In the international magical community, Poland could truly be called disaster-ridden.
First Grindelwald appeared, then the Minister for Magic was attacked in person, and after that, criminals broke into the Ministry of Magic.
Silver Hand Fashion Architecture was responsible for rebuilding the Ministry of Magic, which was a good thing.
But not long after Silver Hand Fashion Architecture began work, the Ministry of Magic was invaded again.
A figure hid on the floor of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, panting heavily with a wand in his hand.
"This money really is getting harder and harder to earn."
Hearing the shouts of those running past, Gus, who was hiding under a desk, breathed a sigh of relief.
"Luckily, I'm clever. But that Minister for Magic doesn't look like a good person."
He had mixed in with the employees of Silver Hand Fashion Architecture to enter the Ministry of Magic. While everyone was staring at Tommy, he had quietly slipped into the Auror Office.
Originally, everything had gone smoothly, until he saw the eye symbol on that door.
Aurors appeared and nearly caught him. Fortunately, he had blown open the wall and escaped.
The current Ministry of Magic was like a maze. During this period, Silver Hand Fashion Architecture had already completed quite a bit of renovation.
If it were anyone else, it would take some effort to escape, but for Gus, he had the architectural blueprints.
He took out the blueprints and identified his current location.
"I should be in the Ludicrous Patents Office now. I need to run to the right. There's a staircase there leading upward. On the last step, there's a gap not covered by the Anti-Apparition protections."
Gus memorised the route on the blueprints and took out the stolen wand.
"This thing is worth three thousand Galleons?"
It was not that he did not know it was dangerous, but the other party had offered too much.
Gus said to himself, "I'll retire after this job."
After saying that, he had just poked his head out from under the desk when he saw a wand reach into the office.
"Protego!"
The Shield Charm had just formed when explosive flames swallowed the office.
The next second, the desk exploded into countless pieces that flew toward the door, and a figure darted out, rushing for the entrance.
The Aurors waiting at the door were just about to check inside when they were struck by the exploding desk.
Starr used a Shield Charm to block the attack, only to see a streak of green light flying toward him.
Without the slightest hesitation, he dodged aside. The green light blew out the lights behind them, plunging the surrounding area into darkness.
Gus followed the green light and ran out, heading straight for the staircase without looking back.
"Stop him!"
Starr used Lumos to illuminate the area and saw that Gus had left.
Without hesitation, the members of the Inspection Division chased after him.
"More money. More money. I'm definitely charging more for this job!"
Gus lowered his head, and a streak of green light brushed past his hair.
He waved his wand and pulled a desk over to block the attacks from behind.
Gus cursed Musashi for having no loyalty. In the past, they had always split the money fifty-fifty, but because of matters at the Magic Institute, Musashi had stayed in Japan.
Now Gus was alone, being chased by a group of people.
The desk exploded, sending fragments flying everywhere.
Gus slid across the floor and sent himself into the stairwell.
"Permanent Sticking Charm!"
After closing the door and casting the Permanent Sticking Charm on it, Gus looked up.
"No one told me this staircase was this long!"
He stared at that long staircase and utterly hated the person who had designed it.
He sprinted upward as the sound of constant impacts came from outside the door.
Starr pushed aside the Aurors blocking his way and aimed his wand at the door.
"Confringo!"
The explosion blasted a hole in the door. Starr frowned. "Everyone, use the Blasting Curse together!"
This door had been specially chosen by the Silver Hand precisely to delay them for a little longer.
But with several Aurors acting together, a rumbling series of explosions sounded.
Gus, who was painfully climbing the stairs, knew it would not hold for much longer.
Glancing at the last dozen or so steps, he wailed and climbed upward.
When he reached the final five steps, the door was blown open.
BOOM!
Starr rushed into the stairwell and aimed his wand at Gus, firing a spell.
Gus bent down to dodge and fired back a streak of red light, forcing himself to run forward.
"I'm definitely charging more for this job!"
He roared and stepped onto the final stair.
Starr was struck by the red light, and the wand in his right hand flew out of his grip. He reacted quickly, throwing a streak of silver light at Gus with his left hand.
"Disapparate!" snap!
Gus vanished.
