Jenkins wasn't the first to arrive. Mr. Hood was already standing in the shadows of a corner. The mont he saw Jenkins, he shifted warily toward the window.
"I'm Mr. Candle."
His voice was sowhat androgynous, another trick of the black robe.
Jenkins summoned the point of purple light, then revealed his purple pentagram emblem. Only then did Mr. Hood nod and retreat back into the corner.
"Excellent disguise."
"Thank you."
Jenkins also chose to stand in the shadows of a wall. The two exchanged no more words before the gathering began.
Of course, Mr. Hood still had to explain to the others who arrived one by one that this wasn't a newcor, but Mr. Candle.
The sa five people from last ti attended this gathering.
"Only trusted participants are permitted to invite soone they trust. Mr. Candle's presence here is a special exception."
Mr. Magic, whose voice was distinctly female, explained. She was the one who had previously asked Jenkins about the aning of his purple ability.
"Then let's begin this gathering. It's good to see everyone again."
Mr. Hood announced, then turned to Mr. Birchwood.
"You owe us a piece of information from our last eting. Why don't you start us off?"
"Alright. First, the Orthodox Churches in Nolan City have been circulating so major news lately concerning a Mysterious Object. I don't know the specifics, but it's best for everyone to avoid crowded places for the next two weeks."
"I think I know what that's about."
Jenkins thought to himself. To think that even these guys, scurrying like rats in the dark, had caught wind of it. The situation was more serious than he had anticipated.
"Second, a duke in the royal capital, Bel Diran, has passed away. There's clear evidence it was the work of an Enchanter. The news hasn't spread yet, and the authorities are investigating. Unless it's absolutely necessary, I'd advise staying away from the capital for now."
Nobility? This was the first ti Jenkins had heard any news concerning the aristocracy since coming to this world. Before this, the closest thing to a noble he'd known was the wealthy Mr. Smith, who had given Robert Williams his break. And he was just an honorary baron, a title that couldn't be inherited.
"What a turbulent ti," Mr. Hood sighed. "My turn. Regarding the giant octopus appearing in Nolan City at night, the Orthodox Churches have shelved the case. They haven't found any valuable leads, but they've confird it's related to a Mysterious Object."
"That's completely irresponsible!"
Miss Magic—or perhaps, Mr. Magic—complained self-righteously, completely oblivious to her own position. Her information last ti was about the seas off the coast of Nolan, which happened to align with what Papa Oliver had called 'big things afoot,' and her news this ti was just as explosive.
"Three days ago, a Mysterious Realm entrance appeared in the town of Tinton, which is under Nolan City's jurisdiction. But as of yesterday, soone has already passed through it."
"Do you know what the outco was?"
Mr. Birchwood looked quite interested.
"I know a few things, but that's not part of the free information share. You can try to make an offer during the trading portion of our eting."
Mr. Birchwood nodded, but gave no indication whether he was willing to pay for the information.
Jenkins was also interested in the matter of the Mysterious Realm, but being broke, he had to let it go.
Next was Miss Skylark:
"On Wednesday, a fishing boat called the Silver Cod pulled a strange statue out of the sea, suspected to be related to a heretical god. The Orthodox Church has since acquired it, and the entire crew of that fishing boat has disappeared." R̃𝓪NőВËš
Heretical gods were a type of pseudo-god, specifically those who delighted in rituals of blood, flesh, and debauchery. Their followers were extrely dangerous, many of them moonlighting as serial killers or psychopathic murderers. Even as an ordinary person, the forr Jenkins had heard of several brutal cases involving the followers of such gods.
Mr. Black Cat's information was sowhat more mundane. He pointed out that the starry sky had been unusual lately, which, when reflected in the material world, signified slaughter and chaos.
"I know so abilities involve divination and stargazing, but isn't that a bit too vague?"
Jenkins could only think this to himself, as none of the other four raised any objections to the news.
Could it be that they knew Mr. Black Cat possessed a reliable ability for such things?
"My turn."
Jenkins began to speak slowly, sharing the information he had prepared. "I know sothing about the Mysterious Object Mr. Birchwood ntioned. Its designation is A-01-2-0198. It appears as a little girl selling flowers. If she asks you to buy a flower, you are guaranteed to die. However, she only appears in places where a young flower seller would normally be, so none of you need to worry about soone standing over your bed asking if you want to buy a flower."
Miss Magic drew in a sharp breath.
Jenkins wasn't worried this would expose his identity. By now, all the Enchanters of the Orthodox Churches should be aware of this matter; the only difference was that he knew more.
"The trading portion begins now. Mr. Candle, I would like to know more about A-01-2-0198."
Mr. Hood said, almost without pause. The other four hesitated, but only Miss Magic spoke up to echo his request.
The three of them stepped aside for a mont. Mr. Hood took out three copper tokens.
"These are Minor Explosive Talismans I crafted myself through a ritual. They're effective for two months. You just need to infuse your spirit into one and throw it at your enemy. A word of warning, though: I used so low-quality firefly powder I ca across, and I haven't tested it, so the effect might be diminished. Since I only made these three, I'm offering them at a discount, which should be about equal to the value of your information."
Jenkins nodded his acceptance. While information about A-01-2-0198 was secret, it was bound to leak from the Church sooner or later and spread through countless gatherings like this one until most of the Enchanters in Nolan City knew.
Therefore, his information was valuable for now, but not exceptionally so.
Miss Magic also produced a talisman. Compared to Mr. Hood's "magic grenades," her silver token was far more valuable.
"A Talisman of Ritual's Blessing, crafted through a rite granted by my Lord, the Lady of Mysteries and Rituals. It's a single-use consumable. When performing a ritual, simply place this talisman nearby, and it will guarantee success to the greatest extent possible."
Jenkins already knew from last ti that she belonged to a sect that worshiped the Lady of Mysteries and Rituals, but he hadn't expected a pseudo-god to possess such a miraculous ability.
But he refused.
"I can't establish a connection with a pseudo-god I know nothing about, especially during a ritual. It's too dangerous."
Papa Oliver had warned him never to rashly make contact with anything related to gods, especially a pseudo-god he knew nothing about. You could never know what the consequences might be.
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