Chapter 35: Conditions and Request
Bones Manor
Ronald Bilius Weasley
July 15, 1989, Saturday
Although Ron had expected Madam Bones to be interested in his products, he hadn't anticipated her high interest in the Truth Seeker.
But after some thought, he understood how much the Truth Seeker would simplify Madam Bones' and DMLE's work, and her high level of interest was understandable.
After all, who wouldn't want something that greatly simplifies their work?
Isn't one of the topics in Business 101 to sell things someone needs, or create a need where there isn't one?
Madam Bones may not have realized this need until now, but once she did, she couldn't ignore it.
"Madam Bones, wouldn't you like to see the other features of the Truth Seeker first?" Ron asked.
"Huh? Are there other features?" Madam Bones asked.
"Of course. You see those green ledgers next to the Truth Seeker, right? These are the Recording Ledgers. If an interrogative touches the Ledger and says 'Serva after the interrogated places their hand on the Truth Seeker, it starts recording all the conversations and their results," Ron said.
"So we can now record interrogations without needing a scribe," Madam Bones said.
"Yes. But it would still be good to continue using a scribe for a while. After all, it hasn't undergone long-term testing. But another feature here is that when you give the 'Verifica' command, this Ledger lists any spells or potions the person is under the influence of. Also, if the person is under the influence of a spell or potion affecting their will, a purple sphere appears inside the crystal," Ron explained.
At this, Madam Bones froze for a moment and said, "Mr. Ronald Weasley. Are you really serious?"
"Absolutely. The ledgers can store up to 300 pages of records. But if you want, you can delete people's records or transfer them to another ledger. However, it's not possible to alter the records. If you ask for the person's name and age during questioning, this is also recorded in the ledger, but if you don't ask, only the date, time, and record number will be visible," Ron said.
"This will fundamentally change our investigation system," Madam Bones said.
"I can imagine. One more thing," Ron said.
"Is there more?" Madam Bones asked in surprise.
"The most effective way to use Truth Seeker is to ask Yes/No questions. Clear and concise answers can also lead to definitive results, but if lengthy conversations are involved, clear results may not be obtained," Ron said.
"Because the person can both tell the truth and lie?" Madam Bones asked.
"That's one way to put it. But if the person knowingly tells half-truths or provides misleading information, the crystal turns orange. In that case, it's best to ask a clear yes or no question," Ron said.
"Mr. Ronald Weasley, you're not trying to put me out of work, are you?" Madam Bones said with a slight smile.
"I'm just trying to make your job easier, ma'am," Ron said.
"How much does it cost?" Madam Bones asked in a serious tone.
"150 galleons," Ron said.
He knew this product had more uses than the Magic Power Finder, but unlike the MPF, the Truth Seeker did have alternatives.
If someone wanted to learn the truth from another person, there were many ways to do it. Veritaserum, Legilimency, and the Imperius Curse were just a few of them.
Moreover, while MPF was a groundbreaking innovation, Truth Seeker was merely an alternative to existing solutions.
If Ron charged an exorbitant price for the Truth Seeker, the ministry might choose to continue their old ways rather than buy it.
Ron also planned to profit from the mass sale of Truth Seeker, unlike MPF. He believed that once others heard of this product, Ministries of Magic in other countries, Schools of Witchcraft, and even Magical Houses would want to acquire it.
"You're really putting me in a difficult position, Mr. Ronald Weasley. As with the other item, I'd like to ask for a discount on this price. As I said, DMLE plans to buy a large number of these," Madam Bones said after a sigh.
"What do you mean by 'a large number,' Madam Bones? Frankly, I currently have 3 MPF and 10 Truth Seekers. But as I said before, with certain conditions, I can give you a good price for them," Ron said.
"Then DMLE will buy all 13 items. And please tell me your conditions and demands. But let me say this upfront: if you have a condition or demand that requires me to break the law, this conversation ends here," Madam Bones said.
"What? Why would I have such a demand?" Ron asked in surprise.
"Then continue." Madam Bones said.
"The first thing I want is for you not to use these items for a week and not to show them to anyone else. And for the next month, not to tell anyone who you bought them from," Ron said.
"May I ask why you want that?" Madam Bones said.
"I haven't yet applied for a Product Ownership License for these products, and I aim to apply tomorrow. My goal is to avoid any problems in the meantime," Ron said.
"I understand. It's not that difficult. But there are routine periods when purchases are reviewed. The next review is in early September. At that time, I need to disclose all information related to any purchase. A week of not showing it to anyone is also acceptable. After all, I'll need to write a set of regulations on how and under what conditions these products should be used," Madam Bones said.
