Chapter 295
Durmstrang Institute was where Gellert Grindelwald once studied.
It was likely located somewhere in southern Norway.
Unfortunately, he never graduated.
Even though Durmstrang openly taught Dark Magic, the school still could not tolerate Grindelwald's increasingly cruel and dangerous experiments.
"Grindelwald" itself was originally the name of a small German town located beneath the Maiden Peak.
The former Dark Lord was German by nationality.
Many people misunderstood this simply because he had studied at Durmstrang.
Now, Malfoy and Hibiscus had already crossed the border and arrived in Germany.
Berlin—
The political and economic center of Germany.
Back during the era when the wizarding world was engulfed in war, the Muggle world had also been drowning in chaos.
To a certain extent, the two conflicts even influenced one another.
Turmoil spread simultaneously through both worlds and eventually stabilized around 1945.
That was no coincidence.
Even if the wizarding world hid itself carefully, its existence would still leave traces upon reality.
There were even rumors that certain German wizards had secretly participated in the Second World War.
In other words—
When the tide of an era arrived, nobody could truly remain uninvolved.
Hibiscus silently followed behind Malfoy.
She had gradually grown accustomed to this quiet style of travel.
Most of the time, speaking only created more trouble.
After reclaiming Grindelwald's original wand, they spent several more days traveling throughout France.
Hibiscus secretly returned home once.
Meanwhile, Malfoy continued contacting various factions and organizations.
He sought either support—
Or at the very least, neutrality.
Almost every force in the world functioned similarly.
Extremes were few.
The middle ground was vast.
No matter the circumstances, some people would always instinctively lean toward the side of justice.
For example—
Most professors at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the majority of students from every house shared fundamentally similar values.
Even among Slytherins, most children merely inherited obsession with bloodline prestige and family glory.
As they matured, however, many eventually formed their own worldview and naturally sided against evil.
But there also existed another category.
Creatures inherently drawn toward darkness.
Vampires who wandered beneath the night.
Bloodthirsty werewolves.
Ignorant giants.
Winning such beings over was nearly impossible.
No matter what happened, they would naturally gather beneath Voldemort's banner.
The Dark Lord barely needed to persuade them.
Yet the most important group—
Was the final one.
The overwhelming majority.
Neutral individuals.
Those easily swayed by circumstances.
Sometimes, those who appeared indecisive ultimately became the key factor deciding victory or defeat.
Albus Dumbledore had already begun such diplomatic efforts long ago.
Perhaps even earlier than anyone realized.
Malfoy merely happened to be traveling through these countries while handling matters of his own.
The results were acceptable.
After settling several issues, they finally arrived in Germany.
Walking through Berlin's streets, one could clearly see ancient Prussian architecture standing beside modern commercial skyscrapers.
Cars moved steadily through the roads without congestion.
Germany's city planning was exceptionally organized.
However, Hibiscus already knew what would happen next.
Soon, Malfoy would once again leave the bustling main roads behind.
During this journey, she often wondered whether he had traveled extensively before.
He seemed strangely familiar with all kinds of obscure locations and hidden routes.
From time to time, they would suddenly turn into remote alleys and discover bizarre places.
Just like now.
At the very end of the alley stood a tavern.
From the outside, it looked incredibly plain.
The exterior walls were badly weathered.
The black stone bricks appeared cracked and unstable, as though they might collapse at any moment.
Yet despite the decay—
Everything remained remarkably clean.
The owner clearly maintained the place carefully.
This contradiction suggested only one explanation:
The owner was extremely stingy.
Willing to spend effort cleaning—
But unwilling to spend money repairing anything.
"Faust the Penitent?"
Hibiscus stared curiously at the crooked golden lettering above the door.
"What does that mean?"
"It's about a man named Faust who made a deal with the devil."
"After obtaining endless wealth and power, he eventually fell into overwhelming regret in old age."
Malfoy explained calmly.
"Deals with devils always demand a terrible price."
The two pushed open the wooden door and entered the tavern.
The furniture inside looked oddly small.
Every table and chair was noticeably tinier than normal wizarding furniture.
Several larger wizards sat stiffly and cautiously upon them, clearly afraid of accidentally breaking the chairs and angering the owner.
After all—
When asking others for help, people naturally lowered themselves.
"Why is nobody behind the counter?"
Hibiscus looked around curiously.
"Of course there is."
"You simply can't see him."
Malfoy casually found a seat and sat down.
The high-backed chairs near the bar completely blocked their line of sight.
"A new customer?"
A shrill voice suddenly rang out.
Then the chair spun around.
Only now did Hibiscus finally see the tavern owner's face.
It looked like a bizarre cross between a house-elf and a goblin.
Sharp-mouthed and monkey-faced.
Its body was extremely short, but its arms were unusually long.
Its massive eyes nearly occupied half its face.
The creature wore an expensive purple tuxedo made from fine materials—
Though on him it looked utterly ridiculous.
"I need transportation to Nurmengard."
"And a guide."
Malfoy calmly placed a piece of parchment upon the counter.
"That won't come cheap."
"Nurmengard?"
"That's the sort of business that costs lives."
The creature elegantly lifted a wine glass using its furry fingers and pretended to swirl the red wine inside before sniffing it dramatically.
As though this somehow made him refined and cultured.
A monkey wearing formal clothing.
That description suited him perfectly.
"Of course."
"I only care about gold."
"And for enough gold…"
"I'm willing to sell my life."
The goblin-like creature proudly revealed a mouthful of clean white teeth—
Several of which were solid gold.
"Excellent."
"I happen to have no shortage of gold."
Malfoy laughed softly.
Then he raised his hand.
Gold coins poured endlessly onto the wooden table before the creature.
A glittering pile rapidly formed—
And continued growing higher.
No matter the era—
Direct cash payments remained universally persuasive.
Especially mountains of gold.
Their dazzling brilliance carried irresistible temptation.
Many people would lose their sanity before such wealth.
The creature's pupils instantly widened.
Greed burned openly within his enormous eyes.
Then his gaze darted around cunningly as though calculating countless possibilities.
"Deal."
The tavern owner immediately spread his arms around the pile of gold protectively before hurriedly dragging it beneath the counter.