After a brief pause, Sir Arnold spoke again.
“Given the limited time and the restricted channels through which information can be obtained, this is all the information I have been able to compile. As for more targeted strategic recommendations…”
Sir Arnold lightly touched the fingertips of both hands together, his posture revealing the caution of a man who had weathered countless battles.
“Without sufficient understanding of the internal power structure, interpersonal networks, and unwritten rules of wizarding society, I would not yet dare to draw any conclusions. Any analysis detached from the specific circumstances could lead to fatal mistakes.”
Prince Philip turned around from the window and raised an eyebrow.
“So you’re saying you can’t come up with any useful solutions right now either, and we have to wait until Henry goes there and figures things out for himself? We brought you here just to hear you say, ‘Go take a look first and we’ll see’?”
Arnold’s expression remained completely unchanged in the face of the Prince’s blunt challenge.
After all, he was a battle-hardened veteran who had seen plenty and had long since grown accustomed to dealing with people in positions of power with all kinds of personalities.
“Your Royal Highness, an accurate diagnosis must be based on a thorough examination. My current role is to ensure that, when His Royal Highness enters those uncharted waters, he understands the most basic rules of navigational safety. Preventing him from running aground at the very beginning because of reckless navigation is, in itself, of critical value. The specific route can only be planned once the nautical chart gradually becomes clearer. This is not inaction, but a necessary step in risk management.”
Prince Charles rubbed his brow.
He understood Arnold’s logic, but his father’s impatience also reflected the anxiety in his own heart.
“Then, during Henry’s observation period, what exactly can we—and you—do?”
“Her Majesty and the Royal Family will provide stable support from the rear without excessive interference, while keeping the channels of communication open. This is of vital importance.”
Arnold first inclined his head slightly toward the Queen, then looked at Charles and Diana.
“As for me, I will conduct cross-analysis and fill in the background based on His Royal Highness’s regular non-confidential observation summaries, combined with continuous monitoring of Whitehall and the external environment. For example, if His Royal Highness records the words or behavioral tendencies of a certain Ministry of Magic official, I can attempt to look for possible explanations or warning signs through records, public positions, or historical connections from the non-magical world. It will be a process of two-way calibration.”
Henry now completely understood Arnold’s thinking.
This old bureaucrat was not shirking responsibility.
Rather, he was following an extremely rigorous working method: no investigation, no authority to speak.
In the early stages, when the information asymmetry was severe, the most rational strategy was to acknowledge one’s ignorance, systematically begin gathering information, and avoid ruining things through premature intervention based on incorrect assumptions. You are reading on novelping(.)com, the official source.
“If you want to know what a pear tastes like, you still have to taste it yourself,” Sir Arnold concluded.
“That’s a pretty good saying,” Philip said approvingly.
“Must have come from some philosopher, right?”
“Actually…” Sir Arnold smiled meaningfully.
“Not only philosophers.”
After settling a few more details, Sir Arnold rose and took his leave.
His steady footsteps gradually faded along the carpeted corridor until they disappeared completely.
The wooden door of the study closed once more, leaving the core members of the House of Windsor in silence.
Princess Diana was the first to break the silence.
She turned toward Henry, her beautiful blue eyes filled with almost overflowing worry.
“Henry, darling…” Her voice was gentle, but slightly trembling.
“I know this is extraordinary. Magic… another world. But everything there is completely unfamiliar to you. Those spells, those creatures, and those people we know absolutely nothing about. What if…”
She did not finish, but her tightly clasped hands revealed the fear in her heart—the instinctive fear of a mother watching her child venture into unknown danger.
Charles reached out and gently placed his hand over Diana’s, trying to offer her some comfort, but his own brows remained furrowed.
Prince Philip crossed his arms and gazed out at the deep darkness of the night, seemingly still processing an issue that was far beyond anything ordinary.
Henry took a deep breath and rose from the sofa.
The frame of an eleven-year-old boy had yet to fully mature, but his posture at that moment carried a composure far beyond his years.
He walked over to his mother and crouched down halfway so that their eyes were level—a gesture filled with consideration.
“Mum, I understand your concerns. I really do.”
His voice was clear and gentle, carrying a composure that did not fit his age.
He paused, his gaze sweeping over his father and grandfather before finally returning to his mother’s face.
His eyes became resolute.
“But I’m not just your son. I’m also Grandma’s grandson.” He slightly turned his head toward Elizabeth, who was sitting behind the desk.
“This identity has given me privileges and attention that ordinary people could hardly imagine, but it has also given me responsibilities that ordinary people could never imagine.”
“The magical world truly exists, and it is only a wall away from us. For centuries, the Royal Family has known of its existence, yet has only been able to maintain a cautious and distant state of ‘non-interference’ with it. Why? Because we lack a genuine bond. We lack someone of our own who is deeply embedded within it.”
His tone gradually rose, carrying the beginnings of political insight.
“Now, the opportunity has arrived. Because I, a direct-line heir, have been given a ticket into that world. This isn’t merely about learning some amazing magic, Mum, Dad, Grandpa. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. An opportunity to bind the magical world—or at least some of its influential figures and resources—more closely to the interests of the Royal Family.”
A trace of surprise flashed through Charles’s eyes.
He had not expected his son to consider the matter from this perspective.
But afterward, he was genuinely happy from the bottom of his heart.
In truth, he was a relatively lazy person.
There was probably nothing that could make a lazy man happier than having an outstanding son.
First leeching off Mum, and now moving on to his son.
Prince Philip also turned around, his gaze once again focusing on his good grandson.
“Bind them to the Royal Family’s chariot?” Philip’s tone made it impossible to tell whether he was asking a question or making a judgment.
“Yes, Grandpa.” Henry answered firmly, his thoughts becoming increasingly clear.
“Not through military conquest. That would be neither realistic nor intelligent. Instead, through influence and relationships. When I study and live at Hogwarts as a member of the Royal Family, growing up alongside future wizarding leaders, that in itself becomes an opportunity. An opportunity to make them see the Royal Family—and perhaps allow at least some wizards to regard the Royal Family as ‘one of their own.'”