Chapter 475: The Werewolf

After arriving in Gilneas, they did not immediately enter the presidential palace, but instead went to a nearby grove of trees.

“Harry, Padfoot, what I’m about to say must be kept absolutely secret—if I weren’t worried you’d mess up the engagement, I’d never tell you.”

“Of course.” “I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

“Good.” Zhang Qiu nodded. “The fact is, many people in Tianchao are inciting others to attack them.”

Harry and Sirius were confused by this news, but Zhang Qiu quickly added: “Tianchao has a vast military—perhaps the most advanced and powerful in the world if magic is included—but due to Xuan Jun’s restrictions, they’ve been living in peaceful… yet boring conditions.”

“Now that Xuan Jun has had to enter seclusion, they’ve begun desperately seeking pretexts for war, especially the Fujian and Chuang warlords, who are eager to launch expansionist campaigns but are restrained by international image, modern order, and public opinion. So they’re trying to lure other nations into invading Tianchao—our engagement is seen as a clever way to court and appear weak in the magical world.” Zhang Qiu waved her hand helplessly. “Perhaps after some time, someone will come to Quan you not to meddle in Tianchao’s affairs.”

“I must say, Mr. Zhang’s worried expression looks convincing,” Sirius suddenly laughed. “What happens over there doesn’t really concern us—we just need to know we don’t have to worry, right?”

“Yes. My father clearly bought into some of the domestic propaganda—these warlords are still trying to instill a sense of crisis among the people to boost unity on foreign issues.” After saying this, Zhang Qiu exhaled deeply. “It’s that simple. Shall we go find Lupin?”

Harry nodded, walking toward the presidential palace with her, lost in thought. He now understood: Tianchao must still be trying to lure Yanayev into the conflict, which is why they couldn’t mention this in Tang Dun. As for Yanayev’s bribery of servants, Harry was very forgiving—he knew no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t stop it; better to see it as Yanayev kindly paying the servants’ bonuses for him.

Soon, they found Lupin, equally cheerful, laughing and chatting with Tonks—they had finally begun dating, and due to their ages, they were now planning to hold their wedding as soon as possible.

“Lemus, you’ve got an important task,” Sirius said cheerfully. “You need to divinate whether Harry and Zhang Qiu are compatible.”

“Me?” Lupin looked astonished. “I can’t do that—I don’t have that ability! How am I supposed to divinate?”

“Just like this,” Zhang Qiu prompted. “During the day, eyes open, make a divination.”

Lupin still shook his head. “No, for something this important, you should find another seer—like Professor Trelawney.”

“She’s terrible at it. We can only trust you,” Zhang Qiu shrugged.

Harry smiled and explained for her: “It’s just a formality—you don’t need to actually divinate. You just need to write a few blessing words as a seer.”

“If it’s just that,” Lupin looked much more willing. “I think I can manage.”

“Perfect. That solves half our problem,” Sirius said Qingsong ly. “But what’s been worrying me is this: Tianchao’s first wedding custom requires a cute magical creature to deliver the betrothal letter—and I’m worried about Kreacher… he’s too ragged, and he’s ugly too, sigh!”

Harry was about to suggest dressing him up, but realized it felt awkward—house-elves considered wearing clothes shameful.

“What about an owl?” Lupin asked naturally.

“Can it fly that far?” Harry was precisely concerned about this.

“Probably not,” Zhang Qiu sighed. “In our country, we usually use cranes for this step, but their flight range is quite limited—once the distance is too great, they can’t deliver. So our country is very cautious about long-distance marriages. I’m probably setting a record—flying farther than anyone ever has.”

After a brief silence, Lupin suddenly looked at Sirius with a strange expression. “Why are you suddenly bringing this up to me?”

“I’m not,” Sirius said innocently. “I only came to ask you to be the seer. The betrothal letter thing? Just an offhand remark.”

Lupin nodded. “I thought you were going to say werewolves count as magical creatures.”

“That’s hilarious—did you even hear the word ‘cute’?” Sirius burst out laughing, but then a mischievous idea struck him. “So if that’s the case, vampires would work too?”

