Lucius: The Dark Lord Asked Me to Deliver a Message

The funeral was over. Arcturus III, leaning on his Staff, exchanged a few words with Orion before leaving with Lucretia. Cygnus III and Druella were also walking towards the outside of the yew wall, Druella linked arms with Cygnus, her veil still on. Lucius gestured to the side with his eyes and took a few steps into the deeper shadows of the yew trees.

Regulus understood and followed him a little further away.

The two stood under an old yew tree, its trunk so thick it blocked their shadows, and the sunlight filtering through the canopy cast crisscrossing shadows on them.

Narcissa's gaze swept over, then looked away.

She knew what Lucius was going to talk to Regulus about; Lucius had told her.

A hint of worry flashed in her eyes, but she quickly suppressed it, folding her hands in front of her, showing no intention of following.

She wouldn't get involved in men's affairs; she was just worried.

Despite her worries, she wasn't actually that concerned about Regulus's safety.

She had seen what Regulus had done at the Christmas Banquet, and in terms of power, she didn't need to worry about her brother.

She was worried about something else.

Lucius came to Regulus for help, and she knew this would benefit Lucius.

She knew that if Regulus agreed, it would also benefit the relationship between the Black family and Malfoy family.

But for Regulus, he had taken another step into that circle, becoming even more involved in that Dark Lord's affairs.

She wasn't sure if it was good or bad.

Regulus is her brother, and she doesn't want him to get involved because of her.

Although she knew in her heart that Regulus would not get involved in anything he didn't want to be involved in.

So she chose to remain silent, watching their backs as they walked away, without chasing after them.

Sirius noticed it too.

He stood a few steps away and saw Regulus follow Lucius to the side; his face immediately darkened.

His lips turned down, his brows furrowed, and his gaze was fixed on Lucius's retreating figure. He was clearly unhappy, but he didn't move or make a sound. Because of Narcissa's earlier show of closeness—she straightened his collar, worried about him, and told him to eat well—he opened his mouth, then closed it again, not making a scene.

Narcissa narrowed her eyes slightly and sized him up.

She could tell what Sirius was thinking; he had no liking for Lucius and was even more disgusted by Regulus's private conversation with Lucius. But he held back.

Narcissa noticed this detail, but she didn't say anything.

A small clearing between two yew trees, far from the crowds, where the light was even dimmer.

Lucius stopped and turned to face Regulus, his posture relaxed.

In Regulus's presence, he had long since abandoned his Malfoy -like reserve, partly due to Narcissa and partly due to what he had witnessed firsthand. His expression carried a subtle air of closeness, though his reserve was still present, which he deliberately suppressed, but not entirely—perhaps because he lacked the skill, or perhaps because he was too skilled.

He then dropped his casual tone and adopted a more private and formal one, as if he were discussing serious matters.

There's something I want to tell you.

Lucius switched his Staff to his left hand and lightly brushed his right hand across his robe. "That Dark Lord has recently assigned some tasks, one of which involves a Werewolf."

He frowned slightly, a flash of disgust crossing his eyes, then succinctly summarized in his characteristically elegant tone. "Despicable, base, filthy, but dangerous."

Regulus raised his eyebrows slightly, but remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"Fenrir Greyback."

As he uttered the name, the corners of his mouth turned down noticeably, as if he had tasted something unclean on his tongue.

He let that emotion linger on his face for a while longer, perhaps out of genuine disgust, or perhaps to let Regulus see his true feelings.

Then he withdrew his voice, resuming his slow, deliberate tone. "He has already pledged allegiance to that Dark Lord, and with his pack of Werewolf, he has been entrenched in northern Yorkshire for the better part of half a year."

Lucius looked away from Regulus's face, glanced at the distant tombstone, and then looked back.

"The problem is that this Werewolf has been making too many moves lately. There have been several Attacks in Yorkshire, and it has bitten quite a few people, creating a new batch of Werewolf."

The new Werewolf is harder to control, more volatile, and more unruly. Most recently, he was spotted near a wizarding enclave." His tone softened here: "The Dangerous Creatures Management Department has already begun deploying a detection network in that area, you know the current situation..."

He looked Regulus into the eyes. "Many things still need time, and some doors are best left closed until the right time arrives."

Regulus knew what he was talking about.

Voldemort's current strategy is to develop covertly and avoid direct confrontation with the Ministry of Magic at this stage.

Minchum's neutrality was feigned; he pretended to be deaf and dumb because the Death Eaters ' activities were still within a negligible range.

Greyback's antics will narrow down the scope of this issue, forcing the Ministry of Magic to respond.

At that point, Minchum could no longer keep up the pretense.

"Therefore, the adults need someone to relay the message."

Lucius flipped his right hand outward, his expression showing a hint of helplessness. "Restrain yourself, coordinate with the overall plan, halt all actions outside the designated target, and avoid activities near the wizarding settlement."

