Chapter 158: Arc 5: Chapter 2: Exiles

15 minutes later, the 2-agent team with their arrested werewolf is escorted out of the nightclub by several enthusiastic succubuses.

They have also each received a VIP card to Midnite's nightclub, supposedly they were gifts from Papa Midnite to compensate the two frightened agents.

"Please trust that our nightclub has always been strictly abiding by the government's regulations."

The succubus Mandy whom Merlin had flirted with a few years back, who had also been promoted to manager of the front desk, says to Melinda in a sincere tone:

"We are a legitimate business and we will not harbor any sort of criminal. Today's incident is but a small misunderstanding, and that misunderstanding has been cleared up."

The articulative succubus looks at agent Ross with flirty eyes and says in a feminine tone:

"The boss has informed us, that as one of the conservation zones recognized by the government, we will do our best to maintain the order and stability of the neighboring areas. We welcome the agents of SDOLD to patrol the nightclub whenever, and we welcome you to great this place as your home."

"Do come by often now!"

The succubus extends a finger and helps agent Ross tidy up his messy collar, she throws a flirty eye gesture at him before returning to the nightclub.

"Hey, get a hold of yourself!"

Melinda steps on agent ross' foot, waking the agent from his trance.

Agent Ross coughs awkwardly and says to his commanding officer:

"Officer Melinda, something's not right. We were about to fight back then, and now we're free?"

"Undoubtedly, a higher power has intervened. Perhaps Officer Merlin and Papa Midnite have reached an agreement."

Melinda shakes her head and says softly:

"Come on, that's not ours to worry about. Let's send this bastard to prison first! It's time for it to pay for its foolish acts!"

In a room on the top floor of the nightclub, Merlin stands by the window and sees off the agents under his wing.

He shakes his head, Melinda was still rash at work, like today, for instance, she should've come along with the Aurors of the Magical Congress.

A lot of trouble would be avoided that way.

But Melinda hates evil as one does one's enemy, her fire-like personality causes her to hate all crime-related incidents, and she's strong-willed, not letting any criminal go; this was why Merlin chose to keep Melinda.

Someone like Melinda must exist in the management of a defense organization, this way it would not lose its direction during development.

Her high executive abilities make her a perfect partner for the orderly Coulson.

But as the duties of SDOLD increased, this pair of perfect partners had to split up; Coulson was currently leading a different team to deal with a ghoul incident in Brooklynn.

Like Fury back then, Merlin who had led the SDOLD for 3 years has begun to worry about not having enough talented people to deploy.

"Come, my good friend Merlin, let us toast for our work together."

Behind Merlin, Papa Midnite, who was excited about receiving documents of governmental approval, holds two glasses of wine, walks next to Merlin, and hands him a glass.

The black voodoo sorcerer says softly:

"Thank you for your help, Merlin, I will take care of the irregulars in this region, and I won't make things difficult for my good friend."

"Of course, I trust that you can."

Merlin turns around and takes the wine glass with a fake smile.

The two clashed their glasses and talked whilst drinking.

"I'm curious, Merlin, what gave you the fantastic idea of building irregular conservation zones?"

Papa Midnite asks curiously:

"For 3 years, your SOLD joined hands with the Magical Congress and caused great havoc amongst the irregulars in New York, I had thought that you would permanently kick the irregulars out or ask them to all abide by your rules."

"That was the plan."

Merlin leans against the sofa and tells Midnite softly:

"President Samuel is an open leader, he had long recognized the threat brought by the chaotic North American world of irregulars, they just couldn't do anything due to lack of operators."

"After working together with SHIELD, we've been pushing to build a new order in the world of irregulars, we expel, we arrest, we judge; it was until WInter last year that we realized that pure violence may not solve the problem."

"Last Winter?"

Papa Midnite squints his eyes:

"Oh, you mean the 'Christmas Massacre'?"

"Yes."

Merlin sighs:

"On Christmas Eve, an irregular conflict in the Bronx, 27 normal people and hundreds of irregulars had perished on the streets; vampires, pixies, even the secluded dwarves, hobgoblins, and ghouls, they all battled like they were fighting a war."

"Due to this incident, we had to reconsider our previous actions, perhaps we have been too tough on them, we left no space for communication, which was why that massacre had occurred."

"For irregulars, it's unrealistic for us to ask them to abide by the laws of the modern world. We've discussed this with President Samuel before, and we've decided to build several conservation zones in New York...as a different form of order."

Merlin wobbles the wine glass in his hand and looks at the liquid in the glass, he had not told Midnite everything, but he trusts that Midnite can understand with his emotional intelligence.

Resistance is bound to be born under power, especially when the Magical Congress joins hands with the SDOLD to cleanse New York's dark world, this will most certainly cause resistance from the irregulars who are used to the darkness.

"For 3 years, our confrontation has greatly weakened the scattered irregulars, and now they show signs of uniting together."

