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"My life has already changed completely. Thugs broke into my home, raped and murdered my wife, and left my daughter for dead. She only survived by a miracle but is still critically injured—can such a life ever go back to how it was? The magical world is dangerous, but there's nothing about my current life that isn't dangerous either." Dr. Willy shook his head, a trace of self-mockery in his voice.
"You still have your daughter. Once she's healed, the two of you can start a new life together."
"A new life? Heh, a new life built on the danger of forgetting? Just waiting for the next vampire to come along whenever they feel like it and hurt us again? Enough! Instead of running from these threats, I'd rather face them head-on. Besides, that man wasn't the only one who hurt my daughter. If you can truly save her, my life is yours. That is my choice."
Willy Bruce's expression was resolute; his intent was crystal clear. He didn't just want to face the danger; he wanted to make those who hurt his daughter pay, even if those people were so-called vampires.
"If I were in your shoes, I'd do the exact same thing."
Rey offered no pity or hollow sympathy. Instead, he simply nodded, showing he understood Willy's choice. As a man and a father, it was the only thing to do.
"Thank you. Now, I believe you when you say you had a daughter in a past life."
Willy Bruce replied with a faint smile. It seemed he hadn't truly believed the "past life" talk before, but now, Rey's empathy made him feel that perhaps the boy wasn't lying after all.
"I want to build an organization to fight back against dark creatures. Are you willing to help me?"
Seeing that the man had made his choice, Rey stopped with the pleasantries and stated his objective directly.
Rey was already being hunted by vampires. While the Ministry's Trace might act as a slight deterrent right now, it wouldn't stop them from striking from the shadows. Since he couldn't hide, he had to fight back. Increasing his own strength was a priority, but training a group of specialized "Demon Hunters" to hunt vampires would be even better.
The wizarding world had many magical tools. If ordinary people were trained and equipped with the right gear, killing a vampire was entirely possible. At the very least, vampires had obvious weaknesses; once those were known, even an untrained civilian could stand a chance.
Strictly speaking, this was Rey's real plan—the one that came after the robbery.
"What do you need me to do?" Dr. Willy asked calmly.
"I'm here to get enough money. Once we have the funds, I need you to use your public identity to acquire a secluded property and then find personnel willing to join us."
"Okay. So, as of right now, you haven't actually gotten the money yet." Dr. Willy agreed immediately, then added the confirmation.
Rey shrugged, looking a bit helpless. "Because for the past month, every small-time boss I've tracked was shot by you before they could make it to their vault."
"Oh, really? If you need, I have some fixed assets I can mortgage to the bank." Willy Bruce felt a bit awkward realizing he had been killing Rey's targets.
"No need. Keep those for your daughter. This line of work carries a constant risk of death. Besides, the amount of money I need would require emptying the vault of a major gang."
---
A rooftop was no place for a serious discussion. At Willy Bruce's invitation, Rey accompanied him back to his residence in an affluent area near Lincoln's Inn Fields in the West End.
It was a nice villa. Willy Bruce was clearly part of the social elite.
Once inside, the doctor opened a liquor cabinet. "What would you like to drink?"
Although Rey was a teenager, his miraculous abilities made Willy hesitate to treat him like one. He wasn't sure if Rey wanted alcohol or a soft drink.
"Anything is fine, I'm not picky," Rey replied casually.
"A man should drink—didn't you say you had a daughter?" Willy Bruce teased, but he reached into the cabinet and poured Rey a glass of juice anyway.
"I told you, that was a past life," Rey grumbled.
"Right, a past life," Willy Bruce nodded, handing him the glass. "Is my daughter's condition... very difficult to heal?"
After some small talk, the conversation turned back to the girl's injuries.
"Based on your conversation earlier, she suffered trauma and is in a deep coma. A patient with such severe injuries requires a specialized Healer. I will find a suitable wizard for you."
"Thank you." Willy Bruce nodded. Rey could see a flicker of disappointment in his eyes; perhaps he thought Rey was using this as leverage for a favor.
"Don't mention it. Once I finish explaining the basics to you, you'll see I'm not lying."
Rey comforted him and, before Willy could object, continued: "In the world we live in, magic is real. Every country has wizards, though they go by different names. And the magical world is governed by a Ministry of Magic. Their authority is vast, and they can..."
Rey spent the entire night at the villa, educating Willy Bruce on the common knowledge of the wizarding world, hoping to give him a general understanding in a short amount of time.
After the crash course, Willy Bruce finally understood the immense risk Rey had taken by revealing magic to him. As a minor, Rey was forbidden from using magic in front of "Muggles." Transforming into a dragon was essentially exploiting a loophole in the Ministry's enforcement.
Similarly, finding a wizard to heal his daughter would be difficult. A minor wizard faced far more restrictions than protections.
Rey's transparency fully earned Willy Bruce's trust. He decided to help Rey with everything he had to build this organization of hunters.
Before they ended the talk, Willy Bruce asked one question: "Don't you need to take any... precautions?"
By precautions, he meant a matter of trust—was it really okay for Rey to trust him so unreservedly?
"No. Trust between people hasn't sunk that low yet, has it?"
Rey asked back with a smile, his attitude easy and sincere.
In that moment, Willy Bruce, who considered himself much older than Rey, felt moved by the boy's trust. He shook his head with a wry smile. "You don't act like a teenager at all."
"And you don't act like an ordinary doctor. Past lives exist; the combined age of my two lives isn't less than yours," Rey joked, sensing Willy's thoughts.
"Before I was a doctor, I was a soldier," Dr. Willy added with a smile.
---
It was early the next morning when Rey returned to the Leaky Cauldron.
The pub was quiet at dawn. When he entered, Tom asked with concern, "Hey, Rey. Out all night? You seem to be in a very good mood today."
"Yeah, Uncle. I found a cousin I'd lost touch with."
"Oh, really? That's wonderful! Are you moving out then?" Tom asked happily. Rey was an orphan, so finding family was great news, and the Leaky Cauldron wasn't exactly a long-term home for a kid.
"I'll have to wait a while, maybe a month or so."
"Is that so? Well, make sure to come back and visit once you leave."
"I will, Uncle. I've been up all night with the excitement, so I'm going to get some sleep."
"Sure thing. Do you want me to wake you for lunch?"
"No thanks, I'm planning to sleep until tonight," Rey called back as he headed upstairs.
Back in his room, he collapsed onto the bed.
He hadn't gotten any money last night, but the gains were substantial. At the very least, he had solved the issue of his identity in the ordinary world and gained a representative.
This representative was crucial; whether it was buying property or organizing people, it was indispensable. If he did everything himself, his age would be a barrier, and as someone already being watched by vampires, he wasn't exactly "low-profile."
He trusted Willy Bruce completely. While the man was unconscious, Rey—in his dragon form—had used magic to scan his memories.
His tragedy was real, and the man he was in his memories was indeed someone worth trusting.
As for healing his daughter... he'd likely need to ask Agnes for a favor.