"Candle Mr, are you alright?"
The night wind whipped across the shallows. Seeing Jenkins trembling, Mr. Hood asked with concern.
"I'm fine, just a little cold. I'll be alright in a mont."
As he spoke, faint red flas flickered at his collar and cuffs. The corner of Mr. Hood's mouth twitched, but he didn't press the matter.
It was clear that high-altitude flight in such weather was anything but a reliable choice. The unicorn and Chocolate were both resistant to the cold, but Jenkins had no such ability. Although he had managed to endure it with the help of his Inexhaustible Fire, Jenkins swore he would never again do sothing so reckless just to save ti.
The others had not yet arrived, so Jenkins went over to Mr. Hood and struck up a conversation. Mr. Hood seed quite moved by the sight of the lights on the opposite bank, and he praised them in an admiring tone:
"Gas lights were invented long ago, but it wasn't until I saw this that I truly understood the greatness of steam power. Candle Mr, I believe a day will surely co when the city will be illuminated all night, and there will be no difference between day and night."
"I believe that day will co too... I just wonder if the great Righteous God, the Unlit Moon, who holds the domain of Night, will accept such a day. Oh, I understand. I won't speak of the gods again."
With Mr. Black Cat's departure, Mr. Hood's gathering was down to five mbers: himself, Jenkins, Magic Miss, Hathaway, and Mr. White Cat. On a sumr night, an ignorant and terrified Jenkins had stumbled upon them, becoming the sixth mber. Now, on a winter night, a new sixth was introduced by Magic Miss, who she described as a long-ti friend.
She was a slender, fifth-level Enchanter who spoke with a woman's voice. Adhering to the gathering's tradition of not distinguishing between genders, she called herself "Mr. Silver Flute." Her Soul Emblem was surprisingly the sa as Jenkins's own—a rare green from the life series. It was a small, soaring bird that looked much like a dove of peace.
"Pardon my forwardness, but are you proficient in healing abilities?"
Mr. Hood inquired cautiously.
"Yes."
The woman replied simply.
This sparked a wave of excitent among the group; no one would refuse to know such a friend.
Once everyone had arrived, the group moved to a nearby bridge archway to begin the gathering. Both Magic Miss and Jenkins summoned orbs of light to illuminate the way, as the path along the riverbank was uneven and difficult to navigate.
Jenkins had initially worried there might be vagrants sleeping under the bridge, but the space was empty. This was likely due to the archway's location; a biting cold wind howled through it, and anyone with a weaker constitution wouldn't be able to stand there for long.
A clamor could be heard in the distance, though its source was unclear. The six of them stood in a circle, and Mr. Hood, as always, began the proceedings.
"Hello, everyone. It's been a while. And a warm welco to our new friend. So much has happened in Nolan City this past month. I realize I said sothing similar at our last eting. Ha, but I won't waste any more of your ti. This damned weather is truly awful."
He cleared his throat, signaling for them to listen closely.
"There have been so many dangerous events lately, I hardly know where to begin. So, let's start with sothing that could affect our safety. A new exotic species crisis has erged in Nolan City. The legendary vampire race has reappeared in the material world."
Seeing no reaction from the others, he guessed they had all heard the news that had swept the city, so he added a new detail:
"Do you rember the night of the blood moon? I've received so very reliable information. That strange celestial phenonon was caused by three pure-blood vampires setting up a Miasma Lock. The Orthodox Churches fought a fierce battle with them that night, and I even heard that followers of a New God made an appearance."
"Which New God's followers appeared?"
Evidently, Magic Miss hadn't heard about this part.
"The Twin Demons. He defeated one of the vampires head-on. And... unconfird reports suggest he was riding a unicorn at the ti."
Mr. Hood shrugged. "Interesting, isn't it?"
"'He'? A unicorn?"
The newcor, Mr. Silver Flute, asked. In the common tongue, the pronouns for male and female are pronounced differently, and the new mber had noticed Mr. Hood using the masculine third person.
"Yes, that's the word from the Church. I honestly don't know how much of it is true, but at the very least, the unicorn definitely exists."
Jenkins felt that Magic Miss, from behind her mask, was covertly glancing his way. He wondered if it was just his imagination.
"That's all the news I have. Everyone should be careful of strangers lately, especially strangers who cast no shadow."
All eyes subconsciously turned to the newcor, Mr. Silver Flute. In the glow of the light orbs, her shadow was clearly visible.
A chuckle ca from beneath Mr. Silver Flute's hood.
"Caution is essential, I don't mind at all. In fact, I grew up in Nolan City, so I'm quite familiar with the habits of the Enchanters who live here."
Best to just take that with a grain of salt, Jenkins thought. After all, a certain mber of this very gathering still claid to be from a distant city, a foreigner... which, he supposed, wasn't technically a lie.
"Then I'll share the second piece of news. Alright. My information is that St. George Avenue, near the Dock Area, was recently sealed off. And it's definitely not for a simple pipe maintenance check."
The appearance of an Evil God's scion in the city was far too horrifying a matter to publicize, so the Church had revealed nothing. The fact that Mr. Silver Flute knew even this much was quite astounding.
"I heard St. George Avenue was sealed off, but what was the real reason?"
Miss Skylark asked.
"I'm sorry, I don't know the specifics. My friend simply saw a large number of Orthodox Church combat squads heading there one night. The next day, the entire street was sealed off, and even the residents were forced to relocate temporarily."
Mr. Silver Flute paused before adding:
"I'm also quite curious. During such a dangerous ti with the vampires on the loose, what could the Church have possibly discovered that would require mobilizing so many personnel? If anyone has concrete information, I am willing to pay for it."
But no one spoke. Jenkins certainly wouldn't reveal a thing about it. It wasn't just