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Chapter 848: The Initial Fire Dragon Sanctuary
Chapter 848: The Initial Fire Dragon Sanctuary
In the southern region of Romania, there lies a secluded mountain area that is rarely visited due to its remote location and lack of nearby attractions.
However, a few years ago, this place briefly became a hub of activity.
At that time, members of the International Confederation of Wizards decided to establish a Fire Dragon Sanctuary, and they chose this very location for it.
But later, due to financial issues, the construction of the sanctuary slowed down and eventually came to a complete halt.
After all, raising fire dragons required a substantial amount of Galleons, whether it was for food preparation, essential protective measures, or recruiting specialized wizards. Without the necessary funds, the project couldn't continue.
Take the simplest example—caring for fire dragons required manpower, and not just any wizard would do; they needed professionals who had undergone rigorous training.
Professionalism meant expense.
Without a decent salary, who would risk being trampled by fire dragons and travel all the way to this desolate place, facing the risk of being flattened by a dragon?
Oh, there were a few enthusiasts who came out of passion, but after three days of hunger, even they began to waver.
The only thing keeping them there was probably their pride.
When they first arrived, they had vowed not to give up at the first sign of difficulty. If they left now, wouldn't it be a slap in the face? They couldn't bear the embarrassment, so they stayed.
However, these enthusiasts were in the minority, and with a shortage of staff, the Fire Dragon Sanctuary, officially recognized by the International Confederation of Wizards, had only two fire dragons, and they were the most common and smallest Welsh Green Dragons. It was almost laughable.
But there was nothing they could do; it wasn't that they didn't want to accept more dragons. Various Ministries of Magic had confiscated fire dragons and wanted to send them here to get rid of the trouble, but the problem was that with their current staff, taking care of two Welsh Green Dragons was already at their limit.
It all came down to a lack of funds.
Birdman Strike, the first director of the Fire Dragon Sanctuary, sat in a makeshift office, worrying so much that he was losing hair every day.
Although he was only thirty years old, if you looked at his head alone, people would believe he was sixty...
You know Quaffles, right? His current hair volume was like a Quaffle with two feathers stuck in it.
But today, he went against his usual behavior and walked out of that office... Well, it was more like a pile of stones magically put together, providing shelter from the elements but with gaps for wind to blow through. The only advantage was that it didn't cost any money.
Birdman even wearing a robe that he hadn't worn in two years, which, despite its severe fading, was his most presentable piece of clothing.
He had sold everything he could to raise funds for the sanctuary, but the amount was still a drop in the bucket for the entire sanctuary.
If things didn't take a turn for the better and the few remaining dragon keepers also gave up, he wouldn't know what to do. Perhaps then, the Fire Dragon Sanctuary project would be put on hold indefinitely.
Fortunately, after a few years of struggle, a turning point finally arrived.
Birdman hurriedly crossed a small path and spotted two people beside a massive oak tree, the only strangers he had seen in recent years.
"Welcome, welcome..."
Birdman quickened his pace and almost jogged over to the two.
"It's an honor to meet you both," he said, extending his hand. "I'm Birdman Strike, the director of the Fire Dragon Sanctuary."
"Hello, Mr. Strike," Kyle said, also extending his hand.
Yes, the visitors were none other than Kyle and Dumbledore.
After resolving the situation with Ariana, Dumbledore had intended to return immediately, but Kyle expressed that he had some matters to attend to.
Despite his eagerness to see Ariana, Dumbledore couldn't refuse Kyle, who had been of great help, so he accompanied him to this place.
As for why Kyle came here, it started a month ago when he was staying at the Leaky Cauldron and overheard a conversation between two Ministry employees, learning about the situation here."
Kyle had wanted to come then but had to put it on hold as his primary mission was not yet complete.
Now, with some time on his hands, he decided to make a detour.
The two shook hands.
"Mr. Strike, we're not going to discuss matters here, are we?" Kyle looked around. "Although I don't mind, my companion here... He's too old, and he'll definitely need to rest for a bit."
"Oh, it's my oversight," Birdman said hastily, leading them to his makeshift office and offering them tea and snacks.
The tea was made from pine needles—a simple brew of pine needles washed and steeped in hot water. It didn't taste great, but it was the only beverage with any flavor in the sanctuary.
