Chapter 1647: Chapter 1647

Even though the loyal guards had already formed a protective circle, a restless stirring still spread through those in the front rows who had seen Victum get shot. Fortunately, the massive ship carrying the delegation from the southern kingdom was currently docking, and its thunderous roar prevented the citizens beyond the cordon from noticing the situation.

At the same time, Queen Isabella, her silver hair making her look frail, barked out a sharp command, her voice surprisingly loud, silencing the crowd. In the end, news of a gunman didn't travel far.

But as more and more royal guards converged toward the front, it began to draw people's attention. Jenkins paid it no mind. He bent down to pick up the cat that had completed its mission, and as he turned back, his eyes met Miss Windsor's.

She gave him a meaningful look, as if she had uncovered his secret.

"The shooter might still be here, and there could be more than one. Should we cancel the ceremony?"

Jenkins leaned to the side and posed the question to the queen. Though several dukes standing nearby were qualified to make such a suggestion, it was best that it came from him.

"There's no need to cancel. If we do, we'll become a laughingstock." Thɪs chapter is updated by novelFirｅ.net

The white-haired Queen Isabella spoke with unequivocal resolve. She then ordered her royal guards to find the shooter as quickly as possible while arranging for Mr. Victum to be taken for medical treatment.

Jenkins narrowed his eyes and exchanged glances with a few of the older dukes nearby. Most of them, like him, were surprised by Her Majesty's decision. They had expected her to at least clear the area of onlookers or move the welcome ceremony to a different location entirely.

Duke Rochester, dressed in a formal red wool suit, voiced his agreement with the queen's course of action. He was the youngest of the four dukes present and, indeed, the youngest duke in the entire kingdom.

"Isn't he hot wearing that in the summer?"

The thought flashed through Jenkins's mind as he realized something was very wrong with the day's events.

"Could Queen Isabella have arranged for someone to kill me? If I died at an event , it would be easy to frame the killer as a Cheslan war hawk who wants to continue the conflict. After all, there's no better way to incite war than to assassinate a member of another country's royal family... But if I can think of that, there's no way the queen hasn't. If she really did arrange this, it would be rather foolish of her."

As these complex thoughts raced through his mind, his expression remained impassive as he looked up at the people on the ship's deck preparing to disembark.

"If there are more shooters, might they fire on the Cheslan delegation? If someone in their party gets hurt, then we'll truly become a laughingstock,"

Miss Windsor suddenly interjected from the second row. Her point was a valid one. Even if Queen Isabella didn't care about herself or the others present getting shot, if Tackwen, the 'Proud One' of Cheslan, was killed the moment he stepped off the ship, or if the Stuart children standing further back were hit, the war would likely escalate to a horrifying new level.

So, an order was given to notify those on the ship that there was a gunman below and that the delegation should remain out of sight for the time being. Queen Isabella then announced to the public that she was feeling unwell and that the welcome ceremony would be moved to Nolan City Hall.

Her Majesty was of an advanced age, a fact everyone understood. Besides, she had already made an appearance at the docks; surely the Cheslan delegation aboard the ship would understand.

The welcome ceremony thus came to an end. Since the unidentified shooter might still be hiding nearby, the people on the ship would have to wait until the search was over before disembarking. This meant the ceremony at City Hall wouldn't begin until the afternoon.

The crowd dispersed, and the citizens left feeling disappointed. Queen Isabella had intended to invite Jenkins to join her for lunch, but he politely declined.

"I have some other business to attend to... business with the ladies."

He winked at Miss Windsor, who immediately came to his rescue. The consequence, however, was that when Jenkins boarded his carriage, Miss Windsor followed him right in.

"Are you an Enchanter?"

Dolores and Julia were also in the carriage, but Miss Windsor paid them no mind.

"Aren't you concerned about where this carriage is headed? How bold of you to get in without any guards."

Jenkins didn't answer her question directly.

"We are allies, and I trust you won't harm me,"

Miss Windsor stated, sitting down next to him. Dolores looked a little displeased, but she couldn't say anything without making herself seem petty. So, Julia spoke up instead.

"Ma'am, please mind your words and actions. This is Her Highness's carriage."

Miss Windsor didn't retort with something like, "But this is Fidektri territory." She wasn't a fool; she knew what to say and what not to say.

"Yes, I am an Enchanter,"

Jenkins confirmed. Since they were already allies, there was no need to hide it from Miss Windsor. Besides, it didn't matter if she knew; their interests were intertwined.

"I've heard that only the Church can train Enchanters, so..."

