chapter 87

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·Robert was a little surprised by Tom's words. "Me? Extreme?"

He turned to Andre and asked, "Do you think I'm extreme?"

Andre forced a smile. "Not extreme at all. Those goblins are vile. The first thing they did when they saw us was try to kill us. Their conspiracy is so wicked. Killing them is the right thing to do!"

Robert nodded in satisfaction. Andre was right. From the system prompt after killing the three goblins, he knew he had done a good deed. Who knew how many merit points he'd get for wiping out the goblins in that camp?

Turning to Tom, Robert said, "I think you're being too cautious. Only by eliminating those goblins can we truly be safe. And Andre's right—they're no good."

Tom sighed, "I don't pity them. I just think it's risky. There are so many of them... Even if we don't get hurt or killed, what if a few escape? They could come back for revenge, and we'd be in constant danger."

Robert's eyes lit up. "So you don't pity them. What you're saying is..."

"It's not about mercy. If we do this, we have to eradicate them completely," Tom said, a cold gleam flashing in his eyes.

Andre shuddered. Though young, these two were more ruthless than he'd imagined.

"Tom, I knew it! You're not as good as you pretend to be."

"You said I was good before... Never mind. Now that you're stronger, if you say I'm good, then I am. If you say I'm bad, then I am..."

Robert wasn't actually planning to seek out the "remnants" of ancient magic. He knew the source and nature of that power, as well as where the final destination of the exploration lay. In truth, Robert could produce this power just as Morgana did—limitlessly, if he wanted.

The reason Tom and Andre knew about this power was because Robert wanted them to. If he wanted to become a system-certified Dark Lord in the future, he'd need more than just a catchy slogan. He needed tangible benefits.

A benefit that would attract followers.

Robert hadn't known what that benefit would be before, but now he did. This "magical power" could make people stronger, and he could produce as much of it as he wanted. By then, his followers would surpass Grindelwald's or even Voldemort's. And they'd be the strongest.

With a team forming, how could the system not recognize him as the Dark Lord? Taking advantage of the goblin incident, Robert planned to use this residue to recruit trustworthy followers at Hogwarts. These goblins had shown up at just the right time. Otherwise, he wouldn't have thought of using the residue to his advantage.

Mr. Ogg was right—the route was safe. Had they not strayed, Robert and his companions wouldn't have encountered those goblins. The rest of the journey went smoothly, and they soon reached the finish line, where Mr. Ogg was waiting.

"What took you so long?" Mr. Ogg asked impatiently. "If you'd been any later, I'd have gone looking for you!"

Andre quickly replied, "We didn't dare to rush, so we took our time."

"Fine... Be quicker next time." Mr. Ogg didn't suspect anything and led them out of the Forbidden Forest, back to the castle.

Back at the common room, even Robert felt tired. They all headed to their dormitories without much conversation.

Alphard popped his head out of bed. "You're back! Was it dangerous? I heard the Forbidden Forest is terrifying!"

Robert sat beside his bed. "Not as scary as I thought."

Henry, half-asleep, mumbled, "The Forbidden Forest isn't that dangerous. My father said Gryffindors sneak in there all the time. If it were really that bad, they wouldn't come back."

Tom lay on his bed in silence, still shaken by the night's events. Especially by Robert's actions... If Tom wanted to catch up to Robert, he'd have to work harder than he ever imagined. Robert's magic, his powerful Transfiguration that erased all traces... The more Tom thought about it, the more determined he became to obtain that magical power.

"I had a great harvest this time," Robert said, placing Nagini back in her nest by his bed.

"What did you find in the Forbidden Forest?" Henry asked eagerly.

"We found some fang geraniums and traces of a unicorn. Picked up some of its shed hair too!" Robert shared, omitting the goblin encounter.

As Alphard and Henry listened enviously, Robert called out, "Toby, are you here?"

With a pop, Toby appeared. "Yes, Master Robert! Toby waited as instructed."

Henry and Alphard jumped in shock. Tom sat up. "When did you call Toby?"

"Before detention, I sent him a letter and asked him to wait here," Robert said casually.

"What for?" Tom asked.

Robert waved a bag at Tom. "To sell these materials, of course." Handing the bag to Toby, he instructed, "Do as I told you."

"Yes, Master Robert!" Toby replied and disappeared.

Despite his former master's hardships, Toby had served a dark wizard and was skilled at selling things discreetly. Shops looked down on house-elves but respected the pure-blood families behind them.

Henry sighed, "I knew your family was something special, Robert. You even have a house-elf... We had one, but she passed away."

Robert just smiled, letting them believe what they wanted.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the dormitory door.

"Come in. It's unlocked," Robert called.

Andre entered, looking anxious. Henry and Alphard jumped up, wands at the ready, though they could barely cast a levitation spell.

"What do you want, Shafik?" Alphard asked warily.

Andre ignored them and focused on Robert. "I have an answer to your question."

Robert's eyes gleamed with interest. "Oh? And what's your answer?"

Taking a deep breath, Andre declared, "I've decided to follow you."

Robert knew his plan had worked. Revealing the "residue" was meant to produce this very result.

"Very well, Andre. I knew you'd make the right choice."

Henry and Alphard were stunned. A senior, who'd once been Robert's rival, was now pledging his loyalty?

"I must be dreaming," Alphard muttered.

Henry pinched him. "Ow! It hurts!"

"See? Not a dream," Henry said. "But... what happened out there?"

Tom remained silent, unsurprised. Knowing that magical power existed, only a fool would refuse to join.

"How do we know you're serious?" Henry challenged.

Andre replied solemnly, "I'll take an unbreakable vow."

His words silenced everyone. Even Tom looked at him with newfound respect.

Robert grinned. "I accept. Tom, be our witness."

An unbreakable vow meant Andre could never betray him. Robert bore no risk, as only Andre would face death if he broke the oath.

When Andre left, his face beamed with joy. To him, this was a pact that secured Robert's help for the Shafik family.

Turning to Tom, Robert said, "We've taken the first step."

Tom's eyes gleamed. "You're finally done hiding, huh, Robert?"

Robert just smiled.

(End of Chapter)

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