Chapter 1179: Unreliable Nicolas (2)

Chapter 1179 -829: Unreliable Nicolas (2)

“A special Imperio?” Kael raised his eyebrows, “Then why did you ask me to come over? Aren’t you afraid I’ll release him?”

“I’m not worried, because it’s just what the International Confederation of Wizards says,” Nicolas replied. “The real reason isn’t some Imperio, but what exactly it is… I’m afraid only Grindelwald and those guards know.”

“Alright,” Kael sighed, “Let’s not talk about that now. How do I get back?”

“Ah, well…” Nicolas was momentarily speechless.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s like this…” Nicolas whispered, “I’ve set a return time on the Portkey I gave you.”

“You didn’t say that earlier.” Kael grasped the Two-Sided Mirror in his hand.

“When?”

“Twelve o’clock.”

“Noon, twelve?” Kael frowned, “I have to wait that long? Why not set it earlier?”

“No, not at noon,” Nicolas shook his head, “It’s at night, or rather, midnight.”

Kael’s heart skipped a beat, but he still said tentatively, “Alright, although it’s later, it’s just one day, waiting isn’t impossible…”

“No, it was yesterday at midnight,” Nicolas continued, “In other words, you’ve already missed the return time.”

“It’s also my lack of foresight; I didn’t expect you to run into Vinda Rosier and got delayed,”

Just as I thought…

Kael sighed, “So what should I do now?”

“Hmm… You’ll have to find a way yourself,” Nicolas said with an awkward smile, “Or you could take a stroll in Austria; it’s quite nice, especially the music, which is enthralling.”

“And then wait for Rosier to come knocking?”

“Rest assured about that; they won’t easily leave that forest,” Nicolas said, suddenly glancing to his left, “Oh, the Time Turner’s repair has reached a crucial point, I must watch over it, good luck…”

With that, the Two-Sided Mirror darkened.

“Hey, Nicolas, don’t leave, it’s a thousand miles back from here!”

Kael called out twice, but the Two-Sided Mirror did not respond at all; clearly, Nicolas had placed his mirror elsewhere.

This… Over a thousand miles, and I’m supposed to find a way myself?

Kael was so frustrated he almost threw the mirror into the lake opposite.

If this were the United Kingdom, it would be easier; a few Apparitions, or creating a Portkey would suffice.

But the problem is, this is Austria, and using Apparition and Portkeys might have him caught by Aurors from surrounding countries the next moment, accused of illegal entry.

Unless he uses illegal Portkeys, like that Two-Sided Mirror he came with, but he didn’t know how to make those here, and being unfamiliar with the area, he had no way to buy one.

Now the only solution seems to be flying back on a broomstick.

Over a thousand miles… Even with a Firebolt, it would probably take ten hours.

Strictly speaking, it’s not far; for a Professional Quidditch Player in a match that could last several days, a ten-hour flight is no problem at all.

But Kael wasn’t a professional player, and the thought of flying that long made his legs ache.

Or maybe he should stay here and have some fun, wait until Nicolas finishes the Time Turner and sends it over…

No!

This thought was immediately dismissed by Kael.

Although Nicolas said Rosier wouldn’t easily leave that forest, he didn’t dare gamble on that possibility and thought it better to leave as soon as possible.

Nicolas made things way too rough.

“Need to think of another way.” Kael muttered about Nicolas inwardly while pacing on the spot… Suddenly, he saw a flock of birds flying from the opposite mountain.

A flock of birds is nothing unusual, but they gave Kael an idea.

He quickly took out another Two-Sided Mirror and tapped on it with his wand.

“Conna, are you there?” Kael said softly.

This time, the Two-Sided Mirror responded quickly, and Conna appeared in the mirror rubbing her eyes.

“Kael?” She seemed still not fully awake, “What is it?”

“Sorry,” Kael said, “It’s like this, I’m in Austria right now. Are you familiar with this place?”

“Huh?” Conna immediately sobered up, “How did you end up there, sightseeing?”

“Not this time, it’s official business,” Kael said, “Are you familiar with here?”

“Not familiar,” Conna shook her head, “I’ve never been there.”

“What about Fleur? She should know, right? I remember during the Triwizard Tournament she mentioned the music here and recommended us to visit.”

“Did she?” Conna thought about it, “Alright, I’ll go ask her; she’s just next door.”

Conna quickly stood up… Mirror sounds of footsteps echoed.

It didn’t take long before the mirror showed another image; this time, it was Fleur,

Who, perhaps too early woken, was not in a good mood and gave Kael no pleasant expression.

