Golden Snidget also looked toward Thunderbird, less hostile than Phoenix but clearly curious about what happened in England that forced one of their top generals to admit defeat.
"The club did miscalculate the situation in the UK, that's undeniable," Thunderbird admitted.
"From the start, we underestimated two forces there."
"Oh? Tell us more," Snidget said, placing a hand on Phoenix's arm to stop her from interrupting again.
"Did Dumbledore make a move?"
"Based on our earlier assessment, the other side shouldn't be taking the initiative to get involved in the Ministry of Magic's affairs," Thunderbird began, shaking his head as he addressed the group.
"It really isn't Dumbledore. I never saw him involved when I was in England."
"Among all the ministries, the British Ministry of Magic is the one interfering the most with setting up the transfer station. This matches what we suspected before, but the details are quite different."
The Augurey sitting next to Thunderbird spoke up,
"Are you saying the British Ministry of Magic is paying more attention to smuggling than we thought?"
At this, everyone around turned to look at Thunderbird.
While smuggling wasn't exactly welcomed in many countries, it usually wasn't a top priority for the Ministry of Magic; it was just smuggling after all.
This was especially true in the UK, where they we're merely passing through without directly exploiting local magical creatures. In theory, it shouldn't have been taken too seriously.
"That's right," Thunderbird confirmed with a solemn nod.
"Minister Bagnold has taken very strong measures against smuggling, dedicating nearly half of the Auror Command's resources to it."
Thunderbird paused thoughtfully before continuing.
"Back when I was in the UK, one of my American collaborators was accidentally spotted by someone from the Ministry of Magic during a transfer. Because of that, I activated the unicorn, and with her help, the operation was deemed safe. In fact, that was when we successfully managed to harvest a juvenile Thunderbird."
Everyone nodded in understanding; the warding we're all familiar with unicorns and had previously trained and placed spies in England.
"But at first, we thought that incident was just a minor hiccup. Normally, it wouldn't have drawn much attention from the Ministry of Magic. After all, smuggling happens in every country, and getting caught once or twice is pretty common," Thunderbird explained.
"The real problem came from the Thunderbird that was being transported. When those collaborators escaped, they left behind some feathers. Once the Ministry of Magic identified them as Thunderbird feathers, they immediately took it very seriously," he said, his tone tinged with irritation, as if annoyed that his carelessness had brought unwanted attention.
Phoenix wasn't satisfied.
"Even if it caught the Ministry's attention, that shouldn't have cornered you like this. Every country has its Ministry of Magic and Aurors. Is that why you stopped shipping?"
Thunderbird shot her a displeased look.
"I wasn't done yet. Why interrupt?"
Then he pressed on.
"Sure, if it was just about attracting the British Ministry's attention, it wouldn't have been a big deal. We could have just adjusted our transport routes and tightened security."
"In fact, we did manage to avoid the Ministry's ambushes several times after that. But it seems it only made Minister Bagnold more competitive. His department bought a lot of alchemical tools."
"Among those tools was a kind of tracking device that was much more effective than regular tracking spells. After assembling those, it didn't take long before the Ministry caught up with our collaborators and trapped them. Unfortunately, we lost several Peruvian Vipertooths in the process," Thunderbird said, his annoyance growing stronger.
"Wilson's Arcane Alchemica?" someone asked, recognizing the name.
When Golden Snidget heard Thunderbird mention Alex, she quickly asked,
"Is that the alchemy company started by a young man named Alex?"
Thunderbird confirmed,
"Yes, that's right. Besides making tracking devices, the company supplied the British Ministry of Magic with plenty of combat gear. Those gadgets helped British forces push collaborators into dead ends, and American collaborators suffered heavy losses because of them."
Thunderbird's tone was filled with anger and disdain.
The people around them exchanged knowing glances; they understood how much Thunderbird despised alchemical weapons, especially those used in battle, seeing them as unnatural tools.
It was clear that the British Ministry's reliance on these items made Thunderbird resent them deeply.
Alex chose to reveal his connection to the company now because it was impossible to keep it a secret for long. Anyone who looked into it from England would quickly learn how influential his equipment had been.
Plus, he figured that Golden Snidget had probably suspected his involvement from the start.
By coming clean, Alex hoped to solidify his identity as an alchemist in their eyes, so they would overlook him in other respects.
Golden Snidget then asked,
"You mentioned Wilson's Arcane Alchemica and even knew the boss's name. Do you know much about this company?"
Since the firm was still relatively new, she wasn't very familiar with it.
Phoenix, who had more knowledge about the company, replied,
"Wilson's Arcane Alchemica is impressive. Their business has spread across half of Europe."
Acromantula chimed in with approval,
"Yes, they sell all sorts of interesting and flashy products, magic lamps, gramophones, and even battle equipment."
It was clear she was a user of their gear and spoke highly of the company.
Golden Snidget nodded thoughtfully.
"This company really is something special. Their business is divided into two main parts: one focuses on-"
It's no surprise that issues arise when trying to go through Spain or the Mediterranean. Phoenix nodded in agreement.
"France's waters have always been heavily monitored. Setting up a transfer station in southern Europe isn't a smart move." Besides the Silver Wand, who specialize in smuggling magical creatures across Europe, there's plenty of other smuggling activity too, especially along the Mediterranean coast near Egypt, a major hub for trade and alchemy. Many smugglers risk transporting alchemical products there. The Ministry of Magic in countries bordering the Mediterranean is very strict about cracking down on smuggling, often working closely with law enforcement. When smugglers get caught in those waters, Aurors from multiple countries usually show up together. They don't waste time negotiating and tend to eliminate the threat immediately. The Silver Wand, despite being smugglers themselves, find this a huge headache. Even if they aren't the target, getting caught there spells disaster for their operations. That's why the club has never dared to ask the Sphinx in Egypt to smuggle magical creatures. He might be lucky, but no one else in the club is willing to take that risk.
"Then what about opening a branch in Eastern Europe?" Golden Snidget suggested.
"Right now, we're relying on scattered goods and breeding farms across different countries, but that can only last so long." She glanced at the Horned Serpent beside her.
The long-horned serpent smirked and replied casually,
"You should ask the late Chimaera and his successor. I heard the club recently recruited a new Chimaera. Maybe you could send him to try Eastern Europe?"