Chapter 224: Chapter 224

Given his suspicious nature, Jenkins had often wondered if there was something unusual about his cat. But time and again, his doubts proved to be nothing more than baseless paranoia. In the end, he attributed all of Chocolate’s peculiarities to that magical potion.

Early on Wednesday morning, he received a reply from Shire City. Updates are released by Novᴇl_Fire(.)net

Old Jack's real name couldn't possibly be "Jack Jack," of course. Jenkins had expected to find his true name at the end of the letter, but the signature simply read "Jack."

Miss Audrey used a pseudonym, following the ancient tradition of diviners. But what was Old Jack's reason?

He couldn't figure it out at all.

In his reply, Jack first addressed Jenkins’s questions. The potion, he confirmed, could indeed slow or even halt the growth of the creature that consumed it. But this was no cause for alarm; on the contrary, it signified an extension of the animal's lifespan. To put it simply, it had become long-lived.

This was good news. Jenkins had worried about his cat's shorter lifespan compared to a human's, wondering if, decades from now, he might be unwilling to part with it and resort to a special ritual called the "Breath of Life" to extend Chocolate's existence. Now he could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Chocolate might even outlive him.

He patted his cat, but Chocolate ignored him, concentrating on lapping up its milk.

He was such a good cat, always wanting to be near Jenkins. Even when it hopped the fence to explore on its own, it always remembered to come home. For a time, Jenkins had worried that Chocolate might get lost, especially since it refused to wear a collar or a name tag. But he eventually concluded that, given the cat’s intelligence, if it ever disappeared, it wouldn’t be because it was lost—it would be because it no longer wished to see him.

Jenkins's mood immediately brightened.

Surprisingly, Old Jack had easily identified the leaves Jenkins sent. He even stated with certainty that they must have fallen from the Unfortunate Wishing Tree.

Jenkins could sense the old gentleman's excitement between the lines. He explained that leaves from an ancient tree with such extraordinary power were the finest materials for preparing potions related to "Life." He went on for three full pages, expounding on the principles of potion-making; clearly, he hadn't given up on the idea of taking Jenkins on as his apprentice.

Hidden within those three pages was the complete recipe for a potion called the "Witch's Kiss." Old Jack hadn't laid out the steps all at once, but rather mentioned them casually, piece by piece. This potion could only be used by women, and after drinking it, would grant them a temporary aura of being "radiant" and "full of charm" in the eyes of others.

The specific changes included, but were not limited to, subtle adjustments to one's appearance and a change in body scent.

"What's the meaning of this?"

Jenkins looked at the complete ritual and list of required materials he had copied down, guessing that this was another attempt to entice him into making a potion himself, hoping to spark his interest in the craft.

Unfortunately for Jack, if he had chosen a different type of potion, Jenkins might have actually given it a try. But even if he succeeded in making this one, he had no one to give it to.

Old Jack had also sent Jenkins a gift for the Reading Festival: an iron ring he had made himself. When worn, it could detect certain poisons. The ring would remain effective for three weeks and could identify a wide variety of toxins.

He played with it in his hand for a moment before slipping it onto the index finger of his right hand, as it was the best fit for the ring's size.

As for the Doomsday Document, Jenkins hadn't even mentioned it to Papa Oliver, as he needed to guard that secret strictly. Aside from the little he had learned from Captain Bincy, he knew nothing about the item.

But it had indeed mentioned the "Twin Demons," which meant the matter was of great importance to Jenkins.

Early that morning, Jenkins watched Chocolate curled up in front of the fireplace in the antique shop. The cat’s tiny form was reflected on the surface of a nearby golden artifact, which had been polished to a brilliant shine, creating a comical image.

After finishing his cleaning, Jenkins began transcribing the tadpole-like script while chatting with Papa Oliver about recent events.

It was now the latter half of October, and the morning air was especially cold. But sitting comfortably in the antique shop, watching pedestrians hurry past the door with their necks turtled against the chill, was a pleasant and cozy experience.

Papa Oliver was wearing that same ugly, red cashmere vest today, along with his monocle that glowed with a faint yellow light, and was toying with a small gear in his hands.

The gear had been taken from someone infected with "Gear Germs." Only after it was confirmed to be completely harmless was it handed over to Papa Oliver for research.

Jenkins didn't think the item was very valuable. Since that morning, its spiritual glow had been steadily fading, and it was on the verge of becoming a completely mundane object.

Papa Oliver listened with his head bowed as Jenkins recounted the events of the weekend night once more, then quietly marveled at how lucky they had been to receive such a divine blessing.

He also knew about the Ashiash family. After sharing a few terrifying rumors with Jenkins, their conversation turned to Baron Augustus.

When Papa Oliver had gone to Baron Augustus's estate to acquire antiques, he had also recovered several books containing information on the occult. Among them was material related to the Ashiash.

The sky was overcast, and the sun remained hidden all morning. The last days of autumn were drawing to a close, but the severe cold was also a reminder that if one didn't stock up on food before the first snow, surviving the winter would be difficult.

Thursday was the Reading Festival, and Papa Oliver had put up some decorations in the shop. Taking advantage of a customer-free morning, they used a ladder to hang strings of small, silver-inlaid metal book ornaments around the walls. To match the holiday spirit, Papa Oliver also put out a sign offering a discount on antique books—a decent marketing tactic.

Jenkins asked about the black market auction that Hathaway had mentioned would be held on Friday. To his surprise, Papa Oliver knew about it. He told Jenkins nonchalantly that it was best not to get involved. He'd heard whispers that a Bestowal was indeed going up for auction, but the item's origins were questionable, and its owner was deeply problematic.

So, Jenkins obediently gave up any thought of pursuing the item. He had gotten into enough trouble recently; being a quiet apprentice was more than enough for now.