"You're not joking with me, are you?" Ashwinder's tone instantly turned serious, dropping its original playful edge; he knew the staggering consequences of this news.
If a British transit station could be established, it would mean the club would secure a stable route for transporting magical creatures from the Americas, and it would also allow them to hunt and exploit native British magical creatures. More magical creatures meant more Elixir of Life—a resource directly tied to the very survival of inner circle members and leaders like them.
Currently, the harvestable magical creature resources in Europe had mostly been depleted, and the volume of creatures collected each year was steadily declining, meaning they urgently needed to open a fresh smuggling route to funnel specimens back from the outside world. To achieve this, the only territories they could consider were those outside their existing boundaries. It wasn't that there were no magical creatures left in the Central European countries where they operated; it was simply that locations where creatures could be captured on a massive scale had already been claimed. If they targeted local creature protectionists or official magical sanctuaries, it would easily provoke a severe official backlash.
Outside of their controlled Central European territories, there weren't many options available. For example, in the Nordic countries to the north, and regions like Estonia and Latvia, the Pure Land Society's influence was far too entrenched; that organization's methods were exceptionally brutal, and the club's attempts to infiltrate had met with little success. As for Italy to the south, alongside southwestern countries like Spain and Portugal on the Iberian Peninsula, the territory was heavily monitored by the Holy See, meaning they dared not act too recklessly.
Those individuals utilized a blended faith dynamic. Though clearly a faction of wizards, they claimed to be servants of God and had once tried to monopolize and rule the wizarding world, launching historical campaigns like the Crusades and the Witch Hunts for that purpose. Although they had gradually declined after being defeated by a unified wizarding front, their residual influence in several Southern European nations remained significant. While the modern Holy See was far more civilized than its predecessors, it remained highly volatile; carelessly provoking it could easily trigger a massive backlash.
To the east, expansion was entirely out of the question. The wizards of Eastern Europe, such as in Ukraine and Russia, were famously fierce, and conflicts with local sorcerers didn't even require official intervention—ordinary wizards would directly beat an intruder to death. Furthermore, it was incredibly difficult to establish reliable collaborators there, and they couldn't rely on the leaders to personally hunt and transport magical creatures every single time.
Consequently, they had always focused their primary energy and vision on the west. The more distant American continent had developed smoothly, thanks to the persistent efforts of Thunderbird and Black Dragon in establishing a functional American branch. At the same time, the magical creature resources in the Americas were remarkably abundant, meaning that as long as a secure transport route could be anchored, the Elixir of Life could be produced continuously.
Therefore, Britain held a massive priority in the club's overarching strategy. Previously, because Britain was consumed by the war against the Death Eaters, the Silver Spears had refrained from acting rashly. But as the region gradually returned to peace in recent years, they began to exert effort. The club had even specially trained a dedicated spy for the British operation. Yet now, the person in charge, Thunderbird, was announcing a total withdrawal just like that; it was a pill no one could easily swallow.
"I'm not you; do I look like I need to joke with you?" Facing Ashwinder's intense questioning, Alan replied calmly.
"Do you comprehend how much capital and effort the club expended to establish that British branch? Now your single word 'failure' means all our investments have gone to waste. Have you truly exhausted every possible avenue?" Ashwinder's tone at this point wasn't merely serious; it carried a distinct edge of anger.
"I know far better than you what the club has paid to establish the British transit station. There are already five Silver Spears trapped over there. Do you honestly think I'm the type of man who admits defeat easily?" Thunderbird, played masterfully by Alan, spoke with an equally terrifying, bone-chilling coldness. Ashwinder could even detect a trace of grim remorse in his tone.
"But… how could this happen? It initiated so smoothly, and the updates you sent back previously only stated it would require some additional time." Ashwinder suddenly processed the implication. "Could it be that Dumbledore intervened personally?"
Ashwinder jumped to that conclusion because he simply couldn't imagine any other variable capable of forcing Thunderbird to fail; the sheer combat strength of this club elder was no joke, and in Britain, the headquarters had even meticulously arranged an inside informant. With powerful personal sorcery and highly accurate intelligence, there was no reason a small territory like Britain should force the arrogant Thunderbird to back down; the only logical explanation was encountering an irresistible, absolute force.
A British deployment combined with an irresistible force instantly brought Dumbledore to mind—the wizard who had historically defeated Grindelwald head-on, and the only figure Ashwinder believed could decisively overpower Thunderbird in a duel.
"The sociopolitical climate within the British wizarding world is far more intricate than you imagine. The newly appointed Minister, Bagnold, is executing an iron-fisted policy. Our transportation network was compromised shortly after it was finalized, and you are well aware of that loss," Thunderbird complained, projecting a raw edge of irritation and frustration.
