With the deal sealed, Alex left the Ministry and made his way toward Gringotts. Once inside the goblin-run bank, Alex handed over the Ministry’s deposit slip, and monts later, a goblin clerk presented him with a heavy bag of over 4,000 Galleons. Seeing the massive sum of real, tangible money, Alex finally relaxed. ‘At least I won’t have to cover production costs out of my own pocket now.’ Of course, he wasn’t about to carry that much money around. Instead, he purchased a private vault at Gringotts, storing most of the funds there for future investnts.
After he returned to diagon alley, Alex wasted no ti. He rushed to the basent workshop and set to work imdiately, activating the Arcana shaper and carefully crafting the 80 pairs of enchanted handcuffs and tracking glasses. True to his word, the first batch of orders was ready within three days
.
With production now underway, his focus shifted to the storefront. Now that his company and workshop were officially registered, he needed a proper retail space for direct sales. The first floor of his building was ant for this, but once he stepped inside, he imdiately noticed a problem.
The space was enormous, over 200 square ters, yet his product lineup was still too limited. Worse still, many of his most valuable items were Ministry-restricted, aning they couldn’t be openly displayed. Even if he filled the shop with what was legally allowed, it would look repetitive and sparse. Rather than waste space, Alex decided on a smart layout adjustnt.
First, he partitioned the front, 10 ters from the entrance, he constructed a wall. This created a main storefront area of about 30 square ters. Once he added a counter and shelves, the space would feel intimate and exclusive, rather than large and empty. The result? Custors would imdiately get the impression that they were entering a specialty boutique, rather than an oversized, half-empty warehouse. Adding refined decorations would enhance the effect.
Behind the first partition, he left another 10 ters of space, separated by a second wall. This would serve as a product testing area. Many of his enchanted items needed to be demonstrated in action, and he didn’t want custors cluttering the sales floor with test trials.
Finally, the remaining half of the store would be left empty for future expansion. As his business grew, he could gradually move the back wall, expanding his storefront without major renovations. With the layout settled, it was ti to refine the store’s atmosphere.
Alex made his way through Diagon Alley, stopping by various shops to gather everything he needed to craft a luxurious and mystical aesthetic for his store. He carefully selected elegant lamps and oil lanterns, ensuring the lighting created a warm, atmospheric glow that enhanced the magical ambiance. To fra his products beautifully, he chose rich carpets and ornate shelves, adding both sophistication and depth to the shop’s layout. The rough stone walls, which had once given the space an unfinished look, were now covered with premium wallpaper, giving the entire store a refined and polished appearance. To further elevate the sense of enchantnt, he incorporated intricate wall decorations and magical engravings, weaving subtle, glowing patterns into the design to enhance the mystical feel. Finally, for his custor lounge area, he invested in a few exquisite chairs and a fine wine cabinet, ensuring that visitors could browse his collection in comfort and style.
Even though his product lineup was still limited, the decor created an illusion of abundance, a trick used by high-end stores to increase perceived value. As a final touch, he enchanted the store’s furniture with subtle magical effects. The runes etched into the chairs emitted a soft, ambient glow, purely aesthetic but enough to give the space an air of quiet sophistication. A tal raven figurine perched on the counter would, at random intervals, spit out glowing orbs that floated briefly before fading, filling the store with a warm, enchanting atmosphere.
Even the counter itself shimred with arcane patterns that flickered across its surface from ti to ti, a subtle but srizing effect that gave the impression of powerful enchantnts at work. These details had no functional purpose, but they created an imrsive, enchanting atmosphere, one that made custors feel they were stepping into a place of magical wonders.
Finally, Alex installed the shop’s sign:"Wilson’s Arcane Alchemica Company"
The silver lettering on a black background stood out boldly, with his personal coat of arms engraved at the top. Occasionally, a flash of silver lightning would streak across the surface, giving the impression of living magic. With that, the store was ready, but he couldn’t open just yet. Since so of his inventory was restricted, he needed official operating permits before he could legally begin sales. Fortunately, Minister Bagnold’s efficiency was impeccable.
Three days later, an official Ministry owl arrived with the necessary docunts. His business was now officially licensed. During those three days of waiting, Alex noticed that curious wizards passing by would often stop to peek through the curtains. A new store in Diagon Alley was always intriguing, but since Alex had kept the interior dark and locked, no one had been able to see inside. Now, with the permits in hand, it was ti to officially open his doors.
Sitting at the counter, Alex casually flicked his wand, and instantly, the enchanted elents in the store sprang to life. The candles and lanterns ignited with a warm, flickering glow, casting soft shadows that danced along the shelves. The raven figurine spat out glowing orbs, their gentle ascent creating an ethereal display of floating lights. Outside, the sign shimred with silver lightning, crackling faintly as if whispering to passersby, making it impossible to ignore.
With that, Wilson’s Arcane Alchemica Company quietly opened for business, no grand fanfare, no advertisents, just the steady hum of magic announcing its presence to those who could feel it. Not long after opening, Alex received his first visitor, though it wasn’t exactly a custor. Instead, it was Azalea, an employee from the Departnt for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. She had been sent by Director Barnabas to pick up the first batch of orders. Before leaving the Ministry, Barnabas had given her clear instructions: "Inspect everything thoroughly. Test every item. Do not accept anything that doesn’t et our standards." It was obvious Barnabas didn’t fully trust Alex yet, hence why Azalea had been sent instead of a senior official.
Azalea, anwhile, wasn’t exactly thrilled. She knew why she had been chosen for this job. As a younger, less experienced staff mber, she was often assigned tedious, bureaucratic errands, tasks that none of her higher-ups wanted to deal with. Testing 80 pairs of enchanted handcuffs and tracking glasses? It was hardly the most glamorous assignnt.
Other than that Azalea had no complaints. In fact, she was intrigued. Ever since she’d witnessed Alex’s product demonstration at the Ministry of Magic, she’d been keeping an eye on him. A young wizard like him, full of surprises, was rare. His inventions were groundbreaking, one after another. ‘Should we try to win him over?’ she wondered.
Reviews
All reviews (0)