I joined the group chat as Aizen in the Ninja World

Foul-mouthed Man: Believe me, this is not an exaggeration. If you live in Hell's Kitchen, you'll understand why it's called Hell's Kitchen. That's the real Hell's Kitchen, from Hell's Kitchen.

The Red Snake Fairy: People's livelihoods are suffering. Ultimately, this phenomenon is caused by the inaction of relevant departments. And isn't our purpose to guide the people and change this phenomenon at its root?

Skirt-lifting maniac: Yes, only the masses are the real heroes!

The illustrator said: "You guys are making my blood boil! I'm ready to go!" [Image] See? This magic circle in another world... If you step over it, you can reach the world beyond.

480 Hermione's Doubts

Curly-haired guy: Oh wow, is Ali-chan going to show us what it means to die on the spot?

Skirt-lifting maniac: Hahahaha, it’s okay to die on the spot. This adjective is really amazing!

Book artist: You are the one who passed away, go to hell!

Curly-haired boy: Tsk tsk, why are you cursing all of a sudden? Did I say something wrong, Gin-san? Isn't leaving this world the same as leaving the world?

Illustrator: You clearly have bad intentions in mind, but do you really think others can't hear it? Is playing word games like this fun?

The evildoers in Soul Society: He must have found it very interesting and secretly happy.

Hatchet Girl: Ali-chan, don’t bother with this kind of villain. Remember to take more photos when you get to the other world.

Curly-haired boy: What villain? Gin-san, I'm so upright and honest, and you actually call me a villain? I'm obviously not a villain in any way!

Skirt-lifting maniac: Tsk, what a double entendre.

Scarlet Snake Fairy: This way of speaking should be called stinky, right?

Hatchet Girl: It does stink, and it stinks quite badly!

Curly-haired girl: What a double entendre, Gin-san, I didn't mean that at all! You're the ones who misinterpreted it, you bunch of old filthy women!

Lazy Kitten: Wow, this person actually dares to call someone else a dirty old woman? Do you have any shame? Do you have any shame at all? I'm embarrassed for you, hey!

Lin Fengjiao: If he had any shame, he wouldn’t be Ah Yin.

Lazy Kitten: That's true. After all, he's a man who can make a living by using his moral integrity. If he really had any dignity, he wouldn't do such a thing. By the way, how's Kotonoha-chan doing? Why haven't I heard anything about your progress?

Hatchet Girl: Not good. I feel like I got tricked. I'm heading home now. I'm almost soaked.

Book Artist: Huh? Aren't you at the terminal?

Eriri, who had sent the message, was still waiting for the magic circle to charge, which required a period of accumulation. Claire and Ashley, standing to her left and right, were constantly supporting the magic circle. As time passed, the entire sky flickered with a huge ball of white light.

Hatchet Girl: I went into those towers, but there was nothing inside except a bunch of sacrificial items and documents with strange symbols.

Skirt-lifting maniac: What’s going on? The final boss is not at home?

Lazy Kitten: Is it possible that there's no final boss? Perhaps it's just an ordinary ruin?

Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: I can't rule it out, but I still think there's something odd going on. If it were just an ordinary ruin, why would there be those sacrificial objects? And why would that strange bus stop here? Is it just a coincidence?

Shark-faced guy: I think there shouldn’t be so many coincidences, right?

Lazy Kitten: All coincidences and accidents are inevitable results. Everything is the result of Steins;Gate's choice. (Expression: chin in hand)

This is an actor: very versatile, my friend.

Jellal, who had sent the message, had returned to his dorm, continuing to work on the blueprint for the Tower of Paradise. This thing was truly a labor-intensive endeavor, no wonder it had taken the cultists over a decade to complete.

dong dong dong.

Just as he was complaining in his heart, there was a knock on the door outside at the right time.

"Come in, the door is unlocked."

Squeak.

Hermione poked her furry head in from the door and asked softly, "Isn't Luna here today?"

"She's helping to select a site." Gerald replied calmly without turning his head, "She's the only one suitable for this job here."

After all, the construction of the Paradise Tower requires a large area of land. It also requires a site and environment rich in magical energy, and finding such a place is not an easy task.

Therefore, Luna, who has the memory and knowledge of Ravenclaw, is most suitable for this job. She is more familiar with the environment and terrain around Hogwarts than Dumbledore.

"Really?" Hermione didn't think too much about it, but she was obviously relieved to hear that Luna was not there.

The girl's senses were also very sharp. She felt that Luna now seemed to have an inexplicable aura. This aura made her instinctively feel a little afraid, as if she were facing a very great elder.

Furthermore, she felt that Luna seemed to have some intentions towards Professor Ziklein. Rather than fearing them, she hated them. It would make her feel terribly upset, like the frustration she felt as a child when another child took away her favorite toy.

So she was quite happy to hear that Luna was not there. However, she would not show this happiness, it was just a small emotion that burst out in her heart.

