Chapter 176: Chapter 176
A strange sensation, a whisper from his sixth sense or perhaps pure instinct, drew Jenkins’s gaze to a set of eight identical teapots. They were of a common design, their slender bodies engraved with familiar decorative patterns, and the handles bore markings indicating their intended purpose.
They weren't antiques, and despite the fine craftsmanship, they couldn't be called works of art.
He blinked, and a faint yellow spiritual aura seeped from one of the pots.
“The color is so faint. Is this an item enchanted through a ritual?”
While pondering this, Jenkins turned to the old steward and asked, “Excuse me, is that set of teapots also part of the viscount’s collection?”
The old steward turned slowly, adjusting his spectacles as he looked over.
“Oh, those are new teapots I recently acquired for the estate. I’ve just placed them here for the time being. Are you interested in them, Baron Williamette?”
The old steward had initially addressed Jenkins as Mr. Williamette, but after overhearing the conversation between the two men, he had thoughtfully switched to “Baron.”
“The design is quite exquisite,” Jenkins replied. “I've just moved into a new home myself and am still in the process of purchasing household goods.”
As for the antiques the steward had mentioned, Jenkins suspected they were artifacts from around the time the Hamparvo Kingdom was founded. They were all rather ordinary items; he decided he would ask for Papa Oliver’s opinion when he returned.
Standing at the estate's entrance, the old steward waved farewell to Jenkins’s carriage. As he turned, he saw the viscount standing a short distance away.
“My lord, it's windy out here. You should go back inside and rest.”
He quickly took Viscount Augustus by the arm to lead him back, but the viscount was overcome by a fit of coughing and had to be firmly guided back into the house by the old steward.
“I'm fine, I'm fine,” the viscount insisted. “I've been confined to my sickbed for so long. It's not often I meet such an interesting gentleman. Please, let me watch him depart.”
“You mean Baron Williamette? I must admit, I never expected a baron—even an honorary one—to be working as an apprentice in a common antique shop.”
As he spoke, the old man beckoned for the servants to bring a chair, allowing the frail middle-aged man to sit and rest for a moment.
“That is precisely why everyone believes the Church of Knowledge and Books is grooming him as a candidate for bishop, two successions from now. It's quite normal. The Orthodox Churches are always using such methods to test their young prospects.”
The viscount clutched a cup of hot tea, a shiver running through him. He let out a long sigh.
“It’s wonderful to be young. Even a dying man like myself can't help but envy a life like that. Ah, well. This afternoon, let's take inventory of the estate's assets. Before I meet my end, I must tally what remains of the House of Augustus. Otherwise, those damned bloodsuckers will devour everything the family owns! By the way, where did we put the key to the underground library?”
Sitting in the carriage, Jenkins toyed with the pot that emanated a yellow spiritual aura, his eyes narrowing subconsciously.
His experience since arriving in this world had taught him that anything involving the supernatural inevitably led to some terribly unfortunate event. While his financial luck seemed to have turned for the better, likely due to that golden ring, in all other respects, Jenkins remained a profoundly unlucky man.
He refrained from rashly infusing his spirit into the object. To casually probe an enchanted item of unknown origin was an act of supreme ignorance; only those who had stumbled into their powers by accident and lacked formal training would be so foolish.
As he contemplated how to handle the item, his fingers idly traced the surface of its lid. Suddenly, a strange suction tugged at his fingertips, and an unfamiliar man's voice echoed in his ears.
His vision plunged into darkness, as if he'd been swallowed by a vast abyss. The chime of a bell rang in his ears, and several blurry shadows materialized in the gloom.
When his senses returned, he found himself in a vast, enclosed, dark chamber. His five senses, however, felt oddly muted.
Hundreds of golden candelabras, all lit, were arranged in a wide circle along the chamber's edge. Inside that circle, strange, glowing characters written in some unknown substance formed a smaller ring of faint fluorescent light. At the very center stood a round table where five strangers sat, all cloaked in black robes and wearing masks. But the figure at the head of the table was a man hanging upside down. He wore a long, ochre-colored robe that defied gravity, refusing to hang downward.
The black-robed figure nearest to the head of the table rose and spoke softly.
A look of confusion crossed Jenkins’s face. That wasn't the common tongue of the Fidektri Kingdom; it sounded more like the language of the Cheslan Kingdom. Chapters fırst released on novel~fire~net
“Can you understand me now?”
The black-robed figure asked again.
Jenkins nodded. This time, the figure spoke in a language he understood.
He surveyed the others in the room. Level four, level seven, level three, level four, level five, level eight...
Cold sweat instantly beaded on Jenkins's forehead. It was only then that he noticed he, too, was wearing a mask.
The level-eight Enchanter with fourteen points of light—three white, nine yellow, one green, and one gold—was none other than the man hanging upside down. He was one of the most powerful humans Jenkins had ever encountered in this world!
“There's no need to be nervous, friend.”
The robed figure said reassuringly, “We mean you no harm, please believe that. Allow me to introduce everyone. This—”
He gestured toward the inverted man. “This is Mr. Constantine, the host of our gathering. This respected gentleman is a level-eight Enchanter. Having approached the apex of his power, he hopes to find new possibilities for advancement by consulting with us lesser Enchanters. That is why he has convened this assembly, which we call the Gem Assembly.”
He paused for a moment. Then, a raspy yet gentle voice drifted from the head of the table.
“Welcome, friend from the Fidektri Kingdom. I hope our setting hasn't startled you. The fact that you were able to touch and activate the medium I sent out means we were fated to connect. Now, please, take a seat. Our assembly is about to begin.”
“My apologies,” Jenkins said, “but I don't participate in illegal gatherings.”
Jenkins remained on guard. He could sense that his physical body was here, in some strange state, not just his soul. That was even more terrifying. Papa Oliver had often spoken of the immense danger and difficulty of spatial transference.
“I know what you're concerned about.”
The inverted Mr. Constantine didn't seem annoyed. “I used an interesting ritual and a special item to bring those who activated it to this place. But rest assured, you are here merely as a projection. I trust you understand what that means. My unfamiliar friend, please close your eyes and feel your own spirit.”