Somewhere in Backlund, a carriage was moving slowly down a dimly lit street. Inside, a middle-aged man sat in the driver's seat, muttering to himself.
"I can't believe I was paid five hundred pounds just to drop a body into the nearest river and keep quiet about it. That's free money! If I'm not mistaken, the closest river is the Tussock River."
Thinking that, he turned right and continued driving.
After a few minutes, he finally arrived near the riverbank. He got out, opened the carriage door, and began dragging the body toward the water.
"Come on, big guy… just a bit more."
After a few seconds of struggling, he managed to push the body into the river. The splash echoed softly in the night. He dusted off his hands, returned to the carriage, took the bag of money, and started walking away.
After walking for a few minutes, he spotted a bar nearby. He smiled, opened the door, and stepped inside.
Everyone in the bar turned to look at him for a moment, but after realizing he was just a regular man, they quickly lost interest. He approached the counter and said,
"I'd like your most expensive drink, sir."
The bartender raised an eyebrow and looked him over.
"Sir, are you sure you can afford it? It's ten pounds."
"You don't have to call me 'sir.' Just call me Jerry. And yes, I can afford it."
He pulled out a crisp ten-pound note and handed it to the bartender. Seeing the money, the bartender immediately started preparing the drink, while Jerry relaxed on the stool.
A moment later, Jerry felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and saw a man smiling at him.
"Hey, can I borrow some money, sir?"
"How much?" Jerry asked cautiously.
"Only fifty pounds."
Jerry's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Why should I give you that much?"
The man thought for a moment before answering with a grin.
"Well, if you can just drop ten pounds like that, you must be pretty rich."
Jerry gave him a strange look.
"That's not even a reason. You just want money—which I'm not giving you."
He turned back to his drink. The man frowned but eventually walked away.
A few seconds later, the bartender slid over a gleaming glass.
"Enjoy, sir."
Jerry took a sip. His eyes lit up.
"Hmm… This is the best drink I've ever had. Worth every penny."
After finishing, he thanked the bartender and stepped outside. But after just a few steps, he felt another hand on his shoulder. When he turned around, he saw the same man—this time with several others behind him.
The man in front sneered.
"Hey, punk. Me and my gang run these streets. So unless you give us fifty pounds—no, make that a hundred—something bad's gonna happen."
Jerry frowned.
"Uh… no. I'm not giving you—"
Before he could finish, the man shoved him hard to the ground. The gang surrounded him and began kicking him from all sides.
"Wait! Wait! I'm sorry! I'll give you the hundred pounds!"
Meanwhile, at Earl Hall's manor, Lukas was speaking with Earl Hall himself.
"Mr. Hall, I just wanted to say—I'm a great fan of yours and everything you're doing."
Earl Hall smiled politely.
"Thank you, Mr. Arthur. And I must say, I'm a big fan of yours as well. I really enjoyed Harry Potter. I hope you'll release a continuation soon."
Lukas grinned.
"I'm surprised that the great Earl Hall likes my story. But if you enjoy it that much, I could write a continuation or even a whole new book just for you."
Earl Hall chuckled.
"There's no need for that. I can wait."
After chatting a bit more, Lukas stood up and began heading toward the exit. Along the way, he noticed two young women—one with curly brown hair and blue eyes, the other about 150 centimeters tall with shoulder-length blonde hair. They were Xio and Fors. Lukas decided to approach them.
"Hey there."
Both women looked up. Fors tilted her head.
"Uh… who are you?"
"I'm Arthur," Lukas said with a smile. "We met a few days ago."
Fors's eyes widened in excitement.
"Wait—Arthur? The one who wrote Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone?"
Lukas laughed lightly.
"Yeah, that's me."
After chatting for a while, signing Fors's book, and giving Susie a few gentle pats, Lukas finally left the manor. He climbed into the carriage and leaned back with a tired sigh.
"Man, today was exhausting. I hope tomorrow's a little less tiring."
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