After watching for over an hour, Aiwen stood up and jumped down from the windowsill.
“Lupin, take the Combat Group today and buy twenty Undetectable Extension pouches.
Issue one to everyone to facilitate future resource procurement.”
Lupin nodded.
“Ear.”
The girl stood up immediately.
“Take the Logistics Group and gather intelligence.
I don’t care if you buy it or find it out yourself, I want to know every single movement in Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley!
Especially regarding the Rosier family and Gringotts.”
“Understood.”
Aiwen turned and looked at everyone.
“When you return tonight, there will be a training assessment.
Those with excellent results will be rewarded with a hundred Galleons each.
Those who fail will not receive a salary increase next month.”
“Any problems?”
“None!” the ten people answered in unison.
No one had any objections.
A hundred Galleons—that was more than an Auror’s monthly salary.
And they could get it just for a training assessment; they were too happy to have any complaints.
“Then move out.”
At one in the afternoon, Ear brought back the first piece of intelligence.
“Boss, some new faces have appeared in Knockturn Alley.
Seven people, all wearing black cloaks with silver wolf-head badges on their belts.”
“Hunters from the Rosier family?” Lupin asked.
“Yes.
Caspar’s reach is quite long.”
“They are tracking the ‘escaped Squib of the Rosier family,'” Ear said.
“They’ve already questioned three black market information brokers, offering fifty Galleons for information.”
“Has anyone sold us out?”
“Not yet, but it’s hard to say if it stays that way for long.”
The second piece of intelligence was even more troublesome.
“The goblins at Gringotts have started paying attention to the ‘abnormal circulation of copper Knuts,'” Ear reported.
Lupin frowned.
“It seems we need to reduce our Galleon exchanges.”
“Yes.” Aiwen nodded.
“Have the exchange team scale back.
From today on, exchange no more than three thousand Galleons a day.
Furthermore, spread the exchanges across different districts.”
“Then the remaining money…”
“Keep it with you for now and continue buying mana replenishing potions—buy as many as you can find.
Also, get magical materials: dragon scales, unicorn hair, moonseed.
Even…”
He looked at Ear.
“Any books, news, or rumors regarding ‘high-density magic environments.’ Whether it’s a magic spring, ancient ruins, or some legendary site.
As long as it’s related to a ‘vast amount of magic power,’ I want it.”
Lupin stared at him.
“You really intend to find a magic spring?”
“Yes.
After consuming over two hundred bottles last night, not even a single new part of the panel had been repaired.
Heaven knew how much more it needed.
Just then, Tom rushed in frantically.
“Boss!
Marcus is in trouble!”
Aiwen looked at him.
“What happened?”
“He was targeted while exchanging money at the entrance of Xiejiao Lane.
There are five of them; he’s likely surrounded by now.”
Aiwen grabbed the knife from the table; the blood on it hadn’t even been wiped clean.
“Claw!
Greyback!
With me.” Aiwen spotted the two werewolves who had just returned.
“Lupin, contact the others and get to Xiejiao Lane within five minutes.
Ear, find out exactly who those people are.
Tom, Vivienne, prepare for medical treatment.”
No one hesitated; everyone moved into action quickly.
Xiejiao Lane wasn’t a proper street; it was a side path between Knockturn Alley and Diagon Alley.
Both sides were piled with junk, broken wooden crates, and trash left over from unknown years.
By the time Aiwen arrived with Claw and Greyback, the fight was already over.
In the middle of the alley, Marcus was lying on the ground.
His wand had been snapped in two and tossed aside, and his robes were shredded in several places by spells, with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
Five men in black cloaks stood nearby.
The leader was a man with a scarred face, currently weighing a coin pouch in his hand.
“Didn’t see that coming, you’ve got some skills,” Scarface sneered.
“As expected of a former Auror, to actually hold out against us for this long.”
He kicked Marcus hard.
Marcus let out a muffled groan of pain.
When Aiwen appeared, Scarface turned his head.
“Ooh, another three have arrived?” He sized up Aiwen—a boy of about ten or eleven, not very tall, holding a blood-stained knife, with two men following behind him.
Scarface looked at Marcus.
“This wouldn’t happen to be your master, would it?”
the others laughed loudly.
“Kid,” Scarface took two steps forward.
“Your subordinate is useless.
He only carried two thousand silver Sickles.
What’s that supposed to do?”
He shook the coin pouch in his hand.
“But seeing your posturing, as the master, you should have even more money on you, right?”
Aiwen didn’t speak; he just casually walked forward.
One step, two steps, three steps—
Scarface’s smile vanished, and his hand moved toward his back.
Just as his fingers touched the hilt of his wand, footsteps echoed from the opposite end of the alley.
Lupin appeared with the rest of the team.
Seven people held their wands high simultaneously, and another held an alchemical tool.
Seeing so many people, Scarface’s expression changed.
“Drop the pouch, then get on your knees.” Aiwen’s voice was very calm.
Scarface froze for half a second before suddenly bursting into laughter.
“Just you lot?
So what if you have ten people against our five? New chapters come out on novelping.com first.
Kid, do you know who I am?
I’m ‘Scarface’ Hank of Knockturn Alley.
I’ve killed more people than you’ve ever—”
He didn’t finish.
Because Aiwen took two steps back.
He stepped behind Claw and the others.
The light on everyone’s wands flared simultaneously.
“Expelliarmus!”
“Stupefy!”
“Petrificus Totalus!”
Various colored lights streaked through the alley.
Hank scrambled to defend himself, but it was too late.
His wand was instantly blasted away, and the others fared even worse.
Before they could even draw their wands, they were struck by spells and collapsed one after another.
The entire battle took only three seconds.
Hank and his men were now kneeling on the ground, their bodies twitching.
Marcus’s coin pouch rolled to Aiwen’s feet.
Aiwen picked it up, weighed it, and tossed it to Lupin.
“Vivienne, Tom.”
The two from the Logistics Group ran over quickly and knelt beside Marcus.
“How is he?” Aiwen asked.
“Two broken ribs, internal bleeding.
He won’t die, but he needs two weeks of rest,” Vivienne replied after a careful examination.
Aiwen nodded and walked up to Scarface.
“Who sent you?”
Scarface spat out a mouthful of bloody phlegm.
“You fucking—”
Aiwen raised his hand, the tip of his blade pressing against the man’s throat.
“I’ll ask one more time.
Who sent you?”
Feeling the sting on his neck, Hank stammered, “No…
no one sent us…
we just wanted to rob some gold…”
“He’s lying,” Ear’s voice came from the side.
“Scarface Hank, a professional thug in Knockturn Alley.
He specializes in ‘clearing out vagabond wizards.’ Since yesterday, you’ve taken a long-term commission from the Rosier family.”
“Am I right?”
Hank listened, his face gradually turning ashen.
Aiwen smiled.
“Lupin.”
“Here.”
“The training assessment can start early.
Use them as targets.
I want to see how much everyone has learned.” Aiwen’s gaze swept over the group.
Upon hearing this, Kyle was the first to charge forward, slamming a fist into Scarface’s face.
The werewolves were even more ruthless, pouncing like actual wolves, their fists and feet targeting vital spots.
For the time following, the alley was filled only with the sound of incantations and the screams of the thugs.
Aiwen leaned against the wall and watched silently.
Ten minutes later, the five men lay on the ground, beaten beyond recognition.