After the wake, Asterion stood behind a desk and looked at the pile of papers with a grim expression. The pile of papers was at least thirty centimeters high, with at least hundreds of sheets, if not thousands.
He finally understood the popular saying: "Only one who takes care of the house knows the cost of maintaining it."
The cost of maintaining the Black Mansion each month alone was enough to support tens of thousands of ordinary families. To maintain this high cost of living, House Black owned many industries in Diagon Alley and many places in Britain. Which, in turn, cost a lot of money to maintain and support.
Why is it so difficult for ordinary people to get rich in the wizarding world?
This is easy to explain. Noble houses in England and powerful families in other countries controlled virtually every sector of the economy in each country.
By creating individual monopolies, they made it virtually impossible for ordinary people to get rich like in a normal society. Combine this with the corruption in the Ministry of Magic and you have an extremely unjust society based on caste and nepotism.
Every piece of paper in front of Asterion was a report, compiled by Narcissa, of all costs and profits at the end of each month and year.
House Black spent about twelve million gold galleons a year to keep everything running smoothly, and the profit from all this investment was about nineteen million gold galleons.
Frankly, it was an amount that hardly any family could spend in a lifetime, but of that nineteen million, twelve million was simply reinvested, creating an almost perpetual cycle of profit, and all the rest, which was about six million, was kept in the Black Vaults in Gringotes.
From the above profit, you can imagine how much money House Black has accumulated in its thousand years of existence. Of course, wizards didn't spend as much in the old days as they do today, but it was such a large sum that Asterion could shake England's economy to its core if he wanted to.
That was just House Black; other noble houses, even if they didn't come close to House Black's fortune, still had very large fortunes. One of the reasons Dumbledore never attacked and exterminated these parasites that fed off the land.
Wiping out the noble houses would probably only lead to the worst economic crisis any country in the world has ever faced. Not to mention the international damage, since England was also a major importer in international trade.
Leaning back in his chair, Asterion stroked his forehead and let out a heavy sigh of fatigue, admiring Arcturus even more for taking care of House Black on his own for so long.
Seeing Asterion's condition, Narcissa spoke in a gentle tone. "Asty, you don't have to force yourself, I usually do that, you just have to concentrate on your studies."
Asterion rolled his eyes at her words, Narcissa not only worked as his secretary in the Clock Tower, but also took care of House Black's finances. You could say the woman worked more than eight hours a day.
Knowing this, Asterion couldn't leave Narcissa as overworked as before, it was too cruel and unfair, even if Narcissa didn't seem to mind.
"Cissy, ask Andromeda if she would like to be hired to help with House Black's finances." Asterion spoke in a calm tone. He couldn't just hire anyone to help with the finances, it had to be someone he could trust, and Andromeda fit the bill.
After all, it was an astronomical sum, and when it came to money, you can never underestimate human greed.
Narcissa was surprised and after some thought she nodded with a smile on her lips.
"I'll talk to her." Narcissa spoke in a slightly excited tone. The idea of working with her sister seemed more than ideal in her eyes.
Suddenly, Narcissa's eyes fell on the girl sitting on the sofa, dressed in men's clothes, her long black hair covering the entire office sofa.
She was holding a large cookie in her hands and eating adorably with her cheeks puffed out like squirrels, the whole picture looking extremely adorable.
Even though it wasn't the first time she had seen the girl, she was still amazed at how much the girl resembled her cousin, she was practically the female version of Asterion.
Narcissa didn't ask about the girl's origins, Asterion was the Lord of House Black, no longer the child she had cared for and loved as a young girl, she couldn't question Asterion like she had before.
"Asty, is Morgan going to Hogwarts?" Narcissa asked, looking away from the girl and towards Asterion behind the desk.
"Yes." Without looking up, Asterion replied, reading the report in front of him in a calm tone.
Although Rose and Dumbledore would probably find out Morgan's identity, Asterion knew that they wouldn't say anything, after all, in their conception it was only a cursed spirit in human form.
An extremely powerful cursed spirit.
For the moment, they would never know how important Morgan Black was to Asterion.
And it would stay that way for a long time, he didn't want to tell anyone until the time was right, including Daphne. The fewer people who knew, the easier it would be to carry out his final plan.
"Cissy, I'm going back to Hogwarts today." Asterion spoke and added. "There will probably be a meeting of the Twelve Lords this week." Narcissa lifted her head and looked at Asterion in surprise, a meeting of the Twelve Lords was very rare, there had only been one since the Clock Tower was built, a meeting held because of Grindelwald and his attacks.
Now that another one was scheduled, she could imagine that something very serious had happened. It would be enough to summon all twelve Lords of the Clock Tower.
"Yes, I'll get everything ready." Narcissa nodded and spoke in a serious tone. Although she didn't know what the meeting was about, she knew that people would probably die.
-
Hogwarts - Dungeons.
Walking through the dark corridors, illuminated by the flickering flames of torches, Asterion stopped in front of a rusty metal door and flashed a cold smile.
