"What have you figured out?"
On the gray, fog-shrouded street, Magic Miss asked, her voice a mix of shock and suspicion.
"Just a few things that should have been obvious. We can discuss it later. For now, I have a plan. Are you in?"
Jenkins then revealed his plan was to go directly to Queen Isabella. Magic Miss imdiately thought he was insane.
In truth, the sheer audacity of his plan had stunned her. Despite being an Enchanter, she still harbored a degree of respect, even awe, for the Queen's secular authority—not for the woman herself, but for the imnse power her position commanded. Magic Miss had never imagined a day when she would confront the monarch face-to-face.
"I think you should reconsider. We need a foolproof plan, not just a vague notion of 'sneaking in and forcing the truth out of her when no one's looking.'"
"Alright then..."
Jenkins thought for a mont, then rephrased:
"Here's the plan: we wait by the entrance to City Hall and sneak into her carriage ahead of ti. I'll use a charm to muffle our sounds and make us invisible. Then, once she gets in, we press her for answers."
Jenkins said with a nod, clearly thinking it was an excellent plan.
"You can't be serious, Mr. Candle? To ambush and interrogate the queen of a nation, and that's your entire plan?"
"Of course. Do we need to write up a detailed proposal? I've never been one for that sort of thing."
He asked in surprise, but Magic Miss still thought it was far too reckless.
"Then what do you think we should do?"
He stopped walking and asked. Magic Miss stopped as well, and they stood together by a mailbox at the mouth of an alley, looking as if they were just making small talk.
"First, there aren't enough of us. Second, you just ca up with this, but you know nothing about the current situation at City Hall or around the Queen. And finally, since she's working with an illegal organization, she's bound to have asures in place to protect against Enchanters. Shouldn't we prepare for that?"
Magic Miss was an exceptionally cautious person. In truth, Jenkins was cautious too, but he felt that in this particular matter, they didn't need to sweat the details. If they succeeded, great. If they failed, the Orthodox Church wouldn't give them too much trouble, given their cooperative relationship—not to ntion the fact that what they were doing was entirely in the na of justice.
"You have a point, but the sun is about to set. The longer we wait, the more can go wrong. We should handle this tonight. After all, soone just died. The Treehouse will definitely find out."
"In that case..."
Magic Miss gritted her teeth.
"Then let's go find Mr. Hood. He's level-headed, and I know he's nearby. If we get him to join us, even if we fail, I'm sure we'll have an escape route."
"Don't even consider failure. We will succeed."
Jenkins said reassuringly, then added:
"I can swear on my na, this won't cause any major trouble. Magic Miss, we don't need to fear the power of the crown. We both know Williatte. If he successfully takes the throne in a few months, we'll all be credited with helping him. When that happens, you could probably get a title like 'Royal Consultant on the Arcane.'"
"I'll pass. He's a Scribe for the Church of Knowledge and Books. Why would he let be so royal consultant?"
The woman muttered, leading Jenkins through the alley and toward another block diagonally ahead.
Mr. Hood was an incredibly successful rchant. As for just how successful, Jenkins had only pieced together snippets from conversations at the gatherings and from what the old elf had said. Even after eting Mr. Hood in Bel Diran, he still didn't have a clear idea of the true extent of his success.
It wasn't until Magic Miss led him into the magnificent marble building, situated at the corner of a five-way intersection in the comrcial district of eastern Nolan City, that he finally gained a clear understanding of his friend's financial power.
"Is this a bank?"
Walking across the pristine floor, so clean it almost reflected his image, Jenkins asked nervously. He went up the steps, passed between marble colonnades, and entered a foyer that was surprisingly vast and empty, save for a row of counters along one wall where a few middle-aged n in uniform sat. Looking up, he saw a magnificent do, its ceiling adorned with an exquisite oil painting.
"You've never been here before?"
"Why would you think I had?"
Jenkins asked in a low voice.
"It's very famous. The Carrl Psychological Counseling Center. It's the largest psychological counseling firm in Nolan and the biggest chain in the entire Fidektri Kingdom. They even have a partnership with the Royal College of dicine."
Magic Miss explained as she reached into her pocket and started searching for sothing.
"A psychological counseling firm?"
He looked again at the immaculate floor that seed too clean to walk on, at the priceless oil paintings on the walls, and at the antique suits of armor holding swords that flanked the open doors.
"Is this line of work really that profitable?"
He and his unsophisticated cat were both amazed. Man and feline alike glanced around, wondering how much the building alone was worth.
"Of course. I've known Mr. Hood for a long ti. Three years ago, he told his annual net inco was about this much."
As she spoke, she made a hand gesture toward Jenkins. He interpreted the sign language according to the rules of the black market, and the shock on his face intensified.
"This must be what they call a top-tier capitalist, right?"
"Yes, by any definition, Mr. Hood could be called a great capitalist... But don't just look at how well he's doing now. He was down on his luck a long ti ago. I rember Mr. Black Cat, who's left Nolan now, knew him the longest. Mr. Black Cat once told that Mr. Hood's life was terrible over twenty years ago, and he only made his fortune in the last decade or so. He's the type of ordinary person who made it big through hard work, diligence, and a little bit of luck. He deserves this business... And don't give any of that talk about capitalist exploitation; I don't understand any of it."
With that, she finally found a business card in her pocket and handed it to a young woman who approached them with a professional smile. The woman imdiately led the two of them deeper into the building. They followed her down a corridor, through a consultation area, and stopped at a second large door. After a nod to the uniford guard, they entered the office area behind it.
Mr. Hood's office was at the very end of the hall. Before Jenkins could knock, he heard voices from inside. The mont they knocked, the conversation stopped abruptly.
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