https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-834-The-Complicated-World-of-Adults/12527392/
Chapter 835: Introduction
Chapter 835: Introduction
At the International Alchemy Conference, when the host officially announced that Albert Anderson had won the Pioneer Contribution Gold Award, the venue suddenly fell into an eerie silence. There was no applause or cheer, only scrutinizing and doubtful gazes as all the alchemists in attendance turned their heads to fixate on Albert.
Being stared at by so many people with doubtful and judgmental eyes felt uncomfortable, and the alchemists present seemed to selectively forget that staring was extremely rude. However, despite the oppressive gazes of hundreds of people, Albert's expression remained unchanged. After all, he had experienced many grand occasions, and the malicious glances of these people were not enough to make him retreat.
On the other hand, Isabelle, who was particularly sensitive to others' gazes, furrowed her brows. She quietly reached out and held Albert's hand, trying to convey courage, encouragement, and support through her touch. But Albert was obviously not lacking in courage; otherwise, he wouldn't have been sorted into Gryffindor.
He was well aware that many people were delighted in his potential embarrassment, wishing to see him humiliated and eventually pressured into relinquishing the Pioneer Contribution Gold Award. They hoped he would slink away from the International Alchemy Conference, becoming a laughing stock for their dinner conversations. However, these people were destined to be disappointed.
The awkward atmosphere in the venue had no effect on Albert. He stood up from his seat and slowly walked up to the stage, braving the malicious gazes of countless wizards.
The host looked at Albert, seemingly unprepared for this turn of events. After Albert ascended the stage, he quickly handed him the microphone.
"The view here is quite nice, and I see many old friends in the audience," Albert said as he took the microphone, seemingly testing its function. "Of course, I know that many of you doubt my qualification for this award. But for those who know me, such thoughts shouldn't even cross your minds."
"My name is Albert Anderson. I'm 16 years old, and in a few months, I'll be turning 17 and officially becoming an adult. I come from a Muggle family. The Pioneer Contribution Gold Award I received today at the Cairo International Alchemy Conference is my fourth international award."
At this moment, a slight smile curved the corners of Albert's mouth, as if he were mocking those who envied and resented him.
"Previously, I also won the International Wizard Chess Championship, the Magic School Potions Championship, and the Barnabas Finkley Outstanding Spellcasting Technique Gold Award. By the way, if I have the time next year, I plan to participate in the Duelling Competition to attempt winning a fifth world-class award."
After saying this, Albert deliberately paused for a moment, leaning forward slightly as if to appreciate the changing expressions on the faces of the people below.
"Of course, I've also won numerous awards that aren't considered world-class. One that I personally find valuable is the Third Grade Order of Merlin that I received not long ago. It was for restoring a spell that can help resolve the werewolf threat. I fully understand your doubts about my awards, but to me, it's just another recognition of my abilities. Allow me to boast a little here—I've won too many awards to count, but I remain passionate about collecting more."
Silence! The entire venue fell into a dead silence, and everyone present was stunned.
How dare he! They never expected Albert to tell them, in such a manner, that they were overthinking it and that he truly didn't need to cheat. Winning these international awards was as easy as drinking water for him, and the multiple world-class champion titles he held were proof of that.
Yet, Albert dared to do it. He slapped the faces of everyone present with the cruel reality, telling them to wake up from their fantasies.
Without genuine abilities, how could a wizard from a Muggle background, with no notable connections, achieve a string of world champion titles? How could he befriend those renowned alchemists?
Scattered applause began to sound in the venue, and alchemists who were acquainted with Albert waved at him friendly.
The others, who were displeased, wore ugly expressions, but they had to admit that they were intimidated by Albert's string of world-class titles.
Perhaps there really was someone capable of winning so many world-class championships, but they were definitely not as young as Albert, and on top of that, he was a Muggle-born wizard with absolutely no magical background. If someone accused him of cheating, they would likely be told that their brains were broken and needed to be checked.
