Lord of The Mysterious Realms Chapter 847

Jenkins felt it was a bit of an overreaction, but on second thought, anything foreshadowed in his dreams was bound to be complicated. He hesitated for a moment before asking,

"If so many powerful people went, why has there been no news all day?"

"They've run into some major trouble. Don't worry, though—it's trouble, not danger. The news just arrived. How to explain this... Do you know about the Astral and Shadow Realms?"

The Keeper of Secrets' expression was relaxed, so it couldn't be anything too serious.

"Of course." Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs novel·fire·net

It was the most fundamental part of supernatural knowledge; every Enchanter knew about them.

"Then do you know about the Mirror World?"

Jenkins paused, racking his brain, but the term didn't ring any bells.

"It seems Papa Oliver never mentioned it. No matter, I'll explain. First, you must understand that the Mirror World is fundamentally different from the Astral and Shadow Realms. It's a Series B Transcendent Object, designation B-01-1-0001."

"The very first designation?"

"Yes, the very first one."

The Keeper of Secrets nodded.

"The Mirror World doesn't exist in any physical space, because it doesn't really exist at all. From ancient times, intelligent races would gaze at themselves in crystallized rock faces and the still surfaces of water, foolishly believing their reflections were real. Over the long march of ages, consciousness and history began to interfere with reality, and so the non-existent space of the Mirror World was born."

He paused, giving Jenkins a moment to process the information before continuing.

"But the conditions for entering the Mirror World are incredibly strict. It has no entrance; it only opens on rare occasions to draw things from the material world inside. Aside from that, a few mirror-related abilities allow users to visit briefly, but they can't stay for long.

The Church believes that great secrets lie buried in the depths of the Mirror World, because every Enchanter who has managed to reside in that non-existent world for an extended time and then return has experienced a massive leap in power."

"That circus has found a stable entrance to the Mirror World."

As he said this, the Keeper of Secrets' voice trembled slightly.

"Yes, the reports confirm it. I can hardly believe it myself. The circus folk have all escaped into B-01-1-0001, and the demigods are on site, trying to stabilize the entrance. Oh, Mr. Williams, do you realize what this means if they succeed?"

This discovery was clearly unrelated to the undead, but the Church was already treating it with the same level of urgency.

The existence of the Mirror World also explained a great deal—why the circus members were all so powerful yet possessed such abysmal combat experience. Jenkins now also understood how that young magician had escaped through a mirror during the Spirit Incident Support Group meeting.

"Are the people from the circus... bad people?"

The question came to Jenkins after a long moment of thought.

"We don't know. But... they fled the instant the Church arrived. It's hard for us to believe they're good people."

Mr. Smith sighed, and together, he and Jenkins gazed out the window into the night.

Fog coiled through the city streets, and heavy clouds nearly swallowed the moon. It seemed days like these would continue for a long time to come.

But winter was over, and nothing could stop the coming warmth. Jenkins had already begun to shed his heavier layers and had asked the maid he'd hired to wash his spring wardrobe.

He was also worried that Chocolate would start shedding with the change of seasons, but the magical little cat showed no such inclination. In fact, Jenkins had never seen it lose a single strand of fur.

Wednesday evening was Jenkins's arithmetic class. With the warmer weather, more people were willing to attend the night lessons. During the harshest stretch of winter, the classroom held fewer than twenty students, but tonight, attendance was back to what it had been in late autumn.

For the past two days, the newspapers had been filled with headlines about a "coming plague," throwing the city into a state of panic. While waiting for his class to begin, Jenkins overheard his students discussing it. Many were already drawing parallels to the terrible disaster of thirty years ago.

If not for the recent winter flu, the citizens might not have taken the news of a plague so seriously. But the flu's severity was an undeniable fact. Even with a low mortality rate, in an age of such rudimentary medical and sanitation practices, it was a terrifying prospect.

People in this era were aware that most diseases could be controlled through prevention, but getting them to adopt the habit of washing their hands before eating and after relieving themselves was harder than convincing Jenkins to give up Chocolate.

Beyond the city's main thoroughfares, human waste could be found in any corner, and drinking untreated water was a common practice. Effecting change would take time, but a plague would not wait for people to be prepared.

Today's lesson covered the most difficult part of arithmetic: applied problems. If you asked the people in the audience for tips on haggling at the market, six out of ten could give you a decent answer. But as soon as the questions ventured beyond their familiar, everyday experiences, not one in ten could solve them.

This was a common occurrence in Jenkins's nearly three months of teaching. The thought processes of people who lacked a foundational education were vastly different from his own. It made him realize once again the critical importance of basic schooling and gave him a strong desire to promote compulsory education.

Not yet, at least. Before one possessed absolute power, trying to rashly change society was a fool's errand, an act reserved for the darlings of fate or the hopelessly naive.

Miss Bevanna still hadn't returned by the time Jenkins went to bed, leaving him to wonder just what was happening with the circus.

It was late, however, and he felt it would be improper to go searching for news, so he simply turned in for the night.

The next morning offered no opportunity to ask for news, either. Papa Oliver arrived at the church early and handed Jenkins his train ticket to Shire City and the documents he was to deliver.

The train was scheduled to depart at nine in the morning, so after a quick breakfast, Jenkins took his suitcase and set off with Papa Oliver. Since he planned to investigate the cemetery again, he had packed everything he might possibly need. Of course, Chocolate came along too—she was the most important baggage of all.

"I'll tell Robert and Mary you're away on business. If Hathaway or Briny come looking for you, I'll say the same."

Papa Oliver spoke as he saw Jenkins off at the platform, practically shooing him away.

By popular demand, we are now offering a VIP ad-free membership.