Chapter 14: Departure and Return
After confirming that Ino was really not interested in the gold coins, Old John tied the purse with a rope again.
"Thank you for your story last night. It made me change my mind. I think you have guessed it. This is the match left by my daughter, her only relic."
Ino also found that compared with the relief after unloading the burden last night, the current Old John is more like a rebirth after redemption.
Even when mentioning his daughter's relics, there is no regret and sadness before.
"But... who asked you to give me a big bag of new matches, so I want to leave it to you, and also let the story of this 'little match girl' spread in this land."
Old John laughed heartily, and his laughter seemed to penetrate the clouds.
...
Outside the town, there is a not-so-wide gravel road.
Although this road is a bit narrow, even only enough for a carriage to pass, it is the only way to the nearby city.
"Old John, you can stop here, really." Ino comforted in a gentle voice.
After a month of getting along day and night, he understood the mentality of the old man in front of him very well. That look... is really familiar.
It was like he had worked hard outside for a whole year, and went home for a short reunion during the Spring Festival. After the holiday, at the moment of parting, the scene of the elderly grandmother seeing him off.
From home to the door, from the door to the village entrance... Even when the car drove away, the old woman still stood there, unwilling to leave for a long time.
"Okay! I'm going to start a new journey and try to chase the pace of spring. And you have to start your own story. I hope I can still hear your legend from afar."
"Goodbye! Old John!"
In order to avoid the melancholy of parting, Ino said goodbye and stepped onto this long gravel road without looking back.
On the other side, Old John did not respond, but just stood there quietly, waving his old arms, as if saying goodbye.
After a while, Ino suddenly heard a distant poem coming from behind him.
That was Old John's voice. Although the tone was a bit lame, it was undoubtedly the usual rhythm used by bards.
The voice was deep and loud. Even though the distance was very far, Ino could still hear the content of the poem clearly. It was people's blessing to the wanderers in the distance.
...
London, by the Thames.
"I didn't expect that you would have this skill..."
Ino returned to the original world again. He wanted to cook a simple lunch, then take a short rest, and go out to buy food in the afternoon.
But who would have thought that when he opened his bag, he found a familiar item hidden inside.
Old John's purse for gold coins.
This discovery really made him laugh and cry. He had never expected that Old John had such a skill. He could quietly put the purse into his bag without noticing it.
While he was moved, he was more fortunate that he didn't find it. If he really found it, he would never bring it out.
But now... the unintentional heart is the most perfect way.
Not only did he cross the rules of the fantasy world and get a bag of gold coins, but he also didn't breed greed in his heart. He had the best of both worlds.
As for Old John's source of income in the future, he was not worried at all.
As the next "story protagonist" in the town puzzle, I shouldn't say that even if everyone in the town died, Old John would be safe and sound.
"It solved the urgent problem... Thank you, Old John!"
Ino looked at the gold coins in front of him, thanked him secretly in his heart, and then carefully put the purse in the lining of his shirt.
With this money, his only thought now is to sell all those second-hand items and replace them with new things.
Especially the plain robe that was so worn that it was patinated. If he was not short of money, he would not pick it up even if it was thrown on the ground.
"I want to buy a new robe, a new crucible, and I can also book a room at the Leaky Cauldron..."
Ino was calculating how to spend it while thinking about the exchange rate of Gringotts. A bag full of gold coins would be enough for him to graduate, of course, provided that he did not squander them recklessly.
...
Diagon Alley.
Unlike the last time when he was in a hurry, Ino was obviously in a playful mood this time.
Of course, he did not forget the purpose of this trip. The first stop was the wizard chain bank - Goblin Gringotts.
Once again walking into this magnificent marble hall, hundreds of goblins less than two feet tall were still sitting behind a long row of counters, either weighing coins with copper scales or carefully examining gems with eyepieces.
In short, these goblins seemed to have endless work to do and looked extremely busy.
"I need to exchange some Galleons! But you need to tell me the exchange rate."
Ino walked to the counter and took out a gold coin given by Old John from his pocket.
The unique sound of gold made the impatient goblin immediately put on a flattering face and said:
"Of course! Dear guest, the exchange rate of Gringotts has always been open and transparent."
"That's the best!" Ino put the gold coins on the counter and urged: "My time is precious! I think you should know what to do."
Ino's tone was a little arrogant, but the goblin opposite him had a accustomed expression. In his opinion, the little wizard opposite him was dressed a little... too simple.
But the calm and confident temperament in his bones is something that many pure-blood children cannot have.
"I will weigh and calculate for you as soon as possible! It won't take too long."
The goblin's smile became brighter and brighter. It knew that when working in Gringotts, it was far from enough to just look at the appearance of the customer. Thinking of this, it immediately started to work.
Color, weight, hardness...
After a series of operations, the goblin could be 100% sure that the gold coin in front of it was pure gold, but it was entangled because this gold coin was an antique with some history. If it was only exchanged according to the gold price...
After some thinking, greed finally defeated reason. The goblin said carefully:
"The purity of the gold coin is considerable, and the total weight is 1.2 ounces, so... this gold coin can be exchanged for 145 Galleons."
Hearing this, Ino quickly calculated in his mind. He had done some research before coming. The international gold price in 1991 was 350 US dollars per ounce, and the exchange rate between the US dollar and the British pound was 1:1.95.
"More than 800 pounds for 145 Galleons is a fair price."
After secretly calculating, Ino made a decision in his heart, and immediately took out two gold coins from his arms and said, "Help me exchange them together."
But what he didn't know was that this casual action made the goblin on the other side a little bit embarrassed.
At this moment, the goblin seemed to wear a painful mask. After struggling for a few seconds, he whispered:
"In fact... this gold coin may be considered an antique, provided that you tell me its history, and..."
"No! This is a craft, you can just exchange it according to the gold." Ino interrupted the goblin.
It's not that he didn't think about this problem, but if he fabricated a piece of history for the sake of more money, it would be the most stupid behavior.
After all, a few hundred grams of gold in the magic world is harmless, but it is really hard not to pay attention to an undiscovered history that appears out of thin air.
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