Chapter 1576: Chapter 1576
The lens lay quietly on the soft soil. Jenkins, of course, wouldn't be so rash as to touch a supernatural object of unknown origin. He examined it with his Eye of Reality and saw that it had a yellow spiritual glow, far weaker than the one from that mass of filth, but it could likely be classified as a numbered item.
"Is this... loot dropped from a defeated enemy?"
He cautiously bent down and picked it up. First, he tried scorching it with fire, but when there was no reaction, he finally held it up to his right eye. However, nothing happened, aside from adding a brown filter to the world before him.
"Hmm, since it's a lens-like object, it probably inherited that thing's ability to see through to the essence of a soul..."
With that in mind, he summoned his monocle and placed it over the glass lens. Sure enough, following the principle of like-devouring-like, the more powerful monocle absorbed the lens. Aside from a new, faint and intricate pattern appearing around the rim, the monocle's appearance remained unchanged.
He put on the monocle and glanced up at the treetops, where a squirrel clutching a pinecone was watching him curiously. His left eye saw normally, but through his right, he could see a white, ethereal silhouette around the squirrel.
"Does that represent its soul? It looks quite normal. Oh, right, a squirrel is just an ordinary animal. Its soul has no special qualities."
He gave up on the curious squirrel and turned his gaze to the unicorn. The small creature stood obediently, allowing Jenkins to get a clear look.
Jenkins guessed that a vibrant soul indicated supernatural talent, and the golden light probably meant it had been washed over by divinity.
"That makes sense. And now..."
He whipped his head around to look at his cat, giving it no time to react. The cat, who had been licking its paws, let out a "Meow~" and stared at him with wide, amber eyes, as if looking at an amusing mouse.
The ethereal silhouette representing Chocolate's soul was also quite vibrant, though far less solid than the unicorn's. It was, however, much better than the squirrel's, which probably meant its power wasn't very high. But other than that, the cat seemed completely normal, fitting the image of a "pet cat with minor supernatural abilities" perfectly.
Jenkins mused, tearing his gaze away from the cat and taking off the monocle. Seeing that it wasn't long until lunchtime, he put away the ring on his hand as well, then hopped onto the unicorn's back. The creature carried man and cat alike, soaring into the somewhat gloomy sky.
He returned to his room just in time for lunch. Though he was a Saint of the Church, he didn't receive special treatment like private meals. Jenkins sat down with a group of people for lunch, and since they had a mission that afternoon, Miss Capet joined him at the table.
He had expected her to still seem dazed, but in reality, Miss Capet showed no signs of distress. She spoke with Jenkins in high spirits about their afternoon plans, accepted blessings from their tablemates, and even teased Chocolate about the way it ate. If Jenkins hadn't stopped it, the cat would have definitely scratched her hand.
After the meal, the two had a moment alone, and Jenkins finally asked Miss Capet what was on her mind. She swept back a lock of her charming blonde hair:
"I'm so happy to know I still have family in this world."
Her refreshing and confident demeanor made the devout believer look more radiant than ever.
"What else did you think I would do?"
Miss Capet asked. She had truly changed a lot in just a couple of hours:
"I know what you mean, but I'm not the type to dwell on things or let my imagination run wild. For me, knowing my origins and my family ties is a tremendous blessing in itself. As for the Church concealing things from me... Jenkins, have you ever blamed the Church of the Sage for hiding the truth?"
Jenkins replied honestly. Since it was this body's father, Robert Williams, who had requested it, he couldn't possibly blame him.
"So, I won't be angry that everyone kept this from me either. Of course, I'm not exactly happy about it,"
She shook her head, then looked at Jenkins with great seriousness:
"Jenkins, I promise you, I have no designs on the throne."
It was the truth. His Lie Godhood gave no reaction.
"I have no designs on the throne either, at least not right now. It's just that everyone seems to think I should."
"I understand that sentiment. Even in my eyes, you are the most suitable candidate, so it's wonderful that we won't have any conflict... Could we share a hug? As relatives?"
Jenkins, of course, would not refuse. He lifted the cat lounging on his lap, stood up generously, and embraced Miss Capet. His mind was clear of any distracting thoughts, and he could faintly sense the blonde girl's excitement and joy. She was a very lonely person, and Jenkins was sincerely happy for her.
