Adrian Ambrosius lightly tapped his fingers against the table.
“Mr.
Augustus, you should know that wealth has never been of much use to me.
Over the years, I haven’t exactly charged St.
Mungo’s exorbitant profits.”
Augustus silently cursed to himself, but his expression remained perfectly composed.
“Young Master Adrian Ambrosius is indeed remarkably generous.
I still vividly remember the day you released your improved Veritaserum formula to the public free of charge.”
Adrian Ambrosius didn’t respond.
The room fell into a brief silence.
After a moment, he finally spoke.
“Mr.
Augustus, it’s not impossible for St.
Mungo’s to receive exclusive distribution rights.
However, I’ll need a few things from your hospital in return.”
Augustus’ expression became serious.
He knew the real negotiation had finally begun.
“And what would those be, Young Master Adrian Ambrosius?”
Adrian Ambrosius drew his wand with elegant precision.
A sheet of parchment floated through the air before several lines of writing gradually appeared upon it.
Once the list was complete, the parchment drifted gently into Augustus’ hands.
He carefully read it several times before lowering it.
“I understand the first two items.”
“They’re rare ingredients for your research.”
“Although they’re quite valuable, St.
Mungo’s is willing to provide you with a portion of them each year.”
He hesitated before continuing.
“But the final item…”
His eyes flickered slightly.
“That object is one of St.
Mungo’s greatest treasures.”
“If we’re only talking about exclusive rights to the Azure Sky Potion…”
“I’m afraid the value isn’t quite equal.”
Adrian Ambrosius’s youthful face displayed a level of composure far beyond his age.
“I’m well aware of its value.”
As he spoke, he withdrew another potion from his robes.
Unlike the Azure Sky Potion, this one shimmered with a vibrant emerald-green color, as though it contained endless vitality.
“This is my newest creation.”
“The Regeneration Potion.”
With flawless control of his magic, the crystal vial floated gently into Augustus’ hand.
The old wizard carefully removed the cork.
An incomparably fresh and pleasant fragrance drifted out.
Simply smelling it made him feel noticeably more energized.
“As the name suggests, it regenerates.”
“It can be applied externally or taken orally.”
“Please.”
Adrian Ambrosius gestured calmly, inviting him to test it himself.
Augustus wasted no time.
He pointed his wand at his own forearm and created a clean cut with a precise slash of magic.
He then poured a small amount of the potion over the wound.
A warm, gentle sensation immediately spread through the injury.
It was completely different from the burning numbness caused by Essence of Dittany.
The wound visibly healed before his eyes.
In less than thirty seconds, not a trace of the injury remained.
“The healing speed is considerably faster than Essence of Dittany…”
“And it’s much gentler to use.”
Augustus silently evaluated the result.
After a moment’s thought, he reached into his enchanted storage pouch and removed a venomous stinger roughly four inches long.
It belonged to the Crimson Blood Scorpion, a magical creature native to Egypt whose venom was notoriously difficult to treat.
Without the slightest hesitation, Augustus plunged the stinger into his own arm.
The poison immediately began destroying the surrounding flesh.
Within moments, a festering purple-red wound appeared.
The corner of Adrian Ambrosius’s mouth twitched.
Seriously…
this old man is way too ruthless with himself.
Even knowing he has antivenom on hand, that’s still horrifying to watch.
Augustus carefully poured the Regeneration Potion onto the poisoned wound.
This time, the healing proceeded noticeably slower than before.
Even so, after five minutes, the wound had completely disappeared.
Not even the faintest scar remained.
“This…”
“…is priceless.”
After only two simple tests, the experienced healer’s breathing had become noticeably heavier.
The appearance of this potion would render Essence of Dittany obsolete.
It would revolutionize magical medicine.
“Young Master Adrian Ambrosius…”
“What is the production cost of this potion?”
Adrian Ambrosius answered calmly.
“Three Silver Sickles.”
“So…
inexpensive…”
Augustus was stunned.
Before he could continue, Adrian Ambrosius spoke again.
“The formula is already fully mature.”
“There’s still room to improve both its effectiveness and versatility.”
“But even in its current state, it’s more than capable of solving the vast majority of medical problems.”
“I can include the exclusive rights to this potion as part of our agreement.”
Without even a second’s hesitation, Augustus immediately made his decision.
“Done.”
“You’ll have all three requested items delivered to Star Castle within a week.”
The rest of the meeting was filled with polite conversation.
After confirming every detail of the agreement, the two finalized everything through a binding magical contract.
Completely satisfied, Augustus departed from Nording Island.
Watching the old wizard leave, Adrian Ambrosius rubbed his forehead.
“One old fox down…”
“One more to go.”
At that moment, the previously hidden house-elf Shufus appeared beside him carrying a crystal goblet filled with an amber-colored drink.
“Young Master.”
“The Nashwood Winery’s forty-year reserve mead.”
Adrian Ambrosius slapped his forehead.
“I almost forgot about this.”
At only around four feet seven inches tall, Adrian Ambrosius was already noticeably taller than Shufus.
He took the crystal goblet and drained it in one gulp.
“Ah…”
“Some things are expensive for a reason.”
He licked his lips, still wanting another taste.
“So…”
“What surprise has Lucius brought me this time?”
Casually tossing the empty crystal goblet back to Shufus, Adrian Ambrosius walked toward the rear reception hall.
Its furnishings were every bit as luxurious as the main hall, though the atmosphere was far quieter and more refined.
Lucius Malfoy was leisurely admiring the sculptures and paintings decorating the room.
“It seems you’re quite interested in my family’s collection, Uncle Lucius.”
Hearing the voice behind him, Lucius Malfoy slowly turned around.
A warm smile spread across his face.
“Young Master Adrian Ambrosius.”
“It’s been quite some time.”
Adrian Ambrosius waved dismissively.
“You were an old friend of my father’s.”
“You’re my elder.”
“There’s no need for such formality between us.”
Lucius merely smiled without replying.
No need for formality?
I’d be courting disaster if I actually believed that.
The Malfoy family was, after all, one of Britain’s Sacred Twenty-Eight families.
But in terms of status and influence, it still fell well short of the Ambrosius family at its peak.
After Voldemort’s downfall, Lucius had relied on the Malfoy fortune to quickly establish himself as one of the most influential figures in the recovering wizarding world.
His connections extended across both legal and underground circles.
Yet just when everyone believed the Ambrosius family had declined beyond recovery…
An unbelievable prodigy had emerged.
At the age of nine, Adrian Ambrosius had reclaimed and reorganized the family’s once-fragmented business empire.
Today, nearly half the shops in Diagon Alley belonged to the young lord of the Ambrosius family.
The Malfoy fortune had not appeared overnight.
Lucius also owned countless estates and businesses.
But now, even the future development of the Malfoy family had to take the Ambrosius family’s attitude into consideration.
After all…
The boy standing before him effectively controlled the commercial lifeline of the very district where the Malfoys conducted much of their business.