The sources of wood for puppet making, the channels for purchasing paint.
The partial properties of the spells that Lumièr used, as well as the knowledge obtained from Alya.
Those were all the gains after Ronald left the city tonight.
After Ronald and Alya finished clearing the puppet-making workshop in the birch forest, the two of them erased any traces that might arouse suspicion and then parted ways after setting a date.
It was already late at night.
Ronald didn’t need to be as cautious about his concealment as before.
He flew over Springs using the "Rotation" spell and landed on the balcony of his apartment, then drew back the curtain and walked inside.
"Ronald, you’re back?"
As soon as she heard the movement on the balcony, Heloise immediately came to greet him.
Seeing Ronald’s somber expression, she instantly realized that new developments must have occurred since she had left.
However, facing Ronald, Heloise still suppressed her curiosity and said to him first,
"I’ve already made contact with the Ginkgo Leaf."
"They seem to take it very seriously when they know it’s related to the mysterious side. We can have a preliminary statistic on the trading situation of rare woods by this afternoon."
Grateful for the girl’s explanation, Ronald nodded in thanks,
"Heloise, thank you for your trouble."
"Over in the outskirts, I encountered Alya and then came across some rather special circumstances. By the birch forest to the north, the situation with those puppet guards was even more exaggerated than on the manor’s side..."
Ronald detailed the situation to Heloise without omitting anything.
Upon hearing about the abilities of those puppets, Heloise’s complexion turned quite grim.
As someone who had once engaged in spy work,
the first thing she thought of was the military implications of deploying such puppet troops. Based on the situation Ronald encountered, their combat capabilities could definitely become a very formidable force.
Even in other areas, such as in the production of materials,
these puppets, supported by magical abilities, with the ability to increase in number, and not requiring oil or coal—able to work for prolonged periods—were exceptionally significant existences.
It wasn’t until Ronald finished his description that Heloise could no longer contain herself.
Showing rare signs of anxiety, she even paced back and forth in the living room, muttering under her breath,
"Fairy tales... the spell system of dream fairy tales..."
"I’ve never heard of this before, and it wasn’t mentioned in the classified information of our department. Such a dangerous spell... Ronald, can that Alya really be trusted?"
Heloise had been by Ronald’s side all this time.
As a Caster who grew up in this world, the shock Heloise received was even more intense than others, especially since Ronald always spoke the truth when communicating with her.
Tonight, having been hit by such a barrage of information, Heloise finally got really flustered.
Seeing the girl’s reaction, Ronald was very straightforward.
He simply walked over to Heloise’s side, then took her hand and sat down together on the living room sofa.
"Heloise, don’t put too much pressure on yourself."
"Whether or not Alya can be trusted is something to be set aside for now, but dealing with Lumièr is undoubtedly something we must do. It’s hard to predict what will happen in the distant future, but focusing on the immediate is definitely correct."
Comforted by Ronald, Heloise quickly calmed down.
It took her just over a minute to reorganize her thoughts:
"So, tomorrow morning we’ll take more information about the paint brands. Combining the rare woods and the bulk paint purchase, surely we should be able to spot a giveaway."
Ronald nodded in agreement:
"It’s too difficult for us to investigate this alone—the negotiations and searching are time-consuming and tiring, and we could easily miss the window of opportunity. For now, we can only hope that the commercial guild will give us their full support."
After nodding in approval, Heselius proposed:
"Ronald, I’m still not at ease about that Alya."
"From what you’ve said, she knows that madman Bapulor, and my old boss is aware of his existence too. We must find out her background. Otherwise, if we fall into her trap..."
At this thought, Heselius frowned and shook her head:
"In any case, it definitely won’t be anything good."
Ronald understood Heselius’s concerns.
Being treated at the same level as spy leaders and magician cult leaders, Alya certainly had a very special identity; indeed, it would be better to clear things up a bit.
Thus, Ronald’s gaze naturally fell on the living room wall.
"Perhaps there’s someone in the know right here in this apartment."
"Let’s just go and ask them."
With that, Ronald rose from the couch and, turning right at the door, knocked on the neighbor’s door.
"Miss Fanny, is it convenient for you to open the door right now?"
Magic practitioners living in Springs recently found it almost a luxury to have a peaceful night’s sleep. And as the neighbor of an Origine holder, the witch and her apprentice pair – "The Twelve Witches" – hardly enjoyed quality sleep either.
So, knocking at this moment, Ronald was sure there would be some gain.
It was only about ten seconds before the door indeed was opened.
The witch Fanny, dressed in a long robe, looked at Ronald at the door and asked curiously:
"What brings you here so late, Mr. Ronald?"
Ronald got straight to the point:
"I’ve collected some information about Lumiel today. Do you have time to talk?"
"Ah?" Witch Fanny’s eyes were stunned, and at first, she didn’t even catch on.
After entrusting this to Ronald, she naturally couldn’t just sit at home waiting for news. In the meantime, she and her student had been gathering information around Springs, which had practically become all of her life.
However, the result of her work all this time was that she got absolutely no news.
In a city like Springs, with its population and rank, the techniques she normally used were limited and practically helpless in this situation. She could easily get caught up in the disputes between the new and old nobility and the mystic powers.
Not to mention the complications brought by the changing situation in Springs!
But now, today, this Origine holder recommended by the Grand Witch—Ronald Adler.
Had he really brought the news?
Her thoughts flowing from memories to the present, Witch Fanny finally snapped out of it as if awakening from a dream, her voice uncontrollably excited:
"Ah, this... I definitely have time!"
"Should I come in and sit for a while, or would you rather I go to your place?"
Ronald showed a comforting smile and spoke in a calm tone:
"Come to my place, we’ll talk slowly."