#838 - Today

"What's the plan? And why is Master in such a hurry to get us out?"

Hearing there was a chance to regain their freedom, the Death Eaters' eyes turned bloodshot with excitement. Even some non-Death Eater high-profile criminals couldn't help but prick up their ears.

"The Dark Lord specifically instructed me before his 'departure' to find a way to rescue all his servants from Azkaban. After all, his current situation isn't good, and he has a formidable enemy like Anduin constantly causing trouble. He desperately needs your assistance!"

Seeing everyone's enthusiastic reaction, Lockhart quickly fabricated a reason for rescuing them, ensuring they would believe it without a doubt.

"So that's how it is. Then tell us the plan quickly, so we can go out and tear that damn Anduin to pieces!" Upon hearing that Voldemort was in a difficult situation, Bellatrix felt even worse than if she were suffering herself.

"Don't be impatient, please let me explain everything clearly..." Lockhart deliberately cleared his throat before elaborating, "The reason why no one has been able to escape from Azkaban for so many years isn't because of the sturdy cells, its remote location, or its strict magical defenses, but because of its guards—the Dementors!"

The surrounding Death Eaters couldn't help but nod in agreement. Indeed, as Lockhart said, these mad and violent thugs couldn't be contained by mere prison doors.

Everyone here was proficient in wandless magic. Even if the cells were inscribed with various counter-curses, they might not withstand a powerful Transfiguration or Blasting Curse.

The main reason everyone was trapped here and unable to move was because of those appalling Dementors.

When these magical creatures used the 'Dementor's Kiss' to suck out a wizard's soul, they not only took away their happy memories but also continuously drained their energy and magic.

Therefore, wizards who had been visited by these monsters were basically listless, looking like they had overindulged in debauchery, regardless of gender.

The stricter and higher the security level of the cell, the more often the Dementors visited each day. For Death Eaters like them, a batch of Dementors would come to feed every morning, noon, and evening, with extremely regular meals.

Therefore, despite the Death Eaters' loud shouts, they actually had no magic power left in their bodies, and all they had left to fight with was their mouths.

Because of this, in the upper levels with lower security, one could occasionally see individual wizards escaping, though they only managed to escape their cells. Their eventual fate was basically being caught again, after all, those roaming Dementors weren't just there for show.

So, when they heard Lockhart say he could rescue them, most people were skeptical. Even if he had some means to help them escape the cells, or even escape Azkaban, it would be useless.

If he couldn't help them avoid the Dementors' gaze and attacks, it would all be in vain.

However, when he said this, Lockhart revealed an unparalleled look of confidence on his face, though if someone observed carefully, they could see a hint of constipation hidden in his expression.

"You may not know this, but the Dark Lord was already planning ahead when he was in a Horcrux state. At that time, in a state of extreme mental exhaustion, he instructed me to create a batch of magical items specifically designed to counter those Dementors."

"It's also thanks to my proficiency in various types of magic, including Alchemy and Charms, otherwise, even if someone else obtained the Dark Lord's blueprints, they probably wouldn't be able to make these things."

"Alchemy items that can counter Dementors?" The Death Eaters were all surprised, but soon Rodolphus couldn't help but question, "Items that can counter Dementors might really exist, but even if they do, how did you bring them into Azkaban?"

The others also showed curious expressions. Indeed, everyone who entered Azkaban had to undergo a strict body search and various counter-curse screenings. Whether something was invisible, transformed, or shrunk, it would be detected.

Unless someone like Barty Crouch Sr., who had a high position in the wizarding world or the Ministry of Magic, could bring his transformed son out of prison, Lockhart was clearly not that kind of person.

"You wouldn't understand this. The items the Dark Lord instructed me to make are not only small and lightweight but can also evade many basic magical checks, allowing me to easily hide them inside my body!" Lockhart snorted.

"Hide them inside your body?" Bellatrix and Rodolphus exchanged surprised glances. "Did you hide the item in your mouth?"

"Heh, are you stupid? The checks when entering Azkaban also include the mouth, let alone for a high-profile prisoner like me," Lockhart sneered.

"Could it be that you swallowed it into your stomach?" The Death Eaters guessed again.

