Chapter 1931: Chapter 1931

"What if I were to concede one more step?"

the old woman across the dining table suddenly asked.

Jenkins hesitated, recalling her previous offer.

"How much further could you concede?"

"I could abdicate and let you ascend the throne directly."

He set down the silver knife he was using to cut food for Chocolate. Under the cat's disgruntled gaze, he leaned forward slightly.

"Now that's what I call a major concession."

"So what's the catch? You were so insistent on Jessica succeeding you. There must be a reason for this sudden change of heart."

Though he appeared calm, Jenkins's mind was racing. The Queen's direct abdication would save him a great deal of trouble.

"She's already living at your estate. What more can I do? If I continue to insist, Jessica will only resent me more. At my age, there aren't many young people left in my life. I'd rather not be surrounded by only servants when I'm old and frail."

If it were any other old woman saying this, Jenkins might have believed it. But coming from her, he didn't believe a word of it.

"Alright, alright. Let's get straight to the conditions. If I am to take the throne, what do you require of me?"

"Wait two years. Two years from this very day, I will voluntarily abdicate in your favor. During that time, should I die from anything other than natural causes, the throne will automatically pass to Jessica. Of course, you need not worry about me taking my own life. Having promised to give you the throne in two years, I will not go back on my word."

The Jenkins of the past might not have understood this condition, but after experiencing the Mysterious Realm of possibilities, he now knew why Queen Isabella favored Jessica. It wasn't merely because she treated the girl like her own daughter, but because she wanted the entire kingdom to continue down the path she had laid out long after she was gone.

She was an excellent judge of character and could see at a glance that if Jenkins were her direct successor, the Fidektri Kingdom would certainly undergo drastic changes. But with Jessica, who had grown up by her side, the old order and the regulations bearing Isabella's unmistakable mark could be preserved for much longer.

Now, with Jessica spending her nights at Jenkins's estate and not having visited for several days, Queen Isabella was certain that Jessica had thrown her lot in completely with him. Even if Jessica were to take the throne, Jenkins would be the one pulling the strings.

That was why she had proposed the two-year term. On one hand, it would significantly mend her relationship with Jessica. On the other, it would grant her enough time to ensure her political legacy would not be easily dismantled.

"Two years? I'm sorry, I can't wait that long."

"I've considered the timing carefully. You once said you wouldn't marry the heir to the northern kingdom for two years. Wouldn't it be ideal to inherit my throne at that point?"

Jenkins shook his head, not intending to explain his motives. There was simply no need. The Queen wasn't mentally prepared to accept the truth about the end of the world and his role as a Savior. He was racing against time. If she had proposed waiting two days, he would have agreed. But two years was out of the question; he couldn't even wait two weeks.

Queen Isabella asked, dropping the subject of concessions.

"I notice you seem rather agitated today."

"Of course. For the elderly, understanding the inner workings of a young person's mind is a simple matter. It's likely why your generation dislikes mine. Unwilling to wait even two years... This means you're planning to force my abdication in the near future, doesn't it? I've heard that Marquis Mikhail has secretly recalled some of the ships sent to the north, bringing them back to the harbor outside Nolan."

Jenkins remained silent, focusing intently on preparing a meal for Chocolate.

"I know you've never liked me, perhaps because my methods differ so greatly from your own. I've investigated you, and I've learned about your family and friends. In short, you're a... good man? But a good man cannot be a proper king."

This was another reason she opposed Jenkins's succession and leaned toward Jessica: she didn't believe Jenkins could become a good king. There was no selfish intent in this belief; sometimes, even Jenkins himself felt the same way. That was precisely why he needed the help of the three Jessica Windsors.

"Are you trying to talk me out of it?"

"No. I can see your resolve, and I don't want a struggle for the throne to plunge the country into turmoil at a time . You're preparing to force my abdication, aren't you?"

Jenkins saw no reason to deny it.

"In that case, I hope it will be peaceful, at least."

"I hope for the same."

After that, they ceased talking. Once they had both finished their meals, Jenkins rose and took his leave.

Queen Isabella knew Jenkins's mind was made up, and Jenkins knew she would not relinquish the crown without a fight. The events of the coming weekend would likely be more complicated than he imagined, but with matters having come this far, Jenkins would not back down for anything.

Of the Four King Souls, three had already completed their awakening—all except for Dolores's Ice Soul. Therefore, Jenkins hoped to awaken the Ice Soul before the transfer, so that he could fuse them all immediately after claiming the throne.

