003 The New Commission (Re-Written)

Bryan weighed the bag in his hand, whose space had been expanded by the Undetectable Extension Charm. Even with the weight reduced by the Lightweight Charm, the heavy feeling still filled him with immense pleasure.

Seven hundred Galleons - this was the reward he had earned after after sleeping in the open air and starving in the old forests of the Jura Mountains in France for half a month. It was equivalent to a year's salary of an official Hogwarts professor or a senior Ministry of Magic official.

After inspecting that the Cockatrice heart brought by Bryan was flawless, Kakus, who was sitting across from him, closed the rough wooden box with satisfaction and smiled. "Your reputation is the brightest light in the underworld, Mr. Viper. Every transaction with you is a perfect pleasure!"

Bryan silently put away the money bag, ignoring Kakus Fawley's praise. Everyone who ventures out is just after the shining Galleons, so it's best not to get too chummy unless necessary.

"Any decent commissions recently?"

"You're as diligent as ever, Mr. Viper."

Bryan's aloofness did not displease Kakus. In fact, most people active here were cautious in speech and action. Someone as polite and enthusiastic as him was the exception.

Kakus kept smiling as he fawningly pulled out a notebook from his pocket and flipped through it. "What are your requirements for the type of mission and remuneration?"

"My habits haven't changed, Kakus. Don't waste each other's time," Bryan said coldly.

"Of course, of course, how could I forget your requirements - no commissions targeting wizards or Muggles, reward of 500 Galleons or more, mission duration as short as possible. I never forget any client's habits, Mr. Viper. However..."

Kakus flipped through the notebook in his hand, muttering to himself, but his brow gradually furrowed. Even when he reached the last page, he couldn't find a mission that met Bryan's requirements.

"Um, I'm afraid I'll have to apologize, Mr. Viper. Missions that match your habits are usually in high demand. There was a 550 Galleon mission to provide ingredients for brewing a magic-suppressing potion, but unfortunately, someone else took it three days ago."

Upon hearing this, Bryan stood up and turned to leave, displaying a decisive manner.

"Please wait, Mr. Viper!"

Kakus, who had already laid the groundwork, immediately stopped him. Faced with Bryan's unfriendly gaze, the veins on Kakus's forehead throbbed. He feared the dangerous man in front of him might directly draw his wand and impale him with a spear, just as he had dealt with those rude werewolves before.

"No offense," Kakus hurriedly explained. "I indeed don't have any commissions that meet your requirements. However, there are some high-paying but riskier missions. I wonder if you'd be interested in hearing about them?"

"Higher risk?"

Missions that the veteran underground broker Kakus Fawley considered high-risk definitely wouldn't be small jobs like smuggling. Bryan's heart wavered, but after a moment of contemplation, he sat back down and nodded to Kakus. "Let's hear it then."

Kakus subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. Earning a commission from dangerous wizards like the Golden Viper was no easy task. You never knew when you might offend them and lose your life over some trivial matter. Therefore, one must always be prepared to flee.

"The first commission pays twenty thousand Galleons."

Just hearing the reward amount made Bryan's brow jump and his breathing pause.

"The client sent me a magical contract from Albania. He hopes someone can help him rescue the Lestranges and the Carrows from Azkaban. What do you think of this commission?"

"Hmph, I'm not that foolish, Kakus. I refuse this commission."

Bryan rejected it without hesitation.

If it were just a rescue mission, Bryan might have considered it given the hefty amount of Galleons. Although the Dementors of Azkaban were dangerous, they weren't impossible for him to deal with.

The real danger of this mission lay in the identity of the rescuees.

Everyone in the wizarding world knew that the Lestranges and Carrows were the most radical Death Eaters. Once someone rescued them, it was foreseeable that Dumbledore, who had spent the latter half of his life fighting against Voldemort, would definitely intervene and investigate. Bryan had no intention of wasting the rest of his life on the run.

Moreover, the location of Azkaban was top secret in the wizarding world and would be very time-consuming to find.

Kakus wasn't surprised by Bryan's outright refusal. In his opinion, the person who posted the mission was most likely not thinking clearly due to drinking too much Firewhiskey. After all, who would willingly face those disgusting, terrifying Dementors?

"Your choice is very wise, Mr. Viper. Let me think... There's another commission where someone claims to have found the location of an ancient magical ruin built by a powerful wizard. They want to recruit some extraordinary wizards as guards. The client says they can't directly provide a high commission fee but are willing to share the discoveries in the ruins with the explorers. What do you think of this commission?"

Searching ruins indeed had the potential for high rewards, not only in terms of items like gold and jewels. There was a high likelihood that many ancient magics, renowned for their pursuit of power but lost to the present day, could be found in the ruins. If they could be used for reference, it would benefit one in improving their strength.

However, after a moment of contemplation, Bryan still rejected the commission.

