The Qilin's Journey

Think carefully about what Dumbledore once told me.

Sean fell into deep thought as he gazed at the stone wall where Grindelwald had disappeared.

What does Grindelwald mean by that? He's reminding me...

Could it be that Dumbledore's words had a deeper meaning that I didn't find?

Just as Sean was thinking, Newt's voice rang out from outside.

"Didn't you see Sean? Merlin's beard? He clearly used the Portkey with me..."

Sean peeked out and saw that Newt and Jacob had already reunited and were now looking for him.

"Professor Scamander, over here." Sean put the badge Grindelwald had given him into his bag and waved.

"Who are you?" Newt turned his head and saw someone he didn't recognize at all.

"Oh, I almost forgot..." Sean touched his face, revealing his true appearance.

Newt's eyes flickered, clearly showing a moment of surprise, but he still quickly walked over.

"Did you encounter any problems?"

"I'm fine. How about you guys? Are you being chased?"

Newt and his friends exchanged glances, their faces showing strange expressions.

"Yes... but it's strange."

Sean frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Indeed, someone has been searching for us. I even encountered a group of them when I was looking for you, but they were stopped by others..."

Newt gave Sean a strange look. "The people chasing us should be the Guard Corps, and the Guard Corps should be Grindelwald's men..."

Sean: "..."

Why are you looking at me? It has nothing to do with me...

In the end, he shrugged. "Anyway, as long as we send the Qilin over, it'll be fine, right?"

"Dumbledore said to leave it to Charles Vogel."

Sean: "..."

If I'm not mistaken, this outgoing chairman is probably one of Grindelwald's men...

However, Sean didn't say anything. Since Dumbledore said it was fine, then let's do it.

He's very tired right now.

Dumbledore and Grindelwald seem to still be at odds, but Sean always manages to find subtle evidence that the two haven't broken up, even though both sides have clearly stated that it's impossible for them to be together again.

Schrödinger's break.

The group stealthily made their way to the edge of the town.

Bhutan seems to have never been this lively in a long time; this ancient land, used for the election of the president of the International Confederation of Wizards, seems to have been revitalized.

However, as Sean and his group drew closer, they seemed to be getting closer and closer to the dark, cloud-covered sky.

"Looks like today isn't a good day," Jacob said, wiping the sweat from his brow and panting.

As a Muggle, he is now a very old man; in fact, most normal Muggle wouldn't live to his age.

However, his wife, friends, and others are all wizards, and they used some Potions to greatly enhance his physical abilities. Of course, he can no longer maintain the same level of energy as he did when he was younger.

Sean never quite understood why he had brought Jacob along. For him, resting at Hogwarts for a while and waiting for Newt and the others to return would have been a better option.

However, seeing that Newt and the others didn't object, Sean didn't ask any further questions.

They hid and concealed themselves along the way, but did not encounter the major trouble they had expected. The so-called pursuit was all bark and no bite.

They soon reached the broken bridge at the end of the town, where flags representing the International Confederation of Wizards had been erected on both sides. The white flags fluttered violently in the wind, and the flags, when joined together, revealed the view of the mountaintop.

The candidates are speaking.

"Looks like it's not too late?" Newt said.

Sean, however, focused his attention on the banner that could broadcast live; it was clearly Magical Item —and it looked very useful.

I didn't even know this thing existed before... Sean pursed his lips and stepped into the hazy air at the edge of the broken bridge ahead.

After a twist, they arrived at a plaza on the mountaintop. Looking ahead, they saw a series of steps leading upwards, flags fluttering in the wind, and many people dressed in traditional Bhutan clothing standing on both sides of the steps.

Most of the wizards gathered in the lowest square, waving colorful flags and shouting enthusiastically for the candidate they supported.

The smaller platforms above the steps were reserved for guests of higher status, high-ranking officials from various countries' Ministry of Magic, and so on.

At the very top of the steps stands a tower with Bhutan characteristics, resembling a watchtower, yet its entrance resembles that of a temple.

Directly in front, several candidates were standing at a distance from each other.

An elderly man with a straight posture, dressed in a formal suit, waved to the crowd below with a smile that was not elegant but rather somewhat unrestrained.

That's Grindelwald.

