After a brief silence, Wentworth suddenly chuckled and said softly:
"Juma Kalembo? Mediocre in a duel, but quite skilled at running away!"
At that moment, Auston Greengrass, who had been standing nearby with a slight bow, opened his mouth to speak:
"Young ma—"
"Master!"
But just then, a weary voice interrupted from behind Wentworth. He turned around and saw Jabari slowly approaching, supporting Malika.
The speaker was none other than the exhausted-looking Malika Kalembo. Upon hearing how she addressed Wentworth, Auston Greengrass instinctively furrowed his brow. However, after glancing at Wentworth and seeing no reaction from him, Auston said nothing more.
Jabari brought Malika to stand beside Wentworth. Wentworth looked toward Jabari, who gave the slightest nod. Seeing this, Wentworth finally turned to Malika with a gentle smile and said warmly:
"Congratulations, Malika Kalembo. You've survived, and as I promised, you may return to Europe with me. I'll ensure your safety."
Then, he leaned in close to her ear and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"Welcome to the world of light I promised. Not only will you see the dawn, you shall live in daylight."
Hearing his words, Malika's face, still marked by exhaustion, suddenly lit up with emotion. But she held herself back, and said with great restraint:
"Master, I know how Juma Kalembo managed to escape right under the noses of so many wizards!"
At her words, Wentworth nodded slightly, then said nonchalantly:
"An Animagus, I presume?"
Startled, Malika nodded repeatedly and said:
"Yes, Master. He's an Animagus. Juma takes the form of a hummingbird!"
Wentworth let out a small laugh and replied with indifference:
"Doesn't matter. Let him run. As an old saying from the East goes: you can run from the monk, but not the temple."
Then, Wentworth turned to Rosier. She gave a small nod—message received.
At that moment, the wizards of the Alliance, who had been cleaning up the scene, suddenly grew tense. A murmur of alarm swept through them, and many quickly drew their wands, raising them in unison.
Following their line of sight, Wentworth turned to see Albus Dumbledore approaching. The Headmaster wore immaculate white robes, and his presence was as commanding as ever.
Wentworth gestured for the surrounding wizards to lower their wands and stepped forward to greet him personally.
"Headmaster Dumbledore! You've really dropped me in it this time! Don't tell me you knew exactly what was going on here and left me behind just to deal with this mess?"
Dumbledore glanced around at the Alliance members who were still eyeing him warily, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly before he replied with feigned exasperation:
"Wentworth, all these years at Hogwarts and I've never seen you truly at a disadvantage. From the looks of it, this time wasn't any different, you've gained quite a bit, haven't you?"
Wentworth waved his hands emphatically, clearly trying to explain, but Dumbledore gave him no such chance. Instead, the Headmaster looked around and asked:
"Where is Lakayla Adisa? How is she?"
At once, Wentworth made a polite gesture and led Dumbledore toward the Headmistress's chambers at Uagadou.
After the two departed, Auston approached Malika. His eyes scanned her critically. Sensing this, Malika offered a friendly smile.
But Auston merely scoffed and said disdainfully:
"I don't care who you are. But let me warn you, not just anyone gets to address him as 'Master.' You've not joined the Alliance, have you? Then you have no right to call him that."
Malika's expression hardened. She shrugged off Jabari's support and responded with a carefree smile:
"What I call him is none of your concern. Even if I'm not a member of the Alliance, he is still my Master."
Auston's face darkened and he opened his mouth to scold her, but Malika spoke first:
"Because I've already pledged myself, to be his handmaiden. And Master did not refuse."
Auston froze at her declaration, momentarily at a loss for words.
Not far off, Rosier, who had been quietly observing the exchange, walked over with a faint smile. Seeing her approach, Malika immediately bowed low in respect. After all, she had witnessed everything that had happened just earlier.
Malika could sense clearly, Wentworth treated this elderly witch with a level of deference he showed to no one else.
Rosier stopped in front of Malika and studied her carefully. Malika kept her head bowed. Then Rosier gently lifted Malika's chin with a finger and gazed directly into her eyes.
"Malika Kalembo? Of the Kalembo tribe?"
Malika quickly confirmed.
Rosier gave a slow, amused smile.
"There's no room for useless people at Wentworth's side. Do you understand?"
Malika nodded quickly and replied:
"Yes, ma'am. I was always in the top three of my year at Uagadou. And I'm well-versed in European magical customs. I once—"
But before she could finish, Rosier shook her head and interrupted her. She leaned in, her voice quiet but firm:
"That's not what matters. Useful people must have strength. But strong people aren't necessarily useful."
"Now, here is your chance to prove that you are useful."
She turned to glance behind her.
Malika followed Rosier's gaze. There, kneeling on the ground under strict guard by several Alliance wizards, were her former schoolmates, fellow Kalembo tribe members from Uagadou.
Her heart began to pound, her breath catching. But after a moment's hesitation, she bit her lip and nodded resolutely.
Rosier finally withdrew her hand and stood upright. But before turning away, she leaned in one last time and whispered:
"I hope you become a rose that blooms boldly on barren land."
Malika's breath quickened. She nodded, hard.
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TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— patreon(.)com/PrimalDemon [remove the parentheses ( )]