Chapitre 359: Chapter 358 "Cause and Effect"
Wentworth, however, appeared somber, as if he had anticipated this revelation.
Headmistress Lopez continued with a look of resentment, "Back then, the Coney tribe approached me with an enticing offer. They proposed purchasing herbs and potions from Uagadou at a very high price."
She sighed deeply before continuing, "They claimed they wanted to express their gratitude to Uagadou for training countless African wizards over the years. They promised to take only a small fee for their efforts, offering the rest of the profits to support Uagadou."
"At that time," she went on, "the stars foretold that Uagadou would soon face its greatest crisis. To prepare for this imminent danger, I accepted their offer, entrusting the Coney tribe with the task and receiving Galleons in return."
Her voice grew more bitter, "But what I didn't foresee was that the Coney tribe themselves would bring about this crisis."
"In just a few years, the Coney tribe used Uagadou's high-quality herbs and potions to amass a fortune in Galleons, almost monopolizing the herbal trade between Africa and Europe. It was at this time that the Coney tribe revealed their true ambitions," Headmistress Lopez explained, her voice tinged with bitterness.
"They approached me, claiming that because Uagadou kept the best batch of herbs, the quality of the remaining herbs was substandard, causing them significant losses. Therefore, they demanded a reduction in the originally agreed-upon Galleons to be handed over to Uagadou," she continued, her frustration evident.
"It's absurd! Uagadou's best herbs are meant for our students! Many wizards in the Coney tribe are Uagadou alumni; how could they not understand this?" She shook her head in disbelief. "So, I firmly rejected their demands. At that time, I decided to give this business to other tribes as a punishment for the Coney tribe's audacity."
She sighed deeply, "However, what I didn't foresee was that the Coney tribe's complete monopoly over the herbal trade between Africa and Europe left other tribes unwilling to accept the cooperation. None of them were willing to stand up against the Coney tribe."
"For a while, Uagadou's source of funds was instantly cut by more than half. Yet, every day, Uagadou's teaching expenses continued to drain our coffers. Just when I was extremely anxious, the Coney tribe came to the door again."
"This time, they imposed even harsher conditions, drastically reducing the price they were willing to pay for our herbs. Although I was furious, I was powerless to resist. Many of our herbs are perishable, and I couldn't let them rot in storage while Uagadou's teaching ground to a halt."
"Moreover, they demanded that Uagadou increase the number of admissions for the Coney tribe each year. Initially, I refused. But the Coney tribe threatened to stop purchasing herbs from us if I didn't comply."
"They also promised that each additional admission slot would come with a significant payment in Galleons to Uagadou."
"After much deliberation and desperation, I had no choice but to agree to their demands. I've taken to account that it would be more responsible for me to agree with their deals rather than bringing more danger to the doorsteps of Uagadou..."
"And so, as you know, one wrong step led to another. Uagadou was ultimately brought to this dire situation because of my decisions. I am to blame. I am the sinner of Uagadou!"
By the end of her story, Headmistress Lopez couldn't help but sigh deeply, her face full of regret and frustration. Hearing this, Wentworth sensed the weight of her burden and felt a pang of sympathy. Meanwhile, Emma looked at Headmistress Lopez with a shocked expression, repeatedly muttering, "How could they...how could they..."
However, Wentworth still had lingering questions. He asked, "Headmistress Lopez, I still have a question. I hope you can help answer it."
Headmistress Lopez, now calmer, replied slowly, "Ask away. At this point, I have nothing to hide."
Wentworth nodded in thanks and asked, "Based on what you've said, the Coney tribe held an absolute advantage and dominant position in their dealings with Uagadou. By all accounts, they wouldn't disrupt this balance so recklessly. So why did they cause such a spectacle at the Animagus International Symposium, drawing global attention?"
Headmistress Lopez smiled unexpectedly at his question and replied, "Because the one who orchestrated that event was actually me!"
Hearing Headmistress Lopez's words, Wentworth was momentarily stunned, then started to piece things together. Headmistress Lopez continued her explanation:
"It was I who added a little potion to Joseph's food, causing his Animagus form to become uncontrollable. It was also I who escalated the situation at the International Federation of Wizards, drawing the world's attention!"
Wentworth nodded in admiration and said, "Using external forces to break the deadlock when internal solutions fail is a smart strategy. But why didn't you employ this method earlier instead of allowing the Coney tribe to drain Uagadou for so long?"
Headmistress Lopez smiled at Wentworth, then pointed to the star map behind her and said slowly, "Because I only recently received a revelation from the stars. It told me that the wizard who could bring new life to Uagadou was at Hogwarts. I initially thought that person must be Albus Dumbledore, but to my surprise, it turned out to be you, little one."
"Of course, the most important point is that I have always taken care of Uagadou's reputation! If this matter spreads, my reputation will be ruined—it doesn't matter. I was already a sinner of Uagadou! However, Uagadou's thousand-year-old reputation can't be tarnished in my hands!"
"Recently, though, the Coney Tribe approached me with a new demand. This request completely broke my bottom line and was utterly unacceptable to me."
Hearing this, Wentworth's interest piqued. He wondered what could finally push Headmistress Lopez to resist the Coney tribe after enduring their exploitation for so long. He eagerly awaited her explanation.
Headmistress Lopez continued slowly, "The Coney Tribe has aligned with several other larger African wizarding tribes and wants to establish a school board of directors at Uagadou."
Wentworth nodded, not entirely surprised, considering Joseph's attempts to recruit him. But then, Headmistress Lopez added, "They want to turn Uagadou into a military academy for these tribes, training wizard armies."
"The Coney tribe is hiding more than what meets the eye. They are planning for something more dangerous with all these resources. As if they are amassing their treasures before going to war."
L’AVIS DES CRÉATEURS 
Scaramousse
Scaramousse Chapters will be updated daily at 23:00 GMT+7!
Don't forget to leave power stones and you can read up to 40 chapters ahead on [p][a][t][r][e][o][n].com/Scaramousse
Community Discord server: https://discord.gg/fUTE3bckdX
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone