Lester's First Failure

"Please sit down!" Just as Lupin was still pondering the meaning of those slogans, Lester had already pulled out a chair for Lupin. Not only that, Lester also didn't neglect the Werewolf who was with Lupin.

"I wonder what brings you here?" Lupin asked, utterly astonished upon seeing Lester.

His long-term life as a wanderer, coupled with his Werewolf identity, meant he received absolutely no respect outside. Forget about anyone pulling out a chair for him; it was rare for him to even be allowed into a shop.

The Werewolf boy beside Lupin looked at Lester with some lingering fear. Lupin had attended Hogwarts, which was considered highly educated among Werewolf; most Werewolf didn't even have the privilege of attending school.

Jacob, a Werewolf, has lived at the very bottom of Knockturn Alley ever since he was born to his Werewolf parents. He can't even guarantee his daily food and clothing, let alone earn the respect of others.

Therefore, Jacob was instantly flattered to see that Lester, a young master of extraordinary birth, would treat him with such courtesy.

"The reason I invited you is very simple," Lester said, pointing instead to a sign in the hall.

"Completely selfless, dedicated to serving others, and serving the people!"

Lupin: "..."

"Our Guild was founded to help people like you who are suffering."

"Of course, you must not think of this help as charity, because the role of the Guild is not to help everyone, but to unite everyone!"

Lupin became increasingly confused as he listened. He knew all the words, but why were they so baffling when put together in a sentence?

Needless to say, the Werewolf Jacob understood that it wasn't charity but alliance.

Perhaps to Lupin, who had experienced the harsh realities of life, this statement seemed like a pointless exercise, but to Jacob Younger, it was indeed very useful.

Living at the very bottom of the Knockturn Alley, they are often given food by kind people, but unfortunately, those kind people are only doing so out of charity.

Although it's nothing, little Jacob is still a child and has a strong sense of self-esteem, so he must have really hated the condescending looks from others.

But he didn't see charity in Lester's eyes; instead, he saw respect. Leicester didn't mock them for their poverty, nor did he pity them for their poverty. He treated them as normal people and talked to them on equal terms.

"I didn't mean anything by it. Judging from your clothes and appearance, you probably aren't having a very pleasant time in the Wizarding World."

Seeing that Lupin wasn't so easily fooled, Lester immediately turned his attention to the Werewolf, ready to try and trick him.

Sure enough, upon hearing Lester's words, even the proud Werewolf lowered his head in shame.

Their situation wasn't just unpleasant; it was downright appalling.

Because of their Werewolf identity, no one respected them, and they weren't even given the lowly positions that Muggle-born could hold.

Even Lupin, Werewolf wizard with explosive combat power, couldn't find a job in the Wizarding World, let alone other ordinary Werewolf.

"Have you ever thought about why you are so poor, and what the root cause of your poverty is?"

Is it because you're lazy? Or because you lack ambition?

Hearing Lester's blunt question, the Werewolf immediately panicked and said, "We're not lazy idiots! Those damned purebloods are the lazy ones! We work ourselves to the bone, only to be exploited by them! I..."

As he spoke, the Werewolf's eyes reddened with grievance. He and the other Werewolf living in Knockturn Alley had no choice but to do odd jobs in the Knockturn Alley just to survive.

Because of their Werewolf identity, the purebloods can exploit them at will. They often have to work 12 hours a day to earn meager wages.

"I'm not talking about you, I'm talking about those purebloods in Knockturn Alley, no, I mean..."

"I know, and in fact, I'm not a traditional Pure-blood wizard either. In fact, my grandparents were Muggle-born."

"You... you mean your grandparents are people who can't cast spells? Then why are those pure-blooded dark wizards so afraid of you, even afraid to come to your shop... in front of the Guild?"

The Werewolf immediately asked a question, while Lupin also looked at Lester with curiosity.

"Who knows? Maybe they're afraid of my Guild's reputation?"

Lester couldn't tell the truth to the Werewolf's questions, such as telling him that he wasn't a good person, that he was involved in organized crime, and that he was doing quite well in the underworld.

These words might not matter to the Werewolf, but they were absolutely unacceptable to Lupin.

Seeing that the topic had gone off track, Lester immediately steered it back on track.

"So, what are your thoughts on the future?"

Lupin: "..."

To be honest, when he first joined the Guild, he felt that the slogans in the store were a bit outrageous. Although the grand and passionate slogans made him feel incredibly excited, they all seemed to be statements about overthrowing the Ministry of Magic.

He had only a bad feeling before, but now that Lester had forcibly changed the subject, his bad feeling had intensified.

To be able to make such a name for himself in Knockturn Alley, this little boy named Lester must come from a very wealthy family. And with Lester's increasingly evasive and contradictory statements, he was more and more convinced that Lester wasn't running a legitimate business.

So, the cautious Lupin decided to leave. The reason was simple: Lester's words and the slogans on the banner gave him a very dangerous feeling.

As a member of the Order of the Phoenix, he had witnessed Voldemort's team-building activities. In the same spacious and bright hall, slogans of pure-blood supremacy were posted everywhere. And coincidentally, Voldemort's main agenda was also to overthrow the Ministry of Magic.

The difference is that Lester seems to have followed the path of Muggle-born, while Voldemort followed the path of Pure-blood wizard.

In Lupin's view, both routes were extremely dangerous and would cause many innocent wizards to be killed or injured.

Revolutions always involve bloodshed. Although Lupin, being a nice guy, agreed with Lester's slogans, he was unwilling to cause trouble.

"Damn it, I failed to fool Lupin!" Lester, who was chatting with the Werewolf about the future, was actually focused on Lupin the whole time.

By observing Lupin's expression, Lester quickly realized that Lupin was about to leave.

"Looks like my con artist skills still need improvement!" Lester sighed helplessly as he looked at the Werewolf who was staring at him with utter admiration.

Ordinary people might be easily influenced by him, but a man like Lupin, who has experienced the ups and downs of life, seen too much of the world, and been deceived too much, naturally becomes immune to being fooled.