Hogwarts Card System.

Chapter 363: Meeting an old friend in a foreign land~
Sweden is located in the southeast of Europe and was once rich.

The Vikings of Northern Europe all know about it, right? They marched south to Rome and seized the throne.
As early as the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Sweden declared itself the world's first permanently neutral country, and would always pursue a policy of neutrality in both peacetime and wartime.

Of course, this kind of talk is just for show, but it also allowed them to successfully avoid World War I and World War II.

However, being able to avoid World War I and World War II does not simply mean declaring neutrality. If you don’t have the strength, no one will care about your position!

Do you really think that little mustache guy is reasonable?

The ancestors of the Swedes were full of martial virtues, and they even exported mercenaries for quite a long time in the Middle Ages - they fought for other countries and nobles for money.

Because Sweden did not experience World War I or World War II, the situation here is quite stable.

Oh, and Nobel is Swedish.

……

Ted and Hermione first flew to Denmark via the Ministry of Magic's international Floo network.

That’s right, for now, I can only fly this far.

Great Britain does not have direct flights to Switzerland.

However, Denmark is very close to Sweden and the two are neighbors.

I don't have any impression of Denmark's Ted, I just remember that Andersen seemed to be Danish.

Because Denmark is a small country, it doesn't even have a Ministry of Magic, only a relatively rudimentary wizarding organization.

In this three-story building, Ted completed the overseas business with a young man and was ready to go to Sweden.

You know what, that Danish wizard in his early twenties actually knew Ted and Hermione.

"Aren't you the... the Hogwarts warrior? Ted? Right! And Miss Grange?" The young man was a little excited and talked a lot, and even pronounced Hermione's last name wrong.

But Hermione just smiled and nodded, with no intention of correcting his pronunciation.

As for Ted, the young man was even more attentive. He took the initiative to help run errands and handle the formalities, while chattering about how shocked he was when he watched the live broadcast through Magic Network Utopia.

It's quite like a wild fan chasing a star.

It seems that this is the effect of legend and reputation. I didn't expect that even this foreign country has its own fans.

Thanks to the help of this young fan, Ted and his team completed the process in just over half an hour.

Even the short and fat supervisor in his forties was very polite to Ted and told them to take some time to travel around Denmark, as the scenery there would never disappoint them.

That afternoon, Ted and Hermione arrived at a town in northern Sweden.

This place is located between Mount Kebna and Lake Tona, not far from Lulu and her fairy settlement.

The social structure of fairies is similar to that of humans. Each settlement has a fairy king and a fairy queen. Generally speaking, the fairy queen has more power than the fairy king.

Like Lulu's settlement, there are dozens of fairies, and even some other magical animals and magic elves.

A few hundred years ago, there was a fairy kingdom consisting of hundreds of members.

The goblins here do not refer to those in Gringotts, but a general term for all kinds of spirits, including goblins and spirits.

Three hundred years ago, Shakespeare constructed a fairy kingdom based on folk legends in his play "A Midsummer Night's Dream".

However, the fairy kingdom in that story was in Athens, ancient Greece.

They were getting close to home, and Lulu and the others were very excited, clamoring to go home quickly and treat Ted and Hermione well.

However, Ted was not in a hurry to find the fairy settlement. After all, the mission was difficult and he was already prepared for the battle.

Of course you have to be cautious and investigate first.

"Don't worry, didn't you say before that some bad things disturbed your lives, and some dark wizards kidnapped you?"

"I'll check first to see if the dark wizard has left. If he's still nearby, we can catch him and punish him severely."

Ted held Lulu with one hand and asked, "I forgot to ask, what is this bad thing that you are talking about that disrupts your life?"

The five fairies immediately started complaining at once, filled with indignation.

From what they said, it seemed like a spirit!

Fairies, goblins, immortals, spirits...most of these beings are classified as spirit creatures.

Generally, it is a gathering of magic power with certain special properties, forming a physical or virtual existence.

The details are very complicated, and Ted can't understand it. In fact, most wizards don't understand it, and don't want to understand it, so they are all called goblins.

Those who are good-looking and don’t do bad things are also called fairies or elves, which are more positive.

And the "bad spirit" who suddenly appeared and disrupted the entire fairy settlement was the culprit.

Its appearance not only directly affected the local magic composition in terms of the flow of magic power, but also developed its own "believers" in the forest!
There is a group of Muggles who believe in it so fanatically that they have polluted the forest!

Lulu whispered, "Once, I saw those humans brutally killing several other men and women to sacrifice to that bad guy! That bad guy was so scary!"

"Have you seen what it looks like?"

