The Traveling Wizard of Worlds

"Just luck," August said indifferently.

"I wish I had that kind of luck," the Old Man muttered, visibly unconvinced, then pulled out a magnifying glass to examine the egg.

"Excellent, the embryo in this egg is fully developed; it seems it will be a powerful Fire Dragon," the Old Man said with delight. "Nobles who need a guardian for their family vault will love it."

"Since you've seen it, please state your terms," August interrupted his monologue.

"Hmm—" the Old Man looked at him, revealing a seemingly friendly smile, "Sir, you want a Dragon Heart, right?"

August nodded; wasn't that why he was here?

"Sir, you have no money, so how about we make an exchange?" the Old Man proposed, and then called through a door behind him. "Eiffelduo, bring the Dragon Heart, yesterday's one!"

Footsteps were heard from the inner room, and soon a tall man appeared with an ice-covered object in his hand. He placed it on the table, next to the Dragon Egg.

"This is a Dragon Heart. It needs to be kept fresh; it's useless if it spoils," the Old Man pointed to the head-sized, heart-shaped object on the table. "It arrived yesterday, from an adult Welsh Green Dragon. One for one, how does that sound?"

"Mr. Tom, as far as I know, the price of a Dragon Heart doesn't compare to that of a guaranteed-to-hatch Dragon Egg, does it?" August smiled; he had inquired about the market.

"But you can't sell the Dragon Egg, can you?" The Old Man also laughed.

"I guess we have nothing to discuss, Mr. Tom, you're clearly lacking sincerity," August said, preparing to leave.

"Don't leave yet, we can discuss the price further," the Old Man said, pulling him back.

"So, how about this? This Dragon Heart plus 800 Galleons for two of your Dragon Eggs, how does that sound?" The Old Man wanted to exchange all his Dragon Eggs, and August was sure he would suffer a great loss at that price.

"Heh, heh..." August scoffed, immediately putting the Dragon Eggs back in his case. "How about this? I'll give you 1200 Galleons to get me two Dragon Eggs."

"Sir, I have shown plenty of sincerity." The Old Man saw that August was completely dissatisfied and unwilling to offer a higher price, so he directly threatened him: "Don't forget, dragon eggs are forbidden for trade."

"..."

"As long as Eiffelduo reports it, countless wizards will come to apprehend you," he said triumphantly, as if he had August cornered.

"And you? Don't forget, you were the one who wanted to exchange dragon eggs!"

"I'm upholding wizarding law! I'm posing as a merchant wanting to buy dragon eggs to expose poachers. After all, Old Tom has been in business for decades and has never sold an illegal item, so it's understandable to go undercover to lure out offenders," the Old Man said shamelessly.

August didn't believe this man was an honest, law-abiding merchant; this guy was just threatening him.

"Alright, I agree, but I'll only sell one: the Dragon Heart plus 200 Galleons," August suddenly had an idea. He feigned weakness.

The Old Man and Eiffelduo exchanged glances, then he said, "Okay, so be it. Who can blame me, Old Tom, for being so accommodating?"

He pushed the Dragon Heart towards August and then tapped the table.

August took out one Dragon Egg and pushed it towards him, then picked up the frozen Dragon Heart and put it back in his case.

"Transaction complete, I'll take my leave," August stood to depart.

"Sir, perhaps you should reconsider. If you also plan to sell the other Dragon Egg, Old Tom's door will always be open for you," the Old Man said with half-hearted sincerity, still concerned about the Dragon Egg he hadn't acquired.

Once August left, the old man said to the expressionless Eiffelduo, "Go ask Marriescu where this guy came from. If he has no background..."

His eyes turned fierce, and he nodded towards Eiffelduo.

Marriescu was the intermediary who brought August here, also the owner of the inn where August was staying.

Eiffelduo calmly nodded, taking out his wand and stroking it: "Understood."

This wasn't the first time he had done something like this. Romania wasn't a peaceful place, and recently, due to Grindelwald, regulations had become a bit stricter. However, Old Tom had been operating there for decades and had seen all sorts of situations; he had never failed to get what he wanted.

If that young wizard had no family, Eiffelduo could send him to meet Merlin. If he had a background, they would simply rob him first and cast an [Obliviate Charm]. With the network of contacts he had cultivated here for decades, there shouldn't be any danger of being discovered.

The Old Man devised a malicious plan and dispatched his only subordinate, Eiffelduo.

Eiffelduo was a Dark Wizard who was rescued by Tom when he was being pursued by Aurors. Tom promised him a new identity on the condition that he serve him. For this, Tom used the [Fidelius Charm], becoming the Secret-Keeper. To avoid revealing his identity, Eiffelduo changed his appearance and became his dependent, specifically performing his covert work.

Eiffelduo, as a Dark Wizard who managed to escape after being surrounded by several people, his strength was unquestionable. To this day, many who believed they could take advantage of Tom have been double-crossed.

Two days later, at the inn where August was staying.

"Is he upstairs?" the old man asked the innkeeper, Marriescu.

"Yes, Mr. Tom, that wizard has been in his room since he returned from your place that day, except for meals," the innkeeper said humbly. In front of Tom, he was nothing.

This materials shop owner, named Tom, had a warm face but a black heart and even blacker hands; his shop had been used by them as a place for illicit business for a long time.

Furthermore, they had threatened him that if he dared to report them, it wouldn't go well for him. After that, Tom also gave him a sum of money to send him strangers who needed to buy rare materials, with a commission for each person.

The innkeeper, obsessed with money, thus struck a deal with Tom. His inn had already caused the death of many travelers, but Tom was very cunning in his methods, and always attacked only solitary wizards.

"Everyone else on that floor has already left, he's the only one there, so be careful," the innkeeper was a little scared, but the bag of golden Galleons in his hand had already dazzled his eyes.

"You can go first, we'll handle it cleanly," Tom told the innkeeper before he left.

"Same as usual, you make the move, I'll cast the Silencing Charm," Tom pulled out his wand.

Eiffelduo said nothing, nodding silently, then pulled out his wand and pointed it at August's door lock: "[Alohomora]!"

He whispered softly, and the door lock instantly clicked open.

"[Silencing Charm]!" Tom's wand pointed at August's room. "Hurry, the mountain dragons will soon get their meal."

Eiffelduo pushed the door open and entered. No sound could be heard in the room, which had been subjected to a Silencing Charm.

He saw a figure on the bed, whose chest continued to rise and fall. He scoffed, slowly approached, and thought he was sleeping soundly despite the imminent death.

Tom, outside, seeing such a scene, closed the door. Although he liked to betray and kill, he didn't like seeing blood at all.

Eiffelduo opened his mouth and began to silently recite a spell. Of course, most wizards cannot cast spells silently, but Eiffelduo was an experienced Dark Wizard who had spent half his life mastering the technique of silent spells; opening his mouth was just an instinctive reaction.

Just as he was about to use a spell to decapitate the sleeping wizard, August, who was on the bed, suddenly opened his eyes. His bright eyes revealed a long-awaited look in the darkness.

"I've been waiting for you for a long time!"

Eiffelduo read August's lips, and then he only saw a bright blue light.