Maxime

With the surrender and submission of the Golgomath, the battle with the Giants came to an end.

In this battle, none of the wizards who came with Skylar were killed or seriously injured; their record was near perfect.

Of course, despite the ample preparations and tactical arrangements, the Giant's combat power still exceeded many people's expectations, so quite a few wizards still suffered minor injuries, but none of them were serious problems. The petite Latifa began to move around again, busy casting spells to heal them one by one.

After taking stock of the battle results and the number of people, Desiree reported to Skylar that after the Giants ' own civil war, there were actually only 45 Giants left. Of these 45 Giants, 6 were killed by the Silver Spear wizards in the previous battle, so only 39 Giants were still alive, and most of them were seriously injured or crippled.

This number sounds terrifying—keep in mind, before Hagrid approached the Giants, they had over eighty people; in just one day, he reduced their population by more than half.

Skylar knew the root of the Giants ' problem— Giant warlike nature and the limited resources they faced due to the wizards' shrinking of their living space.

If we don't want the Giants to become extinct, there's only one way—give them a wider territory, or rather, a larger living space and more abundant resources.

He divided the Giants into two groups according to an equal sex ratio. The group consisting of the wounded, permanently disabled, old, weak, sick, and disabled, led by the seriously injured Karkus, continued to live there. The group numbered about 15.

Most of these Giants no longer possess much fighting power, and they were also deeply shocked by Skylar and the forces he brought with them in this battle. It is estimated that they no longer have the courage to fight against wizards. As a result, they are unlikely to be used by other forces. Therefore, even if they are left here and ignored, they will not be able to cause any trouble.

The other group of Giant who retained their fighting strength were led by the even more powerful Golgomath and Skylar Shaelin's forces.

After some haggling with Desiree, Skylar paid a hefty sum of Galleons Silver Spear hire them to assist the 24 Giants led by Golgomath in their relocation to a new territory.

The Hermetray Island in the Hebrides was the place Skylar had his eye on. This deserted island was where Zygmunt Bach had lived in seclusion. It was in this remote and hard-to-find location that he wrote his masterpiece, The Book of Potions, undisturbed there.

After his death, the island became a deserted island, uninhabited, and rich in resources, with enough plants and animals to feed 24 Giants.

After resting, Desiree and the Silver Spear warriors left, leading the Giants on their long migration journey.

[Obtain the Giant Tribe, the main character's faction!]

Skylar then personally expressed his sincerest gratitude to Mr. Delacour and the representatives of the various France noble allies, for without their contributions, the battle would not have had such a perfect outcome.

The two sides naturally stood there and exchanged pleasantries.

Although it may sound like a waste of time, it is absolutely necessary. Both sides have built a deeper friendship through this battle and gained a better understanding of each other's strength. For example, many of the noble representatives were deeply shocked by the strength that Skylar displayed on this day and wished they could immediately forge a closer alliance with Skylar.

Next, it's time to say goodbye.

Most of them would return to France using pre-set Portkey, but Skylar would not go with them; Skylar would return directly to Great Britain with Sarf, Savannah, and Latifa.

Just before the Portkey was about to activate, Phoebe, disregarding the stares of others, abandoned her reserve and boldly gave Skylar a French kiss. Then, with a sly wink, she vanished on the spot with the Portkey before Skylar could react, leaving only her unique, faint fragrance lingering in Skylar's nostrils.

Sarf, Savannah, and Latifa were all Skylar's maids, so they all pretended not to see anything and said nothing.

Skylar coughed lightly, instructing them not to spread what had just happened, and then said, "Well then, let's go. Before returning to Britain, I'd like to walk around this area a bit more and try my luck."

Deep in the dense forests of the Ural Mountains, snow covers the rugged mountain paths, and the branches creak in the cold wind.

Hagrid and Maxime trudged along, their robes torn, stained with mud and blood, clearly having just come from a fierce battle. Blood still trickled from Hagrid's forehead, which he wiped haphazardly with his large hands. Gasping for breath, he said angrily, "Enough! We almost lost our lives! The most important thing now is to get back quickly and tell Dumbledore."

Maxime abruptly stopped, turned around, and her dark eyes flashed with anger. Her tall figure appeared incredibly imposing in the night. She gritted her teeth, her voice filled with unwavering determination. "Go back? Phoebe is still in Valley of Giants! Are you just going to abandon her like this?"

Hagrid frowned, his face flushed, and he angrily waved his large hand.

"It's not that I don't care! But in our current state, going back isn't about finding someone, it's practically suicide!"

"Then what do you expect me to do?" Maxime was furious, her chest heaving violently, her snow-white cloak billowing in the wind, making her appear even more imposing. "Phoebe is a student of our school, and Champion I personally selected! She is the apple of the eye of the Delacour Family, how am I supposed to explain this to her family?"

"But we have no idea where she is!" Hagrid growled, his thick fingers pointing into the dense forest behind him, his voice filled with anxiety. "We didn't escape just to be sent back! We're badly injured! We need time, we need help!"

Maxime laughed in fury, her tone sarcastic. "So you're going back to Dumbledore for help? And then what? By the time we gather our forces, Phoebe will already be..." She took a deep breath, suppressing her anger, her eyes sharp, "She's a delicate girl, surrounded by a group of dark wizards, how long do you think she can hold out?"

Hagrid was speechless for a moment, breathing heavily, his knuckles turning white from clenching his fists.

