Dylan hadn't even finished speaking when Mr. Borgin's face went chalk white. His Adam's apple bobbed, and a fine sheen of sweat instantly appeared on his forehead. A few strands of hair, damp with perspiration, stuck to his somewhat greasy cheeks.
"My Lord Fool! Please don't kill me! I'm willing to offer you all my riches! I swear, I'll be your most loyal servant! I swear it by Merlin's beard!"
Dylan raised an eyebrow. "Merlin's underpants, are you? You dare swear by him."
Mr. Borgin bowed low, fawning, a greasy smile plastered on his face. "If you wish, my lord, I'd be your underpants."
Dylan: (stares, speechless)!
His face twitching, Dylan lowered his voice. "Hmph, take a look at this."
Dylan casually waved his left arm in the air. The next moment, a glass bottle appeared steadily on the flat table beside him. The bottle looked ordinary enough, not very big, with a thin layer of mist clinging to its surface. You'd hardly notice anything odd without a closer look. But in reality, this glass bottle was under an Undetectable Extension Charm.
—After Professor Flitwick taught Dylan that spell.
Dylan had become quite fond of turning various items into what he called "spatial treasures"—it was a bit of a quirk of his, almost an obsession.
"This…"
Mr. Borgin saw the bottle appear, blinked in surprise, then his eyes fixed on it. After a moment, his gaze darted cautiously towards Dylan.
"Could this be… Acromantula venom?"
Dylan looked calm and nodded slowly, confirming his question. He picked up the bottle and gave it a slight shake. The mist gradually cleared, revealing a thick, viscous venom that sloshed inside.
Upon confirmation, excitement flickered across Mr. Borgin's face. The pallor of fear on his cheeks was replaced by a slight flush, and a glint of greed shone in his eyes. He wasn't a fool—in fact, the very fact that Tom had taken an interest in him and had him working here spoke volumes about the kind of shady dealings Mr. Borgin had been involved in. And to have been doing this for decades…
If you thought he'd only managed to keep the shop open for so long thanks to Voldemort's power, you'd be wrong. Because even before Voldemort rose to prominence, and now that he was gone, Borgin was still running the place. That said a lot.
So, when he saw that Dylan hadn't immediately raised his wand to curse him with one of the Unforgivable Curses, but had instead produced a bottle of Acromantula venom, the same kind they'd traded before, Mr. Borgin instantly understood.
This bloke hadn't come specifically to kill him! He was even here to reward him, just as he'd said!
Realizing he wasn't about to be offed, the fake smile on Mr. Borgin's face actually became a little more genuine. "My Lord Fool, this bottle has an Undetectable Extension Charm on it, doesn't it? Blimey! How many pints could be in there?"
Mr. Borgin chuckled, rubbing his hands together. "Let me guess, did you perhaps hunt down a hundred Acromantulas?"
"No, to be precise, four hundred and forty-four." Dylan's low voice rumbled from beneath his mask and hood. "Those foolish creatures kept trying to attack me, so—I sent them to meet their maker."
Mr. Borgin blinked, then put on an exaggerated expression. "Good heavens, nearly five hundred Acromantulas!" His gaze flicked back to the glass bottle in Dylan's hand. "Then there must be close to a thousand pints of venom in here…"
Dylan nodded slightly. "Eight hundred and eighty-eight pints. I made those Acromantulas keep spitting out venom until they were completely drained and died." A strange smile played on his lips. "So, each one yielded two pints for me."
The cruel words made Mr. Borgin, a man who dealt in dark magic artifacts, shudder. He cautiously looked up at Dylan, and only after confirming that the other man really didn't intend to kill him did he breathe a small sigh of relief.
Then he quickly added, "You're incredibly powerful, my lord! Such ferocious beasts! Even with all my strength, I'd struggle to subdue just one, yet you can capture them at will with a flick of your wrist! I truly admire you!"
