Chapter 2043: Chapter 2043
This final exchange was pure improvisation, a departure from the script, but both Jenkins and Princess Sophia delivered their lines flawlessly. When their dialogue concluded, the hall fell silent. No one spoke, no one moved. All eyes were fixed on the pair, the last two Saviors of this Epoch, as they gazed at one another.
Both stood there for the noblest of ideals, for the sake of all people. Had it not been for the impending doom, for the two grand deceptions that had so thoroughly entangled their lives, perhaps they could have been friends. Perhaps they could have been... But the accursed apocalypse had made them adversaries, forcing them into a duel that pitted them against one another.
Once again, the crowd lamented fate's cruel humor, which had bound these two together. In that moment, they saw a radiance emanating from them—the brilliant light of humanity, so bright it seemed to illuminate all who watched.
“I have to say something,”
the silver-haired girl, Anettasia, declared with great seriousness to the ladies beside her. Her voice was a low murmur, careful not to disturb anyone else.
Briny prompted with an inviting gesture.
“If Jenkins dares to get involved with Sophia in any way, I will be absolutely furious.”
the silver dragon muttered.
Jenkins had never told Briny that he was the Believer of Lies, so she had no idea that the woman standing before them as Miss Fabry was actually the princess.
Anettasia didn't have the heart to expose Jenkins’s secret. Instead, with a childish persistence, she simply reminded Briny to keep a close watch on her man.
Though Briny didn't quite understand, she nodded in agreement. Only then did the silver dragon relent, her attention returning with keen interest to the unfolding scene below.
Since Jenkins himself had agreed to the duel with Miss Fabry, no one else had the right to object, even though his own Church was displeased by his "willfulness." The other eleven Orthodox Churches may have felt that choosing a Savior in such a manner was far too rash, but there was little they could do now. After all, the Savior wasn't one of theirs.
The duel would take place right there. The negotiation hall, manifested by the Gate of All Things, already resembled a colosseum. All that was needed was to clear the tables and people from the main floor and have the spectators take their seats on the tiered benches above. Then, the duel could begin.
No time was wasted drafting elaborate rules. At Miss Fabry’s suggestion, only one condition was set: neither combatant was to inflict fatal harm upon the other. Beyond that, there were no restrictions. Both she and Jenkins were free to fight with the full extent of their power.
Briny watched the preparations below, her expression fraught with worry. While others might have seen this as mere entertainment, the man in the arena was her fiancé. She couldn't possibly remain untroubled.
Among their inner circle, it seemed Briny was the only one left who didn't know the truth about Jenkins. Even Jessica harbored suspicions, though she couldn't yet be certain.
So, to put Briny's mind at ease, Hathaway took advantage of the break while the arena floor was being cleared. She shed her disguise as Skylark Miss and approached Briny as herself.
She gave Julia a reassuring smile, then turned to greet the silver dragon, Magic Miss, and Miss Silver Flute in succession.
Magic Miss chuckled, teasing,
“Well, Skylark Miss. I believe this is the first time we’ve met in person, as ourselves.”
Although Magic Miss had long been aware that Jenkins was the Believer of Lies, she rarely had the chance to see Hathaway outside of her secret persona. The two were, in fact, old friends and had known each other’s true identities even before Jenkins had accidentally stumbled into their gathering last autumn. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ NoveI★Fire.net
“So, should I congratulate you on the upcoming wedding?”
“You can save that for the wedding day,”
Hathaway replied, an irrepressible smile gracing her lips. After greeting her acquaintances, she sat down beside Briny and took her hand.
“There’s something I have to tell you.”
“It’s about Jenkins. You really don’t need to worry.”
She leaned in and whispered in Briny's ear,
“Do you remember when I told you that Jenkins had many secrets? I couldn’t tell you about them because I was afraid of getting you involved. But we’re at the very end now, and there’s something you need to know—Jenkins is the Believer of Lies.”
Just as Hathaway had been when she first learned the truth, Briny didn't immediately grasp the meaning of her words.
The blonde-haired young woman wasn't flustered. After learning that both Jenkins and Hathaway wielded the kind of extraordinary powers she’d only read about in stories, the revelation that her fiancé was part of an illegal organization was hardly enough to shock her.
“I know the Believers of Lies are a group. Which one is he? And weren’t they all killed? I thought Miss Fabry was the only one left.”
“All of the Believers of Lies... were Jenkins alone.”
Hathaway stated plainly, then watched as Briny’s expression remained largely unchanged.
the blonde-haired woman said, though there was still a hint of surprise in her voice.
“You’re not surprised?”
“Of course I am. But compared to some of the other abilities he’s told me about, disguising himself as an entire group of people... well, it doesn’t seem quite so astonishing, does it?”
Hathaway was thoroughly disappointed by this response; she had been hoping to see one of Briny’s rarer expressions.
