Moody wasn't interested in the usual equipment; instead, he was staring at two other items on the table. Everyone else followed his gaze, and their expressions slowly shifted to confusion and even a bit of disgust. The items in question were a pure white mask with no facial features and a snow-white wizard's coat with a hood.
"Isn't this the mask of those Silver Wand? Why are these here?" a blunt German Auror blurted out. The local wizards were all too familiar with the Silver Wand uniforms.
"You've got that right," Alex said with a calm smile, nodding without denying it. "What you're looking at is the standard gear of the Silver Wand guns. This time, we all have to wear these suits for the mission."
"Huh? Why are we wearing Silver Wand outfit?"
"Exactly, we're Aurors on official duty. Why would we dress like criminals?"
"They're a subordinate group of the Silver Wand. If we wear their clothes, won't we be recognized immediately?"
Everyone exchanged uneasy looks, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of disguising themselves as Silver Wands. Andre, Amelia, Moody, Newt, and the others standing nearby seemed lost in thought.
"So, you mean we're going to pretend to be Silver Wands?" Andre said, eyes brightening as if he had just figured out Alex's plan.
"It seems you're already aware of the situation," Alex said, nodding before glancing around at the others. "Everyone knows that many civilian wizards in those breeding bases don't know the truth. If Aurors just capture them openly and reveal their identities, it's easy to cause misunderstandings."
"So what's the plan?" Amelia asked, her eyes suddenly lighting up with realization as she looked at Alex.
"We'll disguise ourselves as Silver Wands and blame the attack on the them," Alex explained with a small smile. "That way, even after we free the civilian wizards, they'll still harbor resentment toward the Silver Wand organization."
"Ah, I see now," Amelia said, understanding dawning. "No wonder you weren't worried about capturing so many civilian wizards at once. You already have an escape plan. If we capture them under the Silver Wands' name, they won't blame us."
The head of the Ministry of Magic chuckled darkly. "I like this approach." Moody, always a proponent of ruthless tactics against criminals, showed no hesitation about using dirty tricks against the Silver Wands.
"But is this really the right move?" Andre asked, still uncertain. "Many wizards who collaborate with the Silver Wands will know we're not actually them."
Andre wasn't entirely opposed to the idea, but he doubted whether it would work.
"Whoever claims they can be sure we're not the Silver Wands is mistaken," Alex said with a sneer. "If we act convincingly enough, we can fool them. Besides, most of the collaborators have never even met the Silver Wands in person. The real question is, what will the managers in the place do if we manage to convince them?"
"You mean trick people like Claremont into defecting by pretending to be Silver Wands?" Andre said, beginning to understand Alex's plan.
"And it's not just deception," Alex continued, voice calm but carrying a chilling edge.
"Sometimes, threats or promises work better. Claremont and the others have a lot of influence in the place. If he leads the way, no one will doubt we're the Silver Wands.
With their power, we can slowly shift public opinion in Germany and even have them testify, exposing Eisenberg's true nature or revealing all the dirty deeds those civil organizations have been involved in," Alex explained.
Andre considered the idea and saw its potential, it seemed quite doable. "But..." Andre hesitated, clearly concerned, "we've captured so many wizards already. What reason can we give to release them later?
Letting them go freely could put them in danger. You know the Silver Wand is a ruthless criminal group; we can't expect them to hold back."
Alex smiled a little, teasing. "It's actually pretty simple. Imagine the headlines: 'Brave Chief Andre Leads Auror Forces to Rescue Innocent Citizens from the Evil Silver Wand.'
That kind of publicity would skyrocket your reputation after just one battle. You might even replace Eisenberg as Minister of Magic."
At that, everyone's eyes lit up. If things went as smoothly as Alex described, it didn't seem impossible. First, they'd stage the Silver Wand's kidnapping of these civilians, then Andre and the Aurors would swoop in for a heroic rescue.
Andre would become everyone's savior, and the Department of Law Enforcement's standing in the Ministry of Magic would rise dramatically. Plus, the Aurors could protect those civilians under the pretense of fearing the Silver Wand's retaliation, making it dangerous for the Silver Wand to act against them.
"So this is your ultimate goal?" Amelia asked, stunned.
She hadn't expected that the young man who'd only been in Germany for a little over ten days had already uncovered so many details about the Silver Wand, and could think so far ahead. If this plan worked, the Silver Wand's reputation in Germany would be completely destroyed. And if they could link the Silver Wand directly to Eisenberg, they might even be able to push him out of the Minister's office.
"This is actually the second phase of the plan," Alex said. "Its code name is 'Blind Snake.' We'll go over the details of the operation later."
Alex smiled and said, "But everyone, don't get too hopeful just yet. We haven't completed a single step so far."
In truth, he still had a third-stage battle plan up his sleeve, but that was something he kept to himself for now. Then, with a sudden burst of energy, he asked, "So what are we waiting for? Let's move quickly. Everyone gear up and get ready for real combat drills. The success or failure of this mission hinges on this moment. Give me your all!"
Andre, visibly fired up, shouted to the Aurors around him, rallying them. Alex's plan had the full backing of both Alex and Amelia, which made them some of the most committed participants during the exercises, even more strict and focused than Alex himself.
This time, the Aurors faced a tough challenge. After being split into groups, they dove straight into relentless tactical drills. Fang, acting as the referee, constantly found fault with their performance, while Director Andre kept up the pressure from the sidelines.
Meanwhile, Alex had rigged the place with numerous traps. Occasionally, cardboard cutouts representing enemies would pop up unexpectedly in corners. If anyone hesitated even briefly, Fang would sneer and bark orders.
"Focus! Remember to cast the Silent Amulet first when you encounter enemies during these sweeps!" he'd shout.
"Are you really Aurors? You can't even manage simple corner checks? When one person clears a corner, another should watch their back!"
"Cross-alert! How many times do I have to tell you to cross-check? The one in the rear, your vision is blocked by the person in front, isn't it? How can you not get such a basic tactic?"