It was only Monday night that they had been discussing Dolores’s father, King Salsi II, but early Tuesday morning, a royal ssenger appeared outside the manor. They were in the middle of breakfast; Dolores was asking about her sister’s schoolwork, while Jenkins and Alexia were still talking about Nolan and their plans to brew a potion that evening. A servant hurried over, whispered a few words in Julia’s ear, and Julia then announced to the table:
“Mr. Williams, His Majesty wishes to see you.”
“Hm?”
Jenkins was so startled that his hand, which was stroking his cat, froze. He had never imagined he would be summoned by Dolores’s father at such a sensitive ti.
The king wanted to see him imdiately, so Jenkins had no choice but to have the ladies hastily prepare his clothes while he quickly asked Julia about the proper etiquette for an audience with the king.
Julia reassured him, explaining that Salsi II wasn’t the kind of monarch who was overly concerned with ceremony.
A carriage rushed Jenkins into the city. After an inspection by the palace guards, he was relieved of all prohibited items—he wasn't even allowed to bring his cat inside.
He had to leave Chocolate in the temporary care of Dolores and Alexia, who were waiting at the bottom of the hill, before following the ssenger into the royal palace alone.
He had been here more than once, but his previous visits had been confined to Dolores’s private chambers. Walking so openly along the main footpaths was certainly a new experience.
“Co to think of it, why does this make feel like I’m in so kind of shady profession?”
The eting with Salsi II took place in his study. Though the weather was growing warr with each passing day, the heating in the room was still on.
As he bowed, Jenkins secretly sensed the life force of the sturdy-looking middle-aged man and understood that his days were truly numbered.
The formal audience was rather strange. Jenkins had expected to be questioned about his relationship with Dolores, but that never happened. His Majesty didn’t even ask about Jenkins’s purpose for visiting the kingdom.
He rely chatted with Jenkins about the state of the continent, delved into so complex issues in the fields of finance and economics—areas where Jenkins "excelled"—and then dismissed him.
Throughout the entire eting, Jenkins tried to steer the conversation, but the king’s topics shifted too quickly. By the ti he left, he still had no idea what purpose that one-hour eting had served.
“Salsi II is evaluating his children.”
That was Alexia’s conclusion once he was back in the carriage.
“Evaluating his children? Then why et and talk with ?”
Jenkins still didn’t understand.
“Dolores and her siblings have lived under their father’s nose their whole lives; they can’t hide any secrets. Salsi II wants to see the things he doesn’t know. Just wait, Jenkins. In the next few days, many more people will be summoned to the palace. I have to admit, I admire Dolores’s father. To be in such a terrible state of health and still be so concerned for his kingdom...”
The audience with Salsi II was just a minor interlude in his day. Jenkins’s main activities for that Tuesday were still in Nolan.
After returning to the manor, he took his cat and went back to the fog-shrouded city. Gazing up at the dark clouds overhead, he suddenly had a new thought about what Miss Bevanna had said about “sacrificing to draw power to create a miracle.”
The purpose of this trip was twofold. First, he wanted to try entering the Doomsday Illusion a second ti to complete his transaction with the old man in the clock tower. Second, he needed to et with the old elf. Tonight, the twin moons would be full—an opportunity he had long been waiting for.
The old elf was living a leisurely life and warmly welcod Jenkins’s return. Hearing that he was planning to brew the potion that night, he simply advised him to follow the steps and not to rush, offering no other warnings.
But when Jenkins showed him the strange piece of wood from the ancient seal on the snowy mountains of Ruen, the elf seed genuinely surprised.
“You’re saying you found this in an ancient seal?”
“Yes. It was wrapped with dragon hide, preserving a tal rod. I saw that this wooden tube hadn’t decayed after a thousand years, so I brought it for you to take a look at.”
“This is truly astonishing. To think sothing like this would be in a seal from the Fifteenth Epoch. You should know, even in my holand, this type of wood has beco incredibly rare. This is the heartwood of a tree known as ‘Telarian Magicwood.’ The wood itself is an excellent conduit for spell-based abilities and is perfect for assisting in rituals. In ancient tis, elves often used it to craft spirit-storing staves, as did archmages. Later, due to climate change and the migration of the elves, the Telarian Magicwood beca increasingly scarce. Even I have only seen it once or twice in my youth...”
The old elf trailed off, hesitating for a mont before speaking as if he had made a montous decision.
“This must be the will of the gods. Jenkins, I recall you’ve already prepared three wooden cores?”
“Yes, they’re the most important ingredients.”
“When you brew the potion, substitute one of them with this. Also, I believe you still have a piece of a World Tree sword?”
The old elf asked another question. Jenkins thought for a mont and nodded.
“Only half of it is left. And it’s not pure World Tree wood; it was synthesized by so machine, so even I don’t know its exact composition now. More importantly, that half of the blade shattered when it clashed head-on with the Skull Sword. It’s probably useless by now.”
He explained the situation with so difficulty.
“It doesn’t matter, as long as it still contains components of the World Tree. Listen, use that half of the blade to replace the second wooden core. For the third, use the one you prepared, but be sure to choose the very best one. This is very important. You must rember this.”
The old elf gave his instructions earnestly. Jenkins didn’t understand the significance, but he knew everything would be revealed that night, so he nodded in agreent.
“Also, have you heard anything more about that matter with the Corpse Gentleman you ntioned last ti?”
After discussing the potion, they chatted about the weather in Ruen and Nolan before the old elf brought up a new topic.
“No, no one has said anything to about it.”
Jenkins shook his head.
“I have my own channels. I learned from a friend that the Church of Death and End’s Gravekeeper Squad, led by the local demigod, Davies, conducted a full search of that hospital. They found no one, living or dead, not even in the underground morgue you ntioned. They did, however, find nurous footprints in the morgue, which basically proves that the gathering you spoke of wasn't a mass hallucination. But all the cold storage lockers were empty. There was nothing inside.”
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