Link and the others followed Beckman straight down into the underground area beneath Durmstrang Castle.
It was an extremely large underground space. Its area and even its height were almost no different from the Quidditch pitch above ground.
If it were simply large, that would not be particularly surprising.
After all, with the Undetectable Extension Charm, creating a space like this would still be expensive, but overall it wouldn't be especially difficult.
What truly surprised Link was that compared to above ground, the temperature here was actually higher. The humidity and oxygen levels were also very comfortable. There wasn't the slightest trace of dampness or unpleasant smells.
That was extremely difficult to achieve.
Just look at the Potions classroom at Hogwarts when it was under Snape's control.
Being underground and frequently used for potion brewing, the humidity there was so high that a casual wipe along the wall would leave your hand wet. The air was always filled with a strange medicinal smell.
To make a large underground space as comfortable as this one, at the very least the climate control system would need to run at full power, along with a fresh air system operating twenty-four hours a day.
Even with the generous funding Link had provided, and Beckman being wealthy himself, maintaining this place would still cost a considerable amount.
"This is Durmstrang's Defense Against the Dark Arts training ground."
Beckman seemed to notice Link's surprise. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly as he spoke with some pride.
Link didn't react much, but Mrs. Flamel said in disbelief, "All of this? Isn't this a bit too..."
"You want to say it's too extravagant?"
Beckman's smile widened. Pointing at the facilities spread throughout the underground space, he said, "That's right, it is extravagant. Because it's not just large."
"We've installed the best alchemical training dummies, the best trajectory display and correction systems, the best automatic shield activation systems, full-coverage anti-surveillance charms, the best dueling grounds, and the finest healing systems!"
"Every single one of these costs a fortune, but it's worth it! Because we have such excellent facilities, I can now confidently say that Durmstrang students have the strongest average combat ability of any students in Europe. Of course, that calculation excludes exceptions like Link."
After speaking, Beckman even winked at Link.
The accompanying Durmstrang students all raised their heads proudly.
A slight smile appeared on Link's face.
"Prove it."
"That's easy. As you wish!"
Beckman snapped his fingers.
The accompanying students immediately split into several groups.
One group stepped forward and raised their wands at the alchemical dummies in the distance.
"Avada Kedavra!"
A series of nearly synchronized chants rang out.
Several green lights shot from their wand tips and struck the dummies almost instantly.
The moment they were hit, the dummies turned gray-white and gave off the unique aura of death.
This was the effect of imitation alchemical dummies. They could reproduce the reactions of real humans after being hit by spells to the greatest extent possible, making them the highest-grade training dummies available.
Link, Mrs. Flamel, and Emily all changed expressions.
They weren't shocked that Beckman had actually placed top-tier imitation alchemical dummies in this underground facility.
They were shocked because the students had just used the Killing Curse.
Even if the power was weaker in their hands, it was still genuine Dark Magic.
And not just any Dark Magic... it was an Unforgivable Curse.
Although Durmstrang had always been famous for teaching Dark Magic...
Wasn't this a bit too much?
And under the pressure of the International Confederation of Wizards, hadn't Durmstrang's Dark Magic curriculum already become little more than a name?
Beckman clearly understood what Emily and Mrs. Flamel were thinking.
He smiled and explained, "You saw correctly. They did use the Killing Curse. But I guarantee this has nothing to do with Durmstrang's teaching."
"We have never taught them any Dark Magic. On the contrary, ever since Link became Durmstrang's sole school governor and reformed the school's education system, not only did we eliminate Dark Magic courses, but we also pushed Defense Against the Dark Arts to the highest possible level!"
"F-Father, if that's really the case..." Mrs. Flamel said awkwardly, "then why can those children cast the Killing Curse?"
"Them? They're just naughty students who refuse to follow school rules."
Hearing Mrs. Flamel call him "Father," Beckman became so excited that he practically trembled. He gestured enthusiastically and said, "Durmstrang's Defense Against the Dark Arts education is incredibly detailed."
"We don't just teach students combat... well, self-defense techniques. At the same time, to help students better protect themselves against Dark Magic attacks, we also explain in detail how different Dark Magic spells are cast, how they work, and how to counter them.
But perhaps because our explanations are too detailed, some students end up learning the Dark Magic itself.
That is absolutely unacceptable to us. Anyone who dares use Dark Magic will receive severe punishment.
Like them, for example..."
Beckman turned toward the students who had just demonstrated the Killing Curse and shouted with a smile, "Hey! You lot just violated school rules. As punishment, each of you must eat an entire roast snow chicken tonight!"
The moment he said that, the students immediately laughed and saluted Beckman in agreement.
The surrounding students burst into laughter as well.
Link and the other two looked at Beckman with extremely strange expressions.
Snow chickens were birds that resembled quails but were much larger.
They usually lived in high-altitude regions like the area around Durmstrang. Their meat was firm, tender, and delicious, making them a rare delicacy.
And now Beckman was using them as punishment.
Wasn't that a reward?
"Don't doubt it. It really is punishment!" Beckman said firmly. "Roast snow chicken is my least favorite food. It's the most terrible food in the world. Using it as punishment couldn't be more appropriate!"
