Chapter 1662: Chapter 1662

Miss Stevel had left Nolan many years ago and had been based in the southern city of Turin ever since. She had only heard tales of the Believers of Lies, whose sphere of influence was primarily Nolan, but she knew very little about them. Thus, she adopted a polite and cautious demeanor, unwilling to risk provoking him.

"I'm here for you," he said. "The believers of the God of Music, correct?"

With that, he squeezed past the doorway and into the room. The lady in the blue chiffon dress who'd opened the door for him was clearly angered by his lack of manners. After Jenkins stepped inside, she slammed the door with a resounding thud.

"Don't bother weaving excuses to explain who you are," he declared. "And don't even think about lying in front of me."

He delivered the line with a deliberately flippant tone, his eyes sweeping over each person in the room.

His next words, however, returned to his usual gravity. "I have business with you."

"We don't believe we know you," Hathaway said, and from her tone, it was clear her standing among the group was not insignificant. Jenkins was unaware that Hathaway had once used the Bestowal music box he'd delivered to summon the God of Music into the material world to deal with the Cursed Sword of the Departed Soul. He had no idea of the extraordinary status this act had earned her within the sect.

"You don't need to know me," he countered. "I'm simply here to discuss a proposition."

He then found a chair and sat down without invitation. Seeing this, the ladies had little choice but to take their seats as well, waiting to hear what he had to say.

"But isn't the whole point of the Twelve Orthodox Churches gathering to negotiate with you?"

Miss Stevel retorted with a hint of sarcasm.

The fact that the Believers of Lies had invited the Church to Nolan was no secret. The Church seemed to have deliberately let the news spread, so any well-informed Enchanter was aware of it.

"Precisely. They want to negotiate with us, to decide on important matters together. But we are, after all, a small force. When negotiating with a behemoth like the alliance of Twelve Orthodox Churches, we're bound to be at a disadvantage. That's why I'm looking for partners. Partners like you. To be more precise, I want to cooperate with all well-intentioned pseudo-god sects... We're all in the same boat, with the same interests at stake."

"Yes, cooperation. If I recall correctly, there shouldn't be this many believers of the God of Music in Nolan. Since you've all gathered here from across the world, I doubt it's for a holiday. Your original plan, I assume, was to participate in the Orthodox Churches' conference, to have some say in this affair. But what would be the point? The Orthodox Churches have always looked down on us believers of pseudo-gods. Even if you did manage to get in, you'd only be granted an observer's seat. Then, just like in the last Epoch, you'd be forced to relinquish more of your interests in the final accord. But if you cooperate with me, you won't have to bother with their conference at all. You can join us and go straight to the final negotiations with the alliance of the Orthodox Churches. This way, you bypass all the complex bureaucracy and step directly into the main hall for the final talks."

Jenkins was not a naturally eloquent man, but his words this time were both truthful and tantalizing. He felt he had laid out the stakes clearly and hoped the women before him would be rational enough not to reject his offer simply because of the Believers of Lies' poor reputation.

His worries were unfounded. At that moment, everyone except Miss Stevel—the Sage's Church spy embedded within the music sect—was tempted. Of course, the reputation of the Believers of Lies was still a significant hurdle.

"But why should we trust you? You refuse to even tell us your name," Hathaway asked, seeing that Miss Stevel remained silent. She was acquainted with "Mr. Candle," one of the Believers of Lies, so her opinion of the group wasn't entirely negative.

"Even if I gave you a name," Jenkins scoffed, rapping his fingers on the arm of the chair, "you wouldn't believe it was my real one."

"I am here in good faith. You must understand, the upcoming talks could determine the new order of the material world for the next thousand years. While my group currently holds some leverage over the Orthodox Churches, it's only temporary. To gain a true advantage at the negotiating table, our strength alone is far from enough. And you—you're here for the same reason, aren't you? Rather than taking a backseat at the Orthodox Churches' conference, only to become a spectator during our talks with them, why not join us at the main table from the start?"

"As for why you should trust me..." he added bluntly, "what do you ladies possess that would be worth my deception?"

The final sentence was startlingly blunt, but it conveyed his message clearly: he had no reason to deceive them. The sect of the God of Music was, even among pseudo-gods, a relatively minor power. They possessed no potent divine arts, no convenient means of acquiring wealth, nor a particularly compelling doctrine. In short, even if the Believers of Lies were looking for a mark, it wouldn't be them.

"We can consider this matter, but we can't give you an answer right now," Miss Stevel cut in before Hathaway could speak. She needed to report this to the Church of Knowledge and Books and await their decision. This was an excellent opportunity. If she could, under the guise of a follower of the God of Music, participate in forming a negotiation strategy with the Believers of Lies, it would be far better than remaining ignorant of their demands.

Miss Stevel felt confident. With the Church of Knowledge and Books—and by extension, the full might of the Twelve Orthodox Churches—behind her, she believed the plan was highly feasible.

Jenkins guessed her intentions and was more than happy to let her proceed. After all, when considered loosely, who in this room wasn't a believer of the Sage? Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs novel~fire~net

Miss Stevel believed she could gain intelligence on the Believers of Lies, never suspecting that Jenkins would always know far more than she ever could.

"So what, exactly, am I doing?"

Having returned to Briny's side using "Real Illusion," Jenkins asked himself this silently. He had no desire to sow discord between the factions.

"The end of the Epoch is upon us," he thought. "I must unite all the forces I can. I must bring as many believers of benevolent gods as possible to the final negotiations, so we can formulate a plan together to face the coming cataclysm."

He answered his own question, his expression turning grave as he fully grasped the weight of his actions.

"Unconsciously, I'm really becoming 'Redemptor'."

He mocked himself inwardly, a faint smile touching his lips as he reached for the hand of the blonde girl beside him, who was engrossed in the concert. Briny turned and offered him a gentle smile. In that moment, Jenkins knew that everything he was doing, all of it, was simply to protect the people he cared about.