Starr panted heavily as he climbed to that step. His eyes fixed fiercely on the place where Gus had disappeared, and he said coldly, "He won't get far. Issue a warrant."
The Aurors climbing the stairs were also panting heavily, inwardly cursing the person who had built the staircase hundreds of times over.
On that step, a drop of bright red blood remained.
Starr dipped his wand into the blood.
...
The warrant was quickly issued.
The Polish Ministry of Magic held Silver Hand Fashion Architecture accountable, claiming that the Ministry of Magic they had rebuilt contained a flaw.
But Tommy, the Silver Hand's person in charge, openly admitted it. That place had not been completed yet. It had originally been scheduled to be finished today, but because of the invasion, they had been confined to the atrium and had no right to enter.
The Polish Ministry of Magic suffered a mute loss.
Gus appeared at the mouth of an alley in the wizarding settlement. He clutched his chest, where a silver blade had pierced into him.
Blood dripped through his fingers.
"Urg.. I didn't expect ...one mistake to ..nearly take my life."
Gus smiled bitterly. Glancing at the wand in his hand, he supported himself against the wall and walked into a side road.
The urgent task now was to find the contact and hand over the wand.
Hiding behind a box, his breathing grew heavy, and every breath felt as if it were tearing his lungs apart.
Excessive blood loss blurred his consciousness.
"This... huff.. is a Dark magic product."
Injuries caused by Dark magic were difficult to heal. If he rashly pulled it out, Gus would probably spray blood on the spot.
Hearing the footsteps of the searchers fade into the distance, he poked his head out from behind the box.
One thought in his mind supported him and kept him moving.
"M-More money. Give me... more money. This time I'm charging double.... No! T-Triple!"
He staggered a few steps toward the Johnny Silverhand branch.
But here, Starr had already led a team to watch the surroundings.
Gus took a deep breath, and the piercing pain in his heart nearly suffocated him.
"Ug.. cough.. Am I going to die here?" His eyelids were heavy. Forcing out the last of his strength, he headed toward another contact point.
Fortunately, there was still a second contact point. Unfortunately, he could not use Apparition a second time in his current state.
Doing so would cause the blade to completely shred his heart. He could only rely on walking.
He evaded the search teams along the way. Just reaching the place almost exhausted the last of his strength.
Perhaps even the Ministry of Magic had not expected that he would choose to walk there.
The Aurors he encountered along the way did not discover him.
Finally, he reached the contact point.
"Haah.. huff.. haa.."
On a bridge, he leaned against the railing. Through his blurred consciousness, he saw someone walk up to him.
Gus could only hope the person was the contact. Otherwise, he no longer had the ability to fight back.
That person came up to Gus and was startled by his injuries.
"Are you all right?" The voice sounded somewhat young.
Gus lifted his eyes and said impatiently, "Try.. cough.. Try getting stabbed... through the heart and see... if you're all right."
The person was left speechless. Gus drew his wand, pointed it at the person's heart, and said, "Tell me, who do you serve?"
"John Wick."
"B-Bingo. Correct ...answer."
The wand slipped from his hand and fell into the person's grasp. Gus raised his head, waved his hand, and said, "Go. Tell my boss to pay me more. Tell him I put all my money in the house at the foot of Weasel Hill."
Gus's voice grew quieter and quieter as he said intermittently, "That money... exchange half of it... into Muggle currency... and donate it to Zolid Orphanage... Send the other half to 78 Brown Scorpion Tail Alley... to Amyia..."
"Tell the boss... following him... was very... interesting..."
His voice disappeared, and the contact stared blankly at the wand in his hand.
"Was it worth it?"
Giving up his life.
The contact turned and left.
Not long after he left, Gus opened his eyes and stood up trembling.
He could confirm it now. The other party really was the contact.
Drawing his own wand, he turned to look at Starr as he appeared.
A drop of blood on the tip of Starr's wand was slowly creeping toward Gus.
"H-Hah.. haha.. cough.. hahaha." Gus smiled and said, "You will never ...catch a peace-loving... benevolent wizard."
Closing his eyes, he thought that he really was going to retire after all.
Then he fell backward, plunging into the rushing river.
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