"It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong." — Voltaire
…
Regulus and his group had spent the day preparing for the next task. They packed food and medicines for the journey to the Forests of Albania.
Regulus was sharpening his sword and polishing his wand. Charlus was stocking the food for the expedition. Emma was organising her herbs, and Hestia was tending to her poison jars. They had also set up wards around the perimeter to detect the arrival of the other group.
The next day, everyone was ready for the journey.
Regulus was seen meditating near the cave entrance. Emma and Charlus were on the side, discussing logistics. Their bickering had reduced to almost non-existent levels; they were focused. Hestia was alone as always, doing whatever she did with her insect collection.
Suddenly, everyone perked up. The wards Regulus had set up triggered. They knew the other group was close.
Everyone stood at attention to welcome them.
Mr Achibe was the one leading the new arrivals.
"Mr Achibe, you are early," a voice said from behind them.
It was Mr Morrow. The group, sharp as ever, had already noticed Mr Morrow's presence and didn't jump at the sudden voice.
Mr Achibe, leading Sulaiman, Anders, Ximena, and Akiko, arrived in the clearing.
"Mr Morrow. Given the difficulty of the task, I thought it best to let the children mingle among themselves and learn to cooperate early, so as not to make fatal mistakes later," Mr Achibe said smoothly.
"That was thoughtful of you, Mr Achibe," replied Mr Morrow.
…
Regulus POV
Seeing the boring, polite encounter between the instructors, the students turned to size each other up.
Anders looked more rugged than before. He bore fresh scars on both of his arms, adding to his "do not mess with me" aura.
Sulaiman had become more refined, maintaining his scholarly look, but his movements were more precise and agile than they had been at school.
The two girls standing next to them must be Akiko and Ximena.
Akiko was lean but tall. Unlike the others, she did not keep her katana sheathed at her hip. Contrary to standard practice, she held it in her hands at all times, ready to draw. A storage pouch hung from her belt.
She had shoulder-length black hair and wore a skeletal jaw mask covering the lower half of her face. It gave her a terrifying appearance. She had a sharp look in her eyes and radiated dangerous "do not approach me" vibes. She looked at Hestia and nodded coldly. Hestia returned the nod with equal chill.
Ximena was a little plumper compared to the wiry Akiko, but she was fit. She had a golden, ring-like disk hanging from her hip. As Emma had mentioned, it looked more like a piece of ornate jewellery than magical equipment.
She walked straight to Emma and Hestia, hugged them openly, and started talking excitedly about their encounters in the forest. Hestia, who hated small talk and physical contact, slipped out of Ximena's hug like an eel and went to stand silently next to Akiko. Ximena looked heartbroken for a second but recovered quickly, pulling Emma aside to chat.
Anders, standing silently beside them, suddenly raised his arms in an attempt to hug Charlus and Regulus in a bear hug.
Regulus dissolved into grey smoke instantly, reappearing a safe distance away.
Charlus wasn't so lucky. He was currently being crushed. His face turned a horrified shade of purple as the breath was squeezed out of him by the friendly giant. He patted Anders' back frantically, trying to free himself. It was a funny sight.
Sulaiman approached Regulus.
"I trust your trial is going without a hitch?"
Regulus didn't explain their hardships—the Chimaera, the Melancholy—but simply said, "There have been some issues, but nothing we could not handle."
"Regulus, you have always been a great strategist. This time, it is a Curse-Breaker from Gringotts. What do you think of it?"
When Sulaiman asked this question, everyone stopped their personal conversations and gathered around seriously.
"Before we discuss strategy, let us introduce ourselves—our strengths and weaknesses," Regulus announced. "Let me start."
"I am Regulus Black from the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black. I am from the British Wizarding Community. I am proficient in Transfiguration, Dark Arts, and Battle Spells. I am also highly sensitive to the magic around me."
Regulus said the last sentence while turning to look directly at Akiko. To be precise, he glanced slightly behind Akiko.
There was a large magical presence there, invisible to everyone else. Regulus had noticed it at first glance.
