66 Chapter 66 - Journey

Asmodeus explained to Rachel how to reach the village of Adastra and where to get the money for purchases there, then departed as he had other places to visit. Seeing Asmodeus leave, Rachel and Marguerite began to prepare. One couldn't enter the magical world looking unkempt! About an hour and a half later, Rachel and Marguerite were ready. If Asmodeus saw Rachel now, he would be surprised;

With her hair done and dressed up. Now she was clearly a 30-year-old beauty.

"Let's go, darling. Mr. Morningstar said we need to get to London. The next train is in 15 minutes; we should hurry up!"

Rachel and Marguerite quickly headed towards the local train station. They needed to reach London at "The Leaky Cauldron" and from there to the village of Adastra using teleportation gates. Sitting on the train, Rachel looked at Marguerite, smiling and happy, and covered her eyes with her hand. She didn't want Marguerite to see her tears.

After Marguerite's father's death, Rachel tried everything to cheer her up and distract her from the loss. Over time, she noticed Marguerite putting on a fake mask of happiness that most adults wear to pretend everything is fine.

However, Marguerite was still a child, and for Rachel as a mother, there's nothing more painful than seeing her child feigning happiness for her peace of mind. Now, Rachel cried because she saw genuine happiness, anticipation, and all the sincere emotions that should be present in a child of her age on Marguerite's face. Rachel quietly cried and wiped away the tears. She promised herself that she would do anything to protect her daughter's genuine smile.

Thirty minutes later, Marguerite and Rachel stood at the entrance of The Leaky Cauldron, which, as it turned out, wasn't difficult to find. A queue of arriving children and their parents formed in front of the bar. Due to this, the old bartender and a few aurors had to cast numerous spells to repel Muggles.

Rachel and Marguerite approached the queue.

"Um, excuse me, is this The Leaky Cauldron?"

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, more people!? Where are you all coming from!? Fine, come in, don't make a line, just come in quickly."

Tom was clearly puzzled and irritated. Every half hour, a queue formed in front of the door, and he just couldn't understand why there were so many Muggle-born wizards this year.

"Okay, come inside in groups of 5 families. I'll find you an escort."

Rachel nodded and headed into the bar with four other families. Inside, they saw a vast space that clearly didn't match the external size of the bar. Seeing the astonishment on the faces of families and their children, a man with a long nose passing by said, "Amazing, isn't it? After Fudge allowed the use of space-stretching spells without additional permits, everyone who could enlarged their living spaces or shops."

"Yes, amazing..."

The man didn't realize that the one who responded wasn't talking about Fudge but about magic itself. Rachel looked towards the entrance where Tom was patrolling and decided to introduce herself to the families assigned to their group.

"Good day, my name is Rachel. I have a small farm near London, and this is my daughter, Marguerite. Are your children also entering ELYSIUM this year?"

She didn't notice that the man who had previously mentioned Fudge had changed his expression from a simple greeting to surprise.

"Good morning, I'm Bob, a history teacher at Oxford, and this is my son, George. But we're entering Hogwarts. Honestly, I didn't know there were several magical schools..."

"I'm Lisa, a housewife. This is my daughter, Elena. She got accepted to the Nurmengard Academy."

"I'm Rosa, and this is my daughter, Melanie. She got enrolled in Charmbaton School."

At this moment, a middle-aged man, clearly military or from a special service, spoke. It was evident from his stance and the fact that one of his hands was always on his hip.

"I'm Frank, a security officer at the Ministry's office. My son, Arthur, got into Elysium based on test results, ranking 105th in the average score. What place did your daughter get in the exam?"

The other parents were surprised; they thought magical schools in the wizarding world accepted anyone who applied, but it turned out not to be the case.

"Um, Marguerite's situation is different. She was admitted directly to the school after a test on magical conductivity or something...…"

The man nodded and fell silent, and the other parents didn't pay much attention to it. However, the man who had mentioned Fudge and those closest to him fell silent.

After some time, wizards in the bar began to quietly talk among themselves.

"Did you hear what she said? Am I imagining things?"

"You heard it too?"

"Yes, she said her daughter was immediately accepted based on a test of magical compatibility."

