[Note: Read up to Chapter - 158 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]
.
.
.
.
"Manor housekeeper?"
At Aris' words, Fudge and Crouch's eyes brightened slightly. They exchanged glances, each noticing the surprise flickering in the other's expression.
Neither had expected that such a small contraption—looking no more than a piece of iron—could actually be the core device behind humanoid projection magic. If they'd realised it was such a cutting-edge novelty, they'd have been desperate to get their hands on it.
But by now, they'd already politely declined. Would it look awkward to suddenly change their minds and accept it?
Seeing their hesitation, Aris smiled lightly and added, "Mr. Minister, this is actually the Shafiq family's latest alchemical creation. I'm giving it to both of you now, though I admit, I do have my own selfish reasons…"
"Oh?" Fudge's interest was immediately piqued at that.
Such a novelty—Aris was saying it could actually be mass-produced as a commercial product?
"Exactly," Aris said. "I want you, Mr. Minister, to give it a try first. If the response is positive, we could roll it out for mass production as soon as possible. Naturally, we might need a bit of help from the Ministry along the way!"
"Mr. Shafiq, you're having me on," Fudge chuckled. "As long as the product works properly, the Ministry of Magic would never interfere with your business."
"In that case," Aris continued, "I'll hand over this little gadget as a test for a new product. If it performs well, I'll be sure to recommend it to my friends!"
A grin spread across Fudge's face. He had just been wondering whether Aris might look down on him for accepting the gift.
But the boy's emotional intelligence was something else entirely. In an instant, he'd gauged the room and delivered his line with perfect tact.
This sort of EQ—higher than many seasoned veterans of the Ministry—was truly impressive.
At that moment, Fudge couldn't help but raise his estimation of Aris a notch.
Cooperating with someone like this in the future would be a downright pleasure!
"Thank you, Mr. Shafiq!"
Crouch forced a polite smile as he picked up the gadgets from the table, examining them carefully. His mind was clearly turning over ideas, and he ventured cautiously, "Such advanced alchemy… your family clearly has remarkable talent. It must run deep. I wonder… would there be a chance to meet him?"
Aris raised an eyebrow.
Meet Moss? Not a chance!
"Don't get me wrong, sir," Aris said smoothly. "What I mean is, perhaps I could introduce you to a master alchemist. I happen to have a bit of a friendship with Nicolas Flamel. You two could exchange ideas on alchemy research. Surely that would be… beneficial, wouldn't it?"
Crouch forced a tight-lipped smile, though his mind was elsewhere. In truth, he just wanted to gauge Aris's abilities—and see if this so-called "Manor Butler" could really be mass-produced.
From Aris's earlier explanation, Crouch had picked up on something sharp. Once the Manor Butler hits mass production, it could be a veritable goldmine.
If he could forge some connection with Aris now… well, that fortune might one day be his.
Gradually, Crouch's attitude toward Aris began to shift. It would be sheer folly to target someone even the Minister couldn't touch. Besides, he held no personal grudge against the Shafiq family. If you can't beat them, why not join them?
Better to hop aboard this colossal ship than waste effort opposing it. With the Shafiq family's strength and wealth, how many in the Four Realms could even dream of rivaling them? At a time like this, aligning oneself was the smartest move.
Even the Minister had made it clear he wanted to cosy up with the Shafiqs. Naturally, Crouch knew he had to act sharpish. As for those pure-blood wizards who'd been pestering him for help? Let them fend for themselves—he no longer had the patience to bother with them.
"Of course, this is a cracking idea! Why didn't I think of it sooner?" Dumbledore, who had been quietly observing all along, suddenly piped up. He stroked his long, silver-white beard and gave a gentle nod. "Well, come to think of it, I'm on good terms with Nicolas as well."
"Aris, if you ever need a hand, I reckon I can make an introduction one of these days."
Dumbledore's words immediately left Crouch looking a right state of embarrassment. He'd just realised the old silver-haired wizard was still present… and given Dumbledore's friendship with Nicolas Flamel, what could he even do? What a waste of a smug little expression.
At this moment, Aris smiled and said, "Thank you, Professor Dumbledore, and thank you, Mr. Crouch, for your enthusiasm… To be honest, this product is still rather rough. It would be brilliant if I could get some guidance from Mr. Nicolas Flamel!"
"You made this?" Fudge and Crouch froze for a heartbeat, then their faces lit up with surprise.
"You never mentioned this to me!" Even Dumbledore looked at Aris with genuine astonishment.
"Yes. The product isn't perfect yet, so I have no plans to announce mass production for now. Please keep this under wraps for a bit. I don't want to push an unfinished item into my family's store—it'd be downright irresponsible to the buyers!"
"Of course!" Fudge and Crouch both nodded repeatedly, impressed.
"Incredible!" The two of them couldn't help but exclaim, eyes fixed on Aris in admiration. "Seems Mr. Shafiq's talent in alchemy is something truly remarkable!"
At that moment, the two men's resolve to cooperate with Aris grew even stronger.
"Minister Fudge, thank you for your kind words," Aris said, smiling modestly.
"Why don't I take you to meet Nicolas during this two-week holiday?" Dumbledore said, looking at Aris with a knowing glint in his eyes, a hint of mischief—or perhaps calculation—hidden in his tone. "I'm certain Nick will be delighted to see you!"
"Well, if there's nothing pressing, I suppose that's fine," Aris replied with a nod.
Even so, he couldn't shake the feeling that Dumbledore's expression was a touch peculiar. For the life of him, he couldn't guess what the old fox was scheming.
Soon, Fudge and Crouch bade Aris farewell one after the other and departed from Shafiq Castle. Naturally, they took the two sets of 'Manor Butlers' with them.
No sooner had they left than Harry and the others hurried down from the second floor.
"Aris! There's so much we didn't know about—this is outrageous!" Harry exclaimed, rushing over. His eyes darted between the First Class Order of Merlin in Aris' hand and the remaining set of 'Manor Steward' resting on the table.
"I reckon if this thing can really be mass-produced, it'll be snapped up by countless people!" Ronald said confidently.
"Truly, it's brilliant that a humanoid projection can actually chat with folks. And on top of that, it adds extra protection to the residence. Most wizards' homes just rely on Muggle-repelling charms and basic wards…"
"Those are far too common. They won't hold up against dark wizards!" Harry added.
"Aris, how effective is this thing of yours defensively?" Cho asked, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
Several others turned to Aris, eager for his answer.
"Not bad at all," Aris said after a moment's thought. "It's enough for the manor's owner to Apparate or fly off on a broom before an enemy gets inside. Of course, if you run into someone like Professor Dumbledore… well, I daresay it won't be much help!"
"That's still impressive!" Dumbledore interjected, giving clear recognition to the defensive capabilities of the 'Manor Steward'.
"Right, Aris, we'll leave that for now," Dumbledore continued, his gaze shifting to Harry and Ronald.
"Now, let's have a word about you running off from school without permission!"
.
.
.
.
Drop power Powerstonessssssssss!
[Note: Read up to Chapter - 158 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]