Everyone was stunned by his blunt, shocking words.
"Property? You mean slaves?" someone gasped.
"Why treat us like this? I'm just a Muggle, I'm only here because my wife's a wizard."
Another shouted, "You're monsters. Even if I die, I'd never work for you again!"
"Die?" the Silver Wand sneered. "Good luck with that. You're not going anywhere. You'd better start cooperating. Behave, and maybe you'll get out of this 'property' status. If you don't, well, we have plenty of ways to make you comply, like tampering with your memories. How does that sound?"
Hearing those cold, heartless words, more than 500 people felt sick to their core, like they were crawling with insects.
They couldn't believe an organization this cruel existed in the world, and that they were trapped working for it. "No!" they cried out in despair.
After a long silence, a wizard locked in a nearby cage suddenly climbed up to the iron bars and pressed his face through the gap. "Master, this Silver Wand leader, I don't care about the others, but I've done a lot for the club before.
Back when I was with the East German Progressive Trade Union, I even shot and wounded many West Germans to stir up conflict between East and West Germany.
Have you all forgotten that? You can't just treat us like this."
His words splaceed an immediate uproar. What was he implying? Were these people behind the tensions between East and West Germany? Or were these civic groups just pawns of the Silver Wand?
"What do you mean by that? Is it fair to make us slaves?" another injured wizard shouted angrily, standing up to confront him. "You're nothing but tools to be used and discarded!"
The desperate wizard didn't seem to care and replied coldly, "It's only natural for the club's leaders to treat you like property. But we're different, we belong to the club."
He then gave a flattering look toward the Silver Wand leader and added, "Master, I've wanted to join the club properly for a long time and become a great Silver Wand. Please let me go, I'll serve you next time."
As long as he wasn't locked up with this bunch of scoundrels, he claimed his loyalty was with the club.
To prove his devotion, the wizard suddenly fired a map cannon at the civilian wizards around him. His bold move inspired many former collaborators, mostly members of the place patrol teams, who quickly scrambled to show their loyalty to the Silver Wand leader.
Meanwhile, the ordinary wizards and Muggles nearby saw how selfish these collaborators were and how they ignored everyone else. Anger flared, and they shouted back in frustration.
Before long, the entire warehouse was split into two hostile camps: on one side, the place patrols loyal to the Silver Wand, and on the other, the common wizards and Muggles. The argument grew so heated that fights even broke out within a single cell, turning the place into chaos.
Pushing and shoving threatened to splace a fight, but a loud voice suddenly cut through the tension. "Shut up!" The shout, charged with magical power from the Silver Wand, echoed sharply across the crowd.
The force of the curse stunned everyone present, leaving them dazed and silent with fear. "Your job here is simple, be honest with me. I have a short temper, and if I catch anyone causing trouble or making noise, I won't be kind," The Silver Wand wizard warned firmly.
Then, turning coldly to a wizard who was begging for mercy, he added, "You were once partners in the club, but now there's a traitor among you. Until you find that person, I want peace and quiet."
He paused before continuing, "Stay here. If your performances are good enough, we might even consider having you play for the club again."
Hearing this, the former club members and place patrol immediately calmed down. They understood Silver Wand's message: they still had a chance to regain their status and privileges.
However, he wasn't finished. "Someone has to be held responsible for this riot."
Raising his wand, he pointed it at the pleading wizard and commanded, "Whoever spoke without my permission, will be punished!"
The crowd fell utterly silent, knowing the severity of his threat.
"What?!" The wizard who had been begging for mercy from the Silver Wand suddenly collapsed to the ground, clutching his chest in agony and screaming nonstop. His grimace struck fear into everyone nearby.
While some thought he deserved the punishment and even felt a bit smug, most couldn't help but shudder. It was only now that they truly understood just how merciless this group was.
The Silver Wand was so ruthless that they didn't even hesitate to torment their former allies, imagine how harsh they must be with anyone else. Thinking about their own grim futures, everyone's faces grew pale.
The Silver Wand tortured the man with the Cruciatus Curse for about ten seconds before pulling back and shouting, "Time for dinner!"
At his command, several other wizards appeared suddenly in the hallway between the cells, all clad in the same silver armor. It was obvious they had been invisible, concealed by an illusion spell.
Everyone had assumed there were no guards around before, only now did they realize they'd been watched the whole time. From that perspective, all their earlier plans to escape seemed like a cruel joke to the Silver Wand.
The guards began pacing slowly in front of each cell, tapping their wands lightly as they passed. With each tap, a long table and a large tub appeared inside the cell.
Once the Silver Wands finished setting up the food, they waved their wands again and vanished without a sound. Throughout the entire process, they never spoke a word.
They moved like silent ghosts, their presence barely noticeable. This cold, detached behavior crushed any hope of rebellion; no one dared complain, unsure if more unseen watchers were lurking nearby.
"Quiet. Eat." The Silver Wand shot a cold glance at everyone. "You'll get food twice a day, at noon and night. When you're thirsty, drink from the wooden barrels in your rooms."
The barrels were refilled with water every day, someone would take care of that, and the rest of the time, the leader insisted on quiet.
"If anyone makes a fuss or breaks the rules, don't blame me if I get rude," he warned with a sneer. "But if you respect the rules here, I can be quite kind."
After saying this, he waved his wand, and his figure vanished. Though the Silver Wands had disappeared from sight throughout the warehouse, everyone remained on edge, speaking in hushed tones. They knew these guards were watching from the shadows, and for now, they had no choice but to obey.
Nearby, Jimmy, who was locked in the same cell as Nathan, glared at the wooden basin in front of him. "What kind of food is this? Just a bucket of boiled potatoes," he grumbled, poking at a piece with dirty skin.