His gaze made Akiko stiffen for a second. Her eyes betrayed a flicker of surprise before returning to their icy calm. Her grip on her sword tightened. Anders, Sulaiman, and Ximena noticed their teammate's reaction but did not comment on it.
Charlus, Emma, and Hestia introduced themselves next.
Then it was the other team's turn.
"Name's Sulaiman Bayero. I am from the Emirates Lineage. My family is from the African Wizarding Community. My speciality is in Divination, Astronomy, Curses, and Rituals."
Sulaiman's introduction was simple and neat.
Next went Ximena.
"Hello all! My name is Ximena Moctezuma. I am a direct descendant of Moctezuma II, the last Emperor—Tlatoani—of the Aztec Empire. I am proficient in defence magic, and I can redirect spells thrown at me back to the caster. This is my magical equipment; it is bound to me for life. I like Hestia! She is my best friend. I want to be with her every day. Unfortunately, we got separated during the Sorting. I missed her so mu—"
Her introduction was interrupted by an embarrassed Hestia, who threw several stunning spells at her to shut her up.
The spells hit Ximena, automatically rebounded off her invisible shield, and flew straight back at the caster.
Hestia, who had thrown plenty of spells at Ximena during school and knew exactly what would happen, Apparated to a different spot instantly. The empty space where she had been standing was bombarded by her own reflected spells.
Emma intervened. "Why do you always provoke her, Ximena?"
Ximena looked heartbroken, but Regulus caught her attempting to hide a smirk. "I just said what I thought! You know I have no filter on my mouth."
Regulus noticed the cunning in her actions. Since everyone was introducing their strengths and weaknesses, she didn't want to disclose all her information. So, she found a way to trigger Hestia, cause a scene, and interrupt her own introduction in a well-calculated manner.
Not only Regulus noticed; Sulaiman, her teammate who knew her antics well, had a helpless look on his face.
Regulus looked at Ximena again—more precisely, at the device on her hip. Even before she reacted to the spells, the device was passively protecting her. The magical flow connected directly to her heart.
The commotion settled, and Akiko's cold voice resounded from behind her skeletal jaw mask. Even though it was muffled and ghostly, it couldn't hide the fact that her natural voice must have been beautiful.
"Akiko Fujiwara. Fujiwara Clan from the Japanese Wizarding Clans. Proficient in Katana and Talismans. Can do Curses."
Charlus and Regulus waited for her to continue. But they found themselves staring at her in silence; she had no intention of speaking more.
They had a sense of déjà vu. Regulus turned to look at Hestia, then back at Akiko. They had more or less the same personality.
Sensing the end of the introduction, Anders stepped up.
"I am Anders Faulkenberg from the Norwegian Wizarding Community. My family is a noble hunter family. I am proficient in Physique Enhancement Magic and Defense Magic."
His introduction was polite and direct.
When the introductions were over, Mr Achibe and Mr Morrow gathered the group.
"Children, everyone must know their target: Patricia Rakepick. Now let me tell you the details of the commission," Mr Morrow began. "Gringotts wants to retrieve a stolen device from her. They are ready to pay a heavy price for it, given the importance of the equipment."
"Originally, the equipment's ability was to bypass the solid wall of any material to retrieve an object stored inside. However, while the device was locked away near the Gringotts dragon, it self-absorbed the ambient magic surrounding the beast and evolved. It can now bypass magical barriers as if they were smoke."
Mr Morrow looked at them gravely. "So, you have to retrieve the object before capturing or killing her. If she has that device, trapping her will be impossible."
Regulus sighed a breath of relief internally.
He was concerned about the device's combat usage, but it sounded like a specialized bypassing tool. It didn't give her an advantage in a direct duel—only in escape and infiltration.
Why does she have to steal such a device? He wondered.
Then the answer hit him. What are bank vaults made of? Steel and magic. If this device can bypass both like walking through smoke, then…
He didn't finish the thought before Mr Achibe interrupted.
"You all will rest today and start your task tomorrow."