Aria, who had been unconvinced before, now wore a complicated expression as she looked up at the young man on the stage who was looking down at them. Just a moment ago, the reactions of the other alchemists had given her a glimmer of hope, but after Albert's self-introduction, she knew she had lost completely.
Serra, who had been nervous, also breathed a sigh of relief. She had been worried that Albert might not be able to withstand the pressure and end up in an embarrassing situation, but Albert had just slapped everyone with a brilliant comeback.
Nicholas, on the other hand, had remained calm throughout. Although he hadn't interacted much with Albert, he had great confidence in the heir of Wilder Smith and viewed him favorably.
At this moment, Nicholas was enjoying the shocked expressions on the faces of the alchemists around him. He agreed with Albert's approach. Sometimes, one must not back down, as doing so would only invite more unreasonable demands. It was necessary to strike back hard to make them understand the meaning of respect, and Albert had the capability to do so. Even if he ended up antagonizing some people, it didn't matter. Nicholas felt that this would likely be Albert's last attendance at the International Alchemy Conference.
Isabelle stared at the figure on the stage, a faint smile on her face, as if she had expected what had just happened.
She understood Albert, and he was not one to tolerate being wronged.
The counterattack was truly entertaining, and she could easily imagine the expressions on the faces of the others.
As for Katherine and Valeria, they were both staring at Albert on the stage, captivated. That self-introduction had been too cool, and it had stirred something within them.
Many people wore dark expressions, in every sense of the word. But what could they do? Could they lodge a formal complaint with the International Wizarding Federation?
Even if they did, would it be of any use?
There must have been people who were dissatisfied with Anderson's numerous international awards and had lodged complaints with the International Wizarding Federation. Yet, Anderson was still here, participating in the International Alchemy Conference and winning the Pioneer Contribution Gold Award. That spoke volumes.
After Albert's self-introduction, he gave the people below a few minutes to process what they had heard. Then, regardless of their reactions, he began to share his personal insights into alchemy. In this regard, Albert had far surpassed his peers, not only because of the knowledge granted by his Golden Finger system but also due to his interactions with Nicolas Flamel and numerous renowned alchemists. What he shared from the stage was novel and refreshing, leaving the vast majority of alchemists with extremely complex expressions on their faces.
Everyone could clearly sense the threat emanating from a sixteen-year-old boy.
However, just as the audience was engrossed in Albert's speech, he suddenly came to a halt.
At that moment, everyone was left bewildered, and some even wanted to shout out for him to continue, as Albert had only shared half of what he had to say.
Why did you stop there?
Was that a cliffhanger?
Amidst the host's bewildered gaze, Albert concluded his speech with a smile, returned the microphone, and promptly walked off the stage, paying no further heed to anyone else.
The organizers of the International Alchemy Conference would never have anticipated Albert's situation, and Albert himself certainly didn't believe they would.
Since they had made him uncomfortable, he saw no reason not to return the favor.
Well, everyone probably realized by now that Albert had intentionally left them hanging, and they couldn't even be angry at him because this mischievous move was well within reasonable bounds.
If you say he didn't finish, Albert technically did.
The organizers had allotted him a limited time slot, and from his self-introduction to the present moment, he had already spoken for nearly half an hour.
If you say he finished, Albert could have easily continued expounding on the topic.
When Albert left everyone speechless with his antics, they all realized that this genius had a long memory for grievances.
"You seem to be in high spirits." Isabelle whispered in Albert's ear as he returned to his seat, "But what you did might offend some people."
"If I did, then so be it. I didn't plan on attending another International Alchemy Conference anyway." Albert didn't mind in the slightest. After all, they weren't friends, so why should he care about their opinions?
"I feel the same." Isabelle smiled, and since Albert didn't mind, she certainly wouldn't either.
After all, they probably wouldn't cross paths much in the future anyway.
Albert had only come to the conference for the quest rewards, not because he cared about the gold medal.
It was just a gilded trinket, nothing to get worked up over.
As Albert grew older and more powerful, his wings were spreading wider. In a few months, he would come of age, and the restrictions imposed on him by the wizarding world would lessen significantly. Once he became an adult, the tracking spell would completely disappear, and the troubles it had caused would be a thing of the past.
