Chapter 778
Protection or Surveillance
Chapter 778 Protection or Surveillance
At Gilbert Fontana's urging, everyone took their seats. Professor Morrie naturally put his arm around Wade's shoulder and led him toward the judges' table:
“Come on, Wade, sit next to me.”
After Wade took his seat, he found that Professor Morrie and Chairman Fontana separated him from Ms. Picqueli, making it difficult to exchange information, let alone even exchange a glance.
Ms. Picqueli seemed to have no objection to the arrangement. She thanked the staff member who pulled out the chair for her gently, then straightened her shawl and sat down calmly.
Wade's gaze sharpened slightly.
There were several staff members near the judges' table. They had been walking around, sometimes guiding audience members who accidentally approached the judges' table to their seats, and sometimes helping the judges accept invitations or letters from others. Wade thought the organizers' arrangements were really thoughtful.
Now that the audience was mostly seated, the staff who were finally able to relax also showed a different side—
Most of them looked relaxed, as if they could finally rest. Some went to get a drink of water, while others slipped away to sit down and rest near the audience.
But there were two other serious-looking wizards who maintained a respectful distance from Madam Picqueli, not straying even when they were busy, and not taking a break now.
Their posture didn't resemble that of guards, because guards would naturally look more around, paying attention to any potential threats.
The two judges, however, kept their attention subtly focused on Ms. Picqueli herself. They cleverly positioned themselves out of the other judges' sight, yet were able to observe Ms. Picqueli's every move.
This isn't protection... it's surveillance.
Wade gave the two men a deep look, memorizing their appearances and names—
[Angus Walker];
Leo Bertram.
Just then, a voice came from beside him:
"They are staff members sent by the Ministry of Magic to ensure that no trouble is caused during the competition. They are in the same position as the Auror lady who brought you here."
This person speaks with a unique accent, but his speaking speed is unhurried, and his voice is deep and magnetic. Even though his pronunciation is not very standard, it still attracts people to listen patiently.
Wade turned his head and discovered that Abdullah, a judge from Wajadu, Africa, was sitting next to him.
The man was tall and imposing, yet possessed a very gentle aura. His dark chocolate-colored skin was covered with some kind of complex script and symbols, likely Egyptian script, which Vede did not recognize.
His robes were brightly colored, mainly red, gold, and dark blue, and he wore several carved gold bracelets on his wrists, yet they did not look out of place or strange at all; instead, they possessed a unique harmony and beauty.
At that moment, Abdullah turned his head and looked down at Vid, a gentle smile on his face.
"Don't worry, they're not bad people."
He said softly, "When Ms. Picqueli served as president of the Magical Congress, she made outstanding contributions to stopping the expansion of the Mara Party's power. Now that the Mara Party has made a comeback, the Magical Congress of America is worried that Ms. Picqueli will be harmed by them, and has been sending people to protect her."
“I see.” Wade smiled with relief. “I thought they were spying on Ms. Piqueli!”
They weren't talking loudly, but Professor Morrie, sitting on the other side of Wade, naturally heard them. He couldn't help but smile and pat Wade on the head.
“Silly boy, we’re all sitting right here! If Serafina is threatened, do you think we can just stand by and do nothing?”
“Oh right, I completely forgot about that…” Wade looked a little embarrassed. He lowered his head, touched his nose, and looked slightly awkward.
Gilbert Fontana was watching a group of people setting up the live broadcast equipment when he heard Professor Morrie's laughter. He asked curiously, "What's going on? What are you talking about?"
Before Wade could answer, Professor Morrie let out a kind and pleasant chuckle and explained:
"Haha... Wade, that kid, is probably still scared because of his previous encounters with the mysterious man and those witches! He thinks the worst of everything..."
Upon hearing this, Principal Fontana immediately smiled with understanding, waved his hand, and said in a loud and confident voice:
“Ah, I see! Don’t worry, little Ved! America is safe! The Death Eaters have never managed to infiltrate this land. As for before that… the Mafia did try to take advantage of this place, but under Ms. Picqueli’s leadership, the Magical Congress successfully thwarted their plot!”
Ms. Picqueli didn't know why they were talking about this, but when she heard Fontana proudly recount her past achievements, she smiled modestly.
“You’re exaggerating, Gilbert,” said Mrs. Picquart softly. “It was mainly thanks to Dumbledore and Mr. Scamander.”
"Don't be so modest, Serafina."
Fontana said, "Without your support, their operation would not have gone so smoothly, and that is equally crucial!"
"A negative example is Cornelius Fudge from the British Ministry of Magic. He and Dumbledore had many conflicts, and I heard they even argued several times. When I went to watch the competition last year, I could tell their relationship was on the verge of collapse..."
“Well, I didn’t expect that Fudge would resign from his ministerial position on his own initiative. That makes me look at him in a new light,” Ms. Picqueli said slowly. “Not continuing to be obsessed with power… is a very wise choice.”
"Hey, just a coward!" Fontana waved his hand dismissively. "He just can't handle complicated situations, so he's passing the buck to the next one!"
Ms. Piqueli said, "Isn't knowing yourself a kind of wisdom?"
Fontana paused for a moment, then muttered, "...If you'd seen that guy with your own eyes, you wouldn't have such an opinion of him!"
While the two were discussing the recent changes at the British Ministry of Magic, Abdullah looked at Wade and said, "Don't be ashamed of your vigilance, young man. In unfamiliar environments, keen observation is a valuable asset, and you've done very well."
Wade nodded and said, "Thank you, Professor Abdullah."
Abdullah smiled, glanced at Wid again, and then turned his attention to the competition field.
Afterwards, Wade glanced at the two "bodyguards" of Ms. Picquarly out of the corner of his eye again.
The two men stood on either side of Serafina Picqueli behind her, occasionally glancing at other places nearby, but their attention would immediately be drawn to her whenever Ms. Picqueli spoke.
—Protection from the Ministry of Magic?
Ah!
That's a good reason!
(End of this chapter)