Soon, Midgard received Marcus's report on the investigation.
After reading the report Marcus handed her, Midgard fell silent for a moment before saying, "Is this Wilder sick in the head?"
The report showed that Wilder had not been in contact with anyone suspicious. He simply seemed to have let success go to his head, thinking that controlling most of the werewolves' funds made him someone important.
What he did not know was that the so-called vast majority of the werewolf wizards' liquid funds under his control was actually only a small portion of what Midgard held in her hands.
It had all been earned from the seed money Midgard had previously put up to develop the werewolf faction.
The problem was that the capital used to build up the werewolf faction amounted to less than a tenth of the money Midgard and Leonard had stolen from Gringotts in the first place.
He controlled this little bit of money and thought his head had suddenly grown bigger? Thought he could rebel?
Midgard could only feel that there was something seriously wrong with Wilder.
"He doesn't actually think he made all that money because he's capable, does he? Without Leonard's plan and capital, he'd probably still be digging through rubbish for food somewhere." Midgard spat and continued reading the report.
Marcus had nothing to say to that. He also felt Wilder was not quite right in the head.
"Forget about him. Have Chercy interrogate him once, then kill him," Midgard said as she stood up.
Marcus nodded and hurried off, relief written across his face.
Under Leonard's influence, Midgard, once a soft-hearted leader, had gradually become more qualified.
She no longer trusted her subordinates as easily as before, and she was no longer soft on werewolves who made mistakes. She had learned to balance reward and punishment.
That was what made a qualified werewolf leader.
Around them, werewolves began to gather, their faces full of confusion. When they saw the house that had nearly been reduced to ruins, their expressions turned uncertain and alarmed.
But under Chercy's orders, they quickly began cleaning up the wreckage. Wands in hand, they worked in groups to repair the walls with magic.
Watching the scattered bricks and tiles slowly come back together, the stern, cold look on Midgard's face finally broke. She let out a sigh, left the house, and returned to her own residence.
It was located at the center of the werewolf settlement and was extremely secure. A patrol made up of vigorous werewolves stood guard around it, making sure no suspicious people appeared nearby.
"Claudia..."
As soon as Midgard returned home, she called out Claudia's name, and before long a soft, sweet voice came from the backyard.
"Big Sister, I'm over here!"
Midgard walked into the backyard and saw Claudia taking care of a special plant.
Tentacle-like vines twisted out of the ground like snakes, as if piercing through something invisible and stabbing into the void.
It was a Devil's Snare, and one specially enhanced by Leonard to seal space.
But unlike the Devil's Snare used last time against the Raven organization to stop Harris Raymons from taking away Damocles, this one had actually been grown slowly from a properly enhanced seed.
So it was still only in the seedling stage. Its range was barely large enough to cover the residence, and its strength was only enough to block ordinary movement magic like Apparition. Against the Raven organization's methods of transport, it still fell short.
But the Raven organization did not know that. And Harris Raymons, the only one who had encountered a mature Devil's Snare blockade, did not know that the last one had only been a temporary product.
With Harris Raymons's experience as a warning, the Raven organization likely would not be foolish enough to barge in here. That gave this young Devil's Snare plenty of time to grow.
Its tender roots pierced into the void and wrapped around the entire residence on a spatial level. That freed the Devil's Snare from the usual limitation of sunlight, allowing it to grow normally even in the courtyard.
Still, no matter how much Leonard's power had strengthened it, the Devil's Snare was still a plant at its core. Until it fully matured, its root system remained its weak point. Pests or toxins could affect its growth, so it still needed care.
Claudia was the one looking after this Devil's Snare.
A unicorn's inborn affinity with nature made it the perfect farmer. Simply standing near plants could make the surrounding greenery grow faster.
And Claudia, being special, was even more gifted in this regard. The clearest example was this Devil's Snare. It was growing at an astonishing pace, practically changing by the day.
Midgard's arrival did not distract Claudia. After answering, she continued concentrating on loosening the soil, watering the plant, and picking out insects.
Under her care, the Devil's Snare extended a tender little root to interact with Claudia, then plunged it back into the void to weave its spatial net.
"Little tree, little tree, grow up fast."
Claudia hummed a tuneless little song as she circled the Devil's Snare a few times, as if performing some mysterious ritual.
The Devil's Snare swayed along with Claudia's movements, looking very pleased.
After finishing the daily care, Claudia happily buzzed around Midgard like a little bee. That innocent joy was infectious, easing the heaviness in Midgard's heart.
"Claudia, it's been a long time since we went to see Leonard, hasn't it?" Midgard said suddenly.
"Hm? Yeah." Claudia stopped and looked up at Midgard. "But Big Sister has been really busy lately and didn't have time to go. It's okay, Big Sister. Claudia isn't in a hurry."
The expression on little Claudia's face warmed Midgard's heart. This little one always managed to make people feel cared for without even trying.
But Midgard understood Claudia's feelings toward Leonard all too well. That kind of attachment could not possibly be as simple as she made it sound.
At first, Claudia might only have been interested in the sweets Leonard brought to please her. But after more than a year together, Claudia had already come to understand feelings and realized what it was she truly liked.
She definitely missed Leonard terribly. The way she tried so hard to be good only made her more heartbreaking to watch.
"I don't have much going on these next few days." Midgard crouched down and stroked Claudia's shining golden hair. "I'll write Leonard a letter. How about we meet him at the botanical garden in a couple of days?"
"Really?"
Claudia's eyes lit up at once, as though stars were sparkling inside them.
Sure enough, even though she said it was fine and she was not in a hurry, in her heart she had long been thinking about that little rascal Leonard.
Midgard smiled and gently stroked Claudia's soft hair. "Of course it's true."
"That's great! I have so many things I want to tell Leonard, and I want to give him a present too."
Claudia bounced happily back into the house to look for something she wanted to give Leonard.
Midgard smiled as she watched the lively, adorable Claudia, then got up to write the letter.
She had been busy for quite a while lately. It was about time she took a break.