The two ladies who t in the corridor, along with the cat perched atop one of their heads, shared a look of deep concern.
"This Mysterious Realm is unlike any other," she said. "It's difficult for to judge the flow of ti within it, but there's a real chance he could appear at any mont."
Alexia's mood was somber, but she knew there were more important things to attend to.
"Besides," she continued, "Jenkins is bound to erge at least once before he reaches the ninth floor."
She went on to explain the God of Lies' final act.
"I'm not certain which level the opening is on, but he will definitely have to co out. We'll be able to see him."
"Then I'll go wait for him at the foot of the tower right now!"
Hathaway declared, ready to depart at once. But just as she moved to pass Alexia, the other woman caught her by the wrist.
"There's no need to wait at the tower. If he manages to get out, he won't waste ti on pleasantries. He'll imdiately seek out powers that can aid him. We should wait for him at the church. Audrey is in the Evergreen Forest, and his other friends will likely gather near his ho."
Hathaway glanced down at the hand holding her wrist.
"So, what exactly are we supposed to do? Just wait? Also, I just saw Sigrid leaving the church by herself."
"Don't worry about her. She's likely gone to find Professor Burns. The two of them should be at the old elf's ho."
Alexia replied, releasing Hathaway's arm. But Hathaway imdiately caught her hand in return.
"Alexia, do you know sothing I don't?"
Even for soone who excelled at arithmancy, knowing this much was extraordinary. Hathaway's gaze shifted to the listless cat draped over the shorter woman's head.
"Did Chocolate tell you?"
"Of course not. An unborn life told ."
Hathaway frowned for a mont before understanding dawned. She had heard about the pregnancy of Jenkins's older brother's fiancée. While she didn't know Alexia had t the future niece, she was aware that Jenkins had.
"I think I understand. If that's the case, does it an Jenkins will be safe?"
"I hope so, but I'm no expert on temporal paradoxes or the theories of ti travel... Now, could you let go of my hand?"
Alexia asked. Hathaway nodded.
"Then what exactly should we be doing now?" she asked.
"I'm going underground to see the A4 Type Arithtic Auxiliary External Machine. There's sothing very important I need to ask it. You wait here for Jenkins and look after his family... and Fini."
"I'll take good care of her."
"No, Fini needs to go see Audrey in the Evergreen Forest imdiately. Contact the church—using your own identity, not as Skylark Miss—and have them arrange a carriage to take her. Just tell them it was a request in a letter Jenkins left behind. They'll comply."
Hathaway nodded again.
"What about the issue of Jenkins's identity? Now that the church knows, they're sure to question us."
"I'll be away for a while, so they'll only co to you. Hathaway, you can prepare what you want to say, but it's not that important. Mortals don't dare to test a god."
And so, they went their separate ways. Before parting, however, Alexia transferred the cat from her head to Hathaway's. The carriage fare was expensive, and while she could use her last few Sin Coins for her own passage, she couldn't afford the fare for Chocolate.
Heartbroken over Jenkins's departure, Chocolate didn't protest leaving Alexia's head. But as soon as he was lifted, he scrambled onto Hathaway's head, settled down, and let out another heart-wrenching ow.
"I didn't laugh when you had a cat on your head, so you're not allowed to laugh at now," Hathaway imdiately told Alexia.
"Of course, I won't laugh."
Alexia studied Hathaway with the cat on her head again. It wasn't comical at all, she thought. If anything, it made the red-haired woman look even more charming.
Despite Alexia's thoughts, when Hathaway t Briny again, even Briny, who was grieving Jenkins's absence, couldn't help but laugh at the sight of the red-haired woman with a cat on her head.
Hathaway's lips twitched. She had been about to drop a few hints about Jenkins's new identity as the God of Lies, hoping to soften the blow for Briny when the news inevitably ca out. But before she could speak, the small fairy Vinette, who was hovering near Briny, spoke up.
"Oh, excuse , do you know where Miss Alexia Miller is?"
the fairy asked, her voice clear and crisp as she clutched a scroll-like bundle of papers.
"She... just left, but she'll be back soon. Do you need her for sothing? You can tell ."
Hathaway replied gently to the fairy on the table.
"Oh, miss, it's my friend! He's arrived. I t one of my own kind while traveling in the southern forest. He's co to Nolan now and says he can help Mr. Williatte, through Miss Alexia Miller!"
"Is that so? Well, Alexia isn't here at the mont, but perhaps I could et this friend of yours... Why does he need to go through Alexia? Is he an old friend of hers?"
"No, of course not. He's an old friend of Mr. Williatte's. Since Miss Miller isn't here, he can wait. Brother Pisco said Mr. Williatte would be very surprised to see him. To be honest, this friend of mine didn't expect to still be alive, either."
(Fini was praying...)
Even though the weakness from his apotheosis had long since faded, another bout of spatial travel left Jenkins feeling dizzy and disoriented.
It was his first ti entering a new Mysterious Realm directly through the exit of another, but the novel experience produced a familiar sensation. He struggled for a mont before managing to push himself up from what he assud was a lawn, slling the damp earth. Yet, as he got to his feet, he saw that all the grass was withered. The black soil beneath him was clearly fertile and moist, but the blades of grass were dead.
A brief scan of his surroundings was all it took. The mont he sensed the imnse aura of death pervading the area, he understood exactly what was happening. The state of the soil no longer surprised him.
Compared to the previous realm, which had been almost blindingly bright, this second one returned to the classic, pitch-black darkness where you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. He had materialized among a cluster of haphazardly placed tombstones. In the distance, a blue light flickered—a bonfire burning with an eerie, azure fla.
A figure sat beside the bonfire, presumably the host of this Mysterious Realm.
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