Lord of The Mysterious Realms Chapter 1232

"Magical Conchs? A whole batch?"

Silver Flute Miss's voice was a near shriek as she repeated the words.

Mr. White Cat nodded.

"Some time ago, a diviner friend of mine foresaw a great calamity approaching Nolan, so we fled to sea for safety. That means I wasn't actually in the city on the day the angel fell. We'd intended to just take an extended holiday, but we ran into some... very strange occurrences out on the water. It's quite the tale. The long and short of it is, we found an ancient shipwreck, and we had a bit of a windfall."

When no one responded, he pressed on.

"I'm sure you all appreciate the value of a Magical Conch. I can personally guarantee that whether the operation succeeds or fails, anyone who joins will receive one."

It was an incredibly tempting offer, but faced with an unknown entity, no one could make a decision on the spot.

Finally, Mr. White Cat could only propose a compromise. He would wait. Next Monday, he'd place an ad in the newspaper, a personal notice looking for his cousin. Anyone here who decided to join could send a letter to the address provided in the ad.

Jenkins nearly blurted out a recommendation for the Huntress but managed to bite his tongue. He understood the value of a Magical Conch, of course, but a sense of foreboding settled over him regarding this venture, a feeling that it was bound to trigger some horrific catastrophe.

"Is this just a feeling, or has my divination finally improved?"

Next was Silver Flute Miss, Jenkins's affable neighbor. Her opening words left everyone stunned.

"I found an entrance to a Mysterious Realm in the city last week. Is anyone interested in taking a look?"

"Yes, and the entrance is relatively stable. I think it will be around for at least another week or two. I'm worried about exploring it alone... so, is anyone willing to join the expedition?"

This was an undertaking far more perilous than anything Mr. Hood had proposed. While Jenkins had been entering Mysterious Realms as often as twice a month for the last half-year, most Enchanters wouldn't see that much action in their entire lives.

Unsurprisingly, there were no takers. Even Jenkins, after a fleeting moment of interest, dismissed the idea. He did, however, suggest that Silver Flute Miss could sell the information to the Orthodox Church. That way, she wouldn't have to worry about the realm collapsing and its bizarre contents spilling into the material world, and she could still turn a safe profit. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ n0velfire.net

"Mr. Candle, you haven't joined a church recently, have you?"

Silver Flute Miss quipped.

"This is the second time today you've suggested selling information to them."

"It's just a matter of being cautious," Jenkins replied. "This city is already under immense pressure. I'd hate for any action of ours to bring another disaster down on Nolan. Frankly, it's dangerous enough here without us adding to the chaos."

His point was valid. Silver Flute Miss nodded and let the matter drop. Still, compared to the other intel shared, her offer felt a bit thin, so she moved on to another topic.

"I have some intelligence from Bel Diran. A friend told me that war will be declared next Friday. The Fidektri Kingdom will formally issue its declaration of war."

"Hmm? I'm sorry, you said..."

Mr. Hood asked, his voice full of disbelief.

"Yes. Next Friday, the Fidektri Kingdom and the Cheslan Kingdom will officially go to war. If any of you have family or friends living on the kingdom's eastern border, you should advise them to move as soon as possible. Once this war starts, no one knows when it will end."

"Why next week?" Jenkins asked. "I thought it would be delayed until summer, at the very least. Neither kingdom seems to have finished preparing for war."

He didn't doubt Silver Flute Miss's information; he knew she had connections to Miss Windsor, and any news the latter had concerning the kingdom was completely trustworthy.

"There are many reasons, and I don't know all the specifics," she said. "It probably has to do with the Queen's health, the internal strife in Cheslan, and the uprising in Ruen, in the northern Hamparvo Kingdom. The entire continent is in an uproar. Maybe the kingdom's nobles believe that if they wait any longer, things will only get worse."

Silver Flute Miss spoke with an air of indifference, seemingly unconcerned about the coming war.

"But is it really all right for you to just... tell us something like that?"

Magic Miss asked, her voice laced with hesitation. Of everyone present, she and Silver Flute Miss were the closest.

"It's fine. No one would believe it even if you spread it around. If you follow politics, you'll know that every day someone is publishing an article in the papers claiming to have inside information on the exact date the war will start. It's all just sensationalism..."

"And some of it is disinformation planted by the kingdom to confuse the public."

Her father, Earl Hersha, was a high-ranking naval officer, so she had some insight into such matters.

Silver Flute Miss nodded, though the gesture was barely noticeable under her hood.

"So, I'm telling you this without any worry that you'll spread it around. Because I'm sure that many of you right now are doubting the specific date I've given you."

She shrugged, indicating that was all she had to share.

"I believe her, anyway."

Jenkins thought to himself, his mind already turning to how a war between the two kingdoms might affect him personally.

"Smuggling ships will probably have a harder time reaching Nolan, right? So prices on the black market will go up again."

That was the most immediate problem he could foresee.

Finally, it was Hathaway's turn. Before she could speak, Magic Miss asked,

"You're not going to try and recruit us for something too, are you?"

Hathaway admitted, then spoke again before Magic Miss could interject.

"I don't know why everyone seems to have a project tonight; it's quite a coincidence. But what I have in mind is neither dangerous nor difficult. No, not at all."

"Have any of you heard of B-11-1-0299? 'The Story Within a Story'?"

Everyone, Jenkins included, shook their heads. He genuinely had no idea what she was talking about, and he couldn't guess if the others did.

"That makes sense. The Class B Extraordinary event corresponding to this number is quite rare. To be more precise, this type of event only appears at the end of each Epoch."