After Moody finished relaying the message and all the Aurors were in position, the group Apparated in batches to the coordinates where they had previously pursued the smugglers on the island of Ireland.
Upon arrival, Alan once again tracked the communication signal on the mask, finally confirming that the target was a little over thirty kilometers away. Seeing the target so close, Moody became visibly excited and immediately gathered everyone to arrange the battle plan.
"Mavis, you and four others are to deploy the Anti-Apparition Jammers immediately upon reaching the site. The remaining ten people, including Alan, will follow me. The people who arrived today are part of the same cell as the smugglers from the last operation. Do not let a single one escape once we arrive, and try to avoid harming the magical creatures they are transporting!" Moody shouted to the group, his face contorted in a ferocious expression.
"Yes, sir!" The Aurors, realizing a combat mission was imminent, began to prepare, eager for action; few in their ranks were afraid of trouble.
"Wait!" Alan said, feeling his worldview shift after hearing Moody's deployment. "According to you, we're just going to charge straight into a crowd? Just go in and start throwing spells?" He was shocked by the simplicity of Moody's tactics. Did the Ministry usually fight like this?
"What's wrong? Is there a problem?" Moody glanced at Alan strangely, and the surrounding Aurors turned their gaze toward the young man.
"Haha, perhaps the young man hasn't seen a large-scale battle between wizards before. Maybe he's scared. Young Mr. Wilson, we are going to apprehend criminals, not duel. There are no rules about bowing beforehand." An older Auror, assuming Alan was unaccustomed to fighting without formal greetings, grinned and joked.
Many Aurors couldn't help but chuckle. They figured young people simply didn't understand how the adult world worked yet. Seeing their reaction, Moody glared at them fiercely before looking at Alan with an inquiring gaze. He knew the level of the young wizard in front of him; this was a ruthless character who wouldn't bat an eye at a kill.
"The number of targets, the terrain, and their configuration are all unclear. Aren't you afraid of making a fatal mistake by rushing in indiscriminately?" Alan ignored the teasing and looked at Moody seriously.
"I understand your concerns, but time is of the essence. Who knows how far along their operation is? We've fought these guys once before; we know their level, and there won't be too many of them. As for reconnaissance, our current methods are to send scouts forward using the Disillusionment Charm and jammers to observe and report back. Although effective, it's too slow. We must seize the moment."
"Don't worry, we usually act like this. Although these guys next to you aren't very reliable normally, they won't retreat in battle. They are trustworthy comrades."
The others were surprised to see Moody explaining things in such detail to a young wizard. Moody usually spoke to them without an ounce of politeness.
Alan nodded slightly but then shook his head. "I understand, but this deployment is still too hasty." He extended his right hand, bending his fingers one by one. "Before any battle, the following elements must be determined: weather, terrain, number of personnel, firepower configuration, and other interfering factors."
Alan spread his fingers, then retracted all but his thumb. "First: weather. It's night, and visibility is low. Rushing blindly into enemy lines can lead to losing targets or overlooking threats, which causes unnecessary casualties."
He extended his index finger. "Second: terrain. We don't know what the ground is like. Ireland is mostly mountainous. If they are in a forest or on high ground, elevation differences and obstacles will put our firing range at a disadvantage. And what if they are hiding in underground tunnels?"
"Third: numbers." Alan extended a third finger. "We have only located one Silver Spear agent. We don't know if other members are on-site, and after their last defeat, we don't know if they've increased their security. What if we are outnumbered?"
"Fourth: firepower configuration." A fourth finger went up. "We don't know if they have deployed other combat forces, such as alchemy equipment or high-risk magical creatures. You used alchemy to trick them last time; what if they've prepared their own? They are smugglers; it's highly possible they have trained creatures to assist them."
"Fifth." Alan extended his last finger. "Interfering factors. For example, if they are holding hostages or if there are other intelligent beings among the smuggled goods, they could use them as leverage if we rush in rashly."
Alan explained the tactical points with clinical precision. Everyone, including Moody, listened in a daze. They didn't fully grasp the terminology, but they realized it sounded incredibly professional.
"Then what do you suggest? Should we really sneak in to scout? That could tip them off," Moody asked. He was an experienced Hit Wizard and knew Alan's concerns weren't unreasonable, but he still had doubts.
"Don't worry, I have a way." Alan smiled lightly. "First, we need to determine our current position, the enemy's position, and the terrain."
Alan began to take items out of his spatial ring. The group watched as he unfolded several sheets of paper. They were maps—not just of Ireland, but of all Britain. These were detailed topographic maps marked with latitude, longitude, and contour lines. Alan found the northern map of Ireland, examined it for a moment, and pointed to a specific spot.
"We are here. According to my tracking, the target is near Erris Head, thirty kilometers directly north. Let's first gather at this high ground three kilometers away from the target."