Hearing that, Link and the others couldn't help laughing.
At this point, they all understood.
Beckman was using a method that was called suppression but was actually encouragement to get students to learn Dark Magic.
It was an extremely effective way to avoid the International Confederation of Wizards' restrictions on Durmstrang.
The principle was similar to grape bricks sold during American Prohibition, except even more extreme.
If you bought grape bricks and actually turned them into wine, you'd still be fined or jailed if caught.
But here, students who used Dark Magic at Durmstrang were receiving rewards disguised as punishment.
How many people didn't like snow chicken?
Link and Emily even suspected Beckman liked it himself.
That statement was probably just an excuse to satisfy the International Confederation of Wizards.
As for the effectiveness, Link could only say that while it was absurd, it definitely worked.
After all, the magical world was full of oddballs.
People who dressed strangely, people who ate dirt to heal illnesses, people who removed someone else's arm and attached it to themselves...
Compared to those people, using snow chicken as punishment wasn't a big deal.
At least Beckman was judging others by his own preferences. No one could really say he was wrong.
Of course, the most important factor was Link.
If Link were not Durmstrang's sole school governor, and if his reputation were not currently at its peak, the International Confederation of Wizards would probably have stepped in and rejected such a ridiculous practice.
Unfortunately, there were no ifs.
The reality was that because of Link's existence, the International Confederation of Wizards chose to turn a blind eye and walk down the staircase Beckman had built for them.
"You're really a genius.", Link applauded as he spoke.
He had to admit that Beckman had plenty of ideas, and they were remarkably effective.
"Thank you for the compliment. These are just the basics."
Beckman said with a smile, "Our Defense Against the Dark Arts education isn't limited to preventing and dealing with Dark Magic."
"We've also taught students many practical and advanced response methods. Next, we'll demonstrate..."
Snap!
Another finger snap.
The nearby students immediately moved.
They quickly paired up and stepped onto the dueling platforms across from them. After exchanging formal wizard dueling salutes, they began fighting each other.
This time they didn't use high-damage Dark Magic like the Unforgivable Curses.
Instead, they used ordinary combat spells such as Expelliarmus and Protego.
Yet the battles were still impressive.
Their casting speed, spell power, and accuracy had all reached the level of elite members of Hogwarts' D.A. Army.
And they clearly engaged in this type of dueling training regularly. They already possessed considerable practical experience.
Unlike many Hogwarts students, who stood still and exchanged spells like a turn-based game, these students constantly moved and dodged, attempting to avoid attacks through physical movement at minimal cost.
This was already considered a fairly advanced combat technique.
In the British magical world, aside from a handful of wizards, only Aurors and others who had undergone professional combat training typically used it.
Because intense movement could easily distort wand motions and cause spellcasting failures.
Most importantly...
Many of these students had mastered some silent casting.
This made their attacks faster and more concealed.
If these Durmstrang students fought Hogwarts students right now, aside from a few truly elite D.A. prodigies, everyone else would likely be completely overwhelmed.
This was one of Durmstrang's advantages.
Durmstrang was a famous European magical school known for teaching Dark Magic and for producing Grindelwald, the first Dark Lord.
Children admitted here were almost never pure Muggle-born wizards.
While this reduced the overall student population and lowered the chance of producing geniuses, it also meant the average magical talent of the student body remained relatively high.
At the same time, these students and their families generally did not reject combat or Dark Magic.
Many of them even hoped Durmstrang would teach terrifying Dark Magic such as the Unforgivable Curses.
After all, forbidden spells were not easy for ordinary people to learn, and their power was undeniably great.
Combined with the harsh environment surrounding Durmstrang and the exceptional educational conditions Beckman had created, it became possible to produce such large numbers of physically strong and combat-capable students.
"Well done. Really well done."
Hearing Link say "well done" twice in a row, Beckman and many accompanying professors finally relaxed.
Compared to other magical schools, Durmstrang's structure was much simpler.
In a sense, it could be described as a purely commercial educational organization that continuously generated value for Link, its sole governor.
The value wasn't money.
It was students capable of fighting.
The professors were essentially executives within this educational organization, people working for Link.
So to them, Link's visit was equivalent to a chairman inspecting company operations.
The fact that Link seemed satisfied was enough to make them happy.
Because it likely meant future investments, and their benefits, would not be reduced.
"To be honest, what you've seen so far isn't even the best quality these children possess."
After relaxing slightly, Beckman's expression turned serious again.
"In my opinion, their greatest quality is loyalty. Loyalty to you!"
Link nodded gently but said nothing.
Speaking of loyalty, as a master Legilimens, Link had indeed felt himself surrounded by huge amounts of goodwill and passionate emotions ever since entering Durmstrang Castle.
There was no doubt those emotions came primarily from the students before him.
But this was actually somewhat unreasonable.
Aside from continuously investing resources into Durmstrang, Link himself rarely came here to build relationships with the students. Most of his emotional investment had always been focused on Hogwarts.
So why was this happening?
Had Beckman done something?
With that thought, Link looked at Beckman with a probing gaze.
And Beckman's lips curled into a mysterious and somewhat proud smile.