"...Do we really not need any battle preparation?"
"..."
"Scouting the terrain in advance is important. Since you haven't fought in a battle, you probably don't realize—"
"...Shut up, go to sleep."
"...Do we really not? Back when we faced You-Know-Who—"
"If you can't fall asleep, you can go climb the tower in your dreams, but shut up."
"Uh, actually, scou... mmm mmm mmm—"
Worrying that merely silencing Lupin wasn't foolproof, William casually cast a Muffliato on himself as well, finally returning to the long-lost silent world.
...
"July 30, 1992, Friday, weather clear turning cloudy.
Tonight's night sky is no longer as clear as usual, the humid and sultry weather coupled with the overhanging clouds are all heralding the impending storm, although tonight is not yet over, I've decided to document it first.
This afternoon, I reached the third stage in the 'Tower of Trial', finally defeating the Acromantula group that had blocked me for a long time, but afterwards, the Acromantula defeated me easily. William said that was one of the stage bosses, and the battles and intensity ahead will significantly increase phase by phase—
But what worries me the most currently is tonight's operation..."
"What are you doing?"
William, who had just climbed out of the case, glanced curiously at Lupin who was leaning by the window writing and drawing in a notebook. Honestly, the way the other person muttered to themselves while writing looked really strange.
But as he spoke, he didn't forget to toss a metal flask towards the other person.
"Writing a diary... What's this?"
Lupin casually caught the flying flask, opened the lid, and a faint but pungent smell rushed into his nostrils.
"Polyjuice Potion, your 'preparation'."
William shook the other flask remaining in his hand, indicating that he also had one. Speaking as he took a sip, a somewhat spicy liquid slid down his throat, and William instantly felt a slight tingling all over, followed by a significant increase in height, with his previously well-fitting pants now only reaching his ankles.
Seeing this, William waved his magic wand, and the tension in his body finally disappeared.
At this moment, he had transformed into the leader who appeared on the deck. It couldn't be helped; all who flew through the sky inevitably met their end, and the Animagus meant to be kept for potion ingredients was shot down during flight—
They had to send Fawkes back to Paris to pluck a few more hairs from the prisoners.
After all, Polyjuice Potion couldn't be made with the hair of the deceased, even with Ancient Magic.
Watching William transform, Lupin obediently took a sip of the potion, quickly turning into a tall, blonde Wizard with a face full of freckles.
With preparations complete, the two of them grabbed a suitcase each and walked out of the hotel. In a secluded alley, they pulled brooms out of their cases and flew into the cloud-covered night sky. After about two and a half miles, the towering snowy peaks of the Alps suddenly entered their vision.
"There."
While Lupin was still squinting in the dense forest, William had already sensed a familiar magic power fluctuation. He pointed downward and swiftly descended on his broom.
As they drew closer, what was initially a desolate woodland suddenly lit up with a faint fire. The two quickly landed in front of the fire.
It was a flaming torch, and beside it stood a low canvas tent, with a faint light seeping through the gaps in the canvas flap.
"You are... Emeric? How come... You're more than half a month late—"
From the shadows, a figure darted out from under a nearby tree, magic wand extended towards the unexpected guests in the camp. But as the firelight caught William's face, the man's wariness turned to confusion. He waved his hand backward, and the rustling bushes gradually became still.
"Don't talk about it, that circus has a big issue—"
William coughed lightly, a hint of bravado in his tone, "We almost didn't make it back—Enough talk, I need to see the boss inside."
Speaking, he raised his hand, tore off the metal Name Plate hanging from his sleeve, and tossed it to the man.
"Fine... But the boss is furious, if you don't have any results—might as well not come back."
The guarding Wizard nodded, examining the Name Plate in his hand before his suspicions finally dissolved. He stepped forward, pulled the tent flap aside, and let them enter.
"...Are we sure it's them?"
As they watched the pair disappear, another silhouette appeared beside the man, frowning at the swaying flap.
"Positive, the hand signals matched."
The man tossed the Name Plate up and down in his hand, affirmatively nodding, "I heard their target circus in Paris hasn't missed a single day of its tour, yet they're half a month late, and Rock Rich isn't even here... What do you think is going on?"
"...I'm not sure, but capturing a Fire Dragon is inherently risky, maybe they bit off more than they could chew?"
"Possibly... Hiss, why is this thing getting hotter and hotter?"
The man frowned, withdrawing his hand as the Name Plate fell to the ground. Before he could react, the once silver-black Name Plate suddenly "came alive", transforming into an entirely emerald-green little snake. Before the two bewildered people could react, orange-yellow "bulbs" suddenly appeared in their field of vision.
"Hiss—"
A moment later, the emerald-green snake hissed, disappearing into the ground.
...
"If it was this plan, arriving a few days earlier should have been simpler, right?"
Following William into the tent, Lupin subconsciously said. His reasoning was simple; if they intended to impersonate and infiltrate, fewer people would be better. They could attack that very night rather than waiting for an event held every two weeks.
Similarly, fewer people meant weaker defenses, making their escape easier.
Lupin thought as he voiced his thoughts.
"...Earlier? How could we be early if the people aren't even gathered?"
William instinctively glanced back, his tone a bit strange, "Besides, escape where?"
"This is the Poacher's den—"
Lupin muttered as he looked at the fully armed guard who had just brushed past him, "Don't tell me you plan to take them all down just the two of us?"
"Of course not."
"Right, so maybe we could delay the plan by three days, when their defenses—"
"No, I mean, it's not just the two of us—"
As William spoke, he placed the suitcase on the ground, "Soon, all you need to do is seize the chance to gather the animals with this thing, no need for you to join the fight for now."
"..."
"Seize what chance?"
Before Lupin could react, William suddenly opened the suitcase—
"Roar—"
The Fire Dragon roared as it broke out of its "cage".