Dragon liver and dragon meat were out of reach, but Abner was happy enough to hunt other Fantastic Beasts.
He couldn't say what he might run into, though. He knew the dragon sanctuaries around Europe like the back of his hand, but other places were unfamiliar territory. He had no idea where to find those Fantastic Beasts.
Cedric watched Abner pack for the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary, his gaze sweeping over the battered heap of luggage. The corners of his mouth turned down.
"Here's three hundred Galleons."
Cedric emptied every gold coin from his wallet and set them in front of Abner.
"Two hundred and seventy are for the Dragon Blood. The other thirty Galleons are coming out of my own pocket to help you out."
"I can't take money like that."
Abner didn't even look back. He was holding two little objects of uncertain purpose and stuffing them into his old backpack.
"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not taking pity on you. I'm protecting my supply line."
Cedric pushed the pile of coins a little closer.
"You know I make dozens, sometimes over a hundred Galleons a day just cooking. If something happened to you and I lost my supplier, I'd feel that loss. So I figured you ought to upgrade your gear. Even the bottles and jars you use for Dragon Blood could stand to be replaced."
Abner turned to look at him. This time, he didn't refuse, and he took the extra Galleons.
It was a good start.
Getting someone like Abner to accept a favor wasn't easy. Cedric would have to take it slowly, using money to corrupt him bit by bit—no, to win him over.
Only then would he have a chance of bringing Abner over to his side someday.
After parting ways with Abner, Cedric returned to the bar to keep turning good food into money, while enjoying a few treats himself.
Two days flew by, and it was time to collect his clothes from the Spirit Feather Tailor Shop.
As soon as he stepped inside again, the owner, Lia, came over to greet him warmly.
"Mr. Grey, you're right on time."
Lia moved with brisk efficiency and wore a perfectly measured smile.
"I was beginning to wonder if you'd stand me up. Would you like to try on the clothes now, or sit down and rest over a cup of tea first?"
"Oh, I thought you might be worried I'd skip out on the bill."
Cedric looked up and teased her.
"If there's no rush, I would like to try your tea."
"You do know how to joke. I've heard your name so many times these past few days that my ears are ringing. Talk about a change in reputation."
Lia led him to the lounge and poured him a cup of black tea.
"A change in reputation? What do you mean?"
Cedric was curious.
He raised the cup to his lips and sniffed it. He couldn't tell what kind of black tea it was, but it smelled wonderful.
Lowering his eyes, he blew on it twice and took a small sip. He let the tea roll across his tongue as its aroma spread, then nodded in satisfaction.
The pale-blond boy sat there drinking tea in quiet contentment. The sight was so lovely that Lia couldn't stop staring.
His bearing, his looks, that unhurried air—Lia thought he was every inch a young aristocrat.
When someone with an artist's eye encountered beauty like that, it was impossible to look away. Lia only wished she could paint, so she could preserve the scene.
When Lia said nothing for a while, Cedric looked up in puzzlement and saw that her face was bright red.
"Lia, are you hot?"
Cedric set down his cup.
"Why is your face so red?"
Lia came back to herself and gave a dry cough.
"Sorry. My mind wandered just now."
Her mind wandered in the space of a moment?
Cedric didn't call her on it. A gentleman wouldn't embarrass a pretty girl.
"It's fine, Lia. You were telling me about my reputation," Cedric reminded her. "I'm curious. Tell me more."
"Oh, it's about the food you've been selling."
Lia covered her mouth, unable to hold back a laugh.
"A few ladies mentioned your blood sausage when they came in to order clothes. Every one of them complained that you'd priced it too high. But just a day later, they'd all changed their tune and were praising your cooking to the skies."
"Naturally. They only complained because they'd never tasted anything truly delicious. Once they had, they understood it was worth the price."
Cedric rose as he spoke.
"Now let me see whether your work is worth every Galleon too. Lia, I'd like to try the clothes on. Don't disappoint me."
"As if I would." Lia looked thoroughly pleased with herself. "No one has ever found fault with clothes I've made."
The outfit Lia had tailored was mostly black and looked a little like Muggle formalwear. It had a neat, structured cut, but the lining was soft and comfortable. Once Cedric touched the fabric, he hardly wanted to let go.
It was meant for everyday wear, after all. Formalwear? A wizard's formalwear looked nothing like this.
"So where should I change?"
Cedric asked.
"This outfit's a little tricky to put on. How about I give you a hand?"
"Huh? I'm not sure that's a good idea."
"It's fine, don't worry. I can show you how to wear it. It'll only take a moment."
As Lia reached out and edged closer, an image of a big bad wolf pouncing on a little white rabbit popped into Cedric's head for no reason.
Hmm. That wasn't quite right.
In this case, a little gray wolf and a big white rabbit would be more accurate.
Before you continue