Golden Snidget scoffed, "Do you really think they'd dare attack us first?"
Phoenix shook her head, worry etched on her face.
"No, but you can't be too careful when something big is going on with the club. Remember, they don't know what cards we're holding; that's why I suggested we exchange intel beforehand."
With the elixir approved, who knows what they're thinking now? You can't expect people on the edge of extinction to stay calm.
"Exactly," Thunderbird added, glancing pointedly at the other two.
"At least the three of us should stand united. Don't let me catch you trying to secretly reach out to others."
"Yes, teacher," Augurey replied, noticing the Thunderbird was clearly getting serious.
"In Northern Europe, I know a few exiled Death Eaters from England, and some werewolves who used to work with us."
Death Eaters and werewolves? Alex sneered inwardly.
This really was a dangerous path for enemies. I haven't even begun my search, and here I am already running into them.
The Thunderbird nodded firmly.
"All right, this is only a temporary transport channel, not a long-term partnership. Handle it however you see fit, and feel free to open the channel with them as you please."
"Are the terms flexible?" Augurey asked with a frown.
"After the club's recent heavy losses, we can't afford to offer high rewards."
The Thunderbird let out a sharp chuckle.
"Frozen up in a place like Northern Europe, huh? Like I said, it's a temporary alliance. Once you've used them, just clean up after yourself."
Hearing Thunderbird's cold and ruthless words, Augurey was taken aback.
These people have serious connections. Are we sure it's wise to get involved with them?
And is it really a good idea to clash directly with the Pure Land Society? They're not just an ordinary criminal group.
While she wasn't afraid of starting a fire, her concern lay in the aftermath.
Her worries weren't unfounded.
Whether it was werewolves or Death Eaters, each had strong backing from their communities or families, meaning any conflict with them would likely come with serious consequences.
The Pure Land Society was basically the Nordic equivalent of Death Eaters, pureblood supremacists who we're fiercely hostile toward Muggle-born wizards.
They weren't outright terrorists, though, and held some influence with Nordic officials.
The Silver Wand was struggling in Northern Europe mainly because the club welcomed many half-blood and Muggle-born wizards, which put them at odds with the Pure Land Society and created a rift between their members.
For a group like the Pure Land Society, the only ones who would suffer long-term from a feud were the Silver Wand.
The club was small, with only a dozen or so members, and had always tried to keep a low profile.
But now that they we're openly challenging them, the Silver Wand's future in Northern Europe was at risk.
Thunderbird snorted coldly,
"I'm not scared, what is there to fear? Germany will be our territory soon enough; do they really think they can come after us here? And I know my limits, I won't do anything reckless like burning bridges."
Considering the club's current struggles and Thunderbird's personality, Augurey didn't find it hard to agree.
"All right then. I'll head back to Northern Europe. You know who I really am, just contact me directly by owl if you need anything."
Alex understood she meant the work at Durmstrang.
Before taking the elixir, her true identity wasn't a big deal, and the threat to the rest of the Silver Wand was minimal, so it was relatively safe.
"That's right," Alex said, stopping her just as Augurey was about to leave.
"How's your unicorn sister doing? I'm planning to transfer her back to headquarters soon."
"Don't worry," the Thunderbird replied confidently.
"Her sister is still under my control and doing very we'll. I have no trouble handling this kind of child."
When asked if she could still control the Thunderbird, she answered with the same certainty.
"That's good. Unicorns will be useful down the line, so make sure you take good care of her," Alex said, clearly relieved to hear Azalea's sister was fine.
"All right, you can go now. Remember what I told you."
"Yes!" Augurey responded before pulling out a Portkey and teleporting away.
Unlike the other wardings, she didn't need to return to headquarters to exchange for the elixir.
Once all the Silver Wand had left, Alex glanced toward Breeding Park nearby, a mocking smirk playing at the corner of his mouth before he vanished without a trace.
***
"My lord, what's going on? Shouldn't you be excited now that the breeding park is empty? We all saw it in the report. That Golden Snidget was so panicked he could hardly stay still," Shalltear teased as she squatted in the monitoring room with Fang.
She was gnawing on a large pig's trotter, her eyes gleaming as she looked hopefully at Alex, who had just returned.
Fang rolled his eyes.
"They're all wearing masks, how do you expect adults to see their expressions, you idiot?" he shot back.
Then he turned toward Alex.
"Now that the club's main magical beast reserves are all gone, things must be in chaos."
"Not bad," Alex said, having changed back into his clothes and settling leisurely into a chair nearby.
"The raid on the park worked better than I expected. The club is already showing signs of instability. Next, we just need to fan the flames and get them fighting among themselves."
"But these silver wands, especially those who usually hide deep underground, even if we stir up internal strife, how can we make them actually fight each other?" Shalltear's concern was valid.
The Warding only appear a few days each month, and the chances of catching them are slim.
But Alex isn't worried.
As long as the club can't restock their supplies, panic will spread naturally, and their weaknesses will only grow.
They'll be caught between fearing they'll become prey and plotting to hunt others themselves.
Without the elixir, these guys are basically terminal, only six months left to live.
Alex is happy to just wait them out.
"So, what's the next move? I saw on surveillance that you accepted a task in Northern Europe. Are you planning to start there?" Fang asked.
Fang and Shalltear had been monitoring the surveillance closely; they knew everything about the meeting.
Alex smirked.
"You could say that. For now, I'll be moving back and forth between Northern Europe and Germany. I want to stir up conflicts between the local wizards in Northern Europe and the club. If we mess up their supply routes, the club won't have a foothold there."
"But doesn't that put you in danger? You're in charge of this operation. If you mess up the shipment, won't the club hold you responsible? Don't you have doubts?" Fang asked, clearly concerned.
"And you still want to use this chance to meet the Horned Basilisk, right? If the club suffers a major loss, won't the Horned Basilisk lose faith in you?" Shalltear added, recalling Golden Snidget's promise to Alex during the meeting.
"That's why we need a solid plan," Alex said with a hint of confidence.
"Not only to completely ruin this transfer, but also to remove the Thunderbird from the equation."
Fang and Shalltear exchanged confused looks.
They didn't understand how Alex planned to keep Thunderbird out of it while sabotaging the club's plans.
But Alex didn't explain further.
Instead, he returned to his study, pulled out some parchment, and started writing.
One of the letters was addressed to Newt.
Since he was planning to travel to Northern Europe, he naturally needed to use the Vanishing Cabinet, so he asked Newt to bring it back.