Chapter 1558: Chapter 1558

Hearing that even Miss Windsor was unsure about the reasons for tonight's abduction attempt, Jenkins nodded and let the topic drop.

As for her safety, he wasn't particularly worried. The letters seized from the train at the antique market had made it clear that the Gear Artisans' Association had only sent two Enchanters to Bel Diran. Their main force was still in Nolan, where the underground Difference Engine was at a critical stage of breaking its seal. Besides, the Church had already figured out their objectives and hideouts. Even if they learned that their two members in Bel Diran had failed, it would be difficult for them to dispatch suitable replacements on short notice.

Of course, promptly uncovering their motive for capturing Miss Windsor and eradicating this malevolent cult was the only way to eliminate the threat for good. Jenkins would be returning to Nolan City next week, and the city he had been away from for two months would once again become his hunting ground.

"In that case, I'll be leaving. I imagine the police will discover the body on the street soon, and the Church will arrive shortly after. I'll leave things here to you."

He patted Miss Windsor's shoulder, noticing she was still wearing his coat. He considered it for a moment. The pockets only contained some loose change and a pocket watch, and the coat itself was a common, inexpensive style. So, he decided not to ask for it back, instead subtly slipping his hand into his own side pocket to retrieve Alexia's ladies' pocket watch.

"I should go. Even though this man is dead, you still need to be careful... On second thought, maybe I'll stay a little longer. I'll wait for the police to arrive, then leave from the other end of the alley."

Miss Windsor didn't refuse, and they stood together by the body, waiting. They had only been running for less than five minutes after ducking into the alley, so they could already hear cries of alarm from the street outside.

"Tomorrow's banquet..."

Knowing Jenkins was about to leave, Miss Windsor finally found the resolve to quietly bring up the topic they were discussing before the attack.

Jenkins stated. The early summer night was pleasantly cool, and wearing just a thin shirt wasn't a problem. Only Chocolate, perched on his shoulder, seemed displeased, likely because she couldn't find a pocket to hide in. She was flicking the tip of her tail, rhythmically tapping his arm.

"If you'd like, I could save a dance for you, but..."

Miss Windsor interrupted him, embarrassed.

"There's no dancing at tomorrow's banquet."

Jenkins's expression froze. How was he supposed to know the difference between all these social gatherings? But he couldn't just stop talking; that would be far too awkward.

"What I meant was, you could enter with us, and we could all stand and talk together. But I will have to explain the situation to Hathaway and Briny. If they ask you why you're doing this, you'll need to answer them yourself."

He had to make that clear, or it would bring even more trouble to his already complicated love life. He had initially been reluctant to get involved with Miss Windsor, sensing that Queen Isabella might be trying to play matchmaker. But after what had just happened, he saw that Miss Windsor wasn't having an easy time. They had only met a few times, so there were certainly no romantic feelings between them. For her to make such a demeaning request to attend the banquet with him, she must have had a reason she couldn't bring herself to voice.

If they hadn't been chased just now, he definitely wouldn't have relented. But since his heart had softened and he'd agreed, he had to be explicit about the nature of their relationship, no matter what. That was a fundamental principle.

After waiting a little longer, they could hear the sharp blasts of police whistles from the street. The officers would have seen the family crest on the carriage and would surely notify the Windsor family soon. Jenkins quietly bid Miss Windsor farewell, then hurried with his cat toward the other end of the alley.

The woman's voice called out from behind him. Jenkins stopped and turned around.

the lady in the black coat said. The most update n0vels are published on nοvelfire.net

Jenkins gave a solemn nod, then vanished into the unlit depths of the narrow lane.

He didn't go far. Instead, he climbed onto a nearby roof and waited, only truly leaving after he confirmed the Church had arrived and that Miss Windsor was safely with them. The long delay meant it was already approaching midnight. But he had slept soundly during his dream battle the previous night, so he wasn't the least bit tired now.

As it happened, he had found the hotel room key on the Gear Artisans' Association cultist. Jenkins decided to check it out and see what he could find before the Church stumbled upon the clue.

