Chapter Ninety-Nine: When the Capitalist Descends Upon the Magical Realm (Second Update)

“Mr. Scamander, pleased to meet you. I’m Carn Pent. Thank you again for speaking with Headmaster Dumbledore on my behalf last time...”

Carn’s words trailed off as he suddenly noticed something odd in Newt Scamander’s gaze. Scamander didn’t respond but kept looking at him intently.

“Mr. Scamander?”

Hearing Carn’s call, Newt snapped out of his trance and glanced down at the bowtruckle crawling on the floor beside him. Smiling, he said, “Sorry, Mr. Pent. I’m getting on in years and sometimes drift off like that.”

“That’s quite alright. But Mr. Scamander, you seem to be in excellent spirits.”

After exchanging polite words, Scamander led Carn to the sitting room by the fireplace, where tea and pastries had been prepared in advance.

Newt’s wife was not home, so it was just the two of them in the house.

Not long after they sat down, Newt asked, “Mr. Pent, I can guess there’s another matter bringing you here. Does it have anything to do with Dumbledore?”

“This time, it’s not related to Headmaster Dumbledore. It’s a personal matter,” Carn smiled and continued, “Among the people I know, only Mr. Scamander is familiar with the Romanian Dragon Reserve, so I hoped you might introduce me to someone there.”

“The Romanian Dragon Reserve?”

Carn nodded. “Yes. I want to take over the contract for all the fire dragon materials produced there. I hope you can put me in touch with the right people.”

“I see. The Romanian Dragon Reserve does sell a considerable amount of fire dragon materials externally each year. Raising fire dragons isn’t an easy task. There are significant losses annually, and the support from various magical ministries isn’t sufficient to cover the reserve’s expenses. That’s why Bill, the former manager, decided to sell some fire dragon materials as supplies for the reserve...”

Scamander slowly explained the situation of the reserve. Bill must have been the previous manager.

Managing the Romanian Dragon Reserve is no small feat. They must prevent fire dragons from running amok, fend off dark wizards poaching dragons, and yet the pay for dragon keepers isn’t as high as for Aurors. So, shortage of staff and funds has always been a headache.

After hearing about the reserve, Carn nodded thoughtfully. “If that’s the case, Mr. Scamander, perhaps I can help solve some of their problems.”

“If Bill heard that, he’d be delighted... Well then, I’ll accompany you. I can ask some acquaintances to arrange the international Floo network for us.” Scamander said with a smile.

“Thank you very much, Mr. Scamander.”

Carn should have been pleased by the agreement, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that Scamander’s gaze was peculiar. After sipping his tea, Carn felt compelled to ask, “Mr. Scamander, is there something unusual about me?”

Scamander’s cloudy eyes brightened instantly. “Yes, you noticed it too?”

Carn almost choked on his tea. He was just being polite, but Scamander had taken it seriously.

“My bowtruckle has a special sense. It doesn’t react much to powerful wizards, only to formidable magical creatures. That’s why it behaved this way...” Scamander gestured toward the bowtruckle still crouched low, its head nearly buried in the carpet as if trying to disappear.

“Could it be asleep?”

Carn asked. Scamander tapped the bowtruckle’s head gently with his wand. The creature peeked out slightly, then sank back down.

“...Amazing, Mr. Pent. Even Dumbledore’s attempts to touch them usually end with a claw swipe, yet yours...” Scamander withdrew his wand, eyes gleaming with fascination. “It’s submission. Yes, genuine submission.”

“Alright, Mr. Scamander. I think I know why. I can tell you.”

Carn snapped his fingers, and the pastries on the table floated over into his hand.

“I’m no longer powerless. I’ve used phoenix and fire dragon blood, allowing me to wield magic and gain stronger power. Heh, your bowtruckle has a keen sense. No one else can perceive the magic within me.”

With that, Carn cast a levitation charm, bringing the bowtruckle onto his lap, and gently stroked its long fur.

“Performing wandless magic and silent spells simultaneously is rare, even among powerful Aurors. Mr. Pent, your magical talent rivals some of the mightiest magical creatures.”