“The only thing that might truly surprise me is that Jenkins once disguised himself as a woman... Oh, so that’s why you were so excited during the speech at City Hall. I see now. If Jenkins is Miss Fabry, then... does that mean he orchestrated all of this?”
Far from being surprised, Briny broke into a sweet smile.
“Hathaway, the man we chose is truly remarkable, isn’t he?”
Realizing she wasn't going to get the reaction she’d hoped for, a crestfallen Hathaway prepared to return to the Music Cult’s designated area. But then Briny asked another question.
“Then who is the Miss Fabry down there right now? It’s not Chocolate, is it?”
“Of course not. Why do you always assume Chocolate can turn into a person? That’s just bizarre. The woman below is Princess Sophia. Jenkins asked her to help him.”
Briny instantly understood the reason for Anettasia's bizarre comment earlier. She turned to look at the silver-haired girl, but Anettasia pointedly tilted her head away, refusing to meet her gaze, stubbornly determined not to admit that she harbored any distrust for either Jenkins or Sophia.
Soon, the long tables and documents were moved aside, leaving only Jenkins and Miss Fabry on the cleared floor below. As agreed, they were to restrain themselves from damaging the arena, but otherwise, they could fight with everything they had. The safety of the audience was not something they needed to worry about.
Jenkins and Princess Sophia took their places at opposite ends of the arena. Both had exchanged their formal attire from the negotiations for looser clothing that allowed for greater freedom of movement.
He gently stroked Chocolate, who was perched on his shoulder, then noticed Miss Bevanna beckoning him over for a quick word.
“You absolutely cannot lose.”
He understood the Church's anxiety. If he lost, all their preparations would have been for nothing. It would have been perfectly reasonable for Bevanna to reprimand him for his impulsive decision, but she said nothing of the sort. Instead, she simply extended her hand for a handshake.
Confused, Jenkins took it, and immediately felt a small object being pressed into his palm.
“Isn’t this a bit... improper?”
Miss Bevanna said nothing, only meeting his gaze. Jenkins withdrew his hand, closing his fingers around the object she had given him. He glanced down to see a blood-red pebble. Each of its facets was unnaturally smooth, and it felt warm to the touch as he ran his thumb over its surface.
He couldn't tell if the heat came from Miss Bevanna’s hand or from the stone itself.
Miss Bevanna offered no explanation, but it was clear the stone was meant to help him secure victory. Jenkins slipped it into his pocket just as he saw Papa Oliver approaching—the very man who had insisted he wouldn’t be attending the negotiations.
he said, echoing Bevanna’s sentiment as he gave Jenkins a light pat on the shoulder.
“Papa, are you feeling all right?”
Yesterday, in order to get Candle Mr close to the metallic skull in the sky, Papa Oliver had used his key to briefly restore his power as a level-nine demigod. But doing so had caused the curse binding him to spiral out of control—it was an incredibly dangerous gambit.
“I’m fine, Jenkins. You need to remember who you are, and what your responsibilities are.”
Judging by his tone and complexion, Papa Oliver did indeed seem to be fine.
“Don’t worry, Papa. I’m the apprentice you trained.”
“But you already know far more than I ever taught you.”
As his hand left Jenkins’s shoulder, Jenkins noticed a faint handprint left behind. It was barely visible to the naked eye, but through his Eye of Reality, it shone with a dazzling spiritual light.
He winked at Papa Oliver, and the old man winked back.
The corner of Jenkins’s mouth twitched. Papa Oliver turned his head away, refusing to look at him.
“The future of the world is in your hands!”
Papa Oliver declared loudly for all to hear, then walked toward Miss Bevanna without a backward glance.
Jenkins found the whole situation rather amusing. He then saw Sigrid approaching, an item with a powerful aura clearly visible in her pocket—a contribution from the Church of All Things and Nature, no doubt. She wasn't the only one; representatives from the other Orthodox Churches were also making their way toward him to offer their own 'pre-duel counsel'.
To avoid drawing suspicion, they didn't crowd around him all at once, but rather fanned out, forming an informal queue as they waited for a chance to speak with him.
Just as he was about to greet Sigrid, he glanced across the arena and saw Princess Sophia already in conversation with her senior, Miss Stevel.
Oops, I think I forgot to tell her who Miss Stevel is, he thought. Oh well, it’s probably not important.
The dancing orbs of light overhead bathed the arena in a soft glow. Miss Stevel hesitantly approached 'Miss Fabry.' All her previous dealings had been with Candle Mr; she had never met Miss Fabry before.
With Candle Mr now confirmed to have made the ultimate sacrifice, she had no way of knowing if Miss Fabry was aware of the various agreements and understandings she had established with him. But one thing was certain: for Jenkins to win, she had to do something.