Chapter 1: The Overprotected Boy
Diagon Alley.
A young man in black robes looked at the bustling crowd on the street, then gazed up at the sky, which was tinged with the last light of dusk, and couldn't help but sigh softly.
He had been in this Magical World for eleven years.
Eleven years!
From birth until now, his worldview, outlook on life, and values had undergone a certain degree of transformation during his growth, and only then did he gradually accept this world.
Do you know how he spent these eleven years?
"Young Master, it's time for you to return."
A voice came from behind Aaron, a well-dressed middle-aged man cautiously reminding him.
After a few seconds, seeing no reaction from the young man,
the middle-aged man slowly took a breath and was about to speak when he was interrupted.
"Isn't there still a few minutes? Let me stay a bit longer!"
"But the Lord and Lady, they..."
"Didn't they say that before six o'clock, my time is my own to command!" Aaron said, extremely exasperated, "Also, what should you call me when we're outside?"
"Boss." The middle-aged man said, looking very troubled.
"That's right, Gines." Aaron nodded with satisfaction, "Oh, by the way, how much money did my little shop make today?"
"Roughly eight Galleons." Gines said with difficulty.
Eight Galleons was not a large sum, but it wasn't small either; in this world, it was barely enough to buy a wand.
However, this figure was quite embarrassing in the eyes of the butler.
He couldn't understand why his Young Master would ignore the vast family assets and instead run this beverage shop in this alley, a business that wasn't exactly booming.
But he couldn't defy his Young Master's wishes; his only task was to ensure his Young Master's safety and his timely return home every day. The rest was none of his concern.
"Not bad." Aaron said casually, not caring about the figure.
Ding-a-ling... At that moment, the alarm clock on the counter rang.
Aaron gave an exasperated look at the butler, who was making a 'please' gesture, and walked over to him quite automatically.
"Actually, I can manage on my own."
"Of course, Young Master, we all know you can, but necessary rules must still be followed. This is the Lord's, and your father's, instruction."
"Heh heh!" Aaron sneered, saying nothing.
Aaron grabbed a handful of Floo powder, walked into the fireplace inside the shop, clearly enunciated 'Gaius Castle,' and then sprinkled the Floo powder.
A green flame suddenly ignited, then quickly extinguished.
In the blink of an eye, Aaron had vanished from the spot, returning to his home.
The butler nodded with relief, and just as he was about to take out his wand to use Apparition, he laughed at himself and put it away. Half a minute later, he repeated Aaron's earlier action.
After the two left, two figures were reflected on the wall of Aaron's drink shop.
They smiled at each other and prepared a cup of hot tea for one another, clearly more than just acquaintances.
"When will this end?" The person on the left said with some frustration.
"Who knows? But it should be soon!
The Young Master is exceptionally gifted, and he is already eleven this year; it's time for him to go to school."
"That's true, but I'm more concerned about the shift change in two days."
...Gaius Castle.
Every day at six o'clock in the afternoon, there was always a House-elf waiting by the fireplace, and today was no exception.
Rumble!
The fireplace rumbled.
"Get ready, Young Master is coming back." The House-elfreminded himself.
Almost the instant Aaron appeared, the House-elf used cleaning magic on him. The dirt on his clothes from using Floo powder was thoroughly cleaned, and Aaron's clothes instantly looked brand new.
"Thanks, Yobby."
"Young Master, it is our honor to serve you." Yobby said excitedly.
Immediately after, the butler also appeared in the fireplace, and Yobby repeated the previous magic, but Gines merely nodded slightly, taking Yobby's actions for granted.
Although cleaning and tidying were indeed among a House-elf's duties.
"Where are my parents? They haven't returned, have they?" Aaron asked with a hint of complaint.
"No." Yobby said, somewhat fearfully.
"Young Master, although the Lord and Lady are away from home for long periods, they do care about you." Gines said, "We watched you grow up; you are absolutely the happiest child in the world."
"Stop, Uncle Gines.
Did you watch me grow up, or did you monitor me grow up? You know that better than anyone.
I'm eleven now, not a three-year-old. Don't try to fool me." Aaron said, feeling a bit speechless.
From his birth until now, no matter when, as long as he wasn't at home, someone was always following him, ostensibly for protection.
