Lord of The Mysterious Realms Chapter 1006

Beneath the colonnade of the small chapel, seeing Jenkins unable to answer, the professor posed a different question:

"Let me put it another way. The core divine domains of the Twelve Orthodox Gods are arranged by month. Can you discern any pattern?"

"Nature, Sun, Earth, Ocean, Night, Starry Sky, Destiny, Machinery, War, Knowledge, Travel, Death..."

Jenkins recited the twelve words. After pondering for a moment, he asked with uncertainty:

"It seems the divine domains gradually shift from the objective world to concepts that arose with the emergence of intelligent life... But the last one, Death..."

"The twelfth month is both an end and a beginning."

The professor added promptly, and seeing that Jenkins was still lost in thought, he elaborated:

"It's quite simple to understand. While it's a sequence from the first to the twelfth month, the end of a year doesn't signify the end of the world. It should be thought of as a twelve-month cycle. The twelfth month is both an end and a beginning, making Death the most fitting guardian for it."

"But if that's the case, doesn't that mean, judging by the monthly sequence, that Death's domain is on par with those of the three primordial gods?"

"Yes, the God of Death certainly has that standing, but this great being is not counted among the three primordial gods. Certain esoteric texts contain some rather blasphemous legends. I want you to just listen and not repeat this to anyone. Our focus today is supposed to be the Skull Sword..."

The professor glanced around furtively for a long moment. Once he was certain no one was paying attention, he tossed out a talisman to create a barrier of silence. Then, he leaned close to Jenkins's ear and whispered:

"The current God of Death is not the original God of Death." Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on NoveI-Fire.ɴet

Having uttered these words, he glanced around again in fright, then lowered his head to pray silently, tracing the holy symbol of the Sage across his chest. A long moment passed before he dared to speak again, and he already looked as though he regretted his words.

Jenkins, however, recalled even more. During the incident with the Undying Man, he had learned the name of a sovereign being: the "Ancient God of Death." And this sovereign had an extraordinary connection to the Augustus family.

Putting this together with what the professor had just said, it wasn't difficult to conclude that the sovereign "Ancient God of Death" was the original, and the modern Righteous God, the "Lord of Death and End," was his successor.

"But what does this have to do with the Skull Sword?"

Jenkins hadn't forgotten what started this line of conversation.

"I came across one theory. It claims the Skull Sword was forged during the transition between the original God of Death and his successor. It's a terrifying weapon, created when a sliver of divine authority fell into the material world. That's why it is so immensely powerful..."

The professor clearly felt he had said enough. He shook his head, bent down to retrieve the silence talisman, and as Jenkins stood there, lost in thought, the professor reminded him yet again not to breathe a word of their conversation to a third soul.

Chocolate had also heard the exchange, of course, but Chocolate was a cat, and therefore didn't count as a person.

Jenkins wanted to press the matter, but the professor was clearly unwilling to continue. Hearing Jenkins's interest in the "original God of death," he insisted in a panic that his theories were nothing more than unsubstantiated, blasphemous notions. However, Jenkins's persistent pleading eventually wore him down, and he revealed a key clue, though it was little more than a hint.

"The scion of the evil god was born right next door to you. After it was driven back, do you remember what the Church found? Among the items used in its delivery, one in particular might be of some help..."

Jenkins's eyes lit up. "A-12-4-6701, the Shard of Death's Cloak!"

He had first heard about this item last autumn, just after he had become an Enchanter. Papa Oliver had told him about the Cursed Item from the Church of Death and End's collection—how it had been stolen and taken to New Truman, and how it wasn't until the scion was born that winter that they learned the cloth had been used as a swaddling blanket.

Several months had passed since the incident with the scion, and the Cursed Item had presumably been returned to the Church of Death and End. But as long as it was still in Nolan, there was hope. Jenkins, after all, was a man of some standing now.

The professor's information was incredibly valuable, so much so that Jenkins spent the entire funeral service pondering it. Fortunately, he wasn't required to take an active role in the ceremony. The Church had initially planned for Jenkins to offer a blessing for the fallen, but due to security concerns, they decided to have him do it after the funeral had concluded and most of the mourners had left, accompanied only by those who knew of his status as a Saint.

The funeral service was a long and somber affair. The Scribes and regular clergy members who had fallen during the Skull Sword incident were all honored with burial in this cemetery. The Bishop personally introduced each of the fallen, encouraging everyone to emerge from their sorrow and grief as soon as they could.

The families of the fallen were also present, and the sounds of their weeping were something Jenkins was unwilling to recall.

The funeral service didn't conclude until three in the afternoon, and by the time Jenkins finished blessing the caskets, the setting sun was faintly visible in the western sky.

He rode back to the city with Papa Oliver in a carriage, remaining quiet for the entire journey.

Papa Oliver inquired.

"It's the first time I've seen so many of the fallen. I thought I was stronger than this."

In truth, he was simply pondering the matter of the ancient God of Death. While the funeral had certainly affected his mood, it wasn't nearly as severe as he let on.

"You'll get used to it. As Scribes, we can face scenes of life and death at any moment. You'll grow accustomed to it, Jenkins. You're still young, after all..."

Papa Oliver sighed, lost in some distant thought. Perhaps he, too, was affected by the somber atmosphere of the funeral, or maybe his conversation with Jenkins had stirred up old memories. He didn't bring up another topic before they arrived back at the antique shop.

It was already past closing time, but since he'd been away from the shop all day, Jenkins decided to stay a little longer before heading home. His maid, a Mrs. Mahat, would leave on her own if she found the courtyard gate closed, and Jenkins wouldn't deduct from her wages for it. That was something they had agreed upon when he hired her.

After changing out of his formal funeral attire, Jenkins tidied up the counter, flipped the 'Closed' sign on the door to 'Open,' and then took his cat, who had been bored all day, outside to buy dinner.

He brought dinner back to the shop to eat with Papa Oliver, and the two of them once again found themselves talking about the funeral.