Arendelle

The day has finally arrived—the first day of August.

The weather was perfectly clear, with not a cloud in the sky.

Today, Skylar will be visiting Arendelle, a wizarding village near Durmstrang. Since it's his first time visiting, he will have the entire morning to explore the village at his own pace.

In the afternoon, he had an appointment with Karkaroff, and they would meet at the Blizzard Tavern in Arendelle, where Karkaroff would introduce Skylar to his network of connections in Northern Europe and Germany.

The feeling that Arendelle gave Skylar was like a scene from the well-known animated film "Frozen" in his previous life. Even the names of the two were exactly the same. Skylar couldn't help but think to himself that the scene in this animation might have been designed by a wizard or Squib who mingled in the Muggle world.

I've heard that there's a wizarding town in Persia that's similar to the setting of the Muggle cartoon "Aladdin," called Agrabah. Skylar would like to visit it sometime.

As dawn broke, the snow-covered landscape of Arendelle shone brightly, making the entire village resemble a jewel set in the North. The architecture here had a strong Northern Europe feel, with crystal-clear icicles hanging from the eaves of the wooden houses, and the magical streetlights along the streets emitting a warm glow, making one feel cozy even in the dead of winter.

The air was filled with the aroma of hot drinks and roasted meat. Wizards and witches, dressed in thick cloaks, walked along the snow-covered stone path. Occasionally, a few young wizards could be seen lighting campfires with their wands to keep travelers warm.

Arendelle's most famous attraction is the Ice Palace. Located at the highest point of the village, the entire palace appears to be sculpted from pure ice crystals, refracting the sunlight to create a magnificent display of seven colors.

Inside the palace, there are not only magical, animated snowmen that wave to visitors and even playfully tumble and scatter snow in the air, but also a 1,400-foot-long ice slide. With a little cushioning magic, visitors can experience the thrill of high-speed gliding down from the top of the palace, traversing winding ice paths, and finally arriving at the silver square in the center of the village—all of which undoubtedly make it a must-see for every visitor.

Skylar tried it a few times, and it was indeed exciting!

In the afternoon, Skylar arrived at the Blizzard Tavern as promised, the most prestigious gathering place in Arendelle. The tavern was surrounded by thick snow walls, and a wooden sign hanging high in front of the door was carved with a snow wolf howling angrily.

Pushing open the heavy oak door, warm air wafted out, carrying the aroma of roasting meat and spirits. The magic fireplace roared, casting a golden-red glow on the animal hides and battle axes hanging on the wall.

The tavern was filled with wizards from all over Northern Europe, who talked and laughed loudly, clinking their glasses and their boisterous laughter echoing through the air from time to time.

Karkaroff had been waiting for some time at a round oak table in the corner, surrounded by several distinctive wizards. Seeing Skylar approach, he smiled, stood up, and said, "Skylar, you've come at the perfect time. I was just about to introduce you to some friends from Northern Europe and Germany —gentlemen, this is the most sought-after figure in the Great Britain wizarding world, Skylar Malfoy."

He first pointed to a dark-skinned, burly man on the left. The man's right arm was covered with scars from dragon flames, and a miniature Firedrake was wrapped around his wrist, licking his fingertips with faint Mars.

"This is Agnan, the owner of the Swedish Dragon Breeding Farm. He raises the purest Swedish Short-Snout."

Agnan raised his head, his eyes sharp as an eagle's, and sized up Skylar. He said in a low voice, "I've heard you've stirred up quite a storm in the Britain Wizarding World... Do you like dragons?"

Skylar smiled slightly, his gaze falling on the Firedrake on his wrist. "If the dragon is obedient, I'll like it very much."

Agnan chuckled softly and ruffled the Firedrake's head, "Dragons don't listen unless they approve of you."

Although it was their first meeting, Skylar was no stranger to the Swedish Dragon Breeding Farm, which mainly raises Swedish Short-Snout. However, it is most famous for its connection with another global Broomstick race.

Every year, the global "Annual Broom Race" takes place from Kopparberg, Sweden, to Arjeplog, 300 miles away. During the journey, participants must fly over dragon farms, risking being attacked by Fire Dragon soaring through the air, which shows how exciting and thrilling it is.

Karkaroff shrugged and pointed to another person at the table—a slightly plump, ruddy-faced old man wearing a robe trimmed with silver fish scales, holding a glass of wine that shimmered with a pale golden light.

"This is Fleri, the owner of the Norwegian Golden Salmon Farm, whose salmon is a delicacy served at major banquets throughout Northern Europe."

Fleri laughed heartily and handed his glass to Skylar: "Golden Salmon with our special Ice Lake wine, a perfect match! Mr. Malfoy, you must try it."

