Young Master Ewoyn's banquet was a tremendous success.
The second heir of a colossal Eastern family received unanimous praise. Despite being wealthier than most could imagine, he remained humble and personable, like an ordinary man. A true representative of the "Land of Etiquette."
Soon enough, Ewoyn's temporary residence in Merlin City became the hottest destination for various family representatives and business leaders. Horses and carriages filled the roads outside the secluded Earl's villa he was staying in.
It was curious—almost as if the Earl had foreseen this. When someone once offered a sky-high price for the vacant villa, he had flatly refused to sell, as if he'd been saving it for Ewoyn's arrival.
"Mr. Ewoyn, would you be interested in investing in our chamber of commerce?"
The question came from Johnny Johnson, the U.S. representative of the Thunderbird Chamber of Commerce.
Ewoyn sat with his legs crossed, swirling the red wine in his hand slowly.
"Mr. Johnson, there will be opportunities. But you'll need to wait—my family and enterprises haven't officially moved to Merlin City yet."
"Of course, of course. We aren't in a rush either."
Ewoyn nodded slowly.
"Indeed. Human wisdom lies in hope and in waiting."
"Mr. Ewoyn, you have a way with words!"
"You're too kind. That was actually Dumas."
Johnson gave a strained smile. He had heard of Dumas—the Muggle writer—but really, what reputable wizard would read Muggle literature?
Ewoyn carried on.
"Still, I find myself hesitating."
"Hesitating?" Johnson echoed, eyebrows raised.
"I'm unsure whether I should truly bring my family and industries here."
"Why the hesitation? Merlin City offers limitless business potential! Most who've settled here are thriving. Not to mention, it has every form of entertainment imaginable."
Ewoyn shook his head.
"There's a saying in the East: 'A gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall.' We must anticipate risks and avoid placing ourselves in dangerous positions."
Johnson frowned. "But Merlin City is one of the safest places in the Wizarding World. What danger could there possibly be?"
Indeed, Merlin City was renowned for its invincibility. Alchemical bombs had rained down on it, and even a surprise attack by thousands of Fire Serpent Party wizards hadn't breached its defenses.
It was worth noting: a coordinated attack involving thousands of wizards hadn't happened in a century. When Grindelwald nearly razed Paris, he hadn't even deployed 200. And that had shaken the entire Western Wizarding World.
Ewoyn nodded in agreement.
"Merlin City is undeniably powerful. Dantes, the Earl, managed to rediscover the nearly extinct Gerebato Magic Crystal and used it to replicate an ancient magical formation of old wizards. It's an extraordinary feat.
"But it's exactly because of this strength that I feel uneasy."
"Why?" Johnson asked, confused.
Ewoyn sipped his wine, then stood and walked to the door. He peeked outside, shut the door tightly, and returned to the room. Under Johnson's watchful eye, he stepped toward the window.
"Because this overwhelming power isn't in our hands.
"The entire city is controlled by Dantes, the Earl. Right now, relations with him are good, so everything seems fine…
"But what happens if our interests ever clash?
"Wouldn't he be able to turn Merlin City's devastating red beam directly at you—or at me?
"And if that ever happens, do we have any way to resist?"
Johnson froze.
He had never considered that angle.
Ewoyn continued, his tone measured.
"Of course, I believe in the Earl's character. That's why I'm even here. But nothing is absolute. Even if he doesn't act, what about his subordinates?
"You know how it goes—every boss has one or two power-drunk fools among their followers.
"As long as the city's mighty defenses remain out of our hands, I can't rest easy."
Johnson slowly nodded. Ewoyn's words hit home. What if those magical defenses were one day used against them?
"I'm sorry," Ewoyn said, bowing slightly. "I tend to share my worries. I've unnecessarily burdened you.
"But let me reassure you.
"First, the Earl is among the most noble individuals I've met.
"Second, his leadership is impeccable, and such inappropriate behavior is unlikely among his people.
"And third, he's too rich to be interested in minor profits—we pose no threat to his interests.
"So please, do forget what I said."
Forget?
Impossible.
Johnson knew this anxiety would only grow. Every time he saw Merlin City's strength on display, the fear would resurface. And others, once they sensed the same thing, might feel it too. Enough to spark a fire that might consume them all.
Johnson rose.