Opening the door, Asterion saw a cell made of moss-covered stones, and a strong, pungent smell hung in the air; it was obvious that the sanitary conditions of the place were not the best.
In the middle of the cell, a woman was tied to a chair, her hair disheveled and her face pale, her once elegant dress dirty and somewhat worn. Her lips were parched from lack of water, but despite her condition, her eyes were more than bright.
It was Verucca Buckthorn-Snyde.
"Forgive my tardiness, I was busy with more important matters than meeting you, Miss Buckthorn." Taking off his jacket and laying it folded on an old table, Asterion spoke in a gentle tone.
"If you speak now, I can be a gentleman." He began slowly folding up the sleeves of his shirt, unaware of the look he received from the woman stuck in the chair.
"What an honor to have the great Asterion Black torment me in person." A hoarse but still proud voice escaped the woman's parched lips.
Asterion couldn't help but smile, seeing the woman's pride still strong despite the circumstances. Although he didn't understand why she was so proud, maybe it was because she was a high-ranking member of a secret organization, but he didn't care.
"Sorry, I don't give autographs, especially to my enemies." Asterion finished folding the sleeves of his shirt and turned to the woman in the chair.
"Let's get started." Asterion smiled coldly as he pulled on white silk gloves.
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Author's Thoughts: The Second Trial of the International Tournament of Witchcraft and Wizardry on Patreon, unlike the previous one, this one will be faster, as I don't need to introduce the characters in more depth.
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Next Chapter Second Volume: Chapter 170 - Torture and Secrets (2), Chapter 171 - Conspiracies and Secrets (1), 172 - Conspiracies and Secrets (2), 173 - Conspiracies and Secrets (3), 174 - Conspiracies and Secrets (4), 175 - Conspiracies and Secrets (5), 176 - Conspiracies and Secrets (6), 177 - Conspiracies and Secrets (7), Chapter 178 - Decision and two wives (1), Chapter 179 - Decision and two wives (2), Chapter 180 - The Old King of Camelot (1), Chapter 181 - The Old King of Camelot (2), Chapter 182 - The Old King of Camelot (3), Chapter 183 - Second Trial of the International Tournament of Witchcraft and Wizardry (1), Chapter 184 - Second Trial of the International Tournament of Witchcraft and Wizardry (2).
Important Note: This chapter contains r-18 scenes of torture and mentions of rape, if you are sensitive to these types of topics, I recommend you do not read it. Sincerely - Prince.
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"Let's begin with a simple question." Asterion held Verucca's face with both gloved hands and looked directly into her eyes. "Who is the leader of your organization?"
There was a strange gentleness in his voice, open to the cruel and sadistic nature of the situation they both found themselves in.
Looking into his red eyes, Verucca grinned, bared her teeth and spat in his face with a look of nothing but disgust and loathing.
"You noble pig, even if you kill me, I won't say anything." She spoke, her voice full of joy at the sight of Asterion's inexpressive face.
The spit that had been blocked by Baskerville's barrier fell to the ground and Asterion's lips curled into an amused smile. It was the first time he had seen this woman react like that, especially considering her noble status.
"That's right, show me your tenacious spirit and your determination, otherwise this would be very boring and we'd be finished very quickly." He spoke in a soft tone as he stepped back slightly.
Not caring about the cold look he received from the woman, Asterion continued. "You can't know this, but we are a noble house very focused on anatomy, I dare say we are the best wizards on the planet who know the anatomy of all races best."
"My ancestors and I were so focused on creating gods that we simply studied what could be studied. We know more about the human body than Muggle science itself." From Asterion's shadow, a case appeared on the old wooden table. When the case was opened, silver medical tools seemed to glow with a cold, sharp light.
"I think you already know what's about to happen." Asterion deftly picked up a scalpel and saw his reflection in the small silver blade.
Verucca gave Asterion a cold, arrogant look and spat again, this time on the floor.
Asterion was indifferent to the woman's actions, he wanted information and to vent his anger, which was an unfortunate opportunity for Verucca, but as fate once said.
Fate doesn't care who you are, and it can be very cruel when it wants to be.
"Honestly, Veritaserum could be useful and I have a few vials, but where's the fun in that?" He twirled the scalpel between his fingers with a dexterity that would put an experienced doctor to shame.
Asterion approached and forced Verucca's legs apart, lifting her dress under the woman's shocked eyes. "The human body has many sensitive areas, an experienced tattooist knows which areas hurt more and which hurt less." Asterion said, ignoring the sight of Verucca's underwear. "Consequently, the inner thigh is one of the few pains that can make someone scream like a pig being slaughtered."
Asterion smiled and, with almost no hesitation, gently slid the scalpel along the inside of her thigh. He could feel her shudder at the cold touch of the blade. Asterion applied a little force and the extremely sharp scalpel sank into the soft flesh, opening it without any difficulty.
"Argh." A painful groan escaped Verucca's lips as she shuddered at the pain between her legs and looked fearfully at Asterion, who smiled gently at her. In her eyes, he was no different than a demon.