But awakening a King Soul was heavily dependent on luck. The Dragon Soul had awakened during a dragon hunt; the Tree Soul, when Jenkins had merged the seeds of the World Tree; and the Dark Soul, through the combination of three parts, catalyzed by three portions of spiritual darkness.

Jenkins's speech was tentatively scheduled for Sunday morning, which gave him two days. He spent the remaining time not wandering the city, but in the church library, researching information on special items related to "Ice."

During this period, Miss Bevanna discussed the matter of the King Souls with Jenkins. The Church was aware that Jenkins possessed the Tree Soul and that the Believers of Lies held the Dragon Soul. Seizing the opportunity of Miss Bevanna's inquiry, Jenkins directly revealed the precise clues he had regarding the Ice Soul and the Dark Soul.

Her expression turned to one of astonishment.

"Just as I'd expect from you. To think you were able to complete such a difficult task while we were none the wiser. I just knew it. All those days you were off somewhere instead of in meetings, you must have had important things to attend to."

"The current difficulty lies with the transfer of the King Souls. I consulted a Star Spirit, who told me that I must become a king in the truest sense of the word. Only then will my status be enough to overcome the two other potential heirs and allow for the transfer to be completed... Otherwise, the only option is to forcibly extract their souls, and that is something only a cultist would do."

"So, this business on the weekend must succeed?"

She had heard about it from Bishop Parrold.

"Very well, then. The Church will lend you its full support. Your bid for the throne is certain to succeed. And if you can truly obtain three of the King Souls, we'll have ample reason to borrow the flame you need from the Church of Sun and Justice. There's even a chance we could negotiate with the Believers of Lies for the Dragon Soul. If that happens, with all Four King Souls gathered, the Sage Church's standing among the Twelve Orthodox Churches will..."

The more she considered it, the more delighted she became, as if she could already see a glorious future unfolding.

Although Jenkins was infected by her high spirits, the matter of awakening the Ice Soul was not resolved by Sunday. Even with the Church's assistance, an issue that relied so heavily on chance could not be easily solved.

Jenkins even went to consult Audrey, but her divination didn't provide any specific direction, only that subsequent events would proceed smoothly and that he just needed to wait patiently.

But Jenkins didn't have time to wait.

Saturday arrived, leaving one day until the speech at City Hall. Early that morning, Jenkins and Chocolate hurried through a light drizzle to the residence where King Salsi II was staying.

After greeting the old king, he followed Alexia to the basement. Today was the day they were to return underground and ask the "A4 Type Arithmetic Auxiliary External Machine" for the results of its divination calculations.

Jenkins had prepared Sin Coins for Alexia to cover the fare, but in the end, she paid out of her own pocket. She still had a few coins left, and she decided to spend them now, allowing Jenkins to keep his for a potential emergency.

Waiting in the basement was agonizing, especially since the information they were about to receive would affect their next plan of action. Jenkins wanted to go to the first floor and speak with Dolores, who hadn't left for the day yet, but he worried Alexia might return at any moment.

Chocolate was perched on the basement steps, its head swaying as it followed Jenkins's restless pacing. Its tail swept back and forth behind it, brushing the dust on the floor, yet none of it clung to its fur. Chocolate was a meticulously clean cat; Jenkins didn't even have to wipe its little paws after taking it out, which was also because the cat never actually walked on the ground. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on novel✶fire.net

In any case, waiting was a nerve-wracking process. Jenkins continued to pace back and forth, contemplating his schedule for the day.

Tomorrow was the day he would publicly expose the tulip scheme. Everything was already prepared, but he still decided to reconfirm today that all key individuals and witnesses would be able to appear on schedule.

The Church dignitaries would also be arriving at City Hall tomorrow to listen to Jenkins's speech. For this reason, the scheduled one-day weekly recess had been specially moved to tomorrow. Jenkins also needed to visit each of the other eleven churches today to subtly reveal some of his intentions.

At present, the Church only knew that Jenkins wanted to force Queen Isabella to abdicate and was using his speech as a pretext for gathering a crowd. But Jenkins placed far more importance on the speech itself. After all, there might be other opportunities to seize the throne, but if he missed this chance at divinity, it would be impossible to orchestrate another grand deception of this scale in just one or two weeks—not even for the God of Lies.