Looking at this man before him, a follower who was always lukewarm, no matter how much he flattered him, and not even a true fanatic, Dylan didn't bother to waste any more words. "This venom, you can deal with it. And I want to see enough Galleons placed in front of me."
Mr. Borgin opened his mouth. "You mean… you want me to help you sell this venom?"
Dylan frowned. "Do you have any questions?"
Mr. Borgin immediately shook his head. "No, of course not—I'd be delighted to serve you—more than delighted."
"Heh heh heh…" Mr. Borgin gave a dry laugh.
Seeing that he didn't make any further moves, Dylan raised an eyebrow. "Well? I've given you a reward. What's your offering?"
Mr. Borgin looked a bit lost. Offering? You're giving me this venom to sell for you, and it doesn't look like you're planning to give me a cut. The money won't even be mine. And you actually want me to pay you while I'm doing all the work? What in the name of Salazar Slytherin is this? Some kind of monstrous capitalist? He should be locked up in Azkaban! He'd never been that tight-fisted with his own employees in all his years of running the shop! Paying to work? What kind of Dark wizard thinks of something like this?!
Mr. Borgin really wanted to get angry. However, looking at Calthus, who was sitting calmly in the chair—from their conversation, the bloke didn't seem particularly bloodthirsty—but how could that be? He threw around Unforgivable Curses like they were going out of fashion, killed people without a second thought, and made the Aurors look like a bunch of ninnies. He could even control Acromantulas with dark magic, forcing them to spew venom until they dropped dead!
Clearly, the bloke might not be inherently bloodthirsty, but if you thought about it for a moment, you'd realize that this so-called Fool had absolutely no morals! In his eyes, there was probably no concept of right or wrong at all! Maybe for Calthus, rules were just there to be broken. Life was just something to be trampled on! A dark wizard as twisted as him was probably even more dangerous than Voldemort had been back in the day! Voldemort just wanted to rule the world, and those who submitted to him, as long as they were loyal, he wouldn't kill them for no reason. But this bloke was different. He didn't seem to care about anyone's loyalty, acting purely on his own whims and moods! When he was in a good mood, he might temporarily put aside his murderous thoughts. But the moment he got bored, he'd likely go on a rampage!
Mr. Borgin didn't for a second believe that this Fool, who had exchanged a few words with him and even given him Acromantula venom to sell, seeming quite normal and even willing to follow the rules of trade, was actually normal. Was he just a regular bloke? Absolutely not! Right now, the bloke was talking to him calmly, but the eyes behind that mask were probably already sizing him up, deciding which limb to chop off and turn into fertilizer!
Thinking of this, Mr. Borgin lowered his head even further. "My Lord Fool, this is my humble offering to you." He fumbled in his robes for a moment, took out a pouch of money, and respectfully presented it with both hands. "These are all the Galleons from selling the venom you brought last time, my lord. It's all here."
Dylan glanced at it, casually took it, and gave it a quick feel. About twenty thousand Galleons. The Acromantula venom he'd given last time certainly wouldn't have fetched that price. Dylan nodded in satisfaction, pocketed the pouch, casually placed the bottle of Acromantula venom to one side, and slowly stood up, heading towards the door.
"Well done. I'll be watching you—Borgin. Don't disappoint me. On the day the world is remade, I expect to see you standing behind me."
Mr. Borgin's body trembled again. This bloke… could he have put some kind of undetectable curse on him? Mr. Borgin felt like crying but had no tears left. This sounded so familiar… Voldemort had said something similar to him back then, but what had happened afterwards? Voldemort had directly cursed him! If he hadn't played his cards right later, doing a lot for Voldemort and finally getting the curse lifted, he'd probably be dead with that dark lord by now! And now this Fool was saying the same thing… Mr. Borgin opened his mouth several times, wanting to call out to Calthus, who was now at the door, but he didn't dare.
