Chapter 167 - Vellory of Arcuturus Black (3)

Looking around, Asterion saw that the entire hall was silent. Men and women were dressed in elegant black suits and dresses. It seemed that everyone had come to mourn the death of Arcturus, but he wasn't fooled by their false words and smiles of sympathy.

Asterion knew that behind those words and smiles, many were actually pleased by Arcturus's death. For over fifty years, Arcturus had led the politics of the British magical community. With his death, a new generation, full of ambition, was eager to rise.

Especially with Dumbledore growing older, everyone wanted to become the second Mage Marshal of the Clock Tower.

"Politics has an ugly side, doesn't it, Asterion?" Rose said, standing beside Asterion, sipping from a glass of orange juice. She could tell, from the micro-expressions of the people, that many of them were almost smiling with joy, and it made her deeply nauseous.

It was like animals devouring the body of Arcturus Black at his own funeral.

Looking at Rose, Asterion calmly remarked, "You'll get used to it; politics, by its nature, is ugly."

Seeing Asterion's calm and expressionless face, Rose clicked her tongue in admiration. She didn't have the cold blood to remain calm around people as disgusting as these. If she had been in Asterion's place and the person in the coffin was someone important to her, she would have thrown everyone out and probably broken a lot of bones.

"Young Rose, may I speak with Lord Black alone?"

Hearing the voice beside her, Rose felt a shiver run down her spine—she hadn't sensed anything!

Looking to the side, she saw an elderly man with a gentle appearance, dressed simply. Behind him, a middle-aged man was following him faithfully.

Gellert Grindelwald and Aurelius Dumbledore.

It was the first time Rose had seen the Dark Lord so closely; those silver eyes gazed at her with a gentle look, eyes that reminded her of Luna.

Her gaze shifted to Aurelius, a member of House Dumbledore. She did not fully understand the circumstances that had led someone from House Dumbledore to side with Grindelwald, but she knew it was far from normal.

Looking at Asterion, Rose saw him nodding his head. She snorted coldly and walked toward Dumbledore, but not before giving a proud look to both of the Dark wizards.

"A very proud young lady," Grindelwald said in a gentle tone, letting out a low laugh.

Asterion said nothing and remained silent. He could feel countless discreet eyes falling on him at that moment, wanting to know the reason for the conversation. It was no secret that, with his methods, many were just waiting for him to declare himself a Dark Lord.

Grindelwald's proximity only reinforced these opinions. Asterion was certain he would be the topic of many conversations after Arcturus's funeral. 

Fortunately, his reputation from the civil war would help mitigate the damage; after all, he was a War Hero. 

This made Asterion realize that Grindelwald had approached him at the funeral on purpose, almost as if to subtly suggest to everyone that they had a friendly relationship, thereby tainting his reputation. 

"I'm leaving, Lord Black," Grindelwald said in a gentle tone. "But before I go, I invite you to witness the pure and immaculate future I have worked so hard for over the years." 

Grindelwald's words made Asterion narrow his eyes. He knew the Dark Lord's plan because Grindelwald himself had shared it with him, but his words implied he had found the last piece needed to complete his plan—the perfect place for the Future Imprisonment Ritual! 

"You have found the Legendary Isle of Avalon," Asterion whispered to himself. 

Avalon! 

The legendary Utopia of the wizard Merlin! 

One of the Seven Legendary Places of the Magical World! 

The Legendary Places of the Magical World were the desire of every wizard, said to contain the legacies of the Seven Legendary Wizards who essentially created the Magical World. 

Avalon was particularly coveted by the entire British magical community, as it possibly held the Legacy of Merlin, the Wizard Closest to God. 

However, with the fall of the Kingdom of Camelot, Merlin vanished, and many claimed that his last words were that he would be in Avalon, in his Utopia. 

"Send me a letter with the location, and I will arrive promptly," Asterion said with a calm expression, his chest rising and falling slightly faster. Even he was tempted by Merlin's Legacy. 

