Chapter 54 - 54: 54: Betrayal and Rebirth

"Heh, how interesting…" Sagres shook his head, a playful smile on his lips. "Guess what I found?" Everyone's gaze focused on him in unison. He extended his wand and slowly drew out the shimmering memory thread from the new member Wren. In the memory images displayed in the air, everyone clearly saw her meeting with an Auror from the French Ministry of Magic, as well as scenes of her transmitting information. "What's wrong with this?" Nightingale keenly sensed something off. He knew Sagres would never make a baseless accusation. "Crude and shoddy—looks like it came straight out of a Memory Obliviation Command textbook." Sagres zoomed in on several key frames and slowed down the playback. Nightingale asked, "Are you saying someone altered her memory?" Sagres did not answer directly. Bird-of-Paradise: "What does that mean?" Sagres: "It means the memories we just saw were all meticulously designed by someone else for us to see." "So…" Kestrel opened her mouth, "So, Albatross, do you have anything to say?" Everyone's gaze turned to the old man once more. His face was pale, cold sweat continuously dripping from his temples. "I… I don't know what you're talking about!" "You will soon."Sagres decisively cast Legilimency, and a powerful spell violently invaded the old man's memories. He quickly found the clue. "Your Occlumency is indeed good…" he commented evenly, "But unfortunately, you met me." The magic, like a twisting, rotating blade, almost instantly shattered the old man's mental defenses. As the old man convulsed and foamed at the mouth, Sagres forcibly extracted his memory threads, which unfolded like a scroll before everyone's eyes. The images clearly showed Albatross, under the dim light of the Leaky Cauldron, grimly pinning a special Bronze Feather emblem to a hidden spot on Wren's chest. And later, in her home, he took advantage of the night to ambush the unsuspecting Wren, using "Memory Weaving" to fabricate her memories and alter her perception. Finally, he was seen slyly leaking the Bronze Feather's meeting location to an official from the Ministry of Magic, his eyes gleaming with the triumph of his scheme. As for his motive? It was simple: the Bronze Feather had long been without a leader, and as the oldest member of the organization, he naturally believed he was the most suitable person to lead. But there was a prerequisite: he had to eliminate the unstable elements—those troublemakers, those unwilling to obey his commands, those potential threats he couldn't control. Unfortunately, the Aurors from the French Ministry of Magic were like incompetent fools; even with preparation, they suffered a disastrous defeat and failed to capture any targets, completely ruining Albatross's plan. Fortunately, he had prepared a backup plan, arranging a scapegoat. This would not only allow him to completely shift all blame, but if managed well, he could even expose it himself, solidifying his position within the organization. He prided himself on his superb memory falsification techniques, believing no one could see through them—but he never expected to encounter Sagres, this bane of deception. Ultimately, everything spiraled out of control, and the conspiracy was completely exposed. And he himself had been reduced to an imbecile by Sagres's mental attack. "That will be all for today…" Sagres turned to face everyone, his tone carrying an undeniable finality. "The next meeting is scheduled for one week from now, at the safe house in Paris." Everyone nodded in acknowledgment. Then, the explosive sounds of Apparition rang out one after another. The room quickly emptied, leaving only eight people behind: —Nightingale (Potion Master), Snowy Owl (Merchant), Kestrel (Diviner), Thunderbird (Wandmaker), Hummingbird (Healer), Stork (Informant), Robin (Defense Expert), Swift (Curse-Breaker). It wasn't that they didn't want to leave—rather, all of them had received a subtle signal from Sagres and had voluntarily stayed behind. "I know you're all filled with questions right now, but please rest assured—I will answer them one by one." Sagres's voice was calm and commanding. He waved his wand, and the three bodies lying on the ground (the Goblin, the newcomer, and Albatross) were instantly moved to a corner. Immediately afterward, an oval long table and nine bronze chairs appeared out of thin air. Sagres pulled out a chair and sat down. Seeing this, everyone else sensibly followed suit. "Everything said about the new meeting just now is null and void!" Sagres's first sentence left everyone confused, but he immediately offered an explanation: "You'll understand after you see this." A slender thread of memory floated to the tabletop. As the images unfolded, everyone couldn't help but widen their eyes. "This is…" "This is the original memory of the new member Wren," Sagres said with a smile. "The old man never would've guessed that the scapegoat he so meticulously selected was actually a genuine spy from the Ministry of Magic!" "Ah? Then didn't we wrong him?" Kestrel asked in surprise. "No, we didn't." Sagres's expression turned cold and serious. "His actions are irrefutable—with ironclad proof. It's just that this Wren…" He extended his wand and lightly drew a line in the air. The memory images scattered like tangled threads, then reassembled under his control. The nine people present witnessed this masterful display of Memory Magic. Sagres was clearly exceptionally gifted in it—likely related to his father being an Unspeakable. He carefully deleted all information about the nine people present from the newcomer's memory, then rewrote the new meeting's location and time for one week later. After completing all of this, he gently infused the rewritten memory into Wren's mind. "She will definitely leak the meeting information to the French Ministry of Magic, and as for those Dark Wizards…" Sagres smiled as he spoke, "Don't blame me for being too ruthless—after all, I was exceptionally merciful not acting against them today." He looked around at everyone, his tone firm and solemn: "The Bronze Feather will be purified. We don't need those ambitious desperadoes—and we can no longer remain hunted and wanted by the International Confederation of Wizards." "They are incompatible with your excellence and adherence to principles in your respective fields. From now on, you will no longer suffer their threats, nor will you have to hide because of their existence." Sagres looked at the somewhat agitated crowd and said firmly, "We will restore the prestige of the Bronze Feather—this ancient organization, born in the fifth century BC with the mission of combating dark creatures. And each of you will have the opportunity to recommend new members. Likewise, the vetting will be exceptionally strict." He waved his wand, and all of their bronze emblems detached from their positions and flew into his palm. Immediately after, a soft, pure light slowly bloomed, revealing eight brand-new, extraordinarily magnificent bronze emblems before everyone's eyes. "I have cast protective Magic on your emblems and made some clever modifications…" He casually picked up one of the emblems and showed it to everyone. "It can now not only transmit short messages but also transform into a magical Portkey. In the future, our meeting locations and times will be decided by members in rotation, and the decision-maker will bear the task of setting the Portkey's destination." "Of course, in times of crisis, it will also be your reliable guardian. As long as the caster's Magic does not exceed my limits, all spatial anchoring spells will be nullified. At that time, you only need to activate the emblem to instantly escape danger. The emblem will also notify other members to come to your rescue." "To ensure foolproof safety, I have also applied bloodline Magic. With just one drop of your fresh blood, the emblem will be bound to your bloodline, and no one else will ever be able to claim it." "Finally…" Sagres glanced at everyone and continued slowly, "Next week, at the safe house in Paris, all Bronze Feather members appearing in that Wren's memory will be captured. They will be executed on the spot during their 'fierce resistance'—and with that, the International Confederation of Wizards' global manhunt for the Bronze Feather will come to a perfect end." ______ Read 12 chaps ahead: P@treon/DarkDevil1