https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-529-What-I-Actually-Thought-That-Way-Back-Then-/13448796/
Chapter 530: We Will Use Imagination Monsters to Defeat Imagination Monsters!
### Chapter 530: We Will Use Imagination Monsters to Defeat Imagination Monsters! (Combined)
High risks often come with high rewards, and Old Rosier understood this very well.
Moreover, he had seen Ivan's strength, potential, and wisdom. This was a surefire investment, and there was no way he would repeat the same mistakes!
"Let's take these things and head back."
Ivan was unaware of Old Rosier's thoughts. After feeling a pang of regret over the lost Galleons, he ordered the Wizards who had followed him to clear out the money and items and prepare to return to Borgin and Burkes.
Before leaving, Ivan specifically left a few people behind to guard the place temporarily and to repair the damaged tables, chairs, and walls.
This Underground Chamber was large, well-equipped, and extremely secret, making it an ideal backup base!
By the time Ivan returned to Borgin and Burkes with the Wizards who had filled their bags, it was already dark outside.
Ivan delivered an enthusiastic speech outside the shop, praising those who had fought bravely in the battle.
Every Wizard who had participated in the fight was very pleased. This was not only because they had won a major victory without any casualties.
More importantly, Ivan generously distributed a bonus to celebrate the victory, and those who had been injured in the battle received additional compensation.
Even if Ivan felt a twinge of regret over the expenses, he was clear that they had risked their lives to achieve this victory and deserved appropriate rewards!
Fenrir, standing nearby, approached quickly after Ivan finished his speech and dismissed the gathered crowd. He handed over a list and a thick ledger.
"Lord Hals, this is the list of captives from the battle, and we also found a ledger in the accounting office!" Fenrir explained.
Ivan nodded, took the items, and glanced at the list before examining the ledger.
The list recorded the names and basic information of the captives, as well as the names of the enemies killed in the battle.
Aside from a few Pureblood Wizards, the Wizarding Market and the Underground Chamber had a total of twenty-nine guards. Eleven were killed, and the rest were either captured or surrendered outright.
"Why did we capture so many?" Ivan turned to Fenrir, looking puzzled.
While he hoped to minimize casualties, he understood that deaths were inevitable in such intense battles. It seemed unlikely that the majority of the enemy would be captured.
"Except for the Aurors, the other guards were hired temporarily by the Wizarding Market and had no loyalty to the Nott Family. When we attacked, some of the guards saw our numbers and immediately surrendered without resistance", Fenrir explained.
Ivan's lips twitched. He had wondered how his group of mostly untrained Wizards could so easily storm the Wizarding Market without any casualties. It turned out the enemy was even more incompetent.
"Lord Hals, what should we do with these captives? They seem to want to join us", Fenrir asked hesitantly.
Ivan hesitated, planning to use a Memory Charm to erase their recent memories and then release them.
After all, he didn't need so many people, and it wouldn't be wise to kill them all or keep them in prison at his expense!
However, Ivan quickly dismissed this idea. Most of the captives were Dark Wizards from Knockturn Alley, and the Nott Family might not have screened them as thoroughly as Asia did.
This meant that among them, there might be dangerous criminals. Releasing them could disrupt the security of Knockturn Alley, and he would have to deal with the consequences.
"Keep them locked up for now, and make sure they don't escape. Question each one thoroughly, and use Veritaserum if necessary. I need to know everything about them", Ivan told Fenrir.
He decided to investigate. The dangerous criminals wouldn't need to live, and he would consider releasing the others based on the situation.
"By the way, remember to keep the Pureblood Wizards in separate cells, especially Notte. He needs to be isolated. Understand?" Ivan suddenly remembered Old Rosier's suggestion and added.
"Yes, Lord Hals!" Fenrir bowed slightly.
"Secure the captives, and then bring Dawgert to me. I have something to ask him!" Ivan waved for Fenrir to leave.