Gines's family had served the Gaius Family for generations. He was the most trusted person to Aaron and his parents, and the only visible protection allowed to be by Aaron's side.
As for those in the shadows, heh heh! That was a long story.
Although he had never caught them, he was certain their number was no less than two, and they were all experts.
Hearing Aaron's words, a faint hint of bitterness appeared on Gines's face. "Young Master, it seems that ever since you could remember, we haven't been able to fool you.
But those so-called surveillance claims are absolutely baseless, figments of your imagination."
In any other Wizard family, an heir with such protection would be secretly overjoyed!
But his Young Master, he always considered this 'care' to be surveillance, an infringement on his personal privacy, and he was very repulsed by it, even protesting to his parents more than once.
And the Gaius couple would always sincerely admit their mistakes to their son with guilt, but the next day, it would be as if nothing had happened, and they would go about their business as usual!
Over time, not to mention Aaron, even he, the butler, had become numb to it.
But no matter what, the protection for the Young Master absolutely could not stop. As a butler and bodyguard, his job was to grit his teeth and steadfastly deny everything. After all, the Young Master had no evidence, did he?
When he could truly bring out the hidden protective forces, it would prove he could stand on his own. The Gaius couple would not only not be angry, but would laugh uproariously three times.
They might even host a banquet for some inexplicable reason to celebrate this memorable day.
"Hmph!" Aaron snorted, helpless against their thick skin, "So, did they say when they're coming back?"
"No, but it should be soon!" Gines was also a bit uncertain.
"I shouldn't have asked you; you said the same thing half a month ago."
"Perhaps they have very important matters." Gines said, "You know the Lord and Lady are always busy with this and that."
Aaron rolled his eyes at him, not wanting to engage.
Because his parents sent a letter home every so often, and each time it was from a different place, and without exception, they were all tourist destinations.
This was completely unlike the behavior of busy people; instead, it seemed more like a world tour.
Leaving their own son at home while they enjoyed themselves—such parents truly had big hearts.
Gines also guessed what Aaron was complaining about internally and said, "Young Master, it's almost dinner time. Do you need anything extra prepared?"
"No need, just send it to my room later." Aaron said, walking up the stairs without looking back.
Gines sighed helplessly and turned his gaze to the House-elf.
Yobby immediately straightened up and said, "I'll go prepare dinner for the Young Master right away."
"No need. Someone else is preparing the Young Master's dinner. You just need to deliver it to him later."
"Yes, Butler Gines." Yobby said solemnly, then headed towards the kitchen.
Inside his room, Aaron lay directly on the bed and silently opened his personal panel, which only he could see.
Host: Aaron Gaius
magic Power: 700 (Intermediate Wizard, your path of magichas just begun)
Talent: Once-in-a-century (Can be upgraded, magic Power increases by 2 points daily, but the rate of increase will fluctuate with level and age)
Items: None
magic Points: 1001
Looking at this panel, which was as simple as could be, even a bit pitiful, Aaron silently sighed.
He only got this system when he was nine, and at first, he was quite excited. After all, with a system, his journey in this Magical World would definitely be much smoother.
But once he understood the system, he suddenly felt as if a thousand alpacas were galloping through his heart. There was no beginner's gift pack, only a simple panel and a low-key, luxurious, and meaningful system store.
magic Points were a good thing; they could both increase magic Power and purchase rare items in the system store, but the downside was that they accumulated too slowly.
He had one sign-in opportunity per day, and it was only effective in places related to magic.
Signing in at home only yielded one magic Point, which amounted to a three-digit number in a year, but in Diagon Alley, it was two magic Points. Although there wasn't a huge difference between one and two, the temptation of doubling it still led him to open a drink shop in Diagon Alley and tirelessly earn money every day.
To be honest, his family wasn't short on that bit of money.
If one were to truly delve into their status, the Gaius Family's position in the Magical World was no weaker than the Twenty-Eight Pure-blood families, even slightly superior. As for the Muggle world, the Gaius Family was also among the top twenty on the rich list.
But there was no other way!
The family was strict. There were many places he could sign in, but most were relatively dangerous. Someone followed him wherever he went every day, and even the shop in Diagon Alley was only acquired after he pestered his parents several times.
Although he had been signing in for two years, and his magic Points had only just broken into four digits today, Aaron felt it was all worth it. Today was the day for his real spending.