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The Alchemy area inside the trunk.
This place was supposed to be a sacred ground where machinery and magic resonated in harmony, but at this moment, it was filled with a strange scent—a mixture of burning metal, gunpowder sulfur, and scorched fumes.
The originally tidy floor was scattered with various distorted metal parts, charred fragments, and cooled slag.
Sizzle—Sizzle—Sizzle——
The sound of metal welding continued to ring out as the welding torch spat a stream of blue flame, joining two pieces of special steel together with seamless precision.
Lynn wore protective goggles, his expression focused, as sweat slid down his temples.
He was attempting a "simple" task—manufacturing a cannon that conformed to science.
However, while the ideal was plump, reality was skinny.
BOOM!!!
Another loud explosion!
The middle of the experimental cannon barrel suddenly bulged and cracked as a scorching wave of air and metal fragments gushed out along with flashes of fire!
Fortunately, Lynn had set up a powerful protective magic array in advance, confining the blast's power to the workbench area, but the splashing hot fragments and thick smoke still left him in quite a mess.
The protective shield flickered with light, neutralizing the impact.
Once the smoke and dust had somewhat dissipated, Lynn withdrew the shield and looked at the completely ruined cannon barrel before him. He remained silent for a few seconds, and then... he laughed out of sheer frustration.
"Ha..." He wiped his face, only for the black soot on his hands to make his face even messier. "I don't believe it! I've handled brewing such complex Potions and deciphering ancient Alchemy cores, so is building a cannon based on basic principles really this difficult?!"
This was already his seventh attempt. Every single time, the problem was a barrel burst.
He wasn't a professional engineer, and the knowledge from 'Record' regarding the specific craftsmanship details of modern cannon manufacturing was limited, focusing more on principles and macro-structures.
Unfortunately, this thing had high requirements for precision and materials; even a tiny bit of uneven stress or structural defect would be infinitely magnified under the high temperature and high pressure at the moment of firing.
"Dodo!" Lynn called out crossly.
Pop!
With a crisp crack, the House-elf Dodo instantly appeared beside him, wearing a specially made protective apron and even carrying a magic recording pen tucked behind its ear.
It glanced at the messy scene and its master's colorful face, its pointed nose twitching slightly.
"Master, Dodo is here." Its voice still carried its characteristic high pitch, but its tone was very respectful.
"Bring me another batch of special steel." Lynn stared at the pile of scrap metal, his eyes refusing to admit defeat.
Dodo was silent for two seconds, then snapped its fingers.
Bang! Clatter—
A pile of steel shimmering with a metallic cold light appeared on the empty ground nearby. It made a dull thud as it landed, indicating its extraordinary weight and density.
Dodo didn't leave immediately. Instead, it looked up and stared at Lynn for a good while, its gaze moving back and forth between its master's stained face and the new pile of steel.
Finally, it spoke:
"Master, Dodo recognizes your level of Alchemy from the bottom of its heart. Those alchemical items you make are very valuable. But..." It paused. "Your scientific ability is truly limited."
Lynn: "..."
He felt a bit embarrassed, but what Dodo said was indeed the truth.
Lynn felt a bit of shame turning into anger. Damn it, how was he supposed to know building a cannon was this much trouble?!
If it weren't for that damn Animagus requirement explicitly stating it must be naturally occurring storm weather, he would have used a 'Weather Charm' to call down a thunderstorm in a small area long ago. Why would he be here struggling with steel and explosives?
Dodo saw that after hearing its words, instead of giving up, its master frowned and stared at the new pile of steel with shifting eyes. It couldn't help but let out a long sigh.
"Sigh, if only there were a ready-made 'cannon'... then Master wouldn't have to waste steel here every day."
"Ready-made?"
These few words struck Lynn like a bolt of lightning!
Hearing this, Lynn instantly looked up. Was there artificial rainfall technology in 1994? There should be, right? Maybe... go take a look? Try his luck.
"How did I not think of that!" Lynn slapped his thigh and shouted, "Dodo!"
Dodo was startled by its master's sudden surge of emotion and instinctively stood at attention. "Master, I am here!"
