Chapter 126: A Variable! Grindelwald’s Eloquence

"Newt, do you remember?" Bunty said with a smile as she handed the suitcase truly containing the baby Qilin to Newt. "No one can know everything, not even you."

Seeing this, Grindelwald’s expression soured instantly. He glared at Bunty with a dark, menacing gaze, frightening her so much that she hurriedly scurried away from the dais of the International Confederation of Wizards.

Only after the genuine suitcase was safely in Newt’s hands did Bunty finally shed the persona of a calm, daring witch and return to her usual self—kind, enthusiastic, and perhaps a little timid and nervous.

Newt revealed a knowing smile, bent down, and opened the case that truly held the Qilin.

A small creature poked its head out of the case and let out a soft cry.

She had the body of a small deer, a tail like that of a calf, four calf-like hooves, and a single curved horn embedded in her forehead. Her scales shimmered with an indistinct, emerald luster. Orange-red fur extended from the top of her head downward, resembling a long cluster of burning flames.

The little Qilin that stepped out of the case appeared similar to the one that had already bowed to Grindelwald, yet her eyes possessed a greater sense of liveliness and spirit.

The little Qilin stood at Newt’s feet and chirped twice toward the one standing before Grindelwald, but received no response.

"Your brother can no longer hear your call; he has passed on," Newt said to the little Qilin in a voice of utmost tenderness, as if comforting a poor child. "Perhaps he is listening to you from another world."

Grindelwald remained silent, seemingly organizing his response.

Meanwhile, the former Supreme Mugwump, Anton Vogel, had already hoisted the Qilin controlled by Grindelwald, walked before the audience, and shouted, "This is the true Qilin! You may see it for yourselves!"

"Finite Incantatem."

Just then, a voice rang out from the crowd below.

At the sound of these words, the Qilin held by Vogel seemed to lose all vitality, its body going limp in his grasp.

Moments later, a man with reddish-brown hair and a beard, wearing a grey trench coat and a bowler hat, slowly emerged from the crowd.

"Albus Dumbledore, it was you who meddled in this," Vogel said through gritted teeth.

Dumbledore ignored Vogel’s accusation and calmly explained the principle behind the Qilin’s resurrection to the crowd: "This is necromancy, a form of Dark Magic. It turns a corpse into something akin to a mindless thrall, completely controlled by the caster."

Vogel frowned, his face turning ghastly.

Standing beside him were several other representatives of the International Confederation of Wizards. They quickly held a brief consultation and determined the election to be invalid, necessitating a new vote.

"Organize the next vote, Anton," one of the key representatives said to Vogel with a grave expression. "I formally notify you that this is your final duty as Supreme Mugwump!"

At that moment, the little Qilin that had emerged from Newt’s case began to trot on her small hooves, moving across the grounds in front of the International Confederation of Wizards. Endowed with wisdom, she felt the calling of the election venue and spontaneously initiated the true ritual of the Way of the Qilin.

However, to the surprise of everyone present, after circling the area, the little Qilin ignored the three candidates on the dais. She walked straight down the steps and stopped in front of a wizard.

The crowd parted, revealing Dumbledore standing below.

"No, no, no, don't do this," Dumbledore murmured, appearing uncharacteristically flustered.

The Qilin stood before him, bowed her head slightly, bent one of her front legs, and offered him a deep, respectful bow.

As she bowed, the emerald scales of the Qilin emitted a faint glimmer, adding a shimmering hue to the monotonous ground.

Dumbledore was stunned, as was the audience.

In the ritual of the Way of the Qilin, for the creature to choose a wizard who was not a candidate was something rarely heard of; it may have never happened in history!

"Truly, I am honored," Dumbledore said, gently crouching down to kneel before the little Qilin, speaking with sincerity. "But listen to me. Just as you were both born together that night, there must surely be another..."

"I must say, many interesting things have occurred during this election ceremony."

Grindelwald’s voice suddenly rang out from the dais, interrupting Dumbledore.

Everyone looked up, wondering what he was planning to do next.

"My fellow citizens, it seems everyone believes the former Supreme Mugwump brought a fake Qilin, yes?" Grindelwald said with a sinister smile, addressing the crowd. "Then does that mean the Qilin brought by Newt Scamander must be the real one?"

Grindelwald’s tone was impassioned and resonant.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let us consider this. Has there ever been an instance in the history of the wizarding world where, during the ritual of the Way of the Qilin, the Qilin chose to bow to a wizard who was not a candidate?"

"Therefore, I highly suspect that this Qilin has long been under the control of Newt Scamander and his associates, and they are merely manufacturing momentum for Dumbledore’s lust for power!"

"Dumbledore has constantly spread rumors and slandered me, crying out about my danger and wickedness, while avoiding any mention of my ideals and goals. Fellow citizens, I have never been your enemy—not in the past, not now, nor in the future. I stand here to ensure that the wizarding world may become more prosperous and thriving!"

"I have a wish: that one day, wizards will no longer have to live underground like rats in a sewer; that one day, wizards will no longer have to hide their identities, but live freely and openly in this beautiful world!"

"When that day comes, we will no longer have to cower in survival, no longer have to suppress our innate talents, and no longer have to worry about exposing ourselves before those weak Muggles. When that day comes, we will be able to make friends and fall in love freely, without ever being separated from our lovers, our kin, and our dearest friends again!"

"My ideals and goals mean I have never stooped to such sordid schemes, and I have the confidence to win this election through my own abilities. I can say without hesitation that this matter of the Qilin being resurrected and controlled by necromancy has nothing to do with me!"

"To my knowledge, Mr. Newt Scamander has always been a loyal follower of Albus Dumbledore. The existence of a second Qilin has been nothing more than the word of this loyal Dumbledore subordinate. I now have reason to suspect that the Qilin brought by our former Supreme Mugwump was replaced by them with a fake, while they kept the real one in their possession!"

"Dumbledore has always cultivated an image of having no political ambition, so why did he arrange for Newt Scamander and his team to come here? Merely to obstruct my election? No, because the person he fears most in this world is me, Gellert Grindelwald!"

"Only by stopping me can Dumbledore grasp the entire wizarding world in his own hands. Therefore, he has long promoted my danger and evil, telling his followers to believe that only he, Albus Dumbledore, is the only person in this world capable of opposing me."

"But, my fellow citizens! I ask you to think carefully: does Dumbledore truly dare to oppose me? In every instance, has he not shirked away, hiding in Hogwarts Castle from start to finish, never willing to face me himself?"

"He is merely a coward, a schemer! He only sends his underlings to disrupt my plans, while he himself dares not step onto the stage!"

"Today, in front of voters from all over the world, I wish to ask Mr. Dumbledore one question—"

"I am standing right here. Do you have the courage to strike against me?"

Grindelwald looked at the diamond-shaped pendant on Dumbledore’s wrist, asking with a cryptic smile.