Chapter 1995: Chapter 1995

As for the King Souls, the silver dragon couldn't offer any further information. However, after hearing Jenkins's analysis, she wholeheartedly agreed with his conclusion:

"So, what are you waiting for? Go and become the King of Humanity!"

She gave Jenkins's shoulder a couple of hearty slaps. Perhaps by dragon standards, it wasn't a forceful gesture.

"The meeting isn't until tomorrow. Speaking of which, the divination should be ending soon. I should get back..."

He rose to take his leave but then recalled something. Though he wasn't optimistic, there was no harm in asking:

"Do you know about an ability called [Four Seasons]?"

The silver dragon and Princess Sophia had been exiled from the material world long ago. In that era, the Enchanter's ability system hadn't been fully established, so Jenkins wasn't expecting much.

She happily kicked off her shoes. The young silver dragon had grown accustomed to human fashion but utterly despised shoes, which was why she had been barefoot when she first appeared. Now that she was "at home," and Jenkins had thoughtfully arranged for only female servants, she cast them aside without a second thought.

"I learned about this ability from a diviner, including how to use it and that it requires symbols of the seasons as catalysts. But for some reason, it has absolutely no effect when I try."

Jenkins stroked his cat, doing his best to keep his eyes from wandering to her swinging legs.

The silver dragon considered this.

"Are you certain it has no effect whatsoever?"

"That's my assessment, at least."

"There are two possibilities. The first is that you're completely incompatible with the ability, but since you acquired it yourself and not through some other means, that's highly unlikely. The second is that you are so compatible with it that [Four Seasons] has evolved into something new within you. The method of activation has changed, and once you discover it, a brand-new effect will emerge."

"But how can that be? The ability just evolved."

"What did it evolve from?"

"Ah, another ancient ability. And where did [Cycle] come from?"

Jenkins opened his mouth, then shut it again, swallowing his words. He glanced around cautiously before moving to sit beside the silver dragon on the sofa. She instinctively leaned away from him, asking warily:

"What are you doing?"

Jenkins leaned in as well, whispering a few words into her ear through a curtain of silvery hair.

She stared back, her beautiful golden eyes filled with disbelief.

"Is this something I could possibly joke about?" Thıs content belongs to novelFɪre.net

Someone else had said those exact words just moments ago.

The silver dragon sat up straight, her expression suddenly serious. Her legs stopped swinging.

"Alright. If that's the case, it only confirms your deep connection to [Four Seasons]. Your inability to use it now simply means you haven't fully adapted to and mastered it yet."

"So what should I do?"

"The simplest way is to find a numbered item with similar properties. Using such an item is bound to stimulate a change in your ability."

The approach sounded promising, and Jenkins considered it feasible. But while there were many items that represented the individual seasons, he couldn't recall many that embodied all four at once.

Considering the shared traits of [Four Seasons] and [Cycle], an image of that evolutionary key suddenly surfaced in his mind.

"It seems you already have an idea."

The silver dragon reverted to her languid posture, leaning back against the sofa on her long silver hair as she remarked with a smile.

Settling in the silver dragon and Princess Sophia took up a considerable amount of Jenkins's time. The most difficult part was explaining who they were. While the Fidektri Kingdom lacked a strict residency registration system, everyone was curious about their relationship with him.

Fortunately, Jenkins had already cultivated a public image as something of a playboy. This was particularly helped by the investigation into the heir's death a month prior, during which he had personally confessed to a "busy" nightlife. That conversation had somehow found its way into the tabloids, becoming the talk of the town for some time after.

So, when Jenkins vaguely hinted at the two ladies' identities, people simply gave him an "of course" look and asked no further questions.

Despite being an ancient dragon and an ancient human, both Anathasia and Princess Sophia possessed a good deal of common sense. After getting them settled and leaving his address, Jenkins set out once more for the base of the tower.

It was nearly dusk. The sun had just been setting when he left, but by the time he reached the public square, the streetlamps were already lit.

The ritual, however, was still ongoing, though the crowd of onlookers had thinned by more than half. Jenkins scanned the area but couldn't find Papa Oliver. Instead, he spotted Alexia and Dolores.

