"Master, what did you just say?"
Standing nearby, Malika hadn't quite caught Wentworth's muttered words and asked softly, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
Hearing her speak, Wentworth turned his face toward her, his expression unreadable, half-smiling, half-skeptical. He kept his eyes fixed on Malika until she began to fidget, clearly uneasy. Only then did Wentworth speak, his tone surprisingly gentle:
"All right, Malika. Now you can go ahead and tell Juma everything we just discussed."
At that, Malika's face instantly tightened with anxiety. She hurriedly stammered, her voice laced with panic:
"Master, please, listen to me! What I said just now, it's true, every word of it! I truly—"
But she didn't get the chance to finish. Wentworth cut her off without a hint of concern, speaking almost casually:
"What a convenient coincidence. I'd barely set foot back in Uagadou, hadn't even entered my quarters, and you came running straight to me. There's an old saying from where I'm from—'the prettier the woman, the better the liar.' But it doesn't really matter now, does it? Because I already have the answer I needed."
"Whether what you told me is true or not, you can now report back to Juma and tell him I know everything. And I won't be hiding any of it. I fully intend to tell my grandfather."
"If your words were sincere, if you truly want to leave Africa, to break ties with the Kalembo tribe, then this conversation will serve as your oath of allegiance. Survive what comes next, and my promise remains: I will take you to Europe and ensure your safety."
"But if you were lying, if you were merely sent to spy for Juma, then that's fine, too. You can go back and give him your report. I won't stop you."
Malika stood frozen, stunned by Wentworth's declaration. She stared at him blankly for a long moment, as though trying to comprehend the full weight of his words. Then, at last, she spoke, her voice trembling but tinged with defiance:
"Wentworth… do you even realize how serious this is? This is Africa. This is Uagadou. And Dumbledore isn't here yet! Aren't you afraid you might never make it back to Europe?"
Wentworth only chuckled lightly at that, dismissing her concerns with a flick of his hand.
"Oh, I'd love to see how your tribe plans to stop me from leaving Africa. Believe me, the cost would be far too high. Juma can't afford it, and neither can the entire Kalembo tribe."
Malika looked at him for a long moment, searching his face. Then, wordlessly, she turned and began to walk away. But after just a few steps, she paused, glanced over her shoulder with a wry smile, and said:
"Actually… most of what I said earlier was true, Master."
Wentworth offered her a soft smile, waving her off with a relaxed gesture.
"Go on then. Everything I just told you was true, too."
He watched as Malika hurried away, then stretched languidly and rose from the grassy lawn where he'd been dining.
He was just about to find a Uagadou student to ask for directions to the Headmaster's Office when, by chance, he ran into Jabari and Nala, brother and sister, arriving for the start of classes.
Wentworth stepped toward them, but before he could speak, Nala's eyes widened as she recognized him.
"Wentworth? Is that really you?"
He smiled and nodded. "It is. Could you tell me how to get to the Headmaster's Office?"
Nala looked startled, and her expression quickly turned worried.
"Wentworth, what are you planning to do? Please, don't do anything rash. I told you everything so you could report it to Professor Dumbledore, not—"
Wentworth interrupted with a calming smile.
"Of course I'll tell Headmaster Dumbledore. Don't worry."
But his reassurance only made Nala more anxious. She insisted on escorting him personally to the office.
Faced with her resolve, Wentworth could only shrug and say, "All right then, let's go together."
Relieved, Nala exhaled deeply.
Then Wentworth subtly motioned for Jabari to come closer. When the boy stepped aside with him, Wentworth whispered something in his ear.
Jabari's eyes went wide, he looked like he'd seen a ghost. He immediately shook his head in alarm, but before he could object further, Wentworth produced a small sack of Galleons from his robes and pressed it into the boy's hand.
Jabari weighed the bag for a moment, his face clearly conflicted. But at last, he gave a firm nod.
Satisfied, Wentworth clapped him on the shoulder, and Jabari turned to leave.
Wentworth then returned to Nala's side and said softly, "All right. Let's be on our way."
As they made their way toward the Headmaster's Office, Nala glanced at him and asked what he had said to her brother.
"I asked him to look into something for me," Wentworth replied nonchalantly.
"Is it dangerous?" she asked, worried.
Wentworth considered the question for a moment before answering calmly, "As long as he's not caught, there's no danger at all. If he is caught… well, as long as he doesn't die on the spot, he should be fine."
Nala: "…"
As Nala led Wentworth through the winding paths of Uagadou, Malika arrived at Juma's luxurious residence near the school.
The building wasn't home to Juma alone, several other students from the Kalembo tribe studying at Uagadou also lived there.
Seeing Malika arrive, many greeted her with warm smiles and enthusiastic eyes. In the past, she might've returned their attention with playful banter, but not today.
Today, Malika went straight to the top floor.
Two wizards holding wands stood guard at the stairwell, clearly not Uagadou students. But Malika showed no sign of surprise.
"I want to see my cousin," she said firmly.
One of the guards went upstairs while the other kept his eyes trained on her. A moment later, the first guard returned.
"Miss Malika," he said formally, "the young master will see you now."
Malika took a deep breath, ascended the final steps, and entered a richly decorated study where Juma sat silently behind a massive desk, a book open in front of him.
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TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— patreon(.)com/PrimalDemon [remove the parentheses ( )]