Fenrir nodded, asked a few more questions, and then turned to carry out his orders.
Ivan put down the list and walked into the inner room of Borgin and Burkes. He sat by the fireplace and began to review the Wizarding Market's ledger. After a few cursory glances, he couldn't help but draw in a sharp breath.
"Profit of 700,000 Galleons in a year?" Ivan looked at the records in the ledger, highly skeptical that there might be an extra zero.
No matter how he looked at it, the Wizarding Market didn't seem capable of making that much money.
Knockturn Alley was too poor to yield such substantial profits!
However, after a thorough examination, Ivan discovered that the Wizarding Market's main source of profit came from smuggling and trading various illegal items!
Their business spanned the entire European Wizarding World!
"No wonder they make so much money; they're involved in these kinds of businesses!" Ivan muttered to himself.
He also noticed that the ledger was incomplete, with many sums of money not directly attributed to their sources. These were likely more serious black market earnings, which were not recorded.
Even so, the recorded transactions alone were enough to land Fury, Notte, and others in Azkaban for life.
Of course, under normal circumstances, even if the Wizarding Market were investigated by the Ministry of Magic's Aurors, it wouldn't be a problem. These Pureblood Families had a layer of protection—a white glove—that could help them evade punishment.
They had not directly managed the Wizarding Market but instead operated through a proxy, ensuring that the ledger contained no incriminating information, making them relatively "clean" in a sense.
Combined with their influence and connections in the Wizarding World, it was unlikely they would end up in Azkaban. They would probably push the proxy forward to take the blame and pay a hefty fine to avoid punishment.
Ivan shook his head and sighed. It seemed that whether in the Muggle world or the Wizarding World, some things were always the same.
Those Pureblood Wizards, who appeared gentlemanly and honorable on the surface, might be engaged in all sorts of underhanded activities in secret, and you couldn't do anything about it because they were experts at exploiting legal loopholes.
"Wait a minute, my five ten thousand Galleons, how did it become only fifty thousand?" Ivan suddenly realized that Old Rosier might have tricked him. Given how profitable the Wizarding Market was, even with only half a year of operation, the profit should have been more than fifty thousand Galleons!
When he angrily flipped to the last few pages of the ledger, he was stunned to see that the recorded amount was indeed that low.
Due to the impact of the small war this year, they hadn't made many big deals, and the Wizarding Market's income had naturally plummeted.
Even the proxy, who was riddled with sins, had been killed by Asia. If not for that, these Pureblood Wizard families wouldn't have had to get directly involved.
Fortunately, the overall structure of the Wizarding Market was still intact. With some reorganization and continued operation, it wouldn't take long to recover the previous income.
With an annual profit of fifty thousand Galleons, from today onward, he would be considered a wealthy person in the Wizarding World.
Ivan felt a bit of satisfaction at this thought!
However, realizing that this was all gray income, Ivan became hesitant. He considered himself a law-abiding Wizard, and though he sometimes had to "slightly" cross the line out of necessity, it didn't stop him from being a good person!
Ivan flipped through the ledger and finally closed it. He felt it was necessary to make some changes to the Wizarding Market's operations, avoiding the most despicable and dirty activities!
Instead, he could use the Wizarding Market's channels to sell the Alchemical Items and potions he created across Europe. This way, his income wouldn't decrease and might even increase significantly!
Some smuggling activities would still be necessary, as they could help him acquire rare Magical Creatures, making it easier to obtain their blood!
For example, five years ago, the Wizarding Market had acquired a young Augurey, which was eventually sold to an anonymous old hag. The specific price was not recorded, but it was likely not cheap.
Notably, the Dementor that Dawgert had someone buy was also obtained through the Wizarding Market. He was able to successfully master Expecto Patronum, and he had to thank this Black Market for that.
Snap
As Ivan was thinking, the door to Borgin and Burkes opened, and Dawgert walked in.
