Are you free now?
Griphook felt like he had the rest of his life free.
At that moment, the guards finally reacted. They raised their truncheons and roared at Ethan, "Hey! What are you doing?! Get down, now!"
"Sh-shut up!" Griphook shrieked, cutting the guard off.
He stared intently at the brass key dangling back and forth in his line of sight. The tiny glint of light reflecting off the number "12" stabbed into his eyes like a needle.
An uncontrollable surge of greed welled up inside him.
His eyes darted around, and a plan quickly formed in his mind.
Griphook slid off his chair, raised his arms, and bowed deeply. "My sincerest apologies, esteemed guest. I, a humble goblin, was blind and failed to recognize your distinguished status. Please follow me; I will take you to Vault 12."
As he spoke, the hand hidden behind his back made a subtle gesture to the guards.
The guards exchanged glances, and one of them hurried off toward the deeper part of the hall.
Oh, calling for reinforcements, are they?
Ethan noticed their little maneuvers, a curious smirk tugging at his lips.
The more spectators, the better, of course.
But...
Ethan shifted his gaze back to the goblin bowing below him, waiting patiently.
His mouth curved into a leisurely smile as he said, "It's too high."
Too high?
The counter is too high to get down from?
Griphook was stunned.
He thought to himself: Didn't you just shoot up here like a firecracker and stand on it, kid?
But a distinguished guest's requests were always reasonable.
Griphook replied, "I'll get you a stool right away."
"Get one?" Ethan tilted his head, flashing a sincere smile. "Why bother getting one? Isn't there one right here?"
Griphook froze.
Two seconds later, when he finally grasped Ethan's meaning, his face flushed a deep purple!
This damned brat wanted him to serve as a footstool!
Griphook trembled with rage.
His noble goblin self—even if he died or jumped from the top of Gringotts—would never—
Ethan sighed. "Oh, I don't think today is suitable for opening the vault."
With a thud, Griphook knelt down stiffly.
His mouth twitched twice, and he slowly prostrated himself on the ground.
He performed a standard deep bow, full of formality.
In the dead silence of stunned disbelief, Ethan's eyes curved into crescents as he smiled. "That's better, isn't it?"
He even suggested that Gringotts should develop this kind of customer service.
Ethan lifted his foot and stepped off the counter.
His leather boot landed firmly on the goblin's back, eliciting a cry of pain from the creature.
With a light tap, Ethan landed gracefully on the floor.
He smoothed out the wrinkles in his clothes, turned his head, and looked down at the trembling goblin on the ground.
He chuckled softly, "You're welcome."
For a snobbish goblin like him, serving a distinguished VVVVIP user like Ethan must be the greatest honor.
Oops, that gave him a little thrill.
As his words faded, Ethan saw the goblin tremble even more violently.
Hmm, it must be out of gratitude.
Professor Lupin: (⊙o⊙)???
Professor Lupin was completely dumbfounded.
He stared at the constantly shaking goblin on the ground, feeling his worldview crumble inside!
Ethan's "good student" filter shattered into pieces!
Having lived for over thirty years, this was the first time he'd seen a goblin—who usually judged people by their status—being toyed with like this!
What exactly was that vault key?
It wasn't Ethan's own, was it?
Professor Lupin belatedly realized that this trip to Diagon Alley probably wouldn't end simply.
Just then, a flurry of footsteps echoed through the hall.
Gringotts' senior managers and goblin guards swarmed over.
They exclaimed in astonishment, "Esteemed guest! You are—"
Ethan hadn't spoken yet.
But the goblin Griphook on the ground suddenly propped himself up and said with difficulty, "Supervisor, this wizard has the key to Vault 12."
At those words, the goblins immediately held their breath.
They stared at Ethan in shock, a hint of greed rising in their eyes all at once.
—The key to Vault 12?
Professor Lupin was surprised too.
A vault with such a low number—how ancient must it be?
It seemed to hold significant meaning for the goblins as well.
Why would Ethan have it...?
Professor Lupin suddenly felt that Ethan's figure had become elusive.
That handsome and gentle smile now seemed like a mask, sending a chill down his spine.
No wonder Minister Fudge and Headmaster Dumbledore held him in such high regard.
He must be hiding a great secret.
The goblins exchanged glances, and their attitudes immediately became extremely respectful.
They bowed and invited him, "Please come with us, esteemed guest."
Ethan nodded.
He pretended not to notice the calculating looks in the goblins' eyes.
He, Luna, and the silent Professor Lupin boarded the cart.
They left behind a hall full of petrified onlookers.
What an eye-opener.
The cart whizzed downward, plunging deep underground.
"Whoosh!"
Ethan opened a large black umbrella, shielding himself and Luna.
Professor Lupin asked, "Ethan, why are you holding an umbrella?"
He soon found out why.
A waterfall cascaded down, filling his mouth with water.
Ethan peeked out from under the black umbrella and said, "Because there's a waterfall ahead."
Professor Lupin: "...Thank you, child."
The warning was a bit too "early."
Suddenly, Professor Lupin frowned.
He clutched his chest, groaning in pain.
The goblin glanced at him and shouted, "This is the Thief's Downfall! Sir! It makes people reveal their true forms."
Feeling the change stirring within his body, Professor Lupin's pupils contracted slightly.
He had never ventured this deep into Gringotts before, so he naturally didn't know about the "Thief's Downfall"!
A sense of foreboding slowly rose within him.
After an unknown amount of time, just as Luna remarked, "We must have reached the Earth's core by now," the cart finally slowed to a stop.
Griphook, the goblin driving the cart, took the key and inserted it into the vault door's keyhole.
Click-clack, click-clack.
Accompanied by the sound of complex mechanisms unlocking, a cloud of dust drifted down.
Then, with a boom—, Vault 12, which hadn't been visited by anyone for hundreds of years, finally swung its heavy door open before Ethan's eyes!
A river of magic flowed out, emitting a cool, ethereal blue glow.
"It's so beautiful..." Ethan heard Luna beside him say softly.
He saw her raise her fair fingers and gently pluck at it.
Like strumming a zither string, the river of magic rippled in response.
Around Luna, starlight-like brilliance condensed into points of light.
Indeed, it was beautiful.
Ethan thought.
He turned his head to look at the goblin standing by the door.
He extended his hand and smiled. "The key."
Griphook, extremely reluctant, returned the incredibly precious Vault 12 key to Ethan.
As if a piece of his own flesh had been torn away.
Watching Ethan step into the vault, he thought to himself: It doesn't matter. Soon, this key and the secret treasures in the vault will return to the goblins' hands. After all, history says these were originally their possessions. This brat is just a despicable key thief!
Griphook turned his head and looked into the dark cave.
He waited impatiently for his companions to arrive.
Inside the vault, it was empty.
Only a stone pillar stood in the center.
From it, an endless stream of ethereal blue magic flowed out.
Thump-thump! Thump-thump!
Ethan's heart pounded like a drum, his eyes reflecting the ethereal blue light.
Holding his wand at the ready, he walked forward step by step and looked.
It was a map, and a piece of snow-white object, as thick as an arm and resembling dried wood.
[Congratulations!]
[You have obtained the Unknown's Relic!]
[Treasure Map of the Hidden Basement]
[Extraordinary Material · Pure White Saint's Remains]
Seeing the captions, Ethan raised his eyebrows.
You mean this dried-up, firewood-like thing is the skeleton of an ancient creature?!
To treat a "corpse" as a secret treasure and leave it to future generations.
"Very tasteful."
Ethan nodded in appreciation.