The portraits in the Headmaster's office were reeling. One of them, a stern-looking wizard from the 15th century, leaned out of his frame. "What in Merlin's name could the Malfoys have done to accrue such a debt? Even for them, twenty million is absurd!"
Magnus Sylveron let out a dry, aristocratic chuckle. "Oh, it goes much deeper than that. You see, the Malfoys arrived in England with William the Conqueror. For their services to the Crown, they were granted land and a noble title in the Muggle world—which they still cling to today."
The other portraits nodded; they knew the Malfoys loved their "Lordship" titles, even the Muggle ones.
"However," Magnus continued, his eyes glinting with amusement, "one of their ancestors was a degenerate gambler. He gambled away the entire family fortune and their very titles to a man who was a vassal to the House of Sylveron. The Malfoys were on the verge of being erased from history. To save themselves, they signed a blood debt of 40 million Galleons to the Sylveron estate."
"They paid back twenty million in cash over the next century," Lucien added, picking up the story. "But the remaining twenty million has sat there, gathering interest since ancient times. Based on our family's standard interest rates for 'blood-loyalty' loans... the actual debt isn't twenty million."
Lucien paused for dramatic effect. "With interest, it is well over 100 million Galleons."
The office went deathly silent for a heartbeat before exploding into a cacophony of laughter.
"100 million?!" Phineas Nigellus Black roared, clutching his painted sides. "And Lucius... that arrogant peacock actually thinks he only owes the principal? He's walking into that meeting thinking he can pay off a 100-million-Galleon debt with one girl and a few scraps of gold?"
"He's an idiot," Lucien stated flatly. "He hasn't checked the ancient ledgers. He thinks he's negotiating a settlement, but he's actually walking into a total liquidation of his entire existence."
Dumbledore couldn't help but let out a soft, twinkling laugh as he shook his head. "It is truly embarrassing. To think the leader of the 'Pure-Blood' faction doesn't even know the math of his own downfall."
Windsor Manor: The Final Countdown
While the ghosts of the past laughed at the Malfoys, Reinhardt stood in his courtyard. The air began to vibrate, and the blue particles of the System started to coalesce into a familiar, beautiful form.
[SYSTEM UPGRADE: 100% COMPLETE.]
[Rebooting...]
[Initialising 'Wife' Personality...]
"I'm back, darling~" the System's voice echoed, sounding clearer, more human, and significantly more affectionate. "Did you miss me? While I was away, I processed that 100-million-Galleon interest calculation. I've also prepared a special 'Surprise' for our meeting with Lucius."
Reinhardt smirked, his Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan spinning briefly in his eyes. "Welcome back, Wifey. You're just in time. The Malfoys are about to find out that 'interest' is a very, very painful thing."
Current Status
The Debt: Formally identified as 120,450,000 Galleons (Principal + Ancient Interest). The "Wife": Fully upgraded with new features and a physical "projection" capability. The Meeting: 3 days away.
The atmosphere in the study of Windsor Manor grew heavy with a sweet, playful tension. Reinhardt leaned back, a soft smile playing on his lips as the blue holographic particles of the System solidified into a shimmering, feminine silhouette.
"Wifey, I missed you so much for the last six months," Reinhardt murmured, his voice laced with genuine warmth.
[Darling, don't lie to me,] the System replied, her voice flickering with a hint of playful skepticism. [You've been quite busy collecting 'claimants' at the Ministry.]
"Check my brain, Wifey. See for yourself," Reinhardt countered.
The System's interface pulsed a deep, embarrassed red as she scanned his thoughts, finding the constant, lingering presence of her own "voice" in the back of his mind. [...Hmph. Fine. I suppose you were somewhat lonely.]
"Now that you're here, I'm truly happy. My first wife is finally back," Reinhardt teased.
The System's holographic form practically began to steam. The Goddess behind the screen was fuming, her heart racing for her "little lover." [I-I am just a System, Host! Focus on your progression!]
"We'll see about that in the future," Reinhardt laughed. "Once I find where you really are, I'm going to spoil you rotten. You won't even remember what a 'System' is."
The Bloodline Strategy
Reinhardt pulled the shimmering Bloodline Boost Ticket from his inventory. "Wifey, tell me exactly how this works. If I were to use a wish on a Holy Grail for a Dragon Bloodline, and then used this ticket, could I reach the rank of a True Dragon God?"
[Not quite, Darling,] the System replied, recovering her composure. [The hierarchy of Dragon bloodlines is vast. If you used the Holy Grail to gain a base Dragon bloodline, this ticket would elevate you to the rank of a Primordial Dragon—an entity that existed before the stars.]
[Image of Dragon Evolution Hierarchy]
[To reach 'True Dragon God' status—the level of being you would need two more of these tickets to facilitate the final leaps in evolution.]
Reinhardt looked at the ticket, then tucked it safely back into his storage. "A Primordial Dragon, huh? That's more than enough to turn the Wizarding World into my personal playground. But I'll wait. I haven't made my wish yet, and there are still over six months left in the year. I want the foundation to be perfect."
Current Status
The "First Wife": Fully operational and deeply flustered. The Bloodline Plan: Postponed until the Holy Grail wish is secured. The Wealth: 120 Million Galleons in interest is waiting to be collected from the Malfoys.