Chapter 178: Chapter 178

"We've found the whereabouts of those swindlers, the followers of the Prince of Lies. After committing a major crime in the Hamparvo Kingdom last year and making off with some important royal items, they scattered across the three great kingdoms. Their main contingent is active in Eldron, in the Cheslan Kingdom. These are their possible addresses."

The informant, a man called Mr. Topaz, rattled off six or seven addresses in Eldron, his words heard by everyone present.

"So the followers in Nolan City were just a small, fugitive branch," Jenkins thought.

He committed the information to memory, figuring it was something he could report to the Church.

After Constantine Sir's question-and-answer session concluded, the assembly moved on to trading among its members.

Because the participants were not in the same city, or even the same country, the exchange of physical goods was severely limited. As a result, most of the transactions involved information, rituals, or other non-physical assets. Even when money was involved, the prices never exceeded three hundred pounds.

Realizing this, Jenkins gained a new perspective on the Gem Assembly—most of its members were not particularly wealthy Enchanters.

But as he mulled it over, he remembered that Nolan City was one of the most economically developed cities in the entire human world. It was unlikely that these Enchanters, hailing from all corners of the continent, could conduct transactions in the "thousands of pounds" like the members of the Corpse Gentleman's gathering.

Even if most Enchanters found it easier to accumulate savings than the average person, earning vast sums of money was still no simple task. Take Mr. Barnard, for example. He had toiled his entire life, yet the personal assets he was so desperate to leave his family, even from beyond the grave, amounted to a mere five hundred pounds.

The thought first filled him with a pang of sorrow for Mr. Barnard, which was quickly replaced by a swell of pride in his own substantial savings. He immediately scolded himself for having such a thought.

Jenkins remained completely silent throughout the meeting, choosing instead to quietly observe the others. Constantine Sir seemed to understand his apprehension and simply told him that the item he possessed would grow warm whenever a gathering was about to begin. Activating it at that time would allow him to join.

Of course, attendance at the Gem Assembly was not mandatory. One could ignore the item's signal if they were busy or simply unwilling to participate. However, if a member missed five consecutive gatherings, the item would be destroyed completely.

"This is also a security measure," Constantine Sir explained. "The investigations of the Orthodox Churches and the malice of heretical cults are great threats to well-intentioned Enchanters."

At that moment, Jenkins had to fight the urge to remind the man that he himself was a level-eight Enchanter.

When the gathering ended, Jenkins closed his eyes and responded to the call of his spirit. As the sound of turning wheels grew clearer in his ears, he found the carriage was just arriving at Fifth Queen's Avenue.

After paying a fare of four shillings and eight pence, plus a three-pence tip, Jenkins hopped out of the carriage and pushed open the shop door.

"This is the final payment from the viscount. He also told me he has some old things at his estate he no longer needs and invited you to take a look when you have the time."

Jenkins handed an envelope to Papa Oliver, who weighed it in his hand for a moment before placing it in a drawer without a second glance.

"I see. You seem to have something on your mind."

Papa Oliver watched as Chocolate leaped into Jenkins's arms, nuzzled against him, and then hopped back onto the counter, curling into a ball to resume his nap.

"Oh, yes," Jenkins nodded. After a moment's hesitation, he recounted what had just happened.

While the gatherings hosted by the Hooded Man and the Corpse Gentleman were also held in secret, both at least carefully vetted their participants for criminals. And with the five churches of the Nolan diocese possessing more than one level-eight Enchanter, the Corpse Gentleman, despite his power, posed no significant threat to the local Orthodox Church.

But this Constantine Sir was far too dangerous. Worse, he seemed completely unconcerned with the true identities of his participants, a fact that was particularly alarming.

"Constantine Sir? And he claims to be level eight?"

Papa Oliver's brow furrowed. "You always seem to find this kind of trouble. I suppose I should be used to it by now."

They temporarily closed the shop and headed to the church together.

After greeting the guards, Papa Oliver went to find Captain Bincy to report the matter directly to the central church authorities. Jenkins, meanwhile, was asked to perform the Rite of the Sage's Gaze to ensure he hadn't been marked for tracking.

This was the fourth time Jenkins had undergone the ritual. The process and the experience were identical to the previous times. The only difference was a faint warmth that bloomed on his forehead as he felt that gentle, magnificent gaze upon him. Nothing else occurred.

This, at least, proved that Constantine Sir had no way of tracking Jenkins's physical body from the gathering.

The bishop was not in the cathedral today. Jenkins sat for a while on a bench in a side hall, listening to an excellent sermon alongside the ordinary believers, before Papa Oliver found him.

"The Church has a response."

"Have you forgotten what your status is now?"

Papa Oliver gestured for Jenkins to sit. They were in an unfamiliar office. A few documents were scattered across the large desk, and a small copper box filled with sweets sat on a corner. Seated before the desk was a middle-aged man who looked vaguely familiar.

Jenkins had seen him at the church before but didn't know his name.

"This is Mr. Stanno Adier. His position... well, he's primarily responsible for intelligence gathering and information consolidation. He's in a clerical role, just like us. He'll explain the situation."

As he spoke, Papa Oliver gave him a slight wink. Jenkins nodded in understanding. It was likely a sensitive position related to espionage.

"Hello, Mr. Williams."

The middle-aged man, dressed in a black formal suit over a high-collared red sweater, spoke in a very courteous tone.

Jenkins offered no judgment on the man's fashion sense, though he imagined it must be quite warm. Thıs text ıs hosted at novel⚑fire.net

"According to the information relayed from the central church, there is indeed a level-eight Enchanter who calls himself Constantine. His faith is unknown, but we can confirm he is not a follower of a Righteous God. We also have some knowledge of the 'Gem Assembly' you mentioned. It's an illegal, secret gathering organized by this unregistered Enchanter. Besides you, two other Enchanters—one from the Church of Sun and Justice and another from the Church of Starry Sky and Equilibrium—are also attending due to accidents similar to yours. A level-eight can cause considerable destruction, but this assembly has not yet committed any acts that violate law or morality. Furthermore, tracking Constantine has proven difficult; we only know he is somewhere in the Cheslan Kingdom. Therefore, we are not taking any action against him at this time, but are observing him with caution..."