That Damn Tycoon

Malfoy dawdled, but finally gritted his teeth and delivered the 100,000 Galleon.

Gringotts is right here, its vault is underground, and there are swarms of onlookers gathered around.

Most importantly, Malfoy made Unbreakable Vow... he couldn't escape it.

He felt a pang of heartache; the money lost betting on football... this summer, the Malfoy family had at least half a million Galleon gone down the drain.

Don't look down, or you'll cry!

He inexplicably felt like he was living off his savings and squandering his wealth.

At this rate, the Malfoy family will likely follow in the footsteps of the Gaunt family within two or three generations.

This is so difficult.

Malfoy felt he needed to reconsider his choice of sides.

The recent report on Rita Skeeter has caused a huge uproar.

The call for Stark to become Minister for Magic, while absurd, does reflect, to some extent, public dissatisfaction with Fudge.

Given Stark's reputation, if he chooses to go into politics after graduation... after a few years of experience, the ministerial position would be practically his for the taking, with no one vying for it.

In addition, there's Granger... the youngest recipient of the France Legion of Honour and the Italy Order of Merit First Class, who is equally renowned.

The two were rich, prestigious, and capable, and they also Dumbledore's support.

To put it bluntly, the Stark may well be in charge of politics in the United Kingdom Wizarding World for the next hundred years.

That's terrifying...

Most importantly, Fudge can pave the way with money, but these two... are really not short of money.

Voldemort has been gone for thirteen years, there's probably no hope of him returning... I should really start thinking about the future of my family.

A hundred years is neither a long nor a short time... enough for a family to decline.

Malfoy hurriedly left to retrieve his family's spellbook and Goblin- made silverware.

Let's start by showing some goodwill... then we'll figure out how to keep switching sides.

It's a pity I don't have two sons, otherwise I could have followed the Black family... sending one to the Dark Lord's camp and the other to the Order of the Phoenix.

Mrs. Black certainly lacked this strategic vision, but this approach of hedging her bets certainly helped preserve the family.

It would be even better if we had a daughter; we could throw her into Stark bed. Anyway, she'd change her surname after marrying into the family, so it wouldn't affect the Malfoy bloodline.

Although it might look bad on the surface, if our daughter can bring back five million Galleon to the Malfoy family, that would be great.

A second child!

The Goblin didn't see as far ahead as Malfoy; they kept delaying, hoping to postpone things for as long as possible.

But William wouldn't pay them any attention. Gringotts would at least have to give him some money first, otherwise he'd dare take the case to the International Confederation of Wizards.

The International Confederation of Wizards will absolutely enforce this decision against Gringotts in the United Kingdom.

If Gringotts, as a trustworthy institution, were to suffer such a blow to its reputation as a wizard, it would be a major setback.

Finally, with no other choice, the Goblin transferred one million Galleon first, with the rest to be paid in installments.

Installment payments definitely incur interest; otherwise, who would bother with you? This leads to another round of arguments.

The Goblin also wanted William to buy out the debts. For example, if Ludo owed 250,000 Galleon, the IOU could be used to offset 200,000 Galleon.

If William can get his hands on it, he can make a net profit of 50,000.

He certainly didn't agree. Even if he sold Ludo, he wouldn't be able to raise that much money; only a fool would take on such a bad debt.

Seeing that the Goblin really couldn't squeeze out five million in the short term, William suggested using silverware as collateral for part of the debt.

The smelting techniques of Goblin far surpass those of wizards.

Their sterling silver artifacts, forged and enchanted by Goblin magic, possess properties that wizards cannot imitate.

In the simplest terms, Goblin silverware doesn't need cleaning; it repels dust.

The weapons they create can also absorb substances that enhance them.

The famous Sword of Gryffindor can even absorb the venom of the Basilisk, which is what gives it the ability to destroy Horcrux.

And those armors, legend has it, are as light as feathers and as hard as dragon scales, capable of withstanding many spells.

That might be a bit of an exaggeration, but it can resist many spells. In combat, that's like having a bulletproof vest.

If you won't pay, then use your silverware as collateral!