The organizers of the International Alchemy Conference were truly at a loss with Albert, but in fairness, he had followed their standard procedures, and they couldn't really fault him. Otherwise, it would have turned into his personal lecture, which clearly wasn't part of the agenda. So, in a way, they had to thank Albert.
After Albert's speech, the host wrapped up the event by presenting Albert with the Pioneer Contribution Gold Award and the patent certificate for the Floo Powder.
No one received the other grand prize, which was within expectations. Typically, only one person would receive an award, unless the alchemical achievements were exceptionally outstanding, and even then, they wouldn't usually "make an exception."
The International Alchemy Conference didn't end there, as the organizers hosted a small gathering with abundant food and beverages, allowing attendees to mingle and discuss their research freely.
Albert was soon surrounded by a group of acquaintances, many of whom teased him about his self-introduction and urged him to continue the topic he had left hanging.
Several alchemists who had been glaring at Albert earlier now wore complex expressions, realizing that he already had his own circle of friends, which included some well-known alchemists.
Albert didn't hold back and continued sharing his insights.
Several disgruntled individuals who had been infuriated by Albert's antics strained their ears to eavesdrop, only to be annoyed further by his soft-spoken manner.
After Albert finished speaking, he prepared to leave.
He had no intention of staying overnight in Egypt.
"Sorry, but I need to bring this medal back." Albert politely declined their invitations to stay, indicating that they could meet up another time.
That afternoon, Albert checked out of his hotel and headed to the Egyptian Ministry of Magic to use the International Floo Network to return to Britain.
"Are you in such a rush to leave?"
Valeria and Katherine were also packing their bags, intending to join them in Britain to watch the upcoming Quidditch World Cup.
"If I don't leave now, am I supposed to stay here and be gawked at like a monkey?" Albert imagined that once this incident became public knowledge, countless witches and wizards would flock to catch a glimpse of him. Unlike Lockhart, he had no desire to be the center of such attention.
"That move of yours was quite ruthless." Katherine teased, "I bet the Daily Fink will go wild with this story."
"Where will we stay when we get to Britain?" Valeria asked, more concerned about their accommodations.
"The Leaky Cauldron will have to do for now." Albert replied.
"Can't we stay at your place?" Valeria asked, half-joking.
"Of course, but you'll have to squeeze into the same room with us." Isabelle interjected, taking the question in stride.
After bidding farewell to Serra and Nicholas, the four of them headed to the Egyptian Ministry of Magic and used the International Floo Network to return to Britain.
After all, they were all adults and could take care of themselves.
Upon arriving at the Leaky Cauldron, they found the environment less than ideal and deemed it unsafe for the two girls, so they decided to squeeze into Isabelle's room instead.
"Looks like we'll have to roll out our sleeping bags." Valeria remarked, not entirely surprised, "Or maybe we should pitch a tent in your backyard."
Isabelle placed the suitcase that Albert had given her on the ground, opened it, and with a flick of her wand, a door appeared.
"Follow me." Isabelle pushed the door open and gestured for the two girls to enter.
"Is this inside the suitcase?" They followed Isabelle down the stairs and found themselves in a spacious room.
"Yes, we'll be staying here for now." Isabelle gave them a tour of the room, "So, you won't need your sleeping bags after all. There are enough rooms for everyone."
"It's more spacious than I imagined." Katherine opened the door to the wooden house and was greeted by sunny skies and a vast herb garden filled with ingredients used in beauty potions.
"It looks like we're intruding on your alone time with Albert." Valeria commented wryly.
"Mhm." Isabelle gave a noncommittal reply, then suddenly added, "After Albert graduates, we'll probably get married right away. We'll send you an invitation when the time comes."
Valeria's expression froze, and Katherine raised an eyebrow, "He's certainly in a hurry, isn't he? Isn't that a bit too rushed?"
"Well, Albert is a bit impatient in that regard, but there are other reasons as well." Isabelle didn't elaborate further, "You'll understand in time."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