Skylar took the glass, took a gentle sniff; it carried a cool, refreshing aroma of minerals from an icy lake, and tasted mellow on the palate. He set down the glass and smiled, "Indeed, a fine wine."

Fleri nodded with satisfaction. "Only those who can thrive in this cold land truly understand what enjoyment is."

Then, Karkaroff placed his hand on the shoulder of a middle-aged wizard in a black trench coat. The man's face was expressionless, but his dark eyes revealed shrewdness and composure.

"This is Geiser Vogel, the representative of the ancient and Pure-blood families Vogel Family of Germany."

Geiser nodded in acknowledgment. He exuded a strong Germany aristocratic air, his every gesture revealing remarkable composure and authority. "I've heard your relationship with the Hohenheim Family is not simple?"

Skylar smiled calmly, "Eleanor and I just got engaged not long ago, and I will be the second most powerful person in the Hohenheim Family from now on."

Everyone at the table showed a slight change in expression. Skylar, who was originally just an outstanding student in Great Britain, had now transformed into a powerful figure in Germany's first family.

Skylar was no stranger to the Vogel family; the former German Ministry of Magic Minister for Magic, Anton Vogel, came from this family. In the second Fantastic Beasts movie, this man was also the president of the International Confederation of Wizards, the one who pardoned Grindelwald for all his crimes and allowed Grindelwald to run for the next president in the name of democracy.

At this moment, a wizard clad in silver-plated armor set down his wine cup and said in a low voice, "If Skylar is interested, perhaps we could discuss matters concerning the Black Forest."

Karkaroff raised an eyebrow at Skylar: "This is Carl, the captain of the Erkling management force stationed in the Black Forest."

Carl's tone was indifferent, his fingers tapping lightly on the table. "The things in the Black Forest are quite different from those in Britain. If you're interested in exploring, I can offer you some advice."

"Alright," Skylar laughed heartily, "I can't find the time to go to the Black Forest right now, but I'll definitely learn a lot from you when I have the chance."

The Black Forest is naturally dangerous, rumored to be no less so than the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts. Skylar learned from Quirrell's Diary during his first year that Vampire and Hag roam the Black Forest, and if you're unlucky, you might even encounter the Kobold, distant relatives of Goblin —a truly formidable force.

Of course, given Skylar's current strength, the dangers Quirrell sees are probably nothing at all.

As for the captain of this Erkling management force, his strength should not be underestimated. First of all, the Black Forest itself is home to many dark creatures, and to be able to stay here for a long time, they obviously need to have their own way of survival. And their daily task—hunting down Erkling is not an easy job either.

Erkling are Sprite -like creatures, larger than Gnome, averaging three feet tall, with long, pointed faces, and a particular fondness for the smell of children. The piercing squeals of the Erkling captivate children. They use this method to lure children away from their guardians and then devour them.

Before the German Ministry of Magic intervened, there were cases of children living near the Black Forest being eaten every year. It wasn't until the early 20th century, when the German Ministry of Magic deployed Erkling management force to the Black Forest to strictly control the number of Erkling, that Erkling attacks were greatly reduced.

Erkling are extremely adept at escaping and hiding, and the Black Forest is fraught with danger. The fact that Carl's Erkling can successfully hunt down and control the number of Erkling demonstrates that it is an exceptionally skilled field combat unit adept at tracking and hunting.

This is probably a similar unit to the Beast Extermination Execution Squad that Macnair mentioned, but it's unclear which is stronger or weaker.

Just then, a hearty laugh broke the dull conversation. A tall witch slammed her wine glass down on the table. Her cloak was made of Troll hide, and her arms were wrapped with thick leather straps, making her look like a huntress with rich combat experience.

"Mr. Malfoy, I've heard you're quite skilled at dealing with dark wizards? How about dealing with Troll?"

Karkaroff introduced, "This is Magina, the captain of the Nordic United Troll Hunting Unit."

Magina grinned. "Don't blame me for not warning you, Troll are much stronger than those little Britain wizards. Do you dare give it a try?"

Skylar raised an eyebrow, a slight smile playing on his lips, and, mimicking her boldness, raised his glass to clink with hers. "If the opportunity arises, I won't miss it."

Magina nodded and said, "You're a very interesting kid. I like you a lot."

Karkaroff whispered, "Don't let his nonchalant appearance fool you; his unit once wiped out an entire Troll's lair, completing the mission despite being outnumbered ten to one."

Skylar gave Karkaroff a barely perceptible nod of understanding, then said loudly, "I also enjoy dealing with strong men like you." With that, he downed his strong liquor in one gulp, displaying his heroic ambition.

