Hogwarts: The Exemplary Wizard I Am Chapter 849: Kyle's True Intentions - Novel Cool

Chapter 849: Kyle's True Intentions

Chapter 849: Kyle's True Intentions

After that, Burddman went on to mention a few other rules, mostly pertaining to restrictions on interfering with the Dragon Sanctuary, but compared to the previous terms, these were insignificant. Kyle agreed to them all without hesitation.

As he had mentioned before, he hadn't come here solely for these opportunities. If he just wanted to earn Galleons, he could easily raid Diagon Alley again; he didn't need to travel all this way.

So, even though these conditions seemed outrageous to Kyle, he didn't mind.

Across from Kyle, Burddman was so moved that he was on the verge of tears, wanting to express his gratitude to Kyle in every way possible.

In these few minutes, he had come to view Kyle as a truly benevolent individual who genuinely loved dragons and was willing to spend a large sum of money to protect them.

It must be said that there are indeed many kind people in the wizarding world!

With this shared sentiment, the matter progressed exceptionally smoothly.

Ten minutes later, Burddman had repaired the broken quill, dipped it in ink, and with a trembling hand, managed to write out a certificate.

It was a sponsorship certificate, outlining everything he had just discussed with Kyle.

Burddman picked up his wand, murmured an intricate incantation, and with a mix of ancient magic and ink, signed his name on the certificate in the most prominent position.

Accompanied by a bright white light, the ordinary parchment transformed into a magical contract.

Kyle glanced at it briefly before casually putting it away. If others were to see this document, they would most likely deem him a fool.

No, it would be accurate to say that even a fool wouldn't make such a deal where there was absolutely nothing to gain.

"Oh, and one more thing," Kyle said as if he had just remembered something.

"Go ahead, ask away," Burddman urged, holding the box filled with Galleons, his smile stretching from ear to ear.

All he wanted to do now was go to the Owl Post Office and write to the departed dragon keepers, telling them that they could return.

"Well, I was wondering if I could obtain a legal dragon-keeping certificate," Kyle said, narrowing his eyes. "As I mentioned before, I really love dragons."

Burddman abruptly raised his head, the joy and excitement on his face vanishing instantly.

"I'm afraid I must disappoint you. That's impossible," he said expressionlessly.

At that moment, he had guessed Kyle's true intention, and his impression of him plummeted from its previous high.

Before the establishment of the Dragon Sanctuary, all dragon-related materials in the market came from certain pure-blood families. They captured dragons, kept them in captivity, and killed them when needed, dismantling them into various materials that earned them substantial amounts of Galleons.

This practice had led to a decline in the dragon population, as breeding them was far less convenient than capturing them from the wild.

Although dragons were the most formidable magical creatures in the wizarding world, known for their destructive capabilities, there were always adventurous witches and wizards willing to take on the risk for the right price. If ten people weren't enough to capture a dragon, they would hire fifty or a hundred.

Compared to the profits generated from a single dragon, the cost of hiring these witches and wizards was negligible.

If this continued, perhaps several decades from now, dragons would cease to exist in the wizarding world.

Banning the sale of all dragon-related materials might solve this problem, but that wasn't realistic.

After hundreds, if not thousands, of years of integration, dragons had become an integral part of the wizarding world. Dragon blood alone was used in multiple fields, including alchemy and potion-making.

Dragon-hide gloves were also essential for conducting dangerous magical experiments.

If the sale of these items were prohibited, many industries would come to a standstill, and the influential figures in those industries would certainly object.

Thus, to address this issue without allowing dragons to disappear altogether, the Dragon Sanctuary was established.

Although they were currently struggling to gain a foothold and had little influence, their presence made the private sale of dragon materials illegal. Those activities now had to be conducted in secret, no longer out in the open.

The same applied to dragon capturing.

In a sense, the Sanctuary indirectly protected dragons, slowing down their disappearance.

As for Kyle's request for a legal dragon-keeping certificate, with that in hand, he could continue his dragon trading activities without any repercussions.

But if that were the case, what would be the point of the Dragon Sanctuary?

Burddman's expression turned icy, and he immediately placed the box back on the table.

"If this was your intention all along, then I ask that you leave. I will also return your Galleons to you, untouched," he said bluntly, his tone devoid of any hint of reluctance.

"Don't be so quick to refuse," Kyle said calmly, as if he had anticipated this response. "I didn't say I wanted it right now."

"It's a no, regardless of the timing," Burddman replied curtly.

"Not even after ninety years?" Kyle took out two bottles of Butterbeer from the box and handed one to Burddman.