Scamander shook his head in disbelief. Had he not seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have believed it. Using phoenix and fire dragon blood explained the sensation he had—the young man before him truly felt like a magical creature.

Using the bowtruckle was just an excuse for Scamander; he wanted to confirm his intuition. Having spent decades with magical beasts, Scamander was arguably the foremost expert in the British magical community.

Upon meeting Carn, Scamander sensed this immediately and confirmed it step by step through the bowtruckle’s behavior.

His curiosity piqued, Scamander waved his wand to firmly close the doors and windows, citing the old house’s draftiness as a reason. Carn didn’t believe the flimsy excuse but stayed, allowing Scamander to answer many questions. Such encounters could only happen to him, and Scamander’s reputation was good—not like those dark wizards.

Carn demonstrated his formidable magic, near-natural control, and even his fire-breathing ability.

When Carn exhaled flames, Scamander nearly jumped for joy, even setting down his wand to circle around him twice.

This behavior only subsided when Scamander’s wife Tina returned.

Carn took the opportunity to take his leave, fearing that if he stayed any longer, Scamander might start treating him like a magical creature.

After Carn left, Scamander sat down and took out a quill and paper, quickly writing:

“Dear Dumbledore, regarding your recent inquiry about recommending a suitable wizard for Defense Against the Dark Arts, I met an intriguing young man today. You might know him...”

...

The trip to the Romanian Dragon Reserve went smoothly. Although they encountered local Aurors during entry questioning, it had nothing to do with Carn—it was all Scamander’s doing.

Fortunately, Scamander hadn’t brought his signature suitcase, so after a brief lecture on magical creature regulations, the Aurors let Scamander and Carn proceed.

Thanks to Scamander’s introduction, Carn met with Gates, the current manager of the reserve.

Without beating around the bush, Carn stated his purpose: to contract all fire dragon materials produced in Romania, including those from fire dragons that might go rogue and be killed each year—he intended to buy them all.

Gates instinctively hesitated; such a plan sounded reckless. But Carn anticipated this reaction and explained the benefits:

A fixed, centralized sales channel would save the reserve from having to entertain numerous buyers yearly, cutting down on hassle.

Carn pledged a donation of seven thousand galleons annually to the reserve.

He also promised to double the price for fire dragon materials.

Upon hearing these last two points, Gates was tempted. With ample galleon income, they could recruit more dragon keepers and purchase protective magical items, better defending against dark wizards poaching dragons.

They could also improve conditions for dragons and keepers, aiding dragon reproduction. Gates’s sole responsibility would be to sell all the reserve’s fire dragon materials to Carn.

The only concern was that other European wizards also purchased fire dragon materials, some of whom were close friends.

Carn addressed this by offering Gates membership cards to his magical materials shop, allowing Gates’s friends priority access to purchase fire dragon materials.

This eased Gates’s worries and promised more income and a brighter future for the Romanian Dragon Reserve.

Carn would monopolize fire dragon materials across Europe, bundling them with other magical supplies at his shop—one reason he had Kettler buy two storefronts.

After some thought, Gates agreed to Carn’s terms. Carn, aware of his potential profit, drafted a powerful magical contract with the reserve and set breach penalties at 800,000 galleons.

When stating this figure, Carn spoke with impressive gravity, telling Gates that if he failed to purchase materials as agreed, the contract would enforce severe consequences.

Moved, Gates signed decisively.

With the contract in place, Carn’s path to monopolizing magical materials in Europe had begun.

Back home, he planned to buy vast quantities of magical ingredients, first monopolizing Britain, then expanding to other countries.

Once other regions couldn’t buy fire dragon materials elsewhere, they’d have to come to Carn’s shop in Diagon Alley. Fire dragon materials were among the most versatile magical ingredients—Dumbledore himself had identified twelve uses for dragon blood alone, not to mention dragon meat and hearts.

With the Romanian Dragon Reserve deal settled, Carn and Scamander returned to Britain via the international Floo network.

Before parting, Scamander said, “Mr. Pent, I imagine you’ll be quite busy now. But when you have free time, you’re always welcome to visit Dorset.”

“Of course, Mr. Scamander. I will.”