"Could it be that he's found out I've been using his top-quality Acromantula venom to branch out and make some extra money for myself?" Surely not…
In the end, it was Dylan himself who stopped, glanced back over his shoulder, his eyes cold. He saw Mr. Borgin covered in sweat again. Tsk. The Burke family was one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, after all. Even though Mr. Borgin must know a fair bit of dark magic, it was unlikely he'd delve into the really extreme stuff like those other dark wizards who were willing to sacrifice their own bodies for power. His body shouldn't be this weak, right? Could it be old age? That's right, a wizard's lifespan is usually only around a hundred years, rarely exceeding one hundred and fifty. And Mr. Borgin, if he remembered correctly, must be getting close to a hundred himself, wasn't he? Hmm, it seemed he shouldn't torment the old man too much. "Borgin, do you agree with Delphini?"
Mr. Borgin was taken aback, completely unexpected that Calthus, who was about to leave, would suddenly ask him a question. His mind raced, going into overdrive. He quickly replied, "Agree? Of course, I agree! Everyone else denies that Miss Delphini is from the Lestrange family, but I know she is!"
"As a noble pure-blood witch, Miss Delphini is not only a member of the Lestrange family, but also the daughter of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."
"For you to receive Miss Delphini's worship and following, you must be an even more powerful being than He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!—The Fool! Death! Hail!"
Dylan's cold gaze moved over Mr. Borgin like a venomous snake. Only after making the latter sweat even more did he withdraw it. "Not bad. I chose her precisely because of her identity. As for you… a member of a pure-blood family, since she has chosen you and you are willing to become my servant, you are still somewhat useful."
"The world will soon change, and the future will only belong to the Fool who glorifies death!"
The latest novel is first published on Liu Jiu Jiu Shu Ba!
As soon as the words left his mouth, Dylan's figure instantly vanished from the spot. A gust of wind blew through, brushing against Mr. Borgin's cheeks. The last low voice also drifted over. "Have Delphini leave all the Galleons with you. I'll come to collect them myself."
After waiting for a moment, Mr. Borgin looked at the empty shop but didn't dare to relax in the slightest. Heaven knows if there wasn't another pair of eyes watching him from inside his shop! He swallowed hard again. Mr. Borgin moved his stiff legs and stood behind the counter, not daring to move.
However, in his heart, he was actually a little relieved. "Thank goodness! Even though the Ministry of Magic has been after him, the moment I first saw him, I knew he would never be caught by those idiotic Aurors." Since that's the case, and he came once last time, he will definitely come again! So Mr. Borgin had stored all the gold Galleons he had recently acquired on his person, just in case. In case this Calthus came back again, asking him for money, and he had none on him. Would the bloke directly take him to Gringotts to get the money? Don't even mention that Gringotts must also have a wanted poster for Calthus. The Ministry of Magic's wanted posters are rubbish! Voldemort was wanted every day before, and what did that amount to in the end? Almost the entire Ministry of Magic defected! What does this show? A very simple thing—only power is everything! This Calthus, in a way, clearly has power that is absolutely no less than Voldemort's in his prime! At least in terms of the Unforgivable Curses, this Fool is in no way inferior to that Dark Lord! So, the bloke taking him to Gringotts would probably be as leisurely as strolling in the park next to his house—completely at ease! At that time, would all the money he had hidden away in Gringotts be snatched away by this Calthus? Isn't that obvious?! This Calthus, when he appeared last time, had already made it clear—he wanted money! A lot of money! Clearly, this Fool's real goals might actually be different from Voldemort's! One was an idealist. The other is a madman! As for who the madman is… well, you know.
