Darren quietly lamented about Dumbledore.
He nearly wanted to hang a picture of Dumbledore on his tombstone.
Yet, outwardly, he remained a simple boy, innocent and naïve.
Presently, he was "a poor little man with no prior exposure to magic," completely oblivious to what Dumbledore might say next.
So, with an innocent expression, he tilted his head and inquired:
"Why apologize? Is it because I wasn't discovered earlier? It doesn't matter; I'm very happy. I like it here a lot, even Kenli is very likable."
Indeed, from that guy, he should be able to boost his Father's value.
Perhaps he could exploit the Holy Father act to bully that guy while pretending to be the benevolent savior.
It might not be long before he becomes the first person in the wizarding world.
Recalling Kenli's pitiful expression just now, Darren almost burst into laughter.
[Ding,discovered that the host used the Father′s Light on its own for the first time, rewarding the host with a Phoenix Beast egg and father value +100]
Huh?
A Phoenix pet beast egg?
Oh, a Phoenix!
Dumbledore had a Phoenix, and there were rumors that Dumbledore possessed a Phoenix bloodline, allowing him to attract a Phoenix. However, he didn't expect to have one.
Darren smiled with excitement.
He wanted to reveal the reward now, but seeing Dumbledore, he could only roll his eyes and continue the charade.
Dumbledore, of course, didn't notice Darren's expression.
He only saw the kindness and generosity that Darren exuded.
Despite the hardships he faced here, enduring bullying and even hunger, he remained as pure-hearted as ever.
When Darren said, "Even Kenli is very likable," he unintentionally echoed Dumbledore's belief in the power of love.
At that moment, he hoped to enlighten Darren about the harsh realities of the world.
However, Dumbledore resisted acting on that thought.
Otherwise, the renowned white wizard might find himself reconsidering his convictions.
Smiling, Dumbledore said, "Dear child, I don't need to say it; obviously, you've understood that love is the greatest force in this world. As long as you believe in it, the world will be beautiful."
Darren feigned understanding, nodding along.
Dumbledore didn't believe he would grasp it immediately either.
Laughing, Dumbledore placed his arm around Darren's shoulder and suggested, "Let's go, dear little Darren. Perhaps we should visit your dean's office and have a discussion with her about you."
The dean's wife, named Linda, was the strictest teacher in the entire orphanage.
The fabricated memories Darren concocted did not exaggerate her actions. She had genuinely starved the original owner many times, leaving him without food for two or three days each time.
This was due to the original owner's minor transgressions, such as pointing out someone stealing on the street, which disturbed the would-be thief. In retaliation, the thief beat him with a rake.
After inheriting the original owner's memories, Darren couldn't help but marvel at the cruelty of Lady Linda. What left a more lasting impression, however, was her adeptness at extracting money.
Lady Linda frequently took the children from the orphanage to charity events. There, these children would charm well-off ladies into making substantial donations.
However, the funds didn't entirely benefit the orphanage; only a fraction was allocated to add some libraries exclusive to non-orphans.
The rest of the money went to Lady Linda's son, studying in France, with hopes that he would return to live an upper-class life.
Darren was malnourished during his stay, and by the age of eleven, he might have been thinner than Harry Potter.
Despite the circumstances, Darren managed to win the favor of some new teachers through sweet-talking, earning him an extra piece or two of bread daily.
Following Darren to Lady Linda's residence, Dumbledore hoped to give her a lesson.
He frowned, maintaining a stern expression, and, turning to Darren, said coldly, "Darren is my friend's child, and I finally found him today. I need to take him away."
Lady Linda, on the other hand, put on an exaggerated, pretentious show, pretending not to recognize Dumbledore:
"Ah! Take Darren with you? Oh my God, is what you say true? Our little Darren is smart and sensible; he's simply a part of our orphanage. If you want to take him away, you have to have a say, right?"
In essence, if you want to take Darren away, you have to pay up!
Whenever Lady Linda had orphans ready for adoption, she always managed to extract some money from those adopters.
Dumbledore's face grew even more serious, but rather than losing his temper, he looked at Darren and forced a fake smile, saying:
"Child, pack your things first. I might need to discuss something."
It was evident that Dumbledore was prepared to teach Lady Linda a lesson. Engaging in trickery with a wizard of such caliber was a mistake Lady Linda seemed not to have learned from yet.
Darren, blinking, initially wanted to leave immediately, anticipating Lady Linda's comeuppance.
However, recalling his own use of the Holy Father's light, he quickly added, "Professor Dumbledore, you don't have to pay for me. I can't let you pay for me..."
[Ding,Father Value+50]
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