Chapter 1599: Chapter 1599

At five o'clock that afternoon, Jenkins, Papa Oliver, and his family departed from their hotel. By the time their carriage arrived at the Bel Diran train station, the road in front was nearly gridlocked with a motley assortment of vehicles.

Jenkins had an enormous amount of luggage, all gifts that Dolores had pressed upon him on his return from Ruen. For the time being, the church had taken custody of it, arranging for it to be transported back to Nolan City on a separate freight train. Get full chapters from novᴇlfire.net

Thus, Jenkins entered the station carrying only a small suitcase with a change of clothes, his cat perched comfortably on his shoulder.

A diverse crowd of people thronged the station, as if the shadow of the plague had already lifted. Jenkins spotted the church contingent and the royal guards standing watch in a nearby corner. He noticed a group of touring girls mingling with local socialites. He even saw Marquis Mikhail and Earl Hersha in conversation with a host of respectably dressed gentlemen, trailed by the naval officers who had come to Bel Diran to be decorated.

As the twenty-car train had limited capacity, most people, like Jenkins, opted to carry only a single suitcase, with the rest of their luggage to be transported on a different train.

When the train designated for these distinguished guests finally pulled into the station, the platform buzzed with even more activity. It wasn't that anyone was deliberately disrupting the order to push their way aboard; it was simply the spectacle of so many gentlemen in suits and ladies in fine dresses, all queuing patiently to board, that was a sight Jenkins had never before witnessed.

His seat was with his family and Papa Oliver. Thanks to their family's royal status, they were given prime seats, and the carriage was filled mostly with people Jenkins knew.

After a flurry of activity stowing luggage and settling into their seats, it was nearly six o'clock. Jenkins gazed out the window. The summer days were long, and there was still no sign of the sun beginning to set. The platform was nearly empty of waiting passengers. From his vantage point, he could just make out a sliver of the distant city of Bel Diran. He had arrived in this city from Ruen in a hurry, and now he was leaving just as hastily.

A whistle shrieked from the front of the train, its deafening blast drowning out the rest of the cat's cry. This steam-powered locomotive, packed with passengers, was bound for the most important port city on the continent's west coast—a city that would also become the final proving ground of this epoch.

Lost in thought, Jenkins didn't notice at first that the train had slowly begun to move. John, the youngest of the family, was seated by the window. He reached out and slid it open, allowing the summer evening breeze to drift into the carriage. Many passengers leaned out their windows, watching the platform where people still lingered, waiting for the next train.

Suddenly, a white woven hat caught the wind, flying past John's face before soaring high into the sky. Gazing outward, he saw the train had already cleared the station. After passing a few buildings, the view opened up to a vast, open field—a breathtakingly beautiful sight.

Jenkins let out a long sigh. Papa Oliver, who had settled in beside him and taken out a book, glanced over and asked curiously about what he was feeling.

“It feels like a dream,” Jenkins replied, “but I know for certain that the next time I come to Bel Diran, everything will be different.”

The train journey from Bel Diran to Nolan City was by no means swift, and the crowded carriages were hardly conducive to sleep. The plan, therefore, was to travel during the day and stop overnight in cities along the route to rest before departing again the next morning. The train would make no other stops.

This would, of course, significantly extend the travel time and place a strain on the cities along the route, but it was the best possible arrangement under the circumstances.

They departed on a Friday, with the train scheduled to run until eleven at night before stopping in the city of Krola, in Fender County. The municipal government and the church in Krola had already made preparations to welcome the enormous party.

The church contingent could easily be housed in the local cathedral. This was never an issue, as nearly all churches maintained a large number of spare rooms for disaster relief or to shelter orphans.

The city hall, for its part, would provide the finest accommodations for the royal families of both kingdoms, as was their duty. Jenkins was certain that even if not a single empty house could be found, the officials and nobles of Krola, great and small, would have willingly offered up their own homes for the royal family. In this era, at least, such an act was considered a great honor.

Jenkins faced several options. He could stay at the church, or he could join Queen Isabella at the small manor provided by the city hall. He could also, of course, stay with Hathaway and Briny, as Marquis Mikhail owned property in the area. In fact, it seemed the marquis owned property in most cities across the kingdom; Briny had once mentioned that her father had foreseen the country's ever-climbing property values.

But considering tonight was the last day of May—the end of the month—he would inevitably experience the Month's End Whisper. Although the whispers no longer caused severe side effects like bleeding from his eyes and ears, Jenkins still didn't want to be near anyone he cared about when it happened.

So, after weighing his options, he decided against staying at the church. He politely declined Queen Isabella's invitation and even turned down offers from his parents, Hathaway, and Briny, explaining that he wanted some time alone that night to reflect on recent events.

Everyone understood the troubles Jenkins had been facing lately, so they all supported his decision. He watched as the carriages carried everyone away from the station, then turned with his cat and headed in the opposite direction.

He found a random hotel in the city center and, once inside, projected himself to Ruen, then used Real Illusion to pull his physical body through. The cat, of course, projected along with him. It had no desire to be left alone in a strange room in a strange city to watch the moon—and besides, the moon wasn't fond of being watched by it, either.

Before Dolores and Alexia had left, Jenkins had placed three spiritual lodestones in Ruen. One was in the ice palace on the snowy mountain, guarded by the snowman army. Another was hidden in a corner of the royal palace garden. The last one he had placed on Dolores's younger sister, Her Highness, Princess Angelina Stuart.

This time, he appeared directly at the young princess's side. The night was late, and Angelina was already fast asleep. Jenkins came and went in silence, careful not to wake the sleeping girl.

With all the members of the royal family gone, something major was bound to happen in Ruen. It would be a waste of the 'empty city' gambit that King Salsi II had so carefully orchestrated otherwise.

Jenkins mounted a unicorn and soared into the night sky over Ruen, gazing down at the city from a great height. He hoped to find evidence of troops massing near the city or to spot secretly dispatched assassination squads. But the city remained perfectly peaceful, just as it always was. It seemed nothing had changed at all.

Jenkins refused to believe this peace would last. He was certain King Salsi II had another move to play. Since he couldn't see it now, he would simply check again another day. The ability to travel between Ruen and Nolan at will was his greatest advantage.

He didn't linger in Ruen for long before returning to his hotel in Krola. The accommodations weren't great; the room was rather damp. Jenkins had to dry the bedding himself before he could lie down and wait for midnight to arrive.