives in Wiltshire." Ian pulled out the invitation again and reread the address attached to the letter.
"Wiltshire... I could have Apparated there without you." Lupin spread his hands helplessly, revealing his weakness in magical skills.
"It's only a little over a hundred kilometers. Are you even capable of this?" Ian was genuinely surprised by this situation, and even his Black Phoenix couldn't take him to places he had never been before.
perhaps.
I really should take some time to learn the Apparition spell.
"I'm just an ordinary wizard. Do you think everyone is like you monsters, with inexhaustible magic power?" Lupin rolled his eyes in exasperation.
To be honest, it's already quite impressive that he was able to learn Apparition. The greater the distance, the more it tests not only a wizard's control over magic, but also the level of magical power he possesses.
Apparition with or without companions involves a burden that is far more complex than simply adding one to the other. Only a very few exceptionally skilled wizards possess the ability to apparate long distances with companions.
"Actually, there are still times when you run out of power; it's not like you can run out of power indefinitely." Ian corrected Lupin's statement with great care, then dragged his small suitcase and started walking towards the door again.
The black-robed skeleton has become increasingly rampant lately, even learning to open the door of the suitcase itself and wander around, so Ian is really not comfortable leaving this suitcase at the orphanage.
"Oh? I saw you practicing magic before, and you didn't seem like you'd get exhausted." Lupin was also interested in Ian's magical abilities; he had only ever seen Ian practice magic seemingly tirelessly. Ever since the Knockturn Alley incident, the extent of a young wizard's magical power had been a source of curiosity for this down-on-his-luck werewolf.
"It's just practicing magic, not burning London down, so of course it's impossible to consume too much magical energy," Ian replied seriously.
however.
Upon hearing this response, Lupin fell into an unusual silence.
His eyelids twitched a few times.
It was very wise of me not to press Ian about the subtext of his statement.
"I hope to get a good night's sleep tonight," Lupin said, uttering some rather strange words. The little wizard turned to look at him several times in surprise.
The two walked out of the orphanage gate.
The streets outside were deserted, but not exactly deserted either.
It's early morning.
The birds began their busy and joyful day, their clear and melodious chirping rising and falling, like a melodious symphony adding vitality to the tranquil morning. Only a black dog crouching under a large tree not far away, its staring gaze somewhat spoiling the beautiful scene.
"what?"
Lupin glanced at the black dog several times.
His expression was somewhat confused.
Just then, Ian, dragging his small suitcase, took out his wand. He didn't use magic; he simply raised the wand and stood quietly in place.
Getting to Wiltshire isn't difficult; Muggle transport can get there, although it's clear that Muggle buses wouldn't have a stop at the Greengrass family's residence.
Therefore.
The most common mode of transportation in the wizarding world is undoubtedly the best choice, and it's also the mode of transportation Ian had planned to use before—the elusive Knight Bus will always respond to any wizard in need of help.
Whether in terms of speed or price, the Knight Bus is the wizards' preferred mode of transportation. It travels at a very high speed, and all obstacles in its path automatically jump aside to avoid it.
The way to ride the Knight Bus is to extend your wand into the air, similar to a Muggle hailing a taxi, a unique mode of transportation that Ian has long wanted to experience.
"Beep beep~"
"Click~"
Compared to waiting for the train at the station, the Knight Bus was indeed more convenient. Ian had only raised his wand for a few minutes when a horn blared and brakes screeched. Along with it appeared a purple three-decker bus, its windshield emblazoned with the words "Knight Bus" in large gold lettering.
"Whenever you stand on the side of the road, as long as you raise your wand, the Knight Bus will appear and take you anywhere you want to go."
"Of course, we won't go into the sea or into lava. My name is Stan Sampak, and I'm your ticket seller today. I will serve you throughout this journey." As soon as the door opened, an enthusiastic voice rang out again. It came from a young wizard with protruding ears and a face full of pimples and freckles.
"That's amazing. Do you have some kind of time-traveling device on your buses?" Ian was quite curious about this magical bus that appeared whenever needed.
After he and Lupin boarded the bus, he excitedly asked questions from the perspective of an alchemist, but the ticket seller named Stan Sampak just smiled knowingly.
"Young sir, if I could answer your question, would I still need to be a ticket seller here?" His words were truly flawless and reasonable.
"All right."
Ian looked at the driver in front of him, an elderly male wizard wearing thick-lensed glasses, whose name was written on a nameplate in front of him.
