The Future Holds Promise

Pedro's smile gradually fell, and his face turned mournful. He sighed, reached into his chest, and pulled out a blue-violet rope of light.

"I've been wondering when exactly I made this Unbreakable Vow with someone. Now that I think about it, Rosier must have cast it on me. This must have been the binding agreement he made me swear to take care of Anna."

Pop. The rope of light turned into specks and sank back into his chest.

He fell silent for a long while, then looked seriously at Anna. "Child, I also want to know whether I truly am your grandfather. I'm already several hundred years old. Goblin history is far too heavy—I've carried it for centuries, and I can barely bear it anymore. Perhaps one day, my lifespan will quietly come to an end."

"When people grow old, they always place special importance on passing down their bloodline."

"This world has long ceased to belong to Goblins. The Goblins of Gringotts are no longer the Goblins of ancient times, either. The Goblin history I bear will only bring them calamity. Let me take this history into death and sever this lingering hope for good."

Anna nervously clutched his sleeve. "No! Don't die! Anna has already lost her mother. She can't lose her grandfather too."

Pedro affectionately rubbed her little head. "I won't. Ancient Goblins live the longest. Who knows, I might even be around to help you look after your children someday."

"Huh? Children?" Anna's face instantly flushed red.

"Hehe." Pedro smiled fondly. "Anna will grow up someday, get married, and have children."

"Trust me. I'll recover the memories of the Blood Curse and let you live like a normal person."

As he spoke, he looked toward the others.

First was the Old Wizard. Heh. Pedro gave a cold laugh and skipped him outright.

In the end, he looked at Anton.

"I was unconscious before, but I could still receive information from the outside world. Thank you for not simply abandoning me on that island."

Anton smiled faintly. "There are things one should do, and things one should not."

The Old Wizard could not understand the sentence in English, but the well-traveled Goblin did.

He smiled and nodded. "The Biomimetic Spell you invented is quite interesting, but clearly, you still haven't discovered the secret of Fiennes's Eye of the Wizard Potion."

The Old Wizard was stunned. "What secret?"

Pedro rolled his eyes. "I don't want to talk to you. Go stand somewhere else."

He looked at Anton again. "With the Eye of the Wizard Potion and the Biomimetic Spell, you can learn Goblin magic."

Anton stared at the Goblin. "You're going to teach me Goblin magic?"

There were no gifts without reason in this world. That was something he had learned over nearly a year since crossing over.

Especially knowledge. In the Wizarding World, it represented immense power and wealth, building towering walls between countless social classes.

Pedro nodded. "I am certain I did not erase the memories concerning the Blood Curse. That means they must still be in my mind. I don't know why I can't remember them, so I need someone to help me look through my memories."

"Drink the Eye of the Wizard Potion, learn my secret Goblin Eye technique, then use it to enter my memories and search for them."

Anton wore a strange expression. "Wizard Eye, Goblin Eye?"

Pedro shrugged. "Obviously, my foolish disciple believed he had to be better than his Teacher, so he wanted to create an Eye Magic of his own."

The Old Wizard looked smug. "And I did create one!"

So now, there was a problem.

The various potion ingredients required for the Eye of the Wizard Potion were the Old Wizard's accumulated savings from seventy years of his life.

Where could they find them now?

Anna's eyes lit up. "There are some in the castle at Manor of Myriad Flowers!"

"My mother didn't like living in the castle, so my father built a wooden house outside. They hardly ever went to the castle. Last year, for my birthday, my father gave me the castle as a present. I know how to get in!"

With the fairly capable Pedro among them, traveling finally became much more convenient.

With a soft pop, the group appeared on a mountainside not far from Manor of Myriad Flowers.

Pedro snapped his fingers, and Anton felt a wave of chill pass over his entire body, as though he had been rinsed in cold water. "A Goblin secret technique, similar to a combination of the wizard Disillusionment Charm and Confundus Charm."

"Remember, the most important thing about time travel is that you cannot come into contact with anyone—especially yourself."

Anton's expression turned strange.

The Old Wizard immediately mocked him. "Aha, hearing that from you is simply laughable."

Rarely, Pedro did not snap back. He sighed instead. "Yes, I'm an example. I kept coming into contact with myself, and now there's something wrong with my memories."

The castle was enormous, and there was a fountain at its entrance.

In the fountain stood a statue of a beautiful mermaid goddess. Her swaying fish tail rested in the water, casting out a rainbow halo. One hand stretched beyond the fountain pool, while her eyes held a sorrowful compassion for all living things.

Anna stood on tiptoe and placed her little hand on the goddess's hand. Magical light flowed around both hands, and a door appeared beside the pool. Beyond it was a stone staircase descending underground.

"Hehe." Anna proudly introduced it to Anton. "This is the only safe way into the castle. The entire area beyond the main gate is filled with Living Puppets, and they're really fierce."

Anton looked up in amazement. The castle appeared exceptionally tall, with various statues standing atop its pointed towers. Bathed in sunlight, it looked majestic and imposing.

"I only just realized that you're actually a little rich girl."

Anna placed both hands behind her back and elegantly lifted her neck. At his words, she smiled shyly. "Let's go inside."

The castle's interior was lavishly furnished. Dark-gold picture frames hung on stone walls marked by the passage of time, bearing traces of different eras. Every small detail displayed the Rosier family's ancient heritage.

The only problem was that the castle was fucking dark.

And cold.

Anton finally understood why ancient China had not liked building castles. Their sturdiness made them suitable only for borderlands plagued by constant war. Aside from being sturdy, Anton felt as if he were walking through a magnificent tomb.

Especially with a headless ghost floating beside him—the atmosphere was instantly complete.

Anna had yet to undergo a magical outburst and could not cast spells. Pedro, that old Goblin, was too concerned with his status to make a move. Everyone stared expectantly at Anton.

"..."

Fuck, he had never learned Lumos. His schedule was packed to the limit—who had the mood to learn that? Wouldn't turning on the lights be better?

The Old Wizard clearly saw his predicament and gave a sinister cackle, though he still offered a hint. "Wizard is God."

Pedro exploded the instant he heard that. "You foolish human! God? Have you wizards become arrogant to this extent now?"

Anton smiled and stopped their endless bickering. "Everyone can stand shoulder to shoulder with gods—not because of their birth, but because of their own hearts."

He closed his eyes and remained silent for a moment. Then he opened them and waved his wand.

"I command you!"

"Lights On!"

Countless specks of light erupted from his wand. Then, as if a gust of wind had swept through, every single speck burst open.

It was like switching on fluorescent lights in a dark room. The entire castle became as bright as day.

"Wow~" The Old Wizard applauded in admiration.

Anna's eyes sparkled, while Pedro looked astonished.

Anton frowned. "That single use consumed enough magic for me to cast Protego twice."

The Old Wizard cackled. "Just as you always say, the future holds promise, doesn't it?"