Chapter 14: Chapter 14: Farewell and Return
Upon confirming that Ino genuinely had no interest in the coins, Old John securely tied the money pouch with the rope once more.
"Thank you for your story last night. It made me change my mind. I suppose you already guessed it; these are the matches my daughter left behind, her only memento."
Ino also noticed that compared to the relieved Old John from last night after unburdening himself, the current Old John seemed more like someone reborn after finding redemption.
Even when mentioning his daughter's memento, there was no longer the previous regret and sadness.
"But... what made you give me this large bundle of new matches again? So, I thought I'd leave it to you, and also let the story of 'The Little Match Girl' be passed down in this land."
Old John laughed heartily, his laughter seemingly breaking through the clouds.
...
Outside the town, a narrow gravel road.
Don't judge this road by its narrowness, even though it's barely wide enough for a carriage to pass through, it is the only road leading to the nearby city.
"Old John, you can stop here. Really," Ino advised gently.
Having spent a month together day and night, he understood the mindset of the old man in front of him very well. His appearance... was really familiar.
It was like when he had been working outside for a whole year, briefly reuniting with his grandmother during the Lunar New Year. When the holiday ended, at the moment of departure, the scene of the elderly grandmother seeing him off lingered in his mind.
From home to the doorstep, from the doorstep to the village entrance... Even when the carriage had driven far away, the old person still stood there, unwilling to leave for a long time.
"Alright! I'm going to start a new journey, trying to follow the footsteps of spring. And you should also embark on your own story. May I still hear your legend from afar."
"Goodbye! Old John!"
To avoid the melancholy of parting, after saying goodbye, Ino did not look back and stepped onto this long gravel road.
On the other side, Old John did not respond, just stood quietly in place, waving his aged arms as if bidding farewell.
After a while, Ino suddenly heard from behind a distant poem.
It was Old John's voice, although the tone was somewhat awkward, it was undoubtedly the rhythm used by troubadours.
The voice was deep and loud. Even though the distance was great, Ino could still hear the contents of the poem clearly. It was a blessing from people to distant traveling sons.
...
London, by the Thames.
"I really didn't expect you still had this trick up your sleeve..."
Ino returned to his original world once again, planning to simply cook lunch and rest a bit, then go out to buy groceries in the afternoon.
But unexpectedly, when he opened his luggage, he found a familiar item hidden inside.
Old John's money pouch filled with coins.
This discovery truly left him somewhat bemused. Despite all calculations, he had never expected Old John to still possess such ability. He could quietly slip the money pouch into his luggage without Ino noticing.
Moved as he was, he felt more fortunate. If he had noticed it, he would never have brought it out, no matter what.
But now, in this way... unintentionally, it turned out to be the most perfect solution.
Not only did he bypass the rules of the magical world to get a bag of coins, he also did not foster any greed in his heart, achieving the best of both worlds.
As for Old John's future livelihood, he was not worried at all.
As the next 'protagonist' in the puzzle of the town, to say something inappropriate, even if everyone in the town were extinct, Old John would still manage to survive unscathed.
"This solves the immediate problem... Thank you, Old John!"
Looking at the coins in front of him, Ino silently thanked him, then carefully put the money pouch into his jacket.
With this money, his only thought now was to sell all those second-hand items and exchange them all for new ones.
Especially that worn-out plain robe. If not for embarrassment, he wouldn't have picked it up from the ground.
"I'll buy a new robe, a new crucible, and maybe book a room at the Leaky Cauldron Inn..."
Ino calculated how to spend while considering the exchange rate at Gringotts. With a pouch full of coins, it would be enough for him until graduation, of course, provided he didn't squander it.
...
Diagon Alley.
Unlike the hurried visit last time, Ino clearly came with a playful attitude this time.
Of course, he didn't forget the purpose of this trip. The first stop was the wizarding bank chain—Gringotts Wizarding Bank.
Once again entering this magnificent marble hall, where a hundred or so small Goblins, each less than two feet tall, were seated behind a long row of counters. They were either weighing coins on bronze scales or carefully examining gemstones through magnifying glasses.
In any case, these Goblins seemed to have endless work, appearing extremely busy.
"I need to exchange some Galleons! But first, you need to tell me the exchange rate."
Ino approached the counter, taking out a gold coin from his pocket.
The unique sound of gold immediately made the somewhat impatient Goblin switch to a flattering expression and said, "Of course! Esteemed customer, the exchange rate at Gringotts has always been transparent."
"That's good to hear!" Ino placed the gold coin on the counter and urged, "My time is precious! I think you should know what to do."
Ino's tone was somewhat arrogant, but the Goblin opposite him had a habitual expression. It saw the young wizard across from him dressed a bit... excessively simply.
However, the composed and confident demeanor was something many pure-blood children couldn't possess.
"I'll weigh and calculate for you as quickly as possible! It won't take long."
The Goblin's smile became even brighter. It was clear that in working at Gringotts, identifying the customer's identity just by appearance was far from enough. With this in mind, it immediately began its work.
Color, weight, hardness...
After a series of operations, the Goblin could be a hundred percent sure. The gold coin in front of it was pure gold, but what troubled it was that this coin looked like an antique with some history. If it were exchanged solely based on its gold content...
After some consideration, greed ultimately overcame reason, and the Goblin cautiously said:
"The purity of the coin is quite impressive, and the total weight reaches 1.2 ounces, so... this coin can be exchanged for 145 Galleons."
Upon hearing this, Ino quickly calculated in his mind. He had done some research before coming. In 1991, the international gold price was $350 per ounce, and the exchange rate between dollars and pounds was 1:1.95.
"Over 800 pounds for 145 Galleons, that's a fair price."
After silently calculating, Ino made up his mind. He immediately took out two more gold coins from his pocket and said, "Help me exchange these as well."
But what he didn't know was that this casual move left the Goblin opposite him somewhat conflicted.
At this moment, the Goblin seemed to wear a painful mask. After hesitating for a few seconds, it spoke softly:
"In fact... this coin could be considered an antique. But first, you need to tell me its history, and..."
"No need! It's just a crafted item, exchange it based on its gold content," Ino interrupted the Goblin.
He had considered this issue, but making up a history just to get more money would be the most foolish act.
After all, having a few hundred grams of extra gold in the magical world was harmless, but inventing an undiscovered history would attract unwanted attention.
...
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