Grindelwald smiled with satisfaction at Asterion's reaction and left, but not before nodding to Dumbledore, who wore a thoughtful expression. 

No one heard the conversation between Asterion and Grindelwald, not even Dumbledore himself, but Grindelwald's satisfied smile left many wondering what Asterion had said to make the Dark Lord leave so pleased. 

'Deceiving Grindelwald is not such a simple task,' Asterion thought as he watched the man leave. Initially, he had intended to control the Acolytes in secret, becoming a Dark Lord in the shadows, but this would not be an easy task—not when Grindelwald wanted him to assume the title publicly as a Dark Lord. 

But becoming a Dark Lord was not something he desired, especially when his reputation would affect not only himself but everyone around him. He was not like Grindelwald, who stood alone; he had responsibilities and duties. 

Letting out a sigh, Asterion stopped thinking about it and refocused on the funeral. However, he sighed again when he saw the old man wearing a very outdated black robe approaching him with a gentle look. 

"Lord Black, my condolences. I greatly admired your great-grandfather; he was a man of exemplary character," Dumbledore said with a sad and understanding tone, trying to comfort the young man. 

Exemplary character? Are we talking about the same Arcturus? 

Asterion almost let out a few sarcastic remarks at Dumbledore's words. If there was one thing Arcturus was not, it was a man of exemplary character. 

Arcturus had confessed some of his crimes to Asterion, crimes that would have easily left him rotting in Azkaban for two hundred years, and that was just a small part of his misdeeds. 

Arcturus Black did not have an exemplary character; on the contrary, in the eyes of the law, he was a murderous monster who should have been locked up long ago, with the key to his cell thrown away forever. 

Looking at Asterion's calm face, Dumbledore spoke in a gentle tone. "I know how persuasive Gellert can be, Lord Black. He manipulates you without you even realizing it; every move you make does not escape his magical eyes." 

His voice carried a hint of regret and sadness. 

Asterion wanted to laugh at Dumbledore's words, but he held back, given that he was at Arcturus's funeral. It was the most ironic thing in the world to hear Dumbledore lecturing on manipulation when he himself was more of a manipulator than Grindelwald, who could see the future. 

"I don't understand what you are talking about, Mage Marshal. Lord Grindelwald merely offered his condolences on the death of my great-grandfather," Asterion said, taking a sip of the wine from his glass before changing the subject. "But let's talk about something else." 

"How is the investigation into the traitorous member of the Hogwarts Council going?" he asked, looking directly into Dumbledore's eyes. 

Asterion had not forgotten that he was involved in a conspiracy; his own participation in the International Magic and Witchcraft Tournament was part of a conspiracy, one whose purpose he still had no idea about. 

Dumbledore shook his head and spoke with a regretful tone. "Robert Crouch was found dead. Rufus concluded it was a suicide." 

"Suicide?" Asterion showed a sarcastic smile upon hearing about the death of a member of the Hogwarts Council. 

He believed more that Robert Crouch was under the Imperius Curse and was forced to kill himself than that he had actually committed suicide. 

--- 

Author's Notes: In this chapter, I introduced two new concepts: The Seven Legendary Places. This was something I had wanted to include for a long time, and I finally managed to do so.

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Next Chapter Second Volume: Chapter 168 - Vellory of Arcuturus Black (4), Chapter 169 - Torture and Secrets (1), Chapter 170 - Torture and Secrets (2), Chapter 171 - Conspiracies and Secrets (1), 172 - Conspiracies and Secrets (2), 173 - Conspiracies and Secrets (3), 174 - Conspiracies and Secrets (4), 175 - Conspiracies and Secrets (5), 176 - Conspiracies and Secrets (6), 177 - Conspiracies and Secrets (7), Chapter 178 - Decision and two wives (1), Chapter 179 - Decision and two wives (2), Chapter 180 - The Old King of Camelot (1), Chapter 181 - The Old King of Camelot (2).