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Chapter 339: Mountain Resort
Chapter 339: Mountain Resort
A new vehicle doesn't necessarily guarantee quality.
On their way to the ski resort in France, the Anderson family's tour bus had broken down twice, which was nothing short of a disaster for the passengers on board who were eagerly anticipating their vacation in the mountains.
"This is by far the most unreliable travel agency I've ever encountered," Nia said, turning her head to look out the window. The prolonged wait was testing her patience, as the passengers had already been enduring it for over an hour.
"Maybe we should have gone to the Isle of Wight for our holiday," Daisy said, directing a slightly accusatory tone at her husband.
"They should have bought German buses. It's common knowledge that vehicles from that country rarely break down halfway through a trip," Herbert mumbled, avoiding his wife's gaze.
Initially, the Anderson family had planned to vacation on the Isle of Wight. However, considering that they had visited the French seaside the previous year, they opted for a change of scenery and decided to go skiing in the Alps.
During the hot summer months, a ski resort was undoubtedly an excellent place to escape the heat. Of course, the Anderson family had planned this trip a long time ago.
"Here, have some candy," Albert said, pulling a small can of treats from his pocket and placing it in Nia's hand. They were candies he had purchased from the Duke of Honey.
"These are great for calming down. How's Tom doing?" Nia asked as she popped a candy into her mouth and then offered the can to Herbert and Daisy, who were sitting in front of them.
"He's doing just fine. He just finished eating and is taking a little nap now," Albert replied, keeping an eye on the box where Tom was resting. From the start, Albert had no intention of abiding by the magical world's laws, and he had used the Traceless Extension Charm to create a lot of "space gear" for himself.
With this, Tom no longer needed to rely on his grandfather's care, as Albert simply smuggled him along in a small box.
"Are you planning to take Tom to school with you this semester?" Nia asked suddenly.
"Yes, Nia will be attending Castleton School," Albert replied abruptly. Nia's grades weren't bad, perhaps due to the pressure he had put on her.
"If I don't receive a letter from Hogwarts," Nia mumbled.
Daisy had been delighted about this for a while.
The tour bus continued its slow journey, finally arriving at the ski resort after dark.
The drowsy passengers were soon captivated by the stunning scenery, and those who had never skied before eagerly looked around, searching for the legendary ski lifts and cable cars.
Soon enough, the bus came to a stop in front of a three-story lodge, and the passengers, now dressed appropriately for the outdoors, eagerly disembarked from the stuffy vehicle and made their way into the lobby.
The Anderson family had booked a double room in advance, and as soon as they closed the door, Albert released Tom from his box. The chubby cat, finding himself in a strange new place, began to sniff around, seemingly trying to identify the surrounding scents.
"Mom," Nia asked, "will Tom get cold?"
"I've got a little coat for him," Daisy said, handing Nia a tiny coat she had bought for Tom.
"Mom, this is too small!" Nia held up the coat against Tom and shook her head. "There's no way Tom can fit into this."
"Don't worry, Tom's so chubby that he's naturally resistant to the cold!" Albert shooed the cat off the bed. "Maybe this is a good opportunity to help him lose some weight."
"Meow!" Tom protested with an unhappy meow and jumped onto the sofa, settling into a crouch.
"Hahaha!"
The family enjoyed a delicious French dinner in the resort's grand dining room, after which Herbert and Daisy retired to their room for the night.
Albert, however, planned to take Nia for a walk around the resort, and Herbert didn't worry, as he was well aware of his son's capabilities.
The mountain resort was bathed in beautiful lighting at night, with quaint French-style inns and restaurants dotting the landscape. Although skiing was available after dark, Albert did not take Nia out to try it. Instead, he picked up a resort guidebook from the lodge and set out to explore the resort with Nia, looking for interesting places to visit and delicious food to try.
The resort was vast and offered a variety of entertainment options besides skiing. Albert took Nia on a culinary journey, sampling the tasty treats available while also scouting for places to rent winter sports gear.
"This resort guidebook is so misleading!" Nia exclaimed as she stepped out of the ski rental shop. If they hadn't ventured out, they never would have known that the shop recommended in the resort's pamphlet was far more expensive than others.
Of course, while the ski gear was of better quality, Albert didn't think it warranted the exorbitant price tag.
Some skiers, eager to test out their rented equipment, had already taken to a small snow slope next to the resort. Not everyone vacationing there was an expert skier.
Albert and Nia found a cozy drink shop with a large window overlooking this beginner's slope, and they sat down to enjoy the view with a hot beverage.
The slope served as a practice area during the day for newcomers to the sport and was open at night for anyone wanting to ski, as venturing too far in the dark could be dangerous.
"Here's your hot chocolate." Albert placed a warm cup in front of Nia. "Finish it, and then let's head back to get some rest. We can ski again tomorrow."
"Okay," Nia replied.
"What's wrong?" Albert followed Nia's gaze out the window to the snow-covered slope, where a woman with long, silvery hair that cascaded like a waterfall was skiing gracefully.
"Don't look," Nia murmured. "There's something odd about that woman."
"Hmm." Albert agreed, "She is quite beautiful, though."
Realizing that his comment had earned him a displeased glance from Nia, he quickly added, "Of course, you're adorable, too, Nia."
"Hmpf!" Nia pouted.
"They're all mesmerized by her," Nia continued, "staring like a bunch of love-struck fools. Even after she left, those men were still craning their necks to watch her walk away."
Sure enough, the peaceful cafe soon erupted into noisy quarrels as the men who had been staring at the woman now faced the ire of their companions. Even the most patient and understanding of partners would feel annoyed, jealous, and angry at their significant others for ogling another woman so blatantly.
"Do you know what's going on?" Nia asked curiously. "It seems like you're the only one unaffected."
"Well, that's because I have strong willpower," Albert replied, guessing the reason for the strange behavior.
The woman was likely a Veela or had Veela heritage.
Albert recalled that during the Triwizard Tournament, there was often a Veela contestant known for her enchanting beauty, although their ages never quite matched.
"That woman is a witch, isn't she?" Nia said suddenly.
"Why do you say that?" Albert asked in return.
"I think she must have used some sort of magic to captivate those men so completely," Nia stated confidently. Ever since learning about the existence of magic, she tended to attribute unusual occurrences to witchcraft.
"Yes, she's probably a Veela or has Veela ancestry," Albert agreed. "But it is strange to find a witch in the Muggle world like this."
"If I used magic, could I become that enchanting, too?" Nia asked eagerly.
"You're already enchanting," Albert said with a smile. "Besides, the beauty that magic brings is usually fleeting and not worth envying."
"We should head back now so we don't worry them," said Albert.
(End of Chapter)
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