Upon hearing Nala's words, Headmistress Adisa, who had just opened her mouth to speak, gave a bitter smile instead, and murmured to herself:
"Yes... I don't even know what I did wrong to bring things to this point."
Meanwhile, in the study of Juma, Malika's face was flushed red to the point of near unconsciousness, her lips frothing as she struggled under Juma's grip around her throat.
At last, Juma released her, flinging her aside with a sharp motion.
It took several moments before Malika came to her senses and staggered back to her feet. Juma stood by his desk, brows tightly furrowed in deep thought.
Seeing his expression, Malika dared not speak a word. She waited silently, standing off to the side. Finally, after a long pause, Juma sighed and said in a low voice:
"No one can know about our deal with Wentworth. If the International Confederation of Wizards gets wind of this... they will never allow it."
Malika immediately replied, her voice laced with urgency:
"When I left, Wentworth had already gone to the Headmistress's office to speak with Lakayla Adisa!"
Juma shot her a penetrating look and spoke with layered meaning:
"Funny, isn't it? After all that's happened, the only one who still has room to maneuver… is you, Malika Kalembo. I've underestimated you."
Before Malika could explain, Juma raised his wand toward her.
In her startled eyes, fear fully bloomed.
"Stupefy!"
With a single glance at her unconscious body, Juma turned and strode quickly from the study.
As he stepped out, two black-robed wizards who had been stationed outside the door immediately fell into step behind him, one on either side.
Juma's expression was grim as he descended the stairs. Seeing him approach, members of the Kalembo tribe who had been casually gathered on the ground floor quickly rushed over.
Some started to greet him, until they saw the look on his face. Instantly, silence fell over the room.
Juma swept his eyes across the crowd and said in a low, commanding voice:
"Everyone from the Kalembo tribe, follow me to the Headmistress's office. Find Wentworth, no matter who stands in your way, you are not to stop!"
A wave of uneasy murmurs spread through the room. Someone finally summoned the courage to ask:
"But Young Master... what if Headmistress Adisa doesn't allow—"
He didn't even finish before Juma bellowed:
"I said, no matter who stands in your way! Do not stop! I want him found, now! Immediately! Go!"
His roar sent the room into chaos. The witches and wizards of the Kalembo tribe scattered like startled birds, dispersing in every direction.
Watching them rush out, Juma murmured to the two wizards at his back:
"Let's go. I trust the two of you haven't forgotten your true mission in Uagadou?"
The two black-robed wizards exchanged a look. One of them replied:
"Of course not, Young Master. Our most critical task is to be ready, should anything go awry at Uagadou, we are to engage Lakayla Adisa directly."
Juma nodded solemnly.
"Then let's move."
As he turned and strode away, the once opulently adorned Kalembo residence, buzzing with life just moments ago, was left in utter silence.
Not long after, a shadow appeared cautiously at the door, peering inside. Confirming the building was empty, the figure slipped through the threshold.
It was Jabari Nwadike.
He crept soundlessly into Juma's private residence. A few minutes later, he emerged again, only now, he carried a second figure over his shoulders.
Back in the Headmistress's office, the three within were still unaware of the events rapidly unfolding. The heavy silence lingered until Wentworth finally spoke, breaking the tension:
"I don't think Headmistress Adisa has done anything wrong. Perhaps... it's just that the times have abandoned Uagadou."
His words caused both Lakayla and Nala to pause. Wentworth continued:
"The wizarding world is a closed one, relatively speaking, but that doesn't mean it doesn't evolve."
"The arrival of European wizards brought more than just wands. They brought the greed that always follows them... their gaze fell on Africa's resources as well."
"In the past, when African wizards believed their continent was the whole world, Uagadou, being the most prestigious magical school in Africa, naturally held an exalted place."
"But once they realized that Uagadou is merely one of many magical institutions worldwide, and that there are a dozen schools just as good, Uagadou began to lose its awe in their eyes."
"Worse still, after witnessing the prosperity of Europe, then turning back to see the poverty of Africa... well, wizards are human too. That contrast, it breaks something inside. The things they once feared to dream of... they now dare to act on."
Lakayla nodded solemnly, clearly moved.
"You're right. Perhaps Wentworth speaks the truth. Most of the funding we used to run Uagadou didn't come from alumni donations, it came from bartering. We'd trade potions, herbs, and magical goods with tribes across Africa."
"Sometimes, we even provided healing services to the wizarding clans nearby. That's how Uagadou survived, through wind and rain, for over a thousand years…"
She trailed off, her voice heavy with regret.
"…and yet in my hands, it has come to this."
Though Nala still looked bitter, she finally spoke up to comfort her:
"Headmistress... it's not your fault. I... I was wrong about you. I thought you had taken that money and—"
But Lakayla interrupted her, her voice filled with sorrow:
"No. Uagadou's fall is my burden to bear. I am its greatest failure. I was the one who fell for the lies of the Kalembo tribe, all those years ago."
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TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— patreon(.)com/PrimalDemon [remove the parentheses ( )]