After confirming his merit point balance, Robert didn't even bother with breakfast and ran straight back to his room.
Tom, who was just stepping out for breakfast, saw Robert rushing past and couldn't help but ask the elf at the table, "Did your master poop in his pants?"
"Definitely not! Master Riddle, don't speak ill of Master Robert!" Toby said angrily. "Toby thinks he must have discovered some inspiration for a new type of magic!"
Toby clutched his heart with both hands and proudly declared, "Master Robert was inspired to create a new kind of magic after seeing the breakfast Toby made himself! Oh… Toby is such a happy house-elf!"
Tom frowned and spat in disdain. "There aren't many normal house-elves! I don't know why Robert had to pick one up!" But after taking a bite of breakfast, he reconsidered.
First, Toby's cooking was undeniably incredible.
Second, without a house-elf… wouldn't the housework fall on me? There's no way that lazy Robert would do it himself! I remember Robert saying a long time ago that Toby was his first servant, and after Toby arrived, I became the second. Now that I think about it, he wasn't joking!
What does a servant do? Cook, clean, do laundry…
If there were no house-elf, I'd probably end up washing that bastard's underwear or something. Just the thought makes me sick! So… luckily, there's Toby! Even if he's a little neurotic sometimes…
Well, thank you, Toby…
Meanwhile, Robert, who had returned to his room, had no idea that Tom was contemplating his fate as a reluctant servant. He was too busy staring at his merit points with pure joy.
Over 68,000 points!
Just by killing that group of Witch Party members, he had gained 50,000 points. These guys were truly bad people.
Considering that Grindelwald kept them close, they must have been his most trusted followers. Usually, the ones who do the dirty work for their master are the most loyal.
It made sense that killing them would bring in so many points. Who knows how many enemies they had eliminated for Grindelwald over the years?
Feeling satisfied, Robert immediately spent 20,000 merit points to upgrade the system.
He was sick of refreshing only two grids of junk every night! The last decent item felt like it had been from another century.
"Ding! System upgrade complete! New products will be refreshed on time at midnight tonight!"
Robert looked at the store page, now boasting two additional grids, and felt emotional.
Finally, two more draws every night… and one more chance to lock an item.
It seemed that the quality of goods would improve as well.
Even though the four grids were currently empty, Robert was in a great mood.
At Nurmengard, Grindelwald looked at the long parchment in front of him, an unreadable expression in his eyes.
Vita watched him with surprise.
This was not the same Grindelwald she had seen yesterday.
"It seems they've pinned all our crimes onto Olive and the others," Grindelwald mused.
Vita nodded solemnly. "One of the jurors is from the Magical Congress of the United States… Before the trial, he submitted a large amount of evidence to the court."
"The information exposed many new crimes with solid proof. Because of him, several team members were sentenced to death instead of life imprisonment… It's almost like he's there just to vent his anger!"
"Sir, should we secretly—"
Grindelwald waved a hand. "Vita, that juror is one of ours."
Vita's eyes widened in shock. "He… is one of ours? Then why…?"
"No, you don't understand, Vita," Grindelwald said with a chilling smile. "We can't save them. Some would have been sentenced to death anyway, while others would have had their souls drained in Azkaban…
"So let's make their deaths more valuable."
"But… what's your goal?" Vita still didn't understand.
"For years, people have seen me as the villain. However, the truly heinous acts… I never did them myself. And now, those who did have been caught and sentenced."
"You want to use them as scapegoats?" Vita asked in shock.
"No, no, no… I'm not trying to clear my name, Vita." Grindelwald's gaze sharpened. "From the beginning, those who committed these crimes were merely bad apples. They had nothing to do with me. I am innocent. At most, I failed to supervise properly."
Vita felt a mix of emotions—shock at Grindelwald's ruthlessness, admiration for his cunning, and fear…
If he hadn't taken her out that night, she would have died with them.
Then why had he saved her? Grindelwald only invested in useful people.
She thought of her niece, Anne Rosier.
So that's it.
Vita suddenly realized—everyone Grindelwald had brought to Hogwarts that night had been disposable. But she was saved because he needed to keep Anne stable.
And if Anne became useless? Then Vita would be discarded, just like the others.
What a ruthless man!
But only someone like him could succeed.
"Vita, what are you thinking?" Grindelwald asked gently.
"Sir, I'm thinking about my role in our great cause!" Vita said passionately.
"Good, Vita… Believe me, you're more important than anyone else." Grindelwald smiled.
"So, sir, what's next?"
Grindelwald's smile widened. "Next, I turn myself in and stand trial."
"Sir? Isn't that dangerous?" Vita asked, alarmed.
"No, because I've already killed everyone who could prove my crimes." His smirk deepened.
"What about those sentenced to life in Azkaban?" Vita asked hesitantly.
"Anyone who enters Azkaban is affected by the Dementors… Who would trust the testimony of broken minds?" Grindelwald replied.
"I understand!" Vita said happily.
"But starting today, you must stay in Nurmengard. Don't leave until this is over." Grindelwald gently patted her shoulder. "Your duties will be temporarily assigned to Abernathy."
Vita stiffened. She instantly understood—she was now the only one who could truly testify against Grindelwald. If she was caught before the trial ended, all his efforts would be for nothing.
"I understand, sir. You don't need to explain further."
"Good, Vita. Thank you for your trust. I will never forget my promise to you. When I succeed, the Rosier family will be the most glorious in the world, second only to mine."
Late at night, Robert stared at his watch, watching as the hands pointed to midnight.
As the clock struck twelve, he eagerly opened the system shop.
The four empty grids were now filled with new items!
[Item 1: Phoenix Tears 50ml (Unlocked) - 500 Merit Points]
[Item 2: Unicorn Horn (Unlocked) - 200 Merit Points]
[Item 3: Flying Spell (Unlocked) - 1,000 Merit Points]
[Item 4: Magical Animal Affinity (Unlocked) - 5,000 Merit Points]
[Refresh countdown: 23 hours, 59 minutes, 39 seconds]
[Merit Points: 48,700]
[Dark Lord Achievement: Not Achieved]
The system upgrade had truly transformed the store!
Phoenix tears and unicorn horns—both rare materials in the wizarding world.
Even the cheapest unicorn horn was worth at least fifty or sixty Galleons.
But Robert wasn't particularly interested in materials right now.
The real prizes were the third and fourth items…
(End of Chapter)
FOR MORE CHAPTERS
patreon.com/STEPHENHART427