In the Magic Kingdom, although people did not judge others differently because of their gender, the objective fact remained that men could not become magical girls.
For that reason, it was an extremely unusual sight to see a man sitting with three magical girls, conspiring over a plan. Combined with the fact that the three magical girls belonged to Claw Mark, the identity of the man seated there was obvious:
—He was from Black Ash Dawn.
However, despite being a member of the notorious Black Ash Dawn, the man did not possess an especially sinister air. He looked more like a shrewd businessman. Rather, if not for the eerie black mask covering his face, no one would likely have associated him with Black Ash Dawn at all.
And at that moment, his words further proved as much:
"For the people of the Kingdom, the Queen Year is unquestionably important. So we should never have expected them to leave gaps in their security measures. Sending Golden Snake to test them just now was not meant to find an opportunity, but to confirm our suspicions."
With his hands clasped before his chest, the man spoke in a measured tone. "As for what you mentioned earlier, about Black Cat revealing the operation's intentions to an old friend, I think that is understandable. Wanting someone familiar to stay away from the battlefield and avoid accidental harm is perfectly normal. We are sitting here together precisely because we carry a certain passion in our hearts, are we not?"
Golden Snake did not respond, looking wholly unwilling to acknowledge him. She merely took out her pipe, lit the tobacco, and silently began puffing out smoke.
"I don't really care... I'm just worried that if Sister Cat's actions really delay the mission, we might not be able