"Young Ivan, I just heard from Fenrir that you were looking for me?" Dawgert said with a smile. Despite Ivan's changed status, he still wanted to maintain their close relationship in private.
"Yes, I have a few things I'd like to ask." Ivan tossed the ledger aside and asked, "How much do you know about those few Wizard families?"
Dawgert was taken aback for a moment but then provided Ivan with a detailed explanation.
He has extensive connections in the Wizarding World and had previously investigated these Wizard families due to conflicts with the Wizarding Market, so he has a detailed understanding of them.
First is the Nott Family, whom Dawgert suspects have a tendency towards extreme Purebloodism.
Old Nott's siblings joined the Death Eaters over a decade ago and had good relations with the Black Family, another pro-Pureblood family.
When Voldemort first rose to power, Old Nott even provided him with some financial support.
Needless to say, this turned out to be a losing investment, leading to the once prestigious Nott Family's rapid decline in the Wizarding World.
After Res Nott's death, the direct lineage of the family was reduced to just Old Nott.
"In short, the Nott Family is the true behind-the-scenes manager of the Wizarding Market, holding at least half the shares. Old Nott is the one who is most involved in its daily operations!"
Dawgert explained to Ivan. After detailing the Nott Family, he went on to reveal the ins and outs of the Fury, Rochelle, and Rolle Pureblood Families.
These families are of moderate size, each with their own business ventures outside the Wizarding Market, and they have a certain influence in the Wizarding World. They are relatively neutral families, rarely getting involved in disputes.
As Dawgert put it, they maintain neutrality and want to stand on the winning side!
The Parkinson Family has a certain inclination towards Purebloodism but is relatively conservative, often hedging their bets. They once supported Voldemort's Pureblood policies, but only financially, not with active participation. Therefore, they did not suffer significant losses when Voldemort fell.
"The Eber Family is a bit different. They are Purebloods, but they are closer to Muggles. I've heard that they have investments in Muggle industries in London, and apparently, the Leaky Cauldron has some ties to the Eber Family!"
Dawgert laid out everything he knew and then added, "They are a relatively law-abiding family!"
"Are you sure?" Ivan tapped the ledger on the table.
If that were true, why would they be one of the founding families of the Wizarding Market, a place where gray and even illegal activities take place?
"I mean, at least the last few generations have had this tendency!" Dawgert shrugged.
The Wizarding Market was established a long time ago, and each generation of a family can change their views.
The Eber Family is relatively law-abiding, but they are not fools. Why wouldn't they make money?
Besides, they have agents to do the dirty work, so they can turn a blind eye and collect their dividends every year.
Hearing this, Ivan suddenly understood, and his knowledge of the six Pureblood Wizard families was no longer superficial.
However, he still couldn't figure out what Old Rosier was up to. Ivan looked at Dawgert and, after a moment's thought, said, "Rochelle just tried to plead for Fury and the others, begging me to spare them! Except for Old Nott."
"Rochelle?" Dawgert raised an eyebrow, pondered for a moment, and then sneered. "He must be trying to rally a group to boost his own status!"
With this, Dawgert became a bit anxious. The resources and wealth of the five major Pureblood Families are not to be underestimated!
If Rochelle can convince them to join his camp and become the new leader, his importance will skyrocket, and his status might even rival Dawgert's. This cannot be allowed!
Ivan lightly tapped the table, inwardly pleased. He had already grasped the method to deal with Imagination Monsters: use one Imagination Monster to counter another!
As long as there are enough Imagination Monsters with conflicting interests and no information sharing, and if he asks the right questions, he can quickly find out what these people are imagining.
He won't have to face the awkward situation where someone claims credit for something he didn't do, saying that the last task has been completed.
He has encountered this enough times, and no matter how good his acting skills are, he will eventually be caught out.
Ivan thought about this, finding it difficult to decide whether to agree to Old Rosier's plea. He looked at Dawgert and asked, "Do you think Old Rosier has the capability?"
(End of Chapter)
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