"Only after possessing a wand can one be considered our companion and gain access to the Club's resources. Of course, they also need to fulfill certain duties."
"And the way to notify Thunderbird is naturally through the mask... ugh!"
Aethonan's face changed drastically when he ntioned the mask, suddenly becoming unusually distorted. His reaction was even more violent than Torkil's had been when Alan interrogated him.
"No need to answer that!" Alan saw the reaction and imdiately stopped him. Only after receiving Alan's permission did the other man's expression gradually return to normal.
It seed this Club truly tampered with the mories of its mbers. The mont a secret was touched, an imdiate stress response was triggered. Alan wondered if it was a variation of a ntal protection charm; if it was, he might be able to break it.
However, it was better to ask as many questions as possible while the Veritaserum was still in effect. Using Legilincy was difficult because mories were complex, and searching through them was a labor-intensive process. Moreover, general mory protection was more sensitive to ntal probes and could easily backfire.
"Tell about the magic. What is the nature of the spell that allows you to burrow underground, and the highly corrosive curse?" Alan changed the subject, constantly monitoring the other man's ntal state.
"Those are the Earth-Sinking Spell and the Corrosion Curse. These are secret techniques passed down within the Club. We advocate one-on-one duels and the collection of trophies; there are many unique spells and research materials available to us. Only by becoming a mber and earning rits can one have the opportunity to learn them. The four of us were selected for the infiltration team because we mastered the Earth-Sinking Spell. The incantations are..."
At this point, Aethonan's expression beca pained again, and Alan had to stop him once more.
It seed that anything involving the Silver Spears' internal data or unique techniques touched a forbidden zone, while content regarding temporary actions was unprotected. Was this because their missions were too short-lived to encrypt?
There was no need to ask about the location of their headquarters or the identity of their leader; those would undoubtedly be confidential and impossible to answer. Alan looked at the man, troubled. The information provided so far wasn't particularly valuable. He was more interested in the Club's internal collection—those rare pieces of knowledge.
Given the situation, Alan could only ask about operational matters, such as the Silver Spears' previous activities in Britain. However, the gains were insignificant. There was no contact between the Short Spear mbers; they communicated only with their respective superiors in a single line. They lived by the book, and Aethonan didn't even know the Club had a history of operating in Britain. Their previous missions were mainly on the European continent, usually dispatched in small teams. They spent their ti hiding underground to gather intelligence or stealing rare magical creatures, none of which helped Alan understand the bigger picture.
After several probing questions, Alan decided to try Legilincy. He hadn't practiced the art much, and it was currently only at an instinctive level, so he was uncertain about probing tampered mories. But he had to try. If he could break the mory lock, it would be a significant breakthrough.
Alan cald his mind and t Aethonan's gaze, peering into his consciousness. He soon t with disaster. The mory lock set by the Silver Spears was incredibly crude but effective. Alan had only explored for a short while when it triggered a violent rejection. A powerful surge of ntal energy erupted in Aethonan's mind, forcibly pushing Alan's consciousness out of the mory space. The man began to convulse uncontrollably.
Within monts, Aethonan had been tortured into an imbecile. Alan hadn't even been able to react in ti. When he probed the man's mind again, almost all of the important mories had been destroyed.
"How is he, Master? Can he be saved?" Hog and Kiki had been watching, and the sudden turn of events left them at a loss.
"No," Alan shook his head helplessly. "The protective magic is overbearing. As soon as sothing goes wrong, it destroys the brain. He's an idiot now."
"Then what should we do? Why don't I just bite this smuggler to death?" Hog bared his sharp teeth, staring nacingly at the man's neck.
"Don't be silly." Alan slapped Hog lightly on the head. "His brain is useless, but his physical quality is excellent, and his magic power is over seven hundred points. He is still good material; killing him would be a waste."
"What? You an we have to keep him?" Hog looked at Alan with a puzzled, hateful gaze.
"We'll use him for a while. I can use him to test mory magic and recovery techniques. Don't be impulsive. If we don't need him one day, I'll hand him over to you." Alan glared at Hog with a hint of seriousness.
"Fine. Just don't forget that," Hog shook his head unwillingly. "So, what about the Silver Spears?"
"Based on the structure of the organization, low-level mbers know very little. We need to find a high-ranking mber. I suspect that the Thunderbird operating in Britain is likely a 'Spear.' First, let's try to find them. Aethonan ntioned that their communication key is on that mask. I think it might be a special alchemical item. I want to try to decipher it to see if I can find any clues."
"I'm becoming more and more interested in this organization—especially the special spells and research they possess. They've been around for hundreds of years; they must have so treasures." Alan's eyes showed a hint of fanaticism.
However, the next day, before Alan could even begin his formal research on the mask, he was visited by a group of Ministry employees.
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