Chapter 22: Diverting Conflict

"What kind of trouble could we get into?" Tom asked, puzzled.

"Tom, it's not surprising that criminals operate in an organized manner... and it's impossible for a mere human traffickers' den to accumulate so much wealth," Robert explained.

"You mean that human trafficking den is just part of a larger criminal organization, and the gold we took was actually money deposited there by that organization?" Tom was starting to understand.

"If that's not the worst part," Robert continued, frowning, "do you think the person in charge of such a large sum of money is just some ordinary thug? That person must be extremely important within their organization. And we drove someone like that completely mad..."

"It's my fault... I should have thought of this earlier. I should have been more careful!" Robert seemed frustrated.

Tom nodded involuntarily. "Now that I think about it, our conflict with them is indeed serious."

Then he shook his head and said, "But does it really matter? How could they possibly know that we were involved?"

Robert sighed. "Have you forgotten the children we freed? As long as they find those children, they will be able to get information about us."

"As long as they have our descriptions, they can track us down through others who have seen us."

"A criminal organization wealthy enough to stash that much gold definitely has the resources to do this."

"Ugh... I shouldn't have spoken to those kidnapped children at all. No—I shouldn't have even let them see me!"

This was Robert's first time robbing another gang, so he was inexperienced in handling the aftermath.

Tom scoffed. "No matter how powerful they are, they're just Muggles. We're wizards. Are we supposed to be afraid of a bunch of Muggles?"

In Tom's eyes, these people were no threat to him. No matter how many came, they were no match for his magic. He didn't understand why Robert and Dumbledore were taking this so seriously.

"Tom, maybe we're safe, but what about Mrs. Cole and the others? What about the other children in the UK Orphanage? Sooner or later, these people will track this place down. Think about it—what happens if they can't find us?" Robert stared at Tom intently. "This is our mess. We can't just ignore their lives and let them suffer for us."

Tom was silent for a moment. He wanted to say that he didn't care about the lives of the others in the orphanage at all.

But something inside him shifted. Robert's words had lit a small spark in Tom's cold heart, making it difficult to say something as cruel as, It has nothing to do with me.

"...Then we just need to find these guys first..." Tom muttered after a long pause.

Robert immediately rejected that idea.

"Even if we had the ability to capture them all, how would we find every last one?"

"If even one of them escapes, we'll be in endless trouble."

"Besides, even if they're thrown in prison, they have enough money to bribe their way out or reduce their sentences as much as possible."

"And when they get out, they'll come after us with twice the vengeance."

Tom snorted. "Then we just kill them all!"

"That's not the right approach, Tom. We can't just kill everyone who stands in our way," Robert said, glancing briefly at Dumbledore.

In truth, Robert did think wiping them out was the safest option—after all, these criminals had committed terrible crimes.

But he couldn't say something like that in front of Dumbledore. That would definitely raise suspicion.

Tom, you idiot. You're still too young to understand.

Dumbledore had been observing their conversation silently.

To him, both Robert and Tom were exceptionally intelligent and courageous boys.

However, their personalities were complete opposites.

Robert was compassionate, while Tom was indifferent.

Dumbledore was most concerned about Tom. He had seen what kind of person the boy was becoming—cold, power-hungry, and dangerously intelligent.

He feared what Tom might become in the future.

But now, he was pleasantly surprised.

Under Robert's influence, Tom—this lonely, emotionless child—was beginning to show signs of humanity.

This discovery gave Dumbledore hope.

He believed that as long as Robert was around, Tom might find his way back to the right path.

And even if Tom lost control one day, Robert would be strong enough to stop him.

Robert, unaware of Dumbledore's thoughts, was focused on finding a way to fix this disaster.

"Professor... is there a way to keep the other people in the UK Orphanage safe?" he asked.

Since Dumbledore was here, he must have a solution.

Dumbledore, as expected, didn't disappoint.

"We just need to divert their attention," he said calmly.

"You told the children that the traffickers were caught by adults in your family, correct?"

"Yes. There were only two of us at the time, and it was hard to explain, so I told them that adults in my family subdued the criminals," Robert confirmed.

"Exactly. Since that's what you told them, that's what they believe."

Dumbledore smiled slightly. "Now, ask yourself: what kind of adults at the orphanage would be capable of taking down dangerous criminals? It certainly wasn't Mrs. Cole."

Robert suddenly understood. "So, as long as we cut off any trace linking us to the orphanage, they won't even think to suspect it. After all, the orphanage wouldn't have the strength to take down traffickers."

"They'll assume we're part of another criminal group fighting over territory. Any clue leading to the orphanage will seem like a false lead."

"And if we fabricate traces of this 'fake organization' and make sure they find them, they'll focus on that instead of the orphanage."

"Exactly," Dumbledore said with a nod, clapping his hands lightly.

Tom frowned. "But we did come from the orphanage. How can we completely erase that?"

"Leave that to me, Tom," Dumbledore reassured him. "We are wizards, after all. And magic has ways of making the impossible possible."

Robert hesitated for a moment before asking, "Professor, once you erase our connection to the orphanage... will Mrs. Cole and the others forget us completely?"

Dumbledore sighed. "I'm afraid so, Robert. But if you don't want that, I can find another way."

Before Robert could respond, Tom spoke first.

"I don't care," Tom said flatly. "To Mrs. Cole and the others, I've always been nothing but trouble. If anything, forgetting me would be a relief for them."

Dumbledore looked at Tom thoughtfully, then turned to Robert.

Robert took a deep breath. "I have no objections. Even if she forgets me, I will never forget the kindness she showed me."

In reality, Robert had only been in this world for a short time.

While he was grateful to Mrs. Cole for giving him shelter, he wasn't truly attached to the orphanage.

"Then it's settled," Dumbledore concluded. "Pack your things. By sunrise, someone will come to take you away. I have preparations to make as well."

(End of Chapter 22)

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