The Flagship, with a Storm Brewing

Meyer was puzzled by her sudden sneezing fit, but she gave it little thought. Happily, she reported her progress to John, then asked how her good friend Bread was doing. Once she learned that Bread was still following his usual routine of eating and sleeping all day, she ended the call satisfied.

"Beep, beep!"

"Twenty ruins explored in just over ten days? Meyer's more diligent than I expected. She's even starting to look the part of a sage." In his office at the Governor's Office, John couldn't help smiling after hearing her report.

Given her gluttony and laziness, he had thought she would do well to explore five ruins in that time. Instead, she had completed four times as much work as he had expected.

According to the Silver Moon team guarding her in secret, Meyer had mostly gone through the ritual motions at each ruin without making much of a divine spectacle of herself. Even so, with help from the Sage Plan support division, she had managed to fool quite a few members of the Morning Star Clan.

Word of the Sage Successor had already spread.

If everything continued according to plan, the first stage—making the sage famous—would be complete in two months. Then he could try to begin the second stage. "In short, everything's going to plan!"

As for unexpected setbacks... What, were Beastfolk from the Saga Kingdom going to wander into the Morning Star Clan's territory for no reason, with a member of the Bull Clan in their party to boot? Then, through a string of coincidences, expose Meyer's identity as a Beastfolk sage and force the second stage of the Sage Plan to start early? "Ha! As if that would ever happen."

John smiled, shook his head, and dismissed the absurd thought.

He was humming happily