Sebastian, however, wasn't entirely convinced. "Out of all your old comrades, he's the most loyal to the leader. He was your brother once, wasn't he? Are you really sure you can go through with it?"
He wasn't questioning Gerald's loyalty, exactly, but he couldn't shake the feeling that Gerald's current stance might just be a temporary outburst, emotion-driven, not grounded.
Gerald's eyes narrowed. "That's not your concern." His voice was icy.
"What is your concern is keeping a close eye on me from now on. If the headquarters contacts you, whether it's Golden Snidget or Horned Basilisk, I expect you to send me everything. No delays."
"Got it." Sebastian didn't even flinch at the tone. He was used to it. His teacher had always spoken like that, commanding, sharp, like someone who didn't believe in asking twice. And really, what else could he do?
Gerald's power was undeniable, and Sebastian knew better than to challenge someone he couldn't beat. Admitting that didn't make him a coward. It made him smart.
After getting what he wanted with his usual forcefulness and efficiency, Gerald stood, gave them no parting words, and walked out. One moment he was there, the next, gone.
Only when the door shut behind him did Sebastian and Martin finally breathe out. That man… no, that Thunderbird, his presence was suffocating. Their so-called cooperation had never felt like true teamwork. It was less persuasion, more coercion.
But for Alex, who had just left the scene wearing Gerald's face, things had never felt more relaxed.
He chuckled to himself. "Didn't think Thunderbird's identity would be this handy. No need for polite talk or subtle moves, just go in guns blazing. Honestly, if things ever get too complicated, I might as well keep using this face."
A smirk crossed his lips as he began sorting through the materials he'd collected.
He had two main goals now.
First, he needed to carefully study the documents and blueprints, searching for vulnerabilities in the headquarters' defenses. If he could find flaws in the design, he might be able to upgrade the faceless mask, and more importantly, improve its tracking and infiltration features. Any edge he could get would make slipping into the organization easier.
Second, he had to complete the bloodline fusion. Without fully assimilating Thunderbird's blood, he wouldn't be able to unlock the mask's full potential, nor access the stored information or the list of contacts tied to the Thunderbird identity.
Once both were done, he could fully take over Thunderbird's persona and start reaching out to the scattered members of Silver Wand.
Still, none of this could be rushed. First, he had to finish his mission in Egypt. Thankfully, he'd already spoken with the Sphinx. His reappearance as Alex wouldn't raise any alarms with the Silver Wand, at least for now.
As for the possibility of someone discovering his link to Sebastian, Alex wasn't too worried. Based on everything he'd seen so far, the members of Silver Wand weren't just hiding their identities, they flat out didn't trust each other. Not even a little.
Even if the Sphinx grew suspicious, he probably wouldn't say a word. And if things did leak, well, so what? Alex had already beaten Thunderbird once. If push came to shove, he'd take down the next guy and wear his face instead.
With his plan mapped out, Alex removed the mask, returning to his usual self. He pulled on his cloak, left the safehouse, and quietly returned to the hotel, just another tourist passing through Cairo, unnoticed.
As soon as Alex returned to the hotel, Barnabas was already waiting for him. Now that the three-day alchemy conference had ended and the trade agreements had been re-signed, he had clearly come to discuss follow-up matters.
"Alex, where have you been these past two days?" he asked with a knowing smile. "Let me guess, you went off and signed another exclusive contract with some master alchemist, didn't you?"
His tone was half-teasing, but there was genuine curiosity behind it. After all, Alex was now officially affiliated with the British Ministry of Magic, and the more his business expanded, the better it was for everyone involved, especially for the Ministry's overseas influence.
Alex could only give a helpless sigh at Barnabas's eager expression. "It's not that simple," he said.
"Signing distribution contracts isn't something I can just rush through. Our trade relationship with Egypt's local alchemists was mainly possible because of you and Professor Bones acting as intermediaries.
When it comes to other countries, I have to vet every merchant carefully. One wrong deal, and I could end up being cheated blind."
He rubbed his temples, then continued with a slight grin. "I've spent the past couple of days researching local alchemy tools and inspecting product lines. Honestly, there's a lot of good stuff here.
I've gotten tons of inspiration for my own projects. If things go smoothly, I might even launch a new alchemy device soon. Summoning-type. You'll want to keep an eye out for it."
Barnabas raised his eyebrows in interest, clearly intrigued by the idea. Alex smiled as he spoke, not entirely lying. While he had spent some time following the Sphinx and dealing with matters that definitely weren't trade-related, he'd also wandered through the streets of Kara, buying up rare alchemical props and obscure books he'd never come across before.
The part about new products wasn't an exaggeration, either. After studying the communication functions built into the Silver Wand's mask, Alex had begun developing a device that allowed long-range magical communication.
He'd even tested it once, contacting Fang remotely through the prototype. The only problem was the production cost. The device was expensive to make, and Alex had been looking for a way to cut those costs without sacrificing quality.
Luckily, Sebastian had unknowingly handed him a breakthrough: information about a synthetic material called Magic Glue. This artificial compound turned out to be not only cheaper to produce but also more effective than the materials he had been using.
The best part? It wasn't some rare goblin-forged alloy like Iser Mithril, which meant it wasn't tightly controlled or prohibitively expensive.
The recipe for Magic Glue was bizarre by Muggle standards, just a mix of everyday magic alloys, magical beast oils, and extracts from enchanted plants, but it worked. It was simple, effective, and very Egyptian. He'd even seen it in action, the Silver Wand's mask itself was made from it.
Though the cost of manufacturing Magic Glue wasn't dirt cheap, it was reasonable. And since the component size of his communication earbud was far smaller than something like a wand or a mask, the profit margins were excellent.
This could easily become one of Wilson's Arcane Alchemica's most lucrative products yet.
"Really?" Barnabas lit up like a child hearing about a new toy. "Now I really can't wait!"