"By the way, what is this test even for?" Ryan suddenly realized he hadn't come here to investigate the Saints 35xs—but rather to understand why the shop owner had unexpectedly attacked him, claiming it was a test. What exactly was this so-called test?
Just moments ago, when Principal Fernando was treating the shop owner, Ryan had picked up the wooden thorn. Drawing on his knowledge of herbal medicine, he quickly identified it as a common sleeping aid, not poison as he had initially feared. This revelation made him think the shop owner's words might have been sincere.
"The shop owner is my godfather," said Principal Fernando. "Originally, I wanted him to find an excuse to lure you into raiding the backyard and secretly assess your abilities. But he accidentally exposed the saint's emblem, which led to this whole misunderstanding. The truth is, the reason for this test is that the task we intend to give you next is quite dangerous. If your skills aren't up to the challenge, we can't allow you to participate."
"You two are both powerful wizards," Ryan asked, still puzzled. "What kind of task is so difficult that you need help from a student like me?"
The shop owner coughed a few times before replying. "Just now, I gave you some background about the Saints to explain our motivation. Many Saints have always fought for a grand dream. Admittedly, we made mistakes in the early stages of our mission, but not all Saints shared that dream. Especially during the latter phase of the war, we were severely understaffed and ended up recruiting people without proper background checks. Some of them used the Saints' name to justify their evil agendas. The organization we're going after this time—the Chimera Society—is one such group."
"Chimera Society? I've never heard of it," Ryan said, intrigued.
"This group dates all the way back to ancient Greece," Principal Fernando explained. "They have long pursued the creation of powerful magical creatures through unethical magical experimentation. Legend holds that they were the creators of the original Chimera. That's where the group gets its name."
"During Grindelwald's rise to power, many Chimera Society members used fake identities to infiltrate the Saints. They committed horrific acts—massacring Muggles in the name of the Saints, among other atrocities. Grindelwald believed that wizards should govern Muggles, yes—but he opposed senseless killing. So, when my godfather and his father discovered that a group of Chimera wizards was hiding in South America, they rallied the former Saints in the region to try and eliminate them.35xs"
"But we failed," the shop owner added regretfully. "They allied themselves with local black wizards who practiced blood sacrifices. Protected by the native populations, even the local wizarding community struggled to contain them—let alone outsiders like us. Only recently have things started to shift in our favor."
"It seems they've been biding their time, waiting to grow strong. Now, we've learned that they plan to use the arrival of exchange students from the UK as a cover to launch an attack—one intended to send shockwaves through the global wizarding community."
"But why would they do that? Wouldn't an evil organization like that want to stay hidden rather than expose themselves?" Ryan asked.
"Think of it this way," Principal Fernando said. "Just like the Death Eaters in Europe during their peak—once an organization grows to a certain size, it must make its presence known to continue expanding. No group can thrive on internal strength alone; it needs new blood. But if nobody's ever heard of you, how can they join?"
Ryan frowned. "What about the Brazilian Ministry of Magic? Aren't they doing anything? I thought both Ministries played major roles in supporting this exchange program."
"We've already informed them," the principal said with a sigh. "But without concrete evidence, the Ministry bureaucrats think we're overreacting. The only assistance we've secured is a promise that a team of Aurors will patrol near the school at irregular intervals."
"Figures. Ministries of Magic are useless no matter where you go," Ryan muttered. "Looks like I'll need to be responsible for my own safety. So, what exactly do you want me to do?"
"Here at Castelobruxo, we offer a special field course that involves observing magical creatures in their natural environments. As an official exchange student, you're required to participate. This course takes place outside the school's protected boundaries. Although the designated locations are pre-arranged and theoretically safeguarded, their defense levels are nowhere near what the school can offer. That makes it the perfect opportunity for an ambush."
The shop owner nodded. "We want you to help keep an eye on your fellow students from the UK. If anything seems off, report it to us immediately."
As he spoke, Principal Fernando pulled out a delicate, glass-like green leaf and handed it to Ryan. "Take this brooch."
Ryan examined it. "It's just a leaf. No runes, no enchantments—it doesn't even look magical. What does it do?"
"It comes from a wind chime tree that grows in the principal's office. The leaves grow in perfectly paired sets, connected through a mysterious bond. When one leaf is activated magically, the other resonates with it, transmitting all surrounding sound. Very few know about this tree. If someone blocks traditional communication, you can use this brooch to transmit audio back to us via the paired leaf."
Ryan fastened the brooch to his chest. "I understand. Thanks for trusting me. Given everything I've just learned, it's better to be prepared than to walk into danger blind."
"No—we should be the ones thanking you," the shopkeeper said sincerely. "The Chimera Society excels in magical creature manipulation. By wearing that brooch, you're putting yourself at risk. Once this operation is complete—regardless of its outcome—I'll share with you some of the knowledge I gained during my time with the Saints."
They spent some more time ironing out the remaining details. As they wrapped up, the shop owner added, "Oh, and your friend is still waiting for you out front. You should go meet them. If anything important comes up, I'll have the principal notify you."
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