Loren never heard the quiet conversation between Mr. and Mrs. Angus that night.
At that moment, he was in his room, flipping through the pages of the *World Encyclopedia* they had brought home.
It was a 1960 edition, already over twenty years old—no wonder Mr. Charlotte had been so willing to gift it.
Starting with the table of contents, Loren frowned. There were no sections directly summarizing the nations of the world, but here and there appeared familiar names:
"America's Four Valleys of Walking Stones."
"Strange Lakes in Antarctica."
"Mysterious Satellites Above Earth."
"Secret Base on the Moon."
Loren sighed. It felt like reading the British equivalent of *One Hundred Thousand Whys*—half speculation, half mystery, never a real explanation.
He ignored the fanciful stories and focused instead on the hard details—the place names, the plants and animals. As he checked them against his memories, relief settled in his chest.
This was at least a world very much like Earth. The geopolitical map resembled his previous life. Not some bizarre fantasy realm. For now, it was safe.
He thought back to the plan he had outlined:
1. Communicate with parents. Completed. He was no longer the "simpleton," but a normal child.
2. Confirm location and time. Confirmed—he was in a small British town called Brusal, in August of 1982.
3. Explore the world's supernatural. Leads existed, and he would have to pursue them.
4. Develop quietly, no recklessness. Failed slightly—his sudden leap from "mute" to "chatty" had been too hasty.
After careful thought, Loren revised his plan:
1. Cement his reputation as "the clever, adorable child"—the model kid every parent envies. If he stayed consistently excellent, people would stop questioning his sudden brilliance.
2. Learn through the town's bookshop. Reading more would both build his reputation and expand his knowledge.
3. Pursue the Hermione lead. Contacting her through Mrs. Doris would be the surest way to confirm the world's identity.
4. Stay cautious. No actions beyond what his age could justify.
With the plan settled, he rubbed his temples and whispered to himself, "Just grow for now. Sleep first, tomorrow again."
———— Development Arc ————
Thus began Loren's routine of disciplined growth.
He rose at six, exercising quietly in his room—running, skipping, spinning—child-appropriate workouts softened by the thick carpet.
At seven, he washed and ate breakfast, listening to his parents' chatter, occasionally responding with well-timed, charming remarks.
From eight until noon, while his parents worked the inn, Loren stationed himself by the counter, greeting each guest politely and saying just enough to appear sociable without overdoing it. The role of the "clever and lovable child" was carefully maintained.
Later, he often accompanied his parents to the market, bolstering his reputation in the town with every cheerful introduction.
At noon he lunched and napped—always maintaining that habit, carried over from his past life.
Afternoons were his free hours: walking the street, chatting with shopkeepers, slipping into the bookstore, or sometimes joining Mrs. Doris for tea.
Evenings he dined with his parents, sharing anecdotes from the day like the ideal child. At nine sharp, he retired to bed, never letting fatigue carry into the next day.
———— Growth ————
Three years passed.
By age five, Loren's reputation was secure. He was "that child"—the model every parent used to lecture their own.
From years spent in the bookshop, he confirmed that this was a world like Earth, though with subtle differences. Still, it was safe enough.
Most importantly, he had successfully pursued the Hermione lead. He had learned her surname: Granger. With that, his suspicions about the true nature of the world solidified.
Now he even spoke with Hermione by telephone, exchanging books regularly. The Grangers had invited the Angus family to visit.
As for his personal development, the system's panel told the story:
"System Panel
Name: Loren Angus
Class: None
Skills: Running (Advanced), Reading (Mastery), Cooking (Intermediate), Deception (Intermediate), Acting (Intermediate)… \[expand]
Talents:
1. Strange Knowledge: Your mind brims with odd facts—pray you never need most of them.
2. Chaotic Thinking: Your mind flows in disorder, immune to influence. Are you sane feigning madness, or mad feigning sanity?
3. Universal Language Mastery: All you hear and read becomes Chinese; all you speak and write becomes the proper language for others. (PS: To you, the whole world speaks Chinese.)
4. World Feedback: Every world carries shadows of others. Find them, and you gain echoes in return. A profitable venture, if you succeed.
5. Discipline: Through three years of self-training, you forged iron habits. Your willpower and mental resistance have grown stronger. (PS: You may not need this yet, but it will matter someday.)
System Evaluation: A child whose effort far surpasses his peers."
Now, with school age approaching, the family had to decide.
Normally, children could begin Reception at four, but their town was too small, with no proper school. For education, one had to travel to the nearest city.
After much discussion, the Anguses chose London. There, education would be richer, and Joel's relatives had left behind a house.
The arrangement was simple: Nona would live in London with Loren, while Joel stayed behind to manage the inn. During holidays, Loren and his mother would take the train back. With Britain's abundance of school breaks, they would see each other often.
The family agreed to speak by phone daily, and Loren's path was set.
The next morning, the three boarded the train. Swaying and rumbling, it carried them to London.
There, they busied themselves: setting up the house, enrolling Loren in school. Days passed quickly until finally, it was nearly term time. Joel prepared to return to Brusal, leaving Nona and Loren settled.
But one task remained. They had arranged through Doris to visit the Grangers.
Since the couple were both dentists, they could only meet on a weekend. So, on the last weekend before school began, the Anguses made their way to the Grangers' home—just a street away.
Loren's heart thudded with excitement. Soon, he would know for certain.
The Grangers welcomed them warmly. After all, Doris had sung Loren's praises often.
And then—at last—he saw her. The little girl he had only dreamed of meeting: Hermione.
"Ding! Major character encountered. Current world confirmed: Harry Potter universe."
So it was true. *Hermione and her two useless men.*
"Ding!"
The system chimed again with new prompts—but Loren had no time to check them.
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