"How easy is it to take something out after swallowing it into your stomach? And haven't you noticed that I haven't even been affected by the Dementors once in the past ten days since I came in."

Lockhart smiled coldly, "In other words, those items are still inside my body to this day. If I swallowed them, could they have been preserved for so long?"

Hearing this, everyone carefully recalled, and then they nodded. After these days, many people had already noticed that Lockhart did seem different from others.

Every day during the Dementors' routine feeding, others would show painful expressions, some even screaming in pain after so many years, but Lockhart was extremely calm, as if nothing was happening.

Thinking of this, everyone couldn't help but believe Lockhart's words a little more. This guy really seemed to have a way to resist the Dementors' threat.

If they didn't have to endure the Dementors' feeding three times a day, they would be able to accumulate enough magic power in a few days. Then they could find a way to grab a wand, and then kill their way to the top floor of the prison and escape using Apparition!

Thinking of this, everyone's mood became even more excited.

"Then... did you hide them under your skin?" Rodolphus couldn't help but guess, but he quickly shook his head, "No, you just said 'those,' which means there's more than one item that can protect against Dementors, so hiding them under the skin isn't realistic."

"Correct!" Lockhart nodded proudly, "The Dark Lord specifically instructed me to rescue all his subordinates. There are currently 17 Death Eaters imprisoned in the deepest part of Azkaban. For you, I specifically brought a full 17 items!"

"What?"

The Death Eaters were all shocked. They originally thought that the so-called items that could resist Dementors would only be one or a few, enough to rescue one or two of the most loyal subordinates. Who would have thought that Lockhart was preparing to rescue everyone.

"17 magical items? And you're carrying them on your body?" Rodolphus looked at Lockhart in shock, his eyes moving up and down his body. He really couldn't imagine how the other party had brought so many alchemy items into Azkaban.

"Lockhart can hide so many items on his body, which proves that those alchemy items must not be large, and they are their original size, not shrunk in advance, otherwise, they wouldn't have passed the entry counter-curse check."

Rodolphus muttered to himself.

"But as far as I know, the smallest alchemy item is at least the size of a peanut. Although Master had considerable attainments in alchemy before, he was more specialized in dark magic items."

"So the items that Lockhart could bring in couldn't be too ridiculously small."

Thinking of this, Rodolphus carefully looked at Lockhart again, and then he noticed the posture of the other party hugging his knees, tiptoeing, and half-squatting on the bed.

"This guy has been in this posture every day since he entered Azkaban. Even when he sleeps, he rarely straightens his body. Could it be..."

As if thinking of something, Rodolphus's eyes suddenly lit up, but soon his expression became strange, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but twitch stiffly.

"You... the items you hid on your body, could they be in there—"

Hearing this, Lockhart looked at Rodolphus as if he had found a kindred spirit. The stiff smile on his face finally became much more natural, and a trace of tears even faintly appeared in the corners of his eyes.

He pointed somewhat vaguely at the area below his stomach.

"Ah? Are you saying your a...?" Bellatrix couldn't help but cover her mouth halfway through her sentence, and even vaguely prepared to vomit. Even this once high-spirited dark wizard couldn't accept the truth after learning it.

"17 items, you hid them all in... that place? How did you endure it? Why didn't you tell us the truth earlier?" Compared to Bellatrix's vomiting, Rodolphus was more curious about why Lockhart had endured until now.

You have to know that the other party has not been affected by the Dementors for more than half a month, which means that for more than ten days, those alchemy items are still hidden in his body!

But this is completely unnecessary! Wouldn't it be less painful to tell everyone sooner?

"Hehehehe... Easy to say..." Lockhart smiled sternly, "What do you think I've been busy with for the past half month?"

"It wasn't until yesterday that the 16th amulet was finally pulled out! Otherwise, I wouldn't have chosen to contact you these two days." Lockhart had a straight face, with an awe-inspiring expression.

However, soon his stomach twitched again, causing Lockhart to grimace, but soon he showed a happy expression, "Hahaha! It's been hard for me to maintain this posture for so long, the birth of this last treasure is today!"

After shouting loudly, Lockhart rushed to a corner of the cell in a hurry. After a while, the people outside the cell heard a sound like firecrackers, accompanied by bursts of stench!