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Chapter 159: Another Marcus
🕑 Added 2025-05-19 11:03:57 +0000 UTCIt’s not without reason that John Constantine is labeled a scumbag in the comics. According to Noah, the guy is also portrayed as bisexual in the source material.
Of course, Noah didn’t bother to overthink it. The one standing before him didn’t seem to swing that way, but his personality was definitely just as rotten.
That said, the Constantine here was nowhere near the powerhouse madman version from the comics Noah remembered.
Although Angelina was indeed attractive, Noah had absolutely no interest in that right now.
Sometimes, Noah wondered if he’d gone a bit mad from reading too many books—his mind was consumed by magic and similar obsessions.
But thinking deeper, that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
A wizard’s lifespan could be impressively long. The stronger one’s magical power, the more terrifying their longevity became. Even if the body gave out, the soul could persist.
So, Noah wasn’t too bothered by his current lack of interest in romantic matters.
"I really prefer mature women. Leave the l*lis and young beauties to the otaku crowd," Noah muttered.
He rolled his eyes at Constantine, and even Angelina shot Constantine a glare of disapproval.
The man simply shrugged, clearly bored, and began patting his coat in search of a lighter. Ever since arriving in the UK and being treated at St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, his condition had improved—almost miraculously.
As a result, any ideas of quitting smoking vanished. Still, he was more restrained now—not the self-destructive man waiting for death he used to be.
Lately, he’d even been sleeping well, no longer plagued by the voices of demons. As for angels?
Yeah, no. Still no word from them.
"Alright, you boring bastard, what are you doing here this time?" Constantine asked, a cigarette dangling from his lips as he tilted his head at Noah.
"This girl needs an exorcism trial. I brought her here for that," Noah replied, motioning to Angelina.
"Trial? Bloody hell, you’ll probably have to handle that yourself." Constantine frowned, rubbing his forehead.
“Just our luck,” Noah sighed. “The one time I rush over here, and you’re ready to leave.”
Seeing the disappointment on Angelina’s face, Noah asked, “When will you be back?”
“No idea,” Constantine replied, spreading his arms. “Soon, hopefully. Why not drop by during summer break?”
“I doubt I’ll have the time,” Noah shook his head. But then an idea struck him. “Are you sure we’re only dealing with vampires and werewolves this time? Nothing... nastier?”
“I can’t promise that,” Constantine replied, clearly catching Noah’s implication. He smirked. “But as long as it’s not something completely ridiculous, we can handle it. Right?”
“I hope so. I’ll notify Professor Dumbledore.” Noah nodded, then turned and opened a portal, disappearing in a flash of golden light.
Constantine nearly dropped his cigarette. Angelina stared at the glowing remnants of the portal in confusion.
What did this mean?
Were they really going abroad with this handsome but frustrating exorcist?
Half an hour passed. Angelina grew more and more anxious, but finally, the golden halo shimmered once more—and Noah stepped out.
But this time, he wasn’t alone.
“Professor Snape?!” Angelina gasped. She recognized him instantly and stood frozen in disbelief.
“Angelina? You’re the candidate for this trial?” Professor Severus Snape raised a brow, clearly surprised that Noah’s little group was recruiting older students.
“I explained the situation to Professor Dumbledore,” Noah said nonchalantly. “He helped me deal with the Ministry of Magic. You know how slow that is. In the end, Dumbledore decided Snape should accompany us for safety.”
What Noah didn’t say: when he’d arrived at Hogwarts, Cornelius Fudge just happened to be in Dumbledore’s office—which ironically made negotiations easier. Still, Fudge refused outright.
It wasn’t until Dumbledore personally suggested Snape go along that Fudge caved. He even muttered something about coordinating with the Hungarian Ministry.
The speed of his attitude shift confused Noah, until Snape clued him in:
“Fudge fears Voldemort, but he’s far more obsessed with power. Influenced by pure-blood ideals, he leans in that direction now.”
Noah got it. Fudge wasn’t exactly a Death Eater, but he liked Voldemort’s ideas—without wanting to serve under him.
