"So, are there any other questions, Mr. Ken?"
This time, Dumbledore likely failed to discern the complicated thoughts running through Avada's mind. Seeing him fall silent, he revealed a satisfied smile.
"…No."
"Then take a look at the agreement in front of you and sign it. Otherwise, you might miss dinner."
"Understood, Professor."
Only then did Avada lower his head to examine the thick stack of parchment. Most of it consisted of detailed definitions and elaborations of various terms, while the core of the agreement contained only two main clauses. First, he was not to disclose to outsiders or privately exploit any knowledge obtained during this research. Only after unanimous approval from all principal members could any knowledge be brought beyond the group. Second, he was forbidden from using knowledge gained through this research for evil purposes—and as for what qualified as "evil," there were several full pages of explanation…
The agreement was a complete and extraordinarily powerful magical contract. The force contained within it was so overwhelming that even Avada felt it to be almost unsolvable—almost. Grinding it down through sheer mental force was a method unique to him, the ultimate technique for dismantling any attached magic.
But the difficulty of wearing down this contract would likely far exceed that of the curse on the Resurrection Stone…
It was understandable. In the current magical world, humanity's understanding of the soul remained nearly nonexistent, yet the soul itself was synonymous with mystery and immense power. If they did not wish for terrifying research data to be misused by ill-intentioned individuals—or to cause harm for any number of reasons—then imposing strict restrictions in advance was undoubtedly the best safeguard.
Compared to three years ago, Avada's mental strength had improved tremendously. The clauses that would once have left him dizzy could now be fully read through in just a few minutes. After confirming there were no hidden issues within the agreement, Avada decisively signed his name with his wand—his true name.
"That will do. I'll keep this agreement here for now."
After quietly watching Avada sign, Dumbledore cheerfully waved his hand, causing the stack of parchment to vanish from the desk. Adjusting his half-moon spectacles, he smiled. "The other students' assessments are still underway. The experiment will officially begin in about two weeks. I'll notify you in advance."
"All right, it's nearly time for dinner. Hurry back—because in two weeks, moments of leisure like this will be scarce indeed."
…
The Leaky Cauldron, a guest room.
Nathan Clarke lay fully dressed on the bed, eyes closed and perfectly still, with only the faint rise and fall of his chest suggesting sleep. The next moment, however, his eyes snapped open. There was no grogginess, no trace of drowsiness—he did not even yawn.
With the fluidity of someone merely finishing a warm-up, he flipped off the bed, drew his wand, and layered himself with a complete set of stealth enchantments. With a slight turn of his body, he appeared soundlessly in the Ministry of Magic's lobby…
"Near-Yet-Far."
Feeling the texture of the wand in his hand, Avada recited inwardly. His vision instantly went dark as he entered the spatial interstice once more.
"Made it. The Ministry hasn't closed yet…"
After leaving Dumbledore's office, the first thing Avada had done was put the control apparatus back on, regaining control over the identity known as Nathan Clarke. He did not dare use the device openly in front of Dumbledore; with Dumbledore's ability, detecting such disguises would hardly be difficult.
Now, what he needed to do was find the interviewer named Tyler and secretly follow him to see whether he could obtain more clues—or perhaps seize a moment when the man's mind relaxed and strike with Legilimency. In short, he needed to uncover as quickly as possible whatever was happening in secret within the magical world.
In two weeks, half of his mind would have to devote itself to high-intensity operation. If he wanted to take the initiative or prepare for potential contingencies, now—when he could still freely allocate mental strength—was unquestionably the best opportunity.
Although limited by the device itself, he could allocate at most about eighty percent of his mental power to this body. Yet thanks to the unique properties of the body's construction, the combat strength he could display here actually exceeded that of his true self. Most spells he could withstand head-on. Even if disarmed, he could rely on the materials composing this body to perform even stronger wandless magic—not to mention the predictive advantages granted by his magical senses…
Still, if it truly came to an all-out battle, his original body at Hogwarts might exhibit abnormalities, and this wooden body could suffer damage difficult to heal on its own, requiring personal repair. So combat was best avoided whenever possible.
"Department of International Magical Cooperation, fourth floor… found him."
Avada had firmly memorized Tyler's mental signature. After following his memory to the Department's location, he easily distinguished him within the crowd. Tyler appeared anxious about something. Though that might partly relate to the approaching end of the workday, such pronounced emotion could not be explained by "waiting to clock out" alone.
Finally, when the clock on the wall struck precisely on the mark—and no one uttered anything to dampen the mood—Tyler immediately stood, grabbed the briefcase he had long prepared, strode out of the office, descended to the Apparition hall, and turned on the spot…
A spatial corridor pointing toward a specific location was skillfully forced open. Just before it closed, Avada—already prepared—stabilized it instantly, allowing him to cross through and arrive at Tyler's preset destination. This time there was no delay; he had already cast a full suite of invisibility spells and wasted no time.
"He's fine. Don't worry. Everything's all right…"
The instant his body returned to normal space, a gentle voice—tinged with tears—reached his ears.
Avada found himself in a brightly lit room illuminated by soft light. Wooden walls surrounded him, decorated with photographs and posters. A stone fireplace burned warmly, casting flickering light over the three figures beside it—Tyler, a woman with reddened eyes, and a child of about six or seven…
"I'm really fine, Dad. Don't worry."
A slightly cheerful, childish voice rang out next, drawing Avada's gaze. "And these past few days I've been feeling better and better. It's like I have endless energy every day…"
The moment his eyes fell upon the child, Avada nearly failed to maintain the spells cloaking him—
A werewolf.
(End of Chapter)