Shalltear looked just as surprised. "But we've only been here for one day. How can you be so sure it's him? None of us have even seen the Minister's face."
"I may not have seen him before, but I'm not deaf," Fang said, clearly irritated by the doubt. "I heard the people around him talking and calling him 'Mr. Minister', more than once."
Alex, though still skeptical, saw the seriousness in Fang's eyes and chose to trust his judgment. "Alright. Tell us exactly how you tracked him. Do you have any photos or recordings?"
"Yeah, I've got some," Fang replied, pulling out a bundle of photos from his coat. He handed one to Alex and began to explain everything in detail.
It turned out that when Fang first started tailing the Golden Snidget, the situation was quiet, much like what Alex and Shalltear had experienced.
The Golden Snidget stayed mostly inside the Ministry of Magic building. Fang didn't dare sneak inside, it was too risky. So, he waited outside, keeping a low profile.
Not long after, the situation changed. The Golden Snidget came out of the Ministry along with several other wizards.
That's when Fang saw his chance. He kept his distance, followed them discreetly, and started snapping photos. He had locked onto the target, and what he discovered during that chase changed everything.
While trying to eavesdrop on a conversation, Fang stumbled upon a shocking discovery, the Golden Snidget he had been tracking was actually none other than the Minister of Magic, or at least that's what the other wizards were saying. This revelation left Fang completely stunned. It turned out that Minister Eisenberg's true identity was as a secret operative of the Silver Wand, a fact that, if true, was absolutely explosive.
After Fang gave a rough explanation of what he'd learned, he agreed to retrieve the photo he had taken of the Golden Snidget, who might actually be Minister Eisenberg. The picture showed a man in his sixties, with a fit build and a sharp, energetic look, standing among several professionally dressed wizards. As Alex examined the image, he frowned. "This doesn't make sense," he muttered.
Ever since Eisenberg became the Minister of Magic, he had been aggressively pushing for the division of the German magical community. That, in itself, wasn't enough to prove he was a Silver Wand plant or had ties to the group, but it did raise suspicions.
The real problem was the claim that Eisenberg was actually the Golden Snidget in disguise. According to the Thunderbird's intel, the Golden Snidget had taken the Rebirth Draught, which should have left him with one of two physical traits: he should either look like someone in his 30s, due to the rejuvenating effects of the potion, or appear much older, around 70, if the effects had started to fade. But the man in the photo looked too old to be in his 30s and too young to be 90 or 100, which didn't add up if he really was the Golden Snidget.
Of course, it was possible he used a transformation potion, like Polyjuice Potion, to alter his appearance. But Minister Eisenberg had been in office for five or six years.
Could someone really keep up a disguise for that long without being caught? Polyjuice Potion isn't easy to make either, it requires rare ingredients, and maintaining the disguise over such a long period would be incredibly difficult.
Still, that wasn't the biggest issue. What puzzled Alex most was, if Eisenberg really were the Golden Snidget and had taken the Rebirth Draught, why would he risk exposing himself by appearing so publicly? Anyone who drinks the Draught has to go through a monthly process called "shedding," similar to a snake molting its skin. That's not something one can easily hide, especially while holding a high-profile position like Minister of Magic.
During the snake-shedding period, a snake wizard becomes completely vulnerable, unable to defend themselves. That's why most of them choose to disappear and hide in the shadows during this time.
But Eisenberg, being the Minister of Magic, has to stay in the public eye almost constantly. It's hard to imagine someone in his position taking such a huge risk, especially if he were actually the Golden Snidget.
Alex couldn't wrap his head around it. How could someone have the audacity to impersonate the Minister of Magic, knowing that any slip-up could expose their identity?
What would happen if someone caught him mid-transformation? The shedding process lasts several hours, and if someone like Silver Wand, who knows about his background, figured out when it happens, he could easily be manipulated or even killed.
"Master, what do you think? Could this guy really be the Golden Snidget?" Shalltear asked, a bit unsure as she turned to Alex.
"I'm not sure," Alex replied after a brief pause. "If Eisenberg really is the Golden Snidget, then he's incredibly bold to show himself so openly." He thought for a moment, then continued, "There are a few possibilities here. First, Eisenberg might not be the Golden Snidget at all. Maybe the real one just gave Eisenberg the mask and had him pose as the Golden Snidget."
"You mean..." Fang suddenly realized, his eyes widening, "Eisenberg is just a stand-in for the real Golden Snidget?"
"Exactly," Alex nodded calmly. "But there's also another possibility. Eisenberg could actually be the Golden Snidget himself. Maybe he's found a way to skip the molting process, or he has some method to protect himself during that time."
Fang's eyes lit up. "Then all we have to do is watch him for a month. If he really goes through the snake-shedding period, that would confirm he's the Golden Snidget, right?"
"It's not a bad plan," Alex admitted. "It's a bit clumsy, but it might work. The problem is, we need a good excuse to stay in Germany for that long."
"That might be tricky," Shalltear added, counting on her fingers. "We're here on a business trip, and the longest we can stay is maybe two months at most."
"We could open a branch here," Alex suggested with a grin. "That would give us a solid reason to stick around."
"Open a branch? Do you think the German Ministry of Magic would even agree to that?" Shalltear frowned as she voiced her concern. And honestly, her worry wasn't baseless.
It's notoriously tough for foreign businesses to set up shop in another country, especially in the magical world. Local governments are usually protective of their own industries.
For example, in the UK, apart from a few exceptions like the Floo Powder Company, Gringotts, and some publishing houses, there are hardly any foreign-run magical businesses. It's not something that can be achieved just by throwing money at it.
But Alex just smiled calmly. "Whether they agree or not doesn't really matter. The whole idea of opening a branch is just a cover.
It gives us a reason to stay in Germany. Even if the plan doesn't go through, we've still got our excuse."