Chapter 1630: Chapter 1630
Sarrot Stuart's brilliant idea of killing two birds with one stone would not only eliminate a rival with ease but could even positively influence the future relationship between their two kingdoms.
But the northern prince's thinking was far too simple. Jenkins, on the other hand, wanted it all.
As the ball concluded, the guests departed. Dolores was leaving with Alexia, and Miss Windsor had her own servants to escort her, so Jenkins didn't need to see either of them home.
In front of Alexia, Jenkins presented two rings to Dolores: the [Red of Martial Arts] and the [Blue of Incantation]. The former offered little benefit to him; while his physical condition wasn't comparable to Professor Burns's, it was well beyond what a single ring could enhance. Due to the rings' gender-exclusive nature, he also had to part with the slightly more useful [Blue of Incantation]. Considering Dolores was the weakest among the supernaturally gifted ladies, he decided to give them to her.
He did it in front of Alexia specifically to avoid any misunderstandings.
"Oh, giving her rings, are we?"
Alexia teased, then watched as Dolores carefully placed the [Blue of Incantation] in her pocket before handing the [Red of Martial Arts] to Julia:
"You don't mind if I pass on your gift to someone else, do you?"
Jenkins replied, shaking his head. Julia had become an Enchanter slightly before Fini, following a Mysterious Realm incident in Ruen last winter. As she was currently only a level-one Enchanter, a ring like that would be an excellent boon for her.
"Then this is for you."
he said, and after a moment's thought, reached into his pocket.
He offered the B-02-3-2526 [Air Bomb Ring] to Alexia:
"So everyone gets one."
"You really don't understand a woman's heart, do you? Oh, Jenkins, I don't need this at all."
The petite woman pushed his hand away, turned, and climbed into her carriage. She glanced back at him.
"The ring I want isn't this kind of ring."
Jenkins understood her meaning perfectly.
Tomorrow was Thursday. Sometime in the afternoon or evening, the fleet from Cheslan would dock at the Nolan port, and Jenkins was expected to attend the welcoming ceremony as a representative.
Having not slept a wink the previous night, he planned to turn in early to recover his strength. He had been terribly busy lately.
But that plan was not to be. When he arrived home, he found a letter waiting for him on the shoe cabinet. Very few people had a key to his house, and fewer still would leave a letter inside.
He opened it and recognized Hathaway's handwriting. She instructed him to come find them immediately upon returning home. They were going to be in some trouble, and Jenkins needed to play the part of the unsuspecting rescuer.
"Didn't Hathaway take Briny to a friend's estate in the countryside? So this is her grand plan? A hero-rescues-the-damsel scenario? A bit cliché, don't you think?"
Jenkins wondered curiously. After burning the letter, he left the house once more. He mounted his unicorn and, with his exceptionally cheerful cat in tow, flew toward the outskirts of the city.
He flew over the increasingly eerie ring of fog encircling the city, and soon the estate came into view. It was the property of Miss Lawrence's family. Miss Lawrence had been one of the survivors of the serial murders at the mountain villa during their winter trip and was good friends with both Briny and Hathaway.
The unicorn touched down in a small grove outside the estate. The night was deep, and the area was sparsely populated, so their arrival went unnoticed. Jenkins got his bearings and stared at the distant, illuminated manor, trying to guess what sort of ploy Hathaway had cooked up.
"First, I need to confirm Hathaway's location."
He blinked, gazing toward the estate, hoping to catch a glimpse of Hathaway's spiritual aura. And he did see an aura—a black one, blanketing the entire property. That dense, dark glow could only mean one thing: a Mysterious Object.
"She's taking it this far?"
He was stunned. He knew that even if Hathaway wanted to stage a damsel-in-distress scenario, she would never put Briny in genuine danger. This was no act. The women in that manor were in real trouble.
Jenkins had grown accustomed to such encounters. Even though the women were involved this time, he remained calm. He pulled a silver dagger from a paper sheath in his coat pocket, squatted, and carved the holy symbol of the Sage into the soft earth of the forest floor. Next, he produced a paper talisman folded into a triangle, tore a page from his notebook, and hastily scrawled a description of the situation. He placed the note and the talisman together, then tossed them onto the carved symbol. ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ noveⅼfire.net
"May the Goddess protect us,"
he whispered. A flare of light burst from the symbol, and both the talisman and the note disappeared in the flames.
This was the method Papa Oliver often used to contact the Church, but only high-level Enchanters—level five and above—could learn and use it. Jenkins had learned the ritual from Papa Oliver during his time in Bel Diran, after announcing he had reached level six. This was his first time actually performing it.
"Alright, the Church should arrive within twenty to thirty minutes."
He stood and moved forward, quickly reaching the edge of the trees. He gazed out at the tranquil manor in the distance:
"I'm not just going to wait here,"
he told himself. He knew it was irrational, but he couldn't bring himself to simply wait.
He tucked the cat from his shoulder into his pocket, then crouched low and slipped into the vast field beside the estate. The area was used as a pasture, and the summer grass grew high and thick. Staying low under the cover of moonlight, he was confident he could approach undetected.
Although Jenkins had never visited this estate before, he could tell as he drew closer that its current state was far from normal. The most glaring detail was the gargoyles perched atop the estate walls—something you would never find on a typical manor. And even if one did have such grotesque decorations, they certainly wouldn't be alive.
The term 'gargoyle' was more common in antiquity, an age when supernatural power was at its zenith in the material world. In the modern era, such alchemical creations were known as 'animated stone lifeforms.' Jenkins had come across detailed instructions for creating them in Carmel's alchemical records, but it was obvious that, tainted by the power of a Mysterious Object, these creatures were now a far cry from any normal alchemical product.
"What sort of Mysterious Object could it be? I think I might have an idea."
He thought, shifting from a crouch to a crawl. The tall grass completely concealed him. Carefully, he took the cat from his coat and set it down in front of him. Jenkins scratched its chin with one finger, then pointed to its throat.
Chocolate gave a soft meow. The sound carried far in the silent night, yet the stout, animated creatures patrolling the wall with stone spears in hand didn't so much as glance in his direction. Their round faces were fixed in bizarre, carved smiles—expressions that would remain for their entire existence.