Lewis asked the question directly.
The answer he received from old Capac was surprisingly simple.
"My family has always lived this way."
Afterward, it was Jaina who provided the real explanation.
It turned out that the International Statute of Secrecy only applied to Muggle nations that were part of the international community.
It did not extend to isolated tribes hidden away from the outside world.
"Think about it," Jaina explained.
"These tribes have been isolated for centuries. Their shaman traditions have existed for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years."
"They rely on their shamans' magic to survive and prosper."
"If we forcibly removed their shamans and enforced the Statute of Secrecy, who would take responsibility when the tribe could no longer survive?"
The explanation was perfectly reasonable.
Lewis had never realized that the wizarding world made exceptions like this.
When Capac learned that Lewis and Ciri were Ravenclaw students, he became visibly delighted.
"My son attended Hogwarts five years ago."
"He was a Ravenclaw too."
"Nowadays he works at Gringotts."
Then he glanced at Tonks.
"I heard you're a Hufflepuff, Miss Tonks?"
"What a coincidence! I was a Hufflepuff myself back when I attended Hogwarts."
The old man immediately launched into a flood of nostalgic stories from his school days.
Only then did they learn the history of the Capac family.
As tribal shamans, they had never truly been isolated from the outside world.
Ever since European wizards arrived in the Americas alongside Spanish explorers, the family had maintained contact with wizarding society abroad.
For generations, they had sent their children to Hogwarts.
The purpose wasn't merely education.
It was to understand the wider world.
After graduation, those children typically found work in Britain, married into wizarding families, and established lives there.
Then, when they grew older—
Out of duty to their homeland—
They would abandon the colorful wizarding society of Britain.
Abandon modern comforts.
Return to the primitive rainforest.
Inherit the title of shaman from their elders.
Protect the surrounding tribes.
After hearing the story, Lewis felt both amused and baffled.
"So they're basically South American Wakandans…"
Still, it explained why Capac served as the Ministry's local contact.
The man had practically lived half his life in Britain.
For all anyone knew, half the Ministry's senior staff might be his old classmates.
The four visitors received an enthusiastic welcome from the tribe.
Neither Ciri nor the others understood the local language.
But thanks to Comprehend Languages, Lewis quickly discovered something interesting.
When introducing them to the tribe, Capac described all four visitors as fellow shamans.
More specifically—
Messengers of the Feathered Serpent God.
That made sense.
As descendants of the Incan civilization, many local traditions still revolved around the Feathered Serpent deity.
In Mayan mythology, the god was known as Kukulkan.
Among the Inca, a similar figure existed in the form of Viracocha.
According to Capac's introduction, British wizards were simply distant shamans who possessed the ability to commune with the Feathered Serpent.
The comparison was surprisingly accurate.
Britain's wizarding population numbered only tens of thousands.
From a certain perspective, wizarding society really was just a very large tribe.
Seen that way, people like Jaina and the Ministry employees were indeed protectors of their tribe.
The welcome feast that evening proved unexpectedly enjoyable.
Because the shamans had maintained contact with the outside world, local cuisine had absorbed many foreign cooking techniques.
As a result, most dishes were surprisingly normal.
Palm-heart pastries.
Various roasted meats.
Fried bananas.
Cassava wine.
The capybara meat, however, was another matter entirely.
It carried such a strong gamey flavor that Lewis gave up after only a few bites.
Of course, there were also plenty of dishes that outsiders would consider horrifying.
Jaina accidentally sampled roasted leafcutter ants and nearly vomited up her entire dinner.
That night, Lewis chose not to cast Magnificent Mansion.
Instead, they spent the evening beneath the vast Amazonian sky.
The following morning, Jaina brought up the matter of the dragon.
"Can you help us locate it?"
Capac nodded immediately.
"Of course."
"My people truly did see the demon flying overhead."
"Otherwise, I wouldn't have reported it."
