This afternoon, their observations in the small town had a profound impact, shattering their worldviews as wizards.
It was getting late, and the group returned to the manor.
On the way, both of them remained silent, reflecting on how these changes had made Muggles seem extraordinary.
They had come here with the intention of staying a few days, but with nightfall approaching, they would rest at Zhao Lun's place.
For dinner, the menu was varied once again, with no dish repeating the ones from lunch.
The Weasley brothers were speechless. At home, their meals were always potatoes and fish, as they were the cheapest options.
Occasionally, they had a feast during holidays, but it was never as lavish as Zhao Lun's.
Without a word, the two sat down and began eating, their manner a clear expression of turning frustration into appetite.
After dinner, there was still time, so Zhao Lun took them to the place where the merfolk were held.
"Oh! Merlin above! You actually have merfolk here!"
Merlin, the god of wizards, holds the same reverence among them as God does among Westerners. Some wizards even pray using his name, and when surprised, they often exclaim his name as well.
Zhao Lun, however, was already accustomed to this.
The two were astonished as they approached, examining the merfolk up close.
For safety, Zhao Lun had only provided them with minimal food and water to sustain them. The merfolk were now somewhat weakened, allowing them to observe more closely.
The two had never seen merfolk from such a close distance, so they studied them with great attention, lingering for quite some time.
They clicked their tongues in amazement, occasionally prodding the creatures, the sound resembling the tapping of rubber wheels.
"These two merfolk look remarkably strong, and they're larger than usual!"
They noticed that these two merfolk were much sturdier than those they'd encountered before.
The merfolk they had previously seen were like regular humans compared to these two, whose size resembled that of basketball players, akin to towering figures like Shaquille O'Neal.
In addition to their impressive stature, their iron-colored scales gleamed with a metallic luster, making them appear even more extraordinary.
"Hiss!!!"
A piercing screech, like a bell ringing, suddenly echoed through the air.
The abrupt attack stunned them both. Their ears rang as they fell to the ground in shock, bewildered.
"Are these still merfolk?"
"Merfolk don't have such abilities!"
As they recovered from the dizziness, they stared at the merfolk in disbelief.
These merfolk were bizarre, surpassing their understanding, and the attack they had just witnessed was unlike anything they knew.
Their faces pale with unease, the two exchanged fearful glances. When their eyes met the merciless gaze of the merfolk, they shuddered, instinctively drawing their wands.
The merfolk's eyes narrowed, and their fierce aura surged, forcing the two to retreat.
"Alan, where did you get these merfolk? They're absolutely terrifying!"
"Yes, I've never seen such brutal merfolk. Why aren't they afraid of us?!"
Zhao Lun's face darkened as well. He hadn't expected the merfolk to behave this way, especially after being subdued, still launching an attack.
Earlier, the two merfolk had coordinated in a synchronized assault, combining their attacks into one.
This tactic unnerved Zhao Lun, making him grow more serious as he observed them.
It was only when they were out of the merfolk's line of sight that the two finally relaxed, though they were still full of questions for Zhao Lun.
These merfolk were too frightening. They weren't intimidated by the wizards' wands, an occurrence so rare that it had never been witnessed before. If other wizards knew, it would certainly cause an uproar.
Since wizards had driven merfolk to the deep-sea corners, there had never been a merfolk unafraid of a wand-wielding wizard, solidifying wizards' dominance. But these two merfolk defied that, making the situation all the more dire.
Realizing something, the two distanced themselves from the merfolk again.
"Don't worry. They're bound and can't escape for now."
"However, these two merfolk are very formidable. Even after administering tranquilizers, they adapted quickly. I must say, they're truly strong."
Zhao Lun took out earplugs and inserted them into his ears, then approached to examine them again.
These earplugs were designed to block the merfolk's sonic attacks while still allowing for normal communication.
At this moment, the merfolk had weakened further, appearing even more feeble.
"Increase the dosage of the tranquilizer to the point where they can't even make a sound."
Zhao Lun was not only cautious but also more concerned.
The merfolk had tried to deceive him with this method, but he saw through it and would not let his guard down.
Whoosh! The mechanism activated.
Upon hearing Zhao Lun's orders, Athena immediately controlled the nearby robotic arm to administer the injection.
"If they move again, we'll use magical potions."
Zhao Lun had prepared two types of potions for the merfolk, with magical potions being more precious, so he used them sparingly.
Seeing his arrangements, the Weasley brothers felt much more at ease.
They left, and the defense system was reactivated. This time, the merfolk couldn't move at all, and high-voltage electricity surrounded their cages.
"If this doesn't work, we can write to the professors. I'm sure they'll have a solution."
"No need for the professors, just send a letter to Charlie. He has friends who can deal with these dangerous creatures."
The brothers became serious as they discussed the merfolk.
"Did you see the electric grid around here? The high-voltage current is very powerful."
"If they enter here without my permission, they'll never escape."
"You can test it if you don't believe me."
Zhao Lun took out a piece of paper, folded it into a paper airplane, and tossed it toward the electric cage.
Bang! Boom! The paper airplane was struck and instantly caught fire.
"Oh, cool!"
The brothers were awestruck once again. This was just one of the many times their worldview had been shattered.
"Alright, we believe you can handle this, but these merfolk are quite special. I still need to write to Professor Dumbledore for his opinion."
"Feel free. But these are my trophies. No one else can take them."
"Don't worry, Professor Dumbledore wouldn't do that."
"Yes, I'm sure he'd be happy to help."
Leaving the site, the two were filled with excitement. Returning to their room, they couldn't sleep for a long while. Eventually, they decided to watch TV.
But neither of them had ever used a TV before, and they didn't even know how to turn it on. After a lot of fumbling, they finally managed to get it working.
Once again, they were amazed by the ingenuity of Muggles.