The more Hayahiko talked with Vincent, the more he realized that mature thinking couldn't explain everything.
Adults often have particularly imaginative and unconventional thinking.
In the pyramid structure, ordinary wizards are at the bottom, two layers above them are card merchants, and at the very top is the Malfoy family.
With the Shingu Family announcing their partnership as the agent for Gwent, the Abe and Ashiya families are sure to be equally determined.
The Wizard Cards, which are currently in high demand, are the only option.
If things continue as they are, once the deception is exposed, Malfoy and his crew will definitely try to deny everything.
So, regardless of whether these two companies were involved or not, their reputations will be severely damaged.
Although she can still play the victim and elicit sympathy, her status will never be the same as before.
"Uncle Hayahiko, do you think they would betray their partners?"
"I am aware of the Pure-blood Supremacy in your country, which is actually a form of disguised egoism."
Vincent fell silent.
His original plan was to mislead Mr. Borgin with false information.
The more Gwent declines in popularity, the higher the value of Wizard Cards becomes.
Those profit-driven card dealers will undoubtedly hoard them in even more frantic fashion.
If even a minor quality issue is exposed in Gwent, it will severely impact the Wizard Cards as well.
Although it wasn't to the point of killing a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred of your own, it was still around four or five hundred.
If the Shingu Family gets involved, the losses will increase even further.
The more you lose, the worse the fate of the Wizard Cards will be.
Now that he had agreed to let those people suffer the consequences of their actions, he needed to make Hayahiko accept the initial losses first.
"Ah—it's already afternoon?" Kenny and Jennifer walked into the living room, still half asleep.
"Uncle Hayahiko, let's talk again next time," Vincent, unhurried.
In Eastern cultures, being overly proactive can make one appear particularly insecure.
"Okay." Hayahiko gave him a deep look.
Be patient and don't rush.
There are many partners who possess vast resources, but those who are calm, composed, and reliable are rare finds.
While Meiko was preparing dinner in advance, the Shingu Family father and daughter came to the study.
"Rinne, can you believe now that I have no ill intentions towards him?"
"Father, if you only want to cooperate with him..."
Hayahiko chuckled dryly a few times, "You've completely given up on Kenny, is it because of him?"
Rinne glanced around in alarm. "Father, did you send someone to follow me?"
"You are the 35th generation heir of our Shingu Family. No matter where you go, you must ensure that no accidents happen."
She leaned back in her chair helplessly, saying, "I knew my choices were very limited."
"No." Hayahiko opened the drawer and took out a thick document.
"That kid named Kenny comes from a clean family background. Although he is a foreigner, it's not impossible for him to marry into our Shingu Family."
Rinne pouted, "Father, all of this is in the past."
She opened the document, glanced at it briefly, and put it back.
"Did you also investigate Vincent?"
"Of course." Hayahiko took out a thin sheet of food.
Vincent excelled academically from a young age, whether in Muggle primary school or at the prestigious Hogwarts School, a school with a long history of over a thousand years.
His family background is not complicated, and he has no bad habits.
The more she looked, the more she felt something was wrong.
"Father, have you misunderstood something?"
"Rinne, I can guess what you were thinking before." Hayahiko tapped the table lightly with his fingertip.
"Indeed, the situation was dire at first, and I had no choice but to take advantage of it."
Although the other two companies are now hesitant to act, this is only limited to the holiday period.
Rinne recalled her conversation with Vincent in the car.
Things were going smoothly, but there was a strange sense of frustration.
"Father, you should know that there is no such thing as a free lunch in the world."
"His ability to devise a scheme using the Wizard Cards already puts him in a position to cooperate with us." Hayahiko tapped his fingertips rhythmically on the table.
"If he succeeds in defeating those two companies, he can still obtain a qualification."
"A marriage alliance?" Rinne asked dejectedly. "Whether it succeeds or fails, the choice isn't in my hands, is it?"
"Everything is for the family."
"The family—" she straightened up, "Father, you may be disappointed."
Vincent is not one to be bound by emotions or self-interest.
Hayahiko's lips curled up. "Rinne, I am your father, and I know very well what kind of person you are."
He braced his hands on the table and leaned back slightly. "When you meet an outstanding young man like Vincent, you will unconsciously compare him to anyone else."
Rinne pursed her lips. "Father, you know that forced relationships are never sweet."
"So I won't force anything."
"Then you—"
Hayahiko, with a mysterious smile, did not answer the question directly.
"Don't worry, even if we fail to stop those two families in the future, I will not force you to sacrifice for the family."
But there is a prerequisite.
No matter what method is used, Vincent must stand on the side of the Shingu Family.
She trusted the other party's character, and even more so, she trusted the two little witches' judgment.
Especially Hermione, whose intellect is no less than her own.
Vincent sat on the bed, feeling very depressed.
Sneezing several times in a row for no apparent reason is not a good sign.
He crumpled the tissue he had just used to wipe his nose into a ball and then casually threw it into the trash can.
"Do you have a cold?" Neville opened his suitcase and rummaged through a pile of bottles and jars.
These Potions were all prepared for him by his grandmother.
"Probably not." Vincent sneezed again right after he finished speaking.
"Found it!" Neville held up a small bottle filled with green liquid.
"Drink this quickly, I drank this last time I caught a cold after being caught in the rain."
I strongly suspect it's thanks to the body's self-healing ability.
"No need." Vincent raised his hand to touch his forehead.
Normal body temperature means someone...
"Whoosh—" There was a sound outside.
He opened the door and found it was the Little White pet that Rolf had bought the day before yesterday.
The little guy is usually quite aloof, I don't know why he came over secretly.
Are you hungry?
"Waaah—"
Rolf would never let Little White go hungry.
Craving something sweet?
I didn't bring it with me when I went out for Japanese food yesterday. Could it be that the fox is jealous?
"Waaah—" Little White stared longingly at the open Potions bottle in Neville's hand.
"You want to drink this?"
"Waaah—"
Vincent was stunned.
This little guy is something else!
The Shinoda Forest is home to many Magical Creatures, and even a wild deer there possesses extraordinary intelligence.
Even the smartest fox wouldn't be so greedy as to crave Potions.
Vincent opened his briefcase and uncorked a bottle of Snape's Elixir to Induce Euphoria.
"Waaah!" Little White's eyes were wide open, and its chubby face was full of longing.
Rolf, who spent 300 Gold Galleons, doesn't seem to be a scoundrel.
But if one has to drink the Potions every day, then one is indeed a vengeful spirit.