Newt looked a little embarrassed—after all, the zoo director title had officially been handed to him.
Of course, there was no one more suited. Most of the "employees" were magizoologists, many of whom were fans or even former students of his. He was warmly welcomed, but the sudden responsibility made him nervous.
Sure, the director didn't need to sit in an office, which Newt hated—but still, it was a heavy responsibility.
"Blake, um… what do you think we should set as the ticket price?"
Pricing mattered. Too expensive, and no one would come. Too cheap, and it wouldn't cover costs.
"I think the tickets should be cheap," Blake replied. "Five silver coins is perfect."
Newt frowned. "Isn't that too low?"
Blake had said before that ticket sales would help fund food for the magical creatures. But even a whole month of Wuyinxico's wages might not feed a fire dragon.
"Mr. Scamander, I didn't say admission would be our only source of income," Blake explained. "Tickets are just to get people through the gate. The real profit comes after they're inside."
"You're not just going to let them wander, are you?"
"Of course not. That's where we increase in-park spending."
"For example: an up-close Chimera encounter? Five Galleons. Want to feed it? You'll need to buy meat—say, one Galleon per fist-sized piece."
"But," Blake added, "we limit how much meat each visitor can buy. We don't want to overfeed the Chimera."
Newt stared at him, shocked. "Is… is that safe?"
"All of it would be done from the safety of our sightseeing buses," Blake reassured. "I doubt anyone will jump out just to hand-feed a Chimera. Unless they want to feed themselves to it."
"Of course, for gentler creatures, we could allow direct contact—but those attractions would cost less."
Newt still looked uneasy. "Won't people feel forced to spend once they're inside?"
Blake shook his head. "We're not forcing anything. Five silver coins gets you inside. In today's economy, what can five silver coins buy? But here, you get to see magical creatures you've only read about. That's worth it."
Visitors could view everything from a distance at no extra charge. But if they wanted more—closer views, interactions—they'd have to pay. And Blake knew they would. Even the most frugal visitor would shell out for at least one or two low-cost experiences. It was all about human psychology.
Newt finally understood and gave Blake a new look.
"If you ever went into business, you'd be... well…"
"Profiteer?" Blake grinned, finishing the thought.
Newt chuckled awkwardly.
"There's no such thing as a saintly businessman. And hey, I didn't invent these methods. Muggle amusement parks use them too."
Newt sighed. "I know magical creatures, but I'm hopeless at management…"
"No problem," Blake said. "Just hire professionals. Let them run the business side. You focus on the animals."
"By the way, have you written up the rules and regulations yet?"
Newt looked embarrassed. "Not yet… we've all been too busy on the island…"
Blake raised an eyebrow. "You're the director. You shouldn't be doing all the grunt work."
"The boss doesn't do everything—they delegate."
Newt blinked. "So… I just find trustworthy professionals and assign what I can't handle?"
"Exactly," said Blake. "Let them handle the process—you just evaluate the results."
That made sense. Even if Newt didn't know how to do something, he could still judge whether it was done well.
"Just make sure the people you bring in are reliable."
"Got it…"
With a plan in place, Newt suddenly felt that maybe being director wasn't so intimidating after all. As for hiring talent—he'd ask Dumbledore. After all, the man had decades of students, many likely looking for work.
After finishing his chat with Newt, Blake left the Unnamed Island. That matter was settled—for now.
Next on his list: Agatha.
He stepped through a dimensional door and appeared in the mountaintop base's conference room. Agatha was waiting, unsurprised.
"About what you said…" Blake held up her letter. "It can be done."
"Really? That's great!" she said excitedly. "Even if we don't know what Chaos Wish's commission is exactly, the reward looks amazing."
Blake shook his head. "I'm not talking about the commission. That's a separate matter—we'll consider it later."
"What I mean is… the other thing you mentioned: officially forming the 'Fourth Natural Disaster.'"
Agatha's eyes lit up. "Yes! Leave it to me! I'll build a powerful organization!"
Blake smiled and sat down. "Oh? And where will you find these members?"
Agatha said proudly, "Knockturn Alley! I've got loads of loyal followers there."
"No, they won't do," Blake said bluntly.
"Why not? They obey me—if I tell them to join, they will. Don't you trust me?"
"I trust you. I don't trust them."
"Why did they follow you in the first place?"
Agatha puffed up. "Because I'm stronger than them."
"Exactly. You conquered them. But will they be truly loyal? Or are they cursing you behind your back?"
Agatha was furious. "They wouldn't dare!"
But she knew Blake was right.
"And their loyalty isn't even the biggest problem," Blake added. "The real issue is—they're too weak."
Sure, Knockturn Alley wizards were nasty, but only dangerous to regular folk. In real combat? They were nobodies.
Agatha recalled how easily she'd beaten them. The idea of recruiting them now felt… dull.
"Then where should we find people?" she asked.
"At the very least," Blake said, standing, "they should be as strong as you."
He deliberately said "as strong as" rather than "stronger than," to preserve her pride.
It worked. Agatha grinned.
"But where do we find that many powerful people?"
"We don't need many," Blake said seriously. "Quality over quantity. But I do know where to look…"
Agatha clapped. "I'm excited already!"
She understood the implication: if others were as strong or stronger than her, she couldn't manage them.
"Who will handle leadership when you're unavailable?" she asked.
"What do you think of old Rip?" Blake replied with a smile.
Old Rip—first to gift Blake a power ring—was incredibly strong, easily rivaling Dumbledore now. Wise and experienced, he was the perfect choice.
Agatha agreed. She'd once fought Rip—and never stood a chance. His strength had only grown since then.
"Alright! So the Fourth Natural Disaster starts with just us three."
"Perfect!" Agatha beamed. She wasn't worried about numbers—she knew how powerful Blake was. Their future was bright.
Then she asked, "What about that old bat? He joining?"
Blake chuckled. "Severus? He's been busy nursing the baby lately. We'll bring him in later."
The moment little Lily was born, Blake knew Snape was bound to them forever.
"Milk a baby?" Agatha blinked. "I'm trying to imagine that gloomy old bat bottle-feeding a child…"
"Yeah… it's a sight, all right."
They laughed, then called in Old Rip to discuss the organization. Rip was loyal and fully on board.
After wrapping up, Blake left again.
As for the Chaos Wish commission—Blake was very interested. Not for the reward, but the mission itself. However, to accept it, he needed an organization as formidable as described in their intelligence.
That meant strong manpower.
And where could one find a reserve of powerful, available wizards?
Blake stepped through a dimensional door straight into Nurmengard.
Grindelwald looked up, surprised. "Blake?"
"I've got jobs—light work, good pay," Blake said casually. "Think your old guys would be interested?"
Grindelwald had once entrusted Blake with protecting these aging wizards. In other words, they were already under Blake's care.
Naturally, he didn't hesitate to ask.
And unsurprisingly, the old wizards were very interested.
Many had been outlaws, fugitives, or unwanted relics of the past. Grindelwald had gathered them at Nurmengard to protect them—and to give them purpose.
But charity had limits. If not for Grindelwald's wealth, they'd have drained him dry by now.
So when Blake offered paying jobs?
Grindelwald was ready to shove them out the door himself.
The old wizards had no complaints. Compared to wasting away in Nurmengard, this sounded like an adventure. And following Blake—Grindelwald's chosen heir—made perfect sense.
And just like that, Blake's "Fourth Natural Disaster" became a formidable force.
Each recruit was handpicked. Each one, fiercely loyal.
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