On the night he played chess with King Salsi II, Dolores's identity as an Enchanter had been revealed to the Church. She had since become a registered Enchanter, but thanks to her status as a princess and as Jenkins's fiancée, she was exempt from the tedious "residency agreement," which required reporting any departure from one's place of residence.

With permission, Dolores could now access areas normally restricted to Church members. At that moment, Alexia was watching the ritual from the edge of the square, while Dolores stood beside her, chatting with Sigrid about something.

"What brings you here? Have you eaten? If not, come home with me and change. Some friends have arrived in Nolan today, and I'd like to treat them to dinner."

Jenkins waved as he approached. Alexia's brow was furrowed in concentration, and she turned to face him.

"You didn't ask about my tutor, Oviya, on a whim. What is it that you know?"

"You're still thinking about that? It's nothing, don't worry about it."

"Oh, Jenkins," she said, "knowing you, when you answer like that, it means you've discovered something that concerns me, but you've decided it would be better 'for my own good' not to tell me because it might have some unnecessary effect. Do you have any idea how infuriating it is when men do that?"

Alexia rarely spoke to him this way, and Jenkins could tell she was genuinely upset, so he explained. He left out the part about the information from the silver dragon that had led him to suspect two of the Righteous Gods, but Alexia immediately saw through him.

"You suspect that beautiful girl you knew in ancient times was actually a god, don't you?"

"What makes you say that?"

"You're far too easy to read. You might as well have your thoughts written on your face."

Jenkins immediately grabbed his cat and held it up to his face. The gesture made Alexia laugh.

"So, you have an answer already?"

"Of course not, and I don't intend to find one. What good would it do? It would only lead to wild speculation. I'm not going to look for an answer. But you, on the other hand..."

"You think I might start to doubt myself, just because I learn that I'm on this path due to some divine guidance? Jenkins, don't be ridiculous. Do you really think I'm that kind of person? I walk this path because I chose it. Oviya, my tutor, simply presented me with a choice when I was young. She didn't make the decision for me.

I have never doubted myself, not in the past, not now, and I won't in the future. Without that conviction, I never would have made it this far."

The resolute look on her face left Jenkins momentarily stunned, and he found himself impulsively kissing her on the cheek.

The shorter woman asked, her face flushed red.

"Don't close your bedroom window tonight."

He leaned in and whispered, then pushed aside the swishing cat's tail to see Alexia give a nonchalant nod.

Audrey wasn't participating in the ritual. At Brolignans's request, she was stationed on the periphery of the square, ready to act as a "firefighter" if any problems arose. Jenkins asked her how much longer the ritual would last, but Audrey didn't know either.

"The duration isn't fixed; it depends on the results. Theoretically, the longer it goes on, the higher the chance of a definitive outcome."

The large bonfire in the center of the square suddenly flared, drawing gasps from the remaining crowd. A blurry phantom flickered into existence above the flames for a moment before vanishing. It was the third time this had happened since Jenkins's arrival.

"So, the fact that it's still not over is probably a good thing."

"But the negotiations with the Believers of Lies are tomorrow. Is Brolignans not attending?"

"My teacher isn't the lead negotiator; I can represent her. What about you, Jenkins? Has the Church of the Sage told you what to do tomorrow?"

Bevanna had indeed mentioned it. Knowing Jenkins was swamped with matters of the succession, she had even taken the trouble to compile all the key points into a document for him to review at his leisure. Those papers were currently sitting on the coffee table in his living room, and Jenkins planned to read them that night.

"But tonight, I have to... On second thought, the flow of time in the Astral Plane is different from the material world, isn't it?"

He nodded, having found the perfect time for his reading.

"Audrey, there's something I need to ask you."

"I am your teacher. Isn't it perfectly normal for you to ask for my guidance?"

"Oh, no, it's not about divination. I wanted to ask about the Righteous God, the Hermit of Fate... It's a bit awkward to ask, but I'm quite curious..."

He lowered his voice, not wanting anyone else to overhear their conversation.

"Do you happen to know... when the God of Fate acquired the title 'the Hermit'?"