"That's quite interesting," Les remarked as he glanced at the fairies in the hall, raising an eyebrow. The successor wizards are truly full of martial spirit! A thousand years ago, the rebellious fairies, who had their own king and had fought several wars against the wizards, are now willing to obediently work for the wizards, managing banks for them—this is clearly not a sudden pang of conscience.

After silently giving a thumbs-up to the successors in his heart, he walked up to the bank counter and explained his intent to the fairy behind it. The fairy was examining gemstones with a pair of spectacles and, upon seeing that the visitors were a shabby-dressed girl and a child who hadn’t even sprouted hair, couldn’t help but show a somewhat cold attitude. It didn’t even bother to take off its spectacles; it continued to observe the gemstones in its hand while instructing Les and Lupert to place the items they wanted to sell on the counter. Suddenly, it heard a series of clattering sounds.

The fairy looked up in anger, intending to scold the two for scattering cookies and other odds and ends on the counter, only to be met with a pile of colorful gemstones that choked all its dissatisfaction and complaints in its throat. "Estimate the value," Les said flatly.

The expression on this fairy’s face did not escape his notice, but he fully understood it—greedy and despicable, snobbish and stubborn, this is the nature of fairies. Rather, it is this very attitude that makes it clear that what sits before him is a fairy, not a house-elf.

Distant memories surfaced in his mind, reminding him of an old tale about Godric Gryffindor and the fairy king, Legrnack the First. Gryffindor had once approached the fairy king Legrnack, commissioning him to forge a pure silver sword adorned with rubies. However, the greedy fairy changed his mind after the sword was made, wanting to keep it for himself, and even came up with the bold idea of stealing the sword back from Gryffindor.

Legrnack claimed that Gryffindor had stolen the sword from him, driving his subjects to demand the sword back from Gryffindor with this flimsy lie. Gryffindor repelled all the fairies and cast a spell on them, instructing them to return and tell Legrnack that if he dared to act like this again, Gryffindor would use the sword to kill him and all his subjects. Legrnack cowered and stopped mentioning the sword, but a legend began to circulate in fairy society that Gryffindor had stolen the sword...

At this thought, Les couldn’t help but snort coldly. What a ridiculous creature! To think that a vague "tribal rule" could take away the goods others had legally purchased—do they really believe the world revolves around them?

From Slytherin's perspective, all these fairies, regardless of gender or age, should be slaughtered, using their heads as decorations, feeding their bones and flesh to snakes, and turning their fat into candles—this is also why Legrnack, who similarly bought things from the fairies, wouldn’t dare send anyone to confront him, because he would truly do so.

The fairies have despicable blood flowing in their veins, born to be vile. From his observations today, it’s clear that these inherent flaws have not dissipated over a thousand years. It’s a pity that a few of his friends consider him a bit extreme and are unwilling to cooperate, allowing these scourges to continue to roam free until now.

"Fifty-seven Galleons, sir, that's the highest price I can offer," the fairy's voice floated into his ears, pulling him back to reality from his memories. Bang! Before Les could speak, Lupert could no longer hold back. She dashed to the counter and began haggling with the fairy. In her view, although fifty-seven Galleons was a lot, it seemed too little compared to the pile of gemstones.

Unlike precious metals like gold, gemstones do not have a very specific price trend, with high and low prices depending solely on the negotiation between buyers and sellers. The fairy had long seen such situations and patiently explained to Lupert, item by item, the reasons for its price based on color, clarity, cut, and weight, making a strong case.

Lupert didn’t understand any of this and was left stunned by the fairy’s explanations, eventually only managing to get the fairy to raise the offer from fifty-seven to sixty. Les had some knowledge of gemstones and found the fairy’s statements to be fairly accurate, so he didn’t delve deeper. After all, he was only looking to exchange some money for clothes; he hadn’t even pulled out the truly valuable magical items yet. He really didn’t want to linger in this crowded place full of fairies.

After stuffing a large stack of Galleons into his money pouch, Les ignored the fairy's suggestion to open an account at Gringotts and quickly left. After wandering around Diagon Alley for a while, he arrived outside a shop called the Discerning Attire.

This shop specialized in selling wizarding robes, and compared to another shop called Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, the garments here were of superior quality, favored by wizarding nobility, and more expensive. The Discerning Attire had a spacious storefront with smooth, even marble floors. Even during the day, hundreds of candles burned in the crystal chandeliers, casting a soft golden glow over the garments in the store. Unlike other shops in Diagon Alley, the shelves in the Discerning Attire were arranged very neatly, with plenty of space in between, creating an open and grand feeling.

After just a cursory glance at the shop’s decor, Les decided to buy clothes here. His pursuit of decorum and grandeur was almost ingrained in his soul. Even when he adventured with friends in the past, he aimed for perfection in every aspect: clean accommodations, delicious and hygienic food, and well-suited attire—these were all things he was passionate about.

As he pushed open the shop door, a pleasant bell chimed, and a beautiful woman dressed in a grey silk robe with a golden brooch quickly emerged from behind the counter, warmly yet elegantly inviting the two to come in and shop. She did not show disdain for their shabby clothing but first introduced herself to them.

"I am Isabelle, the manager of the Discerning Attire Diagon Alley branch. Welcome to your visit. The Discerning Attire symbolizes refinement, luxury, and elegance. Whether it’s haute couture or handcrafted accessories, from classic timeless styles to the latest fashion robes, all represent our ultimate pursuit of quality and our unique understanding of fashion. Whether you are looking for everyday wear or need to select appropriate attire for special occasions, we can provide you with the perfect choices.

Welcome to experience the unique charm of the Discerning Attire—this is your wisest choice, and we look forward to bringing you an unparalleled shopping experience."

Faced with Isabelle’s enthusiasm, Lupert felt somewhat flustered; she had never encountered such a scene before. The second-hand robe shop wouldn’t offer such thoughtful service. Les, however, was completely unperturbed. He told Isabelle that he wanted to buy a few sets of clothing for himself and Lupert.

Lupert: ?! She didn’t expect to benefit from her master and buy a set of clothes in a store of this caliber.

For Les, Lupert was his follower; if she was dressed in rags and looked shabby, would it reflect well on him? Absolutely not. He aimed for his companions to be better dressed than the daughters of wealthy families—that is true elegance.

"Alright, please wait a moment," Isabelle said without any hesitation as she waved her wand, summoning a measuring tape. Just as she was about to ask Les to stand on a stool for a measurement, the store’s doorbell rang again.