The snack was a gray, hard lump, somewhat like Hagrid's rock cakes but with an even worse taste. You could smell the bitterness even from a distance.
Although Kyle had been aware of the harsh conditions at the Fire Dragon Sanctuary, he hadn't expected it to be this bad. Even house-elves probably wouldn't eat this...
It seemed that Kyle had guessed his thoughts, and Birdman sighed helplessly.
He didn't want to eat these either, but there was no choice. Wizards couldn't conjure food, and these people only knew how to care for fire dragons; they were useless at everything else.
So, all expenses were covered by collecting the naturally shed scales of the two Welsh Green Dragons and exchanging them for Sickles, then using the money to buy necessities.
When Birdman looked embarrassed, Kyle didn't say anything further. He picked up his cup, took a sip of pine needle tea, and then silently placed the cup back on the table.
Bitter and bland, it was better to drink plain water.
"Alright, let's get to the point," Kyle said, "Mr. Strike must have already known the purpose of our visit, or perhaps that gentleman didn't inform you."
Kyle had found this place based on his previous memories, but due to the difference in time, when he first arrived, he had no idea where he was. It took a long time before he finally encountered a wizard.
Upon learning of Kyle's intention, the wizard became so excited that he almost fainted. He scrambled away, saying that he would invite the most influential person to receive Kyle.
And thus, the previous situation unfolded. Within five minutes, Kyle was greeted by Birdman.
"I heard from Mr. Mucaldor," Birdman's spirits immediately lifted, "You're talking about funding the Fire Dragon Sanctuary, right?!"
"Of course, that's why I'm here," Kyle said with a smile, "But my abilities are limited, and I can't provide too much funding."
Hearing Kyle's words, Birdman's expression froze for a moment, then showed a hint of disappointment.
Indeed, looking at the age of the person in front of him, who was not even twenty years old, and although he had a servant, at that age, who took care of whom was uncertain. Most likely, he was from a declining family, and such a person would probably struggle to resolve their current predicament.
However, Birdman quickly dismissed this thought.
Regardless, having someone willing to fund the Fire Dragon Sanctuary was a positive development. Even if it meant they could have a proper lunch for another week, it was an exciting change. At least, it showed that there were still people supporting this decision.
"Don't worry, there's no need to be concerned," Birdman said sincerely, taking out a piece of parchment and asking, "How many Galleons do you want to fund... Of course, Sickles are also fine. I'll provide you with a certificate."
Although the Fire Dragon Sanctuary was penniless, it was a legitimate organization recognized by the International Confederation of Wizards, and proper procedures were still followed.
For example, during the construction phase, funding was equivalent to cooperation, and there would be returns in the future... However, these returns were not significant, and they might not be accessible in the short term.
"Three thousand Galleons," Kyle said indifferently.
"Okay, three thousand..."
"Wait... What did you say?!" Birdman exclaimed, raising his voice.
"Three thousand Galleons," Kyle said, taking out a box and placing it on the table.
As if a golden light was emanating from within,
The quill was suddenly snapped in half, causing Birdman to wince in pain. This was the last quill in the sanctuary, but he quickly dismissed the thought.
The golden light radiating from the box made his head spin. He felt as if he was floating among the clouds, toasting with the stars, and then as if he was lying on the waves, listening to the enchanting song of a mermaid princess...
"Mr. Strike... Mr. Strike? Are you okay... What should we do, Professor? He seems to not hear me."
"You can give him a little nudge."
"Oh."
Then, a sharp pain came from his feet.
The stars transformed into gorillas, pounding their chests and knocking over his glass. The mermaid princess turned into a siren, her enchanting song becoming a piercing shriek.
Birdman finally snapped out of his daze.
He immediately looked down and saw a round Chinese biting cauliflower firmly biting his calf. The pain became more intense, and Birdman broke into a cold sweat.
"You're finally awake," Kyle said with a smile, "Sorry, I called out to you, but you didn't respond, so I had to do this."
"It's, it's fine," Birdman forced a smile, bending down with difficulty and pulling the cauliflower off his calf, gritting his teeth in pain.
But when Birdman realized what it was, he suddenly froze.
"No, this is... Chinese biting cauliflower?" he exclaimed in surprise.
This magical plant from Asia was worth two Galleons per piece in Diagon Alley, and the price for fresh ones was even higher.