Led by the Goblin Griphook, they walked deeper underground, and finally the cart arrived at a gate.

A Sphinx guards the entrance. The Sphinx is a creature with a human head and a lion's body, and for over a thousand years it has been used to protect wizards' precious possessions and secret places.

William felt that their vault needed guards. A million Galleon in the coffers was really not safe.

As the Goblin Griphook, the two bronze doors creaked and slowly revealed themselves to William and Hermione.

The cave was filled with various shelves, on which a certain number of silver items were displayed.

William's gaze was quickly drawn to the sculptures, and he stood before them.

The sculpture is dressed in silver armor.

"This armor was made by the Goblin Ragnuk VII, but before he could wear it, the kingdom was destroyed by a wizard."

Griphook stood to the side, looking sinister.

Ragnuk VII was the last king of the Goblin Kingdom. It was his ancestor Ragnuk the First, who forged the Sword of Gryffindor.

After Ragnuk forged the sword, he fell in love with it and wanted to steal it back from Gryffindor.

However, he was no match for Gryffindor, so he spread the word that Gryffindor had stolen the sword.

This rumor spread widely in the Goblin society, so much so that it sparked a bloody Goblin Rebellion in the 17th century.

The result was... the Goblin Kingdom of King Ragnuk VII was destroyed by the wizard.

"How much is it?" William asked, clearly quite taken with it.

"Two million Galleon," the Griphook said without hesitation. "Two hundred years old, and it's armor forged by Ragnuk VII."

"Never mind then, I don't want it." William shook his head. "You should still pay me back."

Sickle from the Burke and Borgin and Burkes. The old man there is also shady, but he won't overcharge like that Goblin.

William turned to leave with Hermione.

"Wait..." the Goblin shrieked angrily, "Don't you know what bargaining is...? You... why don't you offer a price!"

Gringotts has many treasures, many of which are not for sale. But since you brought Stark here, it's likely that some of the silver items are for sale.

"You're asking for two million... how am I supposed to pay that back?" William said, speechless.

"You... you should pay one back first... what if it works out?" Griphook was so angry that it jumped up and down on the spot.

"Okay, then take one less zero, two hundred thousand Galleon," William said casually. "Think about it, we're leaving now."

"Stop right there!!" the Griphook- up shrieked.

"Two hundred thousand, is that right?" he shouted angrily. "Sell!!"

"Well... since you're so straightforward, how about cutting it in half again, 100,000 Galleon?" William said shamelessly.

"..." Griphook made him want to strangle William.

William eventually bought three items for 450,000, one for himself and one each for Hermione and Anne.

They said it was the last few pieces, but then the Griphook dragged out two more suits of armor from the corner.

William immediately felt he had made a bad bet.

Well... it's not my own money anyway, I can always take advantage of it again during the next Quidditch World Cup.

As soon as I put on that silver armor, the armor seemed heavy, but once I put it on, I felt as light as a feather, cool and refreshing, making me feel comfortable and at ease. I could clearly feel a magical aura flowing through me when I closed my eyes.

This is great stuff!

It would be a lie to say the Goblin wasn't heartbroken, but if she couldn't sell these things, they'd just be stuck with them.

On the left side, there are a few silver longswords. They're not as magnificent as Sword of Gryffindor, but they're still quite nice.

It's at least better than the alchemical sword Dumbledore made.

William bought three more swords. As Gandalf's successor, he couldn't be without one.

After returning, they soaked it in the Basilisk Venom, the Acromantula Venom, Runespoor.

Let the Dementor in Little Black Robe kiss it for forty-nine days.

Next time I fight Voldemort, if I suddenly slash him with my sword... he'll probably die instantly.

Hermione stood before a pile of jewelry, her eyes glued to it. Especially a small gold crown, adorned with six sapphires the size of pigeon eggs, shimmering with brilliance.

The patterns on it are also very exquisite, and they are dazzling to look at.

"How much is that?" William asked, lifting his chin.

"This is very expensive," the Goblin said maliciously. "It's the most expensive thing here."

"Expensive?" William raised an eyebrow. "Can it still sell for a few million Galleon?"

Griphook shut... This damn rich guy.

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