Chapter 475: Chapter 475

In Jenkins's estimation, Miss Knight was exceptionally beautiful. Perhaps for this reason, the white unicorn didn't resist her approach, even allowing her to stroke its coat. But any further attempt was deemed an overstep by the proud creature, and Miss Knight could only flee back, clutching her injured left shoulder.

The Storyteller wasn't entirely cruel. As long as the four of them didn't approach the fearsome creatures, the beasts wouldn't attack, much less pursue them into the ring of firelight.

"Damn it... a wound from a unicorn's horn won't heal on its own. It even resists most healing abilities."

Mr. Kreide helped her to a seat, with Mr. Black Cat assisting.

"It's alright," she said. "I've heard the local Church of the Sage has an exceptional healer. I'll be fine once we get out of here."

Her complexion was ghastly. The wound from a unicorn's horn was no ordinary physical injury. While not fatal, the pain would torment its victim for a very long time.

Mr. Black Cat's mouth twitched. He realized the pair were almost certainly from one of the Orthodox Churches. But then it occurred to him that once they returned to the material world, they would be leaving Nolan immediately, so he saw no issue with it.

Jenkins, however, grew curious. He recalled Miss Bevanna mentioning that the ones who had provoked the Witch's House into summoning that monster from the Shadow Realm were none other than these knights from the Church of Sun and Justice. If not for a miracle from the "great author," the entire city could have been destroyed. For that, they should have been ostracized by all five of Nolan's major churches.

So why were they still lingering here instead of returning to their own diocese to report on their duties?

A jolt of alarm shot through him, and he studied the pair with a gaze full of profound meaning.

"Perhaps I should just leave them here... wait, no. I'm one of the good guys!"

Mr. Kreide had already helped Miss Knight back to her seat by the fire. He turned helplessly to the remaining two.

"I'm sorry, truly sorry," he said, "but we're completely out of options."

Jenkins and Mr. Black Cat exchanged a glance.

"I suppose you don't happen to have a special item on you, like B-01-5-3732, the Taming Reins?" Mr. Black Cat asked.

"That's right," Jenkins added. "And I assume you're not a follower of the pseudo-god, the 'Friend to Animals,' either."

The two of them shared a helpless, bitter smile.

"However, I do know of a basic white ability called Animal Affinity," Jenkins suddenly recalled. It was a boon he'd received after using his divinity for the first time.

"But I haven't performed the ritual to learn it yet. It can only be done in October."

"Alright then, my turn." The rıghtful source is novel✶fire.net

Mr. Black Cat said with a nod. He patted Jenkins on the shoulder before stepping out of the firelight and walking toward the nightmare.

Despite claiming he had no good ideas, Mr. Black Cat came surprisingly close to succeeding. The other three didn't see what he took from his pocket and placed on the grass, but all three of the strange creatures suddenly turned their heads to look.

The great dragon snorted, sending a puff of sparks from its nostrils in a very human-like expression of disdain. The unicorn, too, seemed tempted to approach, but its pride kept it from stooping to engage with "that sort of man." Only the nightmare followed its instincts. It ambled over to Mr. Black Cat's side and, lowering its head, devoured what he had tossed on the ground.

Whether the food possessed some special property or the nightmare simply subscribed to the principle of not biting the hand that feeds it, the creature didn't resist as Mr. Black Cat drew near and began to stroke its flank.

But Mr. Black Cat failed at the final hurdle—the nightmare refused to be mounted by a human.

He knew their time was running short, so he could only persist, patiently trying again and again. Finally, the angered nightmare spat a gout of black flame, forcing Mr. Black Cat to fling off his greatcoat and rip away an entire shirtsleeve before he could escape back to the fire.

And so, it was Jenkins's turn once more.

"What do you think?" he asked in a low voice. "Is there any chance of success with the dragon?"

"Impossible," Miss Knight answered weakly. "Dragons are incredibly proud. In all of recorded history, the number of Enchanters who have become Dragon Knights is likely less than a hundred."

As far as Jenkins knew, the unique profession of Dragon Knight belonged to a single, exclusive family. Much like the demon-summoning Ashiash clan, the family capable of forging pacts with dragons was legendary.

Only that family would possess the records related to Dragon Knights, but their line had vanished in the last epoch...

He shot a sidelong glance at the young woman, convinced the Church of Sun and Justice was hiding something.

"What do you know about nightmares?" he asked, already wracking his brain for a solution.

"Some believe they are close kin to demons, the product of a demon mating with some other creature. Others argue they're a unique species, an anomalous population born in the void between realms like the Shadow World and the demonic planes. Nightmares have a complex diet; aside from a fondness for fire, they have no particular preferences or weaknesses. I suspect your friend offered it some food rich with the spirit of the world. Only something of that nature could have tempted all three."

This answer came from Mr. Kreide, but it was nothing Jenkins hadn't already learned from his copy of 'A Naturalist's Friend: Fantastic Beasts (Third Edition)'.

"What about the unicorn? Does anyone know anything? They're rarely mentioned in books."

"I know a little something..."

Mr. Black Cat began, a troubled expression on his face. "I learned a few things from a Mr. Saramanda."

He shot Jenkins a quick wink, a silent signal that there was no need to explain Mr. Saramanda's identity to the others.

"From what I understand, unicorns are a sapient species that lives symbiotically with the races of the forest. Many of their clans coexist with the legendary elves, and even the smaller groups never stray far from a sylvan environment. Since the 15th Epoch, at least, unicorns have all but vanished from the material world. Just as most modern books claim, they favor pure and kind-hearted maidens and possess supernatural abilities rivaling those of dragons, despite their smaller stature. Their horns can—"

"That's enough, that's enough,"

Jenkins quickly cut him off. There was no need for a lecture on the subject right now.

He didn't dare provoke the obviously ill-tempered dragon, and he certainly wasn't qualified to approach the unicorn. That left only one option: the nightmare.