"Just as I expected, that old man has been putting on an act for Moody all along." Alan sneered, then turned his head to look at Andre beside him. "It's time we showed him our hand."
Andre nodded in agreement. "Given the current situation, cooperating with us is his only option. I think Clement knows what to do."
After Andre finished speaking, he stepped forward, interrupting Clement's meal, and without caring whether the other party was willing or not, directly pulled him into an empty room in the manor.
To be honest, Clement's mood was a bit anxious at this time. He thought Andre had summoned him to ask for details about the Silver Spears; after all, he had boasted in prison that he knew many of the club's secrets. But the problem was, although he knew a lot about the club's background and even knew clearly that Peter was Golden Knight, due to the extremely strict confidentiality agreement he had signed with the club, there was a lot of information he couldn't speak out loud. Even the memories that could serve as evidence had been given to Golden Knight; they would surely destroy these materials if they weren't fools. In that case, it was hard to say whether he still had any value in the eyes of Andre and the others.
But to his surprise, after calling him to a private place, Andre didn't interrogate him for any information at all. Instead, he placed a large box, which looked very familiar to him, in front of him.
"I imagine you're not unfamiliar with these things, are you?" Andre looked at Clement with a teasing smile, then nudged his chin toward the large box. "Don't just stand there; aren't you going to personally look at your masterpiece?"
"This… this… this is impossible!" Clement stared dumbfounded at the wooden box in front of him, then, as if to confirm something, he lunged forward, throwing himself in front of the box. With trembling hands, he lifted the lid. Sure enough, inside the box were the memories of the club that he had painstakingly preserved for many years.
"Impossible…" Clement looked at the memory bottles in the box with a conflicted expression, then looked at Andre not far away. "I only mentioned these things to Golden Knight. How did you get them?"
"Could it be?" Clement connected everything that had happened before in his mind, as if he understood something.
Could it be that the so-called spy, the so-called transfer of the park, and the so-called prison were all a scam, designed to trick him into revealing this evidence? Was it to pull the rug out from under the club? Thinking of this, Clement also realized. He had wondered why Golden Knight's sudden attack at that time felt strangely out of place. Even if the leaders of the club wanted to clean up the park and investigate for spies, they wouldn't go so far as to suspect him, a senior collaborator, especially since his brain had been cursed. Even if he wanted to be a spy, he couldn't say anything.
It was a pity that when facing Golden Knight, he had been completely scared witless, his brain unable to stay clear, and coupled with his own guilty conscience from secretly collecting these memories over the years, he was taken advantage of. In other words, it's possible that the club still doesn't know what they've encountered, and still thinks the people in a few of the parks have mysteriously disappeared?
Thinking of this, Clement couldn't help but take a deep look at Andre. He hadn't expected that this Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, who usually appeared so straightforward, was actually an ultimate schemer behind the scenes, capable of using such underhanded tricks like stealing a beam and replacing a pillar.
But even if he vaguely understood the truth of the matter at this moment, he dared not say it out loud on the spot, not even if there were only the two of them present. Because no matter what the facts were, this incident was already a done deal. In the minds of those hundreds of wizards, the Silver Spears was responsible for all of this, and their conspiracy was to divide the country.
But the most ironic thing was that most of what those ordinary wizards believed was actually true! Clement couldn't possibly run out and say that although the Silver Spears was indeed plotting to divide Germany and indeed used civilian organizations to sow discord, they didn't actually kidnap them, could he? If he dared to say that, not only would those wizards not believe him, but they might even be so enraged that they would beat him to death.
And this box of memories in front of him was solid evidence. With these, it would probably only be a matter of time before Peter and his cronies were removed from the Ministry of Magic.
After understanding all of this, Clement realized that he had no way out. The truth of the matter was no longer important. All he could do now was seek a glimmer of hope for himself!
After pondering for a long time, Clement couldn't help but sigh deeply, then looked at the rugged-faced man in front of him with a defeated expression. "Tell me, what do you need me to do? I will cooperate fully!"
