Age didn't seem to matter as he openly flattered Alex.
Alex paused for a moment, then shook his head firmly.
"Thank you for your kindness, but honestly, I've never considered going into politics."
Andre's face fell slightly, disappointed by the answer.
But deep down, he knew that with Alex's potential, he wasn't someone who would be confined to the Ministry of Magic of just one country.
"However," Alex said after taking a deep breath, "if the pressure on the German Ministry of Magic becomes too intense in the future, I could stay in Germany temporarily, maybe for six months to a year. After all, Wilson's Arcane Alchemica still has plenty of business across Europe that I need to oversee. During that time, I can also offer you advice and support without officially joining the Ministry."
"That sounds perfect!" Andre replied, clearly thrilled.
He had always felt that his way of thinking wasn't the best fit for management, so having someone by his side to guide him was exactly what he needed.
To Andre, Alex was the ideal person for the job.
"Since you're not interested in politics, I can give you the role of advisor to the Minister of Magic," Andre said, speaking as if he already held the position.
"You can come to me directly with any ideas or suggestions you have."
Alex chuckled.
"Advisor? I don't think that title suits me, considering I'm in charge of a British company. It might raise some eyebrows and affect your reputation. But I could serve as a temporary instructor in your Legal Enforcement Department. That way, I can help train some Aurors for you."
'Of course, the real benefit would be having those Aurors assist with my experiments.'
The next day, inside the warehouse prison, Nathan sat hunched in the corner of his cell, wearing his usual gloomy expression.
The wizards from the breeding park had been trapped in this cramped, filthy space for over half a month.
The place was unbearably dirty, no chance to wash up, and a sour, disgusting smell hung in the air everywhere.
After a while, they stopped noticing the stench altogether, realizing they had unconsciously adapted to the foul environment.
The daily monotony of boiled potatoes only added to their misery, and even when they received the single weekly apple, it stirred a mix of emotions, tears of both gratitude and sorrow.
It was in those moments that they truly understood what freedom meant.
Despite the bleak conditions, the prison maintained a surprisingly calm atmosphere, well, calm relative to the situation.
Over time, the group of wizards and Muggles began to pick up on the guards' behavior.
As long as they avoided making provocative comments, loud noises, fights, or arguments, the ever-present but seemingly invisible guards, known as the silver wand, didn't overly restrict their conversations.
This unofficial tolerance allowed the prisoners to communicate freely, and after days of talking, everyone in each cell became familiar with one another and pieced together their stories.
Their backgrounds were strikingly similar.
Most were ordinary wizards from various magical communities, without any special connections or consistently strong spellcasting skills.
Many knew people involved in non-governmental organizations around the gathering area, and through these contacts, they were lured into working at the breeding park.
Those with exceptional skills in magical creature care often became veterinarians after training, while most others ended up on maintenance crews.
They also discovered that despite coming from different parks,
The internal setups, layouts, and even staff salaries were remarkably consistent across the board.
This led them to realize all the parks were controlled by the silver wand Club, and that the various groups who had recruited them were somehow linked to this club.
This connection brought a flood of new thoughts and suspicions to everyone's minds.
You should know that many non-governmental organizations in Germany are facing similar struggles.
So, what's really going on?
They all answer to the same boss, the silver wand!
Among these wizards, some are quite clever.
They quickly connected the dots, recalling the divisions that have shaken the German wizarding community over the past ten years.
It turns out, all the splits trace back to the groups led by the silver wand.
What's even more frustrating is that members of the patrol team, the silver wand's collaborators, openly admit this.
Many even mock others for being naive, easily manipulated into becoming secret accomplices of the silver wand.
In their minds, these collaborators don't see themselves as part of the civilian wizard community at all.
They believe that when the time comes, the silver wand will release them, elevating them back to "noble" collaborators.
Because of this, the tension between most civilian wizards in prison and the patrol wizards has only grown worse, with several clashes erupting in just a few days.
Of course, these fights are quickly broken up by the silver wand, and everyone is sent back to their cells afterward.
But even then, those patrol wizards continue to see themselves as part of the club, making life difficult for the civilian wizards wherever they can.
While most wizards try not to take it too seriously, sometimes even fighting back, many cowardly civilian wizards choose to give in.
Maybe they feel hopeless, thinking it's better to side with the collaborators to have a better chance at survival.
Nathan, however, couldn't accept this.
The more time he spent there, the more determined he became to escape.
After days of hard work, he and Bob had made real progress.
They had learned to cast the Disillusionment Charm without using a wand, and their Transfiguration skills were improving rapidly.
They were basically ready to break out of their cell for sure.
But now came the big challenge: how to approach the fireplace without alerting the silver wand?
These Silver Wand agents stayed invisible most of the time, only appearing when they brought food, but their presence always brought a heavy, invisible pressure.
Nathan quietly lifted his head from the corner, casually scanning the room before settling his gaze on Bob.
At that moment, Bob caught Nathan's eyes, but after a brief look, he frowned and shook his head.
'Still can't decide?'
Nathan sighed inwardly.
He had been trying to tempt Bob for days now, hoping they could seize the chance to escape.
But neither of them was sure if the opportunity was real, after all, it might only come once, and failure could mean death.
Just then, the familiar glint of silver wands appeared again.
Nathan wasn't surprised, it was time for dinner.
But this time, most of the prisoners stood up eagerly, as if expecting something special.
Nathan realized today was the day they handed out fruit, a weekly event that explained everyone's excitement.
When would it start?
Even a simple apple had the power to stir everyone's spirits.
Watching the scene unfold, Nathan shook his head with a wry smile.