Jenkins nodded. Both Papa Oliver and Captain Bincy had said sothing similar.
"Actually, the most secret records of the Church of Destiny and Equilibrium ntion such things, but by now, they're little more than myths and legends..."
"What was recorded?"
He leaned forward slightly, his posture radiating interest.
"I cannot say. It is classified information of the highest order. I'm sure you understand."
A corner of Jenkins's mouth twitched. He hugged his cat closer and leaned back into the sofa, his mind racing.
*Her tone doesn't seem threatening,* he thought, *but divination is so unpredictable. What could she possibly know?*
The woman paid no mind to his reaction, continuing as if she hadn't noticed.
"Did you know that for Enchanters of an Orthodox Church, advancent is sowhat easier than for ordinary ones? The Churches have systematic thods for accumulating spirit. Take the Church of Destiny and Equilibrium, for instance. To cross the threshold between the seventh and eighth levels, its believers must actively observe and touch fate itself. That is how they draw closer to the world."
"So..."
Jenkins drew out the word. The woman covered her mouth with her hand, a slight laugh escaping. "You needn't be so wary of ," she continued. "I simply ca because, during an important divination, I happened to glimpse a few possible turns of fate."
"Are you referring to ?"
"Yes. I believe you, Mr. Williams, have the closest connection to fate. To put it another way, if our world were a knight's tale, you would likely be a major supporting character—or perhaps even the protagonist."
She lifted her teacup again, but instead of drinking, she held it about four inches from her chest and tilted it. A fine stream of liquid trickled from the rim, not falling, but hanging suspended in the air.
With a stir of her right index finger, the stream began to slowly rotate, forming a wavering, clockwise-flowing ring.
"Fate is ever-changing, much like this flowing tea," she explained, "but its general currents can still be discerned. I believe you, Mr. Williams, are within this ring of fate, and at a most critical juncture. That is why I ca today."
With a gentle push, the ring of liquid tea floated toward Jenkins. He glanced at the woman, then raised the right hand that had just been stroking his cat, Chocolate. With a soft flick of his index finger, the tea froze solid, transforming into a floating ring of ice.
"Miss Audrey, I can't say I fully grasp these... fascinating theories of yours. So, why don't you tell directly what it is you want?"
As he reached for the ring of ice, Chocolate leaped from his lap, snatching it away. The cat nudged it with its nose on the floor, shivered from the cold, and imdiately scrambled back onto the sofa.
"If you should encounter any difficulties in the future, Mr. Williams, you may seek my help. It is my hope that, through you, I can participate in the currents of fate. You may co to at any ti. And of course, I would be more than happy to answer so of your questions about the world of Enchanters. There are certain things, I imagine, that you wouldn't be comfortable discussing with Papa Oliver, correct?"
As she spoke, the woman glanced out the window. A horse-drawn carriage ambled into view at the end of the street, making its way past the rows of houses. The wizened coachman, seated on his bench, let out a great yawn and gently shook a rusty copper bell, a soft warning to any pedestrians.
If Miss Audrey's intentions were truly as she stated, then for Jenkins, this was an offer almost too good to be true.
Besides, her divination when he'd left the black market had indeed proven to be a useful warning. More importantly, the woman before him didn't seem to know his deepest secrets; the help she'd offered last ti hadn't touched upon any of them.
But Jenkins had never been one to trust in windfalls, and he was especially reluctant to befriend a master diviner.
"I would be honored, if my cooperation can be of help to you."
Even as he said the words, his mind was already searching for an excuse to refuse.
"But—"
This ti, it was Miss Audrey who drew out the word. As Jenkins looked at her, she just smiled and shook her head.
"But I must know if you can truly help ."
He had found his excuse. If what the woman said was true, his test was certainly improper, even rude. But safety ca first, and getting too close to soone so adept at divination was a risk he'd rather not take. ȓἈ𝐍óBË𝙎
"This may sound terribly offensive, but I'd like to ask you a question. If you can answer it, I will believe everything you've said, and I will seek your help when the ti is right. I truly apologize for this, but please understand... excessive contact with followers of other gods is not always a suitable affair..."
A look of sha crossed the man's face, but the woman's expression remained unchanged, as if she had anticipated this all along.
"Your request is indeed offensive, Mr. Williams," she said calmly. "But I accept your terms. Please, ask your question."
Jenkins scratched his head, missing the curious look his cat gave him as it lifted its face from his lap.
"Please tell , who is the Lord of Blossoms?"
The sa question as before.
The woman's calm smile never wavered. She set her teacup back on the table, clasped her hands, and rested her chin on the back of her right hand.
The magnificent purple gem on her finger was truly stunning.
"Ancient languages possess a mystique of their own," she began. "So are inherently powerful, others gain their power through the passage of ti. I cannot answer your question in the common tongue of the Kingdom, but... have you ever heard of the Roq'i language?"
"Roq'i? I've seen so docunts at Papa Oliver's shop. That's not a language from this epoch, is it?"
Jenkins replied.
"That's right. Language carries knowledge, and language itself *is* knowledge. Now, I can give you your answer—"
She opened her mouth, and a strange series of sounds ford a single phrase. A soft hum resonated in the air, and Jenkins's vision blurred. Sothing flickered at the edge of his sight, yet there was nothing there. Distant whispers echoed around him as his surroundings shifted and faded, the colors draining away.
Vaguely, in the distance, he could make out a slender silhouette. It felt disrespectful to describe it so simply, for it was a form far grander than any Righteous God. An infinite radiance enveloped the figure, and the very air around him seed to vibrate, composing a subli, celestial symphony.
"Praise be to you!"
Jenkins cried out, the words leaving his lips unbidden. Just before the darkness consud him, he understood the aning of the word Miss Audrey had spoken—
The Lord of the Mysterious Realm.
"eeooww!"
Chocolate sprang from the lap of the collapsing Jenkins, landing deftly on the table. The cat hissed at the woman, claws unsheathed, its whiskers twitching furiously.
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