"This… this ring can really do what you said?" Dawlish asked in disbelief.
Ivan didn't reply. He channeled his magic into his protective ring, and almost at once, a pale barrier of magic enveloped him.
The barrier was semi-transparent, and if they hadn't been standing so close and had good eyesight, Dawlish would never have seen it.
"Expelliarmus!" Dawlish extended her wand and shot a red beam of light at Ivan. It had the same effect as the Protective Ring, and in an instant the spell was repelled.
Due to the close proximity, Dawlish, an elite Auror, was unable to evade the reflected spell and her wand flew out of her hand.
Ivan reached out to catch the wand that was flying towards him, then handed it back to Dawlish. The barrier lasted for about two seconds before it disappeared. It could not be activated continuously for a short period of time, as it would greatly increase the likelihood that the ring would break.
When he saw Ivan's relaxed manner, Dawlish's eyes lit up with envy.
"How much is this protective ring?"
"Seventy Galleons!" Ivan said, smiling at the bait. He had offered Doggett an in-house price, so it was only natural that it was more expensive to sell officially.
Dawlish hesitated. It would not be cheap… he had worked for over a decade and had not been able to save much Galleon…
"This is the only protective ring in the shop for the time being. Once it's sold, who knows how long we'll have to wait before we can buy it again!" Ivan said calmly.
"I'll buy it!" Dawlish said without hesitation.
He could still afford seventy Galleons!
However, there was only one protective ring, and it worked so well that Dawlish felt lucky that he had arrived early. Otherwise, it would have been bought by his colleagues.
With this in mind, Dawlish eagerly took out all the Galleons she had brought with her from the pocket of her wizarding robes, but when she counted them she realised, to her embarrassment, that they were not enough.
After all, seventy Galleons was not a small amount of money. He would not have brought so much money with him unless he wanted to buy something.
"How much money do you have? Quick, give it to me so that I can pool it together!" Dawlish turned around and said to the two new Aurors.
Captain: Aren't we here to investigate the proliferation of dark magical objects?
Ellison opened her mouth, but when she saw Dawlish's eagerness, she swallowed her words and fumbled for some gold Galleons in her pocket.
Dawlish took it from her and, after a quick count, decided it wasn't enough. She turned to Sunny, the female Auror.
"Seventy Galleons? Isn't that a bit expensive?" Sunny whispered to Dawlish.
This was enough for her to buy a dozen bottles of Charm Potions…
"You look like you're buying a ring, but sometimes you're buying your life!" Dawlish said, shaking her head at the confused looks on their faces.
As a senior Auror of the Ministry of Magic, Dawlish had been in the job for over a decade, even fighting in the last Wizarding War.
Capturing dangerous Dark Wizards was part of his daily routine, but unlike these novices, he knew that Aurors were an extremely risky profession!
"Alas… I have seen many colleagues die tragically under the Dark Wizard's spell because they were too slow to cast their spells when in danger. If the entire Ministry of Magic had been equipped with defensive magical items, they would not have died." Dawlish could not help but sigh.
Ivan nodded in satisfaction. He was going to say that, but coming from Dawlish, it would naturally work better.
Ellison and Sunny were stunned. They had not expected Aurors to be so dangerous.
Ellison, in particular, was already wondering if he should pay for a protective ring as well. Although there was only one of these for the time being, he could save up first, right?
"You're Aurors?" Ivan asked, trying to look surprised at their reaction.
Dawlish had made it clear that he was no fool, and that he needed to react.
"Of course, little brother. Do you see this dress?" Sunny said proudly, pointing at her uniform.
"That's so cool! My biggest dream after I graduated was to become an Auror!" Ivan said, his eyes shining with envy.
"Then you'll have to work hard. The Ministry of Magic is very strict, and only the truly elite are allowed in!" Sunny was very impressed, and her eyes narrowed with joy. It had taken her a long time to get into Auror.
Dawlish nodded in agreement.
After hearing so many of Ivan's products, Dawlish became suspicious of the information he had been given by the Ministry of Magic, as it was more like a normal wizarding shop with its own style.
Having so many interesting magical tools was completely unnecessary for the sale of dark magical objects.
This, coupled with the fact that Ivan had returned his wand immediately after taking it from him, dispelled many of Dawlish's doubts.
If the other party had any ill intentions, that would be the best time to strike…
"By the way, why did your mother open the shop in Knockturn Alley?" Dawlish asked as she crouched down and looked Ivan in the eye.
"Because … poor, of course!" Ivan said with a shrug.
'Poor?'
Dawlish didn't know how to respond to that, which made sense. After all, who would stay at Knockturn Alley if not for that?
Still …
Dawlish looked at the protective ring in his hand and then at the bag of Galleons he had just handed to Ivan.
Was it really so poor to run a wizarding shop? Why didn't he believe it?
Ivan saw the Auror Captain's hesitation and explained.
"My mother had seen too many witches and wizards persecuted by the Dark Arts, and had devoted much of her time and energy to the study of the Dark Arts.
"The research cost of a magical tool is very high. It will take at least a few years, thousands of Galleons, and countless failures to obtain the corresponding formula. We have only recently achieved some results, so…"
"There's no profit in it!" said Ivan at last.
Dawlish nodded. It seemed that a high-end magical item like a protective ring was really cheap for seventy Galleons.
Who was the bastard who said in the Ministry that this was a shop for the Dark Arts?
This was obviously a shop of conscience!
Doesn't the heart of the rumormonger ache?
(PS: The League Master is a little special. He releases two chapters a round, so today's two chapters are for Huan Yu.)