83. Exit Customs

Because of one name - Credence - the whole world is in turmoil. Countries are unaware of Credence's identity or the extent of his powers. However, all they need to know is that Grindelwald is relentless in his pursuit of Credence, and stopping him is of utmost importance.

Aurelius, who had secluded himself for several days, remained unaware of the chaos his presence had caused in the world. He was gathering energy to initiate the completion of his final rune.

This manifestation of the soul had undergone significant changes. The rhombus-shaped black crystal possessed a glossy, obsidian-like appearance. Its interior was hollow, with a black and red phoenix gracefully hovering inside. As the runes quivered, the Phoenix emitted a resounding and jubilant cry. Finally, with a thunderous blast, the construction was complete!

"It's done!" Aurelius exclaimed with laughter.

Building runes is an integral part of the summoner system and requires meticulous attention due to its irreversible nature. The fact that the process went smoothly was not surprising.

Building runes is of utmost importance and should be kept confidential to minimize risks. As long as no one knows that they are being constructed, the chances of disturbance can be greatly reduced.

The manifestation of the soul gradually dissipated, leaving Aurelius feeling invigorated.

"Aurelius! Are you finished?" Nagini, upon seeing Aurelius open the door, approached him in surprise.

"Thank you, my dear, for providing protection," Aurelius smiled. "I feel extraordinary, like never before."

"Meow! Meow!" The large, furry head approached Aurelius, nuzzling against his shoulder.

"And me, and me!" Zouwu expressed dissatisfaction, as Aurelius had only acknowledged Nagini upon exiting, eager to showcase his accomplishments.

"Of course, and you too, big guy," Aurelius said, petting the Zouwu's large head affectionately.

It was challenging for a man of his stature to remain confined in Nagini's cramped guest room for an extended period.

"Aurelius, there's something I need to discuss with you," Nagini's expression turned serious.

"Oh? From the look on your face, this doesn't seem to be good news," Aurelius stopped scratching his chin and straightened up.

"That mermaid princess hasn't written in ten days," Nagini informed him. "This is concerning, as our lobbying efforts in France are not going well. She used to write every three days, continuously seeking updates since proposing the idea over a month ago to shift our focus from lobbying France to another Ministry of Magic."

Nagini presented all the previous letters exchanged with Tina Sebastian. "I've read and compared each letter thoroughly. Her patience is wearing thin, and the emotions reflected in her recent letters are becoming increasingly agitated. However, as soon as you went into seclusion, all communication abruptly ceased."

Aurelius narrowed his eyes, sensing that something was indeed amiss and deeply perplexing about this situation.

But it did not exceed Aurelius's expectations. He said, "It seems that she can no longer control it -"

"You mean...she has already started a plan to take back the Siren?"

"Eighty percent - and I would almost say she failed."

Nagini nodded. "It makes sense. If she successfully recaptures the Siren and controls it, she will send a letter and urgently need support from other Ministry of Magic, but she does not.

"It's just that-" Nagini was a little confused. "She doesn't have any allies! Why is she in a hurry?"

"Nagini, sometimes things go very wrong. We can foresee some things happening, and we can even calculate them accurately through some means, but human will cannot be calculated accurately," Aurelius said with emotion.

"Is this what 'man's calculation is not as good as God's calculation'?" Nagini said. This is what Aurelius said before, and the attentive Nagini remembered it.

"That's right," Aurelius nodded. "I had this question before. Tina Sebastian is only a mermaid hybrid. Why would those sirens be loyal to her? She is neither the maker of the contract, let alone a controller. They are both intelligent creatures, so why can she control the sirens?"

"Arts."

"You should have noticed that she is not very clever in terms of wisdom or methods. Her only reliance before was that she only knew the mermaid language through the sirens. Of course, profit can be made from the information gap, but this is for dozens or even tens of thousands of years. I don't think the Ministry of Magic of various countries, who want to seize the sirens, would be so confident that a person who will have hatred towards them will assume such an important position."

"It's a bit strange. Maybe she was the only one a few decades ago, but now that decades have passed, the people in the Siren Council have no other preparations?" Nagini followed Aurelius's thoughts and quickly found the problem.

"So - our partner is not that honest. Of course, neither are we, so it's even," Aurelius smiled and sat leisurely on the sofa, stroking the cat with his left hand and the teacup with his right hand. He took the teacup from Nagini.

"Then what do you think she is hiding?" Nagini asked curiously.

Aurelius shook his head. "I'm not a god. How can I know what she kept and what she thought?"

"Then...we just pretend we don't know?" Nagini pointed at the pile of letters and asked.

"Isn't it good? We have more time to study and solve your blood curse problem," Aurelius looked at her with a smile.

"Aurelius, isn't it a bit..."

"Not trustworthy? Haha, don't dwell on it, Nagini. Our transaction is solely to assist them in meeting the senior officials of the Ministry of Magic. Everything else is irrelevant to us. It's her fault for not informing us about the next target. It's none of our concern. This is her problem and has nothing to do with us. We're engaged in a transaction, yet we still have to hurry to save her?" Aurelius chuckled.

Nagini was correct in considering it. They had been diligently working to help Tina complete the deal, and no matter what, they couldn't be blamed for being untrustworthy.

This is Europe where the spirit of contracts is strongest. The transaction at hand is simply that – a transaction. There is no friendship involved whatsoever.

Unless explicitly stated in the contract, it is not their obligation to act as partners.

"Should we continue residing in Paris or should we leave?"

"Well... let's remain in Paris for now, but we can't stay in the hotel any longer. The expenses for three months are considerable. The funds Tina provided us for activities are dwindling, right?"

"There's approximately a third remaining."

"Let's purchase a house and temporarily settle in Paris. I also want to visit a legendary wizard to investigate the lack of original information regarding the blood curse. Maybe he will have some insights."

"A legendary wizard? Who is it?"

"Nicholas Flamel."