Inside, the hall was already filled with wizards. The moment Barnabas and Alex stepped through the doors, many heads turned, followed by hushed whispers spreading across the room.
"That young man…"
"Wilson's Arcane Alchemica Trading…"
"Isn't that the magic lamp genius?"
"Didn't he win the Gold Award for Pioneering Contribution?"
Fragments of conversation floated through the air, and Alex caught just enough to know he was already becoming something of a celebrity.
"Barnabas, Alex, you two certainly know how to make an entrance." A familiar voice greeted them with playful warmth. Bones walked up, smiling, accompanied by a group of elder wizards.
"Mr. Bones," Alex said politely.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Edgar," Barnabas added.
Bones waved it off with a grin. "Come on, Alex, I want to introduce you to some of the top local alchemy masters."
He stepped aside and gestured to an elderly wizard standing nearby. "This is Mr. Isa, a master alchemist and senior researcher, also an honorary chairman of the research center.
He's one of the leading figures in alchemy material sciences. The biggest weather blanket manufacturer in Cairo is his company."
Alex bowed slightly and greeted him with respect. Isa nodded back with a kind smile, eyes twinkling with interest.
Bones then motioned to a dignified-looking woman in elegant robes. "This is Ms. Nefira. Another master alchemist and expert in rune inscriptions. You two actually exchanged a few messages not long ago, though you may not have realized. She owns the largest magical camera company in Cairo."
Alex greeted her just as respectfully, and she responded with a warm nod.
"And finally," Bones said with a chuckle, patting Alex's shoulder again, "this is someone from my own field, spell science. Though I hate to admit it, his understanding of spell theory may be even deeper than mine. Mr. Sebastian, another senior researcher and honorary chairman."
Alex's eyes narrowed slightly for just a moment. 'So this is him,' he thought. 'The Sphinx. Interesting. He seemed to know Bones well.' But on the surface, Alex kept his expression smooth. "It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Sebastian."
Sebastian's smile was cordial. "The honor is mine. Mr. Wilson, you're remarkably young for someone with such achievements."
He gave Alex a long, appraising glance and subtly nodded to himself.
'So many enchanted tools on him,' Sebastian noted silently. 'Either he's an alchemical genius… or he relies heavily on equipment. Judging by Thunderbird's irritation earlier, it's probably the latter.
That man only gets that flustered when someone hits him with something he can't counter, like well-crafted magical gear.'
After exchanging greetings, both Alex and Sebastian put on their best polite smiles, each fully aware the other was only acting. But while Sebastian thought Alex was the only one putting on a show, Alex knew they were both performing, and that gave him a slight sense of amusement, as if watching a scene unfold in a play.
"Alex, hope you don't mind me calling you that," said Ms. Nefira with a warm smile. "We've been corresponding for so long, and this is actually the first time we've met in person."
She gave him a playful look. "You certainly made quite the stir yesterday at the Kara Black Collection. Word spread fast. Half the city's been trying to figure out who the young man selling those lamps was."
"That's right," Isa chimed in with a chuckle. "It's not just the lamps and the phonographs. Look around, the entire banquet hall is glowing with them now. But what really impressed me was the humanoid target you brought.
I had my assistant buy one on the spot. It's brilliant, absolutely engaging. I haven't enjoyed spell practice this much in years. That thing made me fall in love with dueling all over again."
"Really? Then I must've missed out," Ms. Nefira said, raising her eyebrows with a hint of regret. "I only managed to grab a few magic pendants. But their craftsmanship is incredible.
The runes are nearly identical, down to the tiniest detail. I almost suspected you'd used a Duplication Charm on them. And at just 12 Galleons, they were a steal, easily worth more, considering both material and inscription quality."
Alex smiled modestly. "You flatter me. Ms. Nefira, if you're interested, I'd be happy to send you a humanoid target as a gift. I've learned so much from others work on rune inscriptions over the years, it would only be fair."
And that wasn't just empty flattery. Many of his alchemical advancements over the past few years weren't just from using the materials he inherited from the Travers family.
A huge part came from Bones, who had introduced him to top-tier alchemy masters in various specialties. Those experts had all generously shared their knowledge with him, and Alex had absorbed it like a sponge.
"There's no teacher who doesn't enjoy having a clever and hardworking student," Nefira said kindly.
In truth, she had gained quite a bit from Alex's work too, especially his innovation with the Echo Charm. Thanks to that, she'd designed two new models of magical cameras, both of which had quickly become top sellers. Her appreciation for him wasn't just professional, it was personal.
Meanwhile, the Sphinx, still playing the role of Sebastian, watched the conversation quietly and couldn't help but mutter inwardly. 'Is this kid really this well-liked?
Judging by Nefira's reactions, his grasp of alchemy was even more advanced than he'd expected. What a waste it would be for Thunderbird to just wipe him out.
If only I'd been the one sent to set up a branch office in England instead of Thunderbird,' he thought.
'With shared interests, I might've had a chance to recruit this kid. He's almost catching up to Dumbledore in his youth...'
"Sebastian? Sebastian!" a voice snapped him out of his thoughts. It was Nefira, calling him directly.
"You alright? You zoned out for a second there," she asked, puzzled by his sudden silence.
"Ah, sorry," Sebastian replied with an apologetic smile. "I just got lost in thought about a few theoretical questions. You know how it is, one thing leads to another."
"Hah! That's classic Sebastian," Isa said with a laugh. "Bit of a workaholic, that one. Probably doesn't have room in his head for anything but spell theory."
'Or he's figuring out how to kill me,' Alex thought coolly, glancing at Sebastian's awkward smile. 'Nice act.'
Trying to change the subject and steer the mood back on track, Sebastian cleared his throat and asked, "So, what were we discussing just now?"
"We're talking about this trade agreement," Mrs. Nefira said, turning slightly toward Sebastian.
"The British Ministry of Magic will definitely expand its share of the international market now that Alex's Wilson's Arcane Alchemica is involved. If we can lock down a distribution contract with his alchemy company, we'll not only gain the exclusive rights to sell his products in Egypt but possibly gain access to sell them back in the UK as well."