Chapter 403

Chapter 403: Chapter 403

Lynn studied Samael’s vacant eyes and nodded in satisfaction.

He was beginning to enjoy living in an era where he could cast the Unforgivable Curses without worrying about the consequences.

It was not as though he had never used them in the modern age. He simply could not be quite so reckless about it there.

"Take me to your king’s treasury."

Samael nodded obediently, turned around, and walked toward the fireplace.

Lynn raised an eyebrow.

Was the entrance to the treasury hidden behind it?

Many wealthy families liked concealing secret passages behind fireplaces, bookshelves, or paintings. As an elder who had served four kings, perhaps Samael possessed a private route leading directly into the royal treasury.

Following behind him, Lynn could not help sighing inwardly.

As expected of an elder who has served four reigns. He even has a secret passage to the treasury inside his own home.

Just how much did Ragnuk trust this old fellow to grant him such access?

To Lynn’s surprise, Samael stopped before the fireplace and crouched down.

His movements were smooth and natural, as though he had performed them countless times. He reached directly into the ashes, rummaged around for a moment, and pulled out a long ring of blackened keys.

After wiping them on his sleeve, he rubbed them against his trouser leg and turned to face Lynn.

Lynn stared at him.

"..."

"Master, these are the keys to the king’s treasury," Samael explained blankly. "I made them myself."

Lynn looked at the keys, then at Samael, and finally back at the keys.

"So you’re an old fox too."

He clicked his tongue.

"To think Ragnuk trusts you so deeply, his esteemed elder of four reigns."

He placed particular emphasis on the word trust.

Samael lowered his head in silence, fixing his gaze firmly upon his own feet.

Lynn waited several seconds.

When it became clear that the old Goblin had no intention of explaining himself, he waved impatiently.

"Don’t stand there like a post. Lead the way."

"Yes, Master."

Leaning upon his crutch, Samael turned and walked toward the door.

In the Wizarding World, seven was widely regarded as the most powerfully magical number.

Hogwarts had seven years of study and seven main floors. Lord Voldemort had even sought to divide his soul into seven pieces in pursuit of immortality.

The Goblins clearly shared that fascination.

Their Pyramid had seven levels above ground, with the king’s chambers located at the very top—the symbolic dwelling place of a god.

Beneath the Pyramid lay another seven levels.

Ragnuk’s treasury occupied the lowest of them all: the seventh underground floor.

It contained the wealth he had accumulated throughout his reign—treasures inherited from the previous king, spoils plundered during wars, tribute from his subjects, and valuables quietly skimmed from transactions with Wizards.

Very few Goblins were permitted to set foot inside. Only those whom Ragnuk trusted most deeply were occasionally allowed to enter.

As an elder who had "faithfully" served four successive kings, Samael naturally belonged to that select group.

Night had already fallen by the time he reached the Pyramid.

The moon hung above its golden summit, bathing the city-state in a hazy silver glow.

Carrying the heavy ring of keys, Samael descended alone through the underground levels until he reached the stairwell leading to the seventh floor.

Hidden from sight, Lynn followed silently behind him.

At the bottom of a narrow flight of stairs stood a corridor ending in an enormous rune-covered door.

The door was even larger than the main entrance to the Pyramid. It had been carved from a single slab of stone, and its entire surface was covered with dense layers of protective enchantments.

A large group of armored Goblin guards stood on either side, each holding a spear.

The captain on duty stepped forward as soon as he saw Samael. He lowered his weapon, angling its tip toward the approaching elder.

"Elder Samael. Why have you come here so late?"

Samael shuffled toward the door and shook the ring of keys in his hand, making them jingle loudly.

"Mr. Lynn wishes to purchase a suit of armor. His Majesty ordered me to retrieve one from the treasury."

Over the past several days, Ragnuk had publicly treated Lynn as an honored guest. He had held banquets, bestowed gifts, and personally accompanied the young Wizard around the city.

By now, everyone in the city-state knew that a distinguished visitor from Hogwarts was staying among them.

That visitor wanting to purchase armor was perfectly reasonable.

The king sending Samael to retrieve it was equally reasonable.

The captain therefore showed little suspicion.

That was one of the advantages of living long enough and holding a high position. Sometimes, merely showing one’s face was enough to open doors that remained closed to everyone else.

He withdrew his spear and stepped aside.

"Elder Samael, according to the rules, I must assign two guards to escort you inside. Do you object?"

"No," Samael answered expressionlessly.

The captain accepted the ring of keys and selected the one marked with the number one.

He inserted it into the first lock and twisted forcefully.

Click!

The enormous stone door split down the middle.

Chains creaked within the surrounding walls as the two halves slowly withdrew, revealing a second door behind them.

The captain sighed helplessly.

"Six more."

One door after another opened.

Every door required a different key and possessed a different locking mechanism. Some were carved from stone, others were forged from metal, and several were covered so densely in runes that almost none of their original surfaces remained visible.

At last, the seventh door opened.

Samael entered the narrow corridor beyond, accompanied by two guards.

The walls were made of rough, unfinished stone, left almost entirely as they had been when the passage was first excavated from the mountain. The ceiling was so low that even the short Goblins had to bow their heads slightly in places.

The air was damp and musty.

Beneath it lingered a faint trace of sulfur, seemingly drifting from somewhere deeper underground.

Their footsteps echoed through the corridor.

Before long, the passage opened into a magnificent hall.

Mountains of gold filled their vision.

Gold coins and piles of gold dust rose across the hall, glittering beneath the magical lights. They occupied nearly every available stretch of floor, with narrow pathways winding between them.

Countless gemstones had been scattered among the coins.

Jade, emeralds, agate, tourmaline, amber, crystal, diamonds, rubies, sapphires, cat’s-eye stones, and moonstones gleamed in every imaginable color.

