Chapter 653: Sweeping Europe, the Second King

"Election Day is September 1st."

John rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That’s actually a very good date."

When the time came, candidates and supporters from various countries would all gather there.

It would be a grand occasion.

At present, the two people with the highest chances of winning were Ing and Barty Crouch Sr.

Ing’s heroic image was still being promoted, with his supporters constantly publicising the ideal of helping Poland.

Under their propaganda, it almost seemed as though refusing to help Poland was some kind of crime.

"No matter. There’s still time. We can continue building momentum."

John smiled faintly. Now that the Second Dynasty had begun moving, there would be no day when it stopped.

The German Minister for Magic and the French Minister for Magic both supported Barty Crouch Sr.

Those countries were home to two of Europe’s three largest wizarding schools.

Together with Britain, they covered almost all of Europe’s wizarding population. It could be said that Barty Crouch Sr. already held most of the advantages.

In another era, Barty Crouch Sr. would not even have needed to stand for election. He could have simply taken the position.

Just as Dumbledore once had, he could have directly become Supreme Mugwump.

Unfortunately, Ing had emerged as a rival. By continuously cultivating his image as a hero, he had managed to stand on equal footing with Barty Crouch Sr.

John pulled out a sheet of parchment and wrote a letter, sending it to Beauxbatons.

As long as he could bring Madame Maxime over to their side as well, Barty Crouch Sr.’s position would become unshakable.

After all, the three schools represented the alma maters of nearly every wizard in Europe over the past thousand years.

John raised a hand and tore open a passage through space.

He stepped through.

Ever since gaining the Zouwu’s ability, he had been using fireplaces less and less.

At Silver Hand Manor, John saw Lucius arrive.

"Lord Wick."

Lucius’s clothing had grown increasingly elaborate.

John gestured for him to sit.

Inside the spacious Silver Hand Manor, John asked why Lucius had come.

Lucius reported on the Ancient Alliance Fund.

"Over this period, the various families have invested new funds into the Ancient Alliance Fund. I would like to donate half of that money to the Young Wizards Foundation."

Lucius maintained his respectful manner as he continued, "Now that we have opened up markets in various countries, we hope to take another step forward."

The feeling of spending money like water was enough to make anyone’s heart race, but the enormous returns had stirred greed in many people.

They wanted to take a second step and push the Second Dynasty even further forward.

John glanced at Lucius after hearing this and chuckled.

"How are the three newly acquired Quidditch clubs doing?"

Lucius paused before smiling. "Very well. Although they’ve declined somewhat over the years, all three clubs still have strong foundations."

As the wealthiest family among the Sacred Twenty-Eight, Lucius’s choice had seemed strange to many people.

After all, Quidditch clubs were not considered the most profitable businesses.

Magical materials and potions were where the real money lay, yet Lucius had chosen neither.

Only John knew that Lucius was preparing for the professional league.

It was a plan John had proposed and intended to implement.

Once Barty Crouch Sr. became Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, that plan would spread throughout Europe.

At that point, Quidditch would flourish everywhere.

Acquiring clubs now meant that once the league began, those clubs would become geese laying golden eggs.

They appeared to be losing money now, but in reality, they would become the most profitable investments of all.

John smiled and shook his head.

"Sometimes, controlling too much isn’t necessarily a good thing."

"A league needs competition to be exciting. If everyone already knows the result, there’ll be nothing worth looking forward to."

Lucius paused, then immediately understood what John meant.

"I understand. Being too greedy isn’t a good thing." Lucius nodded. "Three clubs. No more than that."

If Lucius continued acquiring clubs, he might eventually be able to control an entire league, and that was not something John wanted to see.

Only by ensuring genuine competition could the league remain exciting enough to attract spectators.

The Second Dynasty would continue moving forward, but for now, those driven by greed needed to rein themselves in.

If they became too blatant, it would invite criticism.

Lucius would pass John’s message along.

If it had come from Lucius alone, some people might not have listened.

But once the Second King had spoken, everyone would restrain themselves.

Barty Crouch Sr.’s popularity, meanwhile, showed no signs of declining.

The article about the Young Wizards Foundation was brought up once again.

His support continued to rise.

After all, the relationship between John and Barty Crouch Sr. was no secret.

By now, everyone knew exactly whom the Second King supported.

Wizards in countless countries envied the Young Wizard Card.

It could only be issued in regions where Silver Hand had established a presence.

That meant if their country did not have a Silver Hand Johnny Specialty Shop, they could not obtain a Young Wizard Card.

The difference was not obvious yet.

But once the new school year began, it was easy to imagine just how envious those without a Young Wizard Card would be of those who had one.

