In an instant, the entire classroom was dazzled by the Pure Gold Lectern that had appeared before their very eyes.
"How was that?" Kayson said with a smile. Beneath the lectern stood a pair of red-haired twins. He remembered their names, though he could never tell them apart, so he would just call them the Weasley twins for now.
One of the twins had eyes shining terrifyingly bright, while the other had already raised his hand high.
"Professor Kayson, did it really turn into gold, or is it just an illusion?" he asked.
"Relax. Would a professor like me use cheap tricks to fool you? This is genuine gold, and if I don't interfere with it, this lectern will remain gold forever," Kayson explained.
"So, Professor Kayson, it won't turn back into the wood it used to be?"
"Of course not. Otherwise, how would this be any different from Transfiguration... If you don't believe me, you can come up and take a bite, provided you don't mind that it's dirty."
The twins immediately charged toward the lectern. Each grabbed a corner and began biting down with all their strength.
Unfortunately... well... they failed to bite anything off. It was simply too solid.
"Oh my God... Can we do that too?"
A dark-skinned young wizard, who seemed to be called Jordan... Anyway, his name sounded like someone who ought to be good at sports.
He stared wide-eyed as he spoke.
"Do you want the truth, or a kind lie?" Kayson asked with a smile.
"The truth!"
"Ah, no, Professor. I think a lie would be better. Just let us be happy for once."
Listening to the completely different answers, Kayson shrugged helplessly.
"Fine... I think you can do it."
"Then, Professor, was that the truth or a lie?"
Angelina raised her hand and asked.
"Mm-hm. You guess," Kayson said with a smile.
"All right, that only counted as a brief introduction to alchemy. But I should still tell you not to get any ideas about this lectern, such as sneaking it away while the classroom is empty."
"Quite a few people can use alchemy to turn mercury into gold, but only I can transform matter so freely. Still, we all have one thing in common."
"We won't suddenly produce a huge lump of gold. After all, it's still currency. If some idiot alchemist went mad and kept making gold until it became worthless, the one who suffered in the end would be himself. Understand?" Kayson looked over the young wizards before him after finishing.
"All right, I don't think you understand. Forget it, I'll do it myself." He tapped the lectern again, and in the next instant, tiny gold blocks sprouted from its corners like twisting branches and vines.
"No problem now. You won't be able to take it away this time. Of course... I know that with such a huge lump of gold in front of you, you must be drooling over it, right?"
The young wizards below looked as though drool was about to stream out of their eyes.
"...This is a little perk for you. Don't tell anyone else." Kayson's tone at that moment was exactly like a university professor highlighting exam material.
The difference was that a university professor might genuinely favor one class and give them a little extra instruction.
But Kayson's hidden message was: "Go spread the word! Spread it everywhere! You can't take money from me for nothing!"
As for the money, it was the Gold Cubes slowly forming in his hand. Each was about an ounce, just enough for every student attending the class to receive one.
Once he handed them out, the two show-offs took huge bites out of their gold cubes. The next moment, a flood of positive emotions surged toward Kayson as though they cost nothing.
Fred's favorability +10 George's favorability +10 Jordan's favorability +10 ...
The long string of favorability notifications pleased Kayson greatly, until he spotted one that was entirely out of place.
Tracy's affection +10
!!!
He hurriedly looked toward Tracy. A cute little girl with blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin was staring at him with sparkling eyes.
No, no, no, this kind of affection is not okay. Favorability is enough, favorability is enough, really!
Honestly, this was only because it was Hogwarts. If this had been the Muggle World, that little girl would not have been coming after him out of affection. She would have been coming after his job.
Terrifying.
The class ended quickly, and after it was over, the twenty young wizards who had received his gifts lived up to expectations and voluntarily became his publicity team.
All across Hogwarts, from first-year students to Dumbledore himself, everyone learned that the newly arrived Hogwarts alchemy professor had pulled off something huge.
Such a lavish giveaway left the young wizards who had signed up for alchemy class overjoyed.
It made students from other years look forward to their own classes, wondering whether Kayson might also shower them with money when their turn came.
The ones most devastated, however, were probably the third-years who had not chosen alchemy.
As for whether it was still possible to join now.
Don't joke around. You didn't even need your brain—just thinking with your toes was enough to know that this had definitely been a first-class perk.
They had missed out on an ounce of gold!
"Waaah!"
That was Ron's anguished howl.
He had been like this ever since he saw the two pure gold cubes belonging to the Weasley twins, from afternoon until night.
"They're your brothers. Isn't this a bit much?" Harry tried to comfort him awkwardly.
"Harry, you don't understand. I don't want them to suffer, but I also can't stand seeing them enjoy themselves! An ounce of gold—I've never even seen that much in my life!"
Harry could only give a dry laugh at Ron's attitude of fearing his brothers' hardship while also fearing they might drive a luxury car. Ron definitely had no malicious intentions.
It did not even count as jealousy. He was simply sour.
That was only human nature. Everyone understood.
Meanwhile, Kayson sat in his office. To be honest, he regretted it.
He should not have shown off in class. Now, thanks to the young wizards' loose mouths spreading the news from one person to ten, then from ten to a hundred, the entire wizarding world knew about an alchemist who had turned a lectern into gold.
But everything had two sides.
For example, on the good side, he had gained fame and fired the first shot in making a name for himself in the wizarding world.
The gold lectern and those Gold Cubes were proof that his alchemy was ridiculously impressive, just as Professor McGonagall was ridiculously impressive at Transfiguration.
Snape was ridiculously impressive at Potions.
He had also become one of Hogwarts' signatures: Kayson, the alchemist who was ridiculously impressive.
Of course, there was also a bad side.
Leaving aside how easily Dark Wizards might kidnap him.
Just looking at the letter in front of him was enough. It had come from Gringotts.
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