"High Priest, I understand the rationale, but why does Magic Department insist on trading in Lucerne City, when Franco would be a better choice?" an older man questioned, doubting the Lundan authorities.
"The Magic Department from Windsor is not allowed to enter Franco, and our influence there is too strong. Lucerne City is the best choice; that’s the value of minor countries..."
The woman frowned, giving a reason she herself did not quite endorse, before saying, "Regardless, this trade is of great importance, pertaining to The Church’s future development in Windsor. We must handle it with care."
"Do we still need to set up a Magic Array when they’ve drained The Four Elements?"
"We’ll use elemental gems to set it up. Only by demonstrating our strength will they learn to respect us."
The woman spoke slowly, her concern evident: "The Magic Department’s allowance for The Church to develop in Windsor feels too fortuitous—I don’t think it’s a good thing. After all... once we’re involved, the balance of the Life Alliance in Windsor will be disrupted, the long-standing tacit understanding broken, and only outsiders will benefit."
"High Priest, does the Windsor Royal Family intend to use us to divide the Life Alliance?"
"The Alliance isn’t so easily split; we have common enemies. It’s just that, with differences accumulating over time, a day of eruption is inevitable."
The woman sighed. Windsor was hostile to several churches, and any enticing promises were nothing but bait—she did not advocate for large-scale development in Windsor, but with the Church headquarters having made their decision, she had no choice but to follow orders.
Her expectations were not high. As Windsor District High Priest assigned by the Moonlight Church headquarters, she sought steady, reliable establishment, rather than making rapid progress and being used as a pawn by the Royal Family.
In her gut, she had a premonition that, given Windsor’s strong desire for control, there would be trouble with this meeting and trade.
The following day, the 28th.
On his second day in Lucerne City and after freshening up, Wayne saw Mona sitting on the sofa, seemingly in a daze.
"Wake up, stop sleeping. The sun’s up," he urged.
Wayne pointed outside the window, where the overcast sky was covered in a blanket of grey clouds, with only the occasional weak ray of light shining through.
"Ah, master, you’re awake!"
Mona stood up, her mind still foggy until the mention of her behind brought her to full alertness.
You’re not telling me you didn’t get any sleep last night, are you?
Wayne patted Mona on the shoulder, "As an undercover, inevitable physical contact happens. You’ve adapted well before, why did you get spooked last night?"
Mona gave an awkward smile, thought of something, and quizzed, "Master... boss, when you were undercover before, did you also have close contact with other women?"
"No, you’re the first."
Mona breathed a sigh of relief, wanting to ask more but saw Wayne waving his hand and walking toward the door.
"I’m going to scope out the bidding event location this morning, meet a few partners in the afternoon, and there’s an envoy from the Pope tonight. It’s a busy day, so don’t drop the ball."
He glanced at Mona and teased, "Get in better shape, there’s a reward for you after the success of the mission."
"What kind of reward? Can you tell me?"
"You’ll find out when the time comes, it’s the sort you like the most."
The two left the suite, and as they reached the lobby on the first floor, they ran into Nicholas and his group. Seeing the new boss full of energy and the female secretary slightly listless, he sent an admiring look their way.
Someone who knew the game well understood the great difficulty involved.
Wayne suspected Nicholas had misunderstood something, but after consideration, decided there was no need to explain to subordinates. He puffed out his chest and carried on as if nothing had happened.
"Mister Wayne, this afternoon our partners have arranged a meeting with some friendly businesses, including Boswell Mining Company," Nicholas said.
Holding the schedule, Nicholas continued while they walked: "Boswell Mining is taking this bidding event very seriously. They’ve been in talks with the authorities in Lucerne Fortress and Grand Duke Charlotte, and I suspect they have resorted to bribery."
The bribery isn’t important—standard business procedure—the key point is that Boswell Mining has a significant advantage. Partners in Franco hope to form an alliance and remove Prussia from the bidding event with an absolute advantage.
"Who did Boswell Family send?" Wayne inquired.
"Owen Boswell, the family’s next-generation successor," Nicholas answered.
Wayne thought back to the arrogant face, which due to Austin’s scheming, he was not exactly fond of.
"Send a gift in my name, mail Mister Owen a bucket of cement."