If Jenkins had gained anything from the Doomsday Illusion, it was the fourth white gemstone on the Doomsday Docunt, in addition to the shield he had given to Finney.
Jenkins was now completely certain that the gemstone's appearance wasn't because he had caused a disaster, but because he had ended one. The last ti he t with the Spiraling Mist, the entity had hinted quite clearly that while a Child of Disaster wouldn't appear again in this Epoch, a similar ability could.
He was eager to discover the nature of this ability but couldn't find a breakthrough.
After the events of the Doomsday Illusion concluded on Sunday night, Jenkins collected himself and threw himself back into his sches with Magic Miss. But before that, on Monday morning, he used the Basin of Delusions to learn the full story of what had transpired the previous night from Papa Oliver.
The Church had confird the complete collapse of the inverted doomsday city. Although the thod Miss Audrey had "proposed" didn't succeed, she herself received a comndation for her efforts. The Church of Destiny and Order sent a specialist to the Nolan diocese to confer with the local church, supposedly to gather material to record Miss Audrey's "successful prophecy" in the church's history.
Papa Oliver was deeply worried about this. He considered it the most serious incident of all, despite the multitude of strange events that had occurred over the past six months. During their conversation, he subtly revealed that the Nolan diocese believed the city needed the Saint Son to be present and hoped Jenkins would return soon, though he didn't specify a date.
That morning, Jenkins also found ti to visit Hathaway. For so reason, she seed upset, speaking to him as if she were suppressing her anger. Jenkins had no idea why. He was sure he hadn't done anything wrong during their recent brief encounters, so he could only attribute it to her having one of those days.
Of course, the most important matter of the day was his next eting with Magic Miss.
Their operation was no simple assassination. Besides them and the Pirate King Femishue, several other factions would be involved. This wasn't a straightforward "find-infiltrate-kill" mission like before. They not only had to agree on the right ti to strike but also devise ways to handle the various problems they would face before even getting to Femishue.
As Wednesday drew closer, a joyful and festive atmosphere spread through Nolan City. The victory in the Battle of the Broken Isles was not only a much-needed shot in the arm for the ongoing war effort, but it also ant that the citizens of Nolan could expect their loved ones in the navy to return with honor.
Decorations and preparations had begun in the Dock Area several days prior. City Hall had also been running announcents in the newspapers for days, urging citizens to co to the docks on Wednesday to welco ho the returning heroes.
Nolan, which had endured all sorts of bizarre events in just six short months, seed to have been transported back to more peaceful tis by this single piece of good news. People happily discussed the upcoming celebration and ceremonies, speculating whether a victory in the war with Cheslan would lead to cheaper foreign goods.
But for the mont, none of this concerned Jenkins. On Monday night, after bidding farewell to Magic Miss, he decided to stop by his ho before returning to Ruen. That's when he found a letter in his mailbox.
The letter was from the old elf. It hadn't co through the post office; he must have delivered it himself. The proof was the complete lack of a stamp.
The letter contained only a few short lines, urging Jenkins to co to his ho imdiately upon reading it. Fearing sothing terrible had happened, Jenkins didn't even step inside his own house. With Chocolate in tow, he hurried toward the apartnt the old elf was renting downtown.
Jenkins didn't visit the old elf often. Firstly, because there was rarely an urgent reason to, and secondly, because the rented apartnt was too close to the Church of the Sage, a neighborhood Jenkins usually avoided.
But tonight was different. He had no idea what important matter the old elf needed to discuss, so he made his way there without stopping. He arrived at the apartnt building, knocked, thanked the landlady who let him in, and went upstairs to the elf's door.
The elf himself opened the door. He recognized Jenkins's cat and knew at once who his visitor was, warmly inviting him inside.
"Are you all right?"
Jenkins asked skeptically as he stepped inside.
"What could possibly be wrong with ?" the old elf chuckled. "Tea? I've recently grown so leaves myself in the conservatory."
The old elf said cheerfully. After pouring tea for Jenkins, he didn't forget to get so small treats for Chocolate as well.
"You wrote to because..."
He asked hesitantly.
"It's good news. I'm going ho."
"Hmm?"
Jenkins paused, about to say that this was his ho, but then he realized the elf ant the Prosperous Forest.
"Is soone coming to get you? Or did you find the way back? Congratulations, that's wonderful news. Speaking of which, I recently ca across a key myself, one that can also open a door..."
"My luck has been quite good. I t an elf from my own clan who was visiting the material world to gain experience," he explained. "He plans to return to our holand this winter or next spring, and I will go back with him."
The old elf's face was glowing with excitent as he spoke. He picked up his teacup and took a large gulp, his expression filled with an indescribable joy. He had summoned Jenkins simply to share this news; he was truly overjoyed.
"I never thought I'd be so lucky. Before I t you, I was resigned to dying in a foreign land, forgotten by everyone. Now, not only have I made a friend in you, but I'll also be able to return ho in my lifeti. I think my centuries of bad luck have finally run out, and my good fortune is just beginning... As for the young elf, I won't introduce you. He's currently traveling the world, experiencing human customs and culture, and plans to write a travelogue about human society at the end of the 18th Epoch when he returns."
"If it's not convenient, there's no need for an introduction. My sincerest congratulations. This is certainly sothing worth celebrating. And please, be sure to tell before you leave. I'll co to see you off."
Jenkins was happy for him too.
"Oh, that's still half a year away. I'll be living in Nolan for at least another six months, so there's no rush for a farewell. I won't have much to do during that ti, so I was thinking of teaching you so of the elven knowledge I possess. You can co by anyti to learn, and I'll do my best to teach you everything I know. Of course, it would be best not to share this knowledge with others."
Reviews
All reviews (0)