Mr. Borgin looked left and right, and didn't see any more anomalies in the shop, nor did he see anyone suddenly appear in a chair in his shop. Slightly relaxing his mind, but he still didn't dare to do anything else, only sitting there stiffly. "But… so much Acromantula venom, and he didn't ask me for money?" Mr. Borgin was a little puzzled. Last time, the bloke gave him a bottle of venom, which he essentially bought—he had already paid for it. But today, the bloke took all the Galleons he had earned from selling the venom. Since the bloke was a bit mental, he naturally couldn't say anything. But this time, the new venom that the Fool had brought, he didn't ask him for Galleons for it. This did make Mr. Borgin feel a little strange. He thought and thought, but he couldn't figure out why. It couldn't possibly be because he was worried that he couldn't pay, right? After much thought, Mr. Borgin could only attribute it to one thing—this person is just a madman! Acting without any rhyme or reason!
However… as time passed, Mr. Borgin's nerves weren't as tight as they were at the beginning. He rubbed the glass bottle that the Fool had given him, many thoughts swirling in his mind. "So much Acromantula venom… it can create more than just Galleons…" He began to plan how to use this Acromantula venom to maximize his profits—not only to get more Galleons so that he could hand over a considerable sum before the bloke came again, but also to earn himself some "hardship fee" in addition to the Galleons!
…
At the same time, after leaving Knockturn Alley, Dylan first exited the Leaky Cauldron, then transformed back into his own appearance and walked back. Entering Diagon Alley through the entrance of the small courtyard, Dylan arrived at Gringotts.
As soon as he stepped through the door, the old goblin who had served him before immediately spotted him with sharp eyes. The other goblin's wrinkled face instantly broke into a smile, and he moved with unimaginable agility, quickly rushing towards Dylan. "Mr. Dylan, we've been expecting you!" The old goblin's voice was sharp and enthusiastic, but not very loud. "Quickly, please, this way—you're here to confirm and sign the contract and inspect the house, right?" The old goblin said, gesturing with his hand—his long, thin fingers danced lightly in the air. At first glance, someone who didn't know might have thought the old goblin was performing some kind of welcoming ceremony.
"Yes, Hogwarts is on holiday, so I finally have some time to come and take a look at my house."
Hearing this, the old goblin's eyes narrowed into slits, and the smile on his face became even brighter. "Holidays are good! Young wizards should take advantage of their holidays to relax!"
"The moment you're on holiday, you think of coming to see your house. You really care about your property. You'll definitely have a bright future!"
Listening to these words, there seemed to be a hint of sarcasm. But Dylan knew that goblins genuinely considered valuing one's property a commendable and noble quality, so he didn't pay it much attention. Under the old goblin's enthusiastic guidance, Dylan passed through the spacious and bright hall—at this moment, the goblins were busily moving between the various counters, handling the affairs of the wizards. Dylan could even feel the crisp sound of gold coins clinking in the air.
Before long, Dylan was led by the old goblin into an elegantly decorated closed room. This room was completely different from the ordinary closed space last time. Some gemstones were embedded in the walls, and thick carpets covered the floor, feeling soft even with shoes on. It was obviously much more refined and luxurious. "It seems this old goblin is finally treating me like a VIP, heh heh~"
A magical array was set up in the room. As soon as he entered, Dylan felt a cool air—it didn't feel stuffy despite being a closed room. After sitting down, the old goblin rubbed his hands together and took out the deed that Dylan had purchased, confirming with Dylan again. The old goblin flipped his hand and took out a seal, pressing it onto the contract. In an instant, a dazzling golden brand flashed with light. Although it was only fleeting, the next moment, the contract that had been lying flat on the table was ignited by an invisible force. Flames began to spread from the edges of the brand on the contract and quickly devoured the entire piece of paper. In the blink of an eye, the entire contract was enveloped in fiercely burning golden flames. As the flames danced, the contract did not turn to ashes—the golden flames seemed to be reshaping the contract, remelting every texture and every character. Finally, as the flames slowly subsided and gathered together, the contract formed a crystal-clear crystal ball.
Dylan raised an eyebrow. "Fidelius Charm? No, it's another kind of spell… very similar to the spell on the contract from when I paid, but not exactly the same."
(End of this chapter)