"No! I was shaking with fear even when I was ten miles away. If I saw what it looked like, I would faint, wouldn't I?" Lulu patted her chest and hid behind her fingers.

Ted: You know yourself pretty well.

Since I have never seen it, I have no idea where it came from.

But its sudden appearance... makes people think more.

Although Lulu and the others only know some magic tricks, which are enough for Muggles and ordinary magical creatures, the combat power of the fairy settlement is actually not low. The more of these little things gather, the stronger they will be.

As the leader, the Fairy Queen is even more powerful, and there are usually some at level or !In other words, between elite Aurors and professors!
The evil spirit is quite powerful, able to disrupt the normal life of the entire settlement and pollute the magical properties of the land.

Let’s check it out first!

Ted asked Hermione to stay with Lulu and the others in the inn first, while he went to look for local wizards to see if there was any news.

……

There aren't many wizards in Sweden.

Even though Great Britain only has 30,000 wizards, which is not as big as a village in China, it is already a country with a large wizard population in Europe.

After all, it is one of the ancient birthplaces of wizards, the birthplace of Merlin, a "demigod"-like existence in the wizarding world, and has the oldest wizarding school, Hogwarts.

You may think that 30,000 wizards in Britain are few, but in the whole of Sweden, there are only less than 6,000 registered wizards!

The northern part of Sweden is not far from the Arctic Circle and is sparsely populated. It is not as developed and prosperous as the south, so there are fewer Muggles and wizards.

Fortunately, there is still a gathering place for wizards in this town - I learned this information through fan effects in Denmark before. Very useful!
In this town, there is a tavern run by a wizard. Wizards from nearby towns would gather here, and there would usually be about 20 to 30 people.

Ted followed the map and found it in less than ten minutes.

There were fluctuations of magic—a Muggle-repelling charm and a warning spell.

Ted looked at the sign—“Herring Tavern, oh my god!”

Just by looking at the words and pictures on the sign, Ted felt like he could smell it!
The town has a small population, and there are not many people on the street. Ted looked around and saw that no one was paying attention to him, so he pushed the door open and walked in - if someone noticed that he had suddenly disappeared, it would be easy to get into trouble.

When Ted walked into the pub, he was greeted by warm colors. The pub was not big, and the floor, ceiling and walls were almost all decorated with wooden boards.

There were odds and ends of ornaments hanging on the walls, and an elk's head and a boar's head, both stuffed heads were charmed and glowed like two lamps.

The flower-shaped chandelier hanging from the ceiling was also emitting a dim light.

The boss at the counter was startled by the ringing of the copper bell on the door and looked over. "Oh, another stranger. This is really rare. What can I do for you?"

Ted walked up to the counter and looked at the special menu written on the small blackboard.

"Oh, I want to fill my stomach, it all looks good."

"Of course. I've opened this tavern for more than 20 years, and all the wizards nearby say it's good."

They don't have a choice, right?

"Okay, give me a cinnamon roll, a Swedish meatball, two Swedish strudel, a shrimp and fish roe salad, and a stewed venison. I'll also need to pack some to take back." Ted looked at the menu on the blackboard and ordered.

"Would you like some of our special pickled herring? The pickled herring here is the best! There is no pickled herring stinkier than mine within a radius of fifty miles!" The middle-aged boss with a mustache looked so proud!
"No, thank you. No thanks!" Ted refused very straightforwardly.

"Well, wouldn't you like something to drink?" the boss asked again.

"Have a drink..." Ted didn't finish his words, he suddenly turned around and saw someone.

"Give him a glass of orange juice." It was Furong who spoke.

The dim and warm light in the tavern shone on Furong, as if she was covered with a layer of light golden light. Her silver-white hair was shining like a galaxy, and she looked like a beautiful goddess in the sunset!
Ted could feel that her charm attribute must have been enhanced!

It may also be that the charm effect brought about by the enhancement of magic has also increased.

In short, even with a veil on, she stunned the seven or eight guests in the tavern.

Fleur sat down at the small table next to Ted. "Give him a glass of orange juice. He can't drink alcohol yet~"

There was a hint of playfulness and mockery in her voice.

The boss looked at Furong, then at Ted: "It seems like we are old acquaintances. OK, wait a moment. It will only take five minutes!"

"Why are you here?" Ted asked.

"That's what I wanted to ask you too. Are you following me?" Furong said with a smile.

"I invited you to be my guest at Beauxbatons, but you didn't come and are waiting for me here?"

Although I know this is impossible, I still want to tease him verbally.

Ted sat down, "I'm here to escort five fairies. Uh... Hermione is here too."

Furong spread her hands, "It seems that I am too happy too early~"

"What about you? Why are you in Sweden?" Ted asked.