"Thank you. The second point is that after acquiring these products, I aim to collaborate with DMLE on their development. I want to improve the products by having DMLE share the information and data it obtains from these products' use with me," Ron said.
"What kind of improvements are we talking about?" Madam Bones asked.
"Any kind of improvement. For example, Truth Seeker can currently only accurately identify potions and spells included in the Hogwarts curriculum. Beyond that, it can indicate if a person is under the influence of a potion or spell, but it cannot specify which one," Ron said.
"Hmm. So, will DMLE benefit from these improvements?" Madam Bones asked.
"Every improvement made over the course of a year will be added to products purchased by DMLE free of charge," Ron said.
"Then we agree on that, but I may need to remove some information from the report and redact some names." Madam Bones said.
"That is perfectly understandable. My third condition is that after obtaining the product ownership license, I want to formalize this agreement into a contract through a solicitor I've agreed upon. Is that acceptable to you?" Ron asked.
"That's better for me. Otherwise, it's very difficult to account for the expenses. Your solicitor can contact me when you want to finalize the contract," Madam Bones said.
"Thank you. There's one more thing. But this is more of a request than a condition," Ron said.
"A request? Go ahead and tell me what it is," Madam Bones said.
"I'm currently considering applying for a Crafter License. So, if you could write me a letter of recommendation, that would be greatly appreciated," Ron said.
"A Crafter License?" Madam Bones said, then placing her chin between her index and thumb fingers, she thought for a moment before saying, "You're after the permission to practice magic that the license will give you, aren't you?"
"Well... you could say that. The solicitor I spoke to said that if I don't get the license, I could face problems in the future." Ron said.
"You can be sure you will face problems if you don't have a license. Frankly, since your file arrived on my desk, I'm undecided about what to do with you." Madam Bones said.
"You mentioned this before. May I know why two files concerning me ended up on your desk?" Ron asked.
"The first time a file with your name on it arrived on my desk, it was an information note from St. Mungo's. It stated that you were an early awakening wizard and could use wandless magic." Madam Bones said.
"Oh. That's understandable. And what about the second one?" Ron asked, but he could more or less guess what it was about.
"The second file came to me from the Office of Improper Use of Magic. It stated that an unusually high amount of magic was detected around you. Initially, they didn't pay much attention because you belonged to a wizarding family and the detected magic was in your home. Still, later they reported it to me due to the anomalies," Madam Bones said.
"Uh. Doesn't the Office of Improper Use of Magic have anything better to do than monitor the use of magic by young children? Ma'am, maybe those people in the office are slacking off or have too much free time." Ron said.
"That's exactly their job. And apparently they're right to be concerned. You know that using magic is forbidden, right?" Madam Bones said.
"Actually, I can't say I have definite knowledge on that. Just some hearsay," Ron said.
"Outside of the school of witchcraft and wizardry you're enrolled in, you can't use magic until you turn 17 and become an adult. That should have been stated to you at school," Madam Bones said.
"Ma'am, I haven't started school yet," Ron said.
"Huh? Right, you were nine years old. I can't believe I forgot that. But now I've made it clear to you that you can't use magic anymore." Madam Bones.
"I understand. But I'll still wait for the official written notification from the Ministry of Magic," said Ron.
Madam Bones narrowed her eyes at him for a moment, then sighed and said, "If you can't succeed in what you're doing, I suggest you become a solicitor. You seem to have the talent."
"Thank you, but being a crafter and businessman is my dream. I'm not about to give it up easily," said Ron.
Madam Bones sighed again and said, "Frankly, you getting a Crafter License would be in my best interest. That way, I wouldn't have to deal with your situation. But even though you've presented these products to me, I haven't witnessed your crafting abilities. And I don't think it's appropriate to write a letter of recommendation about something I don't know."
"This problem is quite easy to solve," Ron said, and with a wave of his hand, a leather pouch flew out of the still-open chest and landed on the table in front of them.
"Please confirm that this is a normal pouch, ma'am," Ron said.
Madam Bones took the pouch from the table, checked its inside and outside, and then placed it back on the table, saying, "Yes, it's just a normal pouch."
Upon this, Ron took the pouch from the table and, holding it in his left hand, began to cast a spell on it with his right hand. The spell he cast was quite powerful, and Bill and Madam Bones, who were close to him, could easily feel its power.
A few minutes later, Ron finished the spell and, with a smile on his face, placed the pouch back on the table.
"Please check again, ma'am," Ron said.
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Next Chapters' Name:
Ch.36: Agreement on Price
Ch.37: It's a Promise
Ch.38: A Lucrative Job Offer