Chapter 1824: Chapter 1824

"Good day, customer."

The coachman, summoned with a Sin Coin as payment, bowed respectfully. His black hat was tilted to one side, half-obscuring a profile that looked as if it had been scorched. He scanned the area before fixing his slightly bulging right eye on Jenkins.

"You look familiar... Oh, it's you."

He remembered the last time he'd earned a Sin Coin from Jenkins in exchange for information about his employer.

But the moment the words left his lips, he sensed something was deeply wrong. The coachman slowly lowered his gaze to his own hands, clad in filthy, bandage-wrapped gloves, then glanced back at his carriage. Tiny black particles were drifting upward from both of them, as if they were slowly evaporating.

"Where is this place?"

The coachman asked warily, tugging at his collar. Jenkins caught a glimpse of a grimy, crimson shirt underneath.

Jenkins replied, and then it dawned on him. Even Viscount Augustus had been reluctant to step inside his house, despite being invited. It was no surprise that the coachman, manifesting in the basement, would be affected by a place that had all but become a "divine residence."

He fumbled in his pocket and tossed something over—the Blasphemy Seed Jenkins had used for the summoning, along with a golden soul coin.

"Here, take back the Sin Coin I received from you last time. I don't need payment for this summons... Can I leave now?"

Jenkins hadn't expected this, but his reflexes were sharp, and he snatched the coins out of the air. The cat, perched on the basement steps, turned its head at the sound. Seeing the feline up close, the coachman took an involuntary step back.

"Can I go now? Last time was my mistake. I realize now I shouldn't have brought such a dangerous item here. You wanted my help delivering the 'Ancient God's Dream' to your client, didn't you? Fine, I'll do it right now."

"No need. That client's entire family is already dead."

Jenkins shook his head. He was surprised by the coachman's terror—it reminded him of the insurance salesman who had fled, never to be seen again—but he had no intention of returning the coins.

"I actually summoned you for two reasons. I won't make things difficult for you; I know you operate within the rules set by the great ones."

The coachman wasn't particularly strong and seemed to possess a rational mind. He wasn't some incomprehensible Cursed Item, which explained his readiness to cooperate.

"What do you require?"

"First, there are three human women in this house right now."

He pointed upward, his expression suddenly hardening into a menacing glare.

"You are to have absolutely no contact with them. Under any circumstances. Do not conduct your business with them."

"No problem. They're just ordinary humans; I'm not desperate for their business."

Despite his words, the coachman didn't offer to return the Sin Coin that Hathaway had already spent, and Jenkins, for his part, didn't ask.

"Second, I need to go somewhere, and I will pay. Your job is to take me there and then bring me back."

After all, spatial travel was forbidden there. The "Real Illusion" had already proven ineffective.

"Of course, no problem. What's the destination?"

Hearing there were Sin Coins to be earned, the coachman nodded immediately. He held the brim of his hat and asked in a steady voice.

"It's complicated. First, the place is underground."

Jenkins stamped his foot.

"Underground is fine. My business isn't limited to the surface."

"Second, the area used to be an open space, but it has since collapsed. I'm not certain there's even a cavity left for you to stop the carriage."

"Hmm... that's still not a major problem. Sky, water, earth—I can go anywhere. The price will be higher, though. Please understand, these rules were set by the great ones whose names we both know but cannot speak. As an apology, I could deliver a Cursed Item to one of your enemies free of charge, but I cannot perform my standard services for free outside the established system."

"Of course, I understand."

Jenkins felt a flicker of uncertainty. Even with the returned golden soul coin and Blasphemy Seed, he only had a total of five Sin Coins. He suspected, however, that Alexia Miller had a few more, since she was the one who'd given Hathaway hers in the first place.

"But there's a third problem. The place prohibits spatial travel." Orıginal content can be found at noⅴelfire.net

"What type of spatial travel is prohibited?"

This time, the coachman didn't immediately declare it wasn't an issue. Instead, he asked cautiously, his voice a low rasp.

"I don't know enough about the specifics, but we can try. Name your price."

"I'll need to know the exact location first,"

Jenkins nodded. Two silver ribbons of light, each representing the knowledge from one of his two lifetimes, swirled around him like flowing rivers. With a flick of his finger, he sent a sliver of that light shooting into the coachman's mind.

The coachman froze for a moment, processing the brief flash of experience. He fell into thought before finally giving his answer.

"I have a general sense of the location now. It should be possible to get there, but I'll have to make an attempt first—I can't give you a one hundred percent guarantee. Due to the special nature of the destination, the fee will be higher. I would recommend you pay with golden soul coins; it will be cheaper for you. For any other type of Sin Coin, the price will be 1.5 times higher. I can provide change."

The coachman finally quoted a price of three golden soul coins—a fare that included the return trip from underground. The problem was, Jenkins didn't have three. He had two golden soul coins, one Jewel of Ages, and two Blasphemy Seeds.

In the end, he paid with two golden soul coins and one and a half Blasphemy Seeds. The half-seed was something Jenkins had managed to create by fusing the illusory coins he'd accumulated over the past six months. He hadn't yet mastered the art of determining a Sin Coin's value by its luster, but the coachman clearly had.

After receiving the payment, the coachman pocketed the three whole coins. He held the remaining translucent seed between two fingers and tapped it against the side of his carriage, causing it to split cleanly in two. He handed the almost completely transparent fragment back to Jenkins, keeping the other half as the remainder of his payment.

After the transaction, Jenkins was left with a single Jewel of Ages and a little more than one Blasphemy Seed.

With the fare paid, they departed without further pleasantries. Although Jenkins had only paid for his own passage, the coachman didn't object when the cat followed him into the carriage.

The coachman did, however, repeatedly warn him of one thing: until the carriage came to a complete stop, Jenkins was absolutely forbidden from looking outside, much less attempting to leave by any means. This was the only requirement he had for his passenger.