Don't be fooled by how easily Skylar defeated the Troll in his first year. A lone Troll and a complete Troll tribe are two completely different things.

Not a single mistake, not a single poem, not a single post, not a single piece of content, all in one look!

Although Troll are now common in various Europe countries, Troll origin has always been in Northern Europe, especially Scandinavia. The Northern Europe countries have long suffered from the scourge of Troll.

Before the 17th century, the first meeting in the history of the International Confederation of Wizards was caused by a major disturbance due to Troll.

The first president was Pierre Bonacord, who advocated banning the hunting of Troll and giving them the rights they Troll. This was met with strong opposition from the Liechtenstein Ministry of Magic, where a particularly vicious tribe of Mountain Troll had been causing trouble.

Ultimately, the Liechtenstein Ministry of Magic refused to attend this historic meeting to express their dissatisfaction with Pierre Bonacord's decision.

This demonstrates just how much of a headache a large, intact Troll tribe could cause to a nation's magical regime.

Finally, a rough voice rang out, and a hairy hand slammed onto Skylar's shoulder with such force that it almost knocked him forward.

"Redbeard" Ji Lufan, leader of the North Sea Viking Corps.

"Young man," Ji Lufan laughed heartily, revealing his chapped lips, chapped by the North Sea winds, "If you want to establish yourself in Northern Europe, don't just rely on words—see if you have enough power in your hands."

Skylar smiled slightly and returned a glass of wine, "If you think I'm not strong enough, you're welcome to give me a try."

Ji Lufan laughed heartily, clearly appreciating Skylar's reaction.

Karkaroff quickly introduced, "This is the commander of the North Sea Viking Corps, 'Redbeard' Ji Lufan."

Ji Lufan's beard was indeed as red as his name suggested, and he exuded the heroic aura of a sea warrior.

The North Sea Viking Corps is a joint naval force formed by the Northern Europe countries. Because the Northern Europe countries face the vast North Sea, and navigation and trade are vital pillars of their economies, they specifically united to create this force to maintain stability and order in the North Sea.

This is a highly specialized naval force, extremely rare even in the global wizarding world. Its duties are not merely to patrol the seas and deal with foreign wizards who illegally enter the country, but also to deal with the increasingly serious problem of the Pirate King Family in the North Sea, as well as the ferocious sea monsters and sea beasts that lurk in the deep sea and threaten passing ships.

It's almost certain that the dangers this force faces far exceed those of the Auror forces in most wizarding nations. And the person in charge of this force is certainly no ordinary individual.

Karkaroff glanced around, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. "Skylar, these people are among the most influential figures in Northern Europe and Germany —their fields differ, but they have one thing in common..."

Skylar took a sip of his drink and slowly said, "They all respect strength."

Karkaroff nodded. "Then, whether you can gain a foothold here depends on your abilities."

Skylar appropriately demonstrated his abilities to the group, and with Karkaroff's encouragement, Skylar quickly integrated into their circle.

This place includes two giants of the Northern Europe business world (Agnan and Fleri), an ancient Pure-blood families with Germany political connections (Vogel), the leaders of the Ironblood forces that specialize in hunting Erkling and Troll (Carl and Magina), and the leader of the naval forces that maintain the stability of the North Sea (Ji Lufan). It can be said that it encompasses elites from all fields in Germany and the Northern Europe. Befriending them would be a win-win situation for both sides. At the same time, this also means that Skylar's tentacles have penetrated into the Germany and Northern Europe regions for the first time.

Skylar generously decided on the spot to invest 8,000 Galleon in the Swedish Dragon Breeding Farm and the same number of Galleon in the Golden Salmon Farm, and promised to help them open up the markets in Great Britain and France in his name.

The Department of International Magical Cooperation of Great Britain is not an easy agency to deal with, especially at a time when the Britain Ministry of Magic is in such a state of chaos that no one would be willing to process business applications from foreigners.

Collaborating with Skylar would only be beneficial for them.

The three parties quickly reached an agreement, with Skylar using the promised investment amount plus the condition of opening up new markets to buy one-fifth of the shares of the Fire Dragon Farm and one-quarter of the shares of the Golden Salmon Farm.

Skylar also benefited greatly, not only adding two high-quality businesses to his portfolio, but also officially establishing himself in the Northern Europe business world and building his first wave of influence.

[Allies Agnan of Sweden, Fleri of Norway, the Vogel Family of Germany, Carl of the Black Forest, Magina of the Northern Europe countries, and Ji Lufan of the North Sea were acquired!]

[Stake acquired in Swedish Dragon Breeding Farm!]

[Stake acquired in Norwegian Golden Salmon Farm!]