Alexander sat back down with the coin spinning lightly between his fingers.
A dragon on one side.
Chen, on the other hand.
He slowly looked up at his parents.
Mrs. Chen gave him a gentle smile.
"I'll leave you two alone."
"I'll come back in a few minutes."
She stood up and quietly left the room.
Alexander turned to his father.
Mr. Chen exhaled slowly, gathering his thoughts.
"There are things I won't explain right now…"
"But I'll tell you what you need to know."
Alexander nodded and paid serious attention.
He noticed the way his dad was acting was different from how he usually acted.
A few minutes passed before Mr. Chen finally spoke.
"Our family… comes from an ancient lineage in China."
Alexander blinked.
"Ancient?"
Mr. Chen continued,
"The Chen family is not just old."
"It's… influential."
He paused slightly.
"I wouldn't call us royalty, but we are something close."
Alexander frowned.
"Close to royalty?"
"What do you mean?"
Mr. Chen smiled faintly.
"Enforcers."
That single word made Alexander's brows knit together.
"Enforcers?"
Mr. Chen leaned back in his chair.
"In ancient times, part of our family served as protectors of royal bloodlines."
"But the other part protected the balance between the magical and non-magical world."
"Similar to the UK's Aurors, but on a bigger scale."
Alexander's eyes widened.
Mr. Chen continued.
"As time passed, the role changed."
"We no longer guard emperors or royal bloodlines."
"But we still maintain balance."
"There is a governing body in China—similar to the British Ministry of Magic."
He gave a proud smile.
"The Chen family…"
"We are their elite force."
"We hunt down dangerous individuals."
"We eliminate threats."
"We enforce order."
Alexander sat there, stunned.
My family members are basically Aurors?
No wait… stronger than that.
Way stronger.
His mind raced.
This isn't just a big family…
This is huge.
Wait… how many relatives does that even mean?!
His expression darkened slightly.
Please don't tell me I have thousands of cousins…
Mr. Chen chuckled softly.
"I didn't want to involve you in all this yet."
"…but you became too noticeable."
Alexander stopped thinking and stared at his dad.
Mr. Chen smiled.
"The Chen family has heard about you."
"Your talent and achievements."
"They want to see you for themselves."
Alexander scratched his head.
"…So I'm being called back?"
Mr. Chen nodded.
"More likely to be tested."
"Don't worry, they won't harm you."
"Depending on your performance, you'll be given a choice."
Alexander tilted his head.
"What kind of choice?"
Mr. Chen shook his head.
"That, I won't tell you."
He smiled warmly.
"But I trust your judgment."
Alexander stared at him for a moment and grinned.
"I think I understand."
"You're telling me to go there and beat up a bunch of cousins."
"And I will get a reward?"
Mr. Chen burst out laughing.
"Something like that."
Alexander chuckled.
"Alright, that sounds fun."
Mr. Chen nodded.
"Uncle Ken will explain more tomorrow."
"Any questions?"
Alexander rubbed his chin.
"Oh, I've got a lot, but I'll keep it simple."
Mr. Chen gestured.
"Go ahead."
Alexander raised a finger.
"How big is our family?"
"Hundreds?"
"Thousands?"
Mr. Chen laughed.
"Even I don't know."
"There's a main branch and several sub-branches."
"You belong to the main line."
Alexander blinked.
"And you?"
Mr. Chen's smile faded slightly.
"I'm… no longer part of it."
A brief silence followed.
"We'll talk about it when you return."
Alexander nodded slowly.
Then asked his next question.
"How shocked am I going to be?"
Mr. Chen answered immediately.
"More shocked than when we found out you had a basilisk."
Alexander froze.
"…That bad?"
Mr. Chen nodded calmly.
Alexander tapped his fingers against the table.
Processing.
Thinking.
Then he looked up again.
"So… you're saying my mind is going to be completely blown?"
Mr. Chen laughed.
"Just try not to pass out."
Alexander leaned back.
"…Wow."
Then another thought hit him.
"Wait!"
"You and Mom working in the US… then getting positions in the UK…"
"That's not just a coincidence, is it?"
Mr. Chen smiled knowingly.
"Partially, but mostly…"
"It's because of the Chen family name."
"At the highest levels of the magical world…"
"Our family name carries weight."
Alexander exhaled slowly.
Mr. Chen added.
"And that's also why…"
"You need to stop picking fights over every little comment."
"No more attacking the Sorting Hat!"
Alexander smirked.
"I'm educating it!"
"Hogwarts should be paying me."
Mr. Chen laughed.
"Of course you would say that."
He leaned forward again.
"Any more questions?"
Alexander nodded.
"Yes! How long will I be there?"
Mr. Chen paused and thought carefully.
"…That depends on you."
"If you perform well… they'll keep training you."
"Testing you."
"Teaching you the Chen family's techniques."
Alexander tapped his finger on the table and asked.
"And if I don't?"
Mr. Chen grinned.
"Then they'll keep you there until you're a decent Chen family member."
Alexander groaned.
"…That's harsh."
Then he asked.
"The spell books you gave me."
"Are those part of our family's magic?"
Mr. Chen shook his head.
"No, those are my spells for you."
Alexander's eyes lit up.
If my dad's spells were that interesting.
I wonder how strong the Chen family spells are!
Mr. Chen said.
"Remember what you already know."
"Mastery over quantity."
Alexander nodded seriously.
"I won't forget."
He took a deep breath.
Then asked quietly.
"…Will I come back different?"
Mr. Chen hesitated.
For the first time—
He didn't answer immediately.
Silence filled the room.
Mrs. Chen, who was quietly listening nearby.
Walked over and wrapped Alexander in a tight hug.
"You might change…"
Her voice was soft.
"But no matter what, we will always trust you."
She held him tighter.
"No matter what you become…"
Alexander blinked in confusion.
"…Why would I change?"
He chuckled.
"You're my parents, you should trust me!"
"This is just another trip!"
He grinned confidently.
"Don't be surprised when you hear that I beat up all my cousins."
While thinking about making his cousins cry, he thought of something else.
"Oh!"
"Can Lisa come with me?"
"I need someone to record everything."
"Silver and Copper won't be there, so I need backup."
Mrs. Chen slowly let go of him and sat beside Mr. Chen.
They held hands.
Watching their son.
Listening to his confidence.
His excitement.
His complete lack of fear.
After a moment, she smiled gently.
"Yes."
"Lisa can go with you."
"Now go pack and be ready to leave tomorrow."
"After breakfast… We'll send you off."
Alexander nodded instantly.
"Got it!"
Without hesitation—
He ran upstairs.
The coin was still clenched tightly in his hand.