"As if afraid Kyle would change his mind, Birdman quickly hugged the Biting Cauliflower, unconcerned about getting bitten again.
The skilled movement and determined gaze made one's heart sour.
"Mr. Strike." Kyle had to remind him again, "Shouldn't we finish the important business first?"
Reminded, Birdman finally remembered that there was something more important than the Biting Cauliflower waiting for him.
He looked again at the box full of Galleons on the table, feeling a sense of unreality, as if in a dream.
But the wound on his leg reminded him that this was no dream.
Three thousand Galleons... With this money, he could not only restart the halted defense construction but also possibly bring back the dragon keepers who had withdrawn for various reasons, completing the initial plan for the Fire Dragon Sanctuary.
"Sir, are you sure you want to fund us three thousand Galleons?" Birdman asked excitedly.
"This is all I have left," Kyle said.
Three thousand Galleons was indeed not a small amount, especially since he had spent half of it before. But according to the current prices, this sum should still be considered substantial.
After receiving Kyle's confirmation, Birdman couldn't help but start trembling all over. He caressed the Galleons in the box, then looked up at Kyle again, thought for a moment, and tried to suppress his excitement.
"Sir, although I want this funding, there are some things I must tell you in advance. I can only accept this money if you agree."
"Go ahead."
"First is the return." Birdman clenched his teeth, "Although funding the Fire Dragon Sanctuary can receive corresponding returns later, this number is not high... Let's put it this way, if we have ten fire dragons, you'll only get this amount in a year."
Birdman extended three fingers.
"Three hundred Galleons?"
"No, it's... thirty Galleons."
Kyle's mouth twitched,
He had expected a low return, but not this low... only one percent.
Wow, no wonder those two employees said it would take a hundred years to break even; they were spot on.
Fortunately, Kyle wasn't here for this.
"It's fine." He waved his hand dismissively, "I like fire dragons, and I don't care about the return rate. Even if I have to do Galleon Skimming, I don't mind."
Birdman had already prepared for the possibility of Kyle changing his mind.
Many people had done this before, coming with Galleons to cooperate with the Fire Dragon Sanctuary, but after learning about the ridiculously low return rate, they left without looking back.
And since then, fewer and fewer people came, until the last two years when no one came at all.
Birdman had gotten used to it.
What he didn't expect was... hearing a different answer.
The wizard before him, not yet twenty, said he didn't care about the return.
Is there anyone in the Wizarding World who doesn't care about Galleons?
There must be, to say something a bit narcissistic, he was one, and the dragon keepers who stayed here could also be considered one. They all had one thing in common: they didn't have many Galleons themselves.
The person before him was the only exception he had seen, having Galleons and not caring about them.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course." Kyle smiled, pushing the box forward, "Open the certificate, and these will be yours."
"Wait, just a moment..." Birdman panted, forcing down a certain impulse in his heart, and continued, "In addition to what I just said, you also cannot participate in the daily affairs of the Fire Dragon Sanctuary, including but not limited to setting sanctuary rules, personnel adjustments, and resource allocation... Simply put, your rights here are even less than those of an ordinary dragon keeper."
"Just saves me the trouble, that's fine." Kyle said.
"You also cannot purchase any products from the Fire Dragon Sanctuary at a discounted price."
Birdman's voice became much softer, as if he himself felt it was a bit too much, but he had no choice. These regulations were all established after discussions by the International Confederation of Wizards.
The purpose was to ensure the authority and autonomy of the Fire Dragon Sanctuary, preventing it from being controlled by individual wealthy pure-blood families.
But Kyle remained unconcerned.
"I have money, I don't care about this discount... However." His tone paused.
Birdman's heart immediately jumped to his throat, and he looked at Kyle anxiously.
"If I want to prioritize purchasing the highest quality materials at the same price, that should be fine, right?"
"Of course, if it's just that." Birdman breathed a sigh of relief, then quietly added, "If we have them."
He thought of those two Welsh dragons.
To be honest, the dragon scales and teeth they had collected were not of great quality. In Diagon Alley, they could barely be considered inferior quality, or else they wouldn't be in such a tight financial situation.
But due to his personal selfishness, he didn't tell Kyle about this, although his conscience felt a little uneasy. They really needed this money.
...
(End of Chapter)
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