Ern Pran
"I'm just a driver."
His answer to the young wizard's curiosity was concise and to the point. It was clear that this driver, like the ticket seller, was dedicated to his job, knowing nothing beyond his specific duties.
"I'll get one to study sometime. Professor Nick Lemaître must know the secret of the Knight Bus," Ian thought to himself, still unwilling to give up, as he and Lupin walked toward the back.
Where are you going?
The ticket seller pulled out a thick stack of tickets and looked at Lu Ping, who was clearly an adult. This instinctive action immediately made the penniless Lu Ping quite embarrassed.
"This little guy is the one who paid..."
Lu Ping's tone was somewhat embarrassed, and his face was a little red. His voice was so weak, like a mosquito buzzing, as if he was afraid that the other passengers on the bus would hear him.
"OK."
The ticket seller maintained his smile and turned to look at Ian. Regardless of what he was really thinking, at least his professional demeanor was impeccable.
"Green Manor in Wiltshire," Ian announced his destination, while simultaneously pulling out his purse, secretly adding a charge against Lupin for nine out of twenty-eight transactions.
"The ticket price is sixteen silver shicos in total. If each of you pays three more silver shicos, you can get a cup of hot chocolate. If you pay five more silver shicos, you can also get lunch."
The ticket seller was issuing tickets while simultaneously promoting additional services.
"Then give us each another cup of hot chocolate." Ian's generous gesture surprised Lupin, who clearly had no idea how much Ian was keeping in mind.
The down-on-his-luck werewolf thought that Ian had paid for the train ticket and hot chocolate, little did he know that Ian had done the math and realized that he had not only not spent any money on this trip, but had actually made quite a bit of money.
"Alright! Have a pleasant trip!"
The ticket seller maintained her smiling service and served the two of them hot chocolate—coincidentally, the huge inertia generated by the start of the bus almost caused Ian to hit his face with the hot chocolate.
Fortunately, the inertia caused by this acceleration only lasted for about a second.
"That's pretty fast."
Ian regained his grip on the hot chocolate in his hand.
Why are you smiling so slyly?
Lupin woke up hungry but hadn't had breakfast yet. He immediately took a sip of his hot chocolate and looked at Ian beside him with a puzzled expression.
"You'll be happy when you make money."
Ian chuckled and gave a vague response. His gaze was fixed ahead; the driver seemed inexperienced at steering, causing the bus to repeatedly veer off the sidewalk.
Fortunately, the car was going extremely fast and didn't hit anything.
The rows of lampposts, mailboxes, and trash cans all jumped aside to make way for the car as it drove by, and then returned to their original positions after it had passed.
Fantastic.
This is almost like distorting space.
"You mean the Greengrass family reimbursed your travel expenses, right?" Lupin guessed, rubbing his right eye as he wondered why his eye was twitching so badly today.
Maybe I didn't sleep well.
"How are those werewolves doing lately?" Ian didn't respond, but suddenly changed the subject, which surprised Lupin before he realized what was happening and gave a reply.
"You made me draw blood several times, and they didn't resist. You probably really gave them a psychological trauma." Lupin's tone was quite emotional.
He never imagined that the werewolves in Knockdown Alley had such a good-natured side.
"Did you give them the money?"
After receiving a definite answer, Ian nodded in satisfaction. "I'm not the kind of blood robber who can use their blood with a clear conscience only after paying for it."
Faced with such self-promotion by the little wizard.
Lupin felt there was more to it than he could explain.
"You'd be better off not giving me that little bit of money at all..."
The amount that even he looked down upon must be quite small.
"Money has a stench, but my care for them is priceless. Haven't you heard the saying that love is the most valuable magic?" Ian didn't even wait for Lupin to figure out the flaws in his words.
"Look, this is how I show my care for them." As he spoke, he pulled out a brand new cloth bag containing a space that had been expanded using the Eternal Expansion Spell.
An area roughly the size of a room was filled with all sorts of food items.
"Red dates, pork liver, mulberries, longan, kelp, spinach, black beans, angelica, donkey-hide gelatin, he shou wu, rehmannia root..." Lu Ping identified the contents of the bag one by one.
Ok.
They were indeed all rather novel and hard-to-find items. However, the more Lupin listed them, the more something seemed off; these things didn't look like normal everyday items at all.
"Let them eat more and replenish their energy, lest the werewolves go hungry." Ian closed the bag and stuffed it into Lupin's hands, his concerned tone making Lupin realize that perhaps he was overthinking things.