"At the same time, we'll bring a batch of supplies—food, daily necessities, and some kind of Potions to alleviate the pain of transformation—as a condition for cooperation."

After he finished speaking, he looked at Regulus, a genuine look of confusion flashing across his face.

Or, to put it another way, the discomfort a shrewd person feels when facing an opponent who doesn't play by the rules.

"To be honest, Regulus, this job isn't difficult; it's just passing on messages. The difficult part is dealing with Greyback."

His tone was casual, yet tinged with sincerity. "He's unreasonable. Trying to negotiate with him is like trying to divide the prey with a hungry beast."

You try to reason with him logically, but he won't listen; you try to intimidate him with your status, but he won't submit.

"I'll cooperate, because that Dark Lord's name carries weight, but he'll find all sorts of trouble in the process." His lips twitched, and his eye twitched slightly. "It's pretty dirty."

Lucius looked at Regulus, his tone becoming more direct, carrying the kind of candor only found between close friends.

"You are very powerful, Regulus. I saw everything at the Christmas Banquet. I'm going to see Greyback. If you were there, many things would be much easier."

Regulus did not answer immediately after hearing this.

His gaze passed over Lucius and landed on a few Black talking in the distance.

Lucius didn't urge him, gently tapping the soil with his Staff at a leisurely pace. In his view, as long as it wasn't a direct rejection, there was still hope. Regulus withdrew his gaze and looked at him.

This is Lucius Malfoy.

The request was made frankly, the purpose was clearly stated, there were no beating around the bush, no use of Voldemort's name to exert pressure, and no pretense of being desperate.

He was simply asking for help in his own name, using a consultative tone and a direct attitude.

This directness is shrewd in itself; there's no point in hiding it, and there's even less point in using Voldemort's name to get his help.

The Heir of the Black family is neither Death Eaters nor Voldemort's subordinate; using that Dark Lord to pressure him will only backfire.

That's not actually the case at all.

Lucius sought his help, ostensibly because he needed someone to keep Greyback in check.

But it would be too easy for the Malfoy family to find a few capable wizards.

Abraxas had been in business for decades. Although the Malfoy family was a single-lineage family, with only father and son from Abraxas to Lucius, there were quite a few wizards who depended on the Malfoy family for a living.

Some were long-term hired guards, some were researchers and craftsmen working on the Malfoy family's properties, and some were old acquaintances to whom favors had been owed. Among these people were many capable fighters, Abraxas also had a few powerful old men under his command. Any of them could easily accompany Lucius on a trip to Greyback's territory.

So Lucius came to him not because he absolutely needed him.

He came looking for connections.

A shrewd person's way of socializing is to proactively ask for your help, thus incurring your favor. This debt becomes the bond of the relationship.

By helping each other, a new layer of friendship was formed between the two families, and we developed a tacit understanding, laying the foundation for future cooperation.

He won't lose anything by not helping; that's the stance he's already taken.

With Lucius's shrewdness, he was investing in the relationship.

Regulus saw right through Lucius's little scheme, but he wasn't bothered by it.

Lucius's method of building relationships was quite sophisticated: he deliberately showed weakness and created an atmosphere of indebtedness, making Lucius feel that he was helping him, when in reality he was helping him integrate into his network of relationships.

For Lucius, the favor was far more valuable than the trouble of accompanying him on a trip to Greyback's territory.

As for the signal from Voldemort's side, Regulus thought for a moment.

Voldemort entrusted the matters involving Greyback to Lucius, putting a shrewd young man in his early twenties in charge of a wild beast.

Perhaps it's a test, to see how Lucius handles this situation where the levels are completely unequal.

Perhaps it was through training, by exposing Lucius to dirtier and rougher jobs, that his rough edges were smoothed out.

If Regulus's prediction is correct, Abraxas will one day die at Voldemort's hands, through a perfectly timed Dragon Pox, and that time will not be long.

Then Lucius takes over the Malfoy family, becoming a wealthy but young, capable but not strong enough heir, making him easier to control. That explains Voldemort's current actions: he's grooming Lucius in advance, making him capable of handling things independently, but the upper limit of his capability is determined by Voldemort.

A Malfoy who is obedient and capable is far more useful than a shrewd but not entirely controllable Abraxas.

The Malfoy family's political resources and Galleon were too important for Voldemort to waste his time cultivating this heir. Of course, these are all speculations, but Regulus felt the possibility was not low.

As for the Malfoy family, they are potential targets, but now is not the time.

As long as Abraxas is still alive, the Malfoy family still holds the reins of power.

When Abraxas really does get into trouble, when Lucius takes over the Malfoy family, when he feels Voldemort's oppression.

When Black realizes that money alone isn't enough, and that true allies are also needed, that's when he should make his move.

So now that Lucius is trying to build a relationship, Regulus doesn't mind cooperating.

Both sides get what they want, and neither loses out.

But his agreement to this had nothing to do with Lucius's own plans.

The word "Werewolf" triggered a whole series of thoughts in his mind.