Chapter 433: Chapter 433

At last, the machine beneath the canvas was unveiled, drawing a collective gasp of awe from the crowd.

"This is truly a groundbreaking masterpiece!"

The inventor certainly thought so, and he eagerly began to introduce his creation to the onlookers. He started by firing up an old-fashioned steam engine mounted on a peculiar platform, shoveling a load of coal into its furnace. Once white steam began to hiss from the pipe joints, he spread his arms, bowed to the crowd, and then strode to the center of the wooden stage.

"Now, watch closely! All you have to do is this... and then, lean forward..."

A device resembling a pommel horse was mounted on a long pole, which in turn was secured to the wooden platform. The middle-aged gentleman began by shackling his feet to the floor. Then, he leaned forward over the pommel horse, stretching and straining until his hands finally grasped two copper pull-rings also fixed to the platform.

He gave the two rings a mighty tug. With a dull clanking of chains and grinding of gears, the steam furnace belched out a cloud of acrid smoke, forcing the crowd to back away. The policemen at the edge of the square took notice, craning their necks and rising on tiptoe to see what the commotion was about.

The entire contraption whirred to life. The wooden pole beneath the pommel horse began to extend, lifting the man until both his hands and feet were off the ground. The chains from the shackles on his ankles and the rings in his hands kept him from being launched into the air.

"Aha! Do you see it?"

someone from the crowd yelled.

"I call it the 'Height Enhancer'! With daily, continuous use, just , the body will adapt to being stretched, resulting in a permanent increase in height! All I need now is a one-hundred-pound investment to..."

Jenkins didn't catch the rest, as a roar of laughter completely drowned out the man's voice.

"The police should fund him! It's the best torture device I've ever seen!"

"Instead of investing in this junk, you'd be better off helping Miss Fabry in Eldron, the City of a Thousand Trees!"

"The Church of Creation and Machinery ought to get involved! This is an insult to the very word 'creation'!"

The crowd began to jeer, and another wave of laughter erupted. The middle-aged inventor, still suspended in his bizarre contraption, loudly argued with anyone who would listen, but he was quickly losing the debate.

Jenkins had considered investing in new inventions himself, especially with a large sum of cash coming his way soon. A bicycle was his top priority. He had even sketched out a design once, though he was still pondering the right material for the tires.

He and his cat lingered in the square for a little longer. Needing to avoid the flower seller girl, he had to exit via Vasileon Arts Avenue to the right. Along the way, he picked up a newspaper; being well into the afternoon, the morning edition was a bargain.

"Now, where to go for dinner?" Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs Nove1Fire.net

He had plans for the evening and had already told the nun at his residence he would be back before ten. That meant finding a restaurant in the city that offered good food at a reasonable price. The trouble was, Hathaway, Miss Mikhail, Bishop Stricker, and Mrs. Caroline had all given him their own recommendations, making the choice rather difficult.

"It has to be nearby... and allow pets inside..."

He mulled it over as he walked, and in his distraction, he bumped right into a small boy.

He apologized in a hushed voice before darting away. Jenkins didn't hesitate. Spurred on by Chocolate's meow, he turned and gave chase.

He wasn't sure if his wallet was gone, but the boy's accelerating pace convinced him he was right.

The boy's slender frame was incredibly nimble, allowing him to weave through the pedestrians with ease. Jenkins, despite having the aid of Cat's Grace, was too self-conscious to contort himself into strange positions to navigate the crowd.

Besides, the bulk of his money was safely tucked into an inner pocket. His wallet only held some pence and shillings for daily expenses.

The boy quickly ducked into a narrow alley, and Jenkins followed, bracing his right hand against the wall as he rounded the corner.

It was a dead end. A high wall blocked the way ahead, and the smooth brick on either side offered no handholds for climbing. To the left lay a pile of discarded picture frames, most of them broken. To the right was a mountain of refuse bags—the street outside was one of the capital's famed arts avenues, so the residents and shopkeepers were at least civilized enough to bag their trash.

He blocked the alley entrance with his body and reached into his pocket. Just as he suspected, his wallet was gone. He raised his cane and gave it a vicious swing, the sharp swoosh of it cutting through the air enough to make one's scalp prickle.

"Don't make me beat you out of hiding!"

he yelled into the seemingly empty alley. When no one answered, he snorted, then raised a hand to stroke his cat. The feline, perched on Jenkins's shoulder with narrowed eyes, extended a single right paw and pointed toward a corner.

He strode forward a few steps and swung his cane hard. A boy cried out in pain and tumbled out of thin air.

"Damn it! This invisibility spell doesn't mask scents!"

he grumbled, letting out a couple of curses in a thick accent. He rolled once on the ground before scrambling to his feet, took a step back with his right leg, and brandished a dagger at Jenkins, his expression utterly ferocious.

"Damn you, commoner! How dare you strike me!"

Jenkins's Eye of Reality had spotted him instantly—he was just a Level 0 Enchanter. Unsure of the boy's origins, however, Jenkins refrained from rashly revealing that he was an Enchanter himself.

"I'll kill you, burn your body, and eat your cat!"

The boy waved his little knife menacingly, but the young man with the cane just stood there, his expression perfectly calm.

"I don't care what trick you just used. Now give me back my wallet!"

Possessing supernatural abilities had filled the boy with immense confidence, yet even so, when the man spoke with such calm authority, a flicker of fear ignited in his gut.

"You damned commoner!"

A thin sliver of white light shot from the blade of the brandished knife. But it was too slow. Jenkins dodged it with a simple tilt of his head.

A clang of metal echoed behind him as the light hit the wall. A Level 0 Enchanter could only muster a fraction of their power, especially one in a state of utter panic—a state brought on by the sight of Jenkins raising a pistol.

"I don't care what kind of magic that was, but I am very curious to see if your little trick can dodge a bullet."

"You wouldn't dare shoot here! There are police right outside the alley!"

he threatened, his voice a ragged snarl, like a cornered animal.