"What?" Burddman was taken aback.

"As I said, I love dragons," Kyle explained as he leisurely opened the bottle and took a sip of the sweet Butterbeer. "However, I'm still young, and my understanding of dragons isn't extensive.

Dumbledore, leaning back in his chair, looked utterly drained, as if his very life force had been sapped away.

While his weakened state was due to his frequent time travels, Burddman was unaware of that and simply attributed it to the older man's age and the strain of Apparition.

"Well..." Burddman hesitated.

"So, I thought that by then, I'd like to be closer to the Fire Dragons," Kyle said with a smile. "That's not an unreasonable request, is it?"

Burddman remained silent.

Indeed, if the Dragon Sanctuary were established, then aside from finding them in the wild, this would be the only place to see dragons.

But by that time, the young man before him would likely be over a hundred years old, and it would be understandable if he didn't want to travel back and forth so often.

"You could settle down in Romania," Burddman suggested. "I can make the decision to allocate a large enough space here for you to build a spacious manor."

"Just like how one can't abandon their preferences, it's hard to let go of one's homeland, isn't it?" Kyle said.

Burddman fell silent once more.

"Or, I could compromise further and ask for a legal dragon-keeping certificate that takes effect in ninety-eight years," Kyle continued, seeing that Burddman's attitude had softened. "I don't think that's an excessive request."

"While that's true...but..."

"You will have to issue such certificates eventually," Kyle interrupted. "There are many people in the wizarding world who are interested in magical creatures, and as one of the representative species, there will naturally be people who want to study Fire Dragons. Not everyone will come to Romania.

"Whether it's for cooperation or other reasons, you will have to give special treatment to some. Take the Mandrake, for example. It's a plant that the Ministry of Magic once banned from trade, but now there are at least five places where it can be cultivated."

"Well...um..." Burddman hesitated even more, stammering, "That's...Fire Dragons are different from Mandrakes..."

"You're right," Kyle shrugged. "Mandrake was classified as a prohibited trade plant in 1869, only thirty years ago.

"In comparison, my suggestion of ninety-eight years is indeed a long time."

Burddman was stunned.

Who's bringing up Mandrakes now?

What he meant was that Mandrakes were plants, and their use was limited to potions or small circles, unlike dragon materials, which were used in almost every industry.

However, Kyle didn't give him time to explain.

"In that case..." Kyle slapped the box.

"Are you going to cancel the sponsorship?" Burddman blurted out, his heart sinking.

"No, the sponsorship will continue. I don't want to only read about dragons in books," Kyle said. "But the amount may need to be adjusted. After all, I also need to prepare for the future."

Burddman breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"Then, three hundred Galleons," he suggested.

Burddman almost jumped up.

"Three hundred Galleons?"

He had thought that Kyle would at most cut the amount in half. Even if it was reduced to a thousand Galleons, it would still help solve their urgent problem. But he never expected it to be reduced to a tenth of the original amount.

"I have no choice," Kyle sighed. "Think about it. In the past, since I couldn't raise dragons myself, I would have to build a house here, which would cost a lot of money. I'd also need to find new assistants, plus the cost of various equipment, house-elves to take care of daily life... When you calculate all these expenses, two thousand seven hundred Galleons doesn't seem like it would be enough."

"It's enough, definitely enough," Burddman quickly assured him.

This guy must be planning to build a castle here, Burddman thought. Even if it was a castle on the scale of Hogwarts, it wouldn't cost over two thousand Galleons...

Of course, that was assuming they were only talking about the exterior. If they included the interior facilities, even multiplying it by ten times wouldn't be enough... But for daily living, those facilities probably weren't necessary.

"Alright then, two thousand seven hundred it is. I'll make do with a more modest dwelling," Kyle said through gritted teeth as he began to grab the gold coins from the box, placing the previous piece of parchment back on the table and saying apologetically, "But in that case, I'm afraid I'll have to trouble Mr. Stricke to rewrite the certificate."

Watching Kyle's actions, Burddman's heart bled.

Two thousand seven hundred Galleons...and he called that modest?

He couldn't fathom how those two phrases could be used together.

Moreover, the sound of the coins clinking in Kyle's hands made it hard for him to concentrate.

It felt like someone was dismantling the Dragon Sanctuary plaque in front of him, and he was powerless to stop it.

As the number of coins in the box decreased, Burddman's breathing became more rapid. He stared at the three thousand Galleon donation certificate on the table, and the quill in his hand felt like it weighed a thousand pounds, making it impossible for him to write a single word.