"Who is the leader of your organization and which noble houses are involved in your little conspiracy?" Asterion stopped moving and asked, looking directly into the woman's eyes.
Verucca didn't answer and raised her head proudly. "We are historians, explorers, archaeologists and scholars, we only want the truth."
"Wrong answer." Asterion spoke calmly and began to move the scalpel again, sinking cruelly into the woman's flesh. There was already a small pool of blood on the chair, obviously he had cut an artery and a major one at that.
Verucca fought the pain as she bit her lip, trying to stifle the screams that threatened to escape her lips.
Asterion stopped, allowing her body to relax, only for him to move again, causing her body to struggle violently once more.
"I'm not only going to torture you physically, I'm going to torture you mentally. I'm going to make you waver between sheer terror and the faint hope that it's all finally over." Asterion said gently. "Believe me, you will persevere, for our brains are programmed to persevere under the worst possible conditions. Even the slightest hope will make you endure just to survive."
Verucca lifted her head wearily and smiled. "Do your best, you noble pig."
Before continuing, Asterion asked in a calm tone. "I'm curious, why do you hate nobles, you're obviously one, or at least you married an English noble."
"Married?" Verucca practically spat venom when she said those words. "I was sold by my father to an eighty year old pig when I hadn't even started bleeding, I was an eleven year old girl!!!"
"Raped and beaten day and night just so my bloody father could open a bar in Diagon Alley. My father didn't care about me, I was offered as a toy to every man who visited that cursed mansion..." Verucca screamed as she struggled even harder than when she was being tortured by Asterion.
Hearing her words, Asterion's eyes didn't change, that was what was underneath, when all the glamour and glitter of the magical world disappeared.
Verucca was not the only one to suffer this tragic fate, and she certainly would not be the last; the world was, in its purest essence, greed and more greed.
Did Asterion pity her? The answer was yes, he felt sorry for her, no woman deserved to go through the hell she did. But in the end that was all it was, pity, there was no other feeling involved, especially when Verucca wanted to manipulate him into colliding with Dumbledore at the behest of that organization.
An organization that was against him and threatened the safety of everyone he cared about.
"I see." Asterion spoke, his voice calm as he looked at the hysterical woman before him. "Because of your past, I will give you the chance to tell, and I will end your life without you feeling any pain or even knowing you're dead."
Verucca replied, spitting again on the ground where Asterion had stepped. Her answer was more than clear at that moment. "Take your pity and mercy and shove it up your ass, you noble pig." She spoke in an arrogant tone full of contempt for Asterion.
Asterion looked at Verucca and his eyes grew cold. "I gave you a chance, but you refused, so if you want to blame me for what I'm going to do to you in the next few hours, blame your arrogance."
Asterion spoke soothingly, taking a pair of pliers from the case on the table and approaching Verucca.
He looked at Verucca's immaculately manicured nails and pulled with the pliers, separating the nail from the finger and exposing small pieces of flesh and blood.
"ARGGGGGGHHHHH!!!"
Verucca couldn't stand the pain and let out a loud, agonizing scream as she struggled in the chair. After a while she stopped, her chest rising and falling rapidly. She raised her exhausted face and whispered. "It's going to take a lot more than that to make me talk, you noble pig."
"Don't worry, we're just getting started, when you're about to die I'll use a phoenix tear to heal your wounds and continue the process." Asterion spoke calmly as he took out a vial containing a few transparent drops.
Verucca's face turned pale as she heard his words, she already knew that Dumbledore had allowed her to be tortured when she saw those phoenix tears.
Suddenly, Verucca looked at Asterion and spoke with a wicked smile on her lips. "Do you know why we infiltrated Hogwarts?"
Asterion remained silent, waiting for her next words, and he had to say that her words really surprised him.
"Dumbledore knows where the inheritance of the magical goddess Hecate is, the one who married the rebellion at the end of the 1800's, the student who killed the Goblin King gave the inheritance to the Headmaster of Hogwarts, who would pass it on to every Headmaster who took the position."
Verucca spoke with a voice full of temptation. She couldn't believe that Asterion wouldn't be tempted to get the legendary inheritance given by a wizard god. And to get the inheritance, Asterion would have to fight Dumbledore.
When the battle took place, she would use the remnants of the Goblin King's ancient magic to kill them both!
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Next Chapter Second Volume: Chapter 171 - Conspiracies and Secrets (1), 172 - Conspiracies and Secrets (2), 173 - Conspiracies and Secrets (3), 174 - Conspiracies and Secrets (4), 175 - Conspiracies and Secrets (5), 176 - Conspiracies and Secrets (6), 177 - Conspiracies and Secrets (7), Chapter 178 - Decision and two wives (1), Chapter 179 - Decision and two wives (2), Chapter 180 - The Old King of Camelot (1), Chapter 181 - The Old King of Camelot (2), Chapter 182 - The Old King of Camelot (3), Chapter 183 - Second Trial of the International Tournament of Witchcraft and Wizardry (1), Chapter 184 - Second Trial of the International Tournament of Witchcraft and Wizardry (2).
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