"Okay, I thank you on their behalf... They have indeed been quite short of food during this time." Lupin didn't think too much about it and instead put away the bag in a low voice.
"Eat more, eat more, I have plenty more here."
Ian smiled even more broadly.
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"I taught them such a harsh lesson before, but I didn't expect you to be so helpful." Lupin couldn't help but sigh, as if he saw a helpful side in the young wizard.
Well, how should I put it?
That's what happens when you're a complete failure in potions studies.
Sometimes I really have a clear mind.
.........
Time slowly passed.
The Knight Bus traveled over 100 kilometers from London to Wiltshire in less than ten minutes, violating traffic rules and speeding throughout the journey.
This is a speed that even the super high-speed rail of decades to come may not be able to achieve.
"Welcome to ride our bus again next time! Remember, if you need anything, just raise your wand, and the Knight Bus is always at your service!" When seeing off the two passengers, the ticket seller only said one sentence to Ian. Perhaps he had already seen through his keen eyes that Lupin was a wizard who couldn't afford to ride the Knight Bus alone.
"It seems like we're still some distance from my destination?" Ian looked around. This place was definitely the middle of nowhere, with only a building faintly visible in the distance.
"There's nothing we can do; we won't be allowed to get close to those nobles' residences." Ticket seller Stan shrugged and waved goodbye to Ian from the front of the carriage door.
"You can walk a bit of the way yourselves."
As the car doors closed.
With another loud bang, the bus immediately disappeared into the thin air. This miraculous scene made Ian even more certain that the alchemy methods on the Knight Bus were definitely not simple.
"I'll get one and study it sooner or later!" Ian looked at Lupin next to him. The werewolf didn't look well and seemed to be a little carsick.
"Are you alright?" Ian handed over a homemade plum, not as a joke, but because eating something sweet and sour can make people who are carsick feel a little better.
"That driver is crazy. He can't drive, yet he still tries to drive," Lu Ping muttered, glancing at Liu Liu Mei but not reaching out to take it.
The cautious werewolf dared not eat anything Ian offered, fearing that Ian might have sprinkled some kind of sleeping potion in the food, as the little wizard was always eyeing his "pure" werewolf blood.
"I also think that if you tie a Border Collie to the steering wheel, the Border Collie might be more skilled than the driver." Ian dragged his small suitcase and started walking along the path with Lupin. The two walked for about ten minutes before a very grand manor came into view.
The Greengrass family may not be as wealthy as the Malfoy family, but they are still one of the Twenty-Eight Purebloods, and these pureblood families control most of the truly profitable industries in the wizarding world. Therefore, the Greengrass family is at least as wealthy as most wizarding families.
Green Manor.
Some have simplified their surnames, perhaps in an attempt to evoke a fairytale feel, and indeed, the manor does have a fairytale-like quality.
The manor is surrounded by a wall made of ancient runic stone, with strange vines that shimmer and glow faintly as they sway gently in the daytime.
Gorgeous.
This adds an ethereal quality to the manor. The manor gate is also carved from massive obsidian, with intricate magic circles engraved on the doors.
"A certain defensive measure."
Ian made some simple distinctions.
"People who have a clear conscience won't be afraid of trouble from others; they have quite a few enemies." Lu Ping didn't know if it was prejudice or if he really knew some specific information.
Anyway, the expression on his face when he looked at the huge manor seemed a little sour.
"Whoosh~"
Just as Ian was about to take out his wand and knock on the door, perhaps sensing that someone was at the doorway, a house-elf dressed in simple clothes appeared out of thin air.
"Oh, it's Mr. Prince, who's even greater than great! You actually arrived at Green Manor ahead of time!" The house-elf stared wide-eyed in amazement and bowed deeply to Ian.
It clearly already knew what Ian looked like.
"I'm not in the habit of being late." Ian refused the house-elf's offer to carry his suitcase and instead took out a small gift and handed it to the house-elf.
"Oh! You're such a gentleman! And you even brought a gift!"
The house-elf began to praise it in an exaggerated way.
Its performance was quite exaggerated.
"If you can praise someone, then praise them a lot."
Ian peeked his head slightly into the manor, where the gates had already been opened.
"Is it not Miss Greengrass herself who invited me?" He pulled out the invitation he had received, which did indeed bear Daphne Greengrass's signature.
"Panini can't lie to you, but Panini doesn't want to say anything bad about her little master either... She's terrified of you." The house-elf named Panini gave a tactful reply.
