Throughout Thursday, Shade, Miss Bayes, and Miss Annette stayed at 6 Saint Derain Square, repeatedly reviewing their plan and using the spacious basement to practice Thaumaturgy together.
Shade gained a great deal from the process, since it was essentially the two girls teaching him how to fight.
Only then did he realize that in the nearly month since arriving in this world, he had seemingly never had a chance to fight any unfamiliar Ring Arcanist one-on-one. In the few battles that had occurred, he either had reliable friends beside him or relied on the properties of Relics for targeted contact.
And during tonight's intrusion into the ruins, aside from the Silver-Eyed One and the dangers of the ruins themselves, they would certainly encounter Ring Arcanists from the Blood of Mercury. There was a very good chance that Shade would experience his first real Ring Arcanist battle then.
No one visited Saint Derain Square during the day, but Miss Bayes had to return to Blackstone Security Company for her two-hour shift at noon. When she returned, she brought bad news:
"The Orthodox Church's operation to surround and eliminate the Lord of the Blood Feast's cultists tonight has assigned our team to it as well."
"What?"
Shade and Miss Annette both rose from their chairs. Miss Bayes was the central figure in tonight's operation. If she were absent, then the operation would lose its meaning.
"It's fine, it's fine. Our team hasn't been assigned to enter the banquet."
As she spoke, Miss Bayes sat on the sofa closest to the "snowing" area:
"We've been ordered to keep watch on the outskirts and make sure no one breaks in while the Church clears out the cultists at the banquet. I've already requested leave. The captain said this matter was dangerous to begin with,