Chapter 1587: Chapter 1587

Since Jenkins had brought it up, Miss Windsor thought it over carefully. She had already resolved to help Jenkins become king, so she wouldn't hold back.

"Yes, there are indeed difficulties. I'm short on money—very short. The times are chaotic, and I intend to organize a private military force, bribe government officials, and establish a network of spies to gather intelligence. All of this costs a great deal, but I can't possibly convince my father to risk the entire family's power for it."

Miss Windsor spoke bluntly, and Jenkins understood the power of money. As it happened, he wasn't fabulously wealthy, but he wasn't without options either.

"It's not cash. Would gold and jewels do?"

"Of course they would, but... are you suggesting the Church will help you with its private reserves? That's not possible. It would be discovered too easily."

"Not the Church. It's my personal treasure, located near Bel Diran."

Last winter, a small incident had occurred after the 31-day time loop. Mr. Aupler, the director of the Silver Jasmine Opera Troupe, was found dead in the city sewers. It was later discovered that his identity was a forgery; he was actually Shelley Howell, a famous thief and a follower of the pseudo-god, the Five-Handed Wanderer, who had vanished over a decade ago.

It later came to light that he had died because cultists wanted to obtain the item he possessed, B-02-2-9032, the [Dissector's Scalpel], so they could sever the umbilical cord connecting the Evil God Scion to its mortal mother at birth. The Scion and that cord went on to trigger new events, and the soul of the "retired" thief, who had been senselessly dragged into the affair, was unexpectedly summoned when Jenkins performed an exorcism and seance for the opera troupe's owner, Mr. Nelly (Chapter 504).

"A treasure? How much is it worth, roughly? You must have estimated its value, right?"

Miss Windsor asked, her interest piqued. Jenkins snapped out of his reverie.

"The actual amount is definitely more than you can imagine. If I had to describe it..."

He recalled the description given by the thief's soul. Shelley Howell was, after all, considered the most successful and famous thief of the modern era.

"If you pawned the jewels and ornaments at the lowest possible price, you could probably buy the entire city of Nolan. But there are also some antiques that are difficult to appraise. Even though I'm an antique shop apprentice, I can't put a price on just any item."

Jenkins only gave Miss Windsor the general location of the treasure, telling her to prepare a transport and excavation team first. As for the precise location, he would only reveal it after Dolores and Alexia arrived in Bel Diran. Jenkins was not the type to place unconditional trust in a woman for no reason.

Miss Windsor's carriage brought Jenkins to the inn where the Williams family was staying. The two agreed to meet again soon, having reached a collaborative agreement. Jenkins then took his cat into the inn and went to the room to see his family.

The last time they had all been together was after the banquet the previous night. What happened at that banquet was enough to change the Williams family's destiny. For now, at least, no major changes had occurred. The family was still staying at the inn, planning to return to Nolan soon as their holiday was coming to an end.

Among the family, his mother, Mary Williams, was probably the last to hear the news. An entire day hadn't been enough for her to accept the reality. As soon as Jenkins walked through the door, she threw her arms around her son, repeatedly thanking the Sage for his safe return.

It seemed Mary was heavily influenced by common rumors about royal struggles and the court politics depicted in epic novels. She didn't see this as a good thing at all; rather, she believed it could threaten her family's safety.

And she wasn't wrong.

His older brother, Newman, and younger brother, John, were also there. The family was reunited after a long time, but no one looked particularly happy. His mother worried for their safety, Newman and John were still a bit resentful about their father's "unfairness," the patriarch contemplated the family's future, and Jenkins remained silent, unsure of what to say.

The connection to the royal family, far from bringing them joy, had brought only more troubles.

Finally, the head of the family broke the silence, bringing up the matter of returning to Nolan. Both he and Newman had their jobs in Nolan, and his youngest son, John, was still in school. Bel Diran was a fine city, but it wasn't their home.

The rest of the family agreed to return to Nolan as soon as possible. Ever since the news broke in this morning's papers, the inn where they were staying had been flooded with letters from strangers requesting meetings. Although Queen Isabella had invited them to stay at the Cold Spring Palace for a while or attend formal social events with her, the family had no interest. They just wanted to go home.

Jenkins could see the various letters scattered on the table—invitations from nobles and factory owners who wanted to get close to the Williams family for all sorts of reasons. But now was not the time for such things. To act with a high profile before the struggle for the throne was over would be a grave mistake. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs novel•fire.net

Now that they were officially recognized by the royal family, custom and protocol dictated that the men of the Williams family would automatically receive noble titles. This would be a step in the Williams' return to the Middleton family and should have been marked by a special ceremony or formal assembly organized by Her Majesty the Queen. But Robert, a very perceptive man, saw the risks involved and felt the family didn't need to wait in Bel Diran for it.

"No matter what, since Her Majesty has acknowledged our family's identity, there's no possibility of her going back on her word. Those tedious rituals and procedures can be postponed. For now, we should return to Nolan. Until a successor to the throne is chosen, we can maintain contact with Her Majesty, perhaps accept a few invitations from local nobles, and attend banquets and the like to gradually grow accustomed to our new status. Once the dust settles, the new king will arrange a place for our family. The worst-case scenario is that we become nobles with no real power. Frankly, that sounds even better..."

It had to be admitted that Robert Williams was an exceptionally rational man. He had gone from being a refugee fleeing to Nolan to a man with a happy family and a successful career over several decades. Luck had played a part, but his own talent and hard work were just as crucial. Jenkins agreed with his father's assessment, especially now that he knew Queen Isabella's true intentions. More than anything, he wanted his family far away from the political vortex of Bel Diran.