Golden Snidget stayed quiet after hearing the cryptic remark, but Thunderbird immediately cut in,
"We're talking about whether it's possible to open a branch in Eastern Europe right now. Nobody wants to hear your riddles. Or are you just trying to stir up trouble like the last Chimaera?"
Thunderbird's blunt words clearly carried a warning, and the Horned Serpent sneered back,
"Teacher, you just messed up the British transit station earlier. Who gave you the right to accuse me?"
The anger in Thunderbird's voice deepened.
"You still call me teacher? If all my students we're as useless as you, the club would've been finished ages ago. I've heard enough. The shipments from the side have never arrived in full. If you can put up a bit of a fight, the club still needs to work hard to build a proper transfer station," Thunderbird's voice suddenly rose as he sneered at the Horned Serpent.
But after hearing his words, everyone else wearing Silver Wand masks looked a bit uncomfortable, except for the Horned Serpent himself. The magical creatures they transported back to headquarters we're few and far between, and Thunderbird was clearly scolding them all.
"We're not as capable as you. You and the Black Dragon are used to commanding the winds and rains in America, but you're not familiar with the petty struggles here in Europe. If your shipments don't get through, what good does that do?" the long-horned serpent shot back, showing no signs of backing down. At the club, no one had much love for the Thunderbirds.
"That's enough, stop arguing! We're here to discuss business, not to bring up other places," Golden Snidget warned, noticing the tension rising between the two. If he didn't step in, they might start fighting again. Honestly, when Thunderbird was still in Europe, this kind of clash happened all the time, and he was always the one trying to keep the peace. Watching this scene brought back some tough memories for Golden Snidget.
After Golden Snidget's intervention, the Horned Serpent stopped arguing and spoke seriously.
"The situation in Eastern Europe hasn't improved. It's still hard to operate there for now. I want to re-establish a branch, but it won't be stable for at least three to five years."
"That's too slow," Golden Snidget replied, shaking his head regretfully.
"Three to five years is plenty of time for the German differentiation strategy to take hold. By then, we could have set up a long-term transfer station at headquarters. What we need to focus on is short-term supply." Turning to Augurey, Golden Snidget said,
"In that case, we have to start with Northern Europe. It's just as challenging, but at least the official resistance there is the weakest."
Northern Europe... Augurey winced at the thought.
This was like being thrown into the fire.
"I'm not very confident there," she admitted reluctantly.
"Though the Pure Land Society isn't an official force, they're ruthless killers all the same." The previous head of the Nordic branch never confronted them directly. Northern Europe, much like Eastern Europe, is known for its tough local customs, and the branches in these regions often face the most challenges. After the Eastern European leaders passed away a few years ago, no one had stepped up to replace them until now, which made the Augurey a bit hesitant.
"You don't have to fully set up a transfer station," Golden Snidget insisted firmly.
"Just opening a temporary transportation channel is crucial!"
The Augurey tried to argue, but Golden Snidget wouldn't listen.
"I'll do my best," the Augurey finally replied, still unsure. As a new leader, the Augurey hadn't yet taken the elixir, so the urgency wasn't as pressing as for others.
"It's not about doing your best, you have to get it done!" Golden Snidget's tone grew more determined.
"Winter is coming to Northern Europe in a few months, and travel will become much harder. We don't have time to waste!"
The Augurey grumbled in frustration, feeling the pressure, and then looked hopefully at Thunderbird, hoping for support.
Temporary transfer stations are definitely necessary, Thunderbird agreed. America doesn't have the kind of magical animal care that our headquarters breeding park provides.
If we delay too much, many magical creatures could be lost.
Though Thunderbird stood with the club, he didn't dismiss the Diricawl concerns entirely.
"I understand the challenges you're facing," he said.
"I won't return to America too soon. If you run into any trouble in Northern Europe, just let me know. I'll help."
Seeing Thunderbird's support, the Augurey finally accepted the situation, realizing there was no way around it.
With that, the matter was settled.
Hearing what Thunderbird said, Golden Snidget and Phoenix both breathed a sigh of relief. Despite Thunderbird's notorious temper, he was a seasoned member of the club who understood the bigger picture.
With him handling the Augurey, the chances of successfully setting up a temporary transfer station in northern Europe we're much higher.
It was rare for two top operatives to work together on a task; even Thunderbird and Black Dragon in America usually operated independently. But when it came to the elixir, these two had to collaborate closely.
"Alright, then it's settled," said Golden Snidget.
"We'll establish the transportation channel within two months. At least one shipment must go through Northern Europe, and the goods from the Americas will be sent to headquarters. That should help ease the burden on the breeding park. Since this is all in preparation for the future, try not to waste resources."
Golden Snidget made the final call and then looked at Thunderbird.
"I know you want to meet the Horned Basilisk. I've already passed your request to the leader, but he's pretty disappointed by your failure in Britain. If this strategy in the north works out, I suspect he'll want to come forward himself."
"That would be ideal," Thunderbird nodded.
"The leader hasn't shown up in a long time. If he stays hidden much longer, I might start to wonder if you've already taken him out yourself."
Thunderbird's blunt teasing of the leader and Snidget caught everyone off guard. Behind their masks, the others froze for a moment, then stole glances at Snidget, curious about the leader's current situation.
The Horned Basilisk and the Warding had a mutually beneficial relationship; the Warding provided magical creatures, while the Horned Basilisk supplied the elixir. But the Horned Basilisk hadn't been seen by any of the Warding for years.
Was the Horned Basilisk still around? Was the club really controlled by the leader, or by Golden Snidget?
Truthfully, they didn't care much whether the Horned Basilisk was alive or not. What mattered was the elixir formula.
If Snidget had mastered it, did that mean they could make it too?