Chapter 1369: Chapter 1369
A bird’s caw from outside the window roused Jenkins from a deep slumber. He sat up and looked out at the setting sun, just in time to see Chocolate’s silhouette on the windowsill.
The twilight dyed its black-and-white fur a brilliant orange, and the setting sun stretched its shadow all the way to the side of the bed. At the sound of a groan from behind, its small ears twitched, and it swiftly turned its head toward Jenkins.
Seeing that Jenkins was up, the cat turned, leaped from the windowsill, and agilely scurried over to him, meowing insistently. It was impossible to tell whether it was complaining about its lunch or just happy to see him awake.
He hadn't been asleep for long; it was still Monday. After playing with the cat for a moment, Jenkins summoned the Misfortune Poem and saw that a third gemstone had appeared on its surface.
He had no idea what kind of ability he was actually gaining. After all, the invasion of aberrations had nothing to do with him... He had merely backed out of the operation he’d promised to join with Mr. White Cat.
Yawning, he came downstairs, still nursing a slight headache. It only eased after Dolores had Julia give him a brief massage.
Alexia believed it was a sign of excessive stress. Jenkins had been dealing with too much lately, constantly rushing between Nolan and Ruen. Even with his unusual constitution, a lifestyle like that was bound to take its toll.
"You should find some time to relax soon," she advised, "and try to forget about all these troubling matters for a while."
Her words seemed to carry a deeper meaning.
Jenkins spoke as he gently swatted away Chocolate’s little paw, which was reaching for the pastries on the table.
One had to tackle things one at a time, yet problems always seemed to find their way to Jenkins with alarming speed.
Just yesterday morning, he and Alexia had visited the Mad Poet’s burial site and obtained a letter left behind by an ancient, nameless hero. Then, earlier today, Julia had a former palace protocol officer search for information on the Franca family mentioned in the letter. The search was successful—they were nobles of the Fidektri Kingdom.
The Franca family, however, only held a hereditary viscountcy and were by no means a renowned or powerful house.
Their family history was long, but their highest-ranking member had only been an earl. Later, after backing the wrong side in a political struggle, the family nearly lost its noble status altogether.
"The family now resides in Roman Town, within Sandville County, in the Fidektri Kingdom."
"How far is that from Nolan?"
Jenkins had no recollection of the town, only that Sandville County was south of Nolan, the southernmost county on the kingdom’s coastline.
"If you left from your home on a unicorn, you could probably get there in about two hours. In fact, Roman Town is adjacent to York Town, which is under Nolan's jurisdiction. The two towns are just across a river from each other. I recall Mr. Oliver once sent you to deliver a letter in York Town, so you should know the way."
Alexia explained, and Julia then handed Jenkins a slip of paper with the address written on it.
"I know York Town. Papa Oliver sent me there to deliver a letter and retrieve that ring from the Carmel family."
He nodded, committing the address to memory before burning the note.
"Alright, I'll pay them a visit tomorrow, then. Hopefully, I can learn something about the nameless hero from the current Viscount Franca. Does anyone want to come with me?"
He directed the question at Alexia, as it was obvious that neither Dolores nor Julia could accompany him to Nolan.
"I have other matters to attend to. Just take your cat with you. And besides asking about the nameless hero, don't forget to inquire if there's any particular reason they chose to settle in a town so close to Nolan."
Alexia reminded him. Jenkins nodded, understanding that she had other suspicions.
The night's adventure had not been without its rewards. Aside from the special ability gifted by Mr. White Cat—which he couldn't access yet because the book was still at Mr. Birchwood's home—Jenkins had also acquired two special items from the Mysterious Realm.
One was a white orb he had found in a small box in the cemetery; the other was C-03-0921, the Silver Spoon. The key was supposed to have been inside the stomach of a dead ghoul, which Jenkins never found. But, just as strange things often inexplicably appeared on his person after leaving a Mysterious Realm, this time the key was what turned up.
The white orb was about the same size as Jenkins's original Life Pearl. It was warm and smooth to the touch, making it hard to put down. At first glance, its texture resembled a pearl, but upon closer inspection, one could see a white, cloud-like gas slowly swirling within it, which was the source of its pearlescent luster.
In a dim environment, the orb emitted a faint white glow. While not bright enough to illuminate its surroundings, it was a clear sign of its extraordinary nature.
As for its actual function, when spirit was slowly channeled into it, the orb’s brightness steadily increased. This brightening effect seemed to have no upper limit; even an Enchanter of Alexia's level could not determine its maximum luminosity.
When she poured her full power into the orb, it blazed like a miniature sun, emitting a light so brilliant it was impossible to look at directly. Even in the study with the curtains drawn, the radiance pierced through the cracks in the door and the heavy fabric. Fortunately, the servants in Dolores’s household were absolutely trustworthy; otherwise, maintaining secrecy would have been quite a challenge.
Long after Alexia stopped channeling her spirit, the soft yet intensely dazzling white light lingered before finally dissipating. When Jenkins opened his eyes, he found that the room, with its gas lamps unlit, was not dark at all. On the contrary, all the furniture, the ceiling, the floor, the walls, and even their clothes were emitting a faint, white luminescence.
The glow on the furniture and walls was strongest near the now-normal orb, gradually fading with distance. Only the skin of the four people present and Chocolate's fur remained untouched by the light, looking just as they always had.
Dolores and Julia had also witnessed this scene, though they remained silent. It was Dolores who had expressed a desire to see more Bestowals, which was why Alexia had allowed them to be present.
"This is quite rare. It's a phenomenon known as 'photification.' Just as fire and ice have a tendency to assimilate their surroundings, so too does light with extraordinary power. This field of study is common in both the Church of Sun and Justice and the Club of Light Chasers. The former uses it for their divine arts, allowing mortals to better wield the power granted by the Sun God. The latter, however, pursues the photification of humanity itself, seeking to achieve a form of ascension." Content orıginally comes from NoveIꜰire.net
Alexia explained, then reached out to touch the desk beside her. Jenkins tried as well and found that its texture was unchanged, completely unaffected by the photification.