"Third, when fully subrged and not in use, the ear enters a state of suspended animation. If left out of the liquid for more than seven minutes, it will fully reactivate and, through so unknown ans, traverse space to latch onto the nearest human. Should it attach itself this way, it will function as described in its first property, regardless of whether the target is an Enchanter."
With that, Miss Audrey casually set the bottle on a nearby desk. She gave the still-dripping ear a couple of shakes, sending droplets spattering onto the floor. They hit with a soft patter before quickly evaporating, leaving no trace.
"Mr. Williams, will it be you or ?"
Jenkins thought the term "gentleman" was a rather fitting descriptor for himself in this mont. While he certainly subscribed to the idea of "ladies first," he was also self-aware.
Miss Audrey was an elegant woman who clearly valued cleanliness, a fact evident from both her ho and her attire; she clearly despised this Mysterious Object, as her expression had just shown; and most importantly, she was a higher-level Enchanter than he was.
"I'll do it."
He said without hesitation, "How could I let you handle sothing like this? I'll do the listening and relay what I hear."
"Mr. Williams, you truly are a proper gentleman. May our friendship be a lasting one."
She didn't stand on ceremony, as their conversation had already delayed them.
Aside from its repulsive appearance, A-01-4-9155 caused Jenkins no discomfort while exposed to the air. He had assud it was one of those rare Mysterious Objects that didn't radiate any spiritual pollution. But the mont his fingers closed around the dripping ear, a aningless, droning buzz filled his mind.
Jenkins was very good at controlling his emotions, a skill that had helped him better adapt to his new life after transmigration. But now, he suddenly felt an inexplicable surge of irritation.
He knew this was a side effect of the object in his hand, so he silently recited a few lines from a treatise on advanced mathematics and so of the Sage's teachings before pressing the lump of flesh against his ear.
An icy sensation spread instantly, followed by a tingling itch. Forcibly suppressing the urge to scratch, he began to eavesdrop and repeat what he heard.
The first voice to ring out was full-bodied and imnsely smug—the voice of the unfamiliar Enchanter.
"...The three special items in my possession are the very foundation of my standing here. You may be an ordinary person, but you should understand that for an Enchanter, money isn't the most important thing. If you want to treat that damnable disease, you'll have to offer a worthy price."
"Mr. Robinson, rciful sir. For the sake... for the sake of all the ti I've spent as your spy, please, you have to save . Sir, I really don't have what you need. All I have are gold pounds, so crowns, and antiques."
"Hmph. I've told you before, never ntion that matter in any setting. This is the Fidektri Kingdom! Do you really think they aren't investigating Hamparvo spies like us?"
To Jenkins, the man's tone held more fear than anger. He also hadn't expected the two of them to actually be spies.
"Sir, really, sir... what do you need? Just tell . Anything, as long as you can save ."
"Alright then. Didn't you manage to stumble your way into the company of the followers of the 'Prince of Lies'? Tell , what is their thod for accumulating spirit? Don't tell you don't know. I'm well aware that they've already decided to recruit you!"
Jenkins repeated Mr. Robinson's words to Miss Audrey, inwardly surprised that this once again involved that group of swindlers.
"Sir, really, sir, I can't say. I signed a contract."
His voice was now laced with sobs. "I don't even know how I got infected with this damned germ. How could I be so unlucky? Oh, god, why... I know so things! The followers of the 'Prince of Lies' are planning sothing, sothing very important. Sir, you still need . I can't die! I know you're very powerful. You can definitely save , right?"
Frankly, Jenkins didn't believe that Mr. Robinson could cure soone infected with the Gear Germs. That was sothing even the Orthodox Churches couldn't do.
"How is that other matter coming along?"
This was Robinson's voice again.
"Before coming to see you, I went over there to check again. The house is still empty, and a single woman lives next door. I didn't dare get too close to her house, but I saw she has a cat today. I'm certain she hasn't noticed anything unusual about the house next door."
"Very good. The onset of the Gear Germs is a very slow process, so you don't need to worry about dying just yet... How about this: for now, drop the matter with the followers of the 'Prince of Lies.' Your new task is to investigate Marquis Mikhail's purpose in coming here. We need an important military docunt he's carrying. This could be our breakthrough."
"But sir..."
"No 'buts.' This is an order. As a spy, you know the aning of that word. The Brontë Club is a safe house we can trust, but don't let your guard down..."
The conversation ca to an end there. It was followed by a rustling sound, as if soone was shuffling through docunts or papers.
The picture was now more or less complete. The man infected with the Gear Germs, whose na Jenkins still didn't know, had co here today because of the house next to Miss Audrey's. He and Mr. Robinson were both spies from the Hamparvo Kingdom, in a handler-agent relationship. The unfortunate man was currently infiltrating the swindlers' group and had just begun to earn their trust, only to unexpectedly discover his own strange affliction...
Jenkins looked over at Miss Audrey, who seed lost in thought. He tapped her arm. "What do we do now? Report this to the Church, or investigate further? I think this is enough."
"Yes, this is enough. I finally understand why the divination led to..."
Before she could finish, Jenkins clapped a hand over her mouth.
Jenkins raised his free left hand, pressing his index finger to his lips to signal for silence. He didn't even realize how rude his action was.
Another strange sound ca from next door, like tal lightly striking a lock. Then ca the sound of the neighbor's door being pushed open, followed by a woman's surprised voice:
"Oh? Soone's here. Damn it, that informant lied to !"
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