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Inside the study space, everyone had gathered.
"That's everything that happened." Jeanne shared the story of her expedition. Using a memory projection, she allowed Grindelwald, Andros, and the others to witness the entire sequence of events firsthand.
After Herpo escaped, Jeanne had only taken a brief rest, recovering a portion of her magic and mental strength before preparing to explore the sleeping chamber.
The people from Castelobruxo had originally wanted to leave as quickly as possible. But the moment Jeanne's gaze fell on them, they immediately became obedient and, with remarkable enthusiasm, followed behind her into the temple.
Fortunately for them, there were no more abnormalities lurking inside.
Instead, the temple was filled with gold, jewels, and precious gemstones glittering in every direction.
Yet the true treasure wasn't any of that. The most valuable items were the countless clay tablets, carefully sorted and neatly arranged on shelves.
The professors who could read Ancient Greek immediately got to work, organizing and translating the information recorded on them.
There were simply too many tablets that the task took an entire day and night to complete.
Among the records were the history of the Amazon warrior tribe, detailed accounts of various religious ceremonies, and numerous magical spells unique to the Amazons.
But the largest and most important collection of information concerned Herpo and the Horcrux.
The final Amazon queen had left behind a complete account of the events in her personal journal.
From her writings, it became clear that the belt around Herpo's waist had indeed been the Belt of Ares.
However, even the queen had no idea when Herpo had transformed it into a Horcrux.
By the time the tribe discovered the truth, Herpo was already attempting to resurrect himself through it.
The Amazons were naturally enraged that their sacred relic had been defiled. Many warriors sacrificed their lives, using their blood as the price to seal him away.
But Herpo's dark power was simply too overwhelming. Even without a physical body, relying only on a single Horcrux, he was far beyond what the Amazons could suppress.
In the end, the last tribal leader made a fateful decision.
She personally put on the belt and used the power of the temple to keep Herpo sealed.
At the same time, she led the entire tribe away from ancient Greece.
They had discovered that the farther they traveled from their homeland, the weaker the Horcrux's influence became.
After years of wandering, they somehow ended up in Brazil.
But wearing the belt came at a terrible cost. The chief's mind gradually deteriorated as the dark power continuously assaulted her consciousness.
...The journal ended abruptly there.
No one knew when she died, because the entire temple had eventually been sealed off.
And with the temple inaccessible, much of the tribe's heritage was lost forever.
Over time, the Amazon warrior tribe faded into history.
---
After hearing the story, both Andros and Grindelwald clicked their tongues in amazement.
Even Ravenclaw looked genuinely surprised.
After all, Herpo's name carried enormous weight in wizarding history.
Among dark wizards, he was practically a founding ancestor.
Back when Slytherin was still alive, he had often expressed admiration for the legendary pioneer of dark magic.
And now, a Horcrux created by such a figure had survived to the present day and broken free of its seal at a time like this.
Nobody needed to think very hard to realize it. This was a disaster far worse than Voldemort for the wizarding world.
"So, Tom, what do you think?"
Morgan's expression remained unchanged after viewing Jeanne's memories. She turned toward Tom, who had been silent the entire time.
Tom merely shrugged. "Honestly? Ever since the Quetzalcoatl showed up, nothing can really surprise me anymore."
"Besides, I've always suspected that bastard wasn't completely dead."
He paused before continuing. "And if he really turned Ares's belt into a Horcrux... I have a feeling the usual methods for destroying Horcruxes, things like Fiendfyre, probably won't work anymore."
"That much is certain," Morgan replied before anyone else could. "Ares was known as a god from the era before mine. An artifact belonging to him won't be destroyed so easily."
Tom nodded thoughtfully.
"Then let me ask something even more important... Is Ares dead?"
The question instantly made everyone tense.
A lone Herpo was troublesome enough. But a suspected god was an entirely different matter.
After all, the strongest person present was Morgan. And even she wasn't near the tier called God.
"He's absolutely dead," Morgan answered with complete certainty.
"Why?"
"Because in our era, someone explored Ares's tomb," she said, pausing briefly. "Someone on the same level."
That answer eased everyone's nerves somewhat.
Then Andros suddenly thought of something. "And who explored Ares's tomb?"
Morgan's expression became complicated.
...
..
At the same time, the professors from Castelobruxo had finally returned to their school.
Every one of them looked exhausted.
The expedition had been far more intense than they'd anticipated.
Most of their potions had been used up, and nearly everyone was carrying injuries. More importantly, they had contributed almost nothing.
Aside from helping clear out the snake traps near the beginning, they had basically spent the rest of the adventure standing on the sidelines.
Without that young woman appearing when she did, even one or two survivors making it back would have been considered a miracle.
"Jeanne d'Arc..." one professor said hesitantly. "She's one of Riddle's people, isn't she?"
Silence filled the room. No one answered.
Because it was an utterly pointless question.
By now, the entire wizarding world knew that Tom Riddle possessed a strange and incredibly powerful creature called Rayquaza.
The moment Usaki had appeared, claiming Jeanne d'Arc had no connection to Tom Riddle would be an insult to everyone's intelligence.
From the very beginning, Riddle had never truly trusted them. They made a deal regarding the ruins, but he still sent someone along to keep watch.
Fortunately, he didβand fortunately, he was known for honoring his business deals.
Every document that could be copied had been duplicated and left behind for them. Only the originals had been taken away.
"That's not the important issue right now." Isabella shook her head, looking utterly drained. "The Belt of Ares flew away in the end. Which means Herpo wasn't destroyed."
"The legendary Ancient Dark Wizard⦠who would've thought he was still alive? And who could've guessed the temple was actually a sealing site for him? That female zombie was⦠sigh." An old professor was reminiscing.
"Yeah... The wizarding world is about to change again." Isabella's expression grew grave.
"You all go get some rest." She rose from her seat, "I'm going to contact Headmaster Sanchez."
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