"Of course, if Hathaway and Briny were to suddenly appear now, I'd never be able to explain this."
He thought to himself, but it was impossible for Hathaway and Briny to be here. The cat, perched on the small round table, yawned and glanced sideways at the door. At the same moment, Jenkins and Miss Capet's ears twitched as they heard footsteps. They immediately separated and returned to their seats.
"Jenkins, there's news!"
The door was suddenly pushed open, and Papa Oliver burst in with a worried expression:
"We've finished investigating the infected man from this morning, the one who should have been inside the arcane lock."
Since Jenkins had handed over both the doll and the man to the Church, they had been able to piece together the details and get a clear picture of the whole affair. The amnesiac man hadn't had his memories drained; rather, his soul was so severely damaged that his memories had become blurred. After some appropriate treatment and some rather reckless prompting, the Church learned that he had escaped the manor thanks to a comb from the count's collection.
The only problem was that the comb, which could completely absorb the Blood Mosquito Curse, was now in the hands of the Believers of Lies. Although the Church knew the comb had severe side effects, they still wanted to study the principle by which it treated the curse.
The Believers of Lies had once again become the focus of the incident. However, the plan to meet the countess this afternoon would not be postponed again. After all, even the countess herself was barely able to contain the cursed ones with her arcane lock.
Along with the Vampire Buster that had arrived in Bel Diran this morning, Jenkins and Miss Capet would have to carry four numbered items into the arcane lock. Due to the nature of the Scarlet Banquet arcane lock, this would further strengthen the cursed ones they were about to face.
The Church speculated that the countess would provide them with a convenient, relatively safe path to meet her, but they could still encounter danger along the way and had to be prepared.
Since this morning, the Church had already dispatched teams into the manor's courtyard three times to kill the cursed ones blocking the path. They couldn't enter the manor building itself, as the countess forbade them from approaching. When they set out shortly, Jenkins and Miss Capet would likely pass safely through the courtyard as before, but what happened after they entered the building would be up to them.
The plan was meticulous, and both Jenkins and Miss Capet were battle-hardened Enchanters of the Church. But before they left, Papa Oliver still anxiously urged Jenkins to be safe. Pulling him aside from Miss Capet, he very discreetly hinted that if it came to it, he could choose to abandon his companion.
"Papa Oliver, do you think I'm that kind of person?"
"Of course you're not, but if something really happened to you, I'd blame myself for not having warned you."
Papa Oliver joked, then patted Jenkins on the shoulder, a gesture that showed his complete confidence in him.
Jenkins nodded, not forgetting to add:
"The combat squads on the perimeter need to be on standby, watching for any unusual movements from the cursed ones in the courtyard. If you see them lose their ability to regenerate, it means we've succeeded."
He had a strand of hair that could destroy the arcane lock, which was a much safer option than a close-quarters attack on the countess.
"Don't you worry about that. There are at least ten demigods and a combat force of over two hundred surrounding the manor right now. The Twelve Orthodox Churches all understand what kind of disaster it would be if things go wrong here. Once the arcane lock is broken, all you two have to do is escape. The Church will handle the rest."
Papa Oliver stated with calm assurance.
Soon, it was four in the afternoon. Though summer days were long, the sky was shrouded in dark clouds, likely due to the arcane lock near the manor affecting the weather. It already looked like dusk.
After making their final preparations, Jenkins and Miss Capet stepped through the gate of fog at the manor's entrance. What greeted them was a scene of strange, blood-red plants covering the ground and corpses strewn about haphazardly. The Church's combat squads had already 'plowed' through the courtyard three times today. Even though many of the cursed ones had revived, they were no longer enough to hinder Jenkins and Miss Capet.
As they navigated the labyrinthine courtyard, Miss Capet told Jenkins that she had leveled up today and was now a level-four Enchanter. Because she had just advanced, the feedback from the arcane lock wouldn't be too strong. She hadn't told the Church about this, as such a sudden promotion was highly unusual. Follow current novels on noveⅼfire.net
"I thought only a profound insight into the world and nature could cause an Enchanter to level up so unconventionally. I never expected that resolving an inner conflict could do it too."
Jenkins remarked, slightly surprised.
"A person is a part of nature. To thoroughly understand yourself, to explore your inner self, is the same as comprehending the world. I even gained a brand new ability from it, a white-basic ability called Mindlight. It's quite a rare one."