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The Forbidden Forest was eerily silent. Whether it was the two goblins who had been pleading for mercy moments ago, or Tom and Andre standing behind him, all were stunned by Robert's sudden change in demeanor.
"When I ask a question, you answer truthfully. And... don't try to lie. I can always tell," Robert's voice had lost its usual gentleness, replaced by a cold edge.
Tom was confused. He couldn't understand what information Robert had extracted from the first goblin that could have angered him so much.
The two goblins were trembling with fear, especially with their companion's lifeless body lying nearby.
Robert initially planned to continue torturing them with nightmare magic, but after a moment's thought, he decided to interrogate them directly in front of Tom and Andre.
In truth, he already knew their purpose but needed them to reveal certain things to Tom and Andre.
He pointed his wand at the most terrified-looking goblin. "Why did you sneak into the Forbidden Forest?"
The goblin shivered, staring at the wand aimed at him. "We... we came to find something. Something that can help us goblins regain our rightful power and status."
"What is that?" Robert pressed.
"A magical power! It can be absorbed by anyone! Anyone who absorbs it will see their magic increase dramatically, becoming powerful in an instant—even if they were mediocre before!"
The goblin spoke quickly, afraid that any hesitation would cost him his life.
Tom and Andre's eyes gleamed with desire. The power to grow stronger? No Slytherin could resist such temptation.
"Where is this magic?" Robert continued.
"We... we are still searching, but we believe we will find it soon!"
Robert narrowed his eyes. "You haven't found it yet? Then how are you so sure it even exists?"
"It's real! Decades ago, a powerful goblin named Lanlock appeared among us. He became powerful because he absorbed this magic!" The goblin's voice was filled with envy, as though he wished he were Lanlock.
Robert knew the truth. Lanlock was the goblin defeated by his senior. The so-called "magical power" was actually the residue of negative emotions extracted by Morgana using ancient magic.
After Lanlock's death, his absorbed power had been taken by Robert's senior. Since she was trapped, no new residues could be produced, meaning this magic shouldn't exist anymore.
"Where did you hear about this?" Robert demanded.
"We found notes left by Lanlock. They claimed that this magic is hidden within the Forbidden Forest and even Hogwarts! If we absorb it, our goblin abilities will grow, and then..."
"Then you can start another rebellion, seize more power from wizards, or even enslave them, right?" Robert's voice was cold.
The goblin shuddered, terrified. Would Robert, a wizard, really let him live after revealing all this? But if he kept silent, he was sure to die.
"How do you find this magic? And how do you know it hasn't disappeared since Lanlock's death?"
The goblin hesitated before pulling out a silver pocket watch. "Lanlock wanted to master this power, so he commissioned a goblin craftsman to create an instrument that could detect its presence. This is that semi-finished product."
Robert examined the pocket watch. It looked ordinary but had a single pointer on the dial. When opened, the dial emitted a bright white light, which slowly tinged pink.
"What does this mean?" Robert asked.
"The color indicates the presence of magic. The closer we are, the deeper the color gets. If it turns red, the power is nearby," the goblin explained.
"Then why isn't the pointer working?"
"This is only a prototype. The pointer's function hasn't been perfected yet. We were hoping to find a craftsman to complete it, but without a sample of the magic, it's impossible. That's why we're searching the Forbidden Forest."
Robert looked at the pink glow on the dial and frowned. Theoretically, no residues should be left. So why was the device detecting them?
Then he realized—his senior was still trapped somewhere, likely close to the Forbidden Forest. Her body, like the goblin metal container before, could be storing the remnants of magic.
If these goblins continued their search, they might discover her location. Although they couldn't break through her illusion, Robert decided it was better not to take any chances.
"Where is your rendezvous point?" Robert demanded.
The goblin handed over a detailed map of the Forbidden Forest. As an alchemical artifact, the map could be dragged and expanded, just like a modern digital map.
After verifying the goblin's answers with Legilimency, Robert cast a spell. The goblin collapsed. The other goblin fell to the ground in fear.
"You were honest, so I'll grant you a swift death."
Before they could react, the two goblins died soundlessly. Even Tom and Andre didn't see how Robert killed them.
With a wave of his wand, thick tree roots emerged, wrapping around the goblins' bodies and pulling them underground. The ground smoothed out, erasing all evidence.
A system prompt echoed in Robert's mind:
"Ding! The host has killed evil goblins, saving those who would have died at their hands. Reward: 100 merit points!"
Turning to Tom and Andre with his usual gentle smile, Robert asked, "What do you think of what just happened?"
Tom and Andre shivered. Though they were no saints, Robert's ruthlessness unnerved them.
"If that power truly exists... we can't let the goblins get it," Tom said cautiously.
"Yes," Andre agreed. "They've rebelled before. With that power, they could do it again, and this time, they'd be unstoppable."
Robert nodded, placing the pocket watch and map in his bag. "Let's go. We've been delayed long enough."
As they walked, Robert casually asked, "What do you think we should do once we return?"
Andre quickly answered, "We should report this to the Headmaster. The Ministry of Magic could crush their conspiracy before it grows."
Robert chuckled, "And tell them how I tortured the goblins before killing them?"
Andre paled, realizing he was implicated in the murders. "We could say... we overheard them. When they attacked us, we defended ourselves and escaped..."
"Good story," Robert said. "But we won't be doing that."
"What?" Andre was stunned.
Robert looked at Tom, who was deep in thought. "What about you, Tom? What do you think?"
Tom's eyes gleamed. "If this power is real... why should we give it up? Robert, this could make us stronger!"
Robert's smile widened. "I knew you'd understand, Tom. Why hand over this power to the Ministry or the Headmaster? We should seize it for ourselves."
Andre hesitated, still uneasy. "Is... is that really okay?"
Robert shrugged. "We're stopping the goblins' conspiracy. Isn't it fair to take a little reward for ourselves?"
Tom's determination solidified. "Then we have to get it before the goblins do!"
Robert looked at him in surprise. "Why not just eliminate them first?"
Tom fell silent. Was that really an option?
After a long pause, he finally said, "Robert, I think... you're a little too extreme..."
(End of Chapter)
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