"Can we leave now?"
Seeing the exit appear, Jenkins turned and asked the old man. A sudden gust of wind tossed his beard into the air, but he paid it no mind.
"You may."
"May I take the remaining plants?"
He pointed to the other plants on the table, then added, "If I can make all of them grow as well."
Miss Kingsley stood up, leaning on Miss Miller for support, and tugged nervously at Jenkins's clothes.
"Mr. Pollo..."
Perhaps she thought Jenkins was being greedy, but he knew perfectly well that this was how Mysterious Realms operated. A better performance deserved a better reward.
To everyone's surprise, the old man, who had been completely still, slowly bent at the waist in a gesture that resembled a bow.
A sharp crackle split the air, and a mont later, the oil lamp in his hand shattered. Three green seeds shot out from the final flicker of fla, landing one by one between each person's eyebrows.
"I have an extra empty ability slot."
Miss Kingsley exclaid.
Jenkins and Miss Miller, more accustod to such extraordinary events, were not nearly as surprised. Their concern was why the old man had given them the reward before Jenkins had even acted.
But there was no ti to dwell on it. Although the excitent had briefly restored so of Miss Kingsley's energy, she soon grew listless again.
Jenkins held the flowerpots while Miss Miller supported the young woman, and the three of them stepped through the great doorway one by one.
A weary sigh echoed through the dark room. The figure by the table was gone, but the six empty spots where the flowerpots had been were once again filled.
The wall directly opposite the door suddenly split open, revealing a crack. No bricks or stone were visible inside, only a dense, overlapping lattice of gold and black runes.
A smooth green orb dropped from the crack, its erald surface reflecting the white light from the doorway.
The montum of its fall sent it rolling across the floor after landing. Then, following in their footsteps, it passed into another world.
The portal of light vanished. In the dark space, only the plants swayed gently.
"ow~"
The carriage waited at the mouth of the alley. Julia, wringing a handkerchief in her hands, stared anxiously at the wall.
The cat on the roof, which had refused all her calls to co down, suddenly let out a cry and leaped.
And at that exact mont, the man seed to step out of thin air. Hearing the cat, he didn't even have to look up. With a slight turn of his body, he let the creature land gracefully on his shoulder.
His clothes were in disarray, his two strong, fair arms exposed to the snow. Julia didn't know why he was carrying so many flowerpots, or how the cat could have possibly predicted his appearance, but she couldn't concern herself with such questions now.
"Miss!"
She jumped down from the carriage and ran toward them, stumbling through the deep snow.
It was unclear how much ti had passed outside, but the snow was now high enough to cover the tops of their feet.
Inside the carriage, Jenkins and Miss Miller sat on one side, with Julia and Miss Kingsley on the other. Jenkins sat opposite the young woman, their hands clasped together. A green energy flowed out from his body, traveling through their linked arms and into Miss Kingsley.
His evolved ability was no longer limited to healing physical injuries; it could even cure anemia.
The man was draped in a lady's coat that was a bit too small for him. It featured pure silver buttons and a few decorative tassels. The coat couldn't cover his arms, and the fairness of his skin was enough to make the three won present feel ashad of their own.
Miss Kingsley, whose complexion had improved slightly, looked as though she wanted to comnt on Jenkins's skin, but a look from Julia, who knew her personality well, stopped her.
Just after boarding the carriage, Jenkins had subconsciously slipped a hand into his pocket and, to his lack of surprise, felt an unfamiliar orb. It felt like glass, but instead of being cold, it was slightly warm.
Since he was currently a projection, the orb remained in his pocket.
"That should be enough."
He released Miss Kingsley's hand and let out a long breath. Using his ability in this state consud too much spirit. If he hadn't acquired a fresh supply from the Mysterious Realm, he might not have been able to hold on.
"Thank you."
The girl withdrew her hand, her face slightly flushed. It was the first ti she had been so intimate with a strange man, but when she saw that he showed no unusual reaction, she felt she was just being foolishly sentintal.
"I am truly grateful to you both this ti, Miss Miller, Mr. Pollo."
She thanked them again, her voice full of solemnity. "You will forever be friends of the Kingsley family."
"It was nothing. But please, don't do anything so dangerous again. Next ti, there might not be anyone around to save you."
Miss Miller warned her with a stern expression, her goal of establishing a close connection with the young woman now more or less achieved.
Dolores Stuart wore an awkward expression. Looking down at the six flowerpots, she didn't hesitate to pick three of the spirit flowers, handing two of them to Jenkins and Miss Miller.
The two exchanged a look and, without ceremony, accepted them and put the petals in their mouths.
Compared to the white flower Jenkins had eaten before, the spirit flower tasted much better.
"It's a little sweet, and it doesn't make you feel sick."
Of course, the spirit it provided couldn't compare to the one from the little flower seller's bloom. But it was free, so there was no reason to complain.
Chocolate had been curled up on Jenkins's lap the whole ti, eyeing the flowerpots at their feet like a predator. Jenkins knew exactly what the gluttonous cat was plotting, so he kept stroking it, not just to be affectionate, but to keep it from darting out.
"This is my first ti in a Mysterious Realm. These places... they're truly so dangerous."
"Yes. Even a demigod can die in a Mysterious Realm. But the rewards are always satisfying."
Miss Kingsley nodded. Seeing that two flowers remained on the plant, she bent down and picked them both.
She handed one to her maid.
"Julia, are you willing to walk this difficult path with ?"
Her expression was very serious, and Jenkins couldn't judge whether what she was doing was right or wrong.
He simply turned to the window, gazing at the dimly lit streets and the distinctly foreign scenery. Snow was falling, but the moonlight still managed to shine through. This city of ice and snow was beautiful, at least the main avenues were.
He watched the two won across from him out of the corner of his eye.
Julia nodded firmly, stuffed the black petals into her mouth, and swallowed with a very dramatic gulp.
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