Chapter 28: The Little Red Fox’s Den and the Nine-Barreled Chicago Typewriter!

Though Knockturn Alley appeared to be a lawless place, in truth, several wizarding factions maintained order here. As a result, its order was, in fact, rather decent—at least, it had been. Lately, however, gang conflicts had become more frequent, and a few notorious groups had been causing endless trouble for the Foxes.

Before long, the two wild wizards had also awakened. Yet, they seemed to remember nothing, scratching their heads in confusion before wandering off elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Louis had already slipped into another side alley, his pouch noticeably heavier with new acquisitions. Most were coins and banknotes, but the cash alone amounted to seven or eight gold Galleons—a tidy little windfall. He’d also pocketed quite a few spell components from the two wild wizards, which, given his current poverty, he wasn’t about to pass up.

“The Nightmare Curse and Soul Reversal are truly remarkable. These two wizards understood magic, yet under the spells, they had no power to resist at all.”

The Nightmare Curse had come from Stuart—a spell formidable enough to amuse even the Witch Queen. Yet Soul Reversal seemed no less potent. This enchantment could, without one’s knowledge, turn another into the caster’s spy.

Louis couldn’t help but grow curious about Sakura Bell’s true identity. Perhaps she hadn’t invented the spell, but her mastery of it was evidently profound. From what he’d observed, any ordinary wizard would be helpless before her.

“If Soul Reversal were combined with the Nightmare Curse, it could surely alter a person’s subconscious—even imprint their mind. Perhaps I should experiment with it tonight.”

Soon enough, Louis arrived at his destination, standing before a rather unique establishment.

This place was called “The Red Fox Den,” one of the liveliest spots in all of Knockturn Alley. What made it even more intriguing was that this not-so-reputable venue was, in fact, run by the Foxes themselves—a major faction responsible for maintaining the Alley’s order.

The very name “Red Fox Den” conjured images of those sorts of places you’d never find in a proper wizarding academy town. Indeed, certain services here matched those unsavory expectations. Yet, paradoxically, most of those who frequented the Den were some of the most business-minded individuals in the entire Alley.

Judging by the decor and the posture of the beautiful young women at the entrance, the place looked every bit the part of a bawdy bathhouse. Louis paused, doubting for a moment whether Stuart had told him the truth.

Noticing the handsome young wizard hesitating at the door, the coquettish fox girls at the entrance covered their mouths and giggled. They glanced at the elegant—yet in fact, quite shoddy—wand at Louis’s hip, instantly recognizing it as one of the Den’s own (clearly, the office’s agents were frequent patrons).

He was obviously a returning customer, just a little bashful.

Boldly, the fox girls sashayed over, twined themselves around Louis’s arm, and with their sweet voices, dragged him inside.

The moment he crossed the threshold, Louis felt the place’s vibrant energy. The crowd inside was thick; people drank and conversed, while on a raised platform, Foxes in revealing costumes danced.

It was as if the place were a strange cross between a tavern, a brothel, and a casino.

Louis was once again left wondering if he’d wandered into the wrong establishment.

As he looked about, Louis listened to the fox girl at his side. She didn’t bother with lengthy explanations, preferring instead to tease him. Yet from her playful chatter, Louis recalled the things Stuart had once told him.

In truth, those drinking and chatting were all conducting business. Some discussed trade or maritime affairs; others spoke of trafficking, underworld contacts, even murder. If you had the right connections, you could hire a throat-cutter or a demon hunter here.

As for the long tables resembling gaming tables, those were actually counters displaying all manner of mysterious wares. The staff, dressed as croupiers in scandalously revealing outfits, left nothing of their figures to the imagination.

To a casual observer, the customers appeared less interested in shopping than in gambling, going from table to table with expressions of anticipation or anxiety.

Seventy-two gold Galleons would buy you nothing truly satisfying in any other shop of secrets.

Except, perhaps, at the Red Fox Den.

“Scholar~,” the fox girl purred, “for only twenty gold Galleons, you can buy a master’s work right here.”

