https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-110-Hals-Curious-Magic-Item-Shop/13440555/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-112-Announcement-for-the-Book-Release/13440557/
Chapter 111: Magic Shop Renovation Plan
Chapter 111: Magic Shop Renovation Plan
"Why is our shop called this?" Ivan turned to Aisia with a bewildered look on his face. Aisia, on the other hand, remained calm as she waved her Wand to hang up the sign before explaining.
"Don't you think the name is quite fitting? We can't just call it a Dark Magic Shop, can we? The Ministry of Magic wouldn't approve such a name."
Ivan looked at Aisia skeptically, thinking she must have come up with the name on a whim while registering the shop. Otherwise, the sign wouldn't have been gathering dust in a corner until today, when they learned that the Ministry of Magic might come for an inspection.
"Alright, let's open for business today!" Aisia dusted herself off and walked back into the shop, her cheeks slightly flushed.
She shouldn't have chosen that name in the first place.
Given this, Aisia entrusted the responsibility of running the shop to Ivan and retreated to the basement. She claimed she would spend the next few days making some simple magic items to fill the shelves and appease the Ministry of Magic inspectors.
"Can I take down the sign for now?" Ivan sighed, sat down at the counter with a book, and glanced at the nearly empty shop.
The shelves stood there, mostly empty, with only a few items scattered on a couple of them. If someone didn't know better, they might think the place had been ransacked.
"This won't do." Ivan muttered to himself. This was, after all, their Magic Shop, and he needed to think of a way to improve things.
Otherwise, he might not even be able to afford his textbooks for the next term, especially since he needed to buy the entire series of Lockhart's books, which were both numerous and expensive.
Just as Ivan was thinking about this, a system notification sounded in his mind.
[Ding, task generated]
Ivan was taken aback, surprised that a task could still be activated at this time. He had assumed that the system's functions were disabled during upgrades.
Curious, he checked the details.
[Task: Revitalize Hals' Curious Magic Item Shop
Task Objective: Pass the Ministry of Magic inspection in one month.
Task Reward: Determined by evaluation.
Task Description: This is a Magic Shop located in Knockturn Alley, currently facing the risk of closure. You cannot stand by and let this happen, so you decide to revitalize the shop. Before that, you need to pass the Ministry of Magic inspection.]
"The Ministry of Magic inspection is in one month?" Ivan muttered after scanning the task information.
He had expected it to be sooner.
But upon reflection, it made sense. As an official institution, the Ministry of Magic operated according to procedures, and with so many people involved, any action they took would be leaked internally well in advance.
Douglas had received such insider information, which was why he was uncertain.
Ivan found this somewhat amusing. When the Ministry of Magic finally took action, they would likely only catch the less connected Dark Wizards, while those with influence would have already taken care of their issues.
Just like how Lucius Malfoy, in the original timeline, had disposed of his Horcrux after receiving the news.
Fortunately, the Ministry of Magic's operational mechanism was good news for Ivan. It meant he had a month to prepare for the inspection.
Ivan turned to look in the direction of the basement.
Although Aisia had said she would create some simple magic items to place on the shelves to deceive the Ministry of Magic inspectors, it wasn't enough.
But Ivan thought it wasn't very reliable, and the reward for completing the task depended on the evaluation. Ivan didn't intend to settle for the lowest rating.
The best approach would be to leverage the Ministry of Magic's inspectors to promote this Magic Shop.
This wasn't an impossible task, as long as he could present some magical items that would make the Ministry of Magic eager to purchase them.
Ivan remembered from the original story that the Weasley Twins, after being expelled from school, created a Spell-Proof Hat (and Spell-Proof Gloves) in their joke shop, which the Ministry of Magic bought in bulk, five hundred sets in total!
Perhaps he could create something similar, which might impress the Ministry of Magic inspectors and improve the evaluation.
With a method in mind, Ivan took out a notebook and started jotting down his plans for transforming Hals' Curious Magic Item Shop.
In his vision, the best approach would be to turn his shop into a place that caters to both the light and dark sides, selling everything anyone could want.
During regular business hours, he would sell defensive and auxiliary ordinary magical items, while privately he could deal in highly dangerous, lethal Dark Magic Items. In short, as long as a customer needed something, they could find it here!
Ivan even thought that once his Alchemy level improved, he could sell genuine alchemical products here.
potions could also be sold!
The next day, Ivan mentioned his grand plan for the shop during breakfast.
Aisia just laughed it off, saying that once he started learning to make magical items, he would think differently.
"Is it really that difficult?" Ivan asked, puzzled.
"Of course, and it's also very tedious. You'd better be prepared to suffer. If you can learn the basics in a month, I'll be very satisfied", Aisia tapped Ivan's head with her spoon, telling him not to daydream.
"My learning speed is quite fast", Ivan muttered to himself, especially when he wanted to be a top student.
After a quick breakfast, Aisia decided to close the Magic Shop to teach Ivan how to make magical items, as there was nothing to sell anyway.
Once they entered the basement work area,
Aisia didn't start the lesson immediately but asked a question first.
"How do you think the process of casting a spell works?"
"Using a Wand to channel the Magic Power from within the body, combined with gestures and incantations", Ivan thought for a moment before answering.
"Good, for example, the Levitation Charm", Aisia gently waved her Wand, causing a carving knife to float in the air, explaining as she did so.
"The floating object is the final effect of the spell, and what we need to do is use gestures and incantations to guide the Magic Power within us to make the object levitate."
Ivan nodded, and with the knowledge he had gained from reading, he understood it.
If the body was a gun, then Magic Power was the bullet, and the incantation and gestures were the actions of cocking and pulling the trigger.
"In other words, magical items replace the need for gestures and incantations. We just need to inject some Magic Power, and the spell is cast directly", Ivan summarized.
"Very well said", Aisia was very pleased with Ivan's quick understanding. She had been worried that he might be too young to grasp the concept.
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(End of Chapter)
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