Meanwhile, three individuals operating under the codename "Mantis" were closing in on a family ahead of them, moving into position to surround them.
"The target will reach the ambush zone in three minutes. The Anti-Apparition Charm is already set. It's temporary and will only hold for ten minutes," said the one named Daniel.
They were members of a mysterious organization. Their mission was to track down those with special bloodlines—people they called Bloodline Wizards—capture them, and send them back to headquarters.
"Ten minutes is more than enough. In that family, only that Delacour is worth paying attention to," another man said.
"Don't get careless," Daniel replied. "End this fast. Subdue them at full force and take them away immediately. Delacour is a Herbology expert who entered from abroad. If the Ministry finds out he's missing, they'll launch a large-scale search."
"Wade, move ahead and cut them off. Odyss, take the right flank. I'll keep advancing and block their retreat," Daniel ordered.
"Understood," Wade answered.
"Hah… the Ministry of Magic? What's there to fear from the British Ministry of Magic? I could knock down half their Aurors with one hand," Odyss sneered.
"Enough talk. Get to your assigned position," Wade said coldly. With a flick of his wand, he vanished on the spot.
He was Apparating to a point ahead of the blockade.
"Alright, alright. Honestly, they're just Veela-blooded Bloodline Wizards. Is there really any need to be this tense?" Odyss shrugged, waved his wand, and disappeared as well.
Left alone, Daniel stopped trailing at a measured pace and instead accelerated forward. He needed to reach the designated position before his teammates fully sealed the trap, to make sure the target couldn't escape the range of the Anti-Disapparition Jinx.
Before heading off, though, he glanced around, puzzled.
This mission wasn't limited to the three of them. Charles had been assigned to clear the perimeter. Under normal circumstances, he should have already reached the rendezvous point.
So why hadn't he appeared yet?
Still, this wasn't the first time something like this had happened. Maybe he'd run into someone troublesome and been delayed.
With the Senate President's raven accompanying him, nothing serious should happen.
With that thought, Daniel dismissed the matter.
He had no idea that it was precisely because of that so-called Senate President's raven meddling that their teammate Charles had already been dealt with.
And the one who had taken care of him was now right behind them, intending to wipe them out in one sweep.
...
Elsewhere, the Delacour family was searching the forest for something.
"Father, are you sure the magical plant you mentioned is really here?" Fleur Delacour asked. As the eldest daughter, her beauty and natural allure were already unmistakable.
Veela were a unique existence. Even Ministries of Magic around the world couldn't definitively classify them as Magical Creatures or as humanoids.
What made their race special was that they were exclusively female—and extraordinarily beautiful.
Any woman who carried Veela blood would inherit that beauty. The trait manifested only in females. Although Mr. Delacour possessed half Veela blood, compared to his daughters, he appeared rather ordinary.
Lehende Delacour was bent over, studying the plants at his feet. Hearing his eldest daughter's voice, he straightened up and rubbed his lower back.
"I'm not entirely sure. The information wasn't very accurate. But isn't this place beautiful? Even if we don't find it, it's fine. We can just treat it as a little trip." As he spoke, he bent down again and resumed his search.
Many magical plants looked no different from ordinary ones. Finding a specific specimen was far from easy.
"Don't rush, Fleur. Take Gabrielle for a walk around. Don't disturb your father," Mrs. Delacour said with a gentle smile, resting a hand on her eldest daughter's shoulder.
"Alright, Mum." Fleur smiled back and led her younger sister, Gabrielle Delacour—who also carried Veela blood—toward the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees.
Watching from behind, Daniel frowned.
Targets who traveled with their families were always troublesome. While their emotional ties could restrain them, once they split up, it often created complications.
If he couldn't deal with them simultaneously, it might attract unwanted attention.
Still, as someone experienced in hunting Bloodline Wizards, Daniel quickly reached a conclusion.
According to the organization's research, Bloodline Wizards were unusual. Their bloodlines greatly strengthened the bonds between direct relatives, especially their attachment to their children.
In that case, if he captured Delacour's daughters first, subduing him would be much easier.
With that in mind, Daniel veered off his original route and quietly followed Fleur and Gabrielle.
There was no time to inform his two teammates. Wizards were like that. No matter how powerful, none had developed a method for instant long-distance communication. And yet, they still looked down on Muggles, who had achieved exactly that.
Meanwhile, the Delacour couple continued searching for any trace of the magical plant. But the moment they stepped into a certain area, Mr. Delacour suddenly felt a surge of unease.
It was the keen intuition granted by his Veela blood, warning him of danger.
"Don't move," Delacour said in a low voice. "Go back now. Find Fleur and Gabrielle, then escape."
"What?" Mrs. Delacour froze.
At that instant, two spells shot out from deep within the forest, streaking toward the couple.
Lehende Delacour reacted instantly. He shoved his wife aside, drew his wand, and deflected the spell aimed at him to one side.
"Ha! As expected of a Bloodline Wizard with Veela blood. That sharp instinct and reaction speed are just as annoying as the Veela themselves."
Two figures emerged from the depths of the forest, one on each side, blocking Lehende Delacour's path forward.
Both wore black robes like carrion crows. One had a teasing smile on his face; the other's expression was cold and emotionless.
"Caw! Caw!"
A flock of crows gathered above them, then settled onto the surrounding branches.
The crows fixed their crimson eyes on Lehende Delacour, as though staring at a piece of carrion.
"Huh? Where's that guy Daniel? Why hasn't he come over? Without him, isn't this encirclement missing a side?" Odyss drawled lazily.