"So that was it. The style was consistent."
In just a few words, the Witch explained the meaning behind their earlier actions, and Fu Qian offered his assessment without missing a beat.
And it wasn't blind agreement. The Clockwork Bird and the toy workshop were highly consistent in style.
So even though the Witch had chosen to keep him guessing, the moment they arrived here, Fu Qian had nearly figured out what she was planning.
"What else?"
Apparently unsatisfied with a simple assessment, the Witch walked ahead and motioned for Fu Qian to follow as she continued asking questions.
"Nice craftsmanship."
Still answering smoothly, Fu Qian gestured to the side.
He was referring, naturally, to the finished and half-finished toys.
The place was quite large, but the terrain wasn't very flat, and the buildings stood at varying heights.
As they walked, they saw similar things displayed everywhere, both high and low, inside and out.
Most of the workmanship wasn't particularly complex, but it was clear that a lot of care had gone into it.
"Though they seem to be having a little trouble selling them."
Before the Witch could ask again, Fu Qian continued sharing his observations, even putting his professional expertise to work.
The goods were certainly nice, but it felt like they had quite a lot of excess stock. They had probably underestimated the pressure of maintaining inventory.
From a businessman's perspective, the toys piled along the black stone path might have made an impressive sight, but it wasn't a healthy business model.
Unless they had some kind of special shopping event about to begin.
"It's also possible they've been making them for a very long time."
The Witch didn't seem to disagree. Her gaze swept across the surroundings as well.
"The last time I came here was