...
The waiter tapped gently on the door and said: "Sir, your dinner has arrived."
The door opened, and a man wearing a scarf, almost bald, took the tray, glancing calmly at the waiter and said: "Thank you."
The waiter froze for a moment, maintaining a smiling expression as he watched the door close again, secretly amazed in his heart.
——The appearance of this guest did not match his eyes at all, like the soul of a soldier stuffed into the body of a thief.
But...
Who said that those with a sleazy appearance can't have a noble demeanor? Perhaps he once had a tumultuous past, only to be worn down by fate, thus becoming unkempt...
The waiter imagined a story as dramatic as a movie, pushing the food cart to the next room, as the memory of those unique eyes still occasionally flashed in his vision.
"Dinner is served, Miss Mabel."
Peter the Second placed the pancakes, roasted sausages, and a plate of fruit on the table, along with a large jug of sweet milk.
"Thank you."
Just out of the bathroom, Mabel was steaming. She sat at the table, picked up a pancake and wrapped it around a sausage, and said apologetically: "Won't you have some?"
"We don't need to eat, Miss Mabel," Peter the Second shook his head and said.
Mabel had heard this answer more than once, but it still felt a bit strange.
No matter how you look at it, he seems like a human, speaking without any incongruity, yet in essence, he's just like the cube or broom next to him, sometimes it's a bit terrifying upon closer thought.
But after spending a long time together, Mabel realized that the ugly-looking Peter the Second was actually an introverted, silent, and reliable person... a good golem.
When Mabel left with a group of poppets, she thought this time she'd have to rough it out under the open sky and even considered how to handle illnesses in time if she fell sick.
In reality, she lived better than ever before.
While traveling, she rode a broom, the Cube Poppet unfolded a shield-like panel to block the cold wind, Mikhail flapped his wings nearby, creating warm air currents, completely shielding her from the high-altitude cold.
The poppets also considered her need to eat and rest, stopping at upscale hotels in the evening.
Peter the Second checked them in as an adult, he could even provide all sorts of legal registration information and documents, no one knew how he managed that.
The Cube Poppet transformed into a suitcase, quietly brought into the room by Peter the Second.
Afterward, Mabel would ride her broom in, cloaked in invisibility, through the window. The hotel provided various delicious foods and hot baths.
Safety was the least of her worries. At night, Mabel slept on a soft big bed, occasionally waking up to see several poppets quietly guarding the window or door.
During the day, they tracked several places attacked by the Witch Pure Party, unable to approach, only watching from afar as the wizards handled the aftermath, sometimes disguising the broom as an ordinary Flying Broomstick to eavesdrop on their conversations.
But starting two days ago, this blind searching finally made huge progress — a wizard began to actively contact them, providing intelligence.
It was a businessman named Machioni, said to be Vid Gray's partner.
"Is that guy trustworthy?" the broom muttered: "There's an old saying that all businessmen are crafty. These sly guys would do anything in pursuit of profit."
Mabel subconsciously glanced at its slender body and the flatly bound twigs.
——Brain? Where's its brain located?
"Isn't that perfect?" Peter the Second said: "Rescuing the master suits his interests."
"Whether he's trustworthy is for the master to decide; I only care if the information he provides is useful," the Cube Poppet said.
"Does he know you're poppets?" Mabel asked curiously.
"He knows," the Cube Poppet said.
When leaving, they also brought along Vid's Friendship Book left at home, originally thinking it might be useful to gather information occasionally.
But behind the parchment, others probably couldn't trust their identities, cautiously disconnecting. Apart from Dumbledore once inviting them to join him, only Machioni actively sent various intelligence after a few days of silence.
In Flow Mirror videos, none of the Witch Pure Party members revealed their faces, but Machioni analyzed the material and patterns of their boots, helping the poppets narrow down the search area.
[If I'm not mistaken, those people's base should be in the southwest area of Sweden, you better look inland, search for those old, magic-seeing castles.]
[That person was imprisoned in a sea prison for forty-eight years, the cold and damp climate must have greatly damaged his body, so now he must choose a residence far from the coast.]
——This was the message Machioni sent two days ago.
The whole of Sweden has just over 300 castles, excluding those along the coast and turned into tourist attractions, checking each shouldn't take long.
The fear is that Grindelwald might completely hide the castle.
But they still have Mabel in their group.
Born of a hatred for magic, Obscurus has an extraordinary sensitivity to Magic Power.
After dinner, Mabel crossed off places searched today on the map, discussed tomorrow's itinerary with the poppets, and was just about to rest when the Cube Poppet suddenly said:
"Machioni sent another message..."
It opened the Friendship Book, seeing an unfamiliar name written on it.
"John Adler? An ordinary person who doesn't use magic... might become the next target of the Witch Pure Party... have you heard this name before?"
Everyone in the room, including Mabel, shook their heads.
"Then what do we do?" Mabel held the map, tapping and marking it and asked: "Continue checking the castles, or go find this Adler first?"
The Cube Poppet contemplated the lines of words emerging on the parchment.
...
"The badge has been turned into a Portkey?"
Grindelwald repeated, with an enigmatic smile at the corner of his mouth.
"Yes," said a House-Elf dressed in a gray pillowcase, bowing his head and repeating Vorvillet's words verbatim.
This creature had large, highly mobile ears that could rotate independently, with incredibly sharp hearing, and most wizards would intuitively overlook them.
Having gone through war, however, Grindelwald didn't overlook the power and unique role of such creatures; his study, bedroom, and meeting rooms were all enchanted, allowing even House-Elves to hear only "buzzing" noise from outside.
But Vorvillet didn't have this awareness, and Grindelwald didn't pass on his experiences to others.
At this moment, having listened to the House-Elf, Grindelwald hadn't said anything, but Delaine, standing beside him, showed anger.
"Sir," he bowed slightly, "Vorvillet shows signs of betrayal, may I go..."
Grindelwald raised a hand to stop his words, saying to the House-Elf, "I understand, you can return to your duties now."
"Yes."
The House-Elf vanished with a snap.
Grindelwald finally looked at Delaine, but contrary to his assumptions, he wasn't angry, smiling instead:
"Although Antoine said nothing, he probably shares the same concerns with Vorvillet. What about you, Gunter?"
"Regarding the next operation, where I want to bring Vid Gray along, what do you think?" Grindelwald asked.
"Vorvillet and Antoine have both been blinded by personal feelings, unable to appreciate your effort,"
Delaine said without hesitation, "Vid Gray holds the bell... holds the creation of Xyvantys, if he harbors ill intent, it could cause immense damage to us."
"Bringing him along is to ensure everyone's safety, a steady and prudent strategy!"
He spoke sincerely, without any flattery or deceit, as he earnestly believed this.
But upon hearing this, Grindelwald burst into laughter, his frail chest shaking like a drum.
Worriedly, Delaine looked at him, fearing he might laugh as breathlessly as last time.
Soon after, he saw his chosen sovereign withdraw his laughter, and sigh, "Gunter, have you ever thought... why did our past endeavor fail?"