“What’s the matter? Speak quickly.”

Kael didn’t waste words either and asked directly, “Where’s the post office in Austria?”

“Which post office?”

“Austria.”

“Why are you asking this?”

“Because I’m here.” Kael said, “And urgently need to find the post office, do you know?”

“I don’t know. I just went there for fun, never sent a letter,” Fleur replied grumpily, “But I know there’s a famous Wizard Village there; you can take a look.”

Fleur mentioned an address then abruptly closed the Two-Sided Mirror.

Kael then mounted his broomstick again, heading to the place she mentioned.

…

The distance is a bit far, but compared to a thousand miles, it’s much closer.

Kael spent only half an hour to arrive at a square on the southern side of Vienna.

According to Fleur’s instructions, there is a huge accordion statue here, with a gap that only Wizards can see.

Kael quickly found the opening.

After stepping inside, there was a village similar to Hogsmeade, but much more lively, with Wizards’ attire varying greatly. Many could be instantly identified as foreign tourists.

Moreover, as soon as Kael entered, he heard melodious music.

Near the entrance, there was a piano playing a piece, with nobody seated at the front. Its keys moved by themselves.

Walking further, a string quartet could be seen. In front of a clothing store, the shop owner in traditional attire was cheerfully playing a hand drum.

Even in front of the pub, a small band could be seen. They wore Austria’s distinctive clothing, three of them being Wizards, and two resembling Cornwall Pixies, with transparent wings, using their jagged tails to play cellos matching their size… still quite pleasant to hear.

Even more magical was how these pieces of music each held their unique traits and didn’t interfere with each other.

It truly deserved to be the place with the best musical atmosphere; coming here to wander around when free is rather delightful.

Even though Kael was quite anxious earlier, he involuntarily slowed his pace upon arriving here, browsing through various shops.

The village wasn’t large, but it took Kael over an hour to walk over, only then entering the Owl Post Office beside the tavern with reluctance.

“Hello, customer.”

The shopkeeper scrutinized Kael for a moment and spoke with a perfect London accent, “Need any assistance? Mailing a letter, postcard, or a gift?”

“A gift,” Kael said, “but the distance is a bit far.”

“No need for concern, if you wish to send to the United Kingdom, our messengers can handle it without issue.”

“You know?”

“Isn’t it quite obvious?” the shopkeeper smiled, “If I’m not mistaken, the customer should be a recent Hogwarts graduate, on a trip here.

“But I must inform the customer, due to the current situation in the United Kingdom, hiring messengers might be slightly more expensive than usual, I hope the customer can understand…”

“I just require speed; price isn’t an issue,” Kael produced a bag full of heavy Galleons.

Upon hearing the jingling from inside, the shopkeeper’s smile broadened.

“Such a generous customer, allow me to recommend Cabou.” The shopkeeper gestured, and a well-built owl flew over immediately.

It was slightly smaller compared to Ladon, but still quite outstanding compared to other owls, a clear gold medal messenger here.

“Well then, where do you need it sent?”

“The United Kingdom, Ministry of Magic.”

“In such cases, it would require a total of ten Galleons,” the shopkeeper said smiling.

Kael’s hand paused while getting the money.

“That’s not just slightly expensive; as far as I know, delivering a message at this distance shouldn’t exceed one Galleon.”

“It can’t be helped, many messengers are unwilling to go to the United Kingdom… those cloak-wearing creatures freeze their wings.”

Cloak-wearing creatures… aren’t they Dementors? Kael thought to himself.

But weren’t those things cleaned up as early as last year? Is the information here a bit outdated?

“Or the customer could opt for other messengers,” the shopkeeper continued, “The time might take longer, but the cost is cheaper, at only five Galleons.”

“Forget it, let’s go with this one.”

Kael didn’t offer any explanation, directly taking out ten Gold Coins and placing them on the table.

“But I might still buy some stuff, may I carry it along first? That way, I won’t have to make another trip.”

“As per regulations, that’s not allowed,” the shopkeeper said, “However, it’s rare to meet such a generous customer, such a small request is hard to refuse… as long as the time isn’t too long.”

“Rest assured, I won’t put you in a tough spot.” Kael took a couple steps, then turned back, “Oh right, I also need an envelope.”

“Provided free,” the shopkeeper placed a standard envelope on the table.

Without a word, Kael took the envelope and left.

He spent ten Galleons, if the envelope cost anything, it would be too much.

A few minutes later, the messenger owl carried a bulging envelope and left the village, while Kael also disappeared from sight.