The rainy season had arrived, and the two days of continuous downpour had left the streets of Brighton City muddy and difficult to traverse. Passing carriages splashed mud onto the finely dressed pedestrians, eliciting no shortage of complaints. Early in the morning, Arthur Hebrew made his way to the boxing gym. Only Cookie, the night watchman, was present, while the owner, Night Hawk, was likely still asleep in one of the rooms on the 114th floor.
With nothing better to do while waiting, Arthur headed to the training room to engage in his daily routine—shadow boxing. Strength wasn't something achieved through idle chatter. Whether or not he became a mage, keeping his body in shape was essential. Thanks to his routine, Arthur had grown considerably robust. Though he didn't have the exaggerated muscles of George Cavendish four years ago, he was certainly more fit than his peers.
Lunch was simple bread. At the gym, as long as one had money, a dedicated attendant could prepare meals, and competitors in matches could even charge meals to their accounts.
Around 1 p.m., Arthur, who was cooling off in the basement hall, finally met Parish. Parish wore the same academic attire commonly seen in schools, paired with glasses. Spotting Arthur, he approached directly.
"So, have you made up your mind?" Parish adjusted his posture after glancing at the distant Cookie and continued, "I imagine you've had plenty of time to think about it these past few days, young Hebrew."
Parish's sudden friendliness, after learning of Arthur's Hebrew heritage, still felt unnatural to Arthur. Whatever history Parish might have had with his family, that was all in the past.
"I'd prefer to discuss this after we return from Rose Manor," Arthur replied. "I want to know what exactly I'll be signing up for."
Parish snapped his fingers but said nothing further, seeming to approve of Arthur's caution. With Parish now present, Arthur saw no need to continue boxing. Instead, he chose to rest with his eyes closed. Parish did the same but opened his Mirror World—not out of distrust of Cookie, but from habit. Mages never put themselves in situations without an advantage.
At 3 p.m., Night Hawk entered the basement. For the day's operation, he had instructed Cookie to post a "Closed for the Day" notice at the basement entrance.
"Why are you two here so early? We're leaving at night, aren't we?" Night Hawk, rubbing his still-groggy eyes, muttered as he approached. He hadn't slept well and would've preferred to wake around 5 p.m., had it not been for the dark-skinned elf repeatedly reminding him of Arthur and Parish's wait. Taking just one step closer to the two, Night Hawk suddenly felt the peculiar sensation of entering a bubble. He loudly criticized the use of magic in a basement with just the three of them, calling Parish a coward.
Recalling that he had earlier commented outside the Mirror World, thinking neither of the two could hear him, Night Hawk's frustration flared. He decided he'd vent on Arthur, reasoning that picking on the weakest was only logical.
Arthur, half-asleep, was startled awake by Night Hawk's loud outburst upon entering the Mirror World. Awkwardly wiping the drool from the corner of his mouth, Arthur feigned composure and asked, "Are we heading out now?"
Ignoring Arthur's embarrassment, Night Hawk pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his shorts and slapped it on the empty seat between Arthur and Parish. Upon closer inspection, it was a rough map of the northern district. The only landmarks familiar to Arthur were the Arbitration Office and Wolse Manor—one he had encountered during his time with the troops, the other known by all Brighton citizens as the governing class's meeting place.
Night Hawk pulled up a chair and sat opposite the two. Pointing at the map, he explained:
"I got this from a gang leader two days ago—not cheap, I'll have you know. Parish, make sure you cover the cost..." Parish, with a smile, gestured for Night Hawk to focus on the map and skip the unnecessary chatter. Clearing his throat, Night Hawk continued:
"Rose Manor is at the edge of the noble residential area in the northern district, near the perpetually closed North Gate. I figured we'd use this to our advantage, entering through the North Gate to avoid the Arbitration Office at the district's main entrance. That leaves only the patrol teams from the nearby manors to deal with. They're not your typical Enforcers but probably stationed here by the Human Alliance."
"Coming to you was indeed the right choice," Parish said, snapping his fingers. "But, unless I'm mistaken, the North Gate has been closed due to a major earthquake that reshaped the terrain outside. That's now part of the Hiss River. Even if I could stop the water flow for us to approach the city walls, do either Arthur or I look like we have wings? And you're not a Flying Wolf, are you?"
Night Hawk froze for a full ten seconds, maintaining his pose, before realizing the flaw in his "perfect" plan. He had overlooked this entirely.
Arthur, unfamiliar with such details, studied the map closely. From the rough diagram, he spotted the label Rose Manor, noticing a small path behind it that wound along the city walls to the district's main entrance.
"Gentlemen," Arthur interjected, pointing at the route, "couldn't this lead directly to the manor?"
Night Hawk leaned in for a closer look, smirking as he pointed to the path's entrance, which was prominently marked Arbitration Office.
"Kid, are you suggesting we surrender ourselves and let the Arbitration Office investigate our mage here? The Enforcers are closer; why not just go there?" Night Hawk mocked. Arthur, ignoring him, instead pointed to a blank square beside the Arbitration Office.
"I've been here before. It's a quill shop near the northern district entrance," Arthur said, looking at Parish. "If the Arbitration Office connects to that path behind the manor, wouldn't this shop also be a possibility?"
Night Hawk stroked his chin, his wolf-like muzzle twitching as he considered Arthur's suggestion. The idea was plausible. From the map, it seemed the path ran behind the Arbitration Office, and this shop was right next to it. If they used this route, they might bypass the Arbitration Office's forces.
"The question now," Arthur continued, "is how to ensure there are no patrols from the Arbitration Office or the Human Alliance along this route."
"I've already considered how to approach Rose Manor," Parish said, turning to Night Hawk. "You haven't been naturalized, have you?"
Night Hawk snorted with pride. "Of course not. I'm a proud Wolfkin! Just because I prefer human life doesn't mean—wait, what are you implying?" Night Hawk's confidence faltered as he realized where this was heading.
"That settles it," Parish said with the same certainty as when he decided Arthur would accompany him to Rose Manor. "Arthur and I will take the back route, and you'll draw the attention of the patrols from the main road."
Night Hawk was stunned into silence. If Parish had planned to use him as bait all along, why bother making him conduct reconnaissance and devise plans like a lead operative? His frustration reignited. He stood, grabbed Parish by the arm, and dragged him toward the sandy arena.
"Before we go, we're having a match. I've had it with you!"