She asked hesitantly. The average person's understanding of the supernatural world was quite limited. Enchanters, regardless of their background, would not readily reveal the secrets of the extraordinary to ordinary people. It was a matter of discretion and a general unspoken agreement among them. Therefore, even someone of Miss Windsor's status knew very little about so-called Enchanters. In fact, before this, she had met no more than three of them.

"That's right. The Inherited Sage Church trained me, and the Church also supports my claim to the throne."

Seeing that she was about to ask another question, Jenkins added:

"My position within the Church is very special. I have the authority to directly mobilize the Church's Enchanter squads from any diocese. However, you needn't worry about the Church using me as a puppet to put me on the throne. The truth is..."

He hesitated for a moment, glancing at Dolores. Dolores shook her head, believing it wasn't wise to reveal his status as a Saint. After all, the only mortals outside the Church who knew of this identity were women destined to one day take the name "Williams."

"True gods exist in this world. The Sage holds me in very high regard, so despite my youth, my status in the Church is almost unparalleled."

It was the best explanation he could offer. Miss Windsor didn't press further, a genuine smile spreading across her face.

"That's wonderful news. With the full support of the Inherited Sage Church, even if we were to launch a coup to seize power directly, we at least wouldn't be attacked from all sides. Jenkins, you should have told me this sooner. This is crucial. It makes things so much easier."

She no longer asked about Enchanters, instead turning the conversation to Jenkins's plan to take the throne. The lady was indeed wholeheartedly dedicated to helping him become king. Jenkins wasn't sure if it was because she had astutely sized up the situation or because he had saved her that night.

"So it was you who saved me that night?"

Miss Windsor asked again, as if reading his mind.

He admitted it. The Church, of course, would never acknowledge the appearance of the Believers of Lies, so his admission wouldn't lead Miss Windsor to connect any more dots.

"Thank you, Jenkins."

She said, staring into his eyes. Jenkins felt a little uncomfortable and shook his head, not wishing to continue the topic.

The carriage carried them back to Jenkins's home on St. George Avenue. Miss Windsor got out at the corner of the street and left. Dolores wanted to go inside, but considering her father's sensitivities, she could only watch with regret from the carriage as Jenkins went home alone.

Fortunately, they all met again a few hours later that afternoon in front of the City Hall. This time, both Miss Windsor and Dolores brought news about the morning's gunman.

"It wasn't arranged by Her Majesty, but the man who hired the shooter had a Bel Diran accent."

This was the intelligence Miss Windsor brought. The morning's search had unfortunately failed to catch the shooter, but that didn't mean Miss Windsor's forces in the city had come up empty-handed.

"It's also related to Cheslan. Their spies have been very active in Nolan recently. My people made contact with the local underground, and a woman calling herself a huntress informed them that Cheslan spies were seen scouting the docks several times over the past few days. This might be useful information."

This was Dolores's news.

"It's more complicated than that."

From inside the carriage, Jenkins peered through the curtains at the scene outside. A crowd had already gathered at the entrance of City Hall, and the carriages arriving from the street were nearly blocking the intersection.

"It's true that the queen had nothing to do with it. This whole conspiracy was orchestrated by Duke Robery of Cheslan."

The man was a notorious war hawk within Cheslan, a duke with real power and his own domain.

"He made contact with certain people in our kingdom. One side wanted to continue the war, the other wanted to get rid of me. That's what led to today's events."

Though it was a tedious truth, it was also a logical one. As for the "certain people" in his own country, they were, of course, the other heirs to the throne. It was a rather cost-effective deal for them—they didn't have to get their own hands dirty, just provide some information to eliminate Jenkins.

Of course, there was one thing Jenkins didn't mention. The original first heir to the throne, the foreigner Mr. Horas Luther, was the cousin's nephew of that same Duke Robery from Cheslan. But there was no proof that Mr. Luther was involved, even though he was also in Nolan, so Jenkins didn't bring him up.

"This is the result of a divination I asked my divination teacher to perform. It's highly credible."

He added. Miss Windsor paused for a moment before realizing that some matters couldn't be viewed through the lens of an ordinary person.

She began, her voice hesitant as she considered planning their retaliation. She looked toward Dolores. The princess naturally had the same thought and smiled at Jenkins.

"Which do you prefer? The explosion of a steam bomb, or the elegance of a bullet through the heart?"

The two ladies would not let Jenkins dirty his own hands; they would see to the matter themselves.

"You don't need to do anything. How could I possibly let you do something like killing? My ladies, you are women of noble birth. Do not engage in such unclean business on my account."