"That means the girl has a very high level, at least above 7!"

"Oh, us old folks have no place in this new world; geniuses are born everywhere!"

Upon hearing the whispers of the wizards, the Muggle parents looked surprised at what seemed to be an unremarkable quiet girl behind Rachel, except for the fact that she looked a bit cute while hiding behind her mother…...

Fortunately, there were no further questions from the parents, as old Tom returned to the bar, leading three more families and their children. He approached one of the men sitting at the counter and said,

"Hey, Charles. This group with me; you're responsible for them. Take them to Gringotts first, and then sort out the situation. They're going to Diagon Alley; there's no one from ELYSIUM, so there's no point in using the gates."

"And you, Eugene, the first group is on you. Miss Torbils already mentioned that her daughter Marguerite is entering ELYSIUM, so take their group to Omnis Street. By the way, if I hear again that someone complains you forgot someone in a shop! Believe it or not, I'll stop serving whiskey in the bar for a week, and I'll tell all customers it's your fault! Let's see if your nose remains just as long and straight!"

Eugene turned out to be the man who initially spoke with Rachel, and under Tom's threats, he led the parents with a serious expression on his face.

"You heard Old Tom, I'm in charge of you today. Please don't get lost. Follow me; we're not going to Diagon Alley. We have gates here to the village of Adastra."

Eugene led the group into a utility room built specifically for having access to the village of Adastra at any time.

"There are the gates; they always lead to the village of Adastra. I'm going first; all of you follow me!"

Without pausing, Eugene entered the portal and disappeared. The security officer followed him without hesitation, and one by one, the entire group entered.

After a few seconds, Rachel and Marguerite opened their eyes.

"Wow!"

The quiet Marguerite finally showed her emotions. They stood in the middle of the Adastra square. However, unlike when Otto and Anna were here, and the streets other than Omnis Street were semi-empty, they experienced the peak of the shopping season in the magical world. Wizards from various parts of the world flooded the village, now to be called a small city, with a population of over 70,000 wizards!

"All right, don't gawk. We have many places to visit. First, we're going to the Adastra Bank. I don't recommend going to Gringotts as it's not advantageous to exchange Muggle money there."

Eugene immediately moved towards the Adastra Bank. After half an hour, navigating through the crowd, the group finally reached the bank.

"Good morning, esteemed wizards! I am delighted to serve you on this wonderful day. Please tell me how I can assist you?"

Seeing the presentation of the house-elf, Marguerite quietly asked Rachel,

"Mom, who is this? He looks cute."

Rachel, with a wry smile, looked at the house-elf, whom she couldn't describe as cute, and sought help with her gaze from Eugene. However, before he could say anything, the house-elf's voice rang out.

"Oh, lovely sorceress, I am Lulubus, the house-elf. I am very happy that you find me cute!"

Marguerite smiled at Lulubus.

"All right, Lulubus, we have three students from magic schools and two from the ELYSIUM academy. They need to exchange money to go shopping."

"Oh, of course, of course. Here, take these three tickets; this is your place in line. Please don't lose them! And you, esteemed ELYSIUM students, must follow me."

Lulubus handed tickets to the three families, indicating the queue. Then, waving his hand, he led the ELYSIUM applicants.

Walking down a corridor to the right, they saw three tables. A house-elf sat behind each table, counting money.

"Please, miss and mister, take your admission notifications. You'll need them."

After finishing his tasks, Lulubus returned to the registration desk, while Rachel, Frank, Marguerite, and Arthur remained waiting.

Fortunately, the wait was not long. After a couple of minutes, the house-elf gestured for Rachel and Marguerite.

"Good day. Have you come to receive the student allowance for ELYSIUM students?"

"Yes."

"Please provide your enrollment badge."

Rachel nodded and took out a gold diamond-shaped badge with the ELYSIUM school crest on it from her bag. Asmodeus had given it to her before he left.

"Hmm... Class S, fascinating... Can I say that potentially, In Front of me stands a great sorceress on the level of Dumbledore or Mr. Morningstar?"

The house-elf looked surprised at Marguerite, who was smiling at him.

"Mr. Elf, what does Class S mean?"

