*Good heavens, aren't you putting me on the spot? And you haven't even asked if others agree. Your belief is useless; aren't there any more practical benefits?*
Of course, Alan could only grumble these complaints to himself. Sometimes, being too good at disguising oneself led to such trouble. Once a persona was established, it was very difficult to break others' preconceived notions unless one did something groundbreaking. But Alan couldn't accept the consequences of a public fall from grace. At this moment, he could only curse inwardly while maintaining a pleasant smile for Newt.
Newt didn't continue the topic of Alan joining the Order of Merlin. After all, the boy was currently just a candidate. Instead, he shifted the focus back to the primary issue.
"As for the other reason I've told you so much about the Order," Newt said, his expression becoming much more serious, "it's because the Silver Spears entered our radar a long time ago. At the same time, we discovered some secrets about the organization—secrets that cannot be revealed to you at the moment."
"You only need to know that finding that juvenile Thunderbird and, through it, locating the Silver Spears' lair is of the utmost importance to us. In fact, we don't care whether the organization itself survives, but unearthing and eradicating their current leader is of great significance. We really need your help. We hope you can assist us in completing this mission. I know this matter is dangerous, and we will not force you. If you are willing to accept, we will provide sufficient support. You won't have to face these villains alone; you only need to help us pinpoint their location."
Newt paused to consider, carefully selecting the information he could disclose while making a sincere request.
*The leader of the Silver Spears? Is there anything special about this leader? It seems this organization really has a lot of secrets to be so highly regarded by the prestigious Order of Merlin.*
For Alan, getting rid of the annoying Silver Spears was consistent with his own goals. He was still thinking about the organization's treasures, so he wasn't resistant to the task.
"Understood. I will do my best to help you. However, to what extent my mental connection with the Thunderbird can reach, and how much time it will take, I can't say for sure right now. But as long as it can be done, I will personally make a trip to Europe," Alan said righteously.
But as soon as he finished speaking, he regretted it. *Why did I put on such a sanctimonious facade again? What if these guys misunderstand me even further? Oh no, they probably think of me as a champion of justice.*
"I knew I hadn't misjudged you!" Newt's eyes lit up immediately upon seeing Alan agree so readily. His decision to recruit Alan into the Order became even firmer.
Seeing Newt's expression, Alan knew he had played the role too well, but the stance had already been taken. It was too late to regret. He could only bite the bullet and maintain the persona. *Well, now in their eyes, I'm practically the light of righteousness.*
Alan sighed silently, then ended the conversation and bid Newt farewell. Newt's attitude toward him had become even warmer, and he personally escorted him to the fireplace, telling him to come over whenever he had free time.
After a grueling day and night, Alan finally returned to his home in Diagon Alley. Mentally exhausted, he walked toward the sofa and sat down heavily, his mind still processing the various pieces of information he had gathered. However, as he landed, he realized something was off. It felt as if he was sitting on something alive.
"Ah!!!"
A miserable wail came from beneath him. Alan quickly jumped up and reached behind him. He pulled out Shalltear, who had transformed into a bat; she was crying out in pain.
"Ow, that hurts so much! My lord, why weren't you more careful? My back is almost broken!" Shalltear twisted her small body, rubbing her lower back with her claws.
Alan looked at her, his face dark with exasperation. "Is there something wrong with you? Why do you always have to be underfoot—or under seat? I should have just sat on you until you died. Hurry up and change back to your human form."
"My lord, I'm injured! This is a work injury! Why are you still scolding me?" Shalltear complained, then hopped from Alan's palm and returned to her youthful form. Even as a human, she still held her lower back like an old lady with a slipped disc.
After a while, she finally recovered and began to curiously survey her surroundings.
"My lord, is this your home? It looks quite good, actually. Besides the slightly plain furnishings, it's very spacious. Of course, it would be better if you could close all the curtains during the day," she said with a smile, making herself comfortable on the sofa next to him.
"Mind your own business," Alan snapped, hearing her chatter again. *Always calling things "ugly" or "plain." Don't you know you're a guest?* Alan grumbled silently.
"You'll live on the third floor from now on. I'll set up a room for you. Kiki and Hog also live here; they're likely looking after the shop right now. You'll meet them shortly. Familiarize yourself with the environment as soon as possible. From now on, you are not allowed to go outside without my permission, understand?" Alan said sternly.
"Yes... my lord," Shalltear replied, sounding a bit dejected by the strict demands. "You just need to prepare a coffin for me. I don't need a room with windows. A basement would be best; I can just live there."
"Basement? You won't like it there," Alan said noncommittally. He recalled that he still had a living subject in his laboratory that hadn't been dealt with and wondered if Kiki had cleaned it up.
Shalltear clutched her stomach and looked at him with a look of pure starvation. "My lord, do you have anything to eat? I've been in transit for so many days, and my stomach is about to cave in. I only had that one sip of the tonic you fed me."
She began to sniff the air desperately, searching for the smell of food, but then her expression suddenly changed.
"Strange... why can I smell a scent like that here? It's somewhat like a werewolf, but it seems different."