Chapter 659: Bhutan, Muggle Weapons Stolen

The Kingdom of Bhutan lay high in the eastern Himalayas, a country of unparalleled beauty.

Many important forms of magic had originated there, and it was a place where devout wizards and believers gathered.

The land symbolised the sanctity of the wizarding world, and major decisions were also made there.

For example, the election of the President of the International Confederation of Wizards. It was here that a new president would be chosen.

Supporters of the various candidates had arrived, moving along roads built from stone and wood.

Despite the lively atmosphere, it was not noisy. Instead, everything felt remarkably harmonious.

Barty Crouch Sr. had also arrived, greeted by cheers from his supporters.

Casting aside his usual stern demeanour, Barty Crouch Sr. waved warmly to the crowd.

Pierce stood beside him with a smile on his face.

"Protecting the Minister for Magic. Back in the old days, I never imagined I’d be doing something like this."

On a wooden balcony, Oxer stood in a trench coat and cowboy hat, staring down below.

Executioner stood silently beside him. Oxer clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Of all people, I had to be paired with a block of wood like you."

"If Minister Crouch becomes the new president, it will benefit our lord," Executioner said. "Don’t forget, the only reason people like us can stand here is because of him."

"Of course I have no complaints about our lord." Oxer idly played with his wand. "I just never thought there’d come a day when I’d do something like this."

His gaze shifted to the pair of twins beside Crouch.

"If necessary, I’ll give my life."

Executioner did not respond. He was merely somewhat surprised that the infamous Index Finger Oxer could be so loyal.

"I respect the strong." Oxer grinned. "He gave me a purpose in life that I never had before."

"We’re the same," Executioner replied.

The Star Disciples were a group of utterly ruthless wanted criminals.

Every one of them had taken no fewer than ten lives.

It could be said that if they were all killed, no one would mourn them. People would only applaud.

Yet the darker and more extreme a person was, the more they pursued strength.

The strength they sought was not the kind that stood invincible above everyone else.

It was the strength to continuously change the world.

And that was exactly what they saw in John.

Whether intentionally or not, their lord was constantly changing the world.

Oxer glanced at Barty Crouch Sr. as he climbed the steps, then said to Executioner, "Take the kid with you. Hopefully he doesn’t wet himself."

His gaze locked onto several wizards lingering through the streets and alleys. A murderous madness filled his eyes.

"Take care of those guys."

Executioner looked toward the wizard leaning beside a doorway.

Having to bring along dead weight on this mission was the real reason Oxer was annoyed.

Theodore, meanwhile, silently watched the crowds passing by.

"So this is the world John deals with?"

The real wizarding world was completely different from Hogwarts.

It was filled with danger, open conflict, and hidden schemes.

Someone who chatted casually with you one moment might end your life with a wand the next.

The Star Disciples had taken Theodore through some of the most dangerous places, and during that time, he had nearly lost his life twice.

For some reason, those dangers did not frighten him.

Instead, he felt a strange sense of excitement and anticipation.

He placed a hand over his chest, feeling his heart pounding.

Theodore had never been particularly strong before. The upheaval in his family and his obsession with honour had transformed him.

Just as John had said, these experiences would force him to grow quickly and become a worthy Nott.

...

The election would begin the following day.

Arriving early made it easier to arrange everything that needed to be handled beforehand.

For example, the candidates would meet here in advance.

They were:

Barty Crouch.

Inge Griffiths.

Jing Zhang.

Odom Teague.

The four candidates met beneath the castle.

They greeted one another like old friends reunited after many years, though some of them were meeting for the first time.

In front of the cameras, they appeared courteous and modest.

In reality, each of them had their own thoughts and intentions.

Odom was a heavily bearded wizard. He was not the current president of MACUSA, but he enjoyed a great deal of support.

Jing Zhang was an elegant middle-aged witch. There was nothing to criticise about her etiquette.

"Long time no see, Odom." Barty Crouch Sr. shook Odom’s hand, a nostalgic smile on his face.

Odom vigorously shook his arm in return and laughed. "I thought you’d forgotten about me."

He had graduated from Thunderbird House at Ilvermorny and, during his school years, had once travelled to Hogwarts as an exchange student.

That happened to be during the period when Barty Crouch Sr. was serving as Head Boy.

The two had known each other for decades, but after Odom returned home and various other matters arose, they gradually lost contact.

