There were a number of people who shared the witch's sentiments, and there was an outcry about ending the meeting and leaving MACUSA.
Ivan didn't say a word throughout the meeting. He simply watched from the sidelines, taking note of everyone's expressions and reactions. He then looked down at the French Minister, who was lying on the ground, and was surprised to see that there was no fear or alarm on his face. Instead, there was a strange calm that made one shiver.
Due to the fact that it had been several hours since the French Minister's death, the magical images left behind were blurry, and all the Department of Mysteries wizards could tell was that there was no sign of a second person in the room, due to a Death Curse, and that traces of magic had been found in the fallen wand.
According to the Aurors' analysis, the French Minister had probably woken up in the middle of the night yesterday and cast a Fatal Curse on himself. The effect was so good that it killed the Minister with a single blow. That was why he died so quietly, without alerting anyone.
It was only this morning, before the meeting began, that the French entourage realised something was amiss when the Minister did not emerge from his room.
A Minister of a Great Country would never commit suicide, which leaves only one possibility: the Minister, like Percy, was under the Imperius Curse…
Many clever wizards had the same thought, and they looked at their fellow wizards with caution. If even a Minister of a large country had fallen under the spell, who could guarantee that Grindelwald would only be able to control one or two of them?
In this atmosphere of extreme distrust, the crowd's discontent reached a breaking point.
Connor and the other Aurors tried their best to maintain order, but to no avail. In the end, they could only look to President Wilkinson for his decision.
"Silence!" Wilkinson raised his hand high, his voice rising with the aid of the Resounding Spell, drowning out the noise and attracting the attention of the crowd.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I implore you to calm down. This is a plot by Grindelwald to divide us. He killed Russia and the French Minister with the intention of using violence to bring us to our knees. If this meeting were to end in a hurry, it would only make the opposition more arrogant…" Wilkinson tried to calm them.
However, the wizards around him were not impressed, and a middle-aged wizard questioned him acidly. "Are you going to make us all stay? Madam Chairman? What about our safety? Who can promise us that? These worthless Aurors? Two people have died, and they can't even find the killer!"
The wizard's words caused the Aurors on guard duty to blanch, but they could not argue, as they had yet to find any clues.
Wilkinson said slowly, "One day…I ask you to give us one more day. In any case, MACUSA will give you an explanation! If we still can't find the murderer during this time, then I won't stop you from leaving."
Wilkinson's repeated attempts at persuasion managed to calm the panicked wizarding representatives, and since MACUSA had promised to do so, they knew better than to push too hard.
On the other hand, Connor seemed worried. Wilkinson was far too full of himself. He did not think that they would find any decisive clues or evidence in a day. What would they use to justify themselves?
It must be noted that the ministers of the two great powers had died in the hands of the North American Magical Congress. If they failed to capture Grindelwald, they would have to face censure from both sides.
Or did President Wilkinson actually have an idea?
Searching a large area of memory was impossible. Although Legilimency could detect if a wizard was under the influence of the Imperius Curse, it required an in-depth memory search to find the anomaly.
Every one of the representatives present was an elite or even a leader of their profession, and their memories were extremely precious. Even if he dared to speak of this proposal in public, he would drown in everyone's saliva.
However, he could not think of another way to capture Grindelwald in a short period of time. He could not possibly use Wilkinson, Pierce, and the others as bait, could he?
These big shots were each more afraid of death than the other…
Connor sighed to himself, then turned to the French wizards and asked, "Mr Bruno, did you notice anything unusual in the lounge last night?"
Bruno hesitated, shaking his head, but then he seemed to think better of it and said gloomily, "The Minister was discussing Igor's murderer with us last night. He suspects that someone is trying to murder Grindelwald in Grindelwald's name. Don't forget, this is the headquarters of the Magical Congress of North America. There's no way Grindelwald could have sneaked in without being seen."
"How is that possible? Who else could have killed two Ministers so easily?" the President of the Asian Association of Wizards demanded, frowning.
He was well aware of Igor's prowess as a Duelling Master of Russia prior to becoming Minister, and the fact that the murderer was able to immobilise Igor with an Imprisonment Charm was not something an ordinary wizard could do.
"Of course there is. In fact, one of us was an extraordinarily talented wizard who managed to escape Grindelwald…" Bruno said, keeping his eyes on Ivan. "Where were you last night and in the afternoon, Monsieur Harles?"
"In the withdrawing room, of course, where there are many witnesses," Ivan explained slowly.
Pierce, Dawlish, and the others immediately nodded, willing to put their reputations on the line for Ivan.
"They're English wizards, of course they'll speak up for you…" Bruno insisted. He could tell from their first meeting in France that this young wizard was extremely dangerous.
This was not only due to Ivan's superior skills, but also because of his contempt for authority and the law when he was with the French Ministry of Magic.
Bruno had no doubt that this young wizard would have dared to attack them within the confines of the French Ministry of Magic if Pierce and the others had not interfered…