The Prisoners of Hogwarts

Chapter 182 Manipulation and Change

Chapter 182 Manipulation and Change

The little elves paused noticeably as countless tennis ball-sized eyes instantly focused on that familiar and majestic figure, their gazes filled with excitement and awe.

However, not a single elf stopped what they were doing or gathered around. They simply tried their best to control their emotions, maintaining their productivity while expressing the utmost respect with their eyes.

Lynch—or rather, the Executioner—scanned the bustling workshop and soon his gaze settled on the one-eyed elf Kragg, who was coordinating at the end of the assembly line.

He raised his hand and slightly beckoned with his finger in Kragg's direction.

Upon seeing Lynch's signal to summon him, Krag suppressed the urge to rush over. He first quickly gave a few instructions to his companions to ensure that the production line would not be disrupted due to his temporary absence. Then, he jogged over to Lynch, bowed deeply respectfully, and his remaining eye shone with an irrepressible loyalty and joy.

"Your Excellency the Executioner! You've arrived!"

"Krag," Lynch's voice, deep and steady, came through the bird-beak mask, "no need for formalities, I've come to see you."

"How has everyone been doing here lately?" Lynch asked.

"We are living very well! Everything the adults have given us is wonderful! Lord Reggie has also taken very good care of us!" Krag replied immediately and respectfully, his tone first expressing his appreciation for the two adults.

But after he finished speaking, his single eye flickered, his enormous ear twitched uncomfortably, and his face showed a mixture of genuine confusion and slight unease. His voice also lowered, carrying obvious hesitation:

"It's just—it's just—Lord Reggie—he's recently implemented some new rules—we—we don't quite understand them, and we don't know how to adapt to them..." He carefully chose his words, afraid of sounding like he was complaining or blaming.

"Oh?" Lynch uttered a single syllable, devoid of emotion, but seemingly encouraging him to continue.

With tacit approval, Kragg relaxed a little, but his tone was still full of difficulty and confusion: "Lord Reggie has shortened our working hours again. Now it's strictly stipulated that we can only work eight hours a day—Sir, eight hours is really too short. There's so much work that we can't finish, and it's piling up there, and it's really painful to see. A few times, we old guys thought we could sneak off during our breaks to finish the rest of the work, but when Lord Reggie found out, he—he didn't praise us at all; instead, he said we violated the rules, and as punishment, our working hours were reduced even more the next day—."

He rubbed his right hand against his left, his face full of confusion and grievance: "Now, besides sleeping and these short eight hours of work each day, we have so much extra time, and we don't know what to do with it—this—this makes everyone feel empty, even a little—a little panicked. Did we—do something wrong, anger Lord Reggie?"

Lynch listened quietly to Kragg's aggrieved narration. His expression was hidden by the bird-beak mask, but his aura remained steady. Only after Kragg finished speaking did he slowly open his mouth, his voice deep and penetrating through the mask:

"Shortening the working hours isn't because you're doing a bad job, Cragg. On the contrary, it's precisely to prepare for the more important work to come."

Kragg's single eye immediately lit up, and his huge ears stood up even higher as he focused.

Lynch continued, "This factory will soon have new production lines added. We need to start manufacturing two new products: message boards, and—Floo powder."

Upon hearing the word "Floo Powder," Kragg gasped. As an elderly house-elf, he was well aware of the importance of Floo Powder in a wizard's daily life and its enormous consumption.

"The demand for Floo Powder is enormous. Once production begins, it will need to operate around the clock, with a three-shift system," Lynch explained. "This means that each Pokémon will only need to work eight hours a day, but the factory can continue production day and night. The reason we're getting you used to the eight-hour workday now is to ensure you can seamlessly transition to the high-intensity production pace of the future."

He paused slightly, allowing the shock and excitement that had been flashing in Kragg's eyes to subside a little.

"To support this scale of production, we need a large workforce." Lynch's voice came from behind the mask, steady yet carrying an undeniable weight. "Krag, use your channels to contact those wandering elves. Tell them there are jobs, shelter, and opportunities here. The more, the better."

The bird-beak mask turned slightly toward Kragg, its empty eye sockets seemingly locking onto the one-eyed elf.

"Remember," Lynch gently raised his index finger and pointed it into the air, "this is your chance. If the number of sprites isn't enough to keep three shifts running—"

He deliberately paused for a second, and the roar of the machines in the workshop became clearly audible.

"I can only open the door and give human wizards more job opportunities."

The term "human wizard" was coined.

Kragg's thin body stiffened abruptly, and his single eye widened instantly.

Introducing human wizards?

This means they are no longer unique or irreplaceable!

This means that their job duties can be replaced!

"No! My lord! No!" Krag cried out, his voice rising with urgency. His withered hands gripped his robe tightly, his knuckles white. "No one can come! Absolutely not! Krag swears to you! I swear to you!"

He was so excited he almost jumped up, pounding his chest with a loud thud.

"Krag will find them! He'll find enough brothers and sisters! Enough to keep all three shifts running! We don't need a single human! The factory is ours! The jobs are ours! Leave it to Krag! He'll get it done!"

Seeing Kragg regain his energy, Lynch didn't continue the topic. Instead, he changed the subject and returned to the question that left the house-elves most bewildered.

His voice carried an air of authority:

"With the extra time... money isn't just for show. Reggie should have already opened an account for you."

He leaned forward slightly, his bird-beak mask gleaming coldly in the dim light.

"Use this money to purchase food, daily necessities, or other things that will lift your spirits from the shops within the Chamber of Commerce. Maintaining a good state of mind is essential for ensuring production efficiency; you should understand this principle."

Lynch spoke slowly, but every word reached Cragg's ears clearly:

"Remember, this money is a reward for your hard work. The Chamber of Commerce has its own rules, and I cannot arbitrarily allocate resources. Giving you the option to choose your own wages is both a recognition of your efforts and saves me the trouble of personally handling things."

"Learning how to use your wages is also part of the new life you need to adapt to."