Lord of The Mysterious Realms Chapter 573

"So, about Saturday, when I come over to your house—what should I bring? I asked Papa Oliver if I could bring an expensive bottle of red wine, but he said I should find out what the hosts specifically like."

"You came all this way just for that?"

Miss Mikhail watched Jenkins speak, his head turned to glance at the mayor climbing the ladder. She guessed he was worried the crowd would return and he wouldn't be able to rush back to the city hall entrance in time.

"My father and mother don't have any particular preferences. I think red wine would be more than enough."

"Great, thanks! I'll see you Saturday, then!"

He gave a simple nod, turned, and ran back, holding his hat. Miss Mikhail didn't even have a chance to offer the words of thanks she had prepared.

"He's always ." The source of this content ɪs novęlfire.net

She mused, amused by the thought that she finally had a male friend she knew well.

The city hall ladder somehow managed to bear the mayor's weight. He labored up, installed the bulb from his pocket, and climbed back down, the ladder only letting out an alarming creak.

The light illuminated the mayor's face, Jenkins's face, the faces of the ladies and gentlemen at the city hall entrance, and the faces of the ordinary citizens held back by the police line.

As if a bomb had gone off on the street, a sky-shattering cheer suddenly erupted, echoing in this world of darkness and light. Colorful banners waved above the people's heads, and balloons were released into the cold sky. Even if the darkness never recedes, wisdom will always kindle the faintest spark.

"We're witnessing the birth of an age."

Jenkins whispered to the old priest beside him, overcome with emotion. But the old priest didn't reply. When Jenkins turned to look again, he saw that the old man's eyes were brimming with tears.

As the mayor announced the official commissioning of Nolan City's streetlights, other streets where lampposts had been installed were lit up simultaneously. Though the gaslights still had their flaws—the light was dim, unstable, and there was always a risk of explosion—it was truly a moment worthy of the history books.

Having come to this era, Jenkins was well aware of the advancements in steam power, but only in that moment did he truly appreciate the power of ordinary people.

"Mortals... wait, I think I remember Miss Bevanna mentioning that the steam revolution originated from a divine oracle of the great Righteous God, the Master Craftsman?"

Regardless, filled with a profound sense of awe and joy, Jenkins was cheerful all the way back to the church, even eating a bit more than usual at dinner. Chocolate watched him with some concern, worried about his weight.

Seeing Jenkins ask for another bowl of thick soup, Chocolate took the initiative, padded over, and nudged the bowl aside with a paw.

"What are you doing?"

The cat lifted its head to look at Jenkins.

By the time dinner was over, Jenkins still couldn't figure out what on earth his cat was thinking. Jenkins only ever worried about Chocolate's weight, while Chocolate was always pondering strange matters. This, perhaps, was the greatest difference between a man and a cat.

Mid-December could already be considered deep winter, so the number of people attending night classes began to dwindle. This was perfectly normal; Roberts, the priest in charge of managing them, told Jenkins it was the same every year.

Starting last week, the girl Fini Faithford had also begun appearing in the classroom. In fact, a good number of the children taken in by the church would audit the evening lessons. Having received an education from the church, they understood the value of knowledge. Even if the era was unfair, at least acquiring more knowledge—legitimate knowledge—was quite beneficial for one's life.

While Jenkins was at the blackboard with a piece of chalk, writing out multiplication tables, the people seated below still had some energy. But by the time the class was halfway through and he announced a ten-minute break, the large classroom had become unusually listless.

Perhaps it was the approaching blizzard that made it feel stuffy even indoors. Jenkins resolved to change the mood. So, as the second half of the class was about to begin, instead of continuing his explanation of simple multiplication, he leaned on the lectern and addressed his somewhat sparse group of "students."

"Perhaps some of you find it strange that we're learning such complex multiplication."

He noticed he had successfully captured the attention of a few who were on the verge of drifting off. It was a good start.

"It's not strange at all. When I was younger—and I mean when my thinking was less mature—I thought the same thing. For some of you, the most complex arithmetic you encounter might be the frustrating conversion between pence, shillings, and gold pounds. But that doesn't mean learning more complex mathematics is without benefit."

Jenkins tapped the blackboard with his knuckle, a smile on his face. Now, apart from two or three people in the very back row and his own cat, every living creature in the room was looking at him.

"We won't even mention how studying mathematics develops one's logic and reasoning—that's obvious. Instead, let's talk about our lives. Every aspect of life actually contains mathematical principles, but people often overlook them. For example..."

He waved the chalk in a circle through the air, drawing his listeners' attention.

"I imagine everyone here buys fresh vegetables, though that isn't easy in the winter. Let's say, the price of some potatoes is..."

This was, in essence, a disguised word problem, just delivered in Jenkins's more relaxed tone. His intention was to show these drowsy people that even if their daily worries never extended beyond the realm of pence and shillings, learning multiplication was still very useful. He didn't expect, however, that after he explained the problem, the first person to ask a question that evening would emerge.

"Just ask from where you're sitting."

It was a timid-looking middle-aged man, his age given away by a rather sad hairline. He seemed uncomfortable speaking up in such a setting, but the desire to change his life gave him the courage.

"Respected sir, may I ask, can mathematics truly calculate the solution to every difficult problem?"

"Then, may I ask you a question? I promise, it's also about arithmetic and mathematics."

"Oh, of course. That's no problem at all."

Jenkins smiled. He wasn't arrogant, but he was absolutely certain no one sitting below could stump him—unless they deliberately posed an impossible problem just to be difficult.