Vid looked at the person beside him, as if he had lost a fortune from Gringotts, and patted his shoulder, amused.
"That's enough."
His tone carried a hint of comforting jest:
"You are nearly the richest person in the Magic World now, and aren't Knuts from all over the world still flying into your pocket? Don't be sad over things you never possessed; money is endless."
Machioni sighed heavily, saying sadly, "Vid, someone like you, who lacks ambition for wealth, will never understand my feelings."
His gaze remained fixed on the distant sea of dazzling lights, with a complex light flashing in his eyes.
"Maybe... maybe the Witch Pure Party's ideology is right—to break the Confidentiality Law, to shatter the chains binding wizards, to let magic reappear in the world, so that wizards no longer need to hide..."
He lowered his voice, his tone becoming unprecedentedly serious:
"Centuries ago, didn't wizards and Muggles live peacefully together? Many wizards served as officials for Muggle Emperors and were respected. Even Merlin was a consultant for King Arthur and helped him in battles..."
"I've read the Witch Pure Party's earlier manifestos; if they can maintain their initial goals and still endeavor to reintegrate wizards into normal society, maybe we should support them! Maybe..."
"Maybe the world would once again be engulfed in war."
Vid interrupted him, his calm tone like a bucket of ice-cold water poured over his head:
"If the vast majority of people around the world fall into chaos and fear, who would still have the time to buy tickets to the Little People Country for enjoyment? This place might even be destroyed by a single cannonball."
Machioni paused, chuckled wryly, "Of course... of course! Don't be so serious, pal. It's not that I don't understand what they've done in the past, I'm just speaking casually..."
He glanced regretfully at the distant city's lights.
Such a vast blue sea... yet they could only stay on an isolated island...
The two of them descended the stairs, their footsteps echoing "empty, empty" in the stairwell.
While Machioni was dejectedly hanging his head, he suddenly heard the boy beside him whisper:
"If one day, the Little People Country truly welcomes Muggle visitors, perhaps you'd be shocked by their terrifying flow and begin to miss these current easy-money days."
Machioni was slightly startled, blinking, with a flame suddenly ignited in the depths of his eyes.
He gazed intently at Vid, without saying a word.
They passed through the lobby and arrived on the street. At this time, Diagon Alley was already quite empty, with many shops closed, creating a serene and chilly atmosphere.
Vid stopped in front of a closed tavern, looked up at the wooden sign gently swaying in the evening breeze, and lightly said:
"I don't want to see the Magic World fall into division and war again because of the 'Confidentiality Law,' but... we must also face the current reality."
"Too many wizards are old-fashioned and conservative, reluctant to understand the changes in the Muggle Society; their beliefs are decades, if not hundreds, of years behind reality... This is a difficult reality to change."
"And Muggles... they will eventually cover the world with surveillance cameras, even allowing everyone to carry a Flow Mirror-like live-feed cam. Satellites will span the sky, watching every corner of the world, distinguishing everyone's features from thousands of kilometers away."
"By that time..."
He turned to Machioni, his gray eyes carrying a strange penetrative quality, as if seeing far into the future.
"By that time, wizards will be utterly unable to continue hiding! The fortress built by the Confidentiality Law might collapse faster than anyone imagined, perhaps even in just a few years!"
"If you truly want to do something, Machioni... then be prepared for the world's great changes. When the storm really comes, don't be like an ostrich burying its head in the sand, knowing nothing."
Machioni stared blankly at Vid, despite his earlier optimism about a society where wizards and Muggles live together; he was frightened by Vid's prophetic-like tone, his gaze resembling that of a lamb suddenly hearing the storm is imminent.
He subconsciously gulped, confused and a bit at loss, only after a long while did he dryly ask:
"So... how long do you think... before all that happens?"
Vid pondered for a moment, then said, "About twenty years."
At least in China, twenty years later, smartphones were widely popularized, network technology upgraded to 4G, and various live streaming apps emerged like mushrooms after rain.
Though he didn't know about the United Kingdom at that time, it probably wouldn't be much different.
His tone was clear and certain, an inexplicable atmosphere made Machioni shiver involuntarily.
But then, his ambition seemed to be fueled by a bucket of oil, immediately blazing fiercely, excited emotions surged into his chest like waves, making him momentarily speechless, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts.
Twenty years...
For Muggles, it's a long period enough for youthful passions and dreams to turn to ashes.
But for a longer-lived wizard... twenty years later, Machioni would still be in his prime, the perfect time to fight.
Even at a hundred or two hundred years old... he felt he would never give up his love for money!
And at this moment, a tremendous sense of opportunity and urgency violently collided and churned in his chest, countless inspirations bursting forth—
For those entirely different customer groups of wizards, how could he make them willingly empty their pockets, countless ideas flashed in Machioni's mind.
He couldn't wait to put his ideas into practice, but upon seeing the boy before him, the agitated fire within him instantly calmed down.
He must send Vid home... more important than work is Vid... as long as he's here, endless wealth will follow...
"Let's go, Vid... it's too late, I should send you home... must ensure you get home safely."
He said this, his toes already unconsciously turning towards the direction of the Magic Workshop, his gaze frequently drifting towards the yard where the Little People Country was located, his entire body seemingly calling out, urging him to work.
Vid saw this and couldn't help but laugh.
"No need." He said warmly, "I'm not a child anymore, I won't manage to get lost. Since you're eager to work, go ahead."
"But..." Machioni struggled to pull his gaze from the "Little People Country," hesitantly said, "There are quite a few Dark Wizards in Diagon Alley too..."
"You saw the competition broadcast as well." Vid chuckled and said, "If encountered by ill-intentioned individuals, I'm not the one to worry."
"Indeed! Just wait and see, Vid! I will surely build a new Magic Kingdom that will leave everyone amazed and yearning!"
Machioni's face lit up with a smile, as if untethered, hastily bid farewell, turning to rush towards the Aslan Magic Workshop. As he walked a few steps, he simply broke into a trot, eventually breaking into a sprint.
Vid watched his disappearing direction, smiled faintly, then softly said, "Come out, he's gone."
A shadow almost blending with the wall emerged, softly repeating, "...twenty years?"