"The master and mistress both gave the young master a stern talking-to, because they felt he didn't understand what opportunity meant." With that, the house-elf Panini respectfully raised her hand to invite Ian into the manor.
"I knew it would be like this."
Ian stepped into the manor.
Lupin, who had been silent, wanted to follow closely behind.
however.
The house-elf Panini blocked his way.
"Servants must use the side door! You are not a qualified servant!"
The sharp voice was completely different from when he spoke to Ian before; it even had a reprimanding tone, which made Lupin's forehead covered in black lines.
"Which eye of yours saw me as a servant?"
Looking at the side door, which was probably only passable by a dwarf, Lupin regretted following along. He questioned the door with a face full of resentment.
"Here, here, here, here." The house-elf Panini pointed directly at Lupin, and finally his slender fingers landed on the empty money pouch at Lupin's waist.
"..."
Lupin compared his own clothes with those of the house-elf in front of him. He looked somewhat aggrieved, but when he opened his mouth, he couldn't come up with any evidence to refute it.
after all.
Judging from their clothing
He was indeed only slightly more presentable than a house-elf in his patched-up clothes.
Just as Lupin was feeling increasingly frustrated and humiliated, Ian turned around and spoke up to help the down-on-his-luck werewolf out of the predicament.
"He's my companion who came with me." With Ian's explanation, the house-elf Panini immediately staged a dramatic change in attitude, like a Sichuan opera face-changing act.
"So you're one of your attendants!"
Ian spoke with renewed respect.
"..."
Lupin wanted to complain that attendants were no different from servants, but seeing that he could finally walk through the main gate, he wisely chose to keep quiet and quickly followed Ian.
"This place is really big."
Step into the enormous manor.
Ian was immediately drawn to the manor's surroundings. A stone path illuminated by shimmering magical light led the visitor along, flanked by neatly trimmed magical plants, some blooming with strangely colored flowers, others bearing shimmering, jewel-like fruits. The air was filled with a faint fragrance of flowers and the aura of magic.
It was another ten-minute walk.
Ian finally arrived at the main building where people lived. The main building of the manor was a towering tower-like building. Each floor of the tower was designed in a staggered manner, and the windows were inlaid with magical glass that could automatically adjust the intensity of light, so that the interior always maintained the most suitable light and temperature.
At the top of this tower, a huge crystal ball floats in mid-air. It is not only the guardian stone of the manor, but also proof of the Greengrass family's formidable strength in certain aspects.
"Welcome, Mr. Prince." Perhaps the house-elf Panini had secretly informed him, for Daphne's father, Theodore Greengrass, was already standing at the door. He was neatly dressed and well-groomed, looking like a dignified yet refined middle-aged man.
"The Greengrass family is honored to welcome you." Theodore Greengrass bowed slightly, his powerful voice sounding quite humble and elegant, yet without any obsequiousness.
If he hadn't never once glanced at Lupin, Ian might have thought he was a charming gentleman, not a pure-blooded nobleman with an extremely arrogant label.
"Thank you very much for your invitation, Mr. Greengrass..." Ian looked around but couldn't find the kitchen where the dragon meat was stored, so he could only walk up and shake hands with Theodore Greengrass in a perfunctory manner.
"Where is my seventy-second best friend, Miss Daphne?"
The young wizard had tried his best to show good manners; he even found a reason for his earlier looking around and changed how he addressed Daphne Greengrass.
"..."
Theodore Greengrass's eye twitched noticeably.
but.
His expression still carried a friendly smile, but the tone of his voice sounded somewhat helpless.
"She took her sister and ran away to a relative's house last night... Her mother is there now disciplining her, and she should be able to bring her and her sister back tonight." Although Theodore Greengrass didn't say why Daphne ran away, everyone present except Lupin actually knew what was going on.
"actually……"
Just as Theodore Greengrass was considering whether to speak up and try to salvage the young wizard's impression and opinion of Daphne...
"Good, good, good! Now Miss Daphne is my seventy-first good friend!" The little wizard suddenly clapped his hands, his smiling voice directly interrupting Theodore Greengrass's unfinished words.
"??????"
Theodore Greengrass wasn't the only one with a question mark on his face.
Even Lupin and the house-elf who were about to leave were completely bewildered.
They all found it hard to understand.
What kind of weird way does this little wizard calculate "friendship" intimacy?
……
The dinner lived up to her expectations.