“Find a young, beautiful vampire. Don’t explain much—just say they’re acting as a messenger to deliver the betrothal letter,” Sirius said. “Wouldn’t that work?”

“It’s a good idea,” Zhang Qiu nodded.

“Speaking of vampires, how are Nicolai and Edith?” Harry asked.

“Not back at school yet, but the paperwork’s done—they’re even closer now,” Lupin said, then sighed again. “They’ve basically become each other’s only support.”

Lupin glanced worriedly out the window at the large transparent crystal ball nearby.

“I’m just worried—the Focus Rainbow was originally built to intimidate the Death Eaters, but it might pull us into another vortex,” he said slowly. “When we signed the Super-Wizard Powers Treaty, I could tell many people were looking at us strangely. If only… sigh, Kexi , this thing can’t be moved.”

“If Gilneas suffers any upheaval, even the vampires would struggle to survive independently—Nicolai and Edith would be worse off,” Lupin rubbed his face. “The international situation is turbulent. Alya has warned me several times about the KGB. I don’t want to live in constant dread, but knowing so many people’s happiness depends on this, I feel immense pressure.”

Harry understood his concern, but he was puzzled—why would Yanayev care about such a silly glass cannon? To comfort him, he said: “Think positively—the Focus Rainbow’s effect is limited. It probably won’t draw much attention.”

“It will,” Zhang Qiu said suddenly. “A massive device that concentrates magical energy—if used to fire Huishi magic, it could easily pierce through certain large facilities.”

“What large facility needs the Focus Rainbow to destroy?” Sirius countered. “Don’t conventional missiles outperform it?”

“A large facility combining magic and technology—equipped with metal armor and multiple protective spells, yet so massive it doesn’t need precision to hit. The Focus Rainbow only needs to focus its power on penetration; once it breaches, it causes massive damage.” Zhang Qiu, though trying to keep it secret, had clearly hinted at a concept. “If Yanayev is developing such a facility—say, a giant airship—he’d fear the Focus Rainbow.”

“So you’re saying the airship would have to be enormous,” Harry didn’t argue—he followed her logic. “Since Albania’s Muggle world has already detected KGB traces, it means Yanayev is seriously trying to investigate or destroy the Focus Rainbow. Doesn’t that imply—they’ve already developed similar technology?”

“If we assume a breach would be fatal, it might be a hydrogen-filled airship—powerful, with combined spell-enhanced alloy armor capable of withstanding anti-air missiles. That would be a terrifying presence, perfectly countered by the Focus Rainbow,” Harry reasoned carefully. “Given their national strength and the fact that protective spells can last indefinitely, I believe they’ll build more than one.”

“Exactly,” Harry suddenly saw the path. “If there’s more than one airship, then there must be more than one Focus Rainbow. Whether to protect Gilneas or sincerely resist Yanayev, the best solution is to help other European nations build as many Focus Rainbows as possible.”

“But the blueprints were given to us by Donald. Would it be improper to pass them on?” Lupin asked cautiously. “And he only gave us a medium-scale design—if other countries have larger populations, the design would need adjustment. I think we should consult Donald, and ideally have him and the Magical Congress lead the effort—we can only provide experienced engineers as support.”

“Cooperation with Bai Gong might involve ideological opposition. Though Albania has always opposed the Soviets, it’s still a socialist state. I think you should re-discuss this with the local Muggle Prime Minister,” Zhang Qiu suggested.

“Alright, I’m starting another round of paperwork and meetings,” Lupin shoved the last piece of pastry into his mouth, brushed his sleeves. “I’ll help with the engagement. Tonight I’ll prepare my seer’s speech, and tomorrow I’ll find a beautiful vampire. By the way—where should the vampire deliver the letter?”

“Sending him alone to Tianchao is too difficult,” Zhang Qiu said. “Let him come to the embassy to find me—I’ll arrange someone to accompany him.”

Harry suddenly felt melancholy—if Zhang Qiu started working, his second half of summer would be far less enjoyable, and seventh year would likely be even more boring than he’d imagined.