The white light dissipated, and Aiden opened his confused eyes to find himself in a dilapidated mediaeval town.
The houses were built from earth, stone, and broken wood, varying in height. The ground was a mixture of dust and excrement, emitting a foul stench that made him wrinkle his nose.
The surrounding residents wore rough sacks with holes cut out as clothing, wrapped with animal fur as belts.
They pointed pitchforks at Aiden with obvious suspicion. He quickly used wandless Confundus Charms to conceal the horns on his head.
At the same time, he raised both hands to show he was harmless.
"What are you? Are you one of those wizards!" An elderly man with a greyish-yellow complexion spoke from the hostile crowd.
"Oh, hello sir, I'm a traveller from across the sea," Aiden explained politely.
"Looks quite refined." "Must be a noble's child from the other shore." "Should we notify young Earl Essex..."
The residents whispered among themselves, but Aiden caught a familiar name from their hushed words.
"Has there been some war here recently?" Looking at the 'fully armed' residents, Aiden enquired with growing interest.
The old man raised his head and told Aiden with obvious weariness,
"There was a battle in the Hampton region. Essex County was completely wiped out by the Vikings, leaving only a young son of Essex who fled here."
Battle of Hampton: this is 989 AD. Next year is when Hogwarts was founded? Aiden determined his time period with growing excitement.
"Well, I understand. Thank you very much. Oh, by the way, may I ask the name of this place?" Aiden enquired again.
"Malmesbury. Alright, I've told you enough. Leave here quickly," the old man said, beginning to drive Aiden away.
"Very well. Until we meet again." Aiden said, turning and leaving the village.
Hogwarts' founding is still a year away, which means now my ancestor will gain his surname through war with the Vikings and head to Hogwarts under my guidance, Aiden thought secretly.
"Which means I have to stay in this godforsaken place for a year!" Aiden said, already feeling a headache coming on.
At this moment, the sky gradually darkened, and wolf howls occasionally echoed from the gloomy forest.
Aiden had no choice but to cast spells on some broken wood, enclosing the surrounding space.
Aiden cast an Extension Charm inside and used Transfiguration to turn the excess wooden items into furniture, managing to get through one night in the forest.
The next day, Aiden had no choice but to return to yesterday's village.
"What are you doing here again?!" The old man snorted coldly upon seeing Aiden.
"Uh, to purchase some daily necessities," Aiden said, pulling out a knuckle-sized piece of gold.
Returning to his alchemist identity after a long time, Aiden extracted gold from earth and stone.
The surrounding residents' eyes widened at the sight of the gold, and many put their hands behind their backs with obvious intent.
"Sober up!" The old man scolded them away.
Then he turned his suspicious gaze to Aiden.
"Are you a devil, trying to tempt them into action so you can kill them?" The old man asked, looking at Aiden seriously.
"Sorry, I previously lived in a peaceful and stable country," Aiden said, lowering his head in genuine apology.
"Sigh, forget it. Come with me."
The old man led Aiden to his own house. The main structure was supported by round logs, with stone blocks levelling the foundation below.
The roof seemed covered with a layer of oiled palm leaves, giving it a slightly more refined feel than other houses built from earth, stone, and broken wood.
"Sir, may I ask your name?" Once inside the room, Aiden chatted with the old man.
"Fatos Gorden, mayor of Malmesbury," the old man said, glancing at Aiden.
From the old man's expression, Aiden sensed envy, so he asked carefully, "Are you perhaps..."
Upon hearing Aiden's question, Gorden stopped his work, closed his eyes, and raised his head.
"Yes, I'm a Squib."
After a while, his emotions calmed down, and he asked, "Tell me, what kind of daily necessities do you need to buy?"
"Well, that was just an excuse. What I really want is to see if I can stay here. Due to certain reasons, I need to remain here for a year, and I currently have nowhere else to go," Aiden requested honestly.
"Are you going to perform evil magical rituals?!" Gorden immediately thought the worst.
"No, no, no, I swear I have no malicious intent. I just really have nowhere to go..." Aiden said, lowering his head pitifully.
At this moment, his exquisite face showed a pleading expression, and his heterochromatic pupils revealed hope, making Gorden unable to look directly at him.
"No, you'll bring danger," Gorden said, using tremendous willpower to resist.
"But I really have nowhere to go. Please, for the Lord's sake," Aiden pleaded again with obvious desperation.
"You... sigh, I'll allow you to live in the surrounding forest. You can enter the town for trade normally, but if you bring danger, we'll drive you away without hesitation!"
Gorden threatened Aiden briefly, then began to relent and agree to his request.
"Yay! Wonderful!" Aiden said, cheering with obvious relief.
"Then, could you please arrange for some workers to help me build a wooden house nearby? Consider this the employment fee," Aiden said, stuffing the gold in his hand into Gorden's hands.
"This is too much," Gorden said, staring at the gold for a moment, then looking up to return it to Aiden.
But Aiden had already pushed the door and walked out. Helplessly, he had to keep the money.
Driven by money, the residents of Malmesbury burst forth with tremendous enthusiasm.
In less than an afternoon, a small house appeared at the edge of the forest. To accommodate their excellent building techniques, Aiden cast strong Sticking Charms on the house while they were building it.
At night, Aiden sat in his Extension Charm-enhanced cottage, wrapped in a blanket by the crackling fire.
Knock knock. The cottage door was knocked. Aiden walked over to open it, and Gorden stood outside.
"Gorden, what brings you here so late?" Aiden asked with curiosity.
"Bringing you food," Gorden said, lifting up a... bucket?
Aiden invited Gorden inside with obvious politeness.
"It's actually bigger inside than outside. Is this what wizards do?" Gorden asked, curiously examining the surroundings.
"Uh, may I ask boldly, your parents didn't..." Aiden said carefully.
"They loved me very much. After discovering I was a Squib, they conducted various magical experiments, and both died in one of the experiments."
Tears glistened in the corners of Gorden's eyes.
"Sorry," Aiden said, offering consolation.
"What are you apologising for? It's not like you killed them," Gorden said, looking at Aiden strangely.
Aiden stared in awkward silence. "..."
"Forget it. Come try the food we prepared for you. The cost is included in the extra money you gave this afternoon."
Gorden placed the bucket on the table in Aiden's room, and a peculiar smell spread throughout Aiden's house.
"May I ask what this is?" Aiden asked, looking at the paste-like substance in the bucket and frowning.
"Well, Bavarian blood sausage with mashed potatoes," Gorden said, revealing classic mediaeval British cuisine with his first words.
Aiden forced a smile, conjured plates and utensils, poured the bucket's contents onto the plate, and quickly sent Gorden away.
"Enjoy your meal."
"Thank you!"