After several days, the atrium of the Congress Headquarters has been newly arranged again, and the inauguration ceremony has been restarted, as if the recent explosion, bloodshed, and death had never occurred.
The atmosphere, however, is no longer joyous and enthusiastic, but filled with cautious tranquility, with a hint of lingering shock.
The guests attending the ceremony all look solemn, as if attending a funeral. Some are anxiously looking around, seemingly prepared for unexpected changes.
Many faces from before have completely disappeared, and there are many newcomers who just acquired the qualification to attend, showing evident unease in their expressions and wearing noticeably more shabby attire.
Clinche Bullet stands solemnly and seriously on the repaired podium, wearing a fitted yet plain Chairman's robe, the badge on his chest shining brightly.
His speech is magnified by magic and transmitted through Flow Mirror nationwide and even worldwide—
"In recent weeks, we have collectively endured an unprecedented trial, where the reputation and foundation of the Magic Congress have suffered great damage. But luckily, amidst the unveiling of darkness, the powers of integrity and resilience never extinguished..."
...
The White Bridge Inn is as bustling as ever, with wizards holding beer or eating breakfast, but all eyes are on the magnified Flow Mirror.
Bullet's voice echoes throughout the hall:
"As the interim coordinator, trusted and elected by the public and Congress colleagues, I am tasked with the heavy responsibility of leading the Congress through this difficult time..."
Guests whisper among themselves:
"It's a bit too smooth... The new Chairman doesn't seem to have much charisma!"
"Following protocol is better than anything, right?" A bespectacled witch sighs, stirring the tea in her cup, says, "Laira Piqueley indeed had charisma, but her speeches were aggressive; I felt that was bad at the time."
"Exactly." An older wizard responds, sounding weary: "I'm not expecting them to achieve anything big, just as long as there aren't earth-shattering troubles every few days, so I can work peacefully, and the children can go to school peacefully; that would be a blessing."
"At least now, those arrogant folks who often call for 'special inspections' have become more restrained." A wizard, looking like a businessman at another table, adds quietly.
A middle-aged man inquires: "And Ilvermorny professors, heard most have been dismissed, have you heard?"
"Definitely." Another witch says disdainfully: "If you ask me, those who did such inhumane things, everyone involved, even those who knew but didn't report, should be sent to prison and never come out for life!"
"Report to whom?" A red-haired man raises an eyebrow, says: "Laira Piqueley? They're in cahoots! Anyone daring to report might get thrown into prison by them."
A young man, about twenty, immediately stretches his neck and says loudly: "But Chairman Hosone, if he knew, certainly wouldn't ignore! If back then he could see through Laira Piqueley and Fontana's nature, he might not have been deceived by them!"
The inn immediately falls into silence, after a while, someone says regretfully and nostalgically:
"Chairman Hosone... Who knows where he is now, has he heard about Congress's current upheaval?"
...
"Did you hear?" Antoine, holding a glass of wine, sits next to an elderly man resembling a retired scholar, speaking casually: "People are starting to miss your goodness, don't you want to go back?"
Nikolo Hosone, disguised as a gray-haired old man, sits in a window corner, a glass of barely touched honey wine and a simple breakfast in front of him.
Beside him is a child's chair, and the round-headed baby Hughes is sitting in it, babbling and playing with a bell, occasionally making a crisp "ding" sound.
Upon hearing Antoine's words, Hosone smiles self-deprecatingly, says: "Go back? Where can I return?"
Antoine looks at the Flow Mirror, softly says: "Don't want to stand up again? With your current reputation, as long as you appear and call out, probably most people would still support you replacing Bullet. Even Mr... might agree."
Hosone's gaze moves away from the Flow Mirror, falling on the reflection in his wine glass. He shakes his head slowly, his voice hoarse as he says:
"Not going back."
Antoine is about to say something but suddenly shuts his mouth.
The innkeeper, always looking languid, now cheerfully carries a tray, personally delivering a large plate of free snacks to the guests.
"Have a taste!" He says with relaxed eyebrows: "Freshly baked, on the house."
