65. Paul Herman

Aurelius rubbed his forehead and asked Nagini, "What time is it?"

"It's six o'clock," Nagini replied.

"Let's go out, it's almost time."

After getting out of the suitcase, the Zouwu remained inside and didn't feel like coming out. It was too lazy.

When they arrived at the Bay Tavern's lobby, they found it to be a magical place. The semi-open lobby was full of magic.

The Bay Tavern is located in the Azores Islands in the North Atlantic Ocean. The only difference is that this is a shared territory for both Muggles and wizards.

Hidden deep in a ring of submarine volcanoes, the Bay Tavern's lobby feels like a crystal palace under the sea. A magical film separates it from the seawater, allowing guests to admire the underwater scenery.

One of the volcanoes in the area is called an immortal volcano. The only way to access the Bay Tavern is through bubbles that form, acting as a sort of entrance.

As Aurelius took a step forward, part of the membrane that isolated the seawater separated and wrapped around him, creating a colorful bubble that lifted him out of the water. Several cute pufferfish bumped into the bubble and puffed up into thorny balls out of fright. Fortunately, the bubbles may have appeared fragile, but they were magically made to be quite sturdy. They created ripples but slowly floated upwards.

When the water breaks out, the bubbles disperse, but the people inside remain suspended above the sea, as if walking on an invisible bridge at sea level.

However, Aurelius and Nagini had no intention of leaving just yet. Aurelius took out a brass whistle that he had brought from the tavern and blew into it, creating a sound similar to a conch shell.

"I wrote a greeting note to the Portuguese Minister of Magic and scheduled an appointment to visit at seven o'clock in the evening. We should buy some small gifts beforehand. It's not polite to arrive empty-handed."

Just then, in response to Aurelius' whistle, a large ship appeared on the horizon, drawing a white wave towards them.

The ship's bow was unique, featuring an octopus with a conch on its head.

"Welcome aboard the Conch. I am today's crew member, Omi Parker," said the expressionless wizard crewman, reciting the same welcome words he had said countless times before.

"Where are you headed?" Aurelius asked.

"Worseld, Pier Seven," the crewman responded.

"7 Sickles."

Although the wizarding currencies of America and the UK were different, the entire European wizarding community mostly used the Galleon system. After all, it originated from the same source. With dozens of magic ministries in Europe, there was no need for dozens of different currencies. This caused frustration among the goblins, and it was quite troublesome. Walking into the cabin, it is immediately apparent that the space inside is much larger than the outside, thanks to the traceless stretching spell.

Inside, neatly arranged seats give the cabin more of a bus-like appearance rather than that of a boat.

Bang! Omi stretches out his hand and knocks on a window, shouting, "Worseld! Hua Hua!"

The oars are unmanned and operate automatically. While the frequency may not be fast, the speed at which the boat travels is remarkable.

Outside the glass windows on both sides of the cabin, the scenery rapidly recedes, seemingly faster than Skender's.

Not long after, Aurelius notices the ship start to slow down.

"Worseld is here! Have a pleasant journey, both of you. The entire crew of the Conch is at your service wholeheartedly!" says a voice, signaling their arrival.

As they disembark from the boat, they find themselves at a public pier.

Worseld is the only wizarding village in Portugal's magical world and is located on a remote island.

Despite being a small island with few resources and looked down upon by Muggles, wizards do not worry about such limitations because of their convenient transportation options which make location and distance less of a concern.

The home of the Portuguese Minister of Magic is located on this island.

In Worseld, there are several wizard shops. Aurelius randomly finds one, purchases a souvenir, and begins making his way toward the Minister of Magic's Building.

To ensure a smooth first meeting, Aurelius shares some information about the minister with Nagini.

"The Portuguese Minister of Magic is named Paul Herman. He was born as a Muggle wizard. There are only about a thousand wizards settled in Portugal. Additionally, the Portuguese Ministry of Magic does not support blood theories and does not possess a wizard aristocracy, which makes it an easy ally for Miss Sebastian to win over," Aurelius explains.

Nagini acknowledges this, saying, "Then Miss Sebastian has thought it through very well. However, I am not so optimistic. Although Portugal aligns with the Siren due to bloodline considerations, the Portuguese Ministry of Magic is low-key and transparent in its activities and interactions with international wizards' federations. They are self-aware... A small Ministry of Magic like this is not willing to risk offending larger ones just to support an individual like Miss Sebastian. Don't underestimate the prejudice against aliens, who are considered inferior to humans. The situation is even worse for those who have left their human identity for a life as a fish."

Aurelius sighs and responds, "Looks like the trip was in vain."

Nagini tries to find a silver lining, saying, "It's not all bad. At the very least, we might make a few more friends. Well, we have arrived." Aurelius stops in front of a small but beautifully designed European-style building, located with the sea as a backdrop.

"There is a courtyard in front of the door, where a grill is being set up. A man is chopping firewood with an axe, while ten beautiful hostesses are picking vegetables and preparing food with their two children."

"Looks like we're having a BBQ," Aurelius smiled and knocked on the low wooden fence door.

"Oh, are you..." The man put down his axe and wiped his sweat before coming over.

The man has a very decent appearance, with a tall nose and bright gray-black eyes. He is wearing a Muggle light blue shirt, with the cuffs rolled up for easy work and the two buttons on the collar unbuttoned.

"I'm sorry, Minister Herman, for being so uninvited. Aurelius Dumbledore, this is my companion, Nagini," Aurelius smiled and shook hands with him.

"Oh, Mr. Dumbledore, please come in quickly. Please come in," Paul was very enthusiastic and opened the door, inviting the two of them in.

The ladies and children who were busy stopped what they were doing and came over.

"Let me introduce you. This is my wife, Fiona. These are my eldest daughter, Katie, and my youngest son, Nick. Fiona has been very happy to receive your invitation and has specially prepared to welcome you two," Paul smiled as he introduced his family to Aurelius.

"That's troublesome for you, Mrs. Herman, and of course Katie and Nick," Aurelius and Nagini also returned the favor.

It was obvious when we met for the first time that Minister Herman and his family were very kind and easy to get in touch with.

This is good news!

T/N: Don't miss out on tomorrow's update! I'll release 5 new chapters.