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Chapter 516: Trading Py
Chapter 516: Trading Py
Early in the morning, Albert opened his eyes and abruptly sat up in bed.
He had a very strange dream.
In the dream, it seemed that... after he married Isabelle, Catherine brought a child and said she was his daughter. Then, Isabelle grabbed him by the neck and accused him of betraying her?
"What a weird dream," Albert mumbled as he covered his face with his hands.
Could it be that because Catherine was so beautiful, it had stirred some improper thoughts within him, resulting in such a peculiar dream? Albert found the idea preposterous.
He stifled a yawn and glanced around the unfamiliar room, his eyes landing on the neatly placed clothes on the table.
After changing into the clothes and finishing his morning routine, Albert made his way directly to the living room.
The two elders were already there, chatting about something. They greeted him with smiles when they saw him.
"Good morning, Mr. Anderson. Did you sleep well last night?"
"Not really," Albert replied as he slightly stretched his neck. "Maybe it's because I'm in a strange place and not used to the surroundings yet."
Nicholas handed the New York Ghost News to Albert with a smile.
"The reporters from the New York Ghost News know that you're in the US now, and they're looking for you everywhere," Nicholas warned. "They obviously want to interview you, the youngest International Wizard Chess Champion in history."
There was also an interview in the paper with that wizard named Carter, who had quite a few negative things to say about Albert.
"It's normal for newspapers to try and grab attention, no matter where they're from," Albert remarked as he casually placed the New York Ghost News on the table after reading the portion about himself.
"That's true. Unless you decide to start your own newspaper," Nicholas said with a laugh.
Soon, the house-elves served a sumptuous breakfast, which included milk, croissants, fried sausages, fried potatoes, fried eggs, fried mushrooms, tomatoes, and a large spoonful of stewed peanuts.
It was quite similar to a typical English breakfast.
Or perhaps, the breakfast was prepared this way to accommodate the dietary preferences of both individuals.
"Is Miss Catherine not joining us?"
During the meal, Albert casually asked, a bit surprised that he hadn't seen Catherine yet.
"She had something to take care of, so she left early this morning," Nicholas explained with a smile. "However, she was very happy to meet you, but a bit taken aback as well."
"Taken aback by me?"
"Yes, Catherine's talent was discovered by me when she was very young. Later, when she attended Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, her extraordinary talent immediately became known, and she became renowned as a genius within the school," Nicholas recalled as he took a small sip of milk. "However, due to her childhood circumstances, she has always been rather reclusive and doesn't have many friends."
For some reason, Albert sensed something unusual in the air and didn't respond, choosing instead to continue eating.
In fact, Isabelle would probably be a good fit as Catherine's friend, as both were geniuses and would likely have a lot to talk about. However, the strange dream he had earlier made him completely abandon the idea of introducing Isabelle to her.
After breakfast, the two of them headed to Nicholas' workshop, which was located in a storage room outside the villa. The room had been enlarged with the Imperturbable Extension Charm, and it was filled with numerous alchemy equipment, even more so than in Nicholas' home.
"Is that Dark Powder?"
Sierra was slightly surprised to see the magical substance casually placed on the table, as she hadn't expected to find it here.
"Following your suggestion, I've turned it into an invisibility smoke bomb," Nicholas said, pointing to the smoke bomb and introducing it to them. "Of course, the manufacturing technique you provided has been improved several times already. Now, the production of Dark Powder in Peru is stable and continuous. Quite a few wizards in the black market love this stuff; it's perfect for escaping."
"I didn't come up with that idea," Sierra said, pointing at Albert. "Would you mind showing me your new techniques?"
"Not at all."
Nicholas demonstrated the process of making Dark Powder to them. He wasn't worried that they would use this knowledge for profit, as he and his friends had already monopolized the market in Peru.
As Albert watched Nicholas skillfully mix ground mineral powder with concentrated plant fruit powder and heat it, eventually extracting the Dark Powder, he felt that this was what true alchemy should be like.
Nicholas even asked if Albert wanted to try his hand at it.
Following Nicholas' instructions, Albert successfully created Dark Powder on his second attempt, simultaneously mastering the skill.
The latter wasn't too surprised, as it was expected of a genius to be able to achieve this level of proficiency. The process of making Dark Powder wasn't particularly difficult.
"This is the extract of Drowsy Beans."