She hooked Louis’s arm, drawing him to a gaming table. “Even if you don’t walk away with your heart’s desire, we’ll make sure you don’t leave disappointed.”

As she spoke, the sultry vixen brushed her tail against Louis’s thigh, her meaning clear in those large, dewy eyes.

Evidently, if a customer lost too much money, the foxes of the Den would offer a consolation prize.

A true two-birds-one-stone operation, indeed! And they even provided receipts!

No wonder Stuart had said that Director Treif was so fond of this place—so much of the office’s public funds had been spent here!

Louis glanced at the rows of exquisite wand boxes on the table, noting their striking resemblance to those in the office.

Yet these boxes were marked by subtle seals, preventing wizards from seeing what lay inside. Not that it would matter if they could, for many of these shoddy wands looked as fine as any masterwork—their materials were even unicorn hair, phoenix feather, dragon sinew, and the like—but all cast-offs and rejects.

These wands were worth perhaps a Galleon or two, yet here they sold for twenty apiece!

Still, they were hard to distinguish from the real thing, and without trying them, one would never know their worth.

“Today, we have a genuine piece by Master Sakura Bell—‘Foxfire’,” the girl said with a mischievous smile. “A proper thousand-Galleon wand, and nobody’s drawn it yet. If I were you, I’d pick that one.”

Louis followed her pointing finger, then nodded with a knowing smile.

...

On that table, every wand box Louis brushed with his mind revealed a note. The one the girl indicated wasn’t quite a thousand-Galleon wand, but it would still fetch several hundred.

[Exceptional ‘Phoenix Song’]
[Length: fourteen and a half inches]
[Material: Sacred oak shoot, mithril, amber, ruby]
[Core: Phoenix feather]
[Magic Capacity: 8] (Maximum instantaneous output: 8)
[Effects:
1. Magic consumption -30%
2. Power +15%
3. Spell mastery -2]

[Description: Wizards who favor sacred oak and phoenix will appreciate this wand. Sacred oak shoots hold high magical capacity and conserve energy, while a phoenix feather enhances power and casting range. However, this combination also makes the wand difficult to master.]

Louis puffed on his pipe, grinning as he patted the hand on his arm. “If I actually draw that Foxfire wand, won’t the madam tan your hide?”

“I’d rather you spank me instead,” the fox girl replied with a playful wink, clearly unafraid of such luck.

Louis gave her a light smack and, with a flick of his hand, brought the wand box into her arms. She giggled, and Louis continued scanning the table.

He soon spotted Sakura Bell’s work.

[Destined to Be Written in Epic—‘Foxfire’]
[Length: twelve and three-quarter inches]
[Material: Sacred oak shoot, mithril, chrysoberyl, purple garnet;
Core: Medusa snake hair]
[Magic Capacity: 15]
[Effects:
1. Magic consumption -30%
2. Spell mastery +5
3. Foxfire lv2: Casts a blast of foxfire, pure energy assault with moderate penetration (lv2 effect), cooldown: 0.5s
4. Magic gem (115/120)]

[Description: Crafted by a master, this wand helps novices cast new spells with ease. Its intricate magical array harmonizes perfectly with the Medusa hair core, causing foxfire to petrify its target.]

Foxfire was similar to a magic missile, but with a purifying effect. Advanced foxfire had high penetration, difficult to block with shield charms. This wand’s foxfire also petrified its victims, making it a bane to regenerating creatures and the undead.

Even a squib could use it as a literal fire-gun—blasting away at werewolves or vampires, turning them to stone with a hit.

With foxfire lv2’s 0.5-second cooldown and a 120-shot capacity, “volley” was hardly an exaggeration.

Most precious, however, was its ability to help novices cast spells. A mastery boost of five was, for many, the difference between spell levels—lv1 to lv2.

Yet, to Louis, it was little more than a novelty, while what others deemed worthless, he saw as treasure.

His gaze was drawn to another wand entirely—

[Without a doubt, this is a Nine-Headed Chicago Typewriter!]