"There really aren't that many candidates." Mr. Broad wasn't angry, but smiled and said, "But aren't there two suitable talents this time? Of course, Katrina's talent is actually passable, but I don't know what her personality is like."
"Tell me what are the benefits of inheriting this surname!"
"Benefits?" Mr. Brode stroked his beard. "The biggest benefit is that you will have the opportunity to read the knowledge left by the Wildsmith family for hundreds of years. Every heir is a genius and will leave behind what he is best at."
At this moment, Albert finally understood why Isobel said in the letter that he would agree. This was indeed very attractive to him.
"Of course, you will get a sum of money and a house of your own. Oh, you have seen the house. Yes, it's here." Mr. Broad spoke of the latter very casually, as if it were something unimportant.
"These are actually not important, because those who are selected will not lack these things. We are just pushing you gently from behind to make you move faster and more smoothly, that's all."
"If I agree, what will it cost?" Albert asked. "I don't think there is a free lunch in the world."
“Having some responsibilities is actually pretty relaxing.”
Mr. Broad smiled happily, knowing that he had successfully convinced Albert. Almost no one would refuse such a proposal.
"First, you need to keep this secret and not tell anyone, not even your relatives." Mr. Brod raised his second finger and said, "Second, choose the right person, the successor you mentioned, and make every effort to train the next generation without any selfish motives. Last but not least, leave your knowledge behind before you die."
"That's all?" Albert's face was filled with astonishment, as if he had really made a lot of money!
"No, that's it. The responsibility is very light." Mr. Brod nodded and said, "Most of them are actually benefits, because most of the people who are selected are very smart, and they usually won't refuse. You probably know why they won't refuse, because there is no harm at all, and you can get a lot of benefits for nothing."
"Excuse me, why did you agree to this?" Albert hesitated for a moment and finally asked.
"Why? Don't you find hundreds of years of accumulated knowledge fascinating?" Mr. Brod said with a wink. "A large part of that knowledge has even been lost."
"Okay, when can I see those things?" Albert agreed. Mr. Broad's words were indeed very attractive. The knowledge left behind by countless geniuses were all their best areas. For the cheating Albert, it was simply a gold mine.
Others may only be able to select and absorb part of the knowledge, but Albert is ready to turn all of that knowledge into his own nutrition.
"Originally, you needed to enter Wildsmith's castle to have the opportunity to browse those books, but after discussing with several other people, I allowed you to browse the books there. However, you will not be allowed to enter Wildsmith Castle until you reach adulthood and truly inherit this surname." Mr. Broad said.
"The castle hasn't been discovered yet?" Albert asked in surprise, "You guys are hiding it very well. Is it the Fidelius Curse?"
"Why do you say that?" Mr. Broad asked in surprise.
"You said that only wizards who inherited the Wildsmith family name are allowed to enter there, and no one else will ever be able to find that place." Albert said his guess. "If it were me, I would use the Fidelius Charm. The characteristic of the Fidelius Charm is that when the secret keeper dies, other insiders will automatically become the secret keeper. There are only a few members of the Wildsmith family, and few of them know your identities, so naturally no one else will ever be able to find it."
"Excellent." Mr. Brod couldn't help but applaud and admitted directly, "It is indeed the Fidelius Spell."
"I have a question."
"You go ahead." Mr. Broad looked like he was listening attentively.
"Is the founder of Wildsmith Ignesia Wildsmith, the inventor of Floo powder?" Albert asked his doubts.
"You have indeed discovered it." Mr. Broad was not surprised by this. "The surname Wildsmith actually comes from Ignecia Wildsmith's father: Will Smith."
"That's right. I've seen this name in Ravenclaw's Chamber of Secrets." Albert connected many things together. "By the way, where are the descendants of Ignesia Wildsmith?"
"We are his descendants." Professor Brod said calmly: "Everyone who is chosen has a bloodline connection with this surname, and the chosen person not only needs bloodline, but also needs to be smart enough and have no problems with his character."
“I thought the Smith family was her direct descendant.” Albert couldn’t help but laugh at himself.
"Bloodline inheritance is unreliable. You should have realized that the descendants of the four great Hogwarts have all disappeared over the course of time. Many ancient families have declined, but we are still very strong." Speaking of this, Mr. Broad's tone was filled with undisguised pride. "Every Wildsmith is a genius, and only geniuses are qualified to inherit the Wildsmith name."
"Why is Mr. Rowena unqualified?"
"Because we voted and we all thought he was unsuitable." Mr. Broad stated a cruel fact.
"And Mr. Gerber Smith, too?"
"I've said before that we never show any favoritism when selecting people," Mr. Broad shook his head.
"It seems that I am lucky!" Albert said self-deprecatingly.
“No, because you are really suitable,” Mr. Brod said. “This is a decision we made together, so it can’t be wrong.”
"I'm curious why Rowena Smith didn't meet the criteria?" Albert frowned as he recalled Rowena's appearance at the time. "I think half of the reason he became like that was because of you."
"This matter has always been a secret." Mr. Broad shook his head and said, "Even if we get some clues from some records, it's actually useless. We will spare no effort to cultivate those talented people, but that doesn't mean they are suitable."
"Rowena's talent is actually not bad, but his character is terrible, especially after doing something like that." Mr. Brode spoke of this matter in a somewhat cold tone. "In fact, you should have realized that we are not eager to inherit that surname. It is dispensable to us because we are talented enough and can go a long way even without its glory and help."
"Where is Isobel's father?" Albert asked.
"Brell, his talent is not as good as Rowena's, and... he was considered unsuitable a long time ago." Professor Brode recalled: "Under normal circumstances, we would establish friendly contact with them, just like we originally had a good relationship."
"I suddenly feel a little sympathy for Rowena Smith!" Albert said self-deprecatingly.
Rowena Smith was largely responsible for Isobel's father's death, and that guy felt guilty about it.
The result turned out to be like this.
"No, you don't need to sympathize with him." Mr. Brod shook his head and said, "Since he did that, he can't blame others for his fate."
"One last question, when can I see what I want?" Albert said to Mr. Broad.
"I brought you a book!" Mr. Broad said, pointing to a wooden box next to him.
For some reason, the box in front of Albert gave him a strange sense of familiarity.
"The book is in there?" he asked.
"Yes, it's inside."
When Albert opened the box, he felt like he was about to be blinded by the light.
There was a book in the box, a book made of metal.
"Is this brass? No, is this... gold?"
Albert looked at Mr. Brod in disbelief. "This is made of gold... a book?"
"It's not all gold. There's some silver and a small amount of other metals in it." Mr. Broad said with a smile, "At first, I was stunned by this thing. Can you believe that there are so many books made of gold and silver in a castle?"
"You are so rich!" Albert said dryly. He waved his wand and a golden book flew out of the box and landed on the tilted desk in front of him.
"Knowledge is more valuable," Mr. Brode said softly. "Besides, we never lack money."
"Did you pick this book specifically for me?" Albert saw the manufacturing method of double-sided mirrors in the book. Obviously, the owner of this book was the former maker of double-sided mirrors.
Albert found the following words on the back of the book:
I have left my lifelong knowledge in books. I hope that those who come after me can find their own happiness in books. -Bryer Bulstrode