"Link, long time no see..."
"Yeah, it's been more than half a month since we last met. That really is a long time, isn't it?"
As soon as Fleur started speaking, Emily interrupted her.
While speaking, she also took a step forward and blocked Link behind her.
Adding to that, Beckman and the surrounding hunters were all watching closely, which made the expression on Fleur's face look even more awkward.
After a good while, Fleur finally forced out a smile and said, "Hello, Emily. Congratulations on your engagement to Link. But what I really want to say is, Link, please don't blame Madam Maxime. She just... she just got a bit too impatient, that's all. We're friends, there's really no need to treat me like this."
"You should probably be saying that to Madam Maxime instead," Link said with a calm smile. "After all, cooperation and understanding go both ways."
"Of course, I will."
Fleur nodded at his words and turned to chase after Maxime and the others who had already left. But after only a few steps, she suddenly turned her head and said to Emily, "Oh, by the way, Emily, I must remind you, you and Link are only engaged, not married. So don't get too happy too soon."
As soon as she said that, Link could clearly feel Emily's grip on his hand tighten sharply.
Her nails, though not very long, were digging into his skin hard enough to sting a little, and the look she gave him was a mix of anger and a hint of suspicion.
"Oh, come on, Emily, I only love you. You know that."
"Hmph! It better stay that way!"
Emily said with a huff, puffing up her cheeks, then turned his hand over and gently rubbed the marks her nails had left, but she ignored him after that.
Link didn't mind at all. This kind of thing was just a small game between them. Under the lead of the deputy headmaster, they formally entered Durmstrang Castle.
Compared to Hogwarts, Durmstrang's entrance hall and dining hall looked shabby and small.
And since there was no luxury like a magical ceiling, the Durmstrang hall was extremely dim, relying entirely on magical torches to give off faint, flickering light.
But that was, in a way, a good thing.
Because with the lighting so dim, it was much harder to notice the bare, undecorated, cracked walls, or the dust and trash piled in the corners.
Inside the hall, Link thought there were only two things that could be considered decorations, the green shield-shaped banners hanging from above, embroidered with a double-headed magic eagle and a stag's skull, and the huge magical portrait of a witch hanging at the far end.
The witch in the portrait wore a blood-red robe, her auburn hair coiled into an elaborate bun atop her head. Her expression was stern, and her cold gaze swept across every person in the hall.
Facing such a witch, even Link unconsciously straightened his back, afraid to appear disrespectful.
"This is the founder of our Durmstrang Institute of Magic, Nerida Vulchanova, a great witch!" said the middle-aged deputy headmaster proudly.
"She used teaching methods entirely different from those at Hogwarts. For example, she abolished the house system, advocating that all students are Durmstrang students, not members of separate houses. And she firmly upheld the right of students to study Dark Arts."
He smiled and continued, "Of course, Durmstrang's glorious history could take us a whole day and night to tell. If you're interested, Mr. Flamel, you can come to my office later. I'd be happy to serve as your personal guide."
"But for now, let's hurry to the Headmaster's office. Headmaster Doug and the other professors have been waiting quite some time."
Link nodded, gave a respectful bow to the stern portrait of Nerida Vulchanova, and followed the deputy headmaster upstairs.
Perhaps to maintain the Headmaster's sense of authority, though Durmstrang Castle was not large, the Headmaster's office was placed in the farthest tower from the main entrance.
As they walked, Link began to better understand what Krum had said before about Durmstrang students having a tough life.
Because if that dilapidated dining hall was considered one of the most intact and grand rooms in the entire castle, then the rest, classrooms, common rooms, and dormitories, were simply unwatchable.
Especially the dining hall.
For a school that prided itself on being a "noble" academy for pure-blood wizards, Durmstrang didn't even have house-elves?
That meant all meals, cleaning, and maintenance had to be done by the students themselves.
As a result, the dining hall looked like something straight out of the Middle Ages, and the food was awful.
The deputy headmaster clearly sensed Link's growing disapproval.
To salvage Durmstrang's image, he quickly launched into their usual pitch, a proud, "classical intensive education model," often used to lure wealthy foreign wizards into paying tuition.
He claimed that the school's poor facilities weren't just due to a lack of funds, but intentionally designed to toughen students' willpower and character.
Combine that with Durmstrang's "strong faculty" and strict school rules, and every graduate would transform from a weak, pampered noble into a true warrior and worthy family heir.
To prove his point, the deputy headmaster even ordered several Durmstrang students in blood-red robes to demonstrate what they'd learned in dueling class, by literally fighting each other with spells.
They went at it until they were all bleeding before he finally called it off.
During the display, Link was surprised to see that even the seemingly frail female students fought fiercely and had impressive combat strength. It wasn't rare to see a witch pinning a wizard down and pounding him mercilessly.
This, the deputy headmaster explained proudly, was why Durmstrang's reputation among Europe's wizarding nobility was so high, many family heads, frustrated with their spoiled heirs, sent them here for a harsh "reformation."
From Link's more practical, Muggle-influenced point of view, Durmstrang's system was basically a militarized Spartan education.
That thought made him smile again.
