Azalea stared at Alex in shock, her mind racing. Did he really know everything about her? The more she thought, the more uncertain she felt.
Alex didn't give her any chance to gather her thoughts and immediately questioned her: "Tell me your code name, why you came to Britain, your mission, and who your accomplices here are."
"My codename in the Silver wand is 'Unicorn'," Azalea began softly, her voice still trembling slightly with anxiety. "The reason I returned to Britain was to help set up a new branch for the Silver wand. The organization values the British region greatly, so they arranged for me to join the Ministry of Magic in advance."
She paused for a moment, collecting herself before continuing, "In Britain, I only know the person called 'Thunderbird.' He is my direct superior and also in charge of all our operations here. He knows my true identity, but I have no clue who he really is behind that mask. My job at the Ministry was simply to gather information and pass it to him whenever he requested. He rarely shared his plans with me and only contacted me when absolutely necessary. He's always been arrogant and never allowed me to communicate unless he specifically instructed me."
Alex listened carefully, nodding occasionally to encourage her to continue.
"My mission started about a year ago," Azalea said softly. "In the beginning, the Silver wand conducted some smaller operations every couple of months. They weren't very valuable; it was more to test the waters, finding safe landing spots and smuggling routes, while checking how closely the Ministry was watching. Before each operation, 'Thunderbird' asked me to check if the Ministry had been alerted, and if the Department of Magical Creatures or the Auror Office had any unusual activities."
She glanced nervously at Alex before adding, "By the way, we used those faceless masks to communicate. They're alchemy tools that can send simple written messages. I suppose you already know about those, though."
Alex didn't say anything, just nodded again, urging her silently to keep going.
"Things were going well at first," Azalea admitted reluctantly. "Apart from basic information, such as the work schedules of the Magical Creatures Department or the Auror office, I was asked to find two things specifically. First, the exact location of Newt Scamander's home, which I only recently discovered. Second, the regular wanted lists and arrest warrants issued by the Ministry, both domestic and international."
Alex's expression flickered slightly at this, but he remained silent, letting Azalea continue.
"Half a year ago, we finally transported something valuable, a young Thunderbird," she explained. "Initially, the mission went smoothly, but unfortunately, the smugglers ran into Aurors who were training nearby. They ended up being tracked and surrounded. That was the first time I actively sent a warning message to 'Thunderbird,' helping him escape the Ministry's pursuit."
She sighed deeply, frustration evident on her face. "Although the mission succeeded eventually, it alerted the Ministry to our existence. My own security clearance was reduced after that, and I couldn't gather as much useful information as before."
She gave Alex a brief glance, her voice becoming lower, "And after the Ministry upgraded their tracking gear with your help, things got even harder. That fool 'Thunderbird' didn't take the new equipment seriously and underestimated its effectiveness. Then he had the nerve to blame me when the mission failed!"
Alex smiled faintly, trying not to appear amused. "Then he asked you to steal my gear?" Alex asked casually. "But I'm still curious why you kept one jammer hidden for yourself."
Azalea blushed slightly, embarrassed by her previous incompetence being mentioned again. "I didn't trust 'Thunderbird' completely. I knew he might abandon me, so I secretly kept one set for myself, just in case I needed to escape someday."
Alex raised an eyebrow slightly. "So why didn't you warn me when Thunderbird planned to attack me directly?"
Azalea hesitated, then sighed again. "I did think about it, but I was too afraid. At that point, I didn't dare openly betray the Silver wand. I tried to persuade him, but he never listened to my advice. He's incredibly stubborn and arrogant, always insisting on fighting directly instead of relying on any strategies or tools."
She gave a bitter laugh. "That's probably why everything fell apart so quickly. After the last failure, he blamed me entirely and hasn't contacted me since. Now I don't even know where he is."
Alex leaned forward slightly, "Then tell me, why does the Silver wand need a stronghold here in Britain so badly?"
Azalea didn't hesitate this time, "Britain is a perfect place to establish a transit station. It's closer to America, where many magical animals come from. Our headquarters used to transport magical creatures through Northern Europe, but now it's too dangerous. The 'Pure Land Society' has taken control there, and they're even more ruthless than we are. Anyone captured by them wouldn't even be left with a complete body."
Alex frowned thoughtfully, urging her to go on, "So Silver wand chose Britain because it's relatively safe?"
Azalea nodded. "Yes, especially Ireland. It was our main landing point because it's less guarded, but now that's become difficult thanks to your alchemy equipment."
Alex smiled faintly, pretending to ignore the indirect compliment, and asked casually, "What about new members? How does the Silver wand recruit new people?"
Azalea answered honestly, "Usually, they recruit people from our black-market collaborators or trusted informants. They mostly pick wizards who've proven themselves useful or reliable. But I don't know much beyond that, I only met a high-level member once, when they gave me my wand and mask. Aside from that, the organization keeps its branches separate. We don't even know each other's real identities."
Alex absorbed this carefully. "Now, about this 'Thunderbird.' You said he's your superior, but he's not based permanently in Britain?"
Azalea sneered bitterly, "Right, he's more like a roaming enforcer. Before Britain, he operated mostly in America. He's incredibly powerful, but he hates alchemy equipment and thinks relying on gadgets makes you weak. He's arrogant, stubborn, and thinks he can solve everything by dueling. Honestly, dealing with him has been exhausting."
Alex nodded slowly. He was beginning to form a clearer picture of the Silver wand and its internal structure. He looked at Azalea again, deciding to shift the topic slightly.
"So what about you? How did you end up joining an organization like this?"
Azalea hesitated, then finally confessed, "My family fled Britain during the war to avoid the Death Eaters. I moved to Europe with them after graduating Hogwarts. I was talented but deliberately kept a low profile because I didn't want attention. Unfortunately, my magical talent caught the eye of a witch there, who later became my teacher."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "And she was from Silver wand?"
Azalea nodded sadly. "Initially, she just taught me dueling, and we grew close. Eventually, she invited me into Silver wand. At first, I refused. But soon after, my younger sister Elanoise got seriously ill with dragon pox. The hospitals couldn't help her, and I became desperate."