From a distance, Emily was still smiling.
But when Link and Dumbledore actually approached, Emily put on a stern face and deliberately turned her head away, acting as if she didn't want to pay Link any attention.
Link knew very well that she was still upset about him refusing to let her come along last night.
Fortunately, Link had plenty of experience dealing with situations like this.
He immediately went up and hugged Emily, lifted her up, and spun her around twice. He didn't stop until the round hat on her head was almost flung off, and only then did he set her down amid her playful complaints.
Then the two looked into each other's eyes and both couldn't help but laugh.
Dumbledore watched this with a warm, aunt-like smile on his face.
Krell, who was standing by the carriage, was completely different.
He had barely paid attention to Link and Emily the whole time, his eyes fixed firmly on Dumbledore.
Only after Link and Emily had made up did Krell speak, "Young master, is Professor Dumbledore also coming with us to France this time?"
Link nodded.
"Yes. Professor Dumbledore insisted strongly. It wouldn't have been appropriate for me to refuse."
"Oh, I see. Then I suppose Professor Dumbledore must be tired of staying at Hogwarts all the time and wants to get out and stretch his legs." Krell said expressionlessly.
"Too much stillness makes people want to move, perfectly normal. I often feel that way myself. It's just… Professor Dumbledore is rather advanced in age, isn't he? With all the travel fatigue along the way, I'm afraid he might not be able to endure it!"
As soon as he said this, Link didn't respond. He just looked at Dumbledore with a faint smile.
Krell's hostility toward Dumbledore wasn't hidden at all.
This was actually easy to understand.
Although Link and Emily weren't officially married yet and were only engaged, Krell and Madam Flamel were already eagerly waiting for their descendants.
This trip to France was clearly a very good opportunity.
That was also why Madam Flamel not only didn't ask Link and Emily to come home this time, she didn't even come herself.
She was afraid of disturbing the young couple.
She had only sent Krell as a representative.
And now, when even Madam Flamel herself had deliberately stayed away to avoid being a third wheel, this old fellow Dumbledore had come along instead?
What was he thinking?
Did he not want to see the Flamel family flourish and prosper?
Link was quite curious how Dumbledore would handle such an aggressive Krell.
But Dumbledore had been the target of smear articles from Rita Skeeter and many other reporters for years.
He was very experienced in handling awkward situations like this.
His method was simple.
He completely ignored Krell's questioning, turned to look at the carriage beside them, and said with some emotion, "This is a carriage usually only assigned for the Minister of Magic's travels. And yet you managed to get one."
Hearing this, Link smiled.
He had to admit Dumbledore was indeed a smart man.
He knew Krell would at most make a few sarcastic remarks.
He wouldn't go any further.
Because that would be harmful to Link.
And that was indeed the case. After Dumbledore redirected the conversation, Krell naturally changed the subject as well. He stroked the smooth exterior of the carriage behind him and said,
"You really know your stuff! We specially transported this from the Ministry of Magic! The interior of this carriage is equipped with a Portkey teleportation array."
"It can perform ultra-long-distance spatial travel on its own! Not only that, its outer shell is made from precious mithril alloy."
"While keeping it lightweight, it also has extremely strong magical and physical resistance! You could say it's the safest vehicle in the world!"
"And that's not all…"
Krell removed the Flamel family crest brooch from his chest, identical to the ones worn by Link and Emily, and said proudly, "And this too. It may look ordinary, but it's also equipped with a spatial coordinate transmitter!"
"As long as we want, we can send our location coordinates to the Ministry of Magic and Flamel Castle at any time."
"And then the Aurors and Hunters waiting there can immediately reach us through the international Floo Network to support us!"
"This uses Auror alchemy technology!"
After saying that, Krell even smacked his lips, looking very impressed with Auror technology, which made Dumbledore's expression complicated.
Because what Krell was implying was, the Ministry of Magic was now completely and deeply under Link's control.
So much so that everything within it, including the most advanced military technology, had been appropriated (crossed out) repurposed by the Flamel family.
This was blatant bragging and a warning.
But Dumbledore also had to admit, at the moment, Link was the most suitable person to steer the Ministry of Magic through the coming storm.
Even he himself couldn't compare to Link in this regard.
Because he wasn't good at political infighting.
That was also why more than ten years ago he had declined the position of Minister of Magic that the Wizengamot had practically tried to force into his hands.
Dumbledore knew very well he couldn't outmaneuver the Wizengamot and those old schemers in the Ministry.
Suppressing them by force was possible.
But what would he do afterward when facing the backlash from the public?
So if he had become Minister, there would only have been one outcome.
He would have become a statue held high above by the Wizengamot.
Looking glorious and radiant, but in reality just a puppet manipulated by them.
That was not something Dumbledore wanted.
And for now, Link was doing quite well.
That also filled Dumbledore with confidence in him.
Thinking this, Dumbledore smiled bitterly and praised, "I truly didn't expect you to be this well prepared. As a steward, you are absolutely qualified. With these arrangements, this trip should go smoothly."
Link smiled slightly and said, "Professor Dumbledore, I must correct you. Krell is a truly important elder to me, not a steward."
"In fact, I've tried to persuade him to retire and enjoy life for quite some time now. Unfortunately, he has always refused."
As soon as he said this, Dumbledore was very gracious and immediately apologized.
Hearing their conversation, Krell rubbed his hands excitedly.
Even the way he looked at Dumbledore softened quite a bit.
"Ah, enough of all this talk. Let's get on the carriage!", Krell rubbed his slightly flushed and warm face and said excitedly.
After saying that, without waiting for Link or Dumbledore to respond, he directly pulled Link and Emily into the carriage cabin.
But when it was Dumbledore's turn, he waved his hand at Krell and said, "I won't go in and disturb their private time."
