Chapter 798: Chapter 177: The Tide (Part 2)

Vid: ...?

Although he didn’t understand, he still followed the advice with the simple belief that "listening to others leads to contentment."

There was no need to use Polyjuice Potion or Human Transfiguration Technique for such a trivial matter; Vid simply modified the Soft Light Badge a bit.

Proper lighting and filters can elevate a person’s appearance by several levels; conversely, they can also make someone look ordinary, even changing eye color.

Vid had made plans with his friends to go out in the morning, but when he stood beside them for several minutes, they didn’t recognize him and whispered among themselves:

"Why hasn’t Vid come out yet?"

"Maybe he’s lost in research again and forgot the time?"

...

Vid then picked up a palm-sized "Merperson Vid" from the cart and looked at it, noticing the signature spell marks frequently used by the Aslan Magic Workshop.

He raised an eyebrow subtly, thinking that it was as expected.

Machioni really knows how to seize every opportunity to make money!

A vendor wearing a brown felt hat enthusiastically greeted, "Would you like to buy a Merperson Vid? It’s very popular now! Buy one statue, and I’ll give you a free Water-Protecting Talisman!"

Michael chuckled, Vid’s face flushed as if burned, and he tossed the statue back, saying, "No thanks."

"Wait, I’ll buy one!" Theo quickly pulled out his wallet on the other side, happily taking the product under Vid’s astonished gaze: "It’s a rare souvenir..."

"Hey! Theo!" Vid shouted.

"It’s really well-made." Leian picked up a "Merperson Vid" and a "Wizard Vid" with a Scorpion Puppet beside him, nodded satisfactorily, and said, "I’ll take them all. How much?"

Michael was shaking with laughter, unable to say a word, simply leaving some Galleons and grabbing one of each Vid type himself.

The vendor, grinning widely while packing, didn’t forget to wink and say, "You all have good taste—you’re Hogwarts students, right? Vid Gray is the hot favorite to win the championship; go place a bet over there, and you might make a small profit."

"Hmm?" Theo, who was picking fire dragon wands at the stall, was taken aback and looked up, saying, "Why not a big profit?"

"Oh, don’t you know? The higher the chances of a contestant winning, the lower the odds."

The vendor swiftly said, "If you want to bet on a dark horse, that’s Hope Cruise from Salem. But honestly, Cedric from Hogwarts also has reasonable odds."

After leaving the stall, Michael said, "It’s a pity for Cedric; his injury in the first match severely lowered his evaluation."

"So what." Theo, also a Hufflepuff, was more objective: "The outcome of the competition isn’t decided by the audience’s opinion. Also..."

He glanced at Vid and said, "Cedric’s chances of winning aren’t high."

Next, they went to the betting area, where various tents turned the outskirts into a maze. Michael asked several classmates before finding the place.

It was a circular tent with images of all the remaining champions hanging outside. When they lifted the curtain and went in, they saw a dozen students inside, secretly gathered around a table.

"This is all my pocket money... If I lose, I won’t even afford a quill..."

The student lamented as they boldly placed their money bag on the table.

Others discussed various betting options; though not loud, it created a buzzing noise, as if dozens of mosquitoes were inside.

The tent had an unpleasant smell, similar to the scent in the Divination class.

Vid stopped at the entrance while the other three eagerly went inside.

After a while, Vid saw them come out of the tent, with Michael casually stuffing his money bag back.

"You placed bets?" Vid asked.

Michael and Theo both nodded, while Leian shook his head saying, "I promised my mom I wouldn’t get involved in this."

Although he didn’t participate, he didn’t stop his friends from joining the fun.

"You’re sure to win anyway, and I didn’t bet much," Theo said confidently.

Michael walked over cheerfully, saying, "You know, the bets are really varied, and just for you, there are over a dozen options!"

"People are betting on how long it will take you to finish the match, how many opponents you’ll eliminate personally, or whether you’ll continue using the puppets!"

"Really not going to bet, Vid? You could manipulate the results and get the highest odds."

"Didn’t you hear?" Vid said speechlessly, "Last World Cup bets, Bagman paid with leprechaun magic gold coins!"

Michael thought for a moment and said, "I’ll take you with me then. I don’t believe he can fool your eyes!"

...

Nowadays, Hogsmeade was more chaotic and fun than ever. The four of them wandered around, buying some daily essentials before splitting up before lunch.

Michael had an appointment with Daphne, Theo’s parents seemed to be doing business in Hogsmeade, and Leian had plans with some Hufflepuff classmates.

As for Vid, he naturally had his own appointment to keep.

Following the magical direction, Vid found a tent at the edge of the camp. It looked gray and faded, with unremarkable patches on the edges from wear.

A copper weather vane was skewed at the top of the tent, its rusty pointer slowly turning in the wind, emitting a faint creaking sound.

Vid stood at the entrance and observed it carefully for a moment before lifting the curtain to go inside.

The inside was strikingly different from the outside, luxurious and bright, with complete furnishings and ample space. Silver candlesticks hovered in the air, with candles burning eternally.

A person with a serious expression sat at a table, sifting through a stack of documents. Antoine was lazily leaning nearby, holding a kettle. A thin stream of water slowly dripped into a filter cup, releasing the aroma of coffee as the steam rose.

Hearing the bell by the door ring, he looked up and smiled, "Perfect timing, would you like sugar and milk in your coffee?"

"Of course, thank you." Vid sat in the only empty chair and looked at the other person at the table, smiling, "Long time no see, Delaine."

Gunter Delaine—Grindelwald’s right-hand man—put away the documents and looked at Vid, saying directly:

"Your last letter made Mr. Grindelwald think for a long time. Since some things are hard to convey through letters, I’m here to discuss them face-to-face."

Vid leaned back in his chair, gently rubbing the armrest with his fingers, and asked, "So, what is Mr. Grindelwald’s opinion?"

Delaine leaned forward slightly, speaking in a low voice, "He appreciates your foresight and your attempt to peacefully integrate the two worlds. But he also asked me to remind you—Vid, history won’t change its essence due to goodwill."

He straightened back up, picked up a silver spoon, stirred the coffee that Antoine had just finished preparing, and placed it in front of Vid, then continued:

"The fear Muggles have for wizards is deeply ingrained... Of course, we could also call it greed. Honey can soften their vigilance, but it can’t eliminate their desire, nor change humanity’s intrinsic inclination toward slaughter and plunder."

Vid took the coffee, blew on the steam, and looked at Delaine through the rising vapors, asking, "So... Mr. Grindelwald thinks my ideas are not feasible, is that it?"

Delaine shook his head, "No... He believes what you propose is the right direction, but to achieve the ultimate goal, bloodshed and conflict are inevitable."

"He hopes you’ll prepare yourself mentally and not harbor overly naive delusions. Muggles can be driven by profit and emotions, but sometimes, they can also be foolish beyond imagination."

"I understand," Vid nodded, "With billions of people, naturally, there are countless smart ones, and an innumerable number of fools. The Muggle society isn’t a unified whole, their entangled interests are likely even more complex than ours."

"Exactly," Delaine said, squinting slightly, "As for the improved Magic Potion you suggested, Mr. Grindelwald has already put it in motion. Regardless, it’s a very good starting point..."