Chapter 7: Synchronizing
At five in the morning, Ezio was already awake. He wasn't in the habit of lazing in bed. Patting Neil, who was sleeping beside his pillow, Ezio got up.
He stretched his body, followed by a fifteen-minute flexibility routine, thoroughly loosening his muscles and tendons to bring himself to his optimal state.
No shops were open outside yet, but a few sandwiches he had bought the previous night would tide him over. Eating cold food in the morning wasn't ideal, so Ezio experimentally used a simple fire making spell, and a quietly burning flame on the floor heated his breakfast for him.
Neil's breakfast was easier to handle. There was still one rabbit left from yesterday. The only issue was that the bird was a bit of a slow eater. By the time Ezio had tidied up the room and was ready to leave, Neil was just flapping his wings to land on his shoulder, stretching out his head for Ezio to wipe his beak.
The bloody remains on the table were restored to cleanliness by a simple Scouring Charm. After listening for sounds in the hallway, Ezio put on his hood and left the hotel as quietly as he had arrived.
The sky outside was just beginning to lighten. The Leaky Cauldron was filled with nothing but the rising and falling snores of drunken patrons. Even Tom, the bartender, wasn't at the counter; he had likely gone to his own room to sleep.
There wasn't a single soul on the streets of Diagon Alley. The morning sun, obscured by clouds, struggled to cast a faint light.
Ezio had already scouted the area yesterday. The tallest building In Diagon Alley wasn't Gringotts, but a six-story, tower-like structure located in the latter half of the alley, now abandoned. From the decaying sign by the entrance, one could tell it had once been a shop selling divination supplies. Behind the spiderweb-covered display window, a few shattered crystal balls lay discarded.
With a light leap, Ezio kicked off the wall a few times and silently grabbed a protruding wooden beam. It was barely ten centimeters long and severely rotted, but his body seemed to weigh nothing. Using it as a brief foothold, he shot upwards another two or three meters. In just a couple of breaths, he had steadily climbed to the top of the abandoned tower.
The foothold at the highest point was extremely narrow, but the palm-sized space was enough for Ezio to stand firm. The wind blew through his cloak, lifting its corners. A piercing eagle cry rang out, seeming powerful enough to tear apart the clouds hiding the morning sun.
In that instant, Ezio's perspective shifted to the sky above. Neil soared through the air, and everything below was laid bare under his sharp gaze. In Ezio's mind, a complete map of Diagon Alley materialized.
[New Map: Diagon Alley (Unlocked)]
[Map Exploration: 27%, Secret Location Discovered: Knockturn Alley Entrance]
[New Map: Knockturn Alley (Unlocked)]
[Map Exploration: 1%]
Exploring the map didn't yield any trophies or achievements, but the exploration percentage helped determine if there were still undiscovered areas.
The explored area of Diagon Alley was limited to the main commercial street and the shops on either side. At first glance, it seemed like a lot was unexplored, but in reality, very few areas of the map were unlit. The percentage included the interiors of the shops, but the risk of sneaking into a wizard's shop was far too high.
Ezio was not some hero who kicked open villagers' chests to rummage for junk.
Without a completionist's obsession, he didn't care if the number reached 100%.
His main purpose for mapping the area was to confirm the location of Knockturn Alley. As an assassin, a killer who walks in the shadows, he was naturally drawn to these kinds of sordid, hidden places.
Hood up, face mask on, even his eyes concealed behind special lenses, Ezio was thoroughly covered.
This kind of "obvious weirdo" attire was common in Knockturn Alley, which was full of individuals who couldn't afford to be seen in the light.
His discreet getup was a precaution. After all, the effect of the assassin's cloak was to reduce his presence, not make him invisible. People would see him, but they would subconsciously dismiss him as a random passerby.
This effect would fail, however, if he entered certain special areas, like a guarded, restricted zone or an active shop. And, of course, if someone had the intention of targeting him from the start—like a robber or a thief—they wouldn't just ignore him.
However, the most foolish thing in the world is to try and ambush an assassin.
Unlike the deserted Diagon Alley, this 'black market' of the wizarding world still had figures moving about, even at this hour. They were all skulking around, wrapped tightly in cloaks, headscarves, or other strange coverings. Most of them emanated a peculiar smell—the acrid scent of potions, simple body odor, or even a stench like that of a rotting corpse.
When it came to hygiene, wizards were remarkably close to the filth-strewn Middle Ages. Despite having convenient magic, they always seemed to make themselves and their surroundings filthy. The Leaky Cauldron was a prime example.
Perhaps the convenience of magic made them averse to new trends that required active effort. Deep in their bones, these wizards, exuding an indolent lack of ambition, were very fond of an unchanging world.
'Are they still trying to live in the memories of a few hundred years ago?' Ezio thought to himself, covertly observing his surroundings. The wizarding world's stagnation and decay were even more severe than he had imagined.
As he passed a dark, narrow side alley for the second time, his fingers flicked. Something small shot out, swift and silent. He counted a few numbers in his head, and then heard the sound of clothes scraping against a wall as a body slid to the ground.
A grimy wizard lay on the equally grimy floor, a trace of confusion still lingering in his vacant eyes. The potent, fast-acting anesthetic was something no mere mortal could resist. With the element of complete surprise, Ezio had successfully captured a source of information.
He confiscated the wand, dislocated the man's joints, and successfully cast the Silencing Charm he had been practicing.
"Muffliato," Ezio whispered, quietly waving his wand.
The fastest way to learn about a strange place is to ask a local. Whether or not the person being asked was willing was not within Ezio's scope of consideration.
Ezio took out a truth serum, but it wasn't the wizarding world's Veritaserum. It was a barbiturate-class drug, primarily used for anesthesia and sedation. Paired with the right interrogation techniques, Ezio could easily pry the information he wanted from this man's mouth.
Five minutes later, Ezio quietly thanked him, and then, without hesitation, snapped his neck.
"Petrificus Totalus."
"Diffindo."
"Scourgify."
The spell combination he had tested last night completed the clean and efficient disposal of the waste.
"Magic really is a convenient thing," Ezio murmured, his eyes narrowing slightly as he confirmed his next destination.