July 8, 1992 — Weather, Sunny
Early in the morning, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, a slightly disheveled figure appeared at Lynn's doorstep.
William stood there with a bulging backpack on his shoulders. His face was pale, his steps unsteady, and he staggered toward the door as if the bones had been sucked out of his body.
He had just raised his hand and hadn't even had time to press the doorbell—
"Beep~ Unrecognized facial features detected, processing…"
The doorbell had barely rung halfway when a click sounded and the door suddenly swung open.
Lynn appeared at the doorway, looking bright, refreshed, and full of energy.
"Lynn—bleh—"
Seeing William in such a miserable state, Lynn deliberately put on a stern expression.
"Hey! William! Am I really that disgusting to you? You want to throw up the moment you see me?"
William leaned against the doorframe and waved weakly, his stomach still churning violently.
"Is this the so-called 'comfortable, convenient, and lightning-fast' Knight Bus you were bragging about on the phone yesterday?!"
"That thing felt like being stuffed into a high-speed rotating drum washing machine and then dragged across the rooftops of London by a grumpy Erumpent for a bungee jump!"
Lynn felt absolutely no guilt.
"How comfortable! How exciting!" he declared solemnly. "It's like the super bumper cars at an amusement park—a full immersion experience! A unique travel method you can't enjoy anywhere else!"
"I'll believe your nonsense later… just let me in first… ugh… bleh…"
William suppressed another wave of nausea, staggered into the living room, and collapsed onto the sofa like a pile of mud, staring blankly at the ceiling.
"Lynn… if I ever believe another one of your transportation recommendations…"
"I'm a dog."
…After resting for quite a while, William finally recovered.
Then he saw Lynn bring out a modified broomstick.
"You… you're not seriously planning to go to Edgar's place on that, are you?"
William's voice was filled with resistance.
"Can't we use something… gentler? Like the Floo Network? Or a more normal form of transportation?"
Lynn patted the broom seat confidently.
"The Floo Network requires finding a specific fireplace—too troublesome! This is much faster. Relax. You know my flying skills are top-notch. I guarantee it'll be smooth and swift."
"Or," Lynn added casually, "would you like to experience the 'comfortable' journey of the Knight Bus again? I can call one right now."
William instantly shuddered.
He shook his head so fast it looked like a rattling drum.
"No! No! No! The broom! The broom is fine! The broom is great!"
Faced with two evils, he chose the lesser one.
After all, Lynn had once chased a train on a broomstick. His flying ability was at least somewhat trustworthy.
High above the clouds of London's suburbs, if a Muggle happened to observe the sky through high-powered binoculars, they might have discovered something horrifying.
A broomstick was streaking across the sky at a speed far exceeding that of an ordinary car.
Two boys were barely visible clinging to it—one of them pale-faced and clutching the other's robes tightly.
Fortunately, Lynn remembered to activate an additional Disillusionment Charm and Shielding Charm, preventing a massive wave of "UFO sighting" reports.
In less than an hour, they had already crossed a considerable distance and arrived near the Burns family home in Yorkshire.
Edgar's house was a two-story detached home full of classic British countryside charm.
The red brick walls were covered with lush green vines, giving the house a warm and comfortable atmosphere.
Knock knock knock!
Lynn knocked loudly without any ceremony.
"Edgar! Open up! Your best bros are here!"
The door quickly opened.
Edgar appeared wearing pajamas with messy hair.
"You guys… why are you here so early? What time is it?"
He yawned widely, then noticed William standing beside Lynn looking miserable.
"William? Are you okay? Why do you look so pale?"
William simply waved his hand.
He clearly had no intention of recalling the journey.
Edgar stepped aside to let them in and scratched his head while asking Lynn,
"Were you serious about what you said on the phone yesterday? You really want to buy a house near us?"
"Yeah." Lynn nodded firmly and dropped onto the living room sofa.
"A wizard should live a wizard's lifestyle."
Edgar poured him a glass of water and warned him,
"Then you'd better prepare for a heavy financial blow."
"My dad asked around for you yesterday. The houses around here aren't cheap. The environment is great, and most of the neighbors are wizarding families."
Lynn drank the water casually.
How expensive could it be?
He had enough savings to squander for three lifetimes. Surely buying a house wouldn't bankrupt him.
However, reality soon delivered a heavy blow.
When Edgar's father, Edward Burns, returned home at noon and showed Lynn several nearby property listings, Lynn saw the prices printed on the parchment.
A long string of zeros.
15,000 Galleons.
And that was only for a house that looked quite ordinary and wasn't much bigger than Edgar's.
Lynn quickly calculated in his head.
If he actually bought it, his entire Galleon savings would disappear instantly.
Then what about his alchemy research?
Could he still afford those expensive rare materials?
Could he still perform potion experiments without worrying about the cost?
And what about Lumière, that old drunkard?
Wouldn't even the cheapest wine be cut off?!
No wonder Malfoy mocked the Weasley family all day for not being able to afford a house…
Turns out I can't afford one either!
"Sigh… what a headache."
Lynn rubbed his temples, feeling that his home-buying plan had just hit a massive obstacle.
Just as he was about to give up on the idea—
[Ding! Mission issued: Have a home in the Wizarding World.]
[Reward: Wealth Magnet]
[Effect: As long as you want it and are willing to work for it, you can earn Galleons.]
[If you don't pick up money while walking, it's only because the passersby's pockets are empty!]
Lynn: "!!!"
All the frustration and heartache vanished instantly.
Buy it!
He had to buy it!
Buy it now!
What's 15,000 Galleons?!
Bought!
With Wealth Magnet, was he afraid he couldn't earn the money back?
Initial investment was necessary!
Lynn_Smirk.jpg.
Edgar watched Lynn's facial expressions rapidly shift until they finally settled into a strange crooked smile.
He patted Lynn's shoulder sympathetically.
"I told you the price was 'beautiful,' didn't I? But it's okay. Don't lose heart."
"From now on, my home is your home. You can stay here whenever you want. My parents definitely won't mind."
The moment Edgar finished speaking—
[Ding! Mission completed. Reward issued.]
Lynn: "…"
The crooked smile froze on his face.
The system's judgment…
Didn't it have a few too many bugs?
Last time, knocking a fish unconscious with a rock counted as "fishing."
And now, because a friend casually said "my home is your home," it counted as "having a home"?
That actually works?!
But…
He liked it.
Please let there be more bugs like this.
"Then I'd feel embarrassed!" Lynn said immediately, pretending to hesitate.
Then his tone suddenly changed.
"However, I've decided! I'm going to start a business!"
"I'll make money! Not only will I buy a house—I'll buy a big one!"
Edgar and William stared at Lynn, who had switched from despair to ambition in a single second.
They exchanged confused glances.
A row of question marks seemed to appear above their heads.
William couldn't help asking a series of soul-searching questions.
"Wait, Lynn. Calm down."
"You want to do business?"
"What kind of business?"
"Do you have a plan?"
"A shop?"
"Stable supply channels?"
"Employees?"
Lynn paused for a moment.
Then he waved his hand confidently.
"None! But that's not a problem!"
"Let's go!"
"We're heading to Diagon Alley right now!"
"We'll decide what to sell after we look at the shops."
"Practice produces real knowledge."
"Market research starts with field investigation!"
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