As was customary, a Doomsday Docunt could be found near the place where a Savior's ability was obtained. Jenkins searched the area around the abandoned cetery and, to his surprise, discovered a cave in the side of the cliff. He had the unicorn carry him to the entrance, then leaped inside. After prying open a sealed stone door, his mining lamp revealed an ancient underground mausoleum.
A landslide and mudslide had struck the area last year. The abandoned cetery had once been adjacent to the Augustus family graveyard, but the path was now blocked. The cliff face itself had partially collapsed, and while it hadn't reduced the cetery's footprint, it had exposed sothing buried beneath the earth.
Judging by its style, the ancient tomb dated back to the 15th Epoch, but it likely didn't belong to any great noble or Enchanter. The decorative walls at the entrance to the tomb passage were remarkably plain.
He walked a few steps down the narrow passage and saw a stone sarcophagus. Golden artifacts had been placed in the chamber as grave goods, and so stone materials were piled in a corner. And there, lying brazenly on the floor as if waiting for him, was the Doomsday Docunt:
In the tolling bells of disaster, so always rise to the call, The deeds of heroes echo through the ages.
Ti bears witness to the tales of generations, And the apocalypse forges legends ti and again.
Destiny pulls upon its silken thread, Connecting what seems coincidence, And the paths that people choose.
The end of the 18th Epoch draws near, The gods await a choice, The master sits upon the throne, And heroes create the epic.
His voice echoed in the tomb, but only his cat could hear it.
He examined the stone slate—a Cursed Item radiating a black spiritual aura—and then scanned the tomb. That's when he noticed a line of script etched into the surface of the sarcophagus.
By human custom, this part of a sarcophagus was typically adorned with verses from ancient poems or religious texts. But after translating the words, Jenkins realized the person lying in this tomb had completely broken with convention:
Grave robber! Take those offerings and get out of here. Don't touch my sarcophagus, or I swear I'll curse you!
"I'm no grave robber," Jenkins mused. "And to have these sentences carved on your own sarcophagus... just how terrified were you of being robbed?"
He chuckled and patted the sarcophagus, getting a predictable handful of dust for his trouble. He had no interest in plundering soone's final resting place. After taking the slate, he sealed the tomb once more, treating the discovery as nothing more than an amusing interlude.
He then returned to the city and knocked on the main door of the post office.
It was the middle of the night, so the post office was naturally closed. But after Jenkins's relentless knocking, the night watchman finally opened the door, his eyes heavy with sleep.
"Oh, sir," the middle-aged man muttered through a yawn, "if you're here to rob the place, I suggest the goldsmith's next door. There's no money here."
"I'm not here to rob you. I need to mail sothing."
"Please co back in nine hours."
He started to close the door, but Jenkins imdiately reached out and held it fast. His strength was so great that the watchman, muddled with sleep, mistook the resistance for a stone caught in the doorway.
"Look at !"
Jenkins said suddenly. The watchman instinctively looked up, his drowsy eyes eting Jenkins's gaze.
"I am a very trustworthy person, and a very generous one. You've already agreed to mail this large stone to the Inherited Sage Church for when the post office opens in the morning. You are happy to do so, because you'll receive both gold pounds and a sense of satisfaction."
As he spoke, Jenkins pulled out his wallet, counted out two banknotes, and stuffed them into the man's pocket. The watchman was already groggy, and under the combined assault of the gold pounds and the power of a lie, he imdiately gave in.
"Alright. As soon as it's light out, I'll send this slate to the Inherited Sage Church as quickly as possible. I swear on the Traveler, I'll get it done!"
(Chocolate is on the move...)
The next morning—a Thursday—a yawning Dolores descended the stairs and entered the dining room. The maids were already there, wheeling in serving carts laden with a hot breakfast.
She was delighted to see that Jenkins and her tutor were already present, but her delight soured when she saw her sister had once again taken the seat directly across from him.
The group was passing around a blue, heart-shaped gemstone. It was so beautiful that even the maids preparing breakfast couldn't help but steal glances at it. Dolores, despite being accustod to all manner of jewels, also found herself captivated.
"Is this the Heart of the Ocean?"
Julia pulled out a chair for her, and Dolores asked the question as she sat down. The gem reflected a soft luster under the light of the gas lamp hanging from the ceiling. It made Dolores think of the ocean, of waves crashing against the shore, even though she had never seen the real sea—aside from a fleeting glimpse the day before.
"Yes. I don't know what happened, exactly, but when I checked on it again before bed last night, all traces of it being a Cursed Item were gone. Look, it's a perfect Series C Bestowal now."
He said, handing the gemstone to Dolores. She took it, unable to tear her eyes away as she examined it under the light.
In Jenkins's eyes, the gem glowed with a soft white spiritual light—the most prominent sign of a Bestowal. He guessed that either his own spirit had purified the semi-corrupted Heart of the Ocean, or that the divine ability he'd acquired last night, "Hero," had cleansed the sin from it.
He still didn't fully understand the power of "Hero." He only knew vaguely that it was passive in nature, helping him resist troubleso negative effects when he ca into contact with Cursed Items, and sotis granting him monts of insight before a disaster struck.
"Jenkins, are you going to keep it? If I rember correctly, this is what your friend, the lady who calls herself Magic Miss, has been looking for."
Alexia Miller, who was sitting next to Jenkins, was the one who asked. A faint smile played on her lips, and her slender fingers tapped a steady rhythm on the tabletop, as if she were trying to guess his thoughts.
"Well... you'll probably think I'm crazy, but I think I'm going to give it to Magic Miss."
When Jenkins said this, Alexia's expression was one of "I knew it." Dolores, though sowhat surprised, felt that his decision was perfectly in character.
"I already promised Magic Miss I'd help her get this item during the incident. Things took an unexpected turn, and the Heart of the Ocean ended up belonging to , but I don't want to break a promise to a friend over it... Besides," he added, "I'm sure she'll compensate for it."
He said it with a smile. In truth, he had considered keeping the azure gem for himself last night. But on second thought, he felt he would likely lose a friend, and his own conscience wouldn't let him rest easy for a long ti.
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