Chapter 521: What? I Actually Have the Power of a Dark Lord?
Chapter 521: What? I Actually Have the Power of a Dark Lord? (Combined)
Ivan's gaze slowly swept across the room, clearly dissatisfied with the efficiency. He had used a Communication Magic Item to notify everyone at the same time!
The Wizards who had rushed over appeared somewhat at a loss under Ivan's scrutiny, unsure of where they had offended him.
"Ten minutes!" Ivan glanced at the clock on the wall and then turned to address the crowd. "From the moment I sent the signal to when you used Apparition to arrive here, it took you ten minutes! I must say, your incompetence far exceeds my expectations!"
"Even a group of Muggles, upon receiving orders, could probably arrive here from either side of Knockturn Alley in less time!"
Ivan's words were sharp, and the Wizards he was staring at trembled and lowered their heads, avoiding his gaze.
The scenes of Ivan snapping his fingers and killing someone yesterday were still etched in their minds, so even if Ivan's scolding was harsh, none of them dared to argue.
"Who was the last to arrive? Step forward!" Ivan said expressionlessly.
"It's me, Sir! I was using the restroom at the time!" A man in his thirties stepped forward, trembling and stammering as he explained, his eyes filled with fear.
"Using the restroom? What a convenient excuse", Ivan sneered. He didn't continue questioning and instead turned his gaze to the second-to-last Witch to arrive. "And you, Grace!"
"I was bathing, Sir", the Witch said, embarrassed.
"I really dislike lies, Grace! Or do you plan to tell me that you rolled around in the sand after your bath?" Ivan glanced at her, noticing the dust on her Wizard Robes, which didn't look like she had just changed.
"Forgive me, Lord Hals! Please forgive my insolence!"
Being caught in her lie and stared at with a cold gaze, Grace's face turned pale. She fell to her knees, prostrating herself on the ground, and pleaded for Ivan to spare her life.
The fear of Ivan, who had manipulated the truth and forced Res Nott to "confess" before instantly killing him with strange means in the meeting hall yesterday, had deeply rooted itself in Grace's heart. She was terrified that he might torture or kill her at any moment.
Grace's dramatic reaction made Ivan pause. He had only intended to reprimand her and use a minor punishment to set an example, but he hadn't expected her to be so scared that she would kneel down immediately.
Am I that terrifying? Ivan felt frustrated, then decided it must be due to her poor mental fortitude. He had assumed the Wizards in Knockturn Alley were tough, but it seemed that wasn't always the case.
Ivan shook his head silently, deciding not to punish them on the spot. However, he still maintained a stern expression and scanned the crowd with sharp eyes before continuing.
"And what about you? Do you have any excuses? I clearly informed you yesterday that we would be meeting here this afternoon!"
None of the Wizards dared to respond, silently accepting Ivan's scolding. Some of them grumbled internally, thinking Ivan was making a mountain out of a molehill. They had only arrived a bit late and hadn't caused any significant delays.
Ivan, who had been closely observing their expressions, easily guessed their thoughts and intensified his tone.
"I hope you haven't forgotten that we are in a life-or-death conflict, constantly facing Danger!
If one of you had been attacked in Knockturn Alley and we received the notification, you would be best to pray that your luck holds out long enough for your slow-moving companions to finish their business and come to your rescue!"
Ivan's words rang like a warning bell in the hearts of Grace and the others.
The coffin containing Elph's body was right in front of them, a stark reminder that his words were not exaggerated. If they had responded faster to the notification yesterday, Elph might still be alive.
"Grace, Joseph", Ivan turned back to the last two to arrive and asked, "If you were attacked by a squad of Wizards sent by the Nott Family, when do you think the support should arrive?"
The sooner, the better! Not a second should be wasted!
Grace thought this but didn't speak immediately, understanding that Ivan wasn't asking for a general statement but a specific time limit.
"Sixty seconds!" Grace calculated, gritted her teeth, and spoke up.
She figured that even if she was in the middle of using the bathroom or taking a shower, she could handle an emergency within a minute. After all, it only took one Apparition to reach the location, which didn't take much time.
"Thirty seconds!" Joseph was even more ruthless, cutting the time in half to avoid punishment.
"Very well! Then we'll go with your suggestions: one minute for regular notifications, and thirty seconds for emergencies! Next time, I'll start the timer, and anyone who is late will face severe punishment, no exceptions, no excuses!" Ivan said firmly.
The Wizards present glared at Grace and Joseph, silently cursing them for not suggesting a longer time. What if they received an order in the middle of the night, and they were sleeping too deeply? Or what if they were halfway through a shower, needing more than thirty seconds to dry off and get dressed?
Joseph and Grace ignored the stares, feeling relieved that Ivan had let them off the hook. They had even braced themselves for a Crucio.
Ivan observed the reactions of the Wizards, feeling somewhat disappointed. These Wizards were far too lax, a disorganized group of stragglers who clearly lacked training and discipline!
However, this wasn't the time to dwell on it. After a stern lecture, Ivan had Fenrir carry Elph's coffin to the graveyard and find a suitable spot for the burial.
Ivan walked to the tombstone and personally recited the prepared prayer, praising Elph-Grindt's achievements in life.
Part of it was for show, but another part was genuine.
Although he had no prior connection to the deceased, Elph-Grindt was recruited under Ivan's name by Asia and had lost his life in the service. Ivan certainly wouldn't be perfunctory in his duties.
During the ceremony, Ivan also met Elph's mother, Mrs. Grindt.
The white-haired Witch's eyes were brimming with tears, and she looked terribly pitiful. Her husband and daughter had died in the previous Wizarding War, and now she had lost her last child. The sudden blow was almost too much for her to bear.