Papa Midnite puts down his wine glass and tells Merlin:

"The most powerful vampires continuously bewitch other irregulars to die as those bloodsucking rats battle for turf. Not even the werewolves are a match, as many werewolf families had been expelled from the East Coast."

"New York is like the beginning of a storm that will eventually consume North America."

"Mmm, you're very insightful, Mister Midnite."

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Merlin nods and says:

"But war and expelling was never an aim, it was but a means of upholding order."

He knows that what Papa Midnite was saying was true, rather than waiting for the oppressed irregulars in normal society to combine forces into a force that can rival the SDOLD.

It's better to make a move first and give them some room.

After all, not all irregulars are aggressive and chaotic, there are many irregulars who, like normal humans, seek a peaceful life.

And building multiple legal conservation zones can not only satisfy the demands of those peaceful irregulars, but it can also effectively differentiate the bewitchment of the pushers in the shadows.

More importantly, when multiple conservation zones are built, more irregulars are bound to flock to those areas, allowing the representatives of those areas to acquire more profit; Papa Midnite's nightclub, for example, more customers mean more income, meaning more reputation, deployable underlings, and more useful intel sources.

Under that situation, the representatives of those conservation zones will not allow dissatisfied irregulars to cause trouble in their territory to preserve their interests.

This is leaving the management of those conservation zones to the irregulars themselves, letting them manage themselves.

And the SDOLD and Magical Congress would act as the observer and mediator.

Many people understand the meaning behind this.

But this was an overt scheme, which unless the representatives of the conservation zones are a bunch of selfless saints, they will actively jump in for the benefits even if they know that this was a trap set by the SDOLD and the Magical Congress.

Merlin looks at Papa Midnite on the opposite sofa, this shrewd voodoo sorcerer was a good example.

There was not a bit of doubt when he signed the conservation zone agreement.

This was not the best way to solve the problem, but Merlin couldn't eradicate all the irregulars. Plus, there was another, more important reason for the SDOLD and Magical Congress to build those conservation zones.

But that cannot be revealed to an untrustworthy businessman like Midnite.

"Alright, enough drinking. I have more important affairs to attend to."

Merlin looks down at his watch, he stands up and tells Papa Midnite:

"So I'll trust you with maintaining the order around the area then."

"I'll do my best!"

Midnite affirms with a smile as he sees Merlin disappear through Apparation.

The voodoo sorcerer looks at the conservation agreement by his hand, satisfaction and greed flashed in his eyes. From now onwards, his Midnite nightclub will no longer be an unofficial 'private neutral zone'.

As long as the agreement is still valid, his nightclub will be a perfectly legal conservation zone, he can openly expand his turf without worrying about attracting the Magical Congress' attention.

"Ah, new order."

Midnite walks by the window and looks at the disdainful sunlight outside, he says softly:

"It's not all that bad."

---

"Swish"

In the distortion of light and air, Merlin appears in a remote harbor in Brooklynn.

Over 3 years, Merlin had finally grasped the high-tier spell Apparation, this spell was convenient to use. He could go anywhere he's been to before with Apparation, but the further the distance, the more mana is required, and the harder it is to control.

And after exceeding the maximum distance, it's easy to the teleported to the wrong location without a mana mark.

In the magic textbooks of Hogwarts, extreme distance Apparation is especially forbidden to young wizards. In the wizarding world, there has been more than one case of young wizards being sent into a wall, into the sky, or even thousands of meters below the sea due to an inability to control the landing zone. 

Anyways, the many different ways to perish are enough to warn the newbies who have just grasped Apparation.

Merlin stands by the harbor, behind him were Aurors of the Magical Congress standing guard, they had cast Repello Muggletum to keep normal people from entering the harbor by mistake at this hour.

There were at least 20 Aurors active in this remote harbor, and a few hundred meters away from Merlin, several grand wizards of the Magical Congress were gazing at the sea with magic.

Something important must've happened for such a large crowd.

Merlin looks to the sea, under his second sight, he could faintly see a freight moving towards this harbor from afar.

That ship was the reason why these grand wizards and Aurors are here.

And it was also why Merlin was here.

That was a freight filled with British wizards, they came from England to North America for asylum.

In other words, they were exiles of the wizarding world.

Due to the ever-fiercer wizarding war waged by Voldemort and his followers in England, these normal wizards had to come to the new continent for asylum as the Puritans did 200 years ago.

Indeed, those conservation zones were not just built for the irregulars.

There were at least 7 among them that were prepared as an asylum for the foreign wizards from England.

Merlin stands in the harbor, a few minutes later, he sees a wizarding couple amongst the crowd in a suit and skirt, the male wizard had blonde-red hair and looked identical to Mr. Arthur.

That was whom he was waiting for.

"Bill!"

Merlin shouts, the male wizard and his wife turn to see Merlin approaching them.

"I'm Merlin, a friend of your father's, I'm here to bring you home."

Merlin says to Bill Weasley:

"I have many questions...I hear that..."

"Dumbledore is dead?"

 

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