Mr. Z made an effort to calm himself before regaining his composure. The two solutions Raphael had proposed had genuinely excited him.
He had always thought that every Oracle was engaged in a sacred undertaking, and that they were all roughly equal in ability.
Only after speaking with Raphael did he realize that his own abilities fell short.
Just look at the solutions Raphael had offered: either attack a church belonging to the Church of the True Gods, or lure a fleet from the Feysac Empire into launching an attack.
Upon careful consideration, both plans were feasible.
The second plan might involve a degree of uncertainty, but it would most likely succeed as well.
Most importantly, Raphael's plans carried a conviction that they could break the deadlock!
A mission that Mr. Z and the other two Oracles had deemed impossible had become something Raphael could easily find a way to complete.
Seeing Mr. Z lost in thought, Raphael sat down in a chair, crossed his legs, and took out a cigarette to light.
Only after Raphael had taken a couple of drags did Mr. Z seem to snap back to his senses. "Sorry for wasting your time."
Finishing the test ahead of schedule earned him "extra points."
Raphael smiled. "It's all right."
Mr. Z immediately summoned the Saint of Secrets' messenger and asked it to report that Raphael had completed the assessment.
A few minutes later, Botis, the Saint of Secrets, arrived using his Traveler ability. He smiled at Raphael. "I thought I wouldn't be picking you up until tomorrow at the earliest."
Then he asked Mr. Z about Raphael's plans. His final assessment was, "Very creative, and highly feasible."
Seeing that Botis was about to take Raphael away, Mr. Z hurriedly asked, "Mr. Botis, may I correspond with Mr.