"Haha, Mr. Ewoyn, you really scared me. Our chamber's transferred nearly 80% of its operations here. If something did go wrong, we'd be ruined."
Ewoyn stood and bowed.
"I apologize. I truly didn't mean to cause concern. I just overthink things sometimes."
Johnson offered a tight smile.
"Let's hope you're just overthinking. This has been enlightening, but I mustn't take up more of your time."
"Won't you stay a while longer?"
"No, thank you."
"Then let me walk you out."
After seeing Johnson off, Ewoyn returned to his study and pumped his fist in triumph.
The Boss had said his acting was terrible—but wasn't this proof to the contrary?
"Ewoyn!" came a voice from behind the partition.
Vida Rosier entered the room with a scowl.
"What are you so proud of? You used no fewer than seventeen gestures typical of lower-class wizards! If Johnson had been a high-born family representative instead of a clueless businessman, he'd have seen through you instantly!"
Young Master Ewoyn, who had just been feeling like a star, immediately deflated like a popped balloon. Still, as the Boss's top lieutenant, he couldn't fully lose his edge.
"At least I fooled Johnny Johnson, right?"
"Hmph. That's only because your Boss wrote you some good lines. Don't think it's your own talent.
"Tomorrow, a representative of the Denier Family is coming. They're much harder to fool than Johnson.
"Tonight, you're staying up and fixing every single one of those 'low-class' habits. If not, no sleep for you!"
Ewoyn sighed.
Was it really possible to change a lifetime of habits in a single night?
"Hmph. If you can't fix them, don't blame me for using Imperio on you!"
Ewoyn: …
This woman was a real demon!
Elsewhere...
"Have you heard?" Ron burst into Harry's train compartment aboard the Hogwarts Express.
"Gringotts was attacked by the Fire Serpent Party! I heard Diagon Alley was completely silent that day.
"There were hundreds of dark wizards involved—way more than Voldemort's Death Eaters ever gathered!"
Harry nodded.
"Not only have I heard, I was actually contacted by the Ministry of Magic. They told me to transfer all my parents' gold from Gringotts to the Merlin City Central Bank. So I probably know more than you about this."
He couldn't help but show off a little. It wasn't often he had information Ron didn't.
"Really? Tell me more!"
"Well," Harry said smugly, "Gringotts actually hired the Fire Serpent Party to attack Merlin City."
Ron interrupted.
"Yeah, I know! My house is on Merlin City's edge. I saw the explosions outside from my window. Fred and George said it was chaos inside the city—but the defenses held strong. Merlin City was untouched!"
Harry smirked.
"Exactly. The Fire Serpent Party was wiped out. Then they demanded compensation from Gringotts.
"But the goblins refused. So the Fire Serpent Party retaliated—by attacking Gringotts."
Ron's jaw dropped.
"But thankfully, they only robbed Gringotts' own vault. Otherwise, I'd be as broke as Dana was two years ago."
Ron gave a sympathetic nod.
"You're lucky. Most people already moved their savings to Merlin City Bank. It's much safer.
"And you can earn interest, too!"
Just then, the compartment door slid open.
"Harry, Ron! Long time no see."
It was Dana. Ron gave a brief nod—after all, he'd seen Dana several times this summer at Merlin City Cannons games.
Trailing behind Dana was a large white dog.
"Dana, is this your new pet?"
"Yeah."
"But can you have dogs at Hogwarts?"
"Normally no. But Professor McGonagall gave special permission—on one condition: he doesn't relieve himself anywhere on school grounds.
"This guy was a stray. I found him and couldn't leave him behind. I originally wanted the Earl to take him in while I was at school—but the Earl… likes eating dog meat.
"Once McGonagall heard that, she gave me the clearance to bring him with me."
"That's amazing," Ron said, eyeing Harry's snowy owl and the similar cage above.
"I've got a new pet too! His name's Timothy!"
Dana smirked. He remembered gifting Ron Erol II, only for it to be turned into a shared family owl. Guess Ron had stepped up.
As they spoke, Dana's big white dog plodded into the compartment, nestled at Harry's feet, and curled up.
"He likes me!" Harry said in surprise.
"Yeah," Dana replied. "He's never warmed up to someone this fast before."
He glanced down at the dog—who had shut his eyes tightly, pretending to sleep out of sheer embarrassment.
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