"Hey, has Professor Ziklein also seen the news?" Hermione found the Ministry of Magic weekly next to the drawings. The headline on the front page read "The Great Disaster of the Pollardgera Family."

"Actually, Dumbledore had already gathered the professors to discuss this matter before school ended." Gerard glanced at her and replied with a smile. "But no one knows the answer to the question. Why would a house-elf attack its own master?"

"Yeah, this is very strange." Hermione frowned and said, "It seems that this kind of thing hasn't happened in the entire wizarding world for hundreds of years. How did that house-elf break through the restriction?"

"Definitely not by myself." Gerard replied meaningfully.

"Are you saying there's someone else behind this?" Hermione said with a look of realization and worry, "Could this be Voldemort's conspiracy? He wants to enslave the house-elves to achieve his secret of unreliability?"

"Voldemort wouldn't do such a thing." Jellal shook his head and smiled. "Not to mention that he despises the power of house-elves from the bottom of his heart, even if he were to plot something... he wouldn't target the pure-blood families. He still needs the power of the pure-blood families to achieve his rule, not to mention that the Pollardjera family is his staunch supporter."

"Hardcore supporters? Aren't they Death Eaters?" Hermione was stunned for a moment before asking, "Why aren't they imprisoned in Azkaban? Instead, they're enjoying the treatment of nobility?"

"That brings us to another point." Gerard tapped the table lightly with his fingers. "Who do you think provides the Ministry of Magic with all its funding?"

481 Warm Welcome from Others

"A very small number of pure-blood families control over 90% of the entire wizarding world's wealth. They are also an important source of financial support for the Ministry of Magic." Gerald tapped the table lightly and spoke eloquently. "Given this complex relationship, do you think the Ministry of Magic will wipe out all the pure-blood families involved with Voldemort?"

"So, they have some kind of symbiotic relationship?" Hermione breathed, her face filled with shock.

If she hadn't heard it from her idolized professor herself, she wouldn't have believed it. Pure-blood families actually controlled over 90% of the wizarding world's wealth? And they were also the financial backers of the Ministry of Magic?

"Symbiosis, cooperation, or vassalage—whatever word suits you best is fine." Gerard smiled and said, "Of course, we can also use alliance."

Hermione was silent for a moment, then asked, "If we apply this logic, then Voldemort seems to be related to the Ministry of Magic? This, this is simply too strange..."

"Nothing strange about that." Jellal shook his head slightly and said, "To put it bluntly, what holds their relationship together isn't some sacred contract but a chain of interests, which is both fragile and strong."

"Why is it fragile yet strong?" Hermione asked, becoming interested.

She understood the meaning of the "combination of interests" and what it meant. But she didn't understand what it meant to be fragile and strong. These were two completely opposite characteristics, how could they apply to the same thing?

“Everything has two sides.”

Gerard didn't keep the topic in suspense and said bluntly, "Even chains of interests are like this. When they share a common goal, the chain is very strong and unbreakable. But when their respective interests are threatened for some reason, it becomes as fragile as paper. Just like when Voldemort fell, the Ministry of Magic decisively took action against pure-bloods in order to quell public anger."

"But, that should only be symbolic, right?" Hermione asked softly.

"Most of them are indeed Voldemort's diehards, such as the Lestrange family." Gerald turned around and said, "Before Voldemort's downfall, they were the Ministry of Magic's largest financial backers. But in order to protect the Ministry's reputation, they still took action against their financial backers. This is what I call a fragile chain of interests."

"So, so fragile." Hermione's tone was filled with contempt and sarcasm.

She could imagine how the Lestrange family dominated the wizarding world before Voldemort's downfall, and how many heinous deeds these wicked Death Eaters had done that were covered up by the Ministry of Magic.

"Back to the point." Gerald stood up and walked to the window. "I'm saying this just to prove that Voldemort is not the culprit behind the incident involving the Pollard Gerald family."

"Indeed." Hermione nodded in agreement and said, "If Voldemort wants to return to the wizarding world, he will need the support of these pure-blood families. He probably won't destroy the Great Wall himself, but if it wasn't Voldemort, I really can't imagine who would have the ability and courage to attack such a powerful pure-blood family."

"There are many people who have this ability and courage, and there are quite a few in Hogwarts." Gerald smiled lightly and said meaningfully, "For example, Dumbledore and me."

Hermione chuckled and said, "I never thought Professor Ziklein could speak such a humorous language. But no matter who was behind the attack, it was the house-elf who took the initiative to attack the Polladjella family. In other words, the house-elf may have wanted to rebel against the other party for a long time. What kind of abuse has it suffered?"

Hermione's determination to fight for the rights of house-elves became even stronger, and she even wanted to get involved in this work immediately.

"You'll need to ask it yourself." Gerard sat back down at his desk and unfolded the architectural blueprints. "But before that, we have other work to do."

Lazy Kitten: Ah Li-chan, are you still not leaving?

