Inside the reception room, Alex briefly checked the doors that led to other areas. He didn't open them recklessly, though, he knew they were protected by detection spells. If anyone entered or exited without permission, the Ashwinder would be immediately alerted.
After setting everything up, Alex casually walked out through the main entrance, acting as if nothing had happened. He planned to use this chance to meet the so-called "Chimaera" and see what kind of tests the Silver Wand used in their evaluations.
Not long after, the Ashwinder appeared from the black void of the portal, followed closely by a masked man dressed in the same uniform. Clearly, this new recruit, nicknamed the Chimaera, wasn't as careful with the Ashwinder as Thunderbird had been.
Still, Ashwinder wasn't particularly annoyed by it; he wasn't that petty. Though, if given a chance, he certainly wouldn't mind messing with Thunderbird a little.
The moment the Ashwinder stepped into the hall and saw Thunderbird standing there, he paused for a second, then gave a sly smirk. "Heh, looks like you're still as boring as ever."
"What? I'm not allowed to come out and enjoy the show?" Alex replied coolly.
"It's been years since I've been back at headquarters. I almost forgot what the combat assessments were like. I wonder if your standards have dropped over the years."
He lifted his head slightly, a smug look on his face as he glanced over at the new Silver Wand standing beside the Ashwinder.
Chimaera stared at Thunderbird in confusion. He hadn't expected to see anyone else here. Just who was this guy, and why was he acting so familiar?
Suspicious, he shot a quick glance at the Ashwinder, silently questioning whether this was part of the test or something else entirely.
"This guy really looks like he's asking for a beating, doesn't he?" Ashwinder said, catching on to what Chimaera was feeling. "Don't waste your time worrying about him. Even if you did, it wouldn't change anything."
After that, he turned his head toward Thunderbird and gave him a look. "And you, stop acting like that toward the new recruits. You're making it seem like everyone in our group has no common sense."
Thunderbird scoffed, clearly unimpressed. "As if you're some genius," he muttered coldly. "I'm no saint, alright? I don't need to play nice with useless people. I'm not here to collect trash."
"Who are you calling trash?!" Chimaera snapped. He'd never been insulted like that before. Even though he wore a mask, the fury burning on his face was undeniable as he locked eyes with Thunderbird.
'Here we go again,' Ashwinder thought with a sigh, glancing at Thunderbird with exasperation.
This guy had a real talent for ticking people off, never failed. What most people didn't know was that ever since Thunderbird had been transferred from headquarters to the Americas, every Silver Wand agent in Europe had basically thrown a party. It was like a massive weight had been lifted.
Dealing with that guy had been exhausting. You couldn't win in a fight, and you couldn't win in an argument, he could verbally destroy someone in under three minutes. Even Golden Snidget once admitted that ever since Thunderbird left, the club's atmosphere had gotten way better.
Still, after silently cursing Thunderbird a few times in his head, Ashwinder suddenly had a mischievous idea.
A grin slowly spread across his face as he narrowed his eyes playfully. "Hey, Thunderbird," he said with feigned innocence, "how about you take charge of the clearance check for this event?"
"Me? Are you sure about that?" Thunderbird raised an eyebrow, pointing at himself in disbelief. He glanced at Chimaera standing beside him, then shifted his gaze to Ashwinder.
"Yeah, I mean, don't you miss the thrill of the actual combat assessment?" Ashwinder replied with a smirk.
"I still remember how enthusiastic you were about those. Didn't you love showing off your magic to the new recruits?
It's been a while since you've stretched your legs here in the dueling hall, right? If I'm not mistaken, you used to be the head instructor for practical combat back in the day."
As he spoke, Ashwinder twirled his wrist in a dramatic motion, tracing circles around his head before gesturing grandly at the wide space around them. It was as if the dueling hall itself was welcoming its former king back to the arena.
Then, lowering his voice so only Chimaera could hear, Ashwinder leaned in.
"I know you can't stand this guy. Trust me, neither can we. So I figured I'd bring you someone who might knock him down a peg.
Don't worry, this guy might act all high and mighty, but he's just an old-timer with no bite left. This could be your chance to show him who's boss."
Chimaera, still relatively new to the club with only two years under his belt, didn't know how sly Ashwinder could be. So he took the words at face value and shot a sharp glare at Thunderbird, the same guy who had mocked him earlier.
"That works out perfectly," Chimaera said, his tone laced with provocation. "But I wonder, will this so-called 'veteran' even dare to step up and oversee my assessment?"
He put extra emphasis on the words "veteran," making sure Thunderbird caught the challenge. His eyes locked onto Thunderbird, full of defiance.
Inwardly, Chimaera was already plotting. 'This is my chance to embarrass that arrogant clown. Just because I'm new to the club doesn't mean I'm green.
I was already an experienced Auror before I joined, and I've picked up some powerful spells since then. If I hit him with my short spear spells, he might not even be able to stay on his feet.'
Thunderbird, on the other hand, wasn't fooled. The moment he saw Ashwinder's smug expression, he knew the guy was up to something again. That scheming snake never did anything without a hidden motive.
At the same time, Thunderbird glanced at Chimaera, who was brimming with fighting spirit. He let out a cold, dismissive chuckle.
"Heh, I don't usually waste my time on weaklings, but I guess this is a good chance to relive the old days. Fine, I'll handle this assessment, though I'm not exactly thrilled about it."
Ashwinder, standing nearby, grinned and chimed in playfully, "Knew you wouldn't disappoint us. But hey, don't let your guard down. That Chimaera might only have second-level clearance, but he's not as weak as he looks." He then stepped to the side, clearly amused and eager for entertainment.
After spending so long stuck at headquarters, this was the most excitement he'd seen in a while. It was a shame they all had to wear masks, if it were possible, he'd be sitting with popcorn right now, maybe even calling the rest of the Silver Wands over to enjoy the show.