Chapter 145 – Recruiting (1)
Our life in Germany was surprisingly easy. With the correct spells, the language was no longer a barrier, and taking inventory of the different corporations left to me by my Father, we had all the muggle resources we needed to blend in. And by that, I don't strictly mean material goods, but connections within the muggle world, be it influential people or straight-up muggle politicians.
With Grindelwald guiding us, we were introduced to politics and the subtle powerplays governing the muggle world, which closely mirrored our own. Because no magic was involved in their lives, we could easily bend the rules to our favor when needed, while we also learned the meaning of restraint under his guidance.
With him coaching us, we were learning how to use the muggles and their leaders to our advantage. There was always some connection between the magical world and the muggles' side, a linchpin that was there to inform them if something magical happened and instruct them to cover up possible accidents and instances where magic was involved.
We used this to get ahold of those tasked with maintaining this connection of the two worlds, using memory charms and different potions to create what the muggles would call 'sleeper cells' and have informants who didn't even know they were spies. They never genuinely reported to us but to their muggle counterparts, who then forwarded it to us in one way or another.
Combined with my inheritance, it was such a strong foundation that we began forming something that Grindelwald named a 'Shadow Empire.' Honestly... I found the name funny and cringe at the same time. But it did scratch a strange itch within both of me and Quincy. It was... well, cool. Even if he was simply playing around, teasing us a little when coming up with it, I did not mind and took on the name for fun.
Then, there were the artifacts we recovered from the goblins, and I had to acknowledge that all those troubles we went through were worth it. On the one hand, Quincy was in love with her alchemy set, constantly improving her potion-making skills and coming up with brand-new variants of already-established brews with different or enhanced effects or creating entirely new ones. On the other hand, I was learning and testing the inheritance of the Peverells and having multiple conversations with his grimoire. I was learning about ancient lore and their methods, gaining a glimpse into how they thought and how they created their enchanted belongings.
This was a point where I had an advantage over Grindelwald. Although he had the exact same source of knowledge when young, he used it to understand the three Hallows to only a certain level. He was more about learning their history and tracking them down. Me? I used it to know how they were made. With my ancient grandpa in my mind, understanding what the grimoire spewed out at certain times became much more easier.
Many times, when Grindelwald silently observed me, having a discussion with the book, I felt a bit ashamed of myself. I knew he looked at me proudly, reminding me of my Father... but in reality, it was not me who was asking specific questions from old Peverell; it was Herpo. The two were like retired scientists, having a mental debate with each other through me. Well... I couldn't complain; I was learning a lot from it, and I found myself getting more and more interested in their ideas. Maybe I also found my calling? Who knows... but I finally felt like I understood what Quincy felt when making a potion or finding a new recipe.
What we didn't have luck with was his old connections. We managed to track down three of them... buried deep in a muggle cemetery. A bummer... but somewhat expected. He did mention that there was a possibility that they were all tracked and hunted down after his imprisonment. Of course, we didn't have any proof, but that could be easily the case. Quincy also suggested that they may have fled to different parts of the world, and if that was the case, venturing out to find them would be a waste of time when we had the option to recruit fresh blood right here.