All-around teacher at the magic academy

"What evidence do you have to prove that what you're saying is true?" Mrs. Hills questioned.

Rhine nodded and took out a stack of evidence that had been prepared beforehand.

The evidence consists of a series of photographs showing the Earl of Hills entering the church each evening.

Due to the privacy requirements of the church, they did not take any photos inside to avoid causing unnecessary trouble.

Mrs. Hills took the photographs and began to examine them carefully. Her eyes lingered on each photograph, searching for any possible flaws.

After examining the photo, she found nothing wrong with it, so she slowly nodded and said, "I believe what you said. It seems I misunderstood my husband."

She then reached into her handbag, took out 10 pounds of cash, and gently placed it on the table.

“This is your payment for the work you’ve done. I’ve already paid you two pounds,” she said, then pushed the money in front of Rhine.

All four of them stared at the money on the table, and involuntarily swallowed hard.

For them, this was undoubtedly the largest sum of cash they had ever seen, enough to keep their small firm running for quite some time.

However, Mrs. Hills did not stop. She reached into her bag again, took out another stack of money, and gently placed it next to the 10 pounds.

This action puzzled Rhine; he couldn't understand why Mrs. Hills would suddenly increase her pay.

“That’s still 10 pounds,” Mrs. Hills said calmly, her gaze sweeping across the four men’s faces. “I have another task for you to do, and if you succeed, I will pay you double the reward.”

Rhine frowned slightly; he wasn't sure what Mrs. Hills' true intentions were.

Her words made him uneasy, after all, they had just completed her previous mission.

“I need you to investigate exactly what my husband does at the church and why he goes there every night.”

Mrs. Hills' voice carried a hint of determination, clearly indicating that she was very determined to find the answer to this question.

“We…” Rhine hesitated for a moment. He was about to refuse, after all, they had already given their answer, and further investigation might touch on Earl Hills’ privacy.

But just then, Tommy immediately interjected, "Yes, yes, we'd be happy to oblige."

Rhine turned his head and looked at Tommy with a complicated expression. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he didn't say anything.

And so, Mrs. Hills left 20 pounds, took the photographs, and left the firm.

As the door closed gently, the atmosphere inside the office suddenly became heavy.

“We cannot accept this mission.” Rhine’s voice was low and firm as he broke the silence and expressed his stance.

“Why can’t we take it? That’s 30 pounds! Can we earn that much money in two years?” Tommy’s voice revealed his desire for money. His eyes were fixed on the banknotes on the table, as if he was imagining the changes that the money could bring.

"This is too dangerous; it's beyond our capabilities."

Rhine frowned, his expression serious. "The people in the church always give me a dangerous feeling. We're just ordinary detectives; it's not appropriate for us to get involved in things that might involve deeper issues."

“What’s so dangerous? It’s just going over there every day to recite some scriptures. Nothing’s happened these past few days.” Tommy was unconvinced, thinking that Rhine’s worries were a bit excessive.

“But that doesn’t mean there won’t be any danger later,” Rhine insisted, a hint of worry in his eyes.

“We don’t know what Earl Hills was doing in the church, or why he did it. If we investigate further, we might uncover things we shouldn’t know, and then we could get into unforeseen trouble.”

"Okay, then I'll do this. You don't have to go, alright?"

Tommy's attitude was somewhat defiant; he seemed unconcerned about Rhine's concerns.

“That’s not what I meant,” Rhine tried to explain, his brow furrowed, looking somewhat troubled.

“I’m not afraid, but I’m worried that we might get involved in something beyond our control.”

"So what do you mean? Aren't you just scared? Fine, I'll go!" Tommy insisted, his tone tinged with impatience.

“I disagree.” Rhine’s tone was firm; he knew he couldn’t put his team at risk for money.

“Let’s vote then, four people, let’s see what everyone thinks,” Tommy suggested, turning to Coby and Liz for their support.

Koby and Liz exchanged a glance and both nodded, indicating their willingness to participate in the vote.

They hadn't had a chance to speak before, but now it seemed like it was time to make a decision.

“I think it’s the right thing to do; this is equivalent to more than two years’ worth of our income,” Tommy said, his eyes gleaming with a thirst for money.

“I agree. Even though I only get a fixed salary, I think it’s worth a try,” Koby said, his voice revealing a hint of adventurous spirit.

“I think it’s better to play it safe,” Liz said, glancing at Rhine.

With the score tied at two to two, the atmosphere among the four players suddenly became tense.

They looked at each other, neither willing to break the silence first.

The air inside the office seemed to freeze, and everyone fell into deep thought.

"In that case, let's decide by flipping a coin. Heads, we'll accept the mission; tails, we won't."

Tommy offered an old and simple method, his tone carrying a hint of determination.

Rhine nodded. Although he didn't entirely agree with this way of making decisions, since they couldn't reach a conclusion through discussion, he decided to leave it to fate.

Tommy pulled a coin from his pocket, turned it heads up, and flicked it with his thumb. The coin instantly flew into the air.

It traced an arc in the air, reached its highest point, and then began to fall slowly, tumbling and shimmering with silver light. All four people's eyes were involuntarily drawn to the coin.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment, and everyone's heartbeat quickened with the coin's flip.

Just as the coin was about to hit the table, Tommy quickly reached out and covered it with his hand. This action made everyone hold their breath.

Then, with a soft sound, Tommy gently opened his palm, and the coin, heads up, lay calmly on the table. Its presence seemed like a pronouncement of fate, forcing everyone to accept the outcome.

"It seems it's all fate," Tommy said with a smile, a hint of smugness in his eyes, as if it were his personal victory.

Rhine stared silently at the coin, then looked up at Tommy, his brow furrowing slightly, but ultimately said nothing.

“Rhine, do you remember what we talked about before?” Tommy continued, trying to ease the tension.

“We’ll take anything as long as you pay us. Thirty pounds might not be much to others, but it’s a lot of money to us. After this job, we can take a long break and maybe even improve the conditions at our firm.”