A wide variety of dishes filled the long table that could seat dozens of people, with a whole piece of pork tenderloin roasted to perfection and placed in the most prominent position on the table.
The entire dish of tenderloin runs straight from the front of the table to the back, creating a spectacular sight. Next to this whole tenderloin is a variety of other dishes that are exquisitely presented and delicious.
Ian ate very comfortably.
However, out of consideration for his image, he maintained a basic level of slow and deliberate manner. Lu Ping, on the other hand, who had only exchanged a few polite words with Lu Ping, was completely unconcerned about his image and began to eat heartily.
Anyway, he didn't want to have anything to do with these pure-blood nobles. They didn't care about him, and he didn't care about currying favor with them. He came here purely because he was worried that Ian would be deceived.
"Ten years, five years, seven years..." Lu Ping muttered to himself as he ate. Many of the things on the table were not things that money could buy.
Not only do they have to circumvent the Magical Creatures Protection Act, but they also have to evade the Ministry of Magic's scrutiny.
"Daphne, your family has a really good life," Ian remarked to Miss Greengrass, who had been "hunted" back, during halftime.
"If you like it, eat more, eat more..." Daphne forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, and after speaking, she looked timidly at her mother beside her.
Mrs. Armand Greengrass, with her striking beauty and mature charm, was enjoying a meal with her husband in an elegant manner.
"Share your holiday experiences with your classmates, child," Mrs. Armand Greengrass gently reminded Daphne to keep the atmosphere from getting awkward.
"Forehead……"
Daphne, however, didn't know what to say.
Was she really going to tell this little devil and his parents, who wanted to get close to him, that she had spent the entire summer describing to her younger sister how terribly she was being oppressed?
Are you kidding me!
That definitely won't do!
"Your sister seems a little shy?" Ian "thoughtfully" took the initiative to change the subject, his gaze falling on the little girl sitting close to Theodore Greengrass.
It was a blonde girl of about nine years old, who looked quite innocent and cute. However, at this moment, this little girl named Astoria Greengrass seemed to have autism.
Not only has he been afraid to leave his father's side ever since he came back, but he also keeps his head down and remains silent during meals, his hands holding the fork and knife trembling like sieves.
Ten minutes had passed since they started eating, and she had only eaten a few bites of beans. It was only when Ian looked at her that she pretended to be calm and buried her head in the plate, sucking the beans into her mouth.
"Parkinson's, yes, she has Parkinson's! She's had it since she was little! It's very serious!" Daphne's little face was filled with panic when she saw her sister's reaction.
She already regretted embellishing her story and portraying Ian as a terrifying demon. Who knew this school devil would come to her house!
It's all my parents' fault!
"What nonsense are you talking about, Daphne?" Mrs. Armand Greengrass, as Daphne's mother, glared at her fiercely, then looked at the blonde little girl with some concern.
"Astoria is usually quite cheerful." Mrs. Armand Greengrass had actually been paying attention to her little girl for a long time, and now she finally seized the opportunity to ask Astoria Greengrass about her.
"What's wrong? Baby, are you feeling unwell?" The concerned voice made Astoria Greengrass lift her pale face slightly.
"I...I..."
She looked at her older sister.
"I'll take her to see the family doctor! She probably caught a cold last night! Yes! That's it!" Daphne jumped up from her seat in alarm.
No wonder her parents gave her strange looks; she grabbed Astoria and ran outside.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
As she ran, Daphne apologized to Ian, her eyes filled with panic—she probably sensed Ian's slightly mocking gaze.
"A crazy girl."
Lupin made a quiet comment next to Ian.
"She was a terrified little girl."
Ian corrected him, of course he knew what was going on. And he was also confident that Mrs. Armand Greengrass and Mr. Theodore Greengrass couldn't possibly be unaware.
"Perhaps they really did catch a chill last night, and their minds aren't quite clear after staying up all night," Mr. Theodore Greengrass said somewhat reluctantly, trying to justify his daughter's actions.
"It's okay, I understand."
Ian continued peeling the dragon meat.
"How's the food today?" Mrs. Armand Greengrass kindly offered some help to Ian as he struggled to tear the dragon tenderloin with her knife and fork.
"Absolutely perfect. You must have killed quite a few dragons in your house." Ian bluntly expressed his heartfelt admiration, making Mrs. Armand Greengrass and Mr. Theodore Greengrass somewhat embarrassed.
