The Fanatic's Obsession

With Ian gone.

The messy bookstore returned to its undisturbed tranquility.

The sun gradually set.

The horizon was dyed a gentle orange-red, while the land quietly donned night's splendid attire. Aurora Grindelwald turned on the lights and continued reading the notebook titled "Runes Analysis and Research."

Light and shadow intertwined between the bookshelves.

Every so often, the faint sound of pages turning could be heard inside the shop.

Although the German Girl had told Ian that the Bookstore Owner, Kraft, would be back soon, it was not until late at night, when starlight dotted the night curtain, that he finally appeared.

"Click~"

With night having fallen.

Aurora had already closed the bookstore's front door. The old man pushed it open and entered, gently removing his worn hat. Its brim still bore traces of dust and creases left by the breeze outside.

"Miss, you haven't gone to rest yet?"

Bookstore Owner Kraft's tone was quite respectful, nothing like the attitude one would expect from an elder. His voice carried a hint of barely concealed fatigue.

"It's still early."

Aurora did not look up. As she read the notebook spread across her lap, she spoke with mild curiosity.

"Besides, I also wanted to know what message Grandfather sent you that made you rush out in such a panic, only to return at midnight looking completely exhausted."

Facing the heir of the Grindelwald Family, Kraft merely pursed his lips and shook his head. He did not give Aurora the answer she wanted.

"There are some things you should not be involved with yet."

This was, in fact, the answer Aurora had expected.

Neither her expression nor her attention changed. She continued studying the book on her knees.

"Of course I'm tired. The other Acolytes and I are all old now. We're no longer as full of vigor as we were in our youth... I don't even know whether we'll live to see the day our ideals are realized."

Kraft sighed heavily, slowly taking off his thick robe and hanging it on the coat rack by the entrance.

Even such a simple action left him breathing faster and panting slightly.

"My talent is nowhere near as dazzling as Grandfather's, nor do I possess his lofty ambitions. Placing your hopes in me will only leave you with regrets and disappointment when you die."

Aurora looked up.

She stared at Kraft with her mismatched eyes.

Kraft felt dazed.

For an instant.

He thought he had truly returned to those old days, to that era where dreams and passion existed side by side... But unfortunately, Aurora's words pulled him back to reality.

Everything had already passed.

The great leader had lost his freedom.

The once-glorious Acolytes had become flickering candles in the wind.

"No, it won't be like that."

Kraft was not angered. Instead, his tone was resolute.

"Your Grandfather believes you can complete the work he left unfinished. You will surpass him. He has already paved the way for you, and under our protection, you will succeed."

Kraft's voice was filled with fervor.

Aurora fell silent.

She wanted to refute him.

But.

She also understood.

To the Acolytes.

Her Grandfather was practically their faith itself.

Let alone refuting him.

Even the slightest disagreement would invite resistance from the Acolytes.

"Don't you think it's a little too cruel to place such a burden on a child?" Aurora sighed softly, a trace of sorrow passing through her eyes.

"The fact that you can say such things proves that you are no longer a child." Kraft lowered his voice in reply, his attitude humble from beginning to end.

However.

This humility did not stem from loyalty to Aurora, but from loyalty to Aurora's Grandfather.

"Bearing the name Grindelwald, from the moment you were born, you were destined to shoulder an extraordinary mission." The words were heavy, but they were indeed a fact no one could deceive themselves about.

Aurora understood that as well.

"I don't think I can lead you to rise again."

Aurora spoke seriously.

Kraft chuckled, unconcerned.

"Lord Grindelwald saw such a future. For Acolytes like us, that alone is enough." Kraft's clouded eyes shone with unusual brightness.

That light.

Was probably called hope.

"Perhaps the self-imprisonment he is enduring now, and all the suffering he endured in the past, are all paving the way for you. It is all to deceive Dumbledore for a greater good!"

That was what fanatics were like.

