Chapter 1729: Chapter 1729
The Dragon-Calling Flute was an ancient ritual, long lost to time. It was popular in an era when dragons had not yet withdrawn from the material world.
And while the bark from the Sommel Esoteric Ritual Book could be used, the text inscribed upon it was currently indecipherable. Therefore, in the material world, this ritual could only be activated by a handful of specific numbered items.
The ritual’s purpose was to mimic the sound of the legendary numbered item, the Dragon-Calling Flute, which had vanished long ago, and summon a dragon across space for one’s own use. Of course, many, including Papa Oliver, had attempted this ritual before. Most of the time, they only managed to summon dragon skeletons, items related to dragons, or mixed-blood draconic creatures that still dwelled in hidden corners of the world.
Based on these past experiences, Papa Oliver foresaw that Jenkins had a high chance of succeeding, of truly summoning a pure-blooded dragon. Since the only known pure-blood dragon in the material world currently resided in a cliffside cave at the edge of the Evergreen Forest, performing the ritual there would prevent a great deal of unnecessary trouble.
Because explaining all this would have been complicated, and Papa Oliver didn’t want anyone to know he was testing Jenkins’s affinity with books and their power, their excuse for going to the Evergreen Forest was to practice certain rituals that required stringent environmental conditions. They told no one of the dangerous act they were about to undertake.
They found a clearing in the eastern part of the forest, an area devoid of any structures. Papa Oliver opened the box filled with ash and handed Jenkins the piece of bark he had selected.
He then immediately retreated, standing with the fawns in the shade at the edge of the clearing, leaving only Jenkins and Chocolate in the sunlight. The weather was pleasant, and the warm sun shone on Chocolate’s back, making the cat’s fur seem to glow.
It stared wide-eyed at the bark in Jenkins’s hand. Not wanting to waste any time, Jenkins drew the ritual dagger he always carried, nicked the skin of his finger, and squeezed a drop of blood onto the page. The dark-red, almost black text on the bark immediately sprang to life.
No strange visions appeared before him, but Jenkins inexplicably understood the names of the four and a half rituals recorded on the page. As planned with Papa Oliver, he chose the Dragon-Calling Flute.
But the spiritual vibrations this sound produced also struck at the fabric of space with a bizarre rhythm. It made Jenkins turn and scan his surroundings, expecting something to suddenly burst through the walls of the material world.
He waited for quite some time, until the flute’s song had nearly faded, but still, nothing appeared. He glanced quizzically at Papa Oliver, who seemed just as clueless about the situation and gave Jenkins a look that urged him to be patient.
Just then, in its lair, the great dragon Níðhöggr suddenly opened its eyes and stared ahead in confusion. The cat on Jenkins’s shoulder abruptly stood up, its claws digging into the man’s shoulder for purchase.
A warm summer breeze swept through the forest, causing the sea of trees to sway in unison like waves, emitting a deeply satisfying rustle...
Jenkins patted his cat, asking in bewilderment. Seeing that nothing was happening, Papa Oliver also looked around before taking a step into the clearing, intending to inspect the piece of bark again.
He had barely taken a few steps when Jenkins let out a sudden cry, clutching the top of his head as if he might leap into the air. Papa Oliver was startled and looked down at his own feet, thinking he had stepped on some sort of trigger that had caused Jenkins a headache.
But he soon saw Jenkins, one hand still on his head, bend down and pick up a stone from the ground.
"Who threw a rock at me!" ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ NoveI★Fire.net
He complained, scanning the area above his head. But there was only blue sky and white clouds above the clearing. Looking up from the well-like opening in the forest canopy, the sun was warm and the breeze gentle, with no sign of the culprit.
"This is no ordinary rock."
Taking the gray "stone" from Jenkins’s hand, Papa Oliver examined it, a note of delight creeping into his voice.
"This is a Dragon's Blood Stone. How many years has it been since I’ve seen one of these?"
"You mean this is one of those stones that turns normal water into dragon's blood just by soaking it?"
Jenkins asked while healing himself. Though there was no visible wound, getting hit by a rock was no laughing matter.
"Of course not. How could such a thing possibly exist in this world? A Dragon's Blood Stone is a rare fossil, formed when a drop of blood from an injured pure-blood dragon splashes onto a stone and is tempered by nature over thousands of years. A single drop of dragon's blood doesn't actually have much power, but when the ages, time, and legends add their own strength to it, its value becomes difficult to measure in numbers. Though it’s not a numbered item, it’s definitely a treasure. This is extremely valuable."