It wasn't because he feared the risk. Exploring ruins also required a lot of time for preparation. Moreover, the most likely outcome would be coming up empty-handed. Bryan disliked placing his rewards at the mercy of baseless luck.

Kakus was very patient. He introduced several more long-cherished commissions to Bryan, but each one either had disproportionate risk to reward or would bring him great trouble after completion. So, they were all rejected without exception.

In the end, even Kakus was troubled by Bryan's pickiness. He sat there, lost in thought, and remained silent for a long time.

"There's one more, the last one, Mr. Viper. If you're not satisfied with it..."

After a while, Kakus stretched his head, his expression cautious. Although he couldn't see Bryan's expression behind the magical vortex on his face, he still tried his best to observe the dangerous fellow across from him. "Have you heard of... the Chamber of Secrets?"

"The Chamber of Secrets?"

Bryan's body trembled. Although his memories of the plot from his previous life had basically been lost, anyone who had attended Hogwarts couldn't possibly not have heard of it. Bryan had fought others in the underworld, and the spells he cast and his casting habits clearly showed he was cultivated under modern orthodox magical education. There was no point in hiding it.

"It's just a Hogwarts legend. Why are you bringing that up?"

Seeing that Bryan was hooked, Kakus was secretly delighted but still played it cool.

"You don't often stay in the country, so you may not know. Although the Daily Prophet hasn't reported on it, privately the news has been spreading like wildfire. Rumor has it that the Chamber has truly been opened. Someone at Hogwarts is using the power of the Chamber to create widespread panic, and Dumbledore is powerless against it..."

"Wait!" Bryan rudely interrupted Kakus. "What does this have to do with the commission? Is someone paying me to go to the school and protect those kids?"

"Of course not!"

Kakus revealed a sly smile.

"But Salazar Slytherin's name is indeed attractive enough, isn't it? The client believes Slytherin left a secret treasure in the Chamber, which has been obtained by the so-called heir. Otherwise, how can one explain that even a powerful figure like Dumbledore can't find any clues?"

Bryan remained silent. He indeed didn't remember much of the original book's plot due to that fog, but at least he remembered that the Chamber didn't seem to contain any wealth, magic, or powerful alchemical items.

However, given the greedy nature of the wizards here, such speculation wasn't strange.

After all, the four founders of Hogwarts were all historically verified powerful wizards, possessing mighty magic that ordinary people couldn't hope to match. If their legacy appeared, people would naturally flock to it.

"Even if that's true," Bryan remained unmoved, "would anyone dare to rush into Hogwarts and fight Dumbledore over something? It would be safer to fish those lunatics out of Azkaban."

"It's not necessarily about snatching, but using a more reasonable method."

Kakus was in high spirits, seemingly determined to persuade Bryan. "I can provide some help, such as having you enter the school as an investigator hired by the Board of Governors.

Those esteemed wizards on our Board of Governors need to show some response to the terrifying events at the school in order to address the growing discontent. At the same time, they're worried that the attacks will continue and the wizards they send will be ineffective, becoming a laughingstock.

But if there's a reliable wizard, they'd be willing to negotiate with Dumbledore. After all, Dumbledore's performance in this series of events has been disappointing. They may feel he's getting old and a bit slow..."

"It seems you've long planned to target me."

If Bryan hadn't realized this by now, he'd be truly foolish. Kakus indeed had commissions that matched his tastes. The high-risk missions he proposed earlier were merely bait. His real intention was to have Bryan accept this final commission.

'As expected, he saw through it.'

Kakus's heart tightened. He revealed a fawning smile.

"After all, the investigator candidate needs Albus Dumbledore's approval. Therefore, a Hogwarts alumnus is the first choice. Strength and reputation are also crucial. Here, only you meet the requirements."

Bryan couldn't deny it.

"How will you solve the issue of identity confidentiality? You should know this will expose my true appearance."

The shrewd Kakus Fawley had naturally considered this issue long ago. He couldn't wait to give assurance.

"The client won't know that Mr. Viper has taken the commission. Although the Board of Governors will know your name in the outside world, they also won't inquire about your underworld identity from me."

"Then what about you?" Bryan questioned aggressively. "In your plan, you're the only one who will know both my outside world and underworld identities. How can you ensure you're trustworthy?"

"An Unbreakable Vow, with the lives of the entire Fawley family as collateral, to keep your identity secret forever."

Bryan stared intently at Kakus's not-so-young face, in no hurry to respond. "It seems you stand to gain a lot from this commission, right?"

"That's my personal secret, Mr. Viper."

Kakus smiled as if victory was in his grasp.

"Eight thousand Galleons, plus the gratitude of the Board of Governors, and perhaps even a commendation from the Ministry of Magic, in exchange for Slytherin's secret treasure in the Chamber of Secrets—Mr. Viper, this is a good deal..."

Author's Note: Iam re-editing the first hundred or so chapters targeting to complete in a month. I hope i will be able to finish this in the schedule i have set.