"That's how it is sometimes with domesticated creatures... well, that's right." Mr. Theodore Greengrass tried to justify himself, but his far-fetched reason seemed so unconvincing.
"I understand that too, I understand it very well."
Ian immediately offered his understanding.
"If you like dragon meat, there's still quite a bit left from what we processed yesterday. Of course, if you want to eat it again in the future, we can always find a dragon that accidentally fell to its death in our house."
Theodore Greengrass spoke in a very sincere voice.
He was now making a promise that involved considerable investment – as Lupin had said before, even for pure-blooded nobles, the price of a dragon was quite high.
"I don't think this gift is just because I'm Daphne's classmate. In fact, I think you should know that Miss Daphne and I even had some disagreements at the beginning." Ian glanced at Theodore Greengrass with some surprise, and after considering for a moment, he decided to get straight to the point.
no way.
The other side is too calm.
He was still young.
There isn't enough air to sink.
"Children's little squabbles, when recalled as adults, can be a beautiful memory. It's not a big deal, and I think Daphne understands that too."
Theodore Greengrass stopped eating, seemingly unconcerned. Mrs. Armand Greengrass, standing beside him, nodded in agreement.
"Um, you're not trying to set me up with your daughter, are you?"
Ian became alert.
Upon hearing this...
Theodore Greengrass simply smiled helplessly.
"Putting aside the fact that we can see it's impossible, just talking about that at your school..." Theodore Greengrass only got halfway through his sentence before glancing at Lupin with some concern.
"Who would dare to do such a thing?"
He suddenly changed his tune.
The little wizard seemed to understand, but not quite.
but.
"Oh, as long as it's not what I think, please continue." Ian resumed his battle with the dragon meat, even pulling out his homemade hot sauce.
After a moment of silence, Theodore Greengrass spoke again.
"We all know about your situation at school, and we are all aware of the incredible things you have accomplished. It is clear that you have a bright future that is beyond anyone's imagination."
"Your future is already unstoppable and immeasurable... Therefore, Daphne's mother and I both hope that she and her sister can stand by your side in the future."
"I firmly believe this will be the best decision our Greengrass family has ever made," Theodore Greengrass said firmly, his eyes filled with a hidden passion.
"What did he do?"
Lupin realized that the atmosphere was not quite what he had expected. Theodore Greengrass, this arrogant pure-blood nobleman, was clearly trying to show his loyalty in a blatant way.
To pledge loyalty to a twelve-year-old child? As if realizing there was something he didn't know, Lupin finally lost his appetite for the delicious food on the table.
however.
His inquiry went unanswered by Theodore Greengrass, which made Lupin purse his lips in frustration, as he did indeed have some past grievances with this man.
"Yes, what did I do?"
Fortunately, Ian was also a bit confused.
Aside from killing one-seventh of Tom once.
It seems they haven't done anything to make the pure-blood family suddenly express their demands so openly, right?
Where has the glory and pride of the Twenty-Eight Holy Clans gone?
"Mr. Prince, we are 100% sincere in wanting to get closer to you, so you don't need to hide it anymore. In fact, many people have already realized your thoughts."
The little wizard's eyes grew increasingly confused.
Theodore Greengrass's tone became increasingly helpless.
"Not long ago, you subdued and raised a group of werewolves in Knockover Alley. Although you did it very discreetly, that area is our territory after all, so we almost all guessed what you were thinking."
"Your ambitions are already obvious, there's no need to hide them anymore... Wizards are clearly about to enter a new order, and all I hope for is that my family will stand on the side of that order again." Theodore Greengrass's words were absolutely candid and unreserved.
"??????"
only.
The young wizard gaped, speechless at the absurdity. He kept those werewolves only to better study the value of their blood.
How did it become, in the eyes of these pure-blood families, a question like "Are kings and nobles born with special privileges?" Just as the little wizard was about to explain and pull out Lupin as his witness,
"I get it! I get it! I knew it! I knew you wouldn't know how to mess with that...that kind of thing!" Lupin, who was being dragged out as a witness, seemed to have chosen to betray them on the spot. His face was pale, and he looked like he had figured it all out, and his eyes were filled with incredulous horror as he looked at the little wizard.
"You know nothing!"
Ian really wanted to kick him.
Check it out!
Look at that!
Lupin's reaction was clearly a sign of mental instability, immediately prompting Theodore Greengrass to give him a knowing look.
"..."
Ian really wanted to know.
Even if you jump into the Yellow River now, you still can't wash yourself clean.
(End of this chapter)