Papa Oliver held the stone up to the sun. Jenkins came to stand behind him and could just barely make out a red, tadpole-like droplet of blood swimming in the stone's center.
"This is far more precious than any dragon’s blood, no matter its purity. While it’s not quite as good as directly summoning a mixed-blood dragon, it seems the ritual still produced a rather remarkable effect."
But this still didn’t help determine Jenkins’s supposed "essence," so Papa Oliver decided he would conduct another small, imprecise test on Jenkins soon. For now, he needed to take the Dragon’s Blood Stone back to the antique shop. The scent of blood from it was strong, and it would only get fouler with time.
At Papa Oliver's suggestion, Jenkins decided to turn it over to the Church for some other items rather than keep it for himself.
However, Jenkins wasn't ready to leave just yet. He wanted to take a walk in the forest to unwind from his recent stress before heading into the city to see Queen Isabella, and finally returning to his home on Maidenhaven Road. It was his birthday, after all.
"I'll head back then... oh, and one more thing."
Papa Oliver didn't mind Jenkins staying behind, as long as he didn't wander off. But after a few steps, he turned back to look at Jenkins.
"Huh? Oh... yes, it’s my birthday... Didn’t you already wish me a happy birthday this morning?"
"I just wanted to say, since it's your birthday, don't keep yourself so busy. Go home early. I imagine there are quite a few people waiting for you."
Papa Oliver smiled and patted Jenkins’s shoulder.
"I'll have your birthday gift delivered to your house this afternoon. I hope you don't think I'm stingy."
"Not at all. I’ll love whatever you give me."
Papa Oliver smiled and waved, then walked away along the forest path, holding the box of ash and bark in his left hand and clutching the gray stone in his right.
Left alone, Jenkins watched his figure disappear, the smile on his face slowly fading. A serious expression, his brow furrowed, returned to his face.
He turned and entered the woods. Even though there was no path underfoot, it was as if the forest itself was clearing a way for him with every step he took. Despite walking through the lush growth of the summer forest, not a single branch or blade of grass dared to obstruct his path. Jenkins soon pushed aside the leaves before him and emerged beside a lake.
This wasn't the large lake where they had performed the water scrying ritual days ago, just an ordinary source of water in the woods. He went around the lake, then awkwardly wrapped his arms around the trunk of the largest tree he could see and began to slowly climb.
Chocolate, apparently fed up with Jenkins’s clumsy movements, leaped from his shoulder and shot upwards, scaling the massive trunk as if it were walking on flat ground.
By the time Jenkins finally reached the top of the canopy and carefully stood up, a barefooted, silver-haired girl was standing on a branch before him.
Her back was to him. She wore only a clean white robe, her hands clasped behind her as she gazed from on high at the serene and peaceful Evergreen Forest.
Though she wore no shoes, her small, fair feet were completely unstained by dust. Her pale feet, and the glimpses of her calves visible beneath her robe, were equally pristine, possessing a luster smoother than jade in the summer sun.
But Jenkins wasn't seduced by the beauty of the girl or the scenery. He called for his cat to stop jumping around at such a height, his eyes fixed on the back of the girl, on her silver hair that cascaded down to her waist.
Her silver hair was gathered and tied at the end with a simple golden ribbon, allowing it to sway gently in the breeze.
The girl had obviously heard him climbing, but she didn’t turn around, continuing to stand there and watch the forest. From behind her silver hair, Jenkins could see her clasped hands—deft, slender, and graceful.
As the breeze rustled past, the girl finally turned around, her hands still behind her back. She tilted her head and smiled at Jenkins, the corners of her mouth on her flawless face turning up slightly. In her golden eyes, which Jenkins remembered so vividly, was the reflection of a certain silly-looking cat.
"Long time no see, Jenkins."
The silver-haired girl spoke softly, her voice as cheerful and melodious as silver bells.
"Long time no see..."
Jenkins echoed. After a moment of hesitation, he continued with the title he had chosen while climbing the tree.
The Dragon-Calling Flute ritual hadn't summoned a Dragon's Blood Stone at all. It had summoned the friend Jenkins had met during his strange adventures in Black Town: the ancient silver dragon lord, Anettasia.
Compared to their meeting countless ages ago, the dragon's human form seemed utterly unchanged. Time had not etched a single wrinkle upon this manifested body, nor had it even altered the silver dragon's spirit.
She was still just as lively, just as full of vigor, her golden eyes holding a soul that seemed to leap like a flame.