Chapter 1941: Chapter 1941

Letting Jenkins leave City Hall for now was too uncertain. For the Church, even if he didn't secure the throne this time, there would be plenty of other opportunities, especially now that the High Tower Accord was losing its power. But Jenkins was concerned about his divinity. He was the protagonist in this drama, and no one could take his place.

The Church was also pushed to its limits. No one could have predicted the appearance of something like the 'Human Jigsaw Puzzle'—a Cursed Item that couldn't be overcome by sheer manpower.

"Still, this is also an opportunity..."

Jenkins mulled it over for a moment, then turned to Captain Bincy and said:

"Perhaps I have an idea."

After explaining his idea to Captain Bincy, Jenkins turned and returned to the lecture hall. He had worried that asking Dolores to speak without preparation would make her terribly nervous, but the princess was performing brilliantly. Jenkins even saw King Sarlis II, seated in the audience, wearing a look of deep satisfaction.

Back in Ruen, Dolores had been overseeing the Hamparvo Kingdom's financial reforms for nearly half a year. That, combined with having heard Jenkins's detailed descriptions of the "Fabry Fraud" on multiple occasions, made her account even more compelling than Jenkins's own would have been.

While she was still speaking, Jenkins quietly found Hathaway, who was sitting with Jessica and Briny, and then located Sigrid Capet, giving each of them a specific task.

He then sought out Magic Miss and Silver Flute Miss, who were protecting Jessica from the shadows. The two had accompanied the Duke of Windsor, as Jessica had secretly followed Jenkins, hidden in his carriage.

"I was originally going to ask Alexia to do this, but with the Cursed Item appearing in the city, I'm not sure if she'll have to leave. So, I'd like you to handle it."

He handed her a handful of spiritual magnets. They had been expensive to acquire, and each one had been ritually modified by Magic Miss herself last year—at the cost of eight thousand pounds—to link with the painting B-07-4-7711, "Gathering in the Forest." Every magnet now functioned as a projector.

"You want me to place these magnets in various corners of the lecture hall without attracting attention, and then retrieve them at the right moment? And control the wind outside the window, and collect something you'll drop by the side door? That's simple enough, no problem. But what are you planning?"

Magic Miss asked with surprise as they stood in the corridor.

"Just do as I say. I promise it's nothing illegal,"

"Alright, then. It's not difficult. But honestly, I feel like I'm taking part in something that will be written about in the history books."

As the heir to the northern kingdom, Dolores had originally been seated next to King Sarlis II. With her on stage, her seat was empty. Jenkins had King Sarlis II shift into Dolores's spot, then hunched over and, without disturbing anyone else, slipped into the seat beside Queen Isabella.

The old woman tilted her head slightly, her eyes still fixed on the spirited foreign princess at the podium. Her withered lips moved as she asked in a low voice:

"I'm surprised you haven't left City Hall." Follow current novels on novel-fire.net

"The explosion just now..."

"How could that be? Of course it has nothing to do with me. This is my kingdom, after all."

That was the truth. It really had nothing to do with her.

"Did you anticipate there would be trouble today?"

"How could I? Of course not."

This time, it was a lie. Which meant that while Queen Isabella hadn't orchestrated the event, and it wasn't directly connected to her, she had known about it.

To put it another way, Queen Isabella knew that an incident would occur today—one that only Jenkins could resolve. That was why, despite hearing the rumors of Jenkins's "conspiracy," she remained here, completely unflustered.

"You... you seem to be able to detect lies?"

she added suddenly. Jenkins lifted an eyelid.

"For a Benefactor, it's not a particularly difficult feat."

The old woman nodded but said nothing more, seemingly convinced that Jenkins wouldn't be staying for long.

She was right. Jenkins soon stood up and left. At that same moment, Dolores finally concluded her account of the "Fabry Fraud." After she stepped down, the stage remained empty for a short while.

Jessica, sitting in a back row with Briny, saw that Jenkins hadn't returned and rose to walk to the stage. She had seen Jenkins's speech notes and knew what came next: the core analysis of the "Tulip Mania." Jenkins had already used data to demonstrate the unnatural price surge of tulips, and Dolores had drawn a comparison between the two phenomena. The next step was to explain the dangers of the Tulip Mania.

In the front row, Queen Isabella's expression flickered for an instant before returning to normal. She knew Jessica was here, when she was supposed to be asleep back at her residence; she just hadn't expected her to be so decisive as to take the stage. But even with Jessica's appearance now, it wouldn't affect what was to come.

The "dangers of the Tulip Mania" was a complex topic, covering everything from the livelihood of the people to the stability of the city, from the impact on future industries to the cautionary tale it would become if the scheme succeeded. Jessica could only hope Jenkins would return quickly. She could deliver the speech, but she knew she couldn't do it as well as he could.

In the audience, Queen Isabella turned to Duke Douglas, who stood behind her, and said something. The Duke hesitated for a moment before giving a slight nod.

Beside Queen Isabella, a smile played on King Sarlis II's lips. The Duke of Windsor, seated one spot away from Duke Douglas, gently tapped his fingers on his knee, his face a mask of inscrutable calm.

At that same moment, Sigrid Capet, having received her mission from Jenkins, had already left City Hall. Of all the ladies Jenkins had assigned tasks to, her destination was the closest; the old elf, Siannod, rented an apartment right next to City Hall.

She followed the address Jenkins had given her to the apartment building. After a brief hesitation, she knocked on the downstairs door. The landlady who answered was puzzled by the appearance of an unfamiliar young woman, but when Sigrid gave the alias Jenkins always used when visiting the elf, she was granted entry.

She climbed the stairs and knocked on the old elf's door. She'd been worried no one would be home, but she soon heard the sound of someone shuffling in slippers from within.

The door opened, but only a crack; the security chain was still in place. The old elf peered out cautiously at the young woman he had never seen before.

"Excuse me, but who are you...?"