I stretch a little, open the curtains, and let the soft morning light flood my room. A smile spreads across my face as I take in the view of the sprawling backyard. Thanks to the perk I selected, I've been reincarnated into a wealthy family, and my mansion is nestled in the serene Lake District of Cumbria.
It sits not far from the lake, shrouded from public view by a dense forest. That same forest, and the mansion itself, are protected by an ancient family ward—powerful enough to keep out Muggles and even most wizards. Only the most powerful can breach it, and even then, there are nasty things waiting for them if they manage to breach the ward.
My powers allow me to sense the ward, and I am impressed. It's tied to a wardstone beneath the mansion, bound into my very bloodline. This ward appears to be connected to the main branch of the Barrows family, and only a direct family member or someone I have specifically allowed to enter can access it. Even the owl needs to go somewhere if they need to send a letter to me. Luckily, I have my family's house-elf to take care of all the letters.
I shake my head and say, "Tinsey."
A soft pop sounds at my side as the Barrows family's house-elf appears.
"Sir Marco calls for Tinsey?" she asks eagerly.
"Yes. Could you make something hearty for breakfast? A full English will do."
"Yes, sir! Tinsey will make delicious food for you!" she beams before vanishing.
Like all house-elves, Tinsey loves her work. As my personal elf, she's constantly busy—no surprise, considering the mansion's immense size and the upkeep required.
I shake my head again, then sit down and take a deep breath. I tap into the mana of the land itself. I feel my connection to the grounds strengthening, and knowledge flows into me. Surprisingly, my claim only covers the mansion and a 500-meter radius around it—including part of the lake.
It seems that's all that can be claimed. Interesting. Does that mean I can only claim a maximum of 500 meters? Hmmm… It needs testing. I will test it later.
The knowledge I absorb tells me the land is ancient and steeped in history. The mansion serves as a beacon, maintaining a mana-rich environment that is perfect for magical creatures.
It turns out that my ancestors were wise enough to turn the land surrounding our estate into a breeding sanctuary for unicorns, winged horses, and even augureys. These creatures are one of the reasons my family amassed such wealth.
Augurey feathers, though naturally ink-repellent, make excellent wand cores and can be woven into waterproof threads. Winged horses are sought after worldwide as a form of prestigious transportation. And unicorns—well, their hair and horn shavings, when willingly given, are worth a lot of money.
It seems the Barrows family forged a pact long ago: provide a haven for the unicorns, and they'll freely offer their hair and allow gentle shaving of their horns—once a year, in small amounts. With over a hundred unicorns in the forest, even that is plenty. At the current market, a kilo of unicorn horn shaving is worth 250,000 galleons or 1,250,000 pounds, and my family gets around 2 to 3 kilograms of it. That is a lot, and I get them every year.
Why is that so expensive? Unicorn shaving, freely given, is a perfect magic conduit for a lot of things. Ritual? The top 3 best materials. Wand core? One of the best for its ease of use, alongside unicorn hair. Potions? There are a lot of high-end potions that require a unicorn's horn as an ingredient. There is also the fact that willingly given unicorn shavings are hard to come by.
The forest alone accounts for 43% of our income. We protect it zealously. Our other businesses across the British Isles generate the remaining 57%, though they're not always reliable—we break even or even lose money some years.
The forest, though? As long as we preserve it, we could survive forever.
From tapping into the land, I gain three units of Green Mana and one of Blue Mana. It also grants me the ability to create a sanctuary in a two-hundred-meter radius, enhancing natural healing and providing a mild purifying effect against dark magic—for about an hour. It's a powerful effect, but it can only be used once per day.
Because I chose [Colored Magic] in the CYOA, I received a lot of knowledge regarding Colored Magic. I'm naturally aligned with Blue Mana because of my authority from Leviathan and as a Wizard. Which brings me to the real shocker:
Four mana. For a regular mage, that's a ridiculous amount. Mages are categorized by how much mana they gather through siphoning the mana in the land: Apprentice (one unit), Journeyman (two or three), Mage (three to six), Master (six to fifteen), Grandmaster (fifteen to thirty), and Archmage—someone with at least forty units.