Because he realized that students trained under this system had combat power far above those at Hogwarts, and exceptional discipline.
He had previously wondered why Durmstrang didn't have the same magical defenses as Hogwarts, no moving portraits, no enchanted armor.
Now he understood.
They didn't need those things.
Their students were the best defense system!
It was practically the perfect foundation for his arms factory plan.
The only thing Link found unsatisfactory was that Durmstrang's Dark Arts curriculum had been neutered by pressure from the International Confederation of Wizards.
Now, it barely taught anything beyond weak little hexes.
Still, that wasn't a big problem.
Once Beckman took charge, he could use Moody's old excuse, "Know your enemy to defend against them", and teach real Dark Arts under the name of Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Link was confident that, given how rigid wizarding bureaucracies were, no one would notice for a while.
And by the time they did, they'd be too busy with other things to care.
After a brief tour of Durmstrang Castle, smiling Link was finally shown into the Headmaster's office, lavish to the point of absurdity compared to the rest of the castle. Unsurprisingly, this had once belonged to Karkaroff, which explained everything.
"Mr. Flamel!"
"Link!"
The moment Link entered, Headmaster Doug and Krum both stood up to greet him warmly.
Around them, including the deputy headmaster, seven other key professors watched him curiously.
Only Madam Maxime, sitting in the corner, remained cold and silent.
Link completely ignored her, smiling as he greeted everyone.
Krum quickly stood and came over, leaning close to whisper, "Link, we were supposed to sign the contract directly, but something went wrong. Maxime somehow got wind of it and forced her way in, using the professors she's bribed to turn it into a voting matter!"
"I'm sorry! It's all our fault for not keeping the secret better. This means it'll cost you a lot more money! Headmaster Doug asked me to tell you right away, he's really sorry, I..."
Before he could finish, Link raised a hand to stop him and simply took his seat with Beckman and Snape beside him.
He had already anticipated everything Krum just said.
In fact, he strongly suspected that the "leak" about his plan to donate to Durmstrang had come from that seemingly harmless but shrewd Headmaster Doug himself.
Who would ever complain about getting more gold?
Even someone as devoted to Durmstrang as Doug wouldn't be an exception, after all, the money was for his beloved school.
So, all things considered, Link was quite satisfied with how things stood.
He could tell Doug was a smart man, someone with enough restraint to only take a measured cut.
If it had been anyone else, their greed might have ruined the whole deal.
Of course, Link didn't truly plan to take over Durmstrang in full.
Once Beauxbatons drained away Durmstrang's faculty, he could slowly insert his own people anyway, it would work just as well.
But that wouldn't look legitimate.
After a moment's thought, Link lifted his eyes to meet Headmaster Doug's.
The old wizard was already looking at him. Their gazes met.
Through those cloudy eyes, Link could clearly see a flicker of guilt, and determination.
A faint smile curled on Link's lips as he nodded slightly. Doug exhaled in relief and began, "Good morning, professors, our student representative Mr. Krum, Madam Maxime, and Mr. Flamel."
"As you all know, since former Headmaster Karkaroff's death and Governor Fokarin's withdrawal of funding, Durmstrang Institute is facing an unprecedented financial crisis."
"And today, I've gathered everyone here to solve that problem."
Doug took out a scroll so long it brushed the floor, adjusted his glasses, and read aloud, "After searching, we have found two honorable individuals willing to assist Durmstrang."
"First, Madam Maxime has offered a donation of 500,000 Galleons to repair the castle, improve staff salaries, raise student living standards, and enhance educational quality."
"But in return, Madam Maxime requires that Durmstrang form a strategic alliance with Beauxbatons Academy."
"According to the treaty, Beauxbatons shall have full authority to reassign Durmstrang staff, use the Durmstrang name and crest for publicity, freely admit or dismiss students, and even alter Durmstrang's motto and campus location..."
It took Doug a full twenty minutes to finish reading that long, oppressive document.
By the end, most people around the table looked grim.
Link also cast Maxime a look of genuine admiration.
What Krum had said about her wanting to "buy Durmstrang's faculty" was far too modest.
If that treaty were implemented, Maxime wouldn't just gain Durmstrang's professors and students, she'd absorb its entire thousand-year history and honors.
In effect, the three great schools of Europe would be reduced to two.
Durmstrang would likely be turned into a Beauxbatons subsidiary focused on elite training, carrying Beauxbatons' name instead of its own.
No wonder Doug and the other professors looked so furious.
Maxime wasn't offering help, she was erasing their legacy.
"And now," Doug continued, setting down the parchment and removing his glasses, "let us hear Mr. Link Flamel's proposal."
"Mr. Flamel, representing the Flamel family, is willing to donate 100,000 Galleons to Durmstrang. In return, he requests to become a school governor, taking the position formerly held by Mr. Fokarin."
The moment Doug finished speaking, the entire office erupted.
Almost everyone started whispering among themselves, and one wizard sitting near Maxime even jumped to his feet, shouting angrily, "That's it!? That's all the gold he's offering!? What, does he think we're beggars!?"
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
patreon.com/AmbitiousTranslator
🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through Patreon.