The "sweatshop" moved from upstairs to downstairs. After finishing the main body of the mechanical arms, Kasen continued researching the remaining components with other materials.
These parts had to be carefully considered. Back when Kasen hadn't transmigrated yet, he once played a Tinkers' Construct modpack for Minecraft where the vanilla tools were locked—Steve couldn't use them, so he could only rely on Tinkers' tools.
At the time, he naturally assumed that stone was sturdier and more durable than wood, so he foolishly used stone to make the binding and handle.
These were both key components in Tinkers' Construct, essentially equivalent to real-world tool construction. And as everyone should know…
Stone is brittle.
So when Kasen was playing back then, a fully stone pickaxe could only mine one block of stone. When he needed to make a furnace, he had to carry eight pickaxes in his inventory.
Then at that moment, an older player pointed out his mistake, and he finally realized…
Components in Tinkers' Construct have durability.
Damn, what an idiot…
So this time, Kasen had learned his lesson and began carefully calculating the durability of each component.
Otherwise, imagine him charging at Voldemort with his flashy mechanical arms, only for them to shatter on the spot…
That would be way too embarrassing.
Just as Kasen was carefully scribbling and calculating on parchment, Grindelwald suddenly appeared behind him.
"Didn't I just say… you should go eat?" Grindelwald said in a low voice.
That tone instantly sent a chill down Kasen's spine. He stiffly turned around and, like a kid telling their parents "let me finish this round," said awkwardly, "I'll finish this last part first."
Grindelwald, like any parent, put his hands on his hips and shook his head. "No."
Then he directly patted Kasen on the shoulder and pulled him up.
"Alright, alright, I'm coming, I'm coming." Kasen stood up naturally, walked toward the dining room, and after sitting down, just as naturally held hands with everyone and joined in the prayer.
After it ended, Kasen slowly asked a question.
"As wizards, why are we praising God? Didn't His followers persecute wizards pretty badly back in the day?"
"…"
With a single sentence, Kasen rendered everyone present speechless without even realizing it, and he kept rambling on about random things...
Until Snape stepped out of the fireplace, sat down beside him, and he finally shut up.
Because Snape had clearly had enough and was pinching his leg hard under the table.
"OK, OK, let's eat. I'll stop talking." Kasen rubbed his thigh and slowly picked up his knife and fork.
The meal didn't go by quickly, mainly because there were just too many people.
Several wizarding families, along with a whole bunch of young witches and wizards. And whenever adults and kids sit at the same table, there's always one topic that can't be avoided.
For example…
Mr. Longbottom was the first to speak. "You're all getting older now. Have you made any plans for the future?"
Ginny, the only one who was still clearly young, quietly lowered her head, trying to pass herself off as a dollop of red jam on her plate.
The other young wizards glanced at each other. "Maybe… an Auror? I've always thought Aurors were pretty cool," Harry said.
"Harry, with your current grades, becoming an Auror might still be a bit of a stretch...ehm.. But your character... there's no doubt you'd make a fine Auror," Kingsley, an Auror himself, said.
As for the other Aurors present, Moody had long since retired and… well, wasn't exactly normal.
Mr. Longbottom was even more of a special case—having spent twelve years in St Mungo's, his understanding of the current state of Aurors was probably even less than Moody's.
"What about the rest of you? Let's start with you two—George, Fred," Mr. Weasley picked up the conversation.
"A joke shop," the twins replied immediately.
"I don't think—" Mrs. Weasley had just begun to speak when the twins shot back, "Mum, just look at Percy."
"Do you really want us to go into the Ministry and end up like that?"
The twins spoke in perfect sync. Percy, sitting at the other end of the table, lowered his head in embarrassment, just like Ginny.
Ever since the last time he had been sent out on an assignment by Fudge, when he returned, he was told that Fudge was dead, Umbridge had been killed, and most of Fudge's faction had either scattered or been thrown in prison.
Of the few remaining, he had somehow become the highest-ranking one.
All because, aside from being a low-level employee, he also handled cigar procurement for the Minister's office.
But the new Minister, Barty Crouch, didn't really smoke…
"The Ministry… can't exactly be called a good place," Percy said dryly, lifting his head.
"See? Even our dear brother says so. How could we be wrong?"
Mrs. Weasley was left speechless by the two of them and turned her gaze to the next target. "Ron, what about you?"
"Maybe a Quidditch player. I made it onto the Gryffindor Quidditch team, after all."
Ginny, being too young, narrowly escaped, and then it was Cedric and Neville's turn. Their parents looked at them expectantly.
"Mm… an alchemy shop!" Cedric said firmly.
Now only Neville was left.
His face flushed slightly with embarrassment. "Maybe… I haven't really decided yet."
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat. "I need to remind you, Neville—you're already in your fifth year. It's time to start thinking about your advanced studies in sixth and seventh year. Relying solely on OWLs to find a respectable job is quite difficult. Perhaps you should consider your strengths—Herbology, Charms, or even Alchemy."
"I'll think about it, Professor… Professor Kasen, if I wanted to take advanced Alchemy…" Neville nodded and looked toward Kasen.
"I don't set restrictions for advanced Alchemy classes, but sixth and seventh years are quite demanding. If studying Alchemy would take time away from the subjects you truly want to focus on, then I wouldn't recommend it," Kasen explained.
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