"We're going out! Destination—" Lynn quickly searched his brain for a geographical location he had glimpsed in a book before, "Bracknell, Berkshire."
He remembered that it seemed to be the location of an important office and research center for the British Meteorological Office. Although he wasn't sure of the exact address, finding it once they arrived wouldn't be hard for a Wizard.
Although Dodo didn't understand at all why its master had suddenly pivoted from obsessing over cannons to wanting to go to what sounded like a Muggle town, it was an order!
"Yes, Master!" Dodo immediately reached out and grabbed the hem of Lynn's robe.
Crack!
With a slight pop, space distorted. The next moment, Lynn and Dodo's figures disappeared from the trunk...
A few seconds later, the two arrived in Bracknell, Berkshire, Britain.
Lynn had Dodo return to the trunk first; a House-elf was still too conspicuous in the Muggle world.
Cold winds whistled high in the air as Lynn looked down at the town scene that was gradually becoming clear.
Unlike London, this place wasn't filled with skyscrapers; it was mostly low buildings, green spaces, and some office parks that looked like they were for research or administration.
His gaze swept around, and soon, a fairly large office park with a relatively modern architectural style and a regular layout caught his attention.
If nothing went wrong, the relevant departments of the British Meteorological Office were likely located there.
He changed his clothes to make himself look like a young master from a wealthy family. Relying on his attire, Lynn successfully entered the park and strolled through the buildings.
His eyes quickly scanned the door signs and directories, looking for words like "Director's Office."
Just as he passed the door of an office—
Click.
The door suddenly opened from the inside.
A middle-aged man wearing a decent suit and holding a folder, looking like management, walked out.
He was about to step out when his gaze happened to meet the passing Lynn.
The man froze for a moment, his footsteps stopping.
He sized Lynn up, a clear look of confusion appearing on his face. At this time of day, a child appearing alone in the office area... it was strangely inexplicable.
He instinctively searched his memory for which Asian colleague's child this might be, but of course, he couldn't remember.
"Wait," the man spoke, his tone carrying a business-like scrutiny. "Who are you? Whose family are you from...?"
As he asked, he stepped a bit closer to Lynn, seemingly wanting to see more clearly or block the path.
Lynn clicked his tongue inwardly; trouble had arrived.
His wand had already slid into his palm from his sleeve. His first thought was to give the man a clean and efficient "Obliviate" and then continue finding his way.
But just as his wand was about to be raised, another flash of inspiration hit him. This man before him looked like a manager; surely he would know where the Director's office was?
In a split second, Lynn changed his mind.
He stopped his pace and, under the man's scrutinizing gaze, turned around very naturally, a slightly apologetic smile appearing on his face.
"Confundo!"
The Confundus Charm hit the man between the eyebrows.
The man's body swayed slightly, and his eyes showed a momentary confusion and vacancy, but they quickly refocused.
When he looked at Lynn again, the doubt on his face had vanished, replaced by a look of sudden realization, even carrying a hint of familiar warmth.
"Oh—!" The man patted his forehead and laughed. "Look at my memory! It's you, young man! I haven't seen you in a few years; you've grown so fast I almost didn't recognize you! Are you here to see the Director?"
His tone became very natural, as if Lynn were the child of an old friend whom he hadn't seen in so long that he hadn't recognized him at first.
The effect of the Confundus Charm was immediate.
Lynn nodded along. "Good afternoon, sir. Yes, there's something at home, so they asked me to come find the Director."
"It's just up ahead, around this corner, the third door on the right with the 'Director's Office' sign on it."
The man warmly pointed the way and lowered his voice, saying to Lynn, "The Director should be in this afternoon, but you'd better be quick; he seems to have a meeting later."
"Thank you so much, sir." Lynn thanked him sincerely. "You really are a good person."
"Haha, it's nothing, go on then!"
The man laughed and waved his hand, continuing on his way with his folder, even humming a little tune, not feeling that anything was wrong at all.
Following the directions, Lynn quickly found the office. He raised his hand and knocked three times—neither too hard nor too soft—on the door.
Thud! Thud-thud!
The sound of knocking echoed in the quiet corridor.
"Come in."