Book artist: That’s it, the magic circle will be completed soon.

Skirt-lifting maniac: Your situation is a bit like a loading progress bar, and it's loading at the speed of an old computer.

Hatchet Girl: Indeed, I feel anxious.

At this moment, Katsura Yanye had already taken the bus back home, killing a few evil spirits on the way. After arriving home, she called Janet, hoping that the battle sister would come and help her study the strange book she brought back from the ruins.

The artist: What does it have to do with me?! I'm not the mastermind of the magic circle. If you want to blame someone, you can only blame those two girls for not being fast enough!

Curly-haired guy: She is your girlfriend after all. It’s not nice for us to speak so bluntly about her.

Book artist: Your sister’s girlfriend, get out of here!

Eriri was so angry she felt like hitting someone, but there was no one nearby who could hit her. Fortunately, the magic circle finally activated. A blazing white beam illuminated the sky, enveloping Eriri, Claire, and Ashley.

The world was spinning and the scene was changing.

When Eriri's vision cleared again, she found herself in a dense forest. The surrounding trees were lush and green, and dots of faint blue light were floating in the forest.

"Those are magical elements." Seeing Eriri's gaze fixed on the spots of light, Ashley explained, "The manifestation of concentrated magical energy is very common on the Edwin Continent."

"So it's a crystal of magic power?"

Eriri nodded, a bit stunned. She was about to focus her camera to take a picture when she suddenly sensed something was amiss. She reached out and grabbed Ashley and Claire's arms, then instantly shifted.

Shhhhhh.

Just as they moved away, beams of multicolored light suddenly descended, shooting towards their original location like rain.

Boom.

Countless elemental turbulences surged, forming a powerful gale that swept in all directions. Wood chips flew everywhere, and green grass filled the sky.

When the dust settled, all that remained was a massive crater, more than ten meters in diameter. The soil emitted a burnt, acrid smell.

482 Imperial Death Soldier

"Yes, there is an ambush?" Looking at the scene in front of her, Claire showed a stunned expression.

The half-elf girl was obviously confused and didn't understand why she was attacked as soon as she returned to the continent of Edwin.

"Nelson Forest, located in the northeast of the Empire, is the Imperial Inquisition's dimensional teleportation port," Ashley said calmly, looking around. "According to Imperial regulations, this is a secret military restricted zone. No one is allowed to enter this area without the Council's permission."

"I see. It seems you've been abandoned." Eriri nodded slightly, having understood the current situation.

"That's only natural. After all, His Majesty wouldn't want the reed pheasant to fly away just like that." Ashley smiled self-deprecatingly.

"You, what are you talking about?" Claire felt a little confused listening to the conversation between the two. She was still a little confused about the situation and what was going on.

"How foolish, my dear sister." Ashley sighed, looking at Claire as if she were mentally retarded. "Since it's impossible for outsiders to get in here, don't you understand who ambushed us?"

Snap, snap.

As they were talking, several men in white robes and golden armor masks slowly emerged from the bushes. They each held a strange black crossbow, but it was empty of arrows.

"Holy Luo Temple?" Looking at the attire of these people, Claire instantly recognized their identities.

These people were members of the Imperial Family's intelligence unit, the Saint Luo Academy. But why were they here? Could it be that... At this moment, Claire finally understood.

The one who really wants to kill them is His Majesty Shenwu.

Was what Ashley said true? Everything was planned by His Majesty. And in his eyes, I was just a tool?

"Criminals Ashley Lavender and Claire Lavender, you are accused of murdering a noble, plotting a coup, and treason against the Empire." The leading member of the Saint Luo Academy stared at the two sisters and said coldly, "According to Article 5 of the Imperial Decree, you are now arrested according to law."

"Oh, that's a serious crime." Ashley blinked and laughed, "We will definitely be burned in the fire of purgatory, right? How terrible!"

"When you betrayed the Empire, you should have expected this to happen." The Saint Luo Academy leader's tone remained icy, as if he hadn't noticed her sarcastic tone. "Your ancestors would be ashamed of you!"

"We betrayed the Empire?" Even the usually naive Claire couldn't contain herself. "Who came to this conclusion? The Emperor? Did he witness our betrayal? Don't be ridiculous. This kind of accusation... He's just trying to protect his own interests!"

"You insult His Majesty! Damn it!" The leader of the Saint Luo Academy shouted angrily and immediately pulled the trigger of the crossbow.

call out.

A stream of azure light shot out, forming a long arrow.

Only then did Eriri understand why this crossbow didn't require physical arrows. It actually used the user's magic power as ammunition, condensing it into an attack similar to a magic arrow.

"That's quite interesting." Ying Lili commented softly, and her figure disappeared at the same time.

boom.

The azure arrow collided with Claire's open golden round shield, shattering it abruptly. Behind the Saint Luo Academy leader, a burst of snow-white silver light shone.

Pfft, pfft.