Chapter 2034: Chapter 2034

Jessica had already received Jenkins's signal, and with Queen Isabella reluctant to weigh in, Miss Fabry swiftly secured the support of the Fidektri Kingdom.

Princess Sophia even went slightly off-script from Jenkins's plan, employing far more subtle rhetoric to deftly navigate the negotiations. Her approach was more effective and certainly more elegant than Jenkins's cruder strategy of leveraging his Savior candidacy as a threat. It also served to further flesh out the persona of 'Miss Fabry,' solidifying her image as a young woman of astonishing intellect.

The day's agenda wasn't concluded until ten-fifty at night. At such a late hour, launching into a discussion about the Savior was out of the question. Consequently, the kings departed with small retinues to rest, leaving a number of their civil officials behind to continue deliberating on other matters.

The thousands of members from the various pseudo-god faiths also rested in shifts, ensuring that representatives remained at the negotiating table to address the less critical topics.

The rest of the attendees were quartered within the church, though few were inclined to sleep. For Enchanters, forgoing rest for a few days was hardly a challenge, and an opportunity for hundreds of churches to convene in one place was exceptionally rare.

Thus, most attendees had little desire for sleep. Even those not directly involved in the negotiations preferred to spend their time conversing with acquaintances in various corners of the grand church.

Noticing the attendees' wakefulness, the Church of the Sage held a brief consultation and announced a "Night Tour of the Evergreen Forest." The excursion had been part of their contingency planning all along, so despite the short notice, the arrangements were impeccable.

Transporting thousands of Enchanters out of the city by carriage would have been a logistical nightmare. Instead, they opted to utilize the spatial properties of the Gate of All Things. By combining its power with a Series B Extraordinary item, B-02-3-3821, the [Dandelion Beacon], they could create a temporary portal directly to the Evergreen Forest.

This method of spatial travel was comparatively safe, though it came at a steep price: the valuable Extraordinary item would be completely destroyed in the process. For an institution as wealthy and influential as the Church of the Sage, however, such an expense was well within acceptable limits.

The office was just as he remembered it, its dim, yellow light lending a touch of warmth to the deep night. Although it was summer, and the nights were typically mild, a day of torrential rain and the thick black clouds blanketing the sky had caused the temperature to drop unusually low.

Thick stacks of documents covered the coffee table before him. He wasn't alone with Miss Bevanna; Mr. Gilbert and several other demigods were also present. Just then, the door opened and another Saint, Miss Strass, entered:

"Papa Oliver is all right,"

she announced, sinking breathlessly onto the sofa beside Jenkins.

"He just overexerted himself. After your healing, he only needs some time to rest. We just saw him back to the antique shop."

"Why not stay here at the church?"

"The old man insisted. He said he prefers his own bed, and the shop isn't too far from here."

The files piled on the table were reports from around the world, first sent to the Holy See in Bel Diran and then forwarded here. Most described strange atmospheric phenomena, an unnatural number of bizarre creatures emerging from the mists, and a steady drop in temperature that had begun around noon.

A smaller number of reports mentioned earthquakes of unknown origin occurring that afternoon, a clear sign that something was stirring deep within the earth.

For now, at least, it seemed the various dioceses were managing to cope with the unfolding events. But as more creatures spawned from the mists and the subterranean mechanical activity intensified, it was only a matter of time before the Church's resources would be stretched to the breaking point.

To say nothing of the sky—if the black clouds overhead truly never dissipated, the resulting agricultural collapse and food shortages alone would be enough to trigger a complete breakdown of society.

While the Difference Engine's three declarations hadn't pushed civilization to the very brink, the edge of the precipice was now clearly in sight. Humanity was at a critical juncture. The Holy See had sent these documents hoping that the factions in Nolan could quickly reach a consensus with the Believers of Lies.

Regardless of who would ultimately become the Savior, a candidate had to be chosen before any final preparations could be made.

Initially, the Twelve Orthodox Churches had not been optimistic about Jenkins's chances, despite him being one of their own. The Believers of Lies, after all, held a staggering six of the candidate slots, while Jenkins accounted for only one and a half. Furthermore, his rivals were all exceptionally powerful. Even with Miss Stevel's infiltration and the full backing of the churches, it would have been nearly impossible to persuade them to voluntarily withdraw from the running.

And if it came down to a trial by combat, the Church was even less confident in his victory. He was a Saint, true, but not yet a demigod. His empowered state was temporary, whereas the strength of the Believers of Lies was constant and formidable.

But now, the situation had changed dramatically. The sacrifice of the Believers of Lies had secured a temporary victory and, in doing so, had narrowed the field of competition to a one-on-one contest. Miss Fabry was undeniably brilliant, but she had never demonstrated any significant combat prowess.

This realization set minds within the Church racing. Suddenly, Jenkins's chances of success seemed to have skyrocketed to as high as eighty percent.

And so, at this late hour, the demigods and Saints of the Church of the Sage's Nolan diocese were gathered not only to discuss the world's grim turn and the impending cataclysm, but for a more pressing reason: to ascertain Jenkins's own stance:

"Are you willing to be the Savior?"

The question came from Miss Bevanna, seated behind her desk. All eyes turned to Jenkins, who blinked.

"Of course. Why even ask? We've come this far—even if I wasn't willing, do we really have any other choice?" Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn N0velFire.ɴet

"The [World Tree Seedling] is your innate ability; it wasn't something you sought out. So we've never been entirely sure how you truly feel about being the Savior. Besides, when it came to the throne, you always insisted you despised that kind of responsibility."

"This is different. Some responsibilities can be passed to others if I refuse, but the role of Savior can only be mine. Oh, Miss Bevanna, I know what you're worried about, but you needn't be. Everything I'm doing now, I'm doing of my own free will. I'm not being coerced by circumstance. Besides, I've always believed that I am the only one who can be the Savior. This isn't a multiple-choice question; there's only one possible answer."

Jenkins, of course, couldn't simply state that there was no one else. He chose his words carefully.

"Because I feel the call of destiny."