Chapter 523: Northern Base
Chapter 523: Northern Base
In the vast primeval forest of northern Norway, thick snow covered the ground, and silence reigned everywhere. But soon, a burst of laughter broke the tranquility.
"Ha, how do you feel? Isn't it much better than driving?" a girl's voice said. At that moment, two figures appeared on the path in the forest, using sleds to glide swiftly.
"Alright, Hermione, I admit I wasn't prepared well today, but who could have thought that no one here clears the snow?" Liam said with a helpless wave of his ski poles. They had planned to drive to the plantation after emerging from the nearest fireplace. Liam had even brought out the car he had bought during his last trip to Russia. However, they soon discovered that the road was covered with thick snow, and after leaving the town, they found that the snow on the road had accumulated from several snowfalls and had never been cleared.
As a result, all the snow had piled up on the road since the first winter snow, reaching waist-high. The bottom layer of snow had repeatedly melted and refrozen, turning into ice. This made it impossible to drive any further.
"Roads like this, far from any towns, won't be cleared of snow", Hermione said. "Snowplows only clear the roads connecting major settlements. But don't you think it's great to ski together like this?"
"Skiing is definitely great, but speaking of the blocked road, I just thought of something", Liam said. "What do the people in the plantation do? How do they get their supplies? I remember we didn't connect the fireplace inside the plantation to the Floo Network for safety reasons."
"Don't forget, they are Werewolves, but many of them are also trained Wizards", Hermione said with a hint of exasperation. "The plantation has enough food and continuously growing vegetables. They just need to send a few people to Apparate to the nearest town to buy some daily necessities every now and then."
After 20 minutes, they arrived at the entrance of a large plantation. They knocked on the door, and a former Auror Werewolf came out to greet them. "Ah, it's great to see you."
"We're glad to see you too. By the way, where are the others?" Liam asked as they walked in.
"Everyone who doesn't need to work outside is in the underground cultivation area, where they are having classes", the Werewolf guard said. "I'll be going to teach a class after my shift ends."
After bidding farewell to the guard, Liam and Hermione entered the building. A vast greenhouse spread out before them, with most of the area dedicated to growing ordinary flowers, and a smaller section for vegetables and fruits for the residents of the plantation.
"I thought the adjacent greenhouse would be where they grow Magic Plants, but this looks just like an ordinary greenhouse farm", Hermione said to Liam, peering through the glass.
"Of course not", Liam said with a smile, shaking his head. "This plantation is a legal one in the Muggle world, serving as a perfect cover. The real plantation is right under our feet."
"Under our feet?" Hermione asked, puzzled.
"Yes", Liam nodded. "It's the underground cultivation area the guard mentioned. Only underground can we create a dimension with stable magical elements at the lowest cost. The protection of the earth also helps to minimize the magic resonance, making it much harder for others to detect our location."
"Such a clever approach", Hermione said admiringly. "In times of war, being too cautious is never a bad thing." By then, they had reached the farm building. However, instead of entering the main structure, they turned into the adjacent garage.
After entering the garage, they shook off the snow from their shoulders. Hermione looked around the garage and asked, "Where did you hide the way down? I didn't feel any magic resonance in this house."
"You forgot that in this world, there are other ways to achieve various goals besides Magic." Now it was Liam's turn to explain something Hermione hadn't considered. "Think about the large laboratory under our Manor. The building components are modular, so even Wizards with a low level of understanding of science and technology can quickly assemble them like building blocks."
With that, Liam gently pushed a toolbox on a shelf. A small machine beside it slid to the side, revealing a staircase leading downward. "This is a purely mechanical trap. Those Death Eaters, who use their wands whenever possible, tend to avoid using their hands. They despise everything they consider non-magical, so they naturally don't understand these purely mechanical traps. My design exploits a blind spot in their thinking."
After descending the staircase to a depth of about two floors and passing through a door, they took an elevator to the underground cultivation area. Unlike the metal-dominated Fortress beneath their Manor, this place felt like a forest when they opened the door.
"This reminds me of the large botanical garden we visited in our second year at the Brazilian School", Hermione said as she stepped out of the elevator and looked around. "Although there seem to be fewer plant species here."
"You're right", Liam nodded proudly. "I drew inspiration from there when I designed this place. After a series of calculations, I created a small magic power situation circle here. Under the care of the Werewolves, the quality of the magical herbs produced in the core area is no less than that of wild elixirs, and it serves as our flagship product for export to China. My uncle wrote to me a few days ago, telling me to increase production without hesitation. They can take whatever we produce."
"If it's so profitable, why don't the Pureblood Clans do this?" Hermione found a question in Liam's explanation that puzzled her. "I don't believe they can't see the profit potential."
"The issue is the cost", Liam shrugged. "The core of this cultivation method is the mini-situation circle. However, due to the scale, it can only be considered a pseudo-situation circle that cannot sustain itself internally. To maintain the operation of the magic power situation circle, the cultivator must be a fully qualified Wizard, and preferably one who can sense the Power of Nature. This allows them to perform Magic to adjust the balance within the situation circle at any time. Clearly, the Pureblood Clans, who rely on House-Elves for cultivation tasks, cannot achieve this. Even if they hire Wizards, those Wizards are no match for the New Werewolves in sensing nature. This is our secret to success and the foundation for the future of the Werewolves."
"Liam is right", a familiar voice came from the bushes, and then Lupin emerged from the foliage. "That's why everyone considers this place their home, because only here can each person demonstrate their value."
"It seems all the Werewolves like it here", Liam smiled and greeted him. "It's good to see you, Professor Lupin. Merry Christmas."
"It's good to see you too. You're here to—?" Professor Lupin, wearing a bright green Wizard robe, looked much younger and had a better demeanor than Lockhart in his similar attire.
"We're here to celebrate Christmas with everyone", Hermione said. "I just hope everyone will welcome us."
"How could they not?" Lupin smiled warmly. "Everyone has been looking forward to your visit. They just worried that you might prefer to spend the holiday with family rather than strangers."
(End of Chapter)
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