To give some context: Masters can reshape battlefields, Grandmasters are walking disasters, and Archmages… well, you really don't want to irritate an Archmage.
And I just casually pulled four mana from one tap. With a day's worth, I could hit Archmage levels of raw power. Though I'm still lacking the centuries of experience a true Archmage would possess.
"Marco, sir!"
I blink and turn to see Tinsey again.
"The food is ready!"
"Ah, thank you. I'll go to the dining room now."
I rise from the chair and head off. The next move can wait.
== Line Break ==
I wipe the counter, taking in the comforting scent of freshly polished wood. This is my own business, built using the money my parents left me. I am the proud owner of Barrows of Holding.
I know—fantastic name.
My shop isn't the biggest or the most well-known in Diagon Alley, but I've got an edge: I accept Muggle money. Many Muggleborns get jobs in the non-magical world and don't want to pay the exchange fees to convert pounds into Galleons.
Hogwarts students are the exception—they can exchange their money for free due to a Ministry-Hogwarts agreement. But once they graduate, the fee returns, and it adds up fast for the Muggleborn adults.
By accepting pounds and other Muggle currencies, I've become the go-to shop for adult Muggleborns who need expanded trunks. Even the professor escorting first-years here now recommends my shop.
I hum and wave my wand, flipping the sign. With the shop ready, I tap into my Planeswalker power. It itches to be used—travel is in a Planeswalker's nature.
I focus on the Campione world, where heretic gods descend and wreak havoc. My power reaches into the Blind Eternities, scouring for a familiar thread. It spreads and searches for the thread that matches my requirement. Within minutes, I lock onto it—I could step into that world now.
But not yet. I decide to finish my shift before making any interdimensional trips. I mark the connection for later and let the power settle, though it protests faintly. It feels like seeing a pouting toddler who has just been told not to jump into a puddle of mud.
My thoughts are interrupted by the sound of the bell above my door. Four people enter—one of whom I instantly recognize.
"Ah, Professor McGonagall! Welcome! What can I do for you?"
"Please, call me Minerva, Mister Barrows. I'm no longer your professor."
"Then please call me Marco, Minerva."
I turn my attention to the family accompanying her. I spot a familiar face among the family. She looks around with the excitement and curiosity of a Muggleborn.
"So! What can I do for you, dear customers?"
The father speaks up.
"Professor McGonagall says you sell magical trunks, sir?"
"Indeed. Have you ever played Dungeons & Dragons?"
He blinks, surprised, but nods.
"Yes, every now and then."
"Then you're familiar with the Bag of Holding, yes? This is where you get the trunk equivalent."
His eyes widen in interest. I hand him and his family a list of trunk types.
"What do you think, Hermione?" he asks his daughter after a moment.
I smile inwardly. So this is Hermione Granger. She plays an important role in fulfilling the prophecy and helps the chosen one in his journey.
"I'd like the Library Trunk, please," she says after a thoughtful pause.
I nod. "The deluxe version?"
"Yes, please."
The deluxe Library Trunk houses a small personal library and features a locked security ward keyed to her magic signature. It also has featherweight and shrinking charms, making it portable and secure.
I summon a deluxe model from the storage room. It floats over as the family watches in awe.
"That'll be 420 pounds, or 84 Galleons. However, since it's for a Hogwarts student, the Ministry subsidizes part of the cost—so 240 pounds, or 48 Galleons."
"Really?" the father asks, clearly surprised.
"Oh yes. The Ministry subsidizes any school purchase under 100 Galleons."
He beams and pays. I match her mana signature into the rune formation on the trunk and make sure only she can open the trunk. Someone can open it if they are clever enough, but it requires a great deal of control, something that only adults can achieve.
When I am done, I even engrave Hermione's name on the trunk and charm it to engrave her future Hogwarts House. After everything was done, the family left my shop with smiles on their faces.
My first happy customers of the day.
As they leave, I watch them go and wonder… should I deal with the Dark Lord in this life?
I'll think about it later.
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