It wasn't that he didn't care about Phoebe, but Maxime didn't understand—his mission wasn't just to find the Giants, but more importantly, to bring back intelligence on the Giants and the Death Eaters. Dumbledore needed to know what was happening on this land. But he knew that this reason wouldn't convince Maxime no matter what.

"I can't watch her fall into the hands of a dark wizard," Maxime finally said coldly, his gaze piercing Hagrid like a blade. "If you're unwilling to save her, then I'll go myself."

"Maxime—! Don't be foolish!" Hagrid shouted, reaching out to grab her arm, trying to stop her from going down this path of no return. However, Maxime jerked her hand away, her strength so great that Hagrid stumbled.

"Go on, go back and tell Dumbledore." Maxime strode away without looking back, leaving firm, heavy footprints in the snow. "I won't stand by and watch Phoebe be abandoned."

Hagrid watched her retreating figure, his mouth opening and closing, but ultimately he didn't call out to her again. He knew that once Maxime made a decision, any persuasion would be futile.

He sighed deeply, his heart filled with guilt and inner conflict—should he chase after them?

However, Maxime did not go far.

The moment she stepped into the depths of the forest, an invisible force suddenly enveloped her— the Imperius Curse descended silently. Her steps faltered, and the anger in her eyes quickly faded, leaving them empty and numb.

The figure emerging from the shadows was draped in a black cloak, his grey eyes gleaming with a cold light in the night. Skylar slowly lowered his wand, gently touching the Mind Control Ring on his finger, quite satisfied with its effect. A subtle smile played on his lips as he murmured, "Welcome to our side, Maxime."

Maxime turned her head, her empty eyes staring blankly at Skylar. Her expression changed from initial resistance to confusion, and finally to complete submission; her former arrogance was gone.

She clenched her right fist against her heart, lowered her head slightly, and bent down, bringing her originally tall figure to within Skylar's reach. Her voice was deep and firm, carrying a hint of cold respect. "Yes, my master, please give your orders."

"What is your relationship with Dumbledore?" Skylar asked.

"We've been friends for a long time. Dumbledore has a book called the Phoenix Address Book, which lists the most outstanding wizards he has secretly befriended in various fields around the world, and I, as the headmaster of Beauxbatons, am one of them," Maxime replied mechanically.

Hmm, Skylar roughly guessed what was going on.

This book appeared in the second Fantastic Beasts movie. In the film, Nicolas Flamel used this book to contact the spell master Euryale Hicks in North America, which laid the foundation for the group that would later fight against Grindelwald.

The information gleaned from Mundungus also indicates that Dumbledore has made up his mind this time to reunite the First Order of the Phoenix, likely relying on this book to bring them together.

Skylar stepped forward slowly, placed his hand on Maxime's broad shoulder, and said in a deep voice, "Raise your head, Maxime, look me in the eyes..."

Maxime obediently raised her chin and looked into Skylar's crimson eyes, which had turned into Snake Eyes. Her originally bewildered eyes were slowly filled with a firm will and fanatical loyalty, and there was no longer a ripple in them.

"Very well, you've forgotten your friendship with Dumbledore," Skylar smiled slightly, his voice soft yet meaningful. "From this day forward, you will consider me your only true friend, and fight only for me."

"My master's will is my mission," Maxime replied without hesitation, his voice steady and powerful, without the slightest hesitation. Without a doubt, this once arrogant Principal Beauxbatons had now become Skylar's most loyal servant.

"Phoebe has been rescued by me, and she is safe with her family now," Skylar said slowly. "Find a way to avoid Hagrid and return to Beauxbatons on your own. Later, I will be going to France for the Potions Competition, and I need you to send me a formal invitation under the guise of encouraging exchanges between outstanding students from different magic schools, so that I can legitimately visit Beauxbatons— "

"Follow-up instructions," Skylar said with a slight smile, "I will issue them when we meet in Beauxbatons. For now, go back to Beauxbatons, be a good headmaster, and prepare to welcome my arrival!"

"Yes, my master." Maxime bowed deeply before turning and leaving.

["Servant" Olympe Maxime is acquired!]

Savannah, Sarf, and Latifa then emerged from their hiding place.

"Congratulations, Master, on successfully subduing Maxime. Now, even Beauxbatons will fall under your control." Savannah spoke with admiration, as if she truly knew her new master.

In just one day, he was able to quickly assemble a group of incredibly powerful wizards, and then successively annihilate the enemy, subdue the Giants, and win over Maxime. The entire plan was well-prepared, meticulously planned, and executed with decisiveness and without any oversights. No wonder Karkaroff admired him so much.

As Karkaroff's personally trained and capable assistant, she had a considerable understanding of the power dynamics among the major Europe powers, and she was very clear about what Skylar's subjugation of Maxime meant.

She just hadn't expected things to go so smoothly. As the headmaster of a school, Maxime's mental cultivation couldn't be too bad. In addition, with the magic resistance unique to her Giant bloodline, she was easily controlled by the Imperius Curse in a single exchange with Skylar, without even showing any room for resistance.

Now, Skylar was her master—ambition and desire flickered in her cold eyes. She needed to redefine her identity, strive to play the role of Skylar's maid well, and make Skylar realize her value.

Savannah's loyalty has increased!

Meanwhile, in the distance, Hagrid remained standing, anxiously watching the direction Maxime had gone, completely unaware of what had happened.