...

At the Ministry of Magic, Piers grinned as he watched Barty Crouch Sr.’s approval rating continue to rise.

"Director Percy, would you care to join me for lunch?"

Piers lowered the newspaper just as Percy passed by and immediately extended the invitation.

Percy thought for a moment before replying, "It would be my pleasure, Deputy Minister Thicknesse."

"No need to be so formal, Percy," Piers said familiarly. "Just call me Piers."

They were on the same side.

And Piers could confidently say that Percy was less than a year away from becoming Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation.

A few years after that, he would likely be transferred at the same rank to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

That position was practically a stepping stone to becoming Minister for Magic.

Although Piers himself was Deputy Minister, his chances of becoming Minister were not particularly high.

For one thing, he lacked the support of a major family.

For another, he simply was not suited for the role.

So Percy was essentially certain to become the next Minister for Magic.

Percy did not refuse. This sort of courtesy was necessary in politics.

During lunch, Piers asked whether the Second Dynasty intended to take another step forward.

As the third son of the second ancient family, Percy did not answer directly.

"I imagine John has his own plans. Minister Crouch will also discuss things with him."

Piers found that reasonable.

As someone who had risen through the ranks by relying on smooth relationships and political tact, he understood that there were some things he did not need to know.

He only needed to do his own job properly.

Piers smiled without taking offence and enthusiastically introduced Percy to the fish stew.

Percy handled the conversation smoothly. He was becoming increasingly familiar with how these things worked.

...

France.

Fleur walked into the Silver Hand Johnny store. Kim spread his arms dramatically.

"Beautiful Miss Delacour, it’s an honour to have you here."

Fleur covered her mouth and laughed. "I thought I should come and see how you were doing."

Kim naturally welcomed her. Fleur then asked where Heinrich was.

"He prefers doing something more practical." Kim smiled helplessly. "Your timing is perfect. There’s about to be quite a show."

"A show?" Fleur looked puzzled.

The Silver Hand Johnny store appeared to be operating as usual.

Boom!!

Suddenly, a thunderous explosion erupted outside.

Green and red light immediately flashed back and forth.

Kim smiled. "Here they come."

Outside, Heinrich was already fighting with his wand in hand. Flames transformed into a galloping horse and stomped down on a man who had cast the Killing Curse.

Kim and Fleur walked outside, where a group of attackers were battling the security guards.

"Expecto Patronum!"

A white horse Patronus joined the battle.

When a Cruciatus Curse flew towards Heinrich, the Patronus intercepted it, reared up, and kicked the attacker away.

Heinrich was already accustomed to this. His wand never stopped moving throughout the fight.

Flames spread along the road, cutting off every possible escape route.

The attackers were forced into a corner. Heinrich pointed his wand, and a man attempting to Disapparate was knocked down by the fiery horse.

Fleur joined the battle as well.

With a wave of her wand, one of the falling attackers was tightly wrapped up like a parcel.

The white horse guarded Heinrich.

Kim raised his left hand, and the ring on his finger flashed red, disarming someone who tried to launch a sneak attack.

Fleur followed up by stunning him.

By the end of the battle, every attacker had been captured.

Heinrich walked over to one of them and used his wand to lift the man’s collar. Seeing the symbol of the Deathly Hallows around his neck, he reached out, tore it off, and tossed it behind him.

Kim caught the symbol and raised an eyebrow.

"Them again. Someone’s been gathering information about Silver Hand Johnny these past few days, preparing to make a move."

"They’re Acolytes," Heinrich said coldly. "Grindelwald’s followers. It’s suspicious that they’re appearing in France."

"Right, no one understands those people better than you." Kim leaned closer with a grin. "After all, you were the King’s deputy."

Heinrich impatiently shoved his head away.

"We need to tell John," Fleur said. "Something like this happening now isn’t good news."

"That’s why we kept them alive." Kim wrapped his right arm around Heinrich’s shoulders. "We’ll need some Veritaserum, or a master of Legilimency."

Fleur smiled at the two of them.

"How convenient. Our king meets both requirements."

A faint smile appeared on Heinrich’s lips as well.

Indeed.

Their king was capable of anything.

Just as they prepared to send the prisoners to Britain, John was getting ready to complete his eighth Magic Blood enhancement.

He poured the bottle of blood radiating a sacred aura into the Magic Blood.

The blood and crimson liquid churned together inside the test tube.

John stared at it.

After experimenting over the past few days, he had confirmed that his body would not reject it.

Or rather, the effects of Magic Blood neutralised all the adverse reactions.

As the churning crimson liquid gradually settled, the shape of an animal appeared within it.

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