The most valuable assets were the magical creatures themselves, representing a huge amount of resources and wealth. Since the operation involved the German and British Ministries of Magic, along with the Wilson's Arcane Alchemica led by Alex, the spoils had to be divided fairly, though it felt more like dividing stolen goods.
Alex hadn't asked for much, but he did want to keep some warthogs and Mooncalf as backup food. Before the operation, they agreed that all alchemy equipment, materials, and most by-products from the magical animals (except the weather blankets) would belong to Alex.
This included the pair of disappearing cabinets and the core hub in the place. However, to avoid drawing attention too soon, Alex hadn't dismantled the core hub yet.
The materials used to build this magical spire are incredibly valuable, and he's certain I won't just let it slip away. The magical creatures and enchanted weather blankets, except for the little Thunderbird, Thor, along with all the Tebo warthogs and Mooncalf, will be handed over to the Ministries of Magic from both countries.
Because Andre has a personal stake in what happens next, and the British side came to assist, the German share of the allocation is relatively small, about a quarter of the total. However, since the German Ministry of Magic still oversees Eisenberg, and Andre hasn't found alternative places to house these magical animals, Newt will temporarily keep them all in one location.
Once the second phase of the operation shows results, the animals belonging to Germany will be sent back. So even if this mission fails to capture the leader of the Silver Wand, the British Ministry of Magic won't lose out financially. In fact, the gains alone are enough to secure a deal with Sirius through the Wizengamot.
"These matters can be handled as we discussed earlier," Andre said with a shrug, clearly not too concerned about the property. "What should we do next? This operation went surprisingly smoothly, didn't it?
We should use this momentum to take down the other two breeding bases. At this rate, we're sure to control all three places before dawn."
"That's right," Amelia agreed from the side. "To avoid long nights and restless dreams, it's better to act quickly. Let's take down all the wizards in the places first, then handle everything else more slowly."
Moody chimed in as well, "We definitely need to speed things up. After all, there are still so many civilian wizards to be resettled.
They'll probably sleep until noon at the latest and then wake up. Transferring them will take a lot of time, not to mention we'll have to assign people to guard them."
"Even if we confiscate their wands, it'll still take over a dozen people to manage so many wizards," Andre added. "We have to take control of all the places before settling these wizards, or else we'll have to divide our forces to watch over them. That would leave us short-handed if we want to raid the places again later."
The three of them kept urging Alex to move faster, mainly because they hadn't expected the operation to go so smoothly. It was less than two hours before they were set to act, just after midnight.
This not only showed how well Alex had prepared before the war but also boosted everyone's confidence. They were eager to set off immediately and take down the other two places.
"I know everyone's excited to ride this wave of success and chase the victory," Alex said, nodding toward Claremont beside him. "The idea from 'Tebo Warthog' makes sense too, it's really the perfect time to defeat the other two places. I'm planning to lead the team out soon, but there's one more thing we have to do before the official attack."
"Him? What do you mean? Stop playing charades with us," Moody said, glancing at Claremont, who looked just as confused, and growing a bit impatient.
Seeing this, Alex decided to be straightforward. "From the evidence I showed you earlier, you should know that although Claremont isn't an official Silver Wand, his identity is very important.
I've tried to explore his memory, but unfortunately, his brain is protected by a strong spell. So, I want to take this chance to test him and see if I can get any useful information."
"You want to interrogate him?" Andre asked, nodding.
"I'm interested in hearing what he knows about Eisenberg's identity. But why rush now? Can't we wait until after we've taken down all the places?"
Alex shook his head. "Actually, I wouldn't call it an interrogation. To be honest, I just want to catch him off guard. The reason for the urgency is simple, I want to get the truth out of him while he's uneasy and off balance.
Even though we're operating as the Silver Wand now, if this drags on, Claremont, an old fox who knows the club well, will be recognized, and the chances of success won't be as good as they are now."
With that, Alex pulled off his mask, signaling he was ready to get started. When the other three saw his face, they couldn't help but be a little surprised. After a moment of thought, they all nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, Clement, who had been in a daze, suddenly felt as if someone was gently shaking him awake. He was still a bit groggy, trying to piece together what had happened.
He remembered focusing on his work in the office, then suddenly feeling sleepy, and finally dozing off at his desk. "Gail? What time is it?" he mumbled as he slowly opened his eyes.
The bright light in the room made it hard for him to see clearly, so he instinctively rubbed his eyes. That sleep had been incredibly refreshing.
But as he rubbed his eyes, Clement realized something was off. Why did it feel like he was lying down? Shouldn't he still be at his desk?
Confused, he blinked until his eyes adjusted to the light. When the scene in front of him came into focus, his heart nearly stopped. Right next to the floor where he lay, four Silver Wands surrounded him, and one of them suddenly kicked him roughly.
Claremont struggled to sit up, blinking in confusion as he saw four figures standing before him. "Masters, what are you doing here? Why have you appeared?" he asked, still dazed and lying somewhere unfamiliar, not his office. His voice was hesitant, yet respectful.
One of them, Alex, also known as Silver Wand, scowled and snapped back, "You still have the nerve to ask us? I want to know why the information about the place was leaked." His voice was sharp and familiar, causing Claremont to freeze.
'That voice, wasn't that Golden Snidget's? Had he come here in person? And what did he mean by betrayal?'
Claremont's mind raced. "Betrayal? I don't understand. I've never thought of betraying the club," he replied quickly, trying to hide his growing unease.