Their combined radiance bathed the treasury in a dazzling, multicolored glow.

One of the guards stared at the mountains of wealth and unconsciously swallowed.

How wonderful would it be to take even a handful home?

"Since you have already come this far, why not take something?"

Samael’s voice sounded behind him.

Both guards jolted.

They frantically shook their heads and waved their hands.

"Elder, please don’t joke about such things!"

"Stealing from the royal treasury is a capital offense!"

"We would like to live a few more years!"

"Is that so?"

The guards froze.

That voice had not belonged to Samael.

They spun around.

Lynn stood beside the nearest mountain of gold, leaning casually against it with his arms crossed. A cheerful smile rested upon his face.

"Guards!" one of the Goblins shouted. "There’s an intruder—"

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Two spells flew from Lynn’s wand in rapid succession.

The first struck the guard squarely in the chest, locking every muscle in his body. His arms snapped against his sides, his legs slammed together, and he toppled backward as stiffly as a wooden plank.

The second spell followed immediately, wiping away his memory of everything that had happened since entering the treasury.

"Someone—"

Lynn casually picked at his ear.

"Stop shouting. It’s useless."

He gestured toward the corridor behind them.

"How do you think I dared to walk in here so openly?"

He had no intention of killing the guards this time.

One Petrificus Totalus and one Memory Charm were sufficient.

Lynn had not changed his original position: he had come here to hunt for treasure, not to declare war on the Goblins in the name of wizardkind.

He turned toward the second guard.

That Goblin had retreated in front of Samael, his spear raised and pointed at Lynn.

"Elder, quickly—"

Before he could finish, Samael struck.

The elderly Goblin delivered a swift knife-hand blow to the side of the guard’s neck. His movement was fast, precise, and utterly ruthless.

The edge of his palm struck the artery with exactly enough force to render the guard unconscious without killing him.

The Goblin’s eyes rolled back.

His body went limp, collapsing to the floor with a muffled thud.

Lynn looked at the unconscious guard, then at the seemingly frail elder.

"Quick reflexes."

Samael offered no response.

"Master, this is Ragnuk’s treasury," he said mechanically. "The most valuable objects are stored in the innermost chamber."

Lynn followed his gaze and noticed another door at the far end of the hall.

Unlike the previous seven doors, this one had been badly damaged.

Its surface was warped and uneven, as though it had been repeatedly hammered from the other side or partially melted by intense heat. The edges of the frame bore obvious signs of liquefaction, while the metal handle had twisted into an almost unrecognizable shape.

Something extraordinarily destructive was imprisoned behind it.

"What’s inside?" Lynn asked.

"A Common Welsh Green guards the inner chamber," Samael answered.

"It recognizes no one except Ragnuk. Anyone else who enters will be attacked indiscriminately."

His voice remained perfectly steady as he continued.

"The king once sent more than a dozen guards to subdue it. They were all burned. Since then, no one else has entered the inner chamber."

"Only the king comes here occasionally. He stands outside the door, checks whether it has been damaged further, and then leaves."

A Common Welsh Green.

Lynn had seen that species before at the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary.

It was not especially large by Dragon standards—smaller than a Hungarian Horntail, yet somewhat larger than a Swedish Short-Snout. Its scales were green and shimmered with a faint golden sheen beneath sunlight.

Common Welsh Greens were not considered the most aggressive breed of Dragon, but provoking one remained an exceptionally poor idea. Their fire was more than hot enough to melt metal, which explained the condition of the door.

"A Dragon, huh..."

Lynn considered the problem for a moment.

"It will be difficult to get past it without causing any damage."

After thinking briefly, he glanced at Samael.

"Stand back."

Samael obeyed immediately.

Despite his advanced age, he retreated with astonishing speed. Within several steps, he had crossed to the opposite side of the hall and hidden behind a mountain of gold coins.

Only half of one eye remained visible as he cautiously watched Lynn.

Lynn took the appropriate key from him and waved his wand.

The key floated through the air and inserted itself into the damaged lock.

Click.

The warped door sprang free from its frame and crashed inward with a heavy boom.

Beyond it lay a short passage, less than ten meters long. At its far end was another chamber, even larger than the treasury outside.

A faint golden light glimmered within.

It reflected from the scales of the Welsh Green.

ROAR—!

A deafening Dragon roar thundered through the passage.

The entire treasury trembled. Gold coins slid down the surrounding piles in glittering streams, scattering across the floor with a continuous metallic clatter.

Lynn remained at the entrance and stared into the chamber.

The Welsh Green raised its enormous head.

A massive iron chain encircled its neck, tethering it to the floor. Awakened by the falling door, it drew in a deep breath and released a cloud of blue-gray smoke from its nostrils, obscuring the passage.

Through the haze, its eyes locked onto Lynn.

Its jaws opened.

Light flared deep within its throat.

An instant later, fire and heat surged down the passage together.

Lynn stepped sharply to the side.

The torrent of dragonfire roared through the doorway and swept into the outer treasury. Wherever it touched the mountains of gold, coins softened, warped, and began melting together at a visible rate.

Anyone attempting to cross that passage would suffer the same fate.

Standing beside the entrance, Lynn waited patiently.

The moment the flames subsided, he stepped forward and leaped.

Crack!

Two bolts of lightning shot from the tip of his wand, striking the Welsh Green directly in both eyes.

Lynn carefully controlled their strength. The attack was meant to blind it temporarily, not destroy its eyes.

The Dragon squeezed its eyes shut and roared furiously, thrashing within the chamber.

Its wings spread as it attempted to take flight.

Clang!

The chain around its neck snapped taut, wrenching the enormous creature back toward the ground.

Lynn seized the opening.

He pushed off with both feet and shot through the passage, entering the inner chamber in an instant.

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