The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight pierced through the forest canopy, the clearing began to stir. The prey owls had just returned to their nests, and Sori's voice echoed through the quiet camp: "Get up, everyone! We need to hurry to our destination."
David, who had slept poorly, opened his eyes and quickly rose to his feet. Nearby, Tariq was still sprawled on his mat, snoring loudly. David walked over and gave him a couple of light kicks.
"What's going on?" Tariq jolted awake, looking around in confusion.
"We're leaving soon," David said.
"Oh... Then I'll just lie down a bit longer," Tariq mumbled, closing his eyes again.
By the time everyone else was ready, Tariq was still dozing. Sori glanced at him, waved his wand, and the mat Tariq was lying on stood upright, forcing him to his feet.
"Awake now?" Sori asked coldly.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm up," Tariq replied, yawning and stretching. He lazily stupefied the cushion behind him.
The two wizards who had been tasked with carrying the cage earlier were reluctant to let Tariq take over, fearing he might drop it mid-air in his groggy state. They were also Sori's subordinates and didn't dare to push Tariq too hard.
It wasn't until an hour and a half later, when the carriers began to tire, that Tariq finally regained his energy. Sori called for a break and assigned new carriers for the cage.
By midday, the group reached their destination. In the distance, David saw a large circular structure made of tall wooden beams, divided into two layers. The inner layer was shrouded in mist, making it impossible to see what lay within. The outer layer, however, was clearly visible—a ring of low wooden huts bustling with wizards, resembling a small forest settlement.
As they landed in a clearing outside the circle, two wizards approached. They nodded subtly at Tariq before greeting Sori with hugs.
"Any trouble on the road?" one of them asked.
"A bit," Sori replied. "A few Ministry of Magic brats tried to infiltrate us, but we caught them all."
"Any issues with the new recruits?" The two wizards glanced at David.
"Don't worry," Sori assured them. "I checked them myself. They're clean."
The two wizards stepped aside, allowing the group to pass. David hesitated. "What about the goods we brought?"
"Don't worry," one of the wizards, wearing a three-headed dog mask, said. "We'll register them for you. You won't lose your commission."
A tall wizard in David's group spoke up, dissatisfied. "If we deliver the goods now, will we get paid immediately? How long do we have to wait here?"
"You can get paid now," Sori explained, "but only at the lowest market price. If you wait until after the sale, you'll get a higher price based on the final sale amount. Of course, if you choose to get paid now, you'll have to stay in the inn we provide until the sale is over. We can't risk you taking our money and then selling us out to the Ministry of Magic."
The group exchanged glances. For most, staying a few extra days for more Galleons was worth it. For David, it was an opportunity to gather more information. He had no intention of leaving empty-handed.
After passing through a heavy wooden gate, David surveyed the area. The ground was packed dirt, devoid of even a single weed. The outer ring consisted of newly built wooden huts, most of which were already occupied. It seemed the R organization had recruited a significant number of people.
The inner area was enclosed by a high wooden wall, with a large iron gate blocking the entrance. David caught a glimpse of the mist-shrouded interior as the gate briefly opened.
"Ron, what are you staring at?" Tariq nudged David.
"Nothing, just looking around," David replied casually.
"Do you want to go in and take a look?" Tariq whispered, leaning closer. "I want to too, but they're pretty strict about who gets in."
David smirked behind his mask. "Trying to fish for information, are we?"
"No, I'm just curious. I'm not interested in going in," David said, walking toward the hut assigned to him. Tariq's hut was right next door.
Once inside, David closed the door and inspected the room. It was sparsely furnished—a table, a few chairs, a single bed, and a cabinet. There were no anti-reconnaissance or anti-transportation spells in place, which struck David as odd. Were they overconfident, or was there something else at play?
As David pondered, there was a knock at the door.
"Who is it?" David asked, his hand instinctively moving toward his wand.
"It's me, Tariq," came the reply.
"What do you want?"
"Just a little something. Open the door," Tariq said.
David hesitated, then slowly opened the door. Tariq stood there, holding a basket of food.
"I just picked this up. Are you hungry?" Tariq asked, shaking the basket.
"You brought me food?" David raised an eyebrow.
"Of course! What else would I be here for?" Tariq grinned.
"Then hand it over," David said, reaching out.
"Wait, wait! I haven't eaten yet! Can you really finish all this?" Tariq protested, pushing past David and barging into the room.
David sighed, closing the door behind him. Tariq's antics were tiresome, but they also provided an opportunity. As Tariq began unpacking the food, David's mind raced, piecing together the puzzle of the R organization and its mysterious inner circle.