Dark_Peace
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Chapter 300: Harvest Festival's Bounty, Three Gifts
🕑 Added 2025-02-18 18:56:50 +0000 UTCThere was no doubt about it—this valley, filled with vibrant blooms, could always evoke a sense of hidden peace within people's hearts.
...
In the sanctuary, amidst the vast valley.
A small house, as white as marble, stood prominently. Right in front of the house, three lush oak trees, each ten feet tall, were planted.
Beneath the trees, a small stool was placed, and sitting on the stool was a young man who was continuously flipping through books.
"This is just absurd..." Ino sighed softly, looking helplessly at the seven books in his hands.
The magic beans given by the Grimm brothers had sprouted last year, growing into ten-foot-tall oak trees overnight, and had been nurturing their fruits for a whole year since then.
Now, the three oak trees had produced gifts. It was certainly a cause for joy; in fact, Ino was quite pleased that his hard work had borne fruit.
However, driven by curiosity and a desire to confirm the nature of these gifts, he had taken a trip to London, where he bought various versions of the Grimm Brothers' Fairy Tales at Foyles Bookshop.
In reality, with Korib's help, the whole trip went smoothly without anyone noticing.
The books had been brought back, but that was when the absurdity began.
From 1812 to 1864, the Grimm Brothers' Fairy Tales had been reprinted 17 times over 52 years. Seven of those reprints were full editions, while the other ten were simplified versions for children.
Yet even the content of these seven full editions varied significantly from one to another.
"Who knows how many stories have been hidden..." Ino muttered, putting down the books in his hands as he turned his gaze towards the three oak trees in front of him.
The first oak tree was radiant with colors.
Its branches were no longer adorned with leaves; instead, various gemstones of different shapes and hues hung from them: moonstones with iridescent halos, aquamarine topazes, vivid pigeon-blood rubies, deep cornflower-blue sapphires, and bright green tsavorite garnets…
The second oak tree was brimming with life.
Its leaves had not only remained but had grown even more verdant in the autumn season. Hanging among these vibrant leaves were exquisitely crafted hand lanterns, each about five inches tall, burning with mysterious blue flames.
The third tree, however, appeared rather ordinary.
It looked much like it had before, with the only noticeable difference being the presence of a single, pure crystal ball hanging among its branches.
At first glance, the crystal ball didn't seem particularly extraordinary. It looked no different from the kind you could buy in Diagon Alley for seven Sickles, just an ordinary divination crystal ball.
Yet this simple crystal ball was the source of Ino's confusion.
The first two gifts were easy to guess—precious gemstones needed no explanation. And the blue lantern, after comparing it to the Grimm Fairy Tales, had indeed come as a delightful surprise.
If he wasn't mistaken, this was the Blue Lamp from the fairy tale.
A magic lamp capable of summoning a small spirit. While this might sound a bit strange, after reading the story, Ino had a clearer understanding of it.
It was essentially an upgraded version of a house-elf.
Perhaps because it was a fairy tale, the spirit within the Blue Lamp wasn't particularly powerful, nor was it like the genie in Aladdin's lamp, able to grant wishes to others.
However, the spirit in the Blue Lamp could handle many mundane tasks, and there was no need to worry about betrayal.
To be honest, Ino had long been envious of house-elves, especially after he had planted a large number of medicinal herbs in the valley.
Having an assistant who could help manage the herb garden would undoubtedly save a lot of effort. After all, while the valley housed a giant and a goblin, they were only good for heavy labor; delicate work couldn't be entrusted to them.
The Blue Lamp from the second tree was most likely correct.
But the third gift—the crystal ball—was much harder to predict, as it had no distinct markings, making it impossible to identify.
However, this confusion was only temporary.
In just a day or two, Ino planned to harvest the gifts, even though they were already hanging from the trees. He wanted to wait until the day of the Harvest Festival to collect them.
It wasn't about some ritual for Muggles; it was because mystical objects often emphasized ceremony.
Sometimes, waiting an extra day or two wasn't a big deal.
...
The last Sunday of September.
Morning.
Inside the Slytherin dormitory.
Ino quietly opened his eyes and sat up in bed, though he didn't immediately pull back the curtains around his bed.
He sat there for a moment, clearing his head, before disappearing from where he was.
In the underground dormitory of the castle, it was impossible to see the weather outside.
But when he arrived at the valley of the sanctuary, Ino could clearly see the faint blue-purple of the sky and the gradually brightening light in the east.
It was a peaceful morning.
In the valley, Ino took a deep breath, savoring the fragrance of the flowers and herbs. The last remnants of sleep were quickly shaken off.
"Harvest Festival! Time to reap the rewards..." he muttered softly to himself as he walked toward the three oak trees not far away.
Soon, he reached the trees.
As he approached, Ino felt a surge of relief that he had resisted the temptation to touch them over the past few days.
The gifts' appearances hadn't changed, but at this moment, the oak trees exuded a peculiar fragrance.
It was akin to the scent of ripe grain in the fields—a unique blend of nature and harvest.
A light, fresh fragrance of rice.
Standing beneath the trees, it felt as though all worries and noise were washed away, leaving only pure serenity.
After composing himself for a moment, Ino reached out to the second oak tree.
Among the vibrant leaves hung the unique Blue Lamp, quietly suspended.
The lamp was small, no larger than an adult's palm, yet it radiated an indescribable charm.
The body of the lamp seemed to be made of brass, its surface shimmering with a faint metallic sheen. However, the lampshade wasn't the traditional glass but something resembling a transparent membrane like a cicada's wing, rippling slightly with the flicker of the flame within.
But what drew the most attention was the blue flame burning inside the lamp. It didn't have the heat or fierceness of ordinary fire. If not for the occasional flicker of the flame, it could have easily been mistaken for a painted illusion.
Like picking an apple, Ino gently grasped the Blue Lamp, and with a slight tug, the branch connecting the lamp to the oak tree snapped quietly.
The moment he held the lamp in his hand, the blue flame inside flickered for a moment, and then, from within the fire, a tiny figure leaped out.
"Master, the Blue Lamp is at your service," the tiny figure said with a slight bow after landing on the ground.
Though the sudden appearance was unexpected, it wasn't entirely surprising; after all, the Blue Lamp in the story had manifested in a similar way.
As the figure appeared, Ino took a moment to observe the little creature before him.
It stood about two feet tall, with facial features somewhat resembling a human's, though its skin was an eerie shade of blue. It also wore a brass-colored robe.
The figure looked somewhat peculiar, but it wasn't ugly.
"I'd like a hearty breakfast," Ino calmly stated his request to the little figure.
Although it was a simple request, the purpose was to test the Blue Lamp's abilities.
The reason for choosing breakfast as a test was because, in the sanctuary, not even the phoenix could enter or leave without his permission.
Thus, there were only two possibilities for how the Blue Lamp would fulfill his request:
Either it would convert the existing resources in the valley, or, like in the fairy tale, it would conjure the food out of thin air.
The former would be expected, but if it were the latter, the Blue Lamp's powers would be quite formidable.
