Voldemort

However, aside from having some basis for cooperation on this common goal, Manus and Tom's positions are not the same.

You could even say they are mutually opposed.

Tom and his ilk are well aware of this, which is why they sometimes withhold information from others, or even risk concealing it.

Although they do not believe this conflict stems from a so-called opposition between justice and evil, order and chaos—

Look at the methods Manus used against them: threats, curses—where is the righteous person who talks about love and peace?

Tom and his friends believed the reason for their conflict with Manus was simple: just by looking at Manus's behavior, they could tell he was just as ambitious as they were.

It's only natural for ambitious people to want to put each other on the same table; what complicated reasons are needed?

Now, Big Tom is facing a harsh but realistic problem.

His lies were exposed, his value would soon no longer be irreplaceable... and he had just learned from Manus that the security he thought he had secured for his life did not exist.

Although Big Tom hadn't verified it, he believed Manus's words because they made perfect sense.

Actually, Big Tom wasn't entirely unaware of this possibility, but he simply didn't want to think about it at the time, and even if he did, he refused to believe it.

But now is clearly not the time for self-deception to work.

So here's the question: with all these unfavorable conditions emerging one after another... what can he do to save his precious life?

What Manus said before he left, translated into one sentence in Big Tom's ears, was:

Give me a reason to live.

If Big Tom can't give this reason when they meet again, then perhaps it will be the time for him to die.

If Horcrux be saved, then there are countless ways to destroy Horcrux. An ordinary Hogwarts student might not be able to do it, but for Manus, the only difficulty in destroying Horcrux is finding Horcrux.

Manus had already accomplished this more than three years ago.

Big Tom looked around. Although it was clean and tidy, it didn't change the fact that it was a cage.

Wasn't his life the same?

Voldemort may be free now, but as a fragment of his soul that Voldemort separated and sealed away long ago, he was destined to spend the rest of his life in a cage.

He was not Voldemort after all.

But he is indeed Vol-de-mort.

He, without a doubt, inevitably, certainly—had to live!

After finishing his conversation with Big Tom, Manus in the Material World also ended his gathering with his friends, while Manus in the Mental World went to find Little Tom.

On the one hand, we need to verify the information we obtained from Big Tom —this information has only been verified through Big Tom's reaction, and its completeness cannot be guaranteed.

On the other hand, Manus also had to repeat the same thing to Little Tom.

After figuring out how the Horcrux work, Manus no longer felt the need to keep Horcrux or even collect Horcrux.

The main reason we haven't destroyed these two Horcrux yet is because of our previous cooperation.

Although there was no clause in the cooperation that prohibited harming each other—which was a lie to Manus, and for Tom, adding that clause would only make the entire cooperation less credible.

However, the goal of cooperation has not yet been achieved, and Manus believes that waiting a little longer will not be a big problem.

However, everyone knew that day would eventually come. Manus's attitude toward Horcrux was that killing them was the most convenient option, but if they had other value, they could be spared.

Instead of letting Manus assign them value, decide their life and death, and bear unwarranted moral risks, it's better to let the Horcrux choose for themselves.

Will you seek a new, beneficial value for yourself to live on, or accept the fate befitting an evil magical artifact?

After finishing his conversation with Barty Jr.., Manus, who was back in his dorm reading a book, sighed.

Everything else went smoothly, except for one thing: neither Big and Little Tom knew the whereabouts of the Diary.

All they were certain of was that Voldemort would not keep this Horcrux in his possession; no matter how well the other Horcrux were hidden, this Horcrux would be deliberately released.

But in what specific way...

Anyway, by the time Big Tom was created, the Diary was still in Voldemort's hands—at that time, he had just graduated, his career hadn't even started yet, and he didn't have the time to fulfill Slytherin's last wish.

Let's find an opportunity to get our hands on Hufflepuff's Cup first.

Hmm, I wonder which of the many Horcrux this golden cup is; I only know it's at least the fourth. What should I call it then?

Big Tom?

While there are options like simply sealing away the Horcrux or destroying it as soon as you get your hands on it, it does contain a fragment of a soul, so dealing with it that way would be too wasteful.

The most precious and irreplaceable quality of a wise person is their initiative.

Some have even proposed using intelligent life forms to create the core of the Mage Tower, but unfortunately, a balance can never be found between security and intelligence.

And if we add the factor of morality to this world, it becomes even more impossible.

With this in mind, Manus did not expect to get any results in these areas immediately.

Even the Hufflepuff's Cup, a Horcrux whose approximate location was already known and which he could obtain quickly with some investigation, was not something Manus rushed to find right now.

Manus maintained his normal study pace, teaching Regulus and Barty Jr. in his spare time. Grogan and Pandora had also caught up and were able to study with Manus.

April has arrived in the blink of an eye. As the weather continues to warm up and final exams approach, everyone's homework has become even more demanding due to the need for review.

Except for Manus.

It was another rainy day. Manus was in the empty common room, reading a book while listening to the raindrops hitting the glass, occasionally glancing up at the view outside the window where the outline of the Quidditch Pitch could be vaguely seen in the distance through the haze.

The school year is almost over, and today is the last Quidditch Match of the year.

This is a match with little suspense, unless Gryffindor or Slytherin score over 200 points in one game, the Quidditch champion this year will still be Ravenclaw.

I don't know why these people would still brave the heavy rain to watch the game...