Chapter 56: Lone Star and the Sun
Chapter 56: Lone Star and the Sun
Aslan's Apothecary certainly lived up to its reputation for efficiency. When Ved walked out the door, he already had the first edition of the 'Book of Friends' in his hand.
This was a preliminary compilation, connecting a minimum of two people and up to fifteen. The cover was much more exquisite than Ved's casual handwriting, with golden edges and a faintly swaying echinops. The inner pages were distinguished by different colors and flowers. For instance, the one for two people featured sunflowers, three people had tulips, four had daylilies, and five had violets, all flowers symbolizing friendship.
In Ved's opinion, this 'Book of Friends' was already quite exquisite, but Machiavelli wasn't entirely satisfied.
"This is the version for females; they should sprinkle a little fragrant powder on it."
"Are there other versions?" Ved asked.
"Of course," Machiavelli said, "There's a version for males, featuring pictures of pine trees, crowns, scepters, and bows; an animal edition with unicorns, phoenixes, fire dragons, and pegasi; a children's version with fluffy creatures and fairies; a bizarre edition with soul-sucking monsters and three-headed dogs; a Quidditch edition with famous Quidditch stars and flying brooms; and more—architecture, exotic beauties, Merlin's Order, and House editions..."
He rattled off dozens of types as if coming up with money-making ideas was second nature to him. Finally, he said, "There's a wide range of choices. Many people will buy several just for collecting, even if they don't need them. But for now, we have the most floral templates, so let's start with this one. If you don't like it, you can give it to a female classmate. When the other versions are printed, I'll send you a set of each."
Ved shook his head. "What would I do with so many?"
"You can collect them yourself!" Machiavelli said with a mischievous smile. "Giving them to classmates is a good way to improve relationships!"
"I don't like pleasing others," Ved replied.
Or, to be more accurate, his life had never reached the point where he needed to please others to get by, neither in his past life nor in the present.
"It's not really pleasing them," Machiavelli explained. "It's more like a token of gratitude if someone helps you with a small favor. This book has almost no cost to you, but it's a precious gift to others. And they'll surely be delighted to receive it. Also, Ved—"
He ruffled Ved's soft hair and said, "We're not lone stars in the night sky. There will always be times when you need help from others. If you don't give first, how can you expect to receive?"
"What Machiavelli says makes sense," Professor Mori suddenly interjected. "But if it makes you uncomfortable, then don't follow his example. Blindly imitating others will only cloud your own judgment. Just be yourself—a lone star may be lonely, but if you're the sun, stars will naturally gather around you."
"Fine, maybe you're right, Professor," Machiavelli shrugged. "But I still believe it's not wrong to maintain good relationships with most people."
"You've been thinking about nothing but making money since your first year," Professor Mori frowned. "But Ved is not a businessman; he's an alchemist—embracing solitude, pursuing the unknown, and befriending knowledge. That's the true character of an alchemist! Don't corrupt my student with your unscrupulous business mentality."
"Hey, that's slander, Professor!" Machiavelli protested, then quickly provided an example. "If I were truly unscrupulous in my pursuit of money, I would've asked the Technical Department to adjust the usage period of the 'Book of Friends' to one year. That way, users would have to buy a new one every year, and the galleons would flow endlessly. But I didn't do that, and that proves that even in business, I possess noble virtues!"
"But you must have thought about it, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't have blurted out such a malicious idea."
"Thinking about it isn't illegal..."
...
Their next stop was Gringotts, of course.
It was already evening, and the number of wizards strolling through Diagon Alley had dwindled. In their place were figures cloaked in black, skulking into a dark, gloomy alleyway.
"Don't look over there! That's Knockturn Alley, the favorite haunt of Dark Wizards."
Machiavelli blocked Ved's line of sight while sweeping his arms wide, nearly obscuring Ved entirely with his sleeve, while Professor Mori walked on his other side.
The group soon arrived at Gringotts, where a goblin standing near the entrance bowed to them.
"Good evening, sirs."
"Good evening," Machiavelli acknowledged with a gesture. "Mr. Ved Grey needs to rent a new vault."
"Ved Grey?" The goblin looked up at Ved, who was only half a head taller than himself, and instead of questioning his age, he nodded and said, "Very well, I understand. Which type of vault would you like to rent?"
"Why don't you introduce the types and prices to Mr. Grey first?"
"Please come this way—"
Ved followed the goblin and Machiavelli to handle the vault procedures while Professor Mori approached another goblin sitting on a high stool and writing.
"Long time no see, Ringu."
"Welcome, Professor Mori. How may I assist you?" The goblin named Ringu replied politely.
"I need to retrieve something from my vault." Professor Mori presented his key.
"Very well, please wait a moment while I get a Floo powder substitute."
The goblins kept a fire-breathing dragon in the underground vaults to deal with intruders, and the Floo powder substitute allowed goblins and customers to move safely within the vaults.
Ved rode in the legendary cart for the first time, and Michael had once described the experience to him—it felt like your brain was going to be rattled out.
The cart appeared narrow, small, and crude, but despite its appearance, it comfortably accommodated two adults, a child, and two goblins without feeling crowded. Ringu pulled a lever connected to the front of the cart, and with a series of clanks, they were off.
"Close your eyes and don't open your mouth!" Machiavelli shouted to Ved just in time.
Ved didn't ask any foolish questions and immediately complied.
The cart descended a steep slope, picking up speed as it went. Soon, they could hear the cold wind howling past them. The path must have been extremely winding because their bodies swayed uncontrollably, as if they were about to be thrown out. Fortunately, Ved had kept his eyes closed, which lessened the dizzying sensation. Machiavelli's arm was firmly pressed against his chest, acting like an additional safety bar.
After what felt like an eternity, the cart finally came to a stop. Everyone's faces had turned pale, and they had to hold onto the railing for a while before Ved and Machiavelli could climb out of the cart.
As for Professor Mori, he still needed to go further down to retrieve something from his vault.
"Alright, let's go." Ringu said, pulling the lever on the cart once again.
Another goblin named Kuler stood by the side, and next to him was a vault door with the sign "317." He inserted a long, bronze key into the lock and turned it a few times. The chains suddenly came to life, crawling away in all directions, and the massive vault door swung open.
Ved stood at the entrance, looking into the empty vault, which resembled a vast cave devoid of even a single blade of grass.
"From now on, this will be your vault, Mr. Ved Grey." Kuler handed him the key, saying, "Please take good care of it."
Ved took the key, which had a thin silver chain attached to it, just long enough to hang around his neck.
"It's a bit empty, isn't it?" Machiavelli smiled and signed a document before handing it to Kuler. "Transfer five thousand galleons from my vault to Vault 317."
Kuler expressionlessly took the document and said, "Very well, please wait a moment."
In what seemed like just a few breaths, the sound of jingling filled the air. Ved was looking for the source of the sound when suddenly, thousands upon thousands of galleons rained down from above, as if a storm of gold had swept through the vault. They clinked and clattered onto the ground, forming a small golden hill that sparkled dazzlingly in the firelight.
Machiavelli laughed and said, "One day, this place will be filled to the brim with gold galleons, won't it?"
(End of Chapter)
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