[Option 1: The previous type of "residual material."]
[Option 2: The current purified type.]
Without hesitation, Wade picked up the slip labeled Option 2.
As soon as he did, both the converter and the two slips of paper dissolved into white smoke and disappeared.
Right after, a new blueprint appeared in his hand.
Hmm..?
Puzzled, Wade unfolded it—and saw that it depicted a collar.
He recognized it at a glance. It was the same type of collar goblins once used to control trolls, though this version seemed to be an improved model.
Just as Wade was feeling pleased, a line of small handwriting appeared in the blank space on the blueprint.
[I've received your choice. Also, the collar you asked me to modify has been completed. All the details are on the blueprint.
According to testing, it works quite well. At the very least, after that goblin craftsman put one on, he never slacked off on his work again!
Oh, and one more thing I forgot to mention. Regarding the Blood-Cursed Orcs, there might be related records in Slytherin's study.
Slytherin left a secret study somewhere within Hogwarts. I once entered it with a few friends.
I have to say, Slytherin set up plenty of irritating little challenges along the way… but I believe with your ability, you'll be able to overcome them.
Remember this: if you decide to explore, you must go with at least one other person!
The detailed route is attached to the blueprint…...
~Your Senior.]
After Wade finished reading, the small text vanished once again.
At this moment, Wade's mood improved significantly.
First of all, with the improved collar, many magical creatures that were previously thought impossible to tame could now, at least in theory, be subdued.
However, to actually create one, he would need a solid grasp of alchemy.
It seemed necessary now to brush up intensively on that subject.
And then, there was the matter of the Blood-Cursed Orcs.
Slytherin's study… Wade hadn't reached that point in the game before, so he didn't have much of an impression of it.
However, he felt that this so-called Slytherin study shouldn't be the same as the Chamber of Secrets where the basilisk resided.
Hmm… since it was an exploration of Slytherin's legacy, bringing Tom along might be quite helpful.
…
While Wade was in high spirits, Grindelwald's mood was equally good.
Because the student he admired most—Tom Riddle—had come to see him.
Although he knew the chances of Tom actually pledging allegiance were low, the fact that he had taken the first step meant everything would be easier from here.
If Tom came once, he would certainly come again.
This exceptionally gifted, brave, and kind young wizard would, sooner or later, join his ranks.
"Welcome, Tom!" Grindelwald warmly greeted him and ushered him into his temporary office. "Please, have a seat. Would you like something to drink?"
"No. I can't stay long. I'll say what I came to say, then I have to leave. I can't let anyone know I came here," Tom said bluntly.
"Oh… I see. Then it must be very confidential news." Grindelwald's expression turned serious. "Go ahead, tell me."
Tom then calmly recounted everything Wade had done and said earlier in Dumbledore's office, word for word.
"Wade told me to relay everything to you. He said that once you've heard it, you'll understand what he means," Tom said steadily.
"Hmm…" Grindelwald stood up and began pacing back and forth.
As he walked, he said with satisfaction, "Wade truly is a genius! This way, we can act right under Dumbledore's nose, completely out in the open, without needing to hide a thing!"
Suddenly, Grindelwald stopped and looked at Tom. "Wade asked you to tell me this. Is he hoping to get some kind of help from me?"
"Yes… he wants you to propose introducing ideological guidance for students, with you serving as the supervising professor. If Dumbledore and Headmaster Dippet refuse, he hopes you'll use your authority as Head of the Department of Education to add a new course on moral and ideological education at Hogwarts," Tom repeated Wade's instructions word for word.
"A course on moral education… with me as the supervising professor…" Grindelwald murmured, and the more he thought about it, the brighter his eyes became.
If he were to propose personally teaching the students' ideology, Dumbledore and Dippet would reject it without hesitation—any fool could predict that.
However, if he were to suggest adding a moral education course now, Dumbledore and Dippet would almost certainly agree.
Of course, the supervising professor would definitely not be him.
As long as it wasn't him guiding the students' thoughts, in their eyes, anyone else would do.
Even if the chosen person failed to capture the students' attention, it wouldn't matter—so long as they blocked his path.
Add to that the show Wade put on in Dumbledore's office earlier.
That candidate… could very well end up being Wade himself!
Of course, even if Wade is too young to be the supervising professor and Dumbledore appoints someone else to the post, that's not a big problem.