Suddenly, he stood up, his hand resting on the box.

"Stop taking them!"

"What?" Kyle looked up, puzzled. "Oh, it's nothing. I'll hurry up and finish before you're done writing the new certificate."

Merlin's holey socks... how could I possibly write it down?! Burddman thought, but on the surface, he had to force a smile.

"Sir, how about extending the time a bit, like two centuries. I can take the liberty of issuing you a legal dragon-keeping certificate that will be valid for two hundred years."

"Two centuries?" Kyle looked him up and down. "Do you hear yourself?"

Burddman also felt embarrassed.

"Ninety-eight years is my bottom line." Kyle said, "And in that time, the Fire Dragon Sanctuary will have grown strong enough. I'll just be keeping a few little dragons, it won't pose any threat to you at all.

"But if you feel it's inappropriate, then forget it."

As he spoke, Kyle forcefully grabbed a handful of gold coins.

Burddman was on the verge of tears.

This man was the only one to have donated in the past two years, and who knew how long they would have to wait for the next donation.

But three hundred galleons really wasn't enough.

Just as he was agonizing over this, Kyle extended his evil hand again, muttering, "These can be used to buy a set of chairs."

Another handful...

"These can be used to make a table. I like Treant tables; they help me focus better when I'm studying."

Yet another handful...

"These can be spent on fairy-crafted silverware... it's expensive, but it's a necessity for a comfortable life."

This handful amounted to at least twenty galleons, enough to feed ten dragon keepers for a month... a comfortable life?

"I agree!"

A certain line of defense in Burddman's heart collapsed.

"Ninety-eight years, huh... I agree!"

Kyle's mouth curled up slightly, then immediately returned to its usual expression.

"It's fine, Mr. Stricke." He pretended to be nonchalant. "Actually, you don't have to be so hard on yourself. I've thought about it, and it's not a bad idea to build a residence here. At least I don't have to spend my own money to raise dragons, and there are many different species here. Thinking about it carefully, I'm actually getting a good deal."

"It's not difficult at all, not at all." Burddman quickly said, "I've thought about it, and you're right. Since we must cooperate with other magical creature scholars, why not choose someone more familiar? Your generosity and kindness perfectly match our criteria for choosing a partner."

"But raising dragons at my own expense is also a considerable expense." Kyle looked at the gold coins in the box and hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "Never mind, I think it's fine to live here."

Rattle!

Another handful of gold coins was taken.

Burddman really started to cry, feeling like slapping himself.

Why... why did I refuse him just now?

As he had just said, in ninety-eight years, the Fire Dragon Sanctuary would have grown strong. If this man did something illegal, they could always revoke the legal dragon-keeping certificate.

Wizards valued strength and background...

Conveniently, they had the International Wizarding Federation backing them, but what about him...? By then, he would just be an old wizard over a hundred years old. How could he possibly go against such a behemoth?

They would have the upper hand.

"That... that Mr. Kyle, you don't understand, living here is truly uncomfortable." Thinking of this, Burddman's expression changed, and he frowned worriedly. "It's windy and dusty here. When the wind blows, the place is filled with dust."

"It's fine, I can handle it."

"The roar of the fire dragons will also disturb your rest. They always roar in the middle of the night, disrupting your sleep."

"It's okay, magic can solve that problem."

"Then... there's also no place for entertainment here." Burddman stammered, "If you want to go to a bar for a drink, you won't be able to."

Kyle's hand that was grabbing the gold coins paused, and he fell into hesitation.

There's hope!

Burddman's eyes lit up.

"When we chose this location, we specifically picked a remote place to perfectly avoid Muggles and wizards. Who would come to a place like this to open a bar, right?

"London is much better. Diagon Alley is so lively, you can go for a drink anytime, and it's right next to the Ministry of Magic, so it's convenient if you need to get anything done."

"That makes sense." Kyle stroked his chin.

"Exactly." Burddman smiled happily at Kyle, "To be honest, if it weren't for the circumstances, I wouldn't want to live in this broken-down place either. Look, the roof is even leaking."

"But the cost of raising dragons..." Kyle hesitated, "And I just remembered, even if I don't mind these things, fire dragons themselves are outrageously expensive. It's not appropriate."

"Don't worry, we'll cover it. We'll take care of it." Burddman patted his chest, "After the legal dragon-keeping certificate takes effect, we, the Sanctuary, will cover all your dragon-related expenses. In addition, I can also take the liberty to give you one... no, two dragon eggs."

(End of Chapter)

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