Not only were people here watching him, but countless wizards throughout the Wizarding World were also watching the ceremony unfold.

A woman in uniform with a stiff smile walked up and bowed to Newt, saying, "Mr. Scamander, we've been waiting for you. Please."

Judging from their demeanor, are they planning to have Newt take Qilin directly there?

Newt and his friends exchanged glances and followed the woman up the stairs.

In a corner of the square, people in the shadows were talking in hushed tones.

"Scamander has arrived. Should we stop him?"

"The higher-ups said it's not necessary. Scamander serves Dumbledore, so he's one of ours. As long as we're sure the Qilin hasn't been tampered with, that's fine."

"But Grindelwald's actions are strange. A normal Qilin would never bow to him. Does he... not put up any resistance at all?"

"Let everyone keep an eye on those fanatical Saints. We need to be prepared for Grindelwald to take action on the spot."

"But... that's Grindelwald..."

"Grindelwald doesn't need our help; someone will keep him in check..."

At this point, the last candidate finished speaking.

Charles Vogel stepped forward, his voice echoing throughout the square.

"Thank you, thank you to every candidate for speaking. Each of them represents a unique vision, and their sincerity has been shown to everyone."

"They have described in detail how, if they were to become the supreme leader of the Wizarding World, they would lead people to create a better Magical World, and—" Charles Vogel smiled, "A non- Magical World."

"And next comes the most important part of this election— the Qilin Journey."

A deafening roar erupted, and Sean was somewhat taken aback. He seemed to have underestimated the importance the wizards placed on this ancient ritual.

But is choosing a purely virtuous person really useful? He was skeptical.

Sean looked up at Grindelwald, who was smiling, seemingly unconcerned about the Qilin...

"Mr. Scamander." The woman nodded to Newt.

Newt hesitated for a moment before opening the box, and he took out the Qilin.

This was the first time Sean had seen the complete appearance of Qilin. The little guy looked like an adorable little sika deer covered in scales. It opened its big, round eyes and looked at everyone around it, which made people feel sorry for it, but also gave them a magical feeling that their souls could be seen through.

A veiled woman in traditional red clothing took the Qilin. The little creature seemed reluctant to leave Newt's arms, but— Sean had a feeling that the Qilin was reluctant to part with him...

The Qilin was handed to Charles Vogel, who then lifted the little Qilin high in the air.

"The Qilin —an ancient and benevolent beast—will tell us who is the leader qualified to lead the wizards forward."

He gently placed the Qilin on the ground. The little Qilin seemed to understand what it should do naturally. Although it was a little unsteady, it still looked at the candidates with curiosity.

It walked up to Isanne Archer, who was originally considered the frontrunner among the candidates, and paused briefly.

It moved on to Wahag da Silva from Africa, a candidate who wasn't as popular, but whose speech was sincere and powerful.

Qilin only glanced at him before walking away.

It passed by one candidate after another, and finally, it stopped.

That was Gellert Grindelwald, the last candidate to join the list of nominees, who went from a wanted criminal to a strong contender for the next chairman in just one day.

Grindelwald stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at the Qilin.

In the plaza below, those in the shadows held their breath. Someone nearby said in a trembling voice, "How is this possible? How could Qilin choose Grindelwald instead of Archer or Da Grindelwald..."

"Damn it, when did he do this...?"

The Qilin looked up at Grindelwald, its dark, round eyes flashing with curiosity.

Its front legs are slightly bent.

Everyone held their breath, even Sean's eyes widened in disbelief—this must be ridiculous...

The Qilin did not kneel down; its front leg slipped, and it almost fell to the ground.

Then, it completely ignored Grindelwald —no, it should be said that it fled Grindelwald.

The little Qilin turned its head and swayed back in the direction it came from, as if searching for a safe haven.

The candidates, the audience, the fervent supporters, the high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Magic from various countries, and the behind-the-scenes manipulators with ulterior motives standing in the shadows—everyone was stunned by Qilin's action.

Instead of making a choice, Qilin walked towards the audience?

The candidates exchanged glances. Charles Vogel glanced at Grindelwald discreetly, only to find the man who had won the loyalty of both himself and his grandfather's smile widening.