"Oh, I apologize; I cannot reveal it until you finish your first year of study. But I can tell you that being in Class S comes with many advantages. Regarding the student allowance, this also applies. S class students will receive 200 gold galleons each semester and once a year, 1000 galleons, and it's free of charge. You don't need to repay this money; it is allocated by the school for your own use. You can spend it on your own research, equipment, hobbies, and so on. Well, okay, I'm starting to ramble. So, how much are you withdrawing now? All 1200? If you don't want to carry such an amount with you, you can use the Adastra card. For Class S students, there is no commission or service fee."

"Um, then give us the Adastra card and 300 galleons in cash, and put the remaining 900 into the account."

Rachel quickly agreed; she was already surprised by such a substantial amount. While they walked through the city, she had seen some shops and their prices. If they didn't buy expensive magical transportation, these 300 galleons would easily last Marguerite for a year.

"Alright, sign here, here, and here."

*The sound of a pen scratching on paper.*

"Done, here's your card. Thank you for using our bank."

"And thank you, Mr. Elf!"

Marguerite cheerfully took the card in her hands and ran towards the exit.

"Hey, wait, little one!" Rachel ran after her.

Rachel and Marguerite waited for 20 minutes at the bank entrance. As they understood, being students of the Elysium Academy had a slight privilege. At least according to the stories of the three other families. Though they didn't wait long, they had to stand in line for about 20 minutes since they stood with all the other visitors.

"What's next, big-nosed uncle?"

"I'm not that big-nosed..." Eugene mumbled to himself and said, "We're going to the Leaky Cauldron, and from there, we'll head to Diagon Alley for your shopping."

"Now, we're going to Omnis shopping street. First, we'll visit Ollivander's Wand Shop and the Green family's Magical Weapon Shop. It's your choice here. Master Ollivander has been crafting classic wands for two thousand years, and the Green family is known for being disciples of the greatest alchemist in the world, Mr. Flamel. I can assure you that with a product from either of these shops, you'll be able to use magic perfectly. The question is, what do you prefer? Usually, children from wizarding families buy themselves a magical wand, while people from Muggle families... have rich imaginations. Some order bows, staffs, axes, swords, spears, knives, and so on. In short, if you want to become a magical knight or something similar to the headmaster of the Elysium School, Asmodeus Morningstar, then that's the place for you. He uses two short curved swords in duels... although he also has a staff... In short, of the top five most powerful wizards in the world, three use standard-type wands, and two out of the five use different magical conduits. Except for Mr. Morningstar, Mr. Grindelwald, the director of the Nurmengard Academy, uses a staff. By the way, all druids use staffs, but they are an exception..."

This torrent of information initially confused the parents, but then they listened carefully. Out of the five families, only Marguerite decided to go to the Green family's shop. She said she wanted something unusual.

So, after 10 minutes, the group arrived at their destination. They stood in front of two shops, Ollivander's Wand Shop on the left and the Green family's shop on the right, called "Green's Magical Weapons."

"Okay, meet here in an hour. If you finish earlier, please don't go far, and don't get lost."

Separating from the group for a while, Marguerite and Rachel headed into the shop.

"Ding, ding – the sound of bells."

"Clang, clang – the sound of a blacksmith's forge."

"Hey, Born, we have a visitor, come and assist!"

Entering the shop, Rachel and Marguerite saw something they clearly didn't expect. They thought wizards were elegant and didn't do anything with their hands. Yet here they saw a large man forging a sword or something similar. Between each strike on the metal, he took a strange pencil and drew something on it. The pencil's trace gradually infused into the steel, forming patterns on the weapon.

They didn't have much time to watch the forging of magical weapons because the man, almost identical to the one currently forging came to them. However, he looked a couple of years younger.

"Good afternoon, my name is Born Green, today I will be your sales consultant. Are you a natural wizard or a magical knight?"

"My daughter Marguerite... I don't know the difference between a natural wizard and a magical knight..."

"Ah, well then, your daughter is a natural wizard, according to my feeling. Let's not dwell on it. Your daughter is doing great. I'm really glad that natural wizards are gradually starting to take an interest in magical weapons. These old-fashioned wizarding families keep buying those silly wands. They can't understand how beautiful and powerful magical weapons can be!"

