Lord of The Mysterious Realms Chapter 1037

Seeing Professor Burns waving and walking over to greet him, Jenkins hesitated for a moment, then turned and told his friends to go on ahead, promising he would catch up soon.

"The path isn't difficult from here, and I have a compass," he told them.

Briny seemed to think they should wait, but Jenkins insisted. So, the young group set off first, likely walking slowly to let him catch up.

"Oh, Jenkins! What a stroke of luck, running into you here."

The professor had already crested a nearby earthen mound and was making his way over. There was no proper path; it looked like his group had been following an old riverbed.

"Good afternoon, Professor. What brings you out here?"

Jenkins asked, removing his hat. He was genuinely pleased to see Professor Burns.

"I'm part of a university-organized excavation. Oh, not this one," he said, gesturing casually behind him. "The one to the west."

He gestured casually behind him before continuing:

The two chatted excitedly for a few moments, and the professor even asked about Jenkins's plan to investigate the secrets of death. Jenkins admitted he hadn't made any progress on it recently but was planning to find a good excuse next week to have the Church borrow the [Shard of Death's Cloak] from the Church of Death and End. He was sure it would yield some results.

After exchanging a few more words with the professor, Jenkins took his leave. The group hadn't gone far; they were clearly slowing their pace for him.

The rest of the afternoon was spent wandering through the flower fields behind the manor. The sight of Hathaway and Briny, faces shaded by sun hats as they leaned over to examine the blossoms, was breathtaking. So, on the carriage ride back to the city, while Briny was asleep, Jenkins quietly handed Hathaway a color photograph he had created using Psychography.

The writer mouthed the words without making a sound. Hathaway, who could read lips, understood him perfectly.

A smile brighter than the afternoon sun bloomed on the red-haired girl's face. The carriage jolted, but Briny didn't stir. Hathaway narrowed her eyes, glanced out the window, and then leaned her head quietly toward Jenkins.

A look of mock horror crossed the man's face. He pointed at the sleeping blonde, but Hathaway was unmoved, taking his face in her hands.

Chocolate issued a silent protest. The cat had been napping on Jenkins's lap and was now rudely awakened by the pesky human woman.

The Saturday outing had been fun, but it was also quite tiring. After returning to Nolan, Jenkins saw Hathaway and Briny home in turn, promising each of them that he would ask them out again next week.

Afterward, he decided to stop by Pops Antique Shop to say hello and, while he was at it, inquire about the Enchanters who had been captured by the Church in the Dock Area the previous night.

The carriage pulled up in front of Pops Antique Shop. Jenkins hopped out and handed a banknote to the driver. As he reached for the shop's door, it was pushed open from the inside, revealing Papa Oliver and Captain Bincy.

Papa Oliver called out to the driver, who was about to depart. Then, he and Captain Bincy each grabbed one of Jenkins's arms and bodily lifted him back into the carriage.

"To the Sage's Church!"

Captain Bincy shouted to the driver as he leaped aboard. Papa Oliver, climbing in after him, added:

"As fast as you can! We'll pay extra."

It was only on the way to the church that Jenkins learned what was going on. He had been out of the city all day, and apparently, nothing major had happened in his absence. But at dusk, about half an hour ago, a galloping carriage had arrived from outside the city walls carrying a group of unconscious patients. The carriage had made a beeline for the Sage's Church, not the hospital.

The one who had hired the carriage was Professor Burns, and by the time he reached the church, he was at the end of his strength. He only had time to tell the guards who rushed out to check on the situation that they had been attacked before he, too, collapsed into unconsciousness like the others in the carriage.

Jenkins repeated, his eyes wide.

Papa Oliver smacked Jenkins on the arm. He had been at the antique shop all day, so he didn't know what had happened either. Captain Bincy had come looking for Jenkins, and Papa Oliver had been about to go with him to Jenkins's house to wait.

"Yes, the professor. Including him, five people were brought back unconscious. We can't wake any of them. The Keeper of Secrets and Miss Bevanna have both examined them but couldn't solve the problem, which is why we want you to try."

Captain Bincy said, wiping sweat from his brow. The Church's own carriages were out on other business and hadn't returned. And since it was nearly dusk, he hadn't been able to find a single carriage for hire on his way over, so he had run the whole way.

"Don't interrupt. Bincy, what did Burns say before he passed out?"

Papa Oliver asked, not giving Jenkins a chance to interject.

"He said his group encountered something terrible at the ruins. The moment it was unearthed, more than half the people around it died instantly. He brought back the survivors, but they were all unconscious. He told us to find Jenkins. I suspect he knew his own injuries couldn't be treated by ordinary means."

Captain Bincy let out a long breath. Jenkins noticed the collar of his brown hunting jacket was a darker shade than the rest of the fabric, probably stained with sweat.

"Bishop Parrold has already sent people to the university to inquire about the professor's whereabouts today. I expect we'll have a report back in an hour or two."

"Going to the university is pointless..."

Jenkins only managed a few words before pausing, expecting Papa Oliver to cut him off again. But this time, his mentor remained silent, gesturing for him to continue. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on NoveI-Fire.ɴet

"I think the professor told you to find me before he lost consciousness because I ran into him today..."

That was Papa Oliver's voice. He knew Jenkins's group had been heading to the pastures far outside Nolan's city limits. To run into the professor so far out... he couldn't tell if that made Jenkins lucky or the professor unlucky.

"Yes. This afternoon, hmm... around two o'clock, yes, that was the time. I met the professor at the riverbed ruins south of the manor pastures. There were several dozen people with him then, and I even spoke with him for a bit. I can confirm it was definitely him."

"Which means Burns and his team ran into trouble after they met you."

Papa Oliver's statement was only meant to confirm the timing of the incident, but Jenkins couldn't shake the feeling that he was implying the professor's misfortune was somehow connected to their meeting.