"This is our shop, Grandpa Marcus," Sean said softly.
But the chatter all through Fairytale Shop was so loud that Marcus didn't catch it, and the attendant quickly drew his attention away.
"What version would you like, sir? If it's for the young gentleman beside you, I'd recommend the Pegasus edition.
It floats automatically, so there's no need to hold it up. Very convenient for calls and photos."
The attendant spoke with practiced sincerity.
He took out a pair of magic hand mirrors and set them in the air. They immediately hovered there, defying all normal physics.
Then there was a click and a photo drifted out from the back of one of the mirrors.
The attendant handed it to Marcus. In the picture, the old wizard was staring at the mirror with obvious interest, while the dark-haired boy beside him seemed to be saying something.
But his voice had been too quiet, and Marcus had been too absorbed by the mirror to notice. In the end, the little wizard in the moving photo gave a helpless sigh.
"How remarkable… the Pegasus edition…"
Marcus began enthusiastically discussing it with the attendant.
"Yes, sir. We only made fifty Pegasus editions, and they're almost sold out already.
Mr. Hermes's workshop is only producing one batch for now. No one knows when the next one will be."
The attendant smiled as he said it.
And he wasn't lying.
"Of course, you can also take a look at our other versions. The dragon version…"
He pulled out a mirror carved with a dragon relief. The instant he touched it, it glowed red like heated iron.
"You see? Other than dear Mr. Hermes and the customer who purchased it, it won't allow anyone else to come near."
The attendant sounded proud.
"Very nice, very nice…"
Marcus nodded repeatedly.
"And our Golden Snitch version—it follows its owner around like a pet…"
The attendant took out a mirror with translucent wings from the dazzling display case, and it buzzed there in the air, hovering near his shoulder.
"Ah, excellent…"
Marcus was completely overwhelmed by the choices.
"Just think, sir—if your young gentleman had a magic hand mirror, you could contact him anytime. And of course, our privacy features are more than secure.
No one except you and your young gentleman can eavesdrop on your calls."
The attendant raised the stakes.
"This is…"
Marcus was utterly astonished.
Distance didn't matter. You could talk anytime. No eavesdropping. Face-to-face conversation…
"The Ministry…"
he suddenly asked.
He knew far too well how tempting something like this would be to the Ministry.
"The Ministry placed a small order, but Mr. Hermes refused all their larger requests.
I'm not bragging, sir, but in the entire British magical business world, only Fairytale Shop has that kind of confidence."
The attendant lifted his chin proudly.
"Oh…"
Marcus couldn't stop nodding.
At this point, he'd become intensely curious about this mysterious alchemist.
"The times really are changing. Old relics like us can hardly understand how a thing this great could truly exist anymore," Marcus said with feeling.
"Perhaps it's simply that Mr. Hermes himself created greatness," the attendant replied with a smile.
"Perhaps. Then tell me, sir—for a magical object like this, the price…"
Marcus had already decided he wanted one, but he knew exactly how much a two-way mirror was worth. Surely something like this must cost a fortune.
He thought of his savings, then thought of the McGonagall family's dear child, and made his choice without hesitation.
"Thirty-seven Galleons, sir!"
the attendant said confidently.
"Thirty-seven Galleons?"
Marcus lifted his head slightly, wondering if he'd heard wrong.
True, that was no small sum for most wizarding families.
But compared to a traditional two-way mirror that cost over a hundred Galleons, this was astonishingly cheap.
"Yes, sir. Just as I said, this is the reform great Mr. Hermes has brought to the magical world…"
the attendant said reverently.
"I'll take one!"
Marcus said at once.
Beside him, Sean gave a small, helpless tug at the hem of his robe.
"My dear child, whatever it is you want to say, we can talk about it later. Can't you see? They're about to sell out—"
Marcus lowered his head and smiled happily.
"This is our shop, Grandpa Marcus,"
Sean seized the chance to say again, this time a little faster.
"Oh, so you've learned to joke too?"
Marcus chuckled. He obviously still hadn't heard clearly, and didn't think much of it.
"Sir, then…"
At that moment, the attendant pulled Marcus's attention away again.
"I do need to remind you of one thing in the purchase contract. The craftsmanship of the magic hand mirror hasn't been completely perfected yet, so at the latest, you'll need to replace it after two years."
He held the Pegasus-version mirror while explaining seriously.
"I agree."
Marcus said with a cheerful smile.
He still hadn't fully processed things.
"Very good, sir. The Pegasus edition also comes in a slim version and a multi-face version. Would you be interested?
Manager Suya has set up a membership program. If your two-way mirror is damaged, we provide repair service. But after two years, we hope to reclaim the damaged mirrors for material recovery.
In exchange, you'll receive a discount on your next mirror purchase."
The attendant went on with all sorts of additional recommendations.
That made it even harder for Marcus to remember what Sean had said earlier.
His dear child… what sort of joke had he made just now?
"Oh, there's even a deal like that?"
Marcus agreed without a second thought.
At this point, Sean was feeling rather helpless.
But after hearing the attendant's explanation, he was also a little surprised.
The cost of a magic hand mirror came mostly from the materials. Compared with production output, the labor cost of the Emerald Workshop's wizards actually wasn't that high.
If they could recover some of the more durable materials from damaged mirrors—and magical materials were notoriously expensive, as Hagrid proved—then the production cost could be reduced even further.
"London University economics…"
he murmured thoughtfully.
"Congratulations, Mr. McGonagall.
I'd say this young gentleman is very fortunate to have you as his guardian. A tool that lets you stay in contact anytime, anywhere—currently the trendiest magical creation around—must make the finest gift."
The attendant placed the magic hand mirror into Marcus's hands with a smile.
"So I sign and pay here?"
Marcus was very pleased with what the attendant had said.
He didn't care for flattery, but the thought that the distance between him and little Green could now simply vanish made his smile brighten all the same.
"Yes, sir. And may I have your name?"
the attendant asked.
"Marcus McGonagall."
Marcus said happily.
"You mean—?!"
For the first time, the attendant's expression changed dramatically.
~~~
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