In Birmingham, You Could Even See Thugs Carrying Old Ladies Across the Street

After finishing all that, Leon returned to the wasteland. In just one day, the Razor Gang had turned it into a plaza resembling a football field, making it convenient for Leon to practice spells.

The reason it had been done so quickly was mainly thanks to the miners working under the Razor Gang's coal pits.

Most of them had once been petty thugs causing trouble in Birmingham, or former enemies of the gang.

But Leon was extremely generous. Not only did he put aside past grudges, he also arranged coal-mining jobs for them that required only seventeen hours of work a day, with food and lodging included—and even coffins provided!

Leon had never seen a boss who supplied coffins for his employees. He felt he was already more conscientious than many employers.

And those seventeen hours even included five minutes for using the toilet. Other than being tiring and unpaid, this job was practically the best possible destination for them.

These miners had volunteered to build the plaza because they could see the sun here, allowing them to photosynthesize so they would not starve to death.

Whoosh!

On the plaza, a cluster of blackish-red flames suddenly appeared where Leon pointed. He silently called out to the system.

"System, how can this spell advance?"

[Ding, I don't know.]

Ignoring that speechless answer, Leon took out his wand and decided to study it himself.

He had tried it yesterday. He could make Fiendfyre obey his control and even form a wall... Wait, a wall?

He suddenly thought of Grindelwald.

Grindelwald seemed to have a signature move called Fire Shield, which surrounded its caster with flames. Wasn't that far more useful than the Iron Armor Charm?!

And the Iron Armor Charm could only deflect spells, while Fire Shield had no such weakness. It could block both spells and physical objects!

No sooner thought than done, Leon controlled the Fiendfyre. Drawing on his understanding of the Fiendfyre Curse, he flicked his wand, and a wall of fire instantly rose around him!

Leon could have cast it wandlessly, but wandless casting consumed more power than casting with a wand and was harder to control.

The instant the wall of fire rose, he suddenly felt the tip of his wand grow hot. As if by instinct, he swung it, and the fire wall immediately erupted with a shockwave around him!

A notification unexpectedly sounded beside his ear.

[Ding, congratulations to the host. The Fiendfyre Curse has successfully advanced into: Fire Shield!]

[Ding, the host has advanced a spell for the first time. Congratulations on unlocking the achievement: Just a Slight Display of Power!]

[Ding, achievement reward: Spellcasting Genius!]

Leon's pupils constricted. The Fire Shield he had just cast seemed to have been directly imprinted in his mind.

With a light sweep of his wand, a towering wall of fire instantly rose from the ground along the arc of the wand!

The system panel also changed at that moment.

[Host Panel]

[Name: Leon Shelby]

[Magic Strength: Level 5]

[Talents:

1. Surging Magic: The host's magic strength is doubled.

2. Dark Magic Prodigy: You can effortlessly learn and master any Dark Magic you study or practice.

3. Spellcasting Genius: You can effortlessly learn and master any ordinary spell you study or practice.]

[Mastered Spells: Fiendfyre Curse (Mastery), Fire Shield (Mastery)]

Another Spellcasting Genius talent? Leon happened to need exactly that right now.

No matter how much Dark Magic he knew, he could not use it freely in crowded places. Besides, he would be starting school soon, so he could prepare for his classes in advance.

Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Leon pulled out the Practical Guide to Black Magic from his pocket and began studying once more.

There was still one month until school started. Nothing much happened during that month. Aside from handling the Razor Gang's internal affairs, Leon spent the rest of his time studying.

He studied not only Dark Magic, but also ordinary spells, Potions, Transfiguration, and more.

Then the day before school began arrived: September 1st.

"Boss, we've found a shop in Knockturn Alley."

Leon sat in the spell-practice plaza, basking in the sun. He put down the Advanced Transfiguration: Level Five in his hand and glanced at Mike as he approached.

"Go on."

"They aren't willing to transfer the shop in Knockturn Alley easily. If we use some extreme measures, I think we can take it."

Mike's eyes flickered uncertainly, while Leon casually picked up his wand and gave it a flick.

Without a sound, a green light suddenly appeared at the wand's tip and instantly struck a white pigeon perched on a distant wall!

There was no cry or shriek. The pigeon drifted gently to the ground as though it had fallen asleep.

But from its completely motionless body, it was clear that it was thoroughly dead.

"Do your best to negotiate with them. It doesn't matter if we pay a little more. Didn't we exchange a hundred thousand Galleons with Malfoy last week?"

"Yes, Boss."

"As long as we secure this shop, our Razor Gang will be able to establish itself in the wizarding world."

Leon urgently needed the Razor Gang to possess magical capabilities, but that idea could only progress after they established themselves in Knockturn Alley.

Then they could find people to develop a batch of tools that could be used even without magic, and the Razor Gang would be armed.

"Have you found the Death Eaters who killed my father back then?"

Leon calmly put on a pair of black leather gloves and asked.

Mike lowered his head even further. "Boss, many of the shops in Knockturn Alley that sell information refuse to sell news about this. The situation behind it isn't as simple as we thought."

Leon nodded and casually pointed into the distance. Another green flash shot out and struck a white pigeon flying far away.

Thud.

The sound of something heavy hitting the ground.

Mike swallowed. Over the past month, Leon had become even more unfathomable.

Before, he had always used a wand to cast magic. Recently, though, he barely used one at all. With a casual point, he could make a living person vanish outright.

In Mike's eyes, Leon seemed even more omnipotent now.

"All right, school is about to start. Leave the Razor Gang's affairs to you for the time being."

"If anything happens, go to Hogsmeade. Once you're there, crush the crystal ball I gave you."

Leon had told Mike about this before and had also given him a Communication Orb purchased from Knockturn Alley.

As long as Mike crushed the Communication Orb, Leon would know that he was in Hogsmeade.

"Yes, Boss."

"All right, come with me to the station."

"Yes, Boss. The car is ready for you."

As the car drove through Birmingham's streets, Leon found that Birmingham had become extremely lively lately.

There was no other reason. He was going to Hogwarts, and that was a major event for the entire Razor Gang. For that reason, Leon had decided to imitate ancient emperors and grant a general amnesty.

He would escort every criminal, as well as anyone already imprisoned, to his mines to dig coal for him.

The mayor strongly supported this—or rather, he did not dare not to.

As everyone knew, Leon's mines had always been more agonizing than being sliced to death ten times over—though Leon did not see it that way. As a result, Birmingham's crime rate had dropped drastically.

You could even see a thug kindly carrying an old lady across the street.

It was a stark contrast to Birmingham's former filth and chaos, and Leon deserved much of the credit.

(This book has been signed, but it feels a little quiet. Brothers who like this book, please leave some reviews and send some free little gifts!)