They could always concoct a seemingly coherent "reasonable" explanation to comfort themselves over things they found difficult to accept. Aurora knew she could not change Kraft's mind.

Just as.

Over the past decade or so.

She had been unable to change the other Acolytes who had "accompanied" her while she grew up.

Sometimes, Aurora truly admired her Grandfather. She could not imagine what kind of personal charisma it took to make a group of people remain utterly devoted to him after he had been gone for so many years.

Still believing that he possessed godlike power.

"Let's talk about something else."

Aurora did not want to comment too much on why her Grandfather had been imprisoned.

She had only met him three or four times in her life.

Powerful, elegant, gentle.

Those were Aurora's deepest impressions of Gellert Grindelwald.

As for familial affection...

"Has Dumbledore still not approved my application for admission?"

Aurora changed the subject.

"Dumbledore is a detestable man, but since we are on his territory now, you should still show some superficial respect to your future headmaster."

Kraft reminded her seriously, then replied in an extremely certain tone, "Rest assured, you need not worry about being unable to enroll at Hogwarts."

"Although none of us believe that school is qualified to educate you, your Grandfather wishes for you to study there. Therefore, Dumbledore will not become an obstacle to your admission."

"That damned man will agree in the end."

Whenever Kraft mentioned Dumbledore, he would grit his teeth in hatred.

In that regard.

Nearly every Acolyte had the same issue.

Aurora had long grown used to it.

"That's good."

She lowered her head and resumed reading the notebook in her hands.

The entire bookstore returned to silence.

Kraft raised his wand and cleaned his coat. Then, as he prepared to head toward the back room, he caught sight of the three Runes textbooks still piled atop the counter.

"Has that Little Boy been here?"

Kraft picked up the three books with interest and looked them over. There were not many traces of reading on them. It seemed that after being bought, none of the three books had been read for very long.

"He came to sell books."

Aurora answered succinctly.

"That's a cunning little brat, far more clever than others his age. He didn't fool you, did he?" Kraft tossed the three books toward the bookshelf.

"Clatter~"

Without magic to guide them.

Kraft's "basketball shot" was truly rather inaccurate.

All three books fell to the floor.

Yet Kraft had no intention of casting even a single spell to save them.

Aurora looked up thoughtfully.

"I gave him a Gold Coin."

Her voice sounded no different from usual—young and crisp, her emotions steady.

"Who would have thought? Who would have thought that you could swindle that cunning little brat!"

Upon hearing this, Kraft looked at Aurora in surprise. Then he grinned from ear to ear, raising his withered arm and giving Aurora a thumbs up.

"I think he's quite nice. He said he wanted to be friends with me."

No expression appeared on Aurora's cool face. However, though she usually liked to read with books resting on her knees, she was now holding the entire notebook up in her hands.

"Hm?"

Kraft did not notice anything unusual. His attention was on something else.

"Does that little brat know your identity, Miss?"

The smile had vanished from Kraft's face, replaced by wary narrowed eyes.

"Yes."

Aurora raised the notebook a little higher.

"We exchanged names. His name is Ian Prince."

The girl's tone remained as calm as ever.

"Heh, it seems he's a Muggle-born wizard."

Kraft frowned slightly.

He was not questioning Aurora's ability to socialize. Rather, Aurora's Grandfather had long made the surname "Grindelwald" an object of awe among wizards.

Grindelwald's name might not be as terrifying as Voldemort's, but any Young Wizard from a wizarding family would definitely know what lay behind that surname.

"Both his parents are wizards."

The girl suddenly corrected him.

Kraft froze slightly.

"Is that something you saw?"

Kraft's gaze turned toward Aurora's eyes.

Fervor appeared in his gaze once more.

"He knows what Grindelwald means, and..."

Aurora recalled the conversation she had had with Ian before he left that afternoon. Lowering her head to resume reading the notebook, she calmly made a shocking statement.

"He said he wanted to become the Dark Lord."