Far around the world, behind the white curtains hanging in the halls of the Ministry of Magic, everyone was watching this scene.

Without any hesitation, the Qilin found its target the moment it turned its head.

It hurriedly ran to a young male wizard and then gracefully knelt on one knee.

Its belly emitted a gentle orange glow.

Who is that person?

"Who is that guy? He's so young, I've never seen him before?"

"The Qilin knelt before him..."

In the plaza at the bottom, among the crowd supporting Grindelwald, a wizard paused for a moment, then suddenly shouted, "That brother, he supports Mr. Grindelwald! I just saw him!"

Unfortunately, under such immense shock, no one paid attention to what he said, and no one knew what to do.

Only the person involved looked completely bewildered.

Sean's eyes twitched violently as he looked at the little Qilin kneeling before him.

He understood immediately after just one glance at the other. The Qilin wasn't kneeling because he was so pure and kind—the little guy was simply afraid, and his ridiculously high affinity with Magical Creature Affinity made the other feel trust and affection from the bottom of its heart.

Isn't this nonsense...?

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Sean squatted down and gently stroked the Qilin's head. A strange feeling welled up in his heart, as if he had a spiritual connection with the Qilin.

It was afraid... because it had seen through Grindelwald's soul... it was afraid... that's why it found itself and wanted to seek comfort.

A flicker of surprise crossed Sean's eyes, but the problem was, he couldn't be the chairman—he was still in his disguised, Transfiguration state...

He glanced at Grindelwald discreetly, only to catch the old man's upturned lips, as if he were pleased with a successful prank.

What should I do next? Sean tried to wink at Grindelwald for some hints.

But Grindelwald simply raised an eyebrow at him lazily, just as he had done when teaching him magic.

"You just say that Qilin is just a plan, and I'm not going to care about you anymore..." Sean muttered to himself.

Sean gently stroked the Qilin's head, comforting the somewhat frightened little guy. He said softly, "Don't worry, don't be afraid... Little guy, I'm very grateful for your trust, but you still have to choose someone else, okay?"

The little Qilin winked at him; it understood what Sean said.

After affectionately nuzzling Sean's hand with its cheek, the little Qilin stood up, looked around, and walked in another direction.

It walked up to a kind old man with white hair and a puzzled expression, and knelt down again.

It was Jacob.

"It's kneeling before me?" Jacob's round face displayed a variety of comical expressions of surprise, confusion, and panic.

Newt said in a low voice, "Of course, and it seems that Qilin's choice wasn't wrong either..."

"Who is this?!" a wizard exclaimed in confusion.

At that moment, a wizard from the Magical Congress of the United States of America exclaimed in surprise, "I know him, that, that's a Muggle!"

"Muggle?"

" In America, they're called Muggle, non-magical people..."

"Qilin knelt before a Muggle?!"

"Merlin's underwear! How could he possibly be worthy of it?!"

"But Qilin did choose him... this..."

"What are you saying?! You expect a Muggle to lead us?!"

"That..."

The Qilin knelt before a Muggle, and the entire mountaintop plaza, along with all the wizards watching the ceremony, were plunged into shock and a sense of unacceptable absurdity.

But on that fluttering flag, it was clear that there was no deception whatsoever; the Qilin bowed its head and knelt before a Muggle.

Sean was surprised, but he also felt it made sense; Jacob was indeed a very kind person—although the situation was quite awkward.

And at that moment,

Hahahaha—

A long, cheerful laugh, tinged with contempt, rang out.

Grindelwald was laughing wildly, he was laughing at everyone, a mocking laugh.

"My dear compatriots—" He stopped laughing and waved his wand toward the sky.

In the already overcast sky, heavy rain poured down, accompanied by thunder and lightning.

Grindelwald's voice was mingled with the sound of rain and lightning.

"Look at this scene, is this what you've chosen?"

"Come, tell me, wizards, the most noble bloodline in the world, do you want to follow this old, corrupt rule and acknowledge a Muggle as your leader!"

"Place your hands on your hearts! Feel your powerful, pulsating heartbeats, feel the blood that dances with magical energy within it!"

"Ask your heart, ask yourself about the honor of being a wizard. Qilin kneels before a Muggle, wanting to become your leader! Answer me, are you truly—"

Should we comply?