In November, a major event took place in Muggle society.
The Berlin Wall came down.
Muggle society was abuzz. People celebrated this historic moment, hailing it as a victory for freedom and democracy, but Murphy thought of something else.
Something even greater, the giant that had once stood alone against the entire Western world, was about to fall too.
The giant had once stood as one of the world's two poles, yet when it left the table, only a few voices mourned its passing. All that remained was a cacophony as vultures picked at its flesh and blood, gorging themselves fat.
Having been reborn, Murphy found himself witnessing history like this, and for a moment, he felt a little wistful.
Still, wistful or not, he had no objection to getting involved himself.
He lacked the power to turn back the wheels of history, but rather than let the Bolsheviks' legacy be squandered by their enemies, he might as well reap the benefits himself. At least red blood runs through my veins too.
But the time had not yet come. That country remained closed off, making it difficult for foreign capital to enter. Its mighty state apparatus was exhausted, yet it continued to operate with unstoppable momentum. Even poaching people from it was difficult. This would require patient planning.
In December, Murphy lifted the Thorn Oath from every member of the Magic Research Institute's staff, one by one, replacing it with a Mental Seal compelling them to "abide by the confidentiality agreement."
This restored a substantial portion of his magic power all at once.
Eager to know his current level of magic power, he went to see Hordan.
The compact Magic Power Tester had been successfully developed more than three months earlier. Murphy had installed several in each of his Potions