The moral-education course would have been proposed by Grindelwald; the supervising professor would merely occupy the post and keep Grindelwald from directly intervening.
Professors are all busy; they won't take this so-called moral-education course overly seriously.
If Wade occasionally offers one or two meaningful suggestions, the supervising professor will very likely hand the guidance work over to Wade to manage.
That isn't absurd—Professor Slughorn, for example, could very well do that.
So Wade would have a fallback: get Slughorn named supervising professor, and Wade ends up running things anyway.
If Wade runs it, what's the difference from me running it? After all, Wade has already handed his Student Mutual Aid Social Hub over to me by giving all authority to Anne.
"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! If they won't let me tear off the roof, they'll surely consent to me opening a window. Little do they know, my goal is just to open a window! Ha—this is perfect!"
Tom didn't really understand what Grindelwald was saying, but understanding wasn't part of his task anyway—he was only here to deliver a message.
And, incidentally, to test his own courage.
"Since I've said what I came to say, I'll be going now." Tom turned and walked toward the door.
This time, Grindelwald didn't try to stop him for a chat as he had originally planned.
He knew very well that this was a perfect opportunity to change the situation—and under no circumstances could anyone find out about his cooperation with Wade.
…
Only after the door behind him closed automatically did Tom's racing heartbeat begin to calm.
A wave of relief washed over him.
He had finally conquered his inner fear.
But… Tom wasn't entirely sure if his performance had truly convinced Grindelwald.
Grindelwald and Wade were the same kind of people—neither of them would be fooled that easily.
Who knew whether that look of excitement Grindelwald showed earlier was real or just another act?
Scheming people… their hearts were pitch black!
Still, though Tom felt a bit uneasy, he couldn't help feeling proud of himself for conquering his inner fear.
All the way back to the dormitory, he walked with his head held high.
When he arrived, Wade was indeed there—looking to be in quite a good mood.
He was sitting on his bed, whistling softly while reading a book.
"Wade!" Tom stood proudly in front of him.
"Oh?" Wade looked up at him, eyes brightening. "You look full of spirit! I thought you'd be sulking for a while… wait—don't tell me you didn't send Anne, and went yourself?"
"Yes!" Tom strode back to his own bed and sat down comfortably.
With a clear conscience, his "yes" came out loud and firm.
Wade: Heh~ Called it.
"Good… Tom, that's really good…" Wade said with satisfaction. "You didn't disappoint me after all! I knew it—someone capable of being my rival could never be that timid."
"You're absolutely right! There's nothing to be afraid of! Without a brave and determined heart, my magic could never be unstoppable!"
"Tom… right now, you look just like a brave Gryffindor!"
"I feel like you're insulting me!" Tom frowned.
"It's a compliment! Gryffindors are known for their courage, but bravery isn't exclusive to them," Wade said with a smile.
Hearing that made Tom feel much better.
"Fine, I'll take it as a compliment… but I need to tell you what happened earlier."
After glancing around to make sure no one else was nearby, Tom quickly switched to a Whispering Charm and recounted his conversation with Grindelwald.
When he finished, he added, "I don't know if that excitement he showed was real. Maybe he didn't believe a single word I said—maybe he just pretended to, for his own reasons, to make me think he did!"
"He probably doesn't trust me much," Wade said calmly. "Even if he's fooled for now, once he thinks it through, he'll grow suspicious again."
Tom stared at him in disbelief. "Then why—"
"Heheh~ Whether he believes me or not, whether he follows through as we expect, doesn't actually matter at all. Even if he does believe, he'll soon realize we're not on the same side."
"Why?" Tom asked.
"Because the ideas we're trying to instill are completely different from what he wants us to teach. He'll realize that the moment he sees it."
"Then why send me to him at all? Wasn't that pointless?" Tom asked, stunned.
"Was it really pointless, Tom?" Wade looked at him with a smile. "Did you not gain anything from it? No way! From what I see, you've gained quite a lot from this trip."
"This… you mean you did all that just for me?" Tom was momentarily speechless.
"It was merely a test, Tom. If you passed, you'd naturally emerge transformed. And if you didn't, that's fine too—you'd just need more time to grow. But I'm glad that in the end, you passed it. Haven't you noticed? You've become stronger than before."
Tom stared blankly for a while before sighing. "Maybe… when you graduate, you really should become a professor, Wade."
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