Little Zangwill nodded rapidly, putting on an extremely obedient posture as if listening carefully, still showing no intention of getting up from the floor.
Link's guess was actually correct to a large extent.
Those high and mighty pure-blood wizard nobles often had outrageously bad attitudes when dealing with families like the Zangwills.
By comparison, the old nobles from England could already be considered relatively polite.
Those wizard nobles from America, whose blood wasn't very pure and whose abilities weren't that strong but who were extremely wealthy, often behaved even more arrogantly and tyrannically than Krell just now.
Because of this, Little Zangwill had long since gotten used to enduring humiliation without reaction.
As for things like saying French wizards had been kneeling too long to stand up.
Little Zangwill would absolutely never admit that.
Every French wizard, in his view, had backbone.
He preferred to call his behavior respect toward old nobles like Link.
After all, the talent Link had displayed was simply astonishing.
"Hoo..."
Seeing the sincere look on Little Zangwill's face, Link no longer felt like telling him to stand up. He took a deep breath and pointed seriously at the dagger wand in front of him.
"Some time ago, I saw a guest at a banquet using a dagger that looked like this. He really stole the spotlight at that banquet."
"After all, we've seen plenty of silent and wandless casting, but casting spells with a dagger in hand was a first for us."
"That is exactly the meaning behind the existence of Zangwill wands!" Little Zangwill said excitedly.
"With one, you will definitely become the brightest star at any gathering!"
Link shot him a cold glance.
"So you can make a dagger wand like this?"
"Of course. In fact, we've already made quite a few of this type!"
As he spoke, Little Zangwill hurriedly opened another catalog and placed it in front of Link. Inside were nothing but dagger-shaped wands.
Link and Dumbledore immediately perked up and began flipping through it with interest.
But soon after, both of them frowned.
Because they didn't find the silver dagger wand used by the shadow figure.
Could it be that the shadow figure hadn't authorized Zangwill to display the image of that dagger?
Thinking this, Link sighed and tossed the catalog back onto the coffee table.
"No good. The dagger wands in this catalog aren't even on the same level as the one I saw at the banquet. These inferior works just aren't presentable."
Dumbledore beside him also added, "It seems that dagger wand probably wasn't made here. The difference in quality is too great. Perhaps we should go to Germany and visit Master Gregorovitch."
In truth, both Link and Dumbledore were speaking complete nonsense with straight faces.
Because from an artistic standpoint, the custom wands from Zangwill were absolutely top-tier. That was exactly how they had managed to stand out in the wand market.
There were several daggers in the catalog Little Zangwill had just shown that were even more exquisite and beautiful than the shadow figure's dagger.
Zangwill wands might be slightly inferior to Ollivander's and Gregorovitch's in performance, but in terms of appearance and texture, other wandmakers couldn't even come close.
So to Little Zangwill, Link and Dumbledore's words were undoubtedly a strong insult.
And things developed just as Link and Dumbledore had expected.
Under their back-and-forth act, Little Zangwill's face gradually turned even redder than a boiled crab.
This was the sign that their provocation had worked.
But in the next moment, all of Link and Dumbledore's hopes fell through.
Because after trembling for a while from overwhelming emotion, Little Zangwill actually said with a flushed face, "I'm sorry to disappoint you. That dagger-shaped wand really wasn't made by us."
Link frowned slightly and softened his tone a bit.
"Are you sure? To be honest, I've been looking for the wandmaker who made that dagger for a long time. So far, only your style looks similar."
"But it really wasn't made by us," Little Zangwill said with his head lowered.
"To be honest with you, I am the next successor of Zangwill Wand Shop. I remember every custom wand that has ever left our store. But this one… I have absolutely no impression of it."
Hearing this, both Link and Dumbledore sighed.
As masters of Occlumency and Legilimency, they could easily pick up on the emotions radiating from Little Zangwill.
And from what they sensed, he wasn't lying.
So the clue was gone again.
Link closed his eyes and leaned back against the sofa with his hands behind his head, looking very unhappy.
Dumbledore beside him also wore a cold expression.
This made Little Zangwill lower his head even further.
He felt he had failed Link and Dumbledore's expectations.
Just then, a burst of noise came from outside the private room.
Link slowly opened his eyes and looked expressionlessly toward the door.
"Please don't worry, I'll go check right away!"
Seeing this, Little Zangwill hurriedly stood up.
He knew very well that the young noble in front of him, who was clearly the heir of a great family, was already in a bad mood.
Even the slightest disturbance might ignite this powder keg.
And if Link really lost his temper, the consequences might be something the Zangwill family simply couldn't bear.
The door opened and closed quickly as Little Zangwill stepped out.
Link, meanwhile, frowned and looked toward Emily.
At the moment the door had opened, the outside noise had grown louder, and he had caught a familiar voice.
"That voice… why does it sound like Fleur?", Link said uncertainly.
Emily sneered, "Oh? It's been so long and you still remember her voice?"
"Well… you can't really blame me, can you?" Link said awkwardly, rubbing his nose. "Fleur's voice is just too distinctive."
Link was telling the truth.
As a special half-blood wizard with one-quarter Veela heritage, Fleur's voice carried a unique Veela charm.
Ordinary people simply couldn't imitate it.
Emily rolled her eyes.
"Then let's go take a look. Otherwise some people might say I'm petty again."
With that, Emily stood up first and walked toward the door.
Link followed with a smile and took her hand.
The group walked to the door, but just as Link was about to open it, it suddenly opened by itself.
Little Zangwill's slightly surprised face appeared in the doorway. Then he said with a fawning smile, "It's nothing, dear guest."
"Just a staff member from our third-floor VIP lounge came down here to cause trouble. We sincerely apologize for the unpleasant experience!"