"I happen to be very curious about the scars on your face. Why don't we sit in front and have a good chat? I imagine each of those scars must have its own story."
Krell touched the fierce scars on his face and happily licked his lips.
Dumbledore's words had truly scratched his itch.
To him, those scars were his medals of honor.
One of his favorite things to do was tell new recruits of the Hunter Corps the stories behind each of his scars.
Even Link had heard plenty of those stories when he was young.
It was only after Link grew up and his status changed that Krell stopped telling them.
Now he had a new listener, and one as important as Dumbledore at that. It made him overjoyed.
He quickly helped Dumbledore onto the carriage and sat beside him, then asked again, "Are you sure you don't want to sit inside?"
"To be honest, our seats here can't really be called comfortable. The carriage's spatial stabilization array doesn't cover these front seats."
"No matter. I'm not that old yet. And what I was thinking is…" Dumbledore smiled lightly.
"How about I drive? I know a place that should be suitable as a temporary residence for this trip. Let me take you there."
Krell stared blankly and said instinctively, "You? Can you even do that? This is a Minister-level high-grade carriage! The operating method is completely different from ordinary carriages!"
"Trust me, Krell. I've driven this kind of carriage before."
Dumbledore spoke confidently, but hearing this only made Krell more suspicious.
After all, with Dumbledore's lofty status, personally driving a carriage sounded far too absurd.
Seeing this, Dumbledore had no choice but to continue explaining, "That was more than ten years ago. Back then the Wizengamot gave me one of these carriages but didn't assign a dedicated driver, so I had to do it myself."
Krell shook his head rapidly.
He would never entrust something that could affect Link and Emily's lives to an outsider.
Even if that person was Dumbledore, and even if Dumbledore really could drive it.
This was a matter of principle.
So he had already made up his mind. No matter how much Dumbledore insisted, he wouldn't agree.
Unfortunately, he made that decision too early.
Because soon after, Link, who had heard the commotion, poked his head out from the cabin.
After briefly hearing Krell explain Dumbledore's request, a strange smile flashed across Link's face.
Then, under Krell's disbelieving gaze, he gently nodded and agreed.
———
[Ten Minutes Later]
Dumbledore and Krell had switched places.
Dumbledore looked at him with a faint smile, making Krell, who had his arms crossed, burn with irritation. Only then did he lightly shake the reins in his hands.
"Neigh~"
The four winged horses in front of the carriage received the command, snorted a few times, and flapped their wings as they rushed forward.
Pulled by the flying horses, the carriage rose smoothly into the air and began circling above the Black Lake.
At the same time, the complex runes engraved on the surface of the carriage began glowing with a faint blue magical light.
After a violent spatial fluctuation, the space around the carriage began to distort. Then, in an instant, the entire carriage vanished from the sky.
The spatial shock absorption ability of this minister-level flying carriage was indeed excellent.
Inside the cabin, Link and Emily only felt a slight tremor before the scenery outside the window suddenly changed, from the previous castle, forest, and lake into a vast sea of orange-red trees.
"Whoa!"
Emily leaned against the window and couldn't help but exclaim.
The scene before her was simply too magnificent.
The bright maple forest, like a sea of flames, stretched all the way to the horizon. The soaring "firelight" even dyed the clouds in the sky into fiery sunset colors.
But this wasn't normal.
Maple trees usually only turned this beautiful orange-red in autumn.
Yet it had only just entered summer in England. There was no reason that France, not far away, would still be in autumn.
Emily looked at Link with a puzzled expression, hoping he could explain.
Link closed his eyes and sensed for a moment. Only after a while did he open them and say with a smile, "It's a barrier."
"A barrier?"
"That's right. If I'm sensing correctly, this entire area we're in is covered by a magical barrier capable of controlling the climate and sustaining plant life. That's why those maple trees can maintain such vivid colors."
Emily's slightly open mouth dropped even further in shock as she said,
"Isn't that… way too extravagant?"
Link pressed his lips together and nodded. He thought so too.
This kind of climate-controlling and plant-sustaining barrier had almost no defensive effect. At most, it probably included something like a Muggle-Repelling Charm to prevent Muggles from entering.
But the cost was nearly equal to the highest-level Anti-Apparition spells used by the Ministry of Magic.
Link had actually seen similar barriers at the Malfoy estate.
But the Malfoys had only applied it to their manor house and the attached small garden. The area wasn't very large.
Even so, they would constantly boast about it, hosting banquets and inviting pure-blood families to admire their eternal spring estate.
And those pure-blood families fell right for it, all being shocked by the Malfoys' "luxury," allowing them to show off to their hearts' content.
But now, compared to the endless sea of trees before them, the Malfoy estate's barrier was hardly worth mentioning.
"Tsk tsk tsk..."
Link clicked his tongue.
Even someone like him, who already controlled the economy of an entire country, would hesitate to build such a large-scale barrier.
"Brace for some shaking. We're about to land."
Dumbledore's voice sounded at just the right time, and the carriage began descending slowly.
After descending to a certain height, Link felt as if the entire carriage had passed through an invisible barrier. Then suddenly, a beige manor built within the forest sea appeared in the sight of Link and Emily.
"Wow! It looks like the barrier outside the forest is only for appearance. This manor is actually protected by the Fidelius Charm and Anti-Apparition spells and several other restrictions! This is unbelievably extravagant!"
Emily couldn't help exclaiming again.
Such behavior, like a country person entering a big city, really shouldn't have appeared on Emily.
Because she herself came from a fairly wealthy pure-blood family. As a child she had followed Madam Flamel and seen countless displays of luxury. She was already used to the extravagance of pure-blood nobles.
But unfortunately, the level of luxury of this estate had already surpassed the limits of Emily's understanding.
She had never imagined that someone in this world could be this extravagant.