"In a little while, I'll personally lead you there."
The Amazon Rainforest had no native dragons.
Among the tribes, however, powerful and dangerous magical creatures were collectively known as demons.
An hour later, the group set out.
Leading them were Capac and a young tribesman.
After walking for some time, Lewis frowned.
"Wait."
"Isn't this the same direction we came from yesterday?"
"I think I can see the pyramid again," Tonks added.
The young tribesman suddenly spoke rapidly in the local language.
Capac listened before turning back with a smile.
"My guide says the demon flew in this direction."
"He saw it heading toward the pyramid before it disappeared into the forest beyond."
"I see."
Everyone accepted the explanation.
After all, they were outsiders.
The locals possessed all available information regarding the dragon.
Naturally, they had little choice but to trust them.
Everyone except Lewis.
His brows slowly furrowed.
Something wasn't right.
That wasn't what the tribesman had said.
Thanks to Comprehend Languages, Lewis had understood every word.
The young man hadn't identified a dragon's location at all.
He had simply asked Capac where he was supposed to lead the group.
Only after receiving instructions had he pointed toward the forest.
Which meant—
Capac was lying.
The old man wasn't a witness.
And the claim that the dragon was hiding in this part of the jungle came entirely from him.
"He actually thinks none of us understand the language."
Lewis remained outwardly calm.
"Good thing he has no idea I can."
"But why?"
"What exactly is he planning?"
The problem was that there were too few clues.
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't determine Capac's objective.
So instead of exposing him immediately, Lewis decided to wait.
Cast a long line.
Catch a big fish.
At the very least, the discovery confirmed that his caution had been justified.
Every dish he'd eaten the previous evening had been secretly checked with Detect Poison.
Someone willing to lie so casually might very well resort to more dangerous methods later.
With that in mind, Lewis kept his suspicions hidden.
The group passed the pyramid, entered the rainforest beyond, and began their search.
The jungle stretched endlessly in every direction.
Tonks stared at the vast sea of greenery.
"This place is enormous."
"Even if we've narrowed down the area, it'll take forever to search all of it."
"In that case," Capac suggested, "why don't we split up?"
"We can search in teams of two."
"The goal is only reconnaissance."
"If anyone finds the dragon, signal the others immediately."
"Once everyone's gathered, we'll fight together."
Jaina nodded.
"That seems like the safest approach."
Seeing her agreement, Capac immediately continued.
"Director Jaina, you're clearly the strongest among us."
"Why don't you take my young tribesman with you?"
So that's it.
Lewis immediately saw through the move.
The old man wanted to separate Jaina from the rest.
The problem was that the suggestion was completely reasonable.
If they were dividing into teams, balancing combat strength was the logical choice.
It was a classic overt scheme.
Perfectly justified.
Impossible to oppose.
Capac then turned toward the remaining three.
At that moment, Ciri quietly moved beside Lewis.
"Why don't we team up?" she whispered.
Her cheeks were slightly red.
She even gave him a subtle, meaningful glance.
Lewis instantly understood her intention.
Then he spoke.
"Mr. Capac."
The old shaman blinked.
"Yes?"
"Why don't I go with you?"
Lewis smiled politely.
"To be honest, I'm fascinated by rainforests."
"I'd love to learn more from someone as experienced as you."
Ciri froze.
???
She had practically spelled it out.
And he chose the old man?
Was the old shaman somehow more attractive than she was?
She secretly tugged at Lewis's sleeve.
He ignored her completely.
His gaze remained fixed on Capac.
The old man looked surprised for a moment.
Then he laughed.
"Of course!"
"I'd love to hear about modern Hogwarts as well."
"Then we'll travel together."
"Looks like we're partners, then."
Tonks looked somewhat surprised to find herself paired with Ciri.
But her easygoing nature quickly won out.
"Works for me."
Thus the six people divided into three teams.
And the search through the rainforest officially began.
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