Lord of The Mysterious Realms Chapter 992

Papa Oliver paid no mind to Jenkins's opinion of the "Snowman Legion," continuing to speak in a leisurely tone as he scanned the newspaper.

"The Snowman Legion is a supernatural entity that functions as a collective," he explained. "Individually, they're not powerful, but there's strength in numbers—a change in quantity that brings a change in quality. The demigods of the Ruen diocese managed to drive those dreadful things to the far north last year. But recently, the environment up there has started changing. The migration of those frightful rabbits is just one symptom. To put it simply, the Snowman Legion has mutated, grown stronger, and that's forcing the native species of the far north to flee. The northern dioceses are facing a real mess now, one that can't be solved by just sending in a few demigods."

As he spoke, Papa Oliver seemed to take a certain satisfaction in the news. It wasn't entirely his fault; the Nolan diocese had endured one disaster after another over the past year. With Nolan finally enjoying a period of peace while trouble flared up elsewhere, even Jenkins couldn't suppress a similar feeling of schadenfreude.

"I wonder if this will affect Alexia and Dolores," he thought. "I'll have to remember to ask on Tuesday."

He thought to himself.

"Actually, this is a good thing."

Papa Oliver wasn't finished.

"War between the Fidektri Kingdom and the Cheslan Kingdom is on the verge of erupting. At the same time, the Hamparvo Kingdom has had to dispatch massive forces to its northern border to defend against the snowmen. That means they're in no position to meddle in the affairs of the two southern kingdoms. It's a good thing, really. At least it prevents the entire continent from being dragged into a war."

"Good for most people, but certainly not for the northern dioceses. Those poor fellows must be tearing their hair out... Strange things just keep happening these last few years. The rumors must be true. The End of the Epoch is probably upon us..."

As he chatted with Papa Oliver, Jenkins continued transcribing the photograph of the stone slate. His progress had been remarkable. He could now complete a full copy in just two hours each day, far faster than Oliver had expected. It made the old man think that Jenkins truly possessed a natural talent, and that his selection as a Saint wasn't merely a result of his divine offering.

Transcribing the new slate required him to intersperse sentences in the common tongue among the tablet's runes and symbols. Jenkins had tried using the dictionary Oliver recommended, but quickly abandoned it. He then experimented with copying mathematics textbooks and the doctrines of the Sage, but in the end, he discovered that transcribing history books was the most efficient method for accumulating Spirit, though he had no idea why.

The weather remained gloomy all morning, keeping customers away on what should have been a fine Sunday. After finishing his transcription for the day, Jenkins propped his chin in his hand and watched Chocolate chase its own tail.

Chocolate soon noticed his gaze and let out a fierce "Meow~" before turning its back to him, pointedly avoiding his eyes. For some reason, Jenkins could have sworn he sensed a flicker of shyness from the cat.

Seeing it was nearly lunchtime, he headed out to buy a roasted rabbit. The weather held as he left the antique shop, but just as he paid for the food and turned to go back, the rain began to fall. It wasn't a downpour, but Jenkins was carrying his lunch, and a good soaking would surely ruin it.

He broke into a jog, dashing through the street along with other pedestrians caught in the sudden shower. The rain intensified, and Jenkins had no choice but to duck into a nearby shop, hoping to wait out the worst of it or perhaps borrow an umbrella.

Unfortunately, the clothing store had no umbrellas to spare, though the young proprietress didn't mind him waiting out the storm. Jenkins was anxious to return, worried his cat might be growing frantic, but there was nothing else he could do.

He had been waiting in the shop for about five minutes when the door opened again. A woman holding an umbrella stepped inside—a woman Jenkins recognized. It was Miss Capet.

Come to think of it, this was the second time he had run into her this week, ever since their escape from the Mirror Realm on Tuesday afternoon.

Miss Capet seemed just as surprised to find Jenkins in a women's clothing shop. When she learned he was only sheltering from the rain, she offered to lend him her umbrella.

The antique shop was only two alleys away, so after a moment's thought, Jenkins accepted. He took her umbrella and hurried back to the shop. After explaining the situation, he grabbed another umbrella and retraced his steps to return hers.

The rain was still falling steadily when Jenkins returned to the clothing store. Miss Capet had just purchased a new hat and, on a whim, proposed that she'd like to see where he worked. Jenkins thought about it for a moment and agreed.

Each holding an umbrella, they stepped back out onto the rainy street, which was now nearly deserted. The sudden spring shower had cleansed the city, "washing" anyone without an umbrella indoors. Googlᴇ search N0veI.Fiɾe.net

As they walked, Jenkins learned that Miss Capet would be staying in Nolan for some time to recover from her injuries. During her stay, she would serve as the local liaison for the Church of All Things and Nature. She had already moved out of the Church of Ocean and Exploration's cathedral and taken a room in an upscale hotel near the city center. With little to occupy her time, she spent most of her days simply wandering the city.

Over the sound of the rain, their conversation turned back to the Mirror Realm. According to Miss Capet, the Orthodox Churches had decided to permanently cease all exploration of that place. Considering the terrifying abominations sealed within, it was an eminently sensible decision.

Miss Capet's memory of the entity summoned in the Mirror Realm ended at the moment she was ensnared by its tentacles and subsequently rescued by Jenkins. She had no recollection of what followed; when she came to, she was already preparing for the final challenge of traversing the mirror.

As a result, the report she had submitted to her church contained nothing about the incident's resolution, which made it conveniently easy for Jenkins to spin whatever tale he pleased.

She must have read his report later, but she never questioned his account. As they walked toward Papa Oliver's antique shop through the rain, she thanked him profusely. Jenkins just mumbled a noncommittal reply and quickly changed the subject.

Even with the downpour, the fog that perpetually shrouded the city had not entirely dispersed. The rain and mist combined to obscure their vision, but with the streets so empty, it hardly mattered. It was as if the spring shower had washed the entire population away.

Still, the damp air had at least temporarily washed away the stench of pollution. Jenkins took a deep breath, savoring the clean, natural scent—a rare pleasure in Nolan.