Ivan sighed, feeling a heavy weight in his chest, but he understood that such things were inevitable. How many Wizards living in Knockturn Alley had happy families?
Ivan took the bag of Galleons and walked up to the old Witch, speaking apologetically.
"Mrs. Grindt, I am truly sorry. We arrived too late to save your son. He fought bravely until the very end and was a true hero!"
"Additionally, here are three hundred Galleons. Please accept them. There is nothing more we can do." Ivan handed her the bag of Galleons, bracing himself for a scolding.
For a mother who had lost her child, any amount of anger would be justified.
However, none of that happened. Mrs. Grindt sobbed softly, took the bag from Ivan, and thanked him with a choked voice.
She knew her son had taken on a dangerous job, and in Knockturn Alley, human life was the least valuable. Ivan had not only arranged a proper funeral for Elph but also provided three hundred Galleons as compensation, which was more than she could have expected.
If it had been a different employer, Elph's body might have been left to rot in some remote field, unattended.
So, despite her deep sorrow, Mrs. Grindt did not blame Ivan for her son's death.
The funeral lasted over an hour, and by evening, Ivan had returned to Borgin and Burkes with the others.
Just as Ivan was considering whether to use this opportunity for some training, Dawgert brought him some good news.
"Old Rosier has agreed to meet with you. He's waiting for you now and says he has something important to tell you, insisting on waiting until you arrive."
"Already?" Ivan was surprised. He remembered Dawgert mentioning this in the morning and had expected to wait a few days.
"Heh, I just mentioned a few things, and that guy was scared out of his wits", Dawgert said with a cold laugh.
Ivan glanced at him, curious about what Dawgert had said to scare Old Rosier so much.
However, considering that keeping the other party waiting too long might cause problems, Ivan didn't ask further. He Apparated with Dawgert to the agreed location.
They would find out once they met.
With a shift in space, Ivan found himself near a dilapidated house.
This place was desolate, roughly in the eastern corner of Knockturn Alley. In the distance, you could still see the ruins from the battle with the Aurors.
"Come out, Mr. Rochelle. Hiding like this is beneath the dignity of the Pureblood Families, isn't it?" Ivan scanned the area, but there was no one in sight. However, he was certain the other party was still nearby.
Ivan's words echoed across the empty roof. After about ten seconds, another voice finally responded.
"Please forgive my rudeness, Lord Hals. After all, I came alone, so I had to be cautious."
A middle-aged wizard in his fifties, dressed in a lavish robe, appeared out of thin air nearby, his face tinged with a slight apologetic expression. A House-Elf followed him.
Ivan frowned. He understood that the other party must have been hiding in the shadows, checking the situation. If there were too many people on his side or if anything seemed off, this guy would have fled.
Just as Dawgert said, he's a coward.
While Ivan observed the other party, Old Rosier was also sizing him up.
After a moment, Old Rosier suddenly sighed and said, "You are even younger than I imagined, Lord Hals! If I hadn't heard from Dawgert, I would never have believed that you possess power comparable to the Dark Lord at such a young age."
Although he had learned a lot from Dawgert, Old Rosier still found it hard to believe when he saw Ivan's youthful face.
A young witch or wizard of no more than thirteen or fourteen should still be at Hogwarts. Even if they started practicing magic from the moment of their Magic Surge, they couldn't have been learning for more than ten years!
Could such a kid really be that powerful, capable of matching the terrifying Dark Lord?
Old Rosier was highly skeptical of Dawgert's exaggerations.
I have power comparable to Voldemort? Ivan glanced sideways at Dawgert, contemplating whether to find someone else for these diplomatic tasks. Otherwise, Knockturn Alley would soon be filled with even more ridiculous rumors.
Dawgert, however, remained unperturbed. It was normal to exaggerate a bit when negotiating and applying pressure.
Moreover, he believed that even Voldemort probably couldn't kill with a snap of his fingers, so in a sense, he wasn't lying.
Despite Ivan's internal eye-rolling, he maintained a calm exterior and said impatiently, "I heard from Dawgert that you have some important information to tell me, but you wouldn't reveal it unless you saw me in person?"
"Yes, Lord Hals! The Rosier Family is willing to submit to you, but we ask for your magnanimity in considering two minor conditions", Old Rosier said, slightly hunched, appearing very humble, a stark contrast to the usual arrogance of Pureblood Wizards.
"Go on", Ivan raised an eyebrow, not surprised. His side indeed had the upper hand, but the other party wasn't without resistance. Convincing Old Rosier to betray his original camp would require some concessions.
"First, I hope you will allow the Rosier Family to retain our share in the Wizarding Market", Old Rosier proposed.
"Agreed!" Ivan didn't hesitate and immediately consented.
For the first Pureblood Family to defect, some favors were necessary. The Rosier Family's share in the Wizarding Market wasn't significant and wouldn't cause any real impact. If he were to strip them of this, no other Pureblood Families would be willing to surrender.
With Ivan's agreement, Old Rosier breathed a sigh of relief. He was most concerned about his family's interests. As long as this was secured, everything else was negotiable.
"What's the second condition?" Ivan had no patience for idle chatter and asked directly.
"The second condition", Old Rosier hesitated for a long time, seemingly unsure whether to speak. Finally, he steeled himself and ventured, "Lord Hals, you may not know, but I have been fascinated by powerful magic since I was a child. Fifteen years ago, I had the fortune to witness the Dark Lord single-handedly fight dozens of Aurors. The power of his magic was astonishing, and it has left an indelible impression on me."
(End of Chapter)
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