Although Cyrus entrusted the task of collecting magical creatures to Lucius, it wasn't going to be easy for Lucius to obtain a batch of magical creatures.
This wasn't due to his incompetence but because the British magical community had very strict protections for magical creatures.
Very few magical creatures were available on the market, and most of those that were had neither significant destructive power nor special magical abilities.
Magical creatures rated three X's and above were already very rare, and four X's and above were either raised in large numbers or placed in protected areas.
Even if Lucius could get his hands on them, even if through smuggling, it would take a very long time.
After all, powerful magical creatures weren't always in stock, even among smugglers. By the time they managed to poach or capture them, it would already be several months later.
Thinking it over, Cyrus decided that simply stealing them would be more convenient.
He wasn't picky about what he got; his main interest was research, regardless of the magical creatures' strength.
While powerful creatures like dragons were useful to him, he was also keen on studying less formidable creatures like the Demiguise. Not only could these creatures be used to make invisibility cloaks, but they also had the ability to foresee the future.
He planned to approach the matter from two fronts: letting Lucius handle things with money, while he himself would directly target the smugglers.
After all, the best goods were in the hands of these smugglers!
Cyrus didn't linger at the Malfoy Manor to avoid making Lucius uncomfortable.
He made his way to the most well-informed place, the Hog's Head Inn, but unfortunately, he couldn't gather any useful information.
Although magical creature smuggling happened daily, transactions were rarely conducted openly unless someone was in a hurry to sell.
In most cases, buyers were already confirmed before each smuggling operation.
Like Hagrid unexpectedly receiving a dragon egg, which turned out to be Quirrell's trap.
"Hmm.. The Forbidden Forest does have many magical creatures," Cyrus thought, but he wasn't in a hurry to go there.
The Forbidden Forest was like Hogwarts' backyard, and while it had a large number of magical creatures, the variety was limited. Moreover, dealing with the troublesome centaurs wasn't something Cyrus enjoyed.
"The place with the most diverse magical creatures would naturally be Newt's suitcase. Unfortunately, I don't know Newt Scamander at all, nor do I know where he is now," Cyrus lamented.
Newt had traveled the world to compile his textbook, tracking down magical creatures. The creatures recorded in "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" were likely all in his suitcase, including even an Obscurus that he had sealed away.
With no leads at the Hog's Head Inn, Cyrus thought that the Ministry of Magic might have some clues.
The British Ministry of Magic had a dedicated Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures which was responsible for managing and protecting magical creatures. There should be records that could be investigated there.
Cyrus was a man of action. As soon as he left the Hog's Head Inn, he headed straight for the alley near the Ministry of Magic.
It was already late, and Ministry members were leaving for the day. Cyrus watched a wizard depart, and in the next moment, he transformed into that wizard's appearance.
Earlier, he had transformed into Delis, though he hadn't used that identity for a long time, and he had let Delis go back to his normal life after slightly altering his memories.
Cyrus walked confidently towards the public restroom. To this day, he still couldn't understand what the founders of the Ministry of Magic were thinking when they decided to use toilets as the entrance.
Didn't they fear that a malfunction in magic could lead to employees being flushed into the sewers or, worse, the ceiling of the Ministry collapsing with some shi—ehm*—indescribable substances?
Back at the Ministry, Cyrus chose not to force his way in.
The receptionist was still on duty and seemed surprised to see the wizard Cyrus had transformed into returning.
"Adcock, why are you back?"
"Forgot something," Cyrus replied casually. He greeted the receptionist naturally and, as he got closer, extended his long fingers in front of the receptionist's eyes.
"Confundus."
The receptionist's eyes immediately became vacant, but after about a second, they regained clarity. He shook his head and said, "Alright, your wand is fine, go ahead!"
Cyrus walked through the spacious hall and headed towards the elevator.
The hall was located on the eighth underground floor, and to reach the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, he needed to go up.
It was often said that the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures was idle, but in reality, it was the second largest department in the Ministry of Magic.
Each year, numerous cases involving magical creatures occurred, such as the recent goblin issues that were causing headaches for wizards. Those creatures protested and caused trouble at the Ministry daily.
Although they didn't cause any injuries or fatalities, over time, it damaged the Ministry's reputation.
Many wizards seemed to be misguided, empathizing with the goblins and viewing Cyrus's actions as brutal and violent, while considering Lucius's establishment of the Wizarding Bank as opportunistic.
But who knew that Cyrus had originally gone to Gringotts just to retrieve something, and even when it escalated to a fight, he only killed Bodrick?
The goblins had brought about their own destruction and had no one else to blame!
Moreover, Gringotts originally belonged to the wizards. It was only due to a compromise that the goblins took over, and now it was laughable that it had become something the goblins claimed to have always owned!
Wizards had long lifespans, but within just a few hundred years, they had completely forgotten the history of the goblin rebellions. How vicious were the goblins back then?
They practically treated wizards as food!
"In the end, it's because wizards are too weak minded!" Cyrus felt a fire ignite within him.
The goblins repeatedly crossed the wizards' boundaries, but the wizards' response was to lower their standards. This spineless behavior infuriated Cyrus!
Continual concessions could only lead to the goblins becoming more rampant. In fact, if Cyrus hadn't dealt with so many of them, their forces would have already become a threat, potentially inciting rebellion in a few years.
At that time, the price would be paid in blood once again.
"These pests, they all need to be exterminated eventually!" Cyrus's eyes glinted.
The only value the goblins had was their ability to craft Goblin Silver, but such skills could be learned. Once Cyrus acquired their techniques, there would be no need for the goblins to exist.
"Goblins have always wanted to obtain wizard wands, so isn't it just as reasonable for wizards to want to master the crafting of Goblin Silver?" Cyrus chuckled lightly.
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