"Feeling so good?" Antoine casually takes a cookie, stuffs it in his mouth, and asks ambiguously: "Something good happening recently?"
"Haha." The innkeeper laughs: "Indeed something good—those who always troubled me have finally disappeared."
Previously, those from the Congress Security Department, along with some rough Aurors, treated his inn as a free intelligence station, not only demanding he record guest information and provide intelligence to Congress, but also frequently criticized him for lapses and threatened him with 'thorough inn inspections,' 'license revocation,' and the like.
The most important thing is, they really will do it.
At the same time, they've made him do so much, yet they haven't even paid a single Knut!
At this moment, the days of worry and being at the mercy of power vanished overnight with the downfall of the Congress's high officials. He now felt lighter and smiled more often when facing guests.
After the innkeeper left, Hosone said in a low voice:
"I think this innkeeper probably doesn't want me to return to that position, just like many ordinary people like him."
He paused for a moment, recalling the day Laira took office, where he accompanied Grindelwald and also watched the ceremony from the audience.
He saw that even when Rita Skeeter exposed Laira's collusion with Muggle aristocrats, her betrayal of the Magic World's interests, and human trafficking, providing irrefutable evidence, many people still hesitated, doubted, and held on to luck.
But when the issue of the "Yin-Yang Document" was exposed, and people realized that Laira had genuinely harmed their interests—some were just denied approval for a two- or three-day leave—the anger, the feeling of betrayal, those intense emotions and reactions...
Hosone shook his head, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the rim of the wine glass, his mind tumultuous with reflections that kept him awake these days.
"I am not... the good leader they think I am, Mr. Moro. I made big mistakes in the past."
He said in a heavy, subdued voice, "I was too confident, too arrogant! Sitting in the chairman's office, I thought every directive I issued would be executed flawlessly."
"I was deceived by my confidants' respectful attitudes and carefully prepared reports. I never truly understood the grassroots government employees and the public."
"I should roll up my sleeves and go to the Auror's patrol points, ask frontline personnel if they lack protective equipment; go to the Archives Department and see if those old cases have been handled; and listen to those poor wizard families to understand what suggestions they have for Congress's governance."
"I am not a qualified chairman. I will lose everything, not just because of Laira's conspiracy... and I still have much to learn."
Antoine neither comforted nor refuted him, only showing a faint smile on his lips.
After saying these words, Hosone seemed to have put down a burden. He picked up the wine glass, drained the remaining mead in one gulp, then stood up and said, "It's time to go."
The baby Hughes in the nearby car immediately raised his arms, and Hosone bent down to pick him up.
"No rush," Antoine said, "We still have to wait for someone."
Hosone raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is it Delaine?"
"How could it be?" Antoine said with a smile, "That guy's still wandering around Adan Cape!"
As he spoke, a young man descended from the second floor down the stairs.
He looked to be in his early twenties, with black hair, brown eyes, and a delicate appearance. He dressed plainly, but his eyes were particularly calm.
Antoine immediately stood up, beaming as he approached and familiarly asked, "All set? Didn't get scolded, right?"
"Were you hoping for that?" The young man joked.
"Ha! I thought you wouldn't make it back this time!" Antoine said half-jokingly, half-seriously.
Hosone's gaze followed Antoine, landing on the unfamiliar young man, curious about his identity.
Antoine leaned closer to him, speaking in a low voice while gesturing towards Hosone, who approached.
When Hosone neared, the young man nodded slightly at him and said, "I know; sir has told me everything."
Antoine asked, "Will it work?"
The young man replied, "There shouldn't be any problem."
"Alright, let's go." Antoine gestured to Hosone with a "please" motion and asked the young man, "Not going to say goodbye to that lady?"
"No need," the young man said with an unusually calm tone, "They've already gotten what they wanted."
The three of them walked out of the inn together.
Above the fireplace, in the Flow Mirror, the speech of Clink Bullet continued:
"The road ahead is not smooth, but I believe that through pragmatic work, sincere communication, and our shared commitment to the International Confidentiality Law and the welfare of wizards, we can and will emerge from the shadows to build a stronger, more just Magic Congress..."