Wentworth looked slightly flustered, but Yoshinobu suddenly burst into hearty laughter. Once the laughter subsided, he began walking ahead, gesturing for Wentworth to follow.
"This is nothing," Yoshinobu said casually. "To the magical world of Europe and the Americas, Japan is little more than a backwater. If not for Mahoutokoro, I dare say most wizards would think there was no magic here at all."
"But that's the present, not the future! The magical world of tomorrow will hear Japan's voice!"
As he spoke, Yoshinobu fondly stroked the hair of the young witch beside him, Yukina, while Wentworth trailed behind in silence.
Under Yoshinobu's guidance, Wentworth stepped into a courtyard bursting with chrysanthemums. They crossed through it into a traditional room, and the moment they entered, Wentworth's eyes lit up.
An array of sumptuous ingredients had already been prepared inside, filling the air with an irresistible aroma.
Once they were seated, Yoshinobu clapped his hands. With a pop, a house-elf Apparated before Wentworth, holding a silver tray upon which sat two small porcelain flasks of sake.
"This," Yoshinobu began, "is Crystal Sake, a variety unique to Japan, brewed from crystal rice, which is cultivated only here. It won't harm the body, no matter how much you drink. Care for a taste?"
Before Wentworth could respond, the house-elf, at Yoshinobu's nod, poured his cup full.
Touched by the warm hospitality, Wentworth didn't refuse. He clinked his cup against Yoshinobu's and took a gentle sip, his eyes lit up at once, and without hesitation, he downed the rest in one gulp.
Yoshinobu blinked, momentarily stunned, then let out another booming laugh and emptied his own cup.
From there, the two drank freely, as though they were lifelong friends reunited after years apart.
As the drinks flowed and the conversation grew looser, night fell unnoticed. Yukina had long since left to rest in her room, while Wentworth and Yoshinobu now slouched together, both swaying slightly with intoxication.
Slapping a hand on Wentworth's shoulder, Yoshinobu, thoroughly drunk, slurred, "Wentworth, what d'you think of my sake?!"
Wentworth let out a hiccup, gave a thumbs up, and said, "Absolutely brilliant! I've never tasted anything like it in all of Europe!"
Yoshinobu roared with laughter. "Excellent! If you like it, it's yours! Take it all! The entire cellar is yours!"
Still chuckling, he pointed proudly to the courtyard outside.
"See that garden? I designed it myself! Well? What do you think?!"
Wentworth gave another unsteady thumbs up, his eyes bleary but his admiration genuine.
"Elegant… full of feeling… utterly superb!"
At that, Yoshinobu laughed so hard he had to wave a hand to steady himself. "Take it, take it, well, no, not the garden itself! Tell you what! I'll find you a small island here in Japan, I'll design the estate myself, and the Uesugi clan will build it, to these exact standards! Consider it a gift! Now, don't get picky, it won't be as big as ours, mind you. But when you've got time, come holiday in Japan, bring Headmaster Dumbledore with you!"
Though Wentworth politely declined over and over, Yoshinobu wouldn't take no for an answer. He even summoned a map through his house-elf and pointed out three islands, insisting Wentworth choose one.
With no real choice, Wentworth randomly selected one. Only then did Yoshinobu nod in satisfaction, raise his cup once more, and clink it against Wentworth's before the two drained them again.
Then, Yoshinobu leaned in closer, wobbling slightly, and said with a slur, "Wentworth… what do you think of my daughter?"
Wentworth, head hanging, eyes nearly shut from drink, mumbled sleepily, "Kawaii…"
Yoshinobu's drunken swaying halted. He blinked, startled. "You speak Japanese?!"
Still groggy, Wentworth wobbled a finger in the air and muttered, "A… little bit…"
That drew yet another belly laugh from Yoshinobu. But as his mirth faded, his voice lowered with sudden seriousness.
"Wentworth… she may be my daughter, but I must warn you: keep your distance from Yukina."
"She's perfect in many ways, except for her temper. Sometimes she just… can't control it. You know why she wears white robes?"
Without waiting for an answer, Yoshinobu shook his head slowly and said, in a voice heavy with drink:
"Because my daughter… has taken lives. More than one."
At that, Wentworth's eyes, which had been half-lidded with sleep, snapped open.
Yoshinobu continued, his voice growing quieter.
"She's extraordinarily gifted, her magical power far surpasses that of others her age. But sometimes… she loses control. There's a bloodlust in her, one she struggles to contain. That's why I never allow her to be outside the supervision of our clan's wizards."
By the time he finished, his voice was barely a whisper. Then, head dropping onto the table, Uesugi appeared to fall fast asleep.
Moments later, several house-elves Apparated silently into the room. From their calm and practiced demeanor, this was clearly routine.
They began tidying the space efficiently and without a word.
Meanwhile, a house-elf gently levitated Wentworth, cradling him in midair and guiding him slowly out of the room.
When they reached a resting chamber, the elf lowered him gently onto the tatami mat, then vanished.
But Wentworth, who had seemed deeply drunk a moment before, opened his eyes, now clear, his expression tinged with suspicion.
Back in the room where he and Yoshinobu had shared drinks, Yoshinobu, far from asleep, now sat calmly, sipping tea in a spotless room.
At that moment, a young man entered, walking in from outside. He strode up to Yoshinobu and sat beside him.
"Uncle," the young man said quietly, "do you think that boy Wentworth bought it?"
Yoshinobu took a leisurely sip of tea before replying.
"Yusei, remember this, whether he believes it or not doesn't matter. What matters is that he repeats those words to Albus Dumbledore."
"And as for whether Albus Dumbledore believes it? Hah! Of course he won't. He's Albus Dumbledore. He knows full well what Yukina truly is. But he'll also know that the herbs growing on that island I gave him will earn him nearly ten thousand Galleons a year."
As he spoke, Yoshinobu reached over and drew Yusei into a quiet embrace.
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TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— patreon(.)com/PrimalDemon [remove the parentheses ( )]