From his point of view, Snape was a loyal Slytherin and Draco Malfoy’s godfather. A perfect pure-blood representative.
Fudge probably thought: Look, Dumbledore couldn’t convince me, but I agreed when Snape asked. See what that says?
Well, he was overthinking it. Snape had never been a saint. The only reason he worked with Dumbledore now was out of personal conviction—and a promise made long ago.
“Guess I’ll need to spend money on three more plane tickets,” Constantine muttered, visibly annoyed.
“No need,” Noah said, smiling. “We’ll teleport.”
“You can teleport that far?” Constantine looked shocked.
“Technically, yes. There’s a small chance we’ll end up in a populated area, but I’ll aim for somewhere remote.”
“What about my tickets?”
“Just refund them,” Noah said with a shrug, already opening another golden portal.
Plane tickets were refundable—though the fees were annoying. Still, better than nothing.
Noah silently thanked his system. Thanks to a map he’d found in the Hogwarts library, he could now accurately teleport to many global locations.
The map wasn’t magical in the traditional sense, but when Noah focused, it became transparent and overlaid itself in his vision. It didn’t interfere with his magic or navigation, though the design was oddly somber—something that mildly irritated him.
Of course, the map wasn’t all-powerful. He couldn’t locate the Hungarian Ministry of Magic, for example.
“Where exactly are we going? Don’t just say ‘Hungary,’” Constantine grumbled.
“Budapest.”
“Budapest, huh? I should’ve brought Avril along. Could’ve made it a vacation.”
“Don’t get your hopes up,” Noah warned. “The Ministry there is a mess. There are so many werewolves and vampires running loose, it’s like they’ve given up control.”
Apparently, years ago, Hungary’s Ministry of Magic signed a peace treaty with werewolves and vampires, aiming for coexistence.
Now? That treaty had become a curse.
The monsters started demanding rights. The Ministry didn’t want to grant them. But due to the treaty, neither side could act.
Magicians feared breaking the accord. The monsters couldn’t win in a fight, but they were protected by that same agreement.
Hungary’s Ministry refused to ask for help from others, too ashamed.
Other countries respected their stance—after all, the Ministry hadn’t fallen—so no one interfered.
As a result, Hungary had become a haven for rogue creatures.
This had been going on for centuries.
To regular Muggles, Budapest was a scenic, romantic tourist spot.
But to people like Noah? A powder keg.
Few knew that Miss Hefen had become a magician. And those who did either swore secrecy or kept silent—so Constantine was unaware.
“Relax, I was just joking. Let’s go,” Constantine said.
Noah located a safe drop point and walked through the portal. The others followed.
Budapest was only one hour ahead of the UK, so jet lag wasn’t an issue.
They emerged beneath a secluded overpass—deserted except for a few homeless people.
Snape handled that easily with a Memory Charm.
“What now?” Noah asked, glancing at Constantine.
“First, we figure out where we are,” Constantine said. “Then I need to contact the guy who reached out to me. Let’s buy a map and find a place to stay. Hope you're all okay with Muggle hotels.”
“I don’t mind,” Noah said. Snape remained silent as usual, and Angelina looked slightly uneasy in the unfamiliar surroundings.
They made their way toward the city center.
Budapest—perched along the Danube River—was known as the “Paris of the East” and the “Pearl of the Danube.” Its landmarks sparkled in the sunlight, scenic and majestic.
Angelina looked around in wonder, soaking in the sights. Noah, on the other hand, barely glanced around. Snape wasn’t the sightseeing type either.
“John, do you know what this mission actually involves?” Noah asked, boredom creeping in.
"I don't know, but it's nothing more than dealing with some vampires or werewolves." Constantine shrugged and said, "Of course, we have to be careful of them causing trouble, because it is said that the vampires and werewolves here are quite united."
"Can you tell me that there are vampire families and werewolf families there that are not united?"
"It seems not."
"Okay, what are their family names?"
"I don't know, but I heard from my friend that the ancestor of the vampires seems to have fallen into a deep sleep, and his name is Marcus?"