"How about this... no matter whether you decide to spend money here or not, we'll give you one of our VIP invitation cards."
"And of course, if you still wish to proceed with wand customization, we're also willing to offer you a fifty percent discount!"
As he spoke, Little Zangwill nervously observed Link's expression.
Even though the compensation he offered could already be considered beyond standard.
After all, Zangwill's VIP membership cards weren't something just anyone could get, not to mention the added fifty percent discount.
But he still wasn't sure if that would calm Link down.
Because to someone like Link, a great noble, this meant nothing.
And things turned out more or less as he expected.
Link showed no reaction at all, only nodding slightly.
"That doesn't matter. What I'm more interested in right now is this employee causing trouble. Let me see what's going on."
As he spoke, Link walked straight forward.
Little Zangwill's face turned bitter. He wanted to step forward to stop him and say something.
But Link simply waved his hand lightly, and Little Zangwill himself was swept aside like dust by a powerful wave of magic.
Taking advantage of the moment, Link and his group had already stepped into the corridor.
The entire second-floor hall still looked as it had when they first arrived.
Spacious, bright, and luxurious.
The only difference was that there were now far more people.
Many guests dressed in various luxurious outfits had gathered at one end of the corridor, laughing and chatting.
Further inside was a group of sturdy male wizards in suits like Little Zangwill's, surrounding a young woman wearing a uniform similar to the earlier saleswoman's but much more revealing.
The girl gripped a wand in her hand, constantly shouting something at the sturdy male wizards around her.
Her long silver-white hair, like a ribbon, hung loose and flew wildly with her movements, revealing her chaotic and frantic emotions.
This was clearly not an evenly matched standoff. If they really fought, those elite male wizards could subdue the girl in just a few minutes.
The only reason things hadn't escalated was that the men were worried about accidentally hurting the watching guests behind them.
You could tell from their protective formation.
Seeing this scene, Link's brows furrowed even tighter.
Because the girl surrounded there was Fleur, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.
The powerful magic inside Link seemed to sense the change in his emotions.
It slowly poured out from his body, forming an invisible field around him.
"Ga-da ga-da ga-da…", Little Zangwill's teeth chattered rapidly.
At this moment, the previously gentle young noble in front of him was now radiating an indescribable aura.
It felt like a fire dragon roaring flames right at you.
Absolutely terrifying.
And just as Little Zangwill was about to scream... Link moved.
He slowly walked toward Fleur.
Guests and suited male wizards blocking the way were all sent flying by an invisible force.
Amid cries of shock, the entire corridor instantly fell into chaos.
Link and his group continued forward expressionlessly.
Some of the guests behind them wanted to stop them and say something, but Little Zangwill hurried forward and persuaded them not to.
In fact, it was unnecessary.
Because the aura surrounding Link right now was simply too frightening.
Anyone with a normal brain wouldn't dare provoke him.
Who knew if he might casually hit them again?
At the same time, Link and the others finally arrived in front of Fleur.
Fleur looked at Link, her eyes full of disbelief.
"Lin… Link?"
"Fleur, long time no see.", Link nodded and said with a smile.
Link's handsome face was incredibly lethal when he smiled.
That one smile not only stunned Fleur, but even some of the female guests nearby who had been angry about what just happened now showed dreamy smiles.
Unfortunately, Link's charming smile didn't last long.
Under the twisting pinch of Emily's slender jade-like fingers, Link's face almost immediately returned to its previous cold, unapproachable expression.
"Fleur," Link continued, "what happened?"
As soon as Link said this, two clear streams of tears slid down Fleur's cheeks.
With reddened eyes and a tearful glare, she looked at the suited male wizards around her and said, "I… I was tricked!"
Little Zangwill felt all the hairs on his body stand on end.
He hurried to Link's side and said with a flattering smile, "This is a misunderstanding, dear guest! This young lady is our employee."
"Today is her first day, and she isn't familiar with the nobles at Zangwill Wand Shop, which is why this misunderstanding happened. It's nothing serious. We can handle it!"
"Yes, today is my first day," Fleur said fiercely.
"But when you hired me, did you ever say that being a server meant I had to drink and dance with those old perverts? If that's not fraud, then what is?"
"Mmm..."
A long murmur rose from the watching guests.
Most of the people lingering on the second floor of Zangwill Wand Shop were fairly wealthy but, for various reasons, didn't qualify to enter the third floor.
Fleur's revelation immediately put knowing smiles on the faces of the men, along with a faint hint of envy.
The reason was simple. Fleur was just too beautiful.
The fact that the third-floor VIP lounge even provided this kind of service.
That was really… something to be jealous of.
"If that was all, I could forget it!" Fleur said, sweeping a disgusted gaze over the surrounding guests.
"Right now I just want to leave. What right do you have to send so many male wizards to stop me?"
And you're even using the contract penalty as an excuse to try to force me back upstairs to keep serving those perverts?"
"Do you have any respect for the law? I'm leaving today no matter what. And not only that, I'm going to file a complaint with the French Ministry of Magic! Just you wait!"
Cold sweat poured down Little Zangwill's face.
He kept his head lowered, not daring to look at Link's expression.
He wasn't afraid at all of Fleur's threats about reporting them to the Ministry of Magic.
Several high-ranking officials in the French Ministry were members here and came regularly to enjoy themselves. There was no way they would just sit by and let the shop be punished.
What truly terrified Little Zangwill was Link.
From their earlier conversation, he had already realized something clearly.
Link and Fleur knew each other.
Their relationship might even be quite close.
So what would Link do when he saw his friend being mistreated?
Little Zangwill didn't even dare imagine it.