The Third District Market buzzed with morning activity as merchants hawked their wares and customers haggled over prices. Raelian positioned himself near a spice vendor's stall with clear sight lines to the baker's shop, wearing common clothes that would blend with the crowd.
Helena had chosen a spot by the fabric merchant across the square, disguised as a young lady shopping for dress materials. Her violet eyes tracked every movement near the baker's stall with the focus of a hunting cat.
*Nine fifty-eight.Right on schedule.*
Brother Francis Holloway appeared at the market's eastern entrance, his brown robes marking him as a junior Church official. He was exactly as the novel had described—middle-aged, unremarkable features, with the soft look of someone who'd never done physical labor. The kind of man who could disappear in any crowd.
*Perfect cover for Cardinal Matthias's dirty work.*
Brother Francis moved through the market with practiced casualness, stopping to examine various goods while gradually working his way toward the baker's stall. His movements looked random to casual observers, but Raelian could see the systematic pattern designed to detect surveillance.
*He's been trained for this. Professional level tradecraft.*
At exactly ten o'clock, a woman approached the baker's stall from the opposite direction. Martha Crowley matched her description from the novel perfectly—late forties, worn clothing, the weathered appearance of someone who'd lived a hard life. Her eyes held the calculating look of someone who'd learned to profit from other people's troubles.
Brother Francis made his final approach, pretending to examine the baker's fresh bread while Martha selected items for purchase. To anyone watching, they appeared to be strangers sharing counter space at a busy stall.
Textbook dead drop technique. These aren't amateurs.The exchange happened so smoothly that Raelian almost missed it despite watching carefully. As Martha paid for her bread, Brother Francis dropped a small leather purse beside her basket. She palmed it without looking, completed her transaction, and walked away in the opposite direction.
The entire interaction lasted less than two minutes.
Ding!
╔══════════════════════════
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║ NOTIFICATION ║
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│ Prediction accuracy confirmed: 100% │
│ Helena trust level: 55% → 75% │
│ Investigation phase unlocked │
│ New skill available: Surveillance (Basic) │
╚══════════════════════════
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Perfect. Everything exactly as the novel predicted.
Raelian maintained his position for another fifteen minutes, following standard surveillance protocol before casually leaving the market. Helena would do the same from her location, and they'd arranged to meet at the Academy library in two hours to discuss what they'd observed.
The wait felt longer than it actually was.
Helena arrived at their designated library table carrying an armload of books, the perfect cover for an extended private conversation. Her expression was carefully neutral, but Raelian could see the excitement she was trying to hide.
"Well?" he asked quietly.
"Ten o'clock exactly. Brown-robed Church official, middle-aged, unremarkable appearance. Woman in worn clothing, late forties. Exchange at the baker's stall lasting approximately ninety seconds." Helena leaned forward, lowering her voice further. "Small leather item passed from the man to the woman during the payment process.'
"And your assessment?"
"Professional execution. Both parties knew exactly what they were doing. This wasn't their first such meeting." Helena's violet eyes held new intensity. "You were completely accurate."
Time to capitalize on this credibility.
"Which means everything else I told you is also accurate.Cardinal Matthias is planning to destroy Saintess Theresa using fabricated evidence, and we just watched him pay for false testimony."
Helena nodded slowly. "I'm convinced.
What's our next step?"
"We build a comprehensive case documenting his entire network. Witness recruiters like Brother Francis, false witnesses like Martha Crowley, forgers who create fake documents, Church Guards who plant evidence. The whole operation."
"That's an enormous undertaking for just two people."
"Which is why we're going to be very smart about how we approach it." Raelian pulled out a notebook, opening to a page covered with names, dates, and connecting lines. "I've already identified the key players and their likely meeting schedules. We don't need to surveil everyone—just the critical nodes that can expose the entire network."
Helena studied his organizational chart with growing appreciation. "You've put serious thought into this."
"Cardinal Matthias has been operating for years because he's careful, methodical, and patient. Defeating him requires being more careful, more methodical, and more patient than he is."
"Show me the plan."
Raelian turned to a fresh page, sketching out a timeline. "Phase one: Document the witness recruitment network. We've already started with Brother Francis and Martha Crowley. There are at least six other false witnesses being recruited for different aspects of the case."
"Phase two?"
"Evidence fabrication. Cardinal Matthias needs physical proof to support the witness testimony. That means forged documents, planted artifacts, maybe even staged crime scenes. Someone has to create and position those items."
"Phase three?"
"The investigation itself. Church Inquisitors will be assigned to examine the evidence and interview witnesses. They're probably honest officials who don't know they're being manipulated, but their procedures will be carefully guided to reach predetermined conclusions.
"Helena was taking notes now, her quick mind grasping the scope of the conspiracy. "How do we gather evidence on all these different aspects without getting caught?"
"Carefully planned surveillance, document photography, and..." Raelian paused, considering how much to reveal. "I have access to information sources that can predict when and where key meetings will occur."
"What kind of information sources?"
Dangerous question. Need believable deflection.
The kind that come from understanding how these people think and operate. Cardinal Matthias uses the same methods repeatedly because they've worked before. Once you recognize the pattern, you can anticipate the next steps.
Helena accepted this explanation with a slight nod. "What do you need from me specifically?"
"Your enchantment skills for undetectable surveillance spells. Your family connections for access to Church records. And your analytical abilities to help identify weaknesses we can exploit."
"And what happens when we have enough evidence?""We present it publicly in a way that Cardinal Matthias can't suppress or discredit. Probably during Saintess Theresa's trial, when his conspiracy is committed and can't be abandoned.
"Helena was quiet for several minutes, processing the full implications of what they were planning. Finally, she looked up from her notes.
"This is going to be extremely dangerous. If Cardinal Matthias discovers what we're doing..."
"He won't," Raelian said with confidence he genuinely felt. "We'll be too careful, too smart, and too well-prepared. By the time he realizes what's happening, it will be too late to stop."
You sound very certain.
I am certain. Cardinal Matthias has never faced opposition that understood his methods this thoroughly. He's used to dealing with people who react emotionally rather than strategically.
Helena smiled—the same warm expression from the previous evening. "In that case, where do we start?"
Tonight. Brother Francis will meet with another potential witness at the Riverside Tavern. A blacksmith named Thomas Grey who'll claim he saw Saintess Theresa purchasing rare metals used in forbidden rituals.
How do you know?""Because Cardinal Matthias always needs a craftsman witness to testify about materials and methods. Thomas Grey fits the profile perfectly, and the Riverside Tavern is Brother Francis's preferred location for sensitive negotiations.
"What time?"
Eight o'clock. Private room on the second floor."Helena began gathering her materials. "I'll need time to prepare appropriate surveillance enchantments.
And I'll need to position myself for optimal observation without being detected.
As they prepared to leave, Helena paused. Raelian, What you said yesterday about Cardinal Matthias representing everything wrong with power—do you really believe we can make a difference?
I believe that intelligent people who refuse to accept injustice can change the world," Raelian replied. "Starting with saving one innocent woman and destroying one corrupt official."
And building the foundation for much greater changes to come.
As Helena walked away, Raelian reviewed his success. The prediction had been perfect, Helena was fully committed, and their investigation was entering the active phase. Everything was proceeding exactly according to plan.
Three weeks to gather decisive evidence.
Time to see how far ahead of Cardinal Matthias we can stay.