A Genius's Little Quirk

Inside the lobby of Beauxbatons, crystal chandeliers cast a dazzling light, illuminating every relief and tapestry with a radiant glow.

The award ceremony proceeded smoothly and in an orderly manner. Madame Maxime sat in the main seat, flanked by several specially invited judges and professors from the three universities.

Below the stage, the contestants and the students watching sat quietly, waiting for the moment when the outcome was already decided.

The outcome of this Triwizard Tournament was already somewhat foreseeable from the very first written test, and when Lucien achieved a perfect score in the first three rounds, his victory was practically guaranteed.

When the final alchemical creation, named "Instant Whisper," was unveiled, it completely sealed the fate of the competition—everyone knew that it was no longer something that could be categorized as an "excellent student work."

"Now, please welcome the overall champion of this tournament— Lucien Grafton of Hogwarts —to the stage to receive his award."

Madame Maxime's voice echoed in the hall.

A wave of applause erupted as Lucien walked to the front of the stage under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

As he accepted the elegantly designed gold trophy and the heavy little box containing a thousand Galleon prize money, Lucien gave a slight bow.

The flashes of cameras went off one after another, faithfully recording the moment.

Below the stage, Professor Shafiq's smile was exceptionally bright. She was already planning in her mind how to ask Dumbledore for leave after returning to Hogwarts, and how to make up for all the hard work she had put in during this time.

Yes, leading a team is undeniably hard work, even though she didn't actually do much.

Following the awards ceremony, a banquet was held as is customary.

The event was not actually very large; it mainly consisted of the judges, professors from Beauxbatons, contestants, and a small number of outstanding Beauxbatons students.

Involving these young people serves two purposes: firstly, it avoids the event feeling deserted due to a lack of participants, and secondly, it gives them a chance to "broaden their horizons."

After all, in magical societies, groups like Alchemy and potion makers still retain some of the apprenticeship tradition.

After graduating from magic school, young wizards who want to truly enter the inner circle often need to first gain the initial approval of a master and then study under that master—in other words, work like slaves for their mentor.

You have to endure several years, or even a decade or more, before you can be promoted to a permanent position if you perform well, and then you have to keep enduring... until one day you can finally stand on your own.

Therefore, banquets like today's are undoubtedly a rare opportunity for young people who aspire to enter this circle to gain exposure.

Making yourself known to the masters might just open up a chance to change your destiny.

However, because of someone's presence, the focus of the banquet was entirely on this protagonist.

"Grafton, if you were France, the Golden Iris Medal would be yours in the future." An old Alchemy with white hair raised his wine glass, his tone quite wistful.

The Order of the Iris holds a status in the France Wizarding World comparable to that of the Order of Merlin in Britain.

Gold is the highest level of the Iris Medal, equivalent to the Order of Merlin, First Class, and it also requires making significant contributions to the Wizarding World to obtain.

"Grafton, would you like to consider joining our Sage Alchemy Association?" another judge enthusiastically introduced. "Our guild has always been open to truly talented young people."

"Oh, so there are no nationality restrictions when you sign up for membership?" A voice immediately chimed in, tinged with a hint of teasing. "Lucien, it'll be much easier to join our local Alchemy Association, since you'll be spending most of your time in Britain anyway."

Watching Lucien surrounded by several alchemy masters, each vying to invite him, the other students could only stand a short distance away and cast envious glances.

Those alchemy associations that they wouldn't even dare to dream of in normal times, those masters whose names they could only read about in journals, were now all circling around a boy who was a few years younger than them.

Some sighed inwardly, some silently envied, and some tried to imagine what it would feel like to stand in that position—but after thinking about their own abilities, they silently dismissed the idea.

At that moment, Lance, who wore a monocle, suddenly spoke up, "Grafton, I just remembered, don't you also run some shops selling your own alchemical tools?"

As a native France Alchemy, Lance has been immersed in his research for the past few years and has paid little attention to the outside world.

But the name "Lucien Grafton" sounded familiar to him.

It only just occurred to me that the name seemed to be related to alchemical products circulating in the market.

Lucien readily admitted, "Yes, there are a few small shops."

Upon hearing this, Lance couldn't help but advise, "Grafton, I suggest you don't waste too much energy on commercial profit." He adjusted his monocle, his expression sincere. "The path of Alchemy requires a huge investment of time and energy to master. Commercial matters can be left to others—are you short of money? Doesn't your master give you money to spend?"

He seemed ready to generously donate funds should Lucien nod his head.

Lucien smiled helplessly.

He couldn't very well say that this was the price he had to pay for his alchemical talent.

After thinking about it, I can only give an answer that isn't entirely wrong:

It's not that I'm short of money. I just... enjoy the feeling of making money and putting money in my pocket.

Lance pursed his lips, looking somewhat regretful. He had originally intended to say that he was quite wealthy.

However, the others present quickly accepted this explanation.

Geniuses, after all, all have their little quirks.

It's not like the kind of thing where you get upset on your way to school and just play Avada Kedavra with a few friends.

He simply enjoys making money, which is a highly commendable hobby.

"Young people like making money, which shows they have ambition." Professor Laurent chuckled and raised his glass. "Come on, a toast to Lucien's ambition!"