Nicholas pointed to a bottle of silvery liquid and introduced it to them. "When consumed directly, it can erase a person's memory. When diluted with a certain proportion of Nundu venom, it can create a powerful obliviator."
"The American Magical Congress purchases a certain amount of Drowsy Bean extract from me every year." Nicholas continued, "Last time, when Newt helped them resolve the issue of exposure in the American wizarding community, the Ministry of Magic also wanted to learn that large-scale memory-erasing technique. Unfortunately, they couldn't find a wizard capable of taming Thunderbirds, so they had to make do with wizards riding brooms..."
A mischievous smile appeared on Nicholas' face as he spoke. "Of course, it's mostly in demand by American magical hospitals to help erase unpleasant memories, and it's even more effective than the Obliviate spell when used in the right dosage."
"This stuff is expensive because it requires a large number of Drowsy Beans to extract just this little bit of silver liquid," Nicholas explained, gesturing to the vial. "This is also my public source of income as a potioneer."
"What's that?" Albert asked, noticing a tightly sealed vial inside a glass box that was emitting a cold aura.
"That's the Potion of Potential," Nicholas whispered.
"The Potion of Potential from Zygmunt Budge's book?" Albert inquired.
"Yes," Nicholas confirmed as he took the vial out of the glass box and handed it to Albert. "American potioneers are no better off than alchemists. But we always find a way to survive."
"Not all descendants of wizards are born with strong magical power," Nicholas continued. "Many famous and wealthy wizarding families are keen on giving this potion to their children to stimulate their magical potential and give them an edge over other wizards." "By the time they graduate from school, they can join the American Magical Congress and become outstanding Aurors or pursue other more promising careers."
"Have American wizards figured out how to cultivate Mimbulus mimbletonia?" Albert asked, raising an eyebrow.
"They've tried, but the results are poor. Most of the Mimbulus mimbletonia they cultivate are barely alive and of inferior quality compared to those grown in magical gardens. They usually need to be purified before being used to make the Potion of Potential," Nicholas replied.
"It's all about the money, isn't it?" Albert murmured.
"After all, they don't have nearly as much disposable income from potion-making as I do," Nicholas acknowledged, understanding the challenges faced by others.
The alchemists and potioneers in America maintained a united front, forming a complex web of interests, which was also one of the reasons why Nicholas had access to a large number of magical raw materials.
"Have they not tried to research the Pepperup Potion?" Albert asked.
"They have, but that stuff is a bit dangerous and unstable. It requires a highly skilled Master Potioneer to brew successfully," Nicholas answered.
In truth, those potioneers also wanted to make the Pepperup Potion to turn a profit, but one wrong move and they could end up turning people into simpletons.
It was safer to brew the Felix Felicis potion instead, as at least there was an antidote for that one.
"I know a Master Potioneer," Albert mused. "Hector Dagworth-Granger. I think you may have heard of him. I once asked him to brew the Pepperup Potion for me, and it did show some effect."
"Of course, I can brew the Pepperup Potion as well, but it's not easy to get Erumpent horns," Albert suddenly added. "And more practice is needed."
"The raw materials can be obtained from Burkina Faso," Nicholas said, understanding Albert's implication. "As long as you can provide a reliable Pepperup Potion."
"Burkina Faso?"
"It's a small country in Africa with a forest dedicated to protecting Erumpents. There are also quite a few wizards there who specialize in raising and selling them," Nicholas said without hesitation. "The Erumpent horn powder used in the 'boom powder' also comes from that country."
Many people directly ground Erumpent horns into powder and used it as a substitute for 'boom powder', only to end up blowing themselves up because they didn't know that the powder needed to be alchemically processed first.
"Alright then, let's talk about this," Albert said, holding up the Potion of Potential. "What do you want me to do?"
"I hope you can become friends with Katherine," Nicholas said seriously. "As my heir, she's destined to have few close friends in the future. As fellow geniuses, the two of you should have a lot to talk about."
"Are you sure you just want us to be friends?" Albert asked.
"Of course," Nicholas replied. "Unless you're interested in pursuing my granddaughter, in which case I..."
"No, I already have a girlfriend," Albert shook his head. "But I'd be happy to be friends and exchange knowledge about magical alchemy. We can stay in touch via a two-way mirror."
Albert could tell that Nicholas truly cared about his granddaughter.
(End of Chapter)
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