A fierce dragon may be powerful, but it cannot suppress the local serpent. The reason is simple: after years of operating in its own territory, the local serpent's network becomes so dense that attackers find no opening, while defenders never quite know where the danger will come from.
As the true master of this island and the controller of a vast industry, the woman—whose existence Allen had yet to learn of—possessed influence far more terrifying than he could imagine.
In less than half an hour, every public-facing identity belonging to Allen and his companions had been laid out neatly before her. There was no helping it—before any exchange, their identities had to be registered, and with her methods, digging up this information was effortless.
Flipping through the files, realization dawned in her eyes. "No wonder… so they're exchange students. Then there's no doubt he must be staying at Mahoutokoro. I was wondering who could block my magic. Turns out it's that academy's protective formations."
She suddenly stood up from her chair. "Prepare traveling clothes. I'm going to Mahoutokoro to find my niece."
A maid at her side paled in shock. "My lady, there's no need—surely we can have Mahoutokoro investigate on their own. There's no reason for you to go personally…" Her voice dropped a little, clearly afraid of provoking her. "Besides… you know there's the First White Wizard over there…"
The woman shook her head. "No need to be so nervous. Of course I know him. But does that mean he'll just let his students abduct my niece? I'd like to see whether he still cares about his reputation!"
Unknowingly, a massive blame had just landed squarely on Dumbledore's back. Meanwhile, Allen himself would have felt utterly wronged—he hadn't even met that so-called little princess!
"Very well, my lady," the servants said. "Please allow us to prepare. We'll accompany you at once."
She waved her hand dismissively. "No need. I'll go alone. I refuse to believe that a wizard whose fame echoes throughout the magical world would bully a weak woman like me."
That remark triggered a wave of silent grumbling among the surrounding witches. They had personally witnessed this "weak woman" hanging a dozen Aurors up and beating them senseless, and even the current Minister for Magic treated her with utmost respect. Weak woman?
Of course, such thoughts were kept firmly to themselves. After changing into a set of clothes designed to suppress her natural allure, the woman summoned a gigantic, pure-white feathered bird and flew straight toward Mahoutokoro. Judging by the killing intent radiating from her, the maids silently prayed for whichever wizard had offended her—that bold fool likely wouldn't see tomorrow's sun.
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Inside the grounds of Mahoutokoro, the atmosphere was lively.
As students who had gone out for the weekend gradually returned, vitality flowed back into the campus. The young witches and wizards who had just finished shopping cheerfully showed off their purchases, chatting animatedly with friends about the day's joys.
Allen and his group were no exception—though Allen himself was currently being scolded. In his search for a particular shop, he had left two witches waiting for a full hour, a sin that naturally earned him unanimous condemnation.
Still, it was all in good fun. After a chorus of "Yes, yes, our fault," the group decided to play cards again. There was no helping it—wizarding entertainment options were limited. This time, only the boys went; the girls, having worked up a sweat while shopping, decided to head for a bath. They agreed to meet again in the evening and went their separate ways.
On a weekend afternoon nearing dusk, plenty of students shared the same plan. That was when Zongze truly shone—leading the group in a series of twists and turns until they reached a particularly secluded spot, sparing Allen and the others the embarrassment of competing for space.
Just as everyone settled in and picked up their cards—before the game could even properly begin—they all froze.
A stunning white bird swept across the sky, and a figure descended gracefully from the air.
"You've got to be kidding—flying freely is forbidden inside the school!" Zongze exclaimed first. "Why didn't the barrier activate?"
The others immediately drew their wands. With an unidentified visitor appearing so suddenly, defensive readiness was only natural.
The descending figure glanced over the group, then locked her gaze squarely onto Allen.
She suddenly lifted her white veil. In an instant, she captured everyone's attention—the woman before them was beautiful to an almost demonic degree.
As the veil fell, a voice rang out, smooth enough to melt steel. "You're Allen, right? Would you answer a small question for your elder sister?"
The moment she spoke, Allen became the target of overwhelming envy. Everyone wished they could trade places with him; two of the least composed among them already had drool at the corners of their mouths.
She's here with bad intentions, Allen sighed inwardly. Ensuring she couldn't launch a surprise attack, he stepped a few paces away and spoke in a tone much like the others'.
"Um, Auntie, sorry—I'm a bit shy. Could we talk over here?"
Within Allen's field of vision, the woman's figure visibly twitched a few times. Clearly, being called Auntie dealt her a devastating blow.
Still, what she needed to do right now was far more important than losing her temper. She casually glanced at the remaining boys and followed Allen with light steps.
This instantly eased Allen's nerves. If she attacked the others, I'd have no choice but to reveal the things on me that are practically Dark Magic-level, he thought. That's really not how I want this to end.
Once the two of them had moved far enough away, the remaining boys finally snapped out of it. "Tsk, tsk… who was that woman? She was gorgeous."
The others nodded in agreement. Only Marshall looked uneasy. He silently mouthed two words—Danger. Run.
"Merlin's beard! Has Allen lost his mind?" The group stared in disbelief. The woman had looked enchanting at first glance, but thinking back on it made their skin crawl—just that brief encounter had nearly robbed them of all of their self-control.
"We have to tell a professor!" They didn't even bother packing up the cards, sprinting toward the central area like madmen. Unfortunately, they were far away.
Hang in there, Allen—we'll be right back, they prayed silently.
On the other side, once Allen judged the distance sufficient, the smile vanished from his face, replaced by a serious expression.
"Alright, this should be far enough," he said evenly. "So, Auntie—can you tell me what this is about now?"
At the same moment he spoke, countless vines burst forth from the ground he had walked across, growing wildly in all directions.