"Oh, I almost forgot about this!"
Seeing Wade's pencil case, Steven slapped his forehead, and then quickly left the bedroom and returned shortly with a brown pouch. He said:
"Occamies are highly sensitive to the scent of their kind. You'll need to put your pencil case in this pouch, or it might get attacked by the Occamies on the farm."
"Alright." Wade took the pouch, and habitually glanced at the magical runes and spell combinations on it.
"Is this Professor Murray's work?"
"Yeah... how did you figure that out?" Steven asked, puzzled.
"Every alchemist's work has their own unique style. If you're familiar with it, you can recognize it at a glance," Wade explained.
Steven: "..."
Is there really any noticeable difference between this brown deerskin pouch and those sold in stores?
Steven didn't quite understand, but he was used to not overthinking things outside his areas of expertise.
...
You could travel directly from Alsophila Manor to Granian Farm via Floo Powder—Steven's farm was named after the Granian (a type of flying horse), clearly expressing his wishful thinking.
In the morning, Wade stretched in the sunlight, feeling his bones crackle.
He walked along the small paths between the red brick cottages, stretching his muscles as he went.
When he arrived at the farm last night, it was already dark. After washing up, he went straight to bed in the guest room, so today was his first chance to properly explore the farm.
Unlike the grand castle of Alsophila Manor, the farm had only about a dozen red brick cottages, making it feel like a small, remote village from ancient times.
The farm was nestled between mountains and rivers, offering stunning scenery and incredibly fresh air.
Simple fences, shrubs, and cedar trees divided the farm into different areas, while wild grass and colorful flowers were scattered throughout, giving the place a peaceful and beautiful atmosphere.
Granian Farm, like all places where wizards live, is protected by Concealment Charms and Repelling Spells, so it doesn't even exist on Muggle maps.
As a result, it hasn't been tainted by the modern world's rapid technological development, the smell of steel and gasoline was absent from this place. It's practically a paradise for animals, where humans rarely tread.
Among the trees, little blue birds flitted about joyfully, though they made no sound. Hidden in the thickets were tear-shaped nests, and a vulture-like bird poked its head out from one of them, folding its dark green wings with a grumpy expression.
Some creatures, green and resembling a mix between frogs and lizards, squatted on branches or hid beneath leaves. They had devilish grins, red pustules on their heads, and mouths full of sharp teeth, giving them a less-than-friendly appearance.
"These are Clabbert," Steven said, walking up behind Wade.
He extended his hand, and one of the initially unfriendly Clabbert jumped onto his palm, its lizard-like tail gently wrapping around his thumb.
Steven stroked its head, saying, "If they sense danger, the pustules on their head lights up red. That's why their pustules are one of the ingredients for making potions."
He moved his hand near a branch and gave a slight shake, allowing the Clabbert to hop back into the foliage, quickly vanishing among the leaves.
A Bowtruckle, which had just been stepped on by the Clabbert, slowly shifted its body, causing the leaves on its head to tremble slightly.
"This place is fascinating," Wade remarked. "I'm starting to understand why you want to be a Magizoologist."
"Yeah. This world is rich and vibrant because of creatures like them," Steven said with a soft sigh. "But habitats suitable for magical creatures are shrinking, and it's getting harder to protect them. Even dragons can't escape unscathed if discovered by Muggles."
"That's why I'm doing everything I can to provide a safe, undisturbed space for them. I hope more people realize that protecting magical creatures is both important and rewarding."
"A noble goal," Wade said. "If there's ever anything I can do to help, don't hesitate to ask."
Steven grinned, delighted. "When the time comes, I'll definitely ask for help without hesitation! Considering—"
He suddenly fell silent, his eyes fixed on something behind Wade.
There was a strange crackling sound coming from the leaves, followed by the chirping of birds, flapping their wings as they all took off at once.
Wade turned around and saw a massive creature, bluish-gray in color, with an apparent diameter of at least three meters, slowly gliding through the forest.
Upon closer inspection, its body wasn't even touching the ground; it was actually flying.
"Don't be scared. It's a Occamy, you know, they don't eat people," Steven said softly, placing a hand on Wade's shoulder. "It's a bit skittish, so let's not disturb it."
Suddenly, the Occamy shot forward, its beak-like snout snapping up a blue bird.
It extended its neck and swallowed the bird, and in no time, its massive body shrank down to the size of a regular python. It slithered through the gaps between the trees, eventually coiling around a tall pine tree.
As it shrank even further, it hid beneath a leaf, becoming almost invisible.
"Let's go," Steven said. "It'll take some time to digest."
After walking a bit farther, Wade asked, "I thought you might stop it from hunting the Jobberknoll."
Steven shook his head. "Protecting magical creatures doesn't mean caging them up with plenty of food. I just want to keep them from being harmed by humans, but their natural predator-prey relationships shouldn't be forcibly altered."
Wade nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "Maintaining a farm like this must be costly, right? If you need funds, I can help."
With the Galleons in his vault multiplying every second, it seemed pointless to leave them idle. Putting them to good use for a meaningful cause made more sense.
"There's no need for that," Steven replied with a smile. "The house-elves gather the feathers, scales, discarded snake skins, and shed horns from the magical creatures. Selling those brings in a hefty sum, enough to maintain the farm."
He grinned proudly like a child. "Don't underestimate me... I'm quite the wealthy man! I only needed my father's support for the first two years of the farm. After that, it became self-sustaining."
"How many species of magical creatures do you have here?" Wade asked curiously.
"Well..." Steven paused, thinking for a moment before answering, "There must be at least twenty or thirty... But I can't say for sure. Some creatures move in quietly when I'm not paying attention."
"The newcomers are usually more cautious. Sometimes, I don't even notice them until they've already settled in with their families. As long as they don't cause any trouble, I tend to leave them be."
But for the magical creatures that had been living there for a long time—like the Clabbert—they saw Steven as a companion or even a protector and were quite close to him.
Wade imagined that kind of life, and even though he didn't have as much passion for magical creatures, he felt a sense of longing.
Steven checked the time and said, "Your friends should be arriving soon. Let's go meet them."
--------------------------------
🙏🙏Please consider supporting this translation project by becoming a P@treon member!!!
Your support is greatly appreciated!
Available on my P@treon page for just $4!!
Early access to the following translations:-
⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- +95 Chapters & 2 Chapters/Day
⭐MCU: Druid's Adventures (MCUDA)(⭐COMPLETE⭐) - Total Chapter 460
⭐Famous Police Detective in Detective World (FPDDW)- +165 advance chapters
⭐Marvel: Little Genius (MLG) (⭐COMPLETE⭐) - Total Chapter 450
p@treon.com/Lightreaper457
--------------------------------