Chapter 260 "The Real Story Behind Artetas Disappearance"

Upon hearing this statement, not only Bill but also the other Gringotts spell-breakers were stunned. The wizard with the rosacea, who made the comment, didn't wait for Bill to inquire and was instead prompted by the somewhat indignant wizard's question.

"Can't come back? What do you mean, can't he come back? Is he dead?" The questioning wizard demanded to know.

In response, the wizard with the rosacea spread his hands calmly and replied casually, "Who knows? Even if he didn't die, the goblins might have locked him up in a dark vault under Gringotts, awaiting his demise! After all, there are so many vaults under Gringotts that don't even need to be transformed; they are the most suitable prison cells in the world! Haha!"

The others immediately opened their mouths to seek more information, but the wizard with the rosacea simply drank from his glass, refusing to share any further details.

Observing this, Bill promptly signaled the waiter and ordered, "Bring a glass of your finest wine. The kind that goes well with storytelling!"

After uttering these words, Bill directed his gaze at the wizard with the rosacea, who responded with a joyful smile and quipped, "Bill, Bill, I bring a story, and you provide the drink. It seems we make a perfect match!"

As the waiter presented the glass of wine, the rosacea took a sip and instantly displayed a pleased expression. The anticipation from the other wizards became palpable, and they couldn't help but urge him to continue.

After taking a substantial gulp, the wizard with the rosacea spoke slowly, "Bill, don't assume that I'm drinking your wine without offering you something valuable in return. Let me assure you, you're getting a good deal! And for the rest of you, don't think I'm putting on airs intentionally. You should know that what I'm about to share can't be bought with money."

With that, the rosacea set down his wine glass surveyed the audience, and continued, "What I want to discuss is a Gringotts secret — specifically, the criteria for selecting a supervisor!"

Upon hearing these words, Bill sensed a collective change in the room's atmosphere as several individuals began to breathe more heavily.

Afterward, the wizard with the rosacea no longer held back and recounted the experience, saying, "On that particular day, I was abruptly summoned by a goblin to an unfamiliar room within Gringotts. The room was vast, and seated before us were a dozen or so elderly goblins."

"I wasn't alone; Arteta and another wizard were brought to this room as well. An old goblin rose from his seat and informed us that they were in the process of choosing one of us as the Gringotts Curse Breaker for Hogsmeade Village!"

"The announcement stirred excitement in all three of us. However, the old goblin then produced three masks, revealing that they had cast a variety of curses on each one—ranging from malevolent to poisonous and even deadly curses! The selection process was straightforward: determine who could swiftly and successfully lift all the curses on the mask."

Having shared this information, the wizard with the rosacea paused, seemingly lost in a recollection. He took a sip of wine before resuming his narrative.

"It took me half an hour to dispel all the magical spells on the mask, while the other wizard needed at least an hour."

Upon hearing this, someone couldn't contain their curiosity and asked, "What about Arteta?"

Rosacea fell silent for a moment, then offered a wry smile and replied, "A few minutes? Perhaps ten minutes? I'm not sure because we each competed separately. By the time I emerged with the mask void of all spells, Arteta was already casually sipping tea."

The revelation left several individuals at the table taking a deep breath. As professional spell-breakers, they could well imagine the formidable challenge posed by the test described by the wizard with the rosacea.

Not a single person present believed they could accomplish the task in just a few minutes, as Arteta reportedly did. Otherwise, they would have been the candidates participating in the selection process.

After a moment of silence, someone finally spoke up and inquired, "What happened to Arteta then?"

The wizard with the rosacea continued to sip his wine calmly as he shared the next part of the story:

"Later, the goblins were prepared to conduct a brief ceremony for Arteta, declaring him the head of spell-breaking at Gringotts, Hogsmeade Village. They graciously allowed me and another wizard to stay and witness the ceremony, likely hoping we'd be more motivated to work harder for Gringotts in the future."

"However, before the ceremony could commence, there were a few more procedures to follow, one of which involved re-verifying our identities. This included checking if anyone had ingested the Polyjuice Potion to conceal their true selves."

"Arteta had successfully passed all prior tests, but an unexpected incident occurred during the final one."

As he recounted this part of the tale, the wizard with the rosacea appeared to recall a traumatic event. His entire body trembled until he reached for his wine glass, taking a few sips to steady himself.

"What was the last test?" Bill inquired with curiosity.

Rosacea, still visibly affected by the memory, responded slowly, each word carefully chosen, "It was a Memory Charm."

"A Memory Charm?" The surprise was evident on everyone's faces.

Rosacea nodded solemnly and began to elaborate, "That's right, it was the Obliviate Charm—the last check was conducted by an old goblin. I must admit, without a magic wand, or if the goblin also possessed a wand, our wizards might not truly stand a chance against a goblin."

"The old goblin refrained from using a wand, instead casting magic with his hands and employing a potent Memory Charm. Initially, the spells emanating from Arteta's wand were ordinary, the kind we use in our daily practices—nothing extraordinary."

"However, to everyone's surprise, the goblin's Charm endured for an unusually long time. I had never witnessed a flashback spell lasting so extensively, and it seemed Arteta hadn't anticipated it either."

"As the Memory Charm concluded, Arteta's wand began producing continuous streams of dark magic, including the Unforgivable Curses. When Avada Kedavra emerged successively from Arteta's wand, it was evident to me that things were taking a dark turn, and I, along with others who sensed the danger, contemplated leaving immediately."

"But, let's not forget, it happened within the confines of Gringotts! Despite Arteta swiftly incapacitating several goblins, even subduing another wizard who had taken part in the selection with me, in the end, he succumbed to the overwhelming number of goblins and was captured."

"I received numerous warnings from the goblins not to disclose the events of that day. However, since then, I haven't caught a glimpse of Arteta's presence."

After hearing the Rosacea wizard's account, a heavy silence enveloped the table, and everyone was left astounded by the revelation of such a significant incident within Gringotts—something that had gone unnoticed by all.

On the side, Bill finally pieced together the intricacies of the entire story.