Chapter 1890: Chapter 1890

"What a fearsome man."

Such was the bald old man's assessment of Jenkins as the pure black hand behind him reached out once more. Jenkins instinctively wanted to dodge, but he knew this was a necessary part of the process and held still.

Afterward, another blank bubble appeared before him. This meant that, in addition to [Uncrowned King], he now had a chance to consider [Sanctuary of Books].

If Miss Windsor hadn't been at his side, he would have loved to bring more people here. After all, who would ever refuse a blank ability bubble?

Miss Windsor hadn't existed in the previous world, so she gained nothing from it. Magic Miss, however, had acquired a fire-related ability, a result of having personally incinerated her own corpse.

Although Jenkins had also burned "his" own body, everyone's circumstances were different, so their rewards were not the same.

The black hand pulled open the third door. As expected, beyond it lay the same stretch of St. George Street, home to Pops Antique Shop. The weather was gloomy, with a thick fog blanketing the road, making it indistinguishable from the real world. There were no pedestrians, only a tattered newspaper tumbling along the side of the street, swept up by the wind and mist.

"Let me emphasize something."

Before they went on, Jenkins addressed his companions:

His words were meant primarily for Miss Windsor, and she knew it. She hummed softly in agreement, lifting her head to look at him.

"Can you answer a question for me? What kind of person am I, really, in your eyes? Don't bother with compliments; I want to know my flaws."

The words of that other Jessica Windsor—the one with a different face—had made Miss Windsor doubt whether she was truly the person she thought she was. It was a deeply philosophical question she couldn't resolve on her own, and so she turned to Jenkins.

Jenkins considered it for a moment.

"You're independent, but at times, not quite tough enough. You've experienced hardships, yes, but you haven't faced any truly devastating setbacks. As a result, your spirit lacks a certain resilience."

He was being completely honest.

"Then do you think I'm a good person or a bad one? Am I the type to do anything to achieve my goals?"

"Absolutely not. If you were that kind of person, you would have backed me when I suggested we just kill Queen Isabella."

He glanced at Magic Miss, gesturing for her to say something as well. But she simply watched them, intrigued by their exchange, with no intention of joining in.

"How about this? When we get out of here, I'll teach you the fundamentals of being an Enchanter and help you to truly see this world for what it is. Enchanters have their own unique methods for self-discovery. Once you've walked a little further down the path, you'll understand how needless your current worries are."

Jenkins gave her a smile, trying to put her at ease.

"Besides, doesn't the fact that you have these worries prove you're a good person? Someone truly and thoroughly rotten wouldn't give a second thought to what kind of person they are."

It was a gentle smile. Perhaps because he so rarely offered one, typically maintaining such a serious demeanor, the expression caught Miss Windsor by surprise, and she froze for a moment.

A blush suddenly crept up her cheeks, and she turned her head away, breaking his gaze.

"I understand. Let's go."

And so, the three of them once again crossed the threshold, stepping into the final trial of this Mysterious Realm.

The smells permeating the air were identical to reality. This world, the one without Jenkins, was ironically very similar to the one the Stranger had first arrived in.

With no other destination, the trio headed straight for Pops Antique Shop, just as they had before. The interior was identical to the last two possibilities. Pops even welcomed the three customers who arrived on this dull evening with the exact same sentence. Even the way he held his newspaper as they entered was unchanged.

This time, no wanted criminal burst through the door. But before Jenkins could offer to buy the newspaper from Pops, a carriage unexpectedly pulled up in front of the shop.

Jenkins glanced over and saw Hathaway and Briny alighting from the carriage. He immediately spun around to face a shelf of antique vases. He knew, of course, that they were all fakes, but staring at counterfeit goods was far better than staring at familiar strangers.

Seeing that the first three customers were still browsing, Pops greeted the two ladies with easy familiarity. Hathaway and Briny returned the greeting politely. Hathaway then whispered something to him, and Pops opened the door to the back courtyard, allowing them to pass through while he attended to the remaining three.

Jenkins casually picked up an enamel doll, giving his companions a look that told them to stop browsing. After paying, they departed like any other customers, only to duck into the nearby alley moments later.

"You two wait here. I'm going to check the backyard to see what they're doing."

He told Magic Miss and Miss Windsor, and naturally, neither of them objected. Fresh chapters posted on novel⟡fire.net

With practiced ease, Jenkins scaled the wall from the alley to the roof of the adjacent building, then made his way circuitously until he was above the antique shop. It would have been easiest to jump down, transform into a rat, and scurry into the back courtyard, but he had already used his shapeshifting ability when fighting that giant snake.

Therefore, he now had to risk approaching the storeroom from the side wall. He pressed his ear flat against the surface, shutting out his other senses to push his hearing to its absolute limit. Only then could he faintly make out the conversation within.

Briny wasn't in the storeroom; she had gone back to the front of the shop, apparently acting as a lookout. Only Hathaway and Pops were inside, talking. The subject of their discussion was unexpected, but after the events of the last two worlds, Jenkins had grown accustomed to surprises.

"Yes. Although Her Majesty the Queen is genuinely fond of me, I can't betray Briny... I'm sorry, Pops. I failed the mission the Church assigned me."

Hathaway's voice was tinged with guilt. Jenkins, straining to listen, had no time to be surprised, but he was shocked to realize he understood exactly what she was saying.

"Jessica Windsor treats me very well; she genuinely likes me. Placing me by her side would certainly be a better way to gather intelligence on the 'Great Wisdom,' but I just can't do it. I'm sorry."

She repeated herself, and though she looked ashamed, Jenkins, who knew Hathaway well, understood that deep down, she was resolute in her belief that she was doing the right thing.

"Hathaway, my apprentice, you don't have to say that. I knew from the very beginning that you couldn't do this sort of thing. Otherwise, you wouldn't be you."

Pops said reassuringly.

In this world without him, it seemed the roles Jenkins normally played had been divided among people he knew. He never would have guessed, however, that Miss Windsor had those same inclinations.