"It’s a pleasure to meet you." Jing Zhang inclined her head politely.

"Ms. Zhang." Barty Crouch Sr. nodded in return.

When his gaze fell on the final candidate, wariness appeared in his eyes.

"Hello, Crouch." Inge Griffiths smiled faintly. "I believe this isn’t our first meeting."

"No. The last time was in Poland."

Barty Crouch Sr.’s smile did not reach his eyes. That meeting had not exactly been pleasant.

There was already friction between them, and he now knew the true identity of the man standing before him.

Grindelwald.

He had not expected the other man to resort to the same old trick again.

The thought made Barty Crouch Sr. sneer inwardly.

This was no longer the past.

Nor was this Grindelwald’s era.

"I hope you enjoy your time here, Mr. Griffiths," Barty Crouch Sr. said.

Griffiths seemed entirely unconcerned by the hostility in his tone and replied with an easy smile, "I’m sure I will. I hope you enjoy yourself as well, Crouch."

The tension of competition hung sharply between them.

...

There were two reasons John had chosen not to travel to Bhutan to watch the election.

First, there was no need. The Ministry of Magic was no longer filled with the same incompetent fools as before.

The establishment of the Auror training programme had given Aurors a structured path for specialised training. Those who completed the programme and passed the assessment could receive a full set of specialised equipment.

With the support of that equipment, a single Auror could display combat strength greater than that of two ordinary Aurors.

Second, John had matters of his own to deal with.

Until the election was decided, both Bhutan and the world outside it were battlefields without smoke.

The Second Dynasty’s large-scale spending also required negotiations with the Ministry of Magic to secure greater benefits while keeping the dynasty’s expenses from becoming so excessive that they caused its collapse.

After Tommy left for Poland, all of these matters could only be handled by John.

There were also the Acolytes Heinrich and the others had sent back.

John removed his hand from the head of one of them.

"They all have the same idea in their minds. Change their identities and use them to participate in the election."

John waved his hand, and two Divine Guards picked up the Acolyte and carried him off to prison.

Yet for some reason, the more he uncovered, the stranger everything felt.

John had fused with the bloodline of a Zouwu, gaining a trait known as Avoidance that allowed him to sense danger and sharpened his sixth sense.

He could tell that something was wrong, but he could not determine where the problem lay.

That left John feeling increasingly irritated.

"Even Grindelwald couldn’t escape unscathed if he had to face that many Aurors."

Bhutan had gathered not only Aurors from Britain, but also Aurors from other countries responsible for maintaining security.

Even taking Grindelwald’s followers into account, there should not have been any fatal danger.

John frowned deeply.

He left Silverhand Manor.

A moment later, John appeared in the basement.

He glanced at the burning blue flames, opened the door, and headed upstairs.

"Watson, I don’t want you keeping me in suspense."

Hmm? John’s footsteps came to a halt.

...

The Wick family living room.

Mycroft had come over again.

But this time, there was none of the contempt from before in his eyes. Instead, he regarded Watson with a cautious, scrutinising gaze.

Watson rubbed his aching head. "Mr. Mycroft, you could at least tell me what happened instead of coming here and immediately demanding answers."

Watson had finally gotten a day off and had been planning another soda binge, only to find that no one was around outside.

Then Mycroft came knocking.

Watson sent Ariana upstairs to play with Basil while he stayed behind to receive the unexpected guest.

The moment Mycroft arrived, he told Watson not to keep him in suspense, leaving Watson completely baffled.

"You don’t know?" This time, it was Mycroft’s turn to be surprised.

"Know what?"

Mycroft carefully studied Watson’s expression. If this was an act, then the so-called underground president deserved an Oscar.

"Someone broke into a national defence facility." Mycroft placed a file on the table, one that would never be made public.

"More than twenty highly destructive weapons were stolen. And there’s something even worse." Mycroft sat up straight and looked at Watson. "It wasn’t just us."

"And the only trace we have of how they got in is this."

Watson pulled a photograph from the file.

It showed a wall.

The difference was that there was a massive hole in it, melted straight through by extreme heat.

They did not know how many people were involved or how they had entered the defence facility.

The only clue was the technology capable of creating an entrance like this.

Mycroft’s first thought had been Watson, specifically the weapon he possessed that could generate enough heat in an instant to vaporise a human body.

____

o(*￣▽￣*)ブSupport and Read 12 Chapters ahead: Patreon/Dragonel