"It seems he was right; you are indeed a smart man." Andre nodded in satisfaction. "From now on, your identity will be that of an informant embedded in the Silver Spears, arranged by our Department of Magical Law Enforcement. And these things…" Andre pointed to the box of memories in front of him. "These are the pieces of evidence you meticulously collected for us to complete your mission. Next, you will be questioned by the Wizengamot. I think you understand what you should say."
"I see, I understand." Clement saw that the other party had already arranged everything, and he understood that he could only accept the identity of a pawn. However, he still looked at Andre with a hint of eagerness, "Then, what do you plan to do with my future? I have no other requests; I just want to live a good life!"
Andre couldn't help but glance at him scornfully. "Hmph, I know, otherwise you wouldn't have collected so many good things. Don't worry, I'm not like Peter. I won't do things like discarding a donkey after it has served its purpose. As long as you cooperate well, ensuring your lifelong safety won't be a problem. However, everything you've gained by profiting through the club over the years, whether it's the magic supply store or those black markets, cannot be returned to you. I hope you are prepared for that."
After hearing Andre's words, Clement did not find the conditions harsh; instead, he let out a long sigh of relief as if relieved. If the other party had promised to restore his identity, Clement might have suspected Andre was tricking him, but stripping him of all his property instead made him certain of Andre's sincerity.
"No problem, I can offer everything to you, but from now on, Pi…" Clement was about to say Peter's name when the contract in his mind suddenly activated, preventing his attempt, causing him to change his address, "From now on, that person and the club behind him will surely hate me to the bone. I only hope you can have pity on me, at least allowing me to live out the rest of my life in peace."
"Heh, are you really that afraid of death?" Andre looked at him with a hint of mockery. "Alright, I promise you, as long as you cooperate well, I will arrange a new identity for you to live in seclusion. However, this time the club and Peter probably won't get off so easily; whether they can survive is still up in the air."
"I don't know how much you understand about the club, but their strength is not as simple as you imagine, especially the individual strength of some wizards among them." Due to the restrictions of the contract, Clement couldn't be too explicit, only hinting indirectly.
"Individual strength, you say? I know. When I killed that Phoenix, I already experienced her skill. You don't need to worry about that." Andre naturally knew what Clement was referring to, but with Alan and Moody by his side, and having just cut off an arm of the club, he wasn't afraid of their counterattack.
"What? You've already killed that person?" Clement stared at Andre in disbelief. His understanding of the club was very detailed; that Phoenix was a truly important figure in the Silver Spears, rumored to have a status no less than Golden Knight himself. And yet, she died so silently? Thinking of this, Clement couldn't help but tremble all over. This Director Andre was even more terrifying than he had imagined; not only were his methods superb, but his strength was also unfathomable!
Realizing this, Clement tremblingly flattered, "With a great figure like you in the German magical world, those petty individuals in the club are certainly no match for you."
"Enough nonsense." Andre, seeing the other party completely submit, contentedly took out a document and threw it in front of him. "This is your cover story. How to speak and what to do are clearly recorded on it. Next, I will arrange a single room for you. Make sure you familiarize yourself with it. Understood?"
"Yes, Director Andre." Clement picked up the document with trepidation, and then was led by Andre into a sealed single room.
After dealing with Clement's matter, Andre somewhat helplessly took out a piece of parchment and then put a checkmark at the end of one of the lines.
"Alan's instructions for handling matters are truly numerous and troublesome. This boy really doesn't have any consideration for an old man like me. Let me see, the next item is to meet with reporters from The Goblin Vanguard and other media. Do I really have to publish those embarrassing news articles?" Andre sighed with considerable helplessness, but still faithfully carried out the contents of the schedule one by one.
That very night, a huge storm affecting the entire German Ministry of Magic was silently brewing. And the other party involved in this incident, Peter, was still at his residence, immersed in a sweet dream.
It wasn't until early the next morning that Peter was awakened by a loud knocking. As he groggily opened the door, he found it was Michelle, the Director of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, also known as Nundu from the club. He was clutching a newspaper and anxiously pounding on the door.
Seeing Peter open the door, Michelle urgently shouted, "Something big has happened! Something big has happened to the club!"