They talked until noon, around lunchtime.
"Mr. Kowhaug, let's leave it there for today."
Loren ended the conversation and said goodbye. "If you have any other doubts or questions, feel free to write to me."
"..."
Kowhaug nodded, still looking somewhat dazed, as though he was immersed in their earlier conversation. It took him half a minute to recover from the shock before he gave a wry smile. "Loren, you really are..."
He did not finish the sentence. Shaking his head with a sigh, he said, "I have to admit, this plan is completely beyond anything I imagined. I can't give you an answer immediately, but I'll think it over carefully when I return and give you my reply before the International Wizarding Congress convenes."
"I look forward to your good news."
After agreeing to meet again next year, Kowhaug pushed open the window, waved his wand, and climbed out of the speeding train, vanishing into the endless snowfield.
That retreating figure looked rather like someone fleeing in disgrace.
Loren withdrew his gaze and could not help smiling.
By the time he returned to their original compartment, it was just lunchtime. A Witch pushing a trolley happened to pass by. Nearly half the snacks and pastries on it had already been sold. The most popular items were hot drinks like Pumpkin Juice and Butterbeer, followed by ice cream—the kind that was also steaming white mist. He had no idea what the Hogwarts students were thinking.
He stopped the trolley and picked out some snacks and sweets. A pocketful cost only ten Silver Sickles, even slightly below market price.
Apparently, the school train had yet to be influenced by modern business thinking. For a monopoly stall like this, they could have tripled or quadrupled the prices, hawked their goods back and