[Third Person's PoV]
A month later…
Arthur found himself once again seated inside the marble halls of Gringotts, tucked away within a private office lit by enchanted lanterns and reinforced with layers of magical security. Before him sat none other than Goburk, his business liaison, advisor, and at this point, unofficial tormentor—if the ever-growing stack of paperwork between them was anything to go by.
The goblin looked every bit the part of an overworked administrator: tired bags under his sharp eyes, a slight twitch in his left brow from lack of sleep, and posture that leaned just a bit too far forward. Still, his ever-present grin gave the impression of satisfaction, perhaps even pride, as he tapped one clawed finger against the desk.
"We've already selected the location where the main building of your business will be established. The floor plans are complete, and the other logistics have been taken care of," Goburk said.
He pushed a thick file towards Arthur, the papers neatly bound but intimidatingly tall. "What we need now is your formal approval. These are your plans, your business, your name—it's crucial everything aligns with the image and purpose you've envisioned. Sign here, here, and… here."
Arthur eyed the stack with an expression that could only be described as quiet dread. A soft sigh escaped him, and his fingers flexed instinctively. His dominant hand, already aching at the thought of hours of signatures, twitched. "Really wish I could use magic for this part," he muttered under his breath, more to himself than anyone else.
But Goburk wasn't done. In fact, he was just getting started.
"We also need to discuss the employees who will manage and oversee your shop during your absence, as well as the production of the product itself. Not to mention, we still require the Ministry of Magic's seal of approval—without it, all of this could be for nothing. Oh, and about the name you suggested. While 'King's Enterprise' isn't terrible, I feel it lacks clarity. I was thinking of renaming it to King's Magical Enterprise!"
Arthur let out a groan, equal parts amused and exhausted, and slumped slightly in his chair. His hands reached out to start flipping through the documents, quill already at the ready. "For the employees, hire whoever you see fit. I trust your judgment—just make sure they're loyal. Werewolves, half-giants, centaurs—I don't care. If they can do the job and want it, give them a chance." Arthur said as he continued to sign. "We'll need solid contracts that outline their pay and include a non-disclosure clause."
Goburk looked up in alarm. "Wait a minute, you'd seriously hire those foul beasts—"
Arthur shot him a raised eyebrow, cutting him off. That look alone was enough to silence Goburk, who quickly shrank back.
Clearing his throat awkwardly, Goburk continued, "That… might be bad for business. Customers could be hesitant to buy from a shop run by them."
Arthur returned to reading through the documents, shaking his head slightly. "You're underestimating people. There's one emotion that can overpower fear, prejudice, and hesitation—curiosity. I'm not worried, if we offer something truly new, truly innovative, they'll overlook almost anything to get their hands on it."
Goburk gave a reluctant grunt of agreement. "If you say so, Lord Pendragon."
"As for the Ministry of Magic, that's already taken care of. It took a couple of hard-pressing weeks, but with Headmaster Dumbledore's help, we secured the seal of approval. Mel?"
Standing behind Arthur, Merlin reached into the inner pocket of her cloak and pulled out a carefully wrapped parchment, sealed with the red wax insignia of the Ministry. She handed it to Goburk, who inspected it before nodding in approval.
"As for production," Arthur continued, "we've got it sorted—especially for the single-use spells, name still pending. Magic circles will be engraved on stamps, dipped in magic ink, and pressed onto paper for fast and efficient production."
Goburk nodded once again, impressed. "It's good to see you're on top of things, Lord Pendragon. Business is always more profitable with dependable partners."
Arthur smiled as he began stacking the signed papers to the side. "And the name change? Go for it. I actually quite like it."
Goburk puffed out his chest with pride and squared his broad shoulders. Then, after a quick breath, he declared, "With everything now in place—construction, staffing, and product manufacturing—I estimate that King's Magical Enterprise will be ready to open in four to six months. Four, if everything goes smoothly."
"I'm content with those numbers," Arthur said, continuing to work through the documents.
Their discussion went on well into the evening, the sun beginning to dip below the horizon as Arthur signed, reviewed, and finalized his path toward building something entirely his own.
After his detailed and exhausting discussion with Goburk, the days began to blur together as the weeks rolled by in rapid succession. Arthur found himself returning to Gringotts on more than just a few occasions, each visit filled with paperwork, follow-ups, decisions to make, and problems to address. What initially felt like a slow, deliberate process quickly accelerated into a fast-paced series of developments, keeping him constantly on his toes.
However, those weeks didn't just stay as weeks—they stretched out, unfolding into months before Arthur even realized it. Time moved quickly, but Arthur made sure not to let a single moment go to waste. He refused to grow idle, knowing full well that every bit of progress made now would determine the success of his future endeavors. Downtime was a luxury he couldn't afford, and he had no intention of indulging in it.
Throughout those long months, the vast majority of Arthur's focus was poured into his Grimoire—a deeply personal magical tome where he documented all of his research, spells, theories, and original magical constructs. This wasn't just a casual hobby or academic project; this was the heart and soul of his magical ambitions. He dedicated countless hours to studying and refining the complex art of magical circles. These intricate symbols of power required not only knowledge and precision, but immense patience as well.
Creating a magic circle was far from simple. It wasn't as easy as drawing a shape on a piece of parchment and calling it a day. It demanded deep understanding of magical laws, a clear grasp of the purpose and intended effect, and a meticulous layering of runes and spell matrices. Each tier of magic circle required a different level of mastery, and the complexity scaled dramatically.
For Arthur, a Tier One magic circle—which was considered basic but still required respect—typically took him a few days to create from scratch. A Tier Two circle was notably more demanding, often taking up several weeks of nonstop effort, revisions, and recalibrations. But the true test of his capabilities came with the Tier Three circles. These behemoths of magical design took an entire month to construct, assuming he faced no interruptions. And often, there were interruptions.
Despite the difficulties and the ever-present fatigue, Arthur pressed forward. By the time King's Magical Enterprise was ready to officially open its doors, Arthur had completed an impressive array of magical circles: two fully functional Tier Three circles, six finely tuned Tier Two circles, and eleven versatile Tier One circles. Each one was tested, inscribed with care, and recorded in his Grimoire with detailed annotations.
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