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"I didn't expect you to be getting better and better. You killed the basilisk and a soul from fifty years ago. And the most important thing is that the owner of this soul was the man who once threw the entire British wizarding world into chaos. You've really outdone yourself."
Sitting in a cafĂŠ on Horsford Road, Constantine stared at Noah with a strange expression.
Although he'd been away from Britain for a while, he never expected this guy to cause such a stir.
Who was Tom RiddleâLord Voldemort?
Before Constantine left, Voldemort had already launched a "Pure-blood Supremacy" movement in Britain. But then he vanished without a trace. Rumor had it that he was defeated by a newborn babyâHarry Potter.
The whole story sounded too unbelievable to be true.
Back then, Constantine had also been considered a Squib. Naturally, he didn't want to get involved in that mess, so he left the country.
If it hadn't been for Noah's invitation, he probably wouldn't have come back at all.
"I can only say I got lucky," Noah said, sighing as he stirred his coffee. He turned to look at Harry, who sat beside him. "Dude, seriously, don't ever do something like that again. Got it?"
"Sorry, Noah, I..." Harry replied awkwardly.
Their current outing was largely because Ms. Haifin was fuming.
She believed the school had completely failed in its responsibility to protect its students. Moreover, she didn't buy the idea that Noah just happened to run into the basilisk.
Why were others so "unlucky"âsome ending up dead, others petrifiedâyet when it came to Noah, he not only survived but killed the basilisk?
To her, it was obvious Noah and his team had prepared in advance and deliberately hunted it down.
You could say women's intuition and assumptions could be outrageous, but Noah didn't dare challenge Ms. Haifin's fury. So he dragged Constantine out for a slow, strategic conversation.
"Alright, let's not talk about that," Noah said, shaking his head before turning to Constantine. "Honestly, I thought you'd either come back alone or bring all your old friends with you. I didn't expect you to show up with an apprentice."
Constantine glanced at Chase, who stood beside him, and smiled. "He's smart, brave, hardworking, and his talent isn't bad either. Lately, he's been completing assignments independently in the U.S. I'd originally planned to let him stay there, but he insisted on coming with me."
"Is that so? I heard the U.S. isn't all that peaceful these days."
"You're right about that. The old man from Stark Industries had a car accident. We got dragged into investigating that mess. And don't even get me started on the mutants. They've been more restless than ever. God knows what they're planning."
He paused and corrected himself. "No, actuallyâit's already split. One group's running an academy. The other's basically anti-human. It's been a nightmare."
Constantine didn't hold back in venting to Noah, who found it both amusing and intriguing.
Stark's "accident" had happened around last Christmas, but based on Constantine's tone, it sounded like the authorities suspected foul play.
As for the mutants? Let them fight all they want. There were two "perverted" old men keeping them in check anyway. It didn't seem like things would go too farâhopefully.
At least, the one who could manipulate metal wouldn't let outsiders exploit the chaos.
"Wait, you just said you were pulled into investigating Stark's car accident?"
"Yeah. That guy wasn't in a car accidentâhe was assassinated. But the higher-ups were a pain in the ass. They don't even know who they're dealing with. If it weren't for the Ministry of Magic's laws, we would've handled things very differently. So instead, we just... lied to them."
"You lied?"
"Yep. All of us exorcists coordinated our story. No matter who asked, we claimed it was just an accident. If any outsider tried to interfere, we'd deal with them accordingly. If they don't listen..."
Constantine let out a cold laugh and left the rest unsaid.
But Noah and Harry got the message. Constantine meant they'd either blacklist or completely isolate any interfering exorcist.
And make no mistake: without support from the local exorcist circle, outsiders wouldn't even be able to buy potions, let alone gather intelligence or acquire combat equipment. They'd be completely cut off from the magical world.
As for the Ministry of Magic's law? It was simple: anyone living in or connected to the magical world must not attack Muggles without just cause.