"But can those standard Aurors from the Ministry truly halt your movements? Was there some severe oversight? Sphinx's infiltration squad was not weak, yet after being deployed to Britain, they didn't even manage to make an impact. And Bird Snake—that man was highly valued by Phoenix." Ashwinder counted the assets sent to reinforce the British line on his fingers, staring at Thunderbird in sheer disbelief. "What exactly transpired over there? There must be a critical error in the sequence."
*There is an error, and that error is that you crossed paths with me,* Alan mocked silently.
Then, adopting an enraged posture, he roared at Ashwinder, "Are you interrogating me? I will personally report the absolute parameters of the British failure to Rune Serpent. The remainder of the logistics is entirely outside your jurisdiction."
Having the verbal blast delivered right to his face, Ashwinder realized he had overstepped the boundaries. These high-ranking leaders were all intensely unstable; details regarding their respective assignments were treated with strict privacy, and they were universally unwilling to share operational metrics with peers.
However, Ashwinder remained deeply unsatisfied. He knew that since he relied on the Elixir of Life, any systemic shortage of magical creature inventory would inevitably impact his own longevity. "You are not blind to the impact a failed British strategy will have on the future expansion of the club. This was an operation under your direct command, and now a massive logistical collapse has occurred. The leader may not be particularly inclined to grant you an audience if you cannot articulate the situation cleanly."
"Then that is an issue for me to navigate, not you. I suggest initiating a Longspear Meeting. At that juncture, the participating leaders will collectively determine our next strategic course of action. Regarding the specific tactical layout in Britain, I will provide a unified brief to everyone during the assembly. However, what I can definitively confirm right now is that Britain does not possess the political soil to incubate a functional branch. At least not for the next several years. Their administration is already highly alert to the club's signatures. Continuing to push resources into that sector will only compound our operational losses," Thunderbird stated with absolute gravity.
The designated Longspear Meeting was a high-level executive council comprised entirely of core inner circle members and leaders, held uniformly during the safe period at the start of the month, drawing every available leader back to headquarters. Such an assembly was typically reserved for reporting major operations or altering global strategy, as simply securing the synchronized Portkeys required a massive expenditure of rare materials, to say nothing of the time consumed.
Seeing Thunderbird project such absolute certainty, Ashwinder couldn't help but feel a rising anxiety. Seven capable wizards couldn't secure Britain, and five assets had been permanently neutralized. What was so terrifying about that fractured island nation that even Thunderbird, the duelist who had successfully broken the Americas, refused to cross the line again?
As for convening a Longspear Meeting, the request was perfectly valid. Thunderbird's internal clearance absolutely authorized him to call for one, and the structural collapse of the British transit hub was certainly significant enough to warrant collective review.
"Very well. I will relay this data to Golden Knight as quickly as possible. He will oversee the unified logistics and issue the formal notifications, though there isn't much time left before the start of the month; I cannot guarantee how many members will manage to arrive in time."
Ashwinder sighed, leaning back against the sofa. "But now that the British corridor is permanently closed, our incoming supply of magical creatures is going to be dangerously stretched. Rune Serpent is truly pushing parameters lately; over the past few years, to expand his absolute influence, he's been preparing to elevate several more prospects to the rank of leader. Now, relying solely on the club's private breeding reserves won't sustain our baseline output for long; we must identify an alternative transportation route immediately."
Within the Silver Spears, the collective disdain for Rune Serpent had reached a point where it was openly displayed. They routinely insulted the leader behind his back, and such remarks were considered entirely normal internal behavior.
Alan's mind caught the operational details instantly. *Elevating more leaders? Private breeding reserves?* It appeared the Silver Spears' internal consumption of magical creature material had spiked dramatically compared to historical records, to the point where their current domestic production could no longer maintain a stable equilibrium. If that was the reality, he could potentially exploit this logistical bottleneck—utilizing it to choke their supply lines, disrupt their long-term objectives, and sow intense internal discord within the club.
While Alan was busy calculating these grand schemes behind his eyes, his physical voice didn't skip a beat.
"Do you imagine I am not frustrated? Do you think I enjoy watching a massive shipment of cargo vanish into the British Ministry's vaults?" Thunderbird snorted coldly, before steering the conversation naturally. "You mentioned the leader intends to elevate several new leaders shortly? Is he preparing to launch entirely new global branches? Or has someone in the inner circle been eliminated?"
"I recall the most recent promotion to leader was that old woman, Bird Snake's mentor, a few years ago, wasn't it? At that time, it was purely because she had successfully embedded a deep-cover spy within the British infrastructure on behalf of headquarters, and the Nordic leader had also been neutralized by those fanatics from the Pure Land Society; otherwise, the seat would never have fallen to her."
"Sigh, do not even bring that up." Ashwinder sounded deeply exhausted as he recalled the operational losses. "An active asset was indeed eliminated—it was Nundu, the wizard responsible for overseeing the Bulgaria and Romania sectors. Two years ago, he attempted to harvest specimens from the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary but was countered and beaten to death by the specialized guard forces stationed there. His remains were completely incinerated by dragon fire before we could recover him."