Chapter 163 The Emperor Loves His Eldest Son, and Dotes on His Youngest.

Chapter 163 The Emperor Loves His Eldest Son, the Common People Dote on Their Youngest.

So, a group of people settled down in the reserve.

Charlie arranged staff quarters for them. The cabins were scattered on the hillside; each one was small but cozy. Inside, there was a bed, a table, a fireplace, and windows overlooking the distant hillside.

Ron and Harry shared a room, George and Fred shared a room, Philip shared a room by himself, and Henry shared a room with his two younger brothers.

Ron lay on that unfamiliar bed, staring blankly at the wooden ceiling.

"Tell me," he began, "what strange things will happen tomorrow?"

"I don't know," Harry said honestly.

Ron sighed.

In the evening, everyone sat around the campfire.

The campfire was lit with magic and was burning very brightly; Philip showed an unusually strong interest in it.

Newt also arrived. He sat by the campfire, holding a cup of hot tea, and looked much more at ease than during the day.

Philip was sitting next to him, asking him questions about dragons.

How long can a fire dragon live?

"It depends on the species," Newt said. "Norwegian spinal dinosaurs can live for over a hundred years, some species even longer, like the Ukrainian iron-belly dinosaur, which can live up to two hundred years."

"Will they get old?" Philip asked curiously.

"Yes," Newt nodded. "Older dragons become milder, they don't breathe fire much, and they like to bask in the sun. Like old people, they become peaceful."

Philip burst out laughing: "I guess I'll be like that when I'm old."

Yes, you're only seventy-one this year, still at an age where you should be striving.

"Your Highness, you are not old," Newt said, glancing at him.

"You're quite the talker," Philip said happily.

"It's not just eloquence, it's the truth," Newt said. "You seem to have a youthful mindset, so you don't look old."

George and Fred were on the other side, playing with Harry and William.

They used magic to conjure all sorts of little trinkets: glowing balls that floated in the air like fireflies; flying birds that circled around them, chirping sweetly; and singing flowers that swayed to the rhythm, as if dancing.

Harry and William chased after the things, their laughter echoing throughout the camp.

The others sat around the campfire, watching them play.

The firelight shone on their faces, casting long, long shadows.

"Your grandfather is so kind," Ron suddenly said.

Henry looked at him.

"What's wrong?"

“I mean,” Ron carefully chose his words, “he’s a prince, but he’s so down-to-earth. He rides in our flying cars, chats with Newt, befriends the Niffler, and even wants to ride a dragon.”

He paused for a moment, then sighed with emotion, "I wish my grandfather were like that."

"

"What's your grandfather like?" Harry asked from the side.

"All I remember is that he was very serious and didn't like us playing those weird games," Ron said with a shrug. "But he's gone now."

After nightfall, the children were all taken to bed, leaving only a few adults around the campfire.

Although they were called adults, Henry and his friends weren't actually that old.

"Henry," Philip suddenly spoke.

"Grandpa?" Henry turned his head.

"What were you thinking when you saw that unicorn today?"

"I'm wondering if it's doing well," Henry replied.

"and then?"

"Then I was relieved to see that it was doing well," Henry said. "It went through so much, almost died, so it's good that it can live peacefully here now."

Philip didn't speak. After a moment of silence, the flames crackled, and sparks flew into the night sky and disappeared into the darkness.

"Do you know why your grandmother sent me to see you?" he suddenly asked.

"Why?" Henry asked.

"Because she knows you'll do a lot of things, and she knows you're not doing them for yourself," Philip said. "She's worried you're overworking yourself, so she sent me to check on you and make sure you're taking good care of yourself."

"You know your grandma. She never says those mushy things. But she cares about you quietly behind your back."

"I know, thank you." Henry smiled; he certainly knew his grandmother's concern for him.

As the saying goes, the emperor loves his eldest son and the common people cherish their youngest son. In addition, due to the special bond between grandparents and grandchildren, he was especially loved by his grandparents in every way.

Philip patted him on the shoulder. The hand was strong, carrying a warmth unique to an elder.

"You're welcome, it's because you did a good job."

The campfire gradually dimmed, and the night sky was filled with countless bright stars. Without the light pollution of the city, there were far more stars here than in London, densely covering the entire sky.

In the distance, Nobeta let out a low hiss, as if saying goodnight to them.

Philip looked up at the starry sky.

"It's so quiet here."

"It's much quieter than London," Henry said.

"Bring me here more often in the future," Philip said with a smile.

"Okay." Henry nodded.

It was late at night, and the wind was getting cool, but it was still warm by the campfire.

Philip and Henry chatted for a while longer, mostly about trivial things—what to see in the reserve tomorrow, when Norbert would grow up, and how many silver coins the little sniff named Robinson had hidden.

Soon, Henry noticed that his grandfather's eyelids began to droop and his speech slowed down.

"Grandpa, you should go to sleep," he said.

"Sit a little longer, it's rare to have such a quiet place." Philip waved his hand.

Henry didn't say anything more, but simply added a piece of firewood to the magic campfire.

The flames grew stronger, crackling loudly.

In the distance, the lights were still on in George and Fred's cabin, and their voices could be faintly heard—they were probably discussing some new invention again. Ron and Harry's cabin was already dark; they were exhausted from the day and probably fell asleep the moment their heads hit the pillow.

After a while, Philip finally stood up.

"Alright, go to sleep," he said, patting Henry on the shoulder. "You should go to sleep early too."

Henry nodded.

Goodnight, Grandpa.

Philip walked toward his cabin, his footsteps fading into the night.

Henry sat by the campfire for a while longer before standing up and walking toward the cabin.

Inside the cabin, William and Harry were fast asleep.

William slept soundly, lying flat on his back with his hands outside the covers, breathing evenly. Harry, on the other hand, had kicked the covers to one side, sprawled out on the bed in a starfish shape, his head tilted to the side, a trace of drool at the corner of his mouth, looking like he was sleeping very soundly.

Henry walked over quietly and covered Harry with the blanket again.

Harry rolled over in his sleep, mumbled something, and then fell back into a deep sleep.

Henry walked to the window and looked at the night outside.

Moonlight spilled onto the hillside, onto the wooden houses, and onto the still-burning campfire. In the distance, a dark figure could be vaguely seen in the Noberta enclosure; it was probably asleep too.

He stood there for a moment, then said softly, "Lucy."

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