"Ummm, thank you, I guess."

"Well, young lady, tell me your wishes or any specific features you want your magical conduit to have, and I'll see what I can offer you."

Marguerite nodded and pondered.

"Hmm....."

After five minutes.

"Hmm...."

After ten minutes.

"Hmm......."

Born looked at Marguerite, fearing steam would start coming out of her ears, and decided to help her.

"Um, young lady... Maybe you have any special abilities or lineage?"

"Abilities, abilities... Ah! The elder said I have a connection with the air element!"

"Wow, the air element?! That's very good, and most importantly, very rare. Okay, I have three options for you to choose from, follow me."

Waving his hand, Born led them into a room covered by a curtain. When he opened it, Marguerite and Rachel were almost awestruck. A vast room, at least 100 meters in length and 50 in width. Every 2 meters, there was a shelf with various types of weapons, each adorned with glowing runes.

"Don't stop, keep going. What might suit you is at the end, on the wall with our best works!"

After a couple of minutes, they reached the end stand. On it were two spears, a long European sword, a bow, a staff, and a polearm that resembled something...

"Sword, staff, and bow. All these conduits are suitable for working with the air element. They have engraved runes for enhancement, reinforcement, and increased mana capacity. In short, whatever you choose, you'll be able to use it. Although using a bow might be challenging. Swinging a sword is convenient, just be careful not to stab anyone while casting spells. But we have a solution for that!"

Born took the sword in his hands and tapped the hilt three times. The sword began to change its shape until it transformed into a silver-colored staff.

"This function is available for all weapons except bows... We haven't figured out how to place the shape-shifting runes on the bow so that they work correctly... By the way, the size of the staff it transforms into is also adjustable."

While Marguerite liked the sword, her gaze was clearly fixed on the polearm the man hadn't mentioned.

"Oh, sweetheart, are you fascinated by this flying staff? Forget it; it's a peculiar thing. We tried to improve Mr. Morningstar's staff to have a conduit inside, to enhance magic, but we failed. The mechanical moving parts of the staff hinder proper engraving of enhancement runes. Although we succeeded in engraving shape-shifting runes. It can take the form of a hairpin."

"So, you can't use magic with it?"

"Why not? Druids use plain sticks. If you have enough talent, it'll be harder to learn magic without the help of a conduit. This thing has good magical conductivity, so you can use magic with it, but it won't help you use it. In short, it's suitable only for people with high talent and a large mana reservoir. You're too young for that..."

"Mom, I want a flying stick."

"Sweetie, maybe we should take that staff up there?"

"No, I like the wings on the polearm. I think I can fly with it!"

"Alright..."

"Ah, it seems you've made a decision. Well, maybe only wizards with their own element suit such things... Alright, but don't say later that I didn't warn you. That'll be 75 galleons from you."

"Alright, here's 75."

"Do you want it wrapped?"

Marguerite took the staff in her hands, which was twice her size, and tapped the handle three times; it quickly shrank to the size of a hairpin. She joyfully inserted a new hairpin into it.

"Hehe... Thanks, I like it!" Marguerite smiled happily at Rachel.

Rachel was also very happy for her daughter. Since her husband's death, Marguerite rarely smiled so genuinely, and in the past day, she had been joyful all the time.

"Maybe I should settle in this village too. I'll be close to magic..." Rachel thought to herself. Little did she know that later tonight, an owl would bring her instructions on how to become a magical knight.

Parents of Muggle-born wizards are the first to receive magical ring technology from Asmodeus. The magical world will announce magic to the Muggle world in a week, but not everyone will immediately learn how to become a wizard. As per Asmodeus' plan, these parents will become some of those who help people with low magical talent in their training. He has noticed that Muggle-born parents usually have good magical conductivity, and they don't need assistance in ring construction, but that's not the case for all Muggles. There are many Muggles in the world, and for a faster transition to the magical society, he will need more people. These parents are a good option. Moreover, these are people who engaged in various activities before entering the magical world, and if they are taught magic earlier, even for a week, it will accelerate the transition from a technological path of development to a magical one.