Chapter 865
The Debate in the Congressional Office
Chapter 865 The Debate in the Congressional Office
Rumors, even without wings, will fly; even without feet, they will run. Even before the Book of Friends and Communication Peas existed, news traveled quite quickly in the magical world.
So in recent days, the headquarters of the Magic Congress has been like a busy beehive, with officials and government employees rushing around, and everyone's face is full of fatigue and tension.
Meanwhile, in the sky above the headquarters lobby and between the floors, paper airplanes of various colors shuttled back and forth, each seemingly carrying an urgent message.
In the chairman's office, Nicklo Hawthorne's desk was piled high with letters, and owls kept bringing in new ones.
Wizards across the United States, upon hearing about the fake video, sent anxious inquiries, fearing that the flames of witch hunts might reignite.
Business associations and pure-blood families from various regions sent a joint letter, strongly urging Congress to take immediate and forceful measures, otherwise the American wizarding world would "slide into the abyss."
Even the Ministries of Magic in other countries have sent inquiries, worried that the fire that started in America might spread to their own backyards.
"Chairman Hawthorne, the reporters from The New York Ghost have been waiting in the conference room for two hours. They want us to provide a formal, official statement!"
Before the assistant could finish speaking, another employee rushed in:
"Chairman Hawthorne, Principal Fontana of Ifamony inquires whether the holiday needs to be extended to ensure the safety of the students?"
Immediately afterward, Leila Picqueli knocked on the door with a serious expression: "Chairman Hawthorne, representatives from twelve countries request a meeting with you!"
She was so busy that she barely had time to breathe, and her voice had become hoarse.
Directly below the chairman's office, the Auror's office was extremely quiet, with only two or three clerks collecting and organizing intelligence from various parties; everyone else had been sent out.
When rumors start to spread like wildfire, panic has already quietly reached every corner of the streets even before anything has happened.
At times like these, those living in the shadows of society are the first to reach out, unleashing greed and malice under the guise of "self-preservation" and "preparing for war," leading to a quiet rise in crime rates.
At the same time, the price and sales of "defensive" dark magic items have risen rapidly, and werewolf packs and vampire families in the border areas have become unusually restless. The fluctuation of illegal door keys detected by the Department of Magical Transportation has increased by 300% compared to usual!
Therefore, Ezra Hughes took charge, sending the Aurors to various places to forcefully suppress the emerging chaos and maintain the crumbling order.
Just then, heavy footsteps sounded at the office door, the heels of leather boots striking the floor with a powerful, drum-like sound.
Rex Grimm strode through the Auror office area under the watchful eyes of the clerks and into the director's office at the far end.
The two clerks let out a low gasp, a mixture of admiration and awe.
Grimm's clothes were still stained with blood and scorch marks from the fire. The hem of his robe was almost completely torn apart, and the tear made it seem as if the other party could tear Grimm's body to shreds if they took another step.
Ezra Hughes' tense expression finally relaxed a bit when he saw Grimm enter: "Have all the werewolves gathered in the Cascade Mountains been driven away?"
“Yes,” Grimm said in a deep voice. “Thirteen were captured, and five were killed.”
"Hmm." Hughes rubbed his forehead and said, "Killed them, so be it. Special times call for special measures. Write me a report later and submit it."
“Understood!” Grimm said.
"Those who were caught should be thrown into prison, and they can be tried later when the time is up... I heard they even want to wipe out a whole Muggle town and build a werewolf den?"
Hughes scoffed, "I think these animals should all be hanged!"
Grimm remained silent. He didn't comment on his superior's casual remark, nor did he turn and leave as usual. Instead, he showed a rare hint of hesitation. "Is there anything else, Grimm?" Hughes asked.
“Mr. Hughes, we have come into contact with many ordinary people while carrying out patrol and reassurance missions.”
Grimm said in a deep voice, "They are very panicked, and many people have suggested... whether we could invite that British alchemical genius to help us. Everyone thinks that since he can create the Mirror of Flow, he might also be able to solve the problem of news dissemination among Muggles."
Ezra Hughes frowned deeply.
Grimm lowered his gaze and added, "I think it's necessary to truthfully reflect these voices from the people to you."
Hughes put down his pen, leaned back, and stared intently at Grimm’s scarred, emotionless face.
In the office, only the crackling of the fireplace flames remained.
“Rex,” Hughes said slowly, “do you think our situation has become so urgent that we need to ask a foreign teenager for help?”
Rex said, "I don't think so, but the person in the magical world who knows this kind of method best is undoubtedly Wade Gray."
After a pause, he added, "Of course, I am only reporting the situation to you as an information channel. I personally have no position on this proposal and have no personal motives."
"Then this proposal is off!" Hughes declared decisively. "The Magic Council can handle its own affairs, and there's more than one alchemist in the world!"
To be honest, before Wade Grey's emergence, the level of alchemy in the American magical world far surpassed that of Britain.
Most alchemists from British wizarding families tend to cling to the past and seem to have no other goal in life than to restore some ancient magical artifacts.
Meanwhile, the development of alchemy in the United States complemented the technological advancements of Muggles, allowing for the training of alchemists in a more systematic way and enabling the rapid commercialization of alchemical products for large-scale production and widespread adoption.
Even today, for many people, it seems that there are only two famous alchemists in the world—Nick Flamel and Wade Grey—but in fact, the average level of alchemy in the American magical community is still among the best in the world.
Ezra Hughes had great confidence in his country. He believed the current chaos was simply due to the suddenness of the situation, and that given some time, the problem could be perfectly resolved.
Therefore, when he heard someone suggest "inviting Wade Gray" in a high-level meeting, his first reaction was anger—anger that Rex Grimm was going against his word.
Hughes then realized that the person who made the suggestion was not Grimm, but Reginald Perez, the director of the Floo Network Administration.
Perez leaned forward slightly and said slowly:
"Of course, I'm not questioning anyone's abilities. It's just that the public's panic needs to be calmed, and inviting that boy at least shows that we are open to actively seeking solutions."
"I hope that you will not oppose this because of your personal likes or dislikes or pride. Considering the current situation, we should not be confined by narrow national borders. What we should do most is to find the most direct way to respond to the people's expectations in an open and efficient manner, right?"
After he finished speaking, he looked around with a faint smile on his face.
(End of this chapter)