"Some time ago, five French Muggles were traveling in Sweden and disappeared. They must have been killed. This was a magical accident. The local wizards were not manpower enough to investigate in depth. As a disaster expert for the French Ministry of Magic, I The intern from the Processing Department is here."

"Are you alone? The French Ministry of Magic lets interns handle accidents alone." Ted was a little surprised.

"Are you concerned about me?" Furong teased whenever she got the chance, without giving Ted a chance to refute. "It's mainly because France is in a mess right now, and we don't have enough manpower. So I'm here to conduct a simple investigation, and other colleagues will come over in a few days."

"Well then... let's eat first!"

Ted thought of what Lulu said, that the evil spirit bewitched believers and made them kill people as sacrifices.

Could there be a connection between the two?

The tavern owner was indeed very skillful, or perhaps his magic was very convenient, because in less than five minutes, all kinds of dishes were served.

It was then that Ted realized that Furong didn't seem to order any food!

Okay! You want to eat my food and drink, right?
But there is no other way. After all, we are friends. Can we split the bill? That would be too clear, right?
Although he knew what the other party was planning, Furong's actions were so smart and the scale was just right that Ted couldn't refuse.

Furong: Humph~ You're right!
The two of them were eating together, and they really looked very close. The other guests in the pub were a little jealous.

After dinner, Fleur took the initiative to suggest: "I'll go with you to meet Hermione. It's not easy to meet her in a foreign country. Besides, maybe I need your help!"

Ted didn't refuse, so he took the packed food and Fleur and went back to the hotel.

On the way, Ted: Did I forget something?
It was not until he arrived at the hotel that he remembered: Damn it, wasn't I going there to gather intelligence? Women really only interfere with my work!
……

"So, that's why you brought her back after dinner?" Hermione asked while eating her food calmly.

After Furong came over, she simply said hello, explained the situation, and then left - she didn't go far, she also booked a room in the hotel!
Hermione: I just didn't see you for a meal, and you brought her back to me?!
Ted: I am innocent! Please listen to my excuse!

Well, Hermione is not an unreasonable person after all, and Fleur's appearance is just a coincidence. Ted can't be blamed.

And Furong's appearance and her refusal to leave will only inspire her fighting spirit!
Furong: This is fate! I will never give up!
Hermione: Round 2? I'll beat you head on!
The next day, Ted didn't ask for any information. He took the two girls directly to the address given by Lulu.

He would rather fight the dark wizard for three hundred rounds than experience the terrible and vague competition between Hermione and Fleur.

It makes one's hair stand on end!
He really wanted to shout: Stop fighting!
Ted released thousands of green bean-sized alchemical magic flying insects as tools for environmental exploration.

But nothing unusual was found.

He easily bypassed several naturally formed magic gathering points in the hills - these places often had strange special effects, such as getting lost, sleight of hand, and illusions.

Then we came to a big tree growing against the mountain wall.

Lulu and the others excitedly flew to the big tree and began to dance around it.

Soon, the space behind the big tree began to change, with an effect somewhat similar to space extension, but not entirely.

The fairy gathering point appeared in front of Ted and the other two.

A group of fairies flew out with small spears and bows and arrows, and when they saw Lulu and the others who had been kidnapped before, they almost cried for joy.

The emotions of these little creatures are simple and pure. Although they seem silly sometimes, they are also quite interesting.

"Ding~ Mission completed [Escort Home (Blue)], Reward: 600 experience points, card [Flower Fairy Seed (Blue)]!"

Huh? It's that simple?!

Ted was a little confused. Was I competing with the air?

Could it be that Furong's appearance has increased the difficulty of the mission?

Don’t tell me that she is more difficult to deal with than several dark wizards!

Lulu originally said that she would entertain the three of them well, but unexpectedly, the fairy settlement was discussing moving!
For spirit creatures like fairies, if their magic power undergoes a drastic change and the properties become completely inconsistent, it will be extremely damaging to them and they will not be able to live here.

It's a bit like magic radiation?

What's more, dark wizards often come to harass them, making it dangerous for them to collect food.

"Ding~ Triggering the task:

【Black Forest Spirit (Red)】

The evil spirit suddenly appeared, bewitching mortals, sacrificing lives, and polluting magic. You have learned about the existence of this evil spirit from two aspects. Whether it is to help your friends complete the investigation or to help the fairy protect their home, you have to do something.

Objective: Deal with the harm caused by the Black Forest Spirit.

Reward: 1200 experience points, three out of five random cards (blue)!
Who is this evildoer who dares to show off his skills in front of an expert?!"

Ted suddenly realized: Ah~ It's waiting for me here!

(End of this chapter)