“I understand. I appreciate your generosity.”
As the old elf spoke, Jenkins lifted his teacup in a small toast, suddenly recalling another matter.
“Co to think of it, I t a traveler from another world a few days ago—not an elf. He said I possess the bloodline of an elven priest...”
“Cough, cough, cough, cough...”
The old elf broke into a violent fit of coughing. He'd been sipping his tea and had genuinely choked on it.
“I'm sorry, what was that?”
“I was saying, I also t...”
“No need to repeat yourself. I believe I heard you quite clearly.”
The old elf wiped his chin with his sleeve and, seeing the front of his clothes was soaked, offered Jenkins an apology before disappearing into the bedroom to change. He was gone for quite so ti.
“Yes, the bloodline of a priest... a very noble lineage indeed. The person you t must be ancient as well. Only those who have truly lived for millennia can discern the bloodlines of the various races.”
He sat back down as he spoke, having regained his composure.
“What does it an, this bloodline of an elven priest?”
Jenkins inquired cautiously, afraid the old elf might choke again.
“It ans your elven ancestor was a mber of the royal family who served as a priest. This is a trendous honor, much like holding a sacred office among humans.”
“So, is there anything special about this lineage? I imagine that person wouldn't have ntioned it if it weren't particularly unique.”
“Descendants of elven priests, even those of mixed blood, always awaken a [Green Life] Soul Trait Ability. They also tend to have an exceptional affinity for life spirits. You, of all people, should know this better than I do.”
Because the elf wasn't lying, rely omitting certain details, Jenkins's Lie ability detected no falsehood in his words.
“That makes sense. I knew my life-based abilities were unusually powerful, even for a half-elf. So this is what you were unwilling to tell before? It doesn't seem like such a forbidden secret to .”
Jenkins ventured, sensing that he still hadn't heard the full story.
“Because you are a half-elf born in the material world, the history of your lineage is sothing you must uncover for yourself. That is your destiny.”
“I knew you would say that. Sooner or later, I'll figure all this out on my own, and when I do, I guarantee you'll be astonished.”
Jenkins remarked. The old elf simply chuckled, unbothered.
Gaining access to the old elf's knowledge was a welco opportunity, but Jenkins knew his studies would have to wait. The events of the coming Wednesday were far more pressing.
Even with the kingdom's army lying in wait, Magic Miss still harbored doubts about their reliability. She had taken Jenkins's advice and hired a squad of dependable rcenaries, who would disguise themselves and blend into the crowd waiting to welco the fleet.
Jenkins didn't need to worry about procuring supplies or gathering intelligence. Magic Miss had recently connected with Miss Windsor in Bel Diran and was now able to leverage her extensive information network.
She was well-inford for this operation. During their final eting on Tuesday evening, she even began to daydream with Jenkins about what she would do after obtaining the Heart of the Ocean.
“I have so many experints and tests that require that particular gem. Once I have it, my research is bound to make a huge breakthrough. Just studying the Heart of the Ocean could easily keep busy for five or six years... Perhaps I should buy a large house in the Nolan countryside to use as a lab, but then I'd have to consider security...”
“Please, don't talk like that before the mission. It'll only decrease our chances of success.”
Jenkins cautioned.
“Mr. Candle, where on earth did you pick up such a superstition?”
Magic Miss completely dismissed Jenkins's concern, thinking him far too superstitious. That wasn't the proper attitude for a competent Enchanter.
Of course, Magic Miss wasn't unprepared for the unexpected. She had a backup plan. Since she was officially acting as an expert consultant hired by Miss Windsor to assist the army, she had ample funds to make thorough preparations.
For her backup plan, Magic Miss had used her own channels to procure a batch of obsolete steam bombs. She'd already rented a warehouse in the Docklands to store the volatile explosives. If things went awry, she would give the signal to detonate the bombs, create a diversion, and abandon their ticulous plan to launch a direct assault on Femishue.
“Isn't that backup plan a little... crude? Well, as long as you're confident. What I'm more curious about is how you managed to hide those bombs in the Docklands without getting caught. If I recall correctly, the police from Stilwell Yard have been searching all the warehouses there for hazardous materials since last week. How did you get past them?”
“With enough gold pounds, there are very few problems in this world that can't be solved.”
Magic Miss declared, then urged Jenkins to head ho and get so rest. He needed to be well-rested for their early start the next day.
“Rember, we et at six tomorrow morning. Don't forget to eat breakfast beforehand; we have no idea how long this operation will last.”
She added as a final reminder. Cradling his cat, Jenkins gave a wave to show he understood.
The ladies in Ruen also knew what Jenkins was planning for Wednesday. Dolores's own intelligence network had information on the pirate king, and she had provided Jenkins with a great deal of valuable intel before the day of the operation.
Nolan had beco a hornet's nest of international spies. Sifting through the mix of truth and disinformation to find anything of value was no easy task. Fortunately, Dolores's agents were exceptionally skilled, and most of the reports they delivered to Jenkins were reliable.
So of the information was unknown even to Magic Miss. For instance, the map of the Nolan docks from Dolores clearly marked the locations of various pirate hideouts, large and small. While her map was also incomplete, combining it with the one from Magic Miss gave them reason to believe they had identified the vast majority of the enemy's positions.
Based on all the available intelligence, Wednesday was shaping up to be a powder keg. There were pirate factions seeking revenge against the Nolan navy, Nolan army units aiming to wipe out the pirates in one clean sweep, and opportunistic players like Magic Miss, all looking to fish in troubled waters. One didn't need to be as spiritually sensitive as Jenkins to sense the impending chaos.
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