The small key was stamped with the room number 204, but there was no information about the inn itself. The city of Bel Diran, including its surrounding towns, was vast. It was impossible for Jenkins to search every single establishment, so he would have to rely on other means.

He had examined the man's shoe soles earlier; they were covered in damp mud. The loose change in his pocket smelled faintly of grass. If a famous detective were here, he could probably deduce the man's entire journey from the inn to the street from these clues, perhaps even discerning his dinner from a stain on his cuff.

Unfortunately, Jenkins lacked such miraculous detective skills. What he had were more... unconventional abilities.

He summoned the motes of light representing his abilities, a beautiful swirl of multicolored orbs visible only to him. He focused his spiritual energy on the core purple ability, [The Unknown Path], but nothing happened.

"Still missing some necessary conditions,"

he thought, continuing forward and stepping into a shadow. When he emerged from the shadow back onto the street, both his appearance and that of the cat on his shoulder had changed.

He took out the small key again, toying with it and running his thumb over its surface, noticing it was almost free of scratches.

"A new inn, or a new key?"

he mused, dismissing the latter possibility. From his limited knowledge of inns of this era, there was always more than one key for a guest room. If a key was lost, the new replacement would be different from the original set. To maintain their image of precision and strictness, the inn would typically keep the new key for their own use rather than give it to a guest.

"So, the new clue is that it's a recently opened inn."

He was fairly certain he was right. With that thought, he tried to activate [The Unknown Path] again. This time, the sufficient clues drew forth the violet thread of fate. Jenkins let out a long sigh, shoved his hands in his pockets, and walked down the street, bathed in the dim yellow glow of the gaslights, toward the distance.

Even a metropolis like Bel Diran had its sprawling slums, a characteristic feature of the era. The Cat's Ear Inn was situated right on the edge of the slums in the western district of Bel Diran. Its peculiar location meant it attracted a motley assortment of guests, and the well-connected innkeeper didn't care, as long as the tenants paid enough money.

Jenkins altered his appearance to resemble the man he had just killed, then pulled a hat low over his face before entering the inn. In reality, no one paid him any mind as he walked in. He smoothly used the key to open the door to room 204 and stepped into the windowless chamber.

The room was a decent size. Besides a bed and a desk, it had a wardrobe and a separate washroom. Aside from its poor location, the living conditions here were definitely upper-middle-class for Bel Diran.

Closing the door behind him, Jenkins first stood still and scanned for any triggered ritual traps. After carefully wiping away a faint chalk mark on the floor, he finally relaxed.

The Gear Artisans' Association was surprisingly generous, equipping their field agent with a B-class Extraordinary item. Jenkins had been curious why neither of the two members he'd encountered had been carrying it. After opening the wardrobe and dispelling the illusionary ritual, he understood why.

Hidden inside the wardrobe was a skull with a gold gem embedded in its forehead. The gem pierced through the bone, visible from both inside and outside the cranium. Other than that gem, it looked no different from ordinary human remains.

Jenkins recognized it at a glance; a skull set with a gold gem was an all-too-famous configuration.

It was B-12-3-4934, the [Silent Death Messenger], a B-class Extraordinary item that existed in multiple copies. It was a single-use item, most often found in ancient tombs or sites of old human sacrifices. In its normal state, it had no function beyond being a macabre piece of art. However, if the person who touched it was at risk of being killed that day (between midnight and midnight), the messenger would take a piece of the toucher's soul as payment and reveal fragmented glimpses of the future.

When it activated, the gold gem on its forehead would bathe the entire skull in a golden light, making it look as if it were wreathed in leaping golden flames. By staring into the skull's eye sockets, the holder could see fragments of the future within the fire.

According to historical records, the [Silent Death Messenger] was different from other items that "predicted the future." The future it provided was not a malicious trap set by fate. The fragments were highly authentic, and by seeing them, one could act to change the foreseen outcome.

His divination teacher, Audrey, had once mentioned that the Church of Destiny and Order had a special research project dedicated to determining whether the futures changed by observing this item were part of fate's design all along, or if the item could genuinely alter destiny on a small scale. The project never reached a definitive conclusion, but the diviners had at least proven that the item truly worked.