"It should be here."
Albert looked up at the Coffee shop sign, then down at his wristwatch. After confirming there was no danger nearby, he carried his suitcase through the door of the Muggle establishment. His gaze swept across the customers inside before settling on the middle-aged man drinking coffee in the corner. He walked over and greeted him in fluent French.
"I hope I haven't kept you waiting too long."
"I've been waiting for half an hour."
"My apologies. I was delayed on the way."
If the owner behind the counter had understood French, he would definitely have exposed this bastard who had only arrived five minutes ago. Unfortunately, he did not understand French.
What sounded like an ordinary exchange was actually the two of them verifying a password.
They had both taken Polyjuice Potion, so naturally they could not recognize each other. They could only use a code to make contact, confirming each other's identities while avoiding arousing suspicion and causing Bard unnecessary trouble.
The casual exchange made them seem like two friends meeting up. No one would suspect their identities.
After exchanging the code, they traded business cards and shook hands with smiles, then paid and left directly under the owner's astonished gaze.
"The coffee here is awful," Bard muttered.
"Perhaps you should have ordered a cup of hot chocolate," Albert teased with a smile.
"I tried, but the owner told me they didn't sell hot chocolate here." Bard looked helpless.
"He didn't throw you out?"
Albert's cheek twitched slightly, and he had no idea what expression he ought to wear.
"Are you really going to enter the competition?"
The two turned a corner and headed toward the outskirts of the city.
Albert heard the implication in Bard's words and raised an eyebrow. "Is there a problem?"