The power imbalance was just too great. If rogue magic-users went on a rampage, they could overturn entire governments before anyone even realized it.
Harry had been listening silently the whole time. This was his first time hearing about all this, and the things Noah and Constantine discussed were completely foreign to him.
Chase, Constantine's apprentice, also remained quiet.
"Alright, Noah. Let's get to the point," Constantine said as he drained the last of his coffee. "You called me here, so here I am. What's the plan?"
"It's simple. I need moneyâand so do you," Noah said without mincing words.
"That's true. I need the cash, and your help too. So, what's next?"
"First, we need to find a place where you can set up shop for Muggles. The angels and demons are mostly dealt with, but there are still plenty of monstersâvampires, werewolves, you name it."
"You want me to reestablish my business here? Competing with local exorcists for clients?"
"You scared?" Noah smirked. "Don't forgetâyou've got magicians backing you."
The relationship between exorcists and magicians was complicated. But if an exorcist had a magician supporting them, their mission success rate would skyrocket.
If a magician and an exorcist competed, the magician might win through sheer firepower.
But if two exorcists went head-to-head, the one backed by a magician held the upper hand. Always.
"Alright... Are you saying you want to join up with us?" Constantine asked with a sly grin.
"You've been in the Muggle world long enough to know how profit-sharing works, right?" Noah said as he took another sip of coffee.
"Of course. You're suggesting a share system?"
"Exactly. I've already gathered nearly ten top students from Hogwartsâand that number's only going to grow. I'll invest in your office through the League of Mages. That way, if there's any danger or major crisis, you can call on us for backup."
"Wow, sounds impressive. So how do we split the money?"
"You take 80% if your team completes the mission solo. We get 20%. But if we step in, it's split 50-50."
Noah pulled out the plan he'd carefully crafted in advance.
Honestly, the deal was extremely generous toward Constantine.
Don't forgetâNoah and his team were letting Constantine use their name and reputation to attract business. That alone was a massive advantage.
A magician's backing in the magical world was invaluable. With one or more magicians behind an exorcist's firm, success was practically guaranteedâas long as they weren't completely incompetent.
And the 50-50 split? That only applied when Noah and his team actively participated. Most of the time, Constantine's team would be doing the heavy lifting.
Noah's people would be on vacation, honing their magic, and joining in only when they wanted something more exciting.
"Alright," Constantine said, clearly impressed. "Your offer's pretty generous."
"But there's one more thing I want to discuss." Noah tapped his chin.
"What is it?"
"What if I asked you to unify all the exorcists in the UK?"
"...?????"
Good thing Constantine had already finished his coffeeâotherwise he would've spat it in Noah's face.
Unify all the exorcists in Britain?
Was this guy insane?!
Exorcists were notoriously independent. Many even hated magicians. Bringing them all together would be about as hard as purifying the entire magical world and leaving only pure-bloods!
Constantine didn't think he could do it. Even if he tried, his firm would probably go bankrupt.
To unify them, he'd have to drive away anyone who hated magiciansâwhich meant losing a huge chunk of manpower.
And worst of all? Once word got out, he'd be targeted like Voldemort was.
"Don't do this to me, Noah. I don't want to end up dead in an alley the day after I unify them!" Constantine snapped.
"Fine, fine. Forget I said anything."
Noah shrugged helplessly. If Constantine could figure out the risks, so could he.
Still, the reality was depressing. In this world, you had to play by the rulesâunless you were strong enough to ignore them entirely.
"So... can you at least make your firm the biggest one?"
"I can only try, Noah. You should know the exorcist world isn't that simple. Even if I explained it, you magicians wouldn't understand. Anywayâwhere do you think we should set up our office?"
Constantine didn't want to dwell on the topic. He already knew what Noah was trying to do, so now, he'd do whatever it took to make it happen.
But first, they had to pick a location.
Noah thought for a moment and suddenly smiled.
"How about... 221B Baker Street, London?"
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