"...But, can't we just solve them before they awaken Zeus?"
"Is that possible?"
William blinked.
"Why not?"
Hecate seemed somewhat puzzled.
"Because the corner theory isn't like that—"
"?"
"Ahem." William coughed, shifting the topic, "So, can you pinpoint the location of any of them?"
"No."
"Then, do you know where Zeus is 'asleep' so we can lie in wait first?"
"...Don't know."
"...Then you'd better show your usefulness within two sentences, or else." William squinted, smiling lightly, his tone deceptively calm.
"Hey hey! You're shutting the mill down after using the donkey, aren't you? I just said so much—"
"First sentence."
"Cough cough, wait, I still have things to say—Though I don't know their exact location, I know Hera's plan. Are you familiar with the organization 'Poacher'?" In a moment of desperation, "Nagini" finally blinked, gesturing towards what would soon ravage all over Europe—
...
...
"...You demon, I won't let you go even as a ghost..."
"Alright, alright, then go be a ghost."
As William finished speaking, the pale gray statue swung its long sword, and the head of the man in the gray robe fell—Today marked exactly half a month since "Athena's" escape. Upon learning from Hecate that Hera might still be lurking under the poachers, William decisively began the purge.
The scope, of course, was all over Europe.
The frigid caves on the edge of the North Sea, the damp secret realms of the Alps, even the black market bases disguised as Venetian galleries...
In just half a month, thanks to Helbo, the "human map," the crucial bases of Europe's "Poachers" were uprooted at a rate of two to three a day. William didn't participate in every action himself, or rather, he actually didn't move at all—
Over the years of traversing, he hasn't lived in vain. Though he only managed to create dozens of Magic Patterned Stone Statues hastily, he still had plenty of soldiers like the werewolf army under his command, more than enough to crush every obstacle in front of him.
This "army" merely appeared silently, executed commands precisely, and vanished with valuable spoils and prisoners of value before the local Ministry of Magic officials could arrive in haste, leaving behind a mess and a field of corpses—
Their efficiency was shocking.
For a time, the underground world of the Magic Realm was in turmoil, rumors rife. Some said the International Confederation of Wizards finally decided to tackle the Dark Arts creature trade by utilizing hidden wizard powers, while others speculated it was a newly rising Dark Lord cleansing the old order to pave his way—
For a time, chaotic speculations were rampant, and no one could provide sufficiently weighted conclusions.
However, in any case, everyone clearly felt a powerful, cold, and purposeful force forcibly tearing through the trading network of the "Poacher" organization, which had been operating in Europe for centuries. As a result, more black wizards were on edge, with no one daring to interfere at such a time.
"...You demon! Q@#_*$%"
Thus, another base turned to rubble under the sword edge of the stone statue. A witch, presumably a leader, was bound by invisible chains of magic power and dragged before William, as she struggled with eyes burning with anger and fear, she cursed venomously at the young man standing on the edge of the ruins, who seemed to be merely on an outing.
Yet, William hardly understood. Watching this witch babble in German, he bent down, casually picked up a piece of torn cloth from the ground, balled it up, and stuffed it into her mouth completely. He brushed nonexistent dust off his coat. "Thanks for the compliment."
William's tone was light, his gaze didn't even fall on the witch as he surveyed the surroundings. "But, the titles 'demon,' 'Man Slaughter,' are getting a bit tiresome lately. Can't your organization show some innovation? Do I need to come up with names for you? Hm..."
"You have no idea who you're provoking!"
The witch spit out the loosely stuffed cloth and continued to scream in broken English, "'The Master' won't let you off! You will pay for your arrogance!"
"Master?" William finally glanced at her, raising an eyebrow, "You have a master above you? That's rare—Hope I can meet him or her soon?"
With that, William waved his hand, "Take them away, have Carrow show them some care, pour more Veritaserum down their throats, excavate everything from their mouths, nothing left behind."
Thus, the werewolf wizard summoned by William nodded, silently executing orders, dragging the struggling witch aside—
Then, the heart-wrenching curses and cries vanished, leaving only the soft sounds of insects in the snow-covered forest in front of him.
"Crack—"
The next moment, following a light sound, Grindelwald's figure emerged from the twisting air beside him, holding a magic wand. Clearly, the elder's magic ability had recovered quite well, making long-distance Apparition not too difficult. He observed the efficient cleanup operation, his bald head gleaming in the moonlight.
"That's the—"
The elder walked beside William, counting with his raised fingers, "Half a month, the twenty-first base, you've essentially plowed through the 'Poacher's' apparent forces in Europe, yet haven't discovered anything? Dumbledore is worried sick—Why don't you clean up the battlefield?"
"How can I create a sensation if I clean it up?"
William watched as the werewolves stuffed the unconscious prisoners into a bag enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm. "Never mind Dumbledore, I want everyone to be sleepless. Only by draining the pond can we catch the big fishes lurking deep—"
He turned his head, wearing a cunning smile, "No one will give up such a large cake. As long as we touch their interests, we'll naturally attract those who want to feast—their patience is beyond my expectations though—"
William rubbed his nose, somewhat helpless, draining water is, after all, a time-consuming task—As he said this, he gently plucked two strands of his hair and handed them to the elder.
"...I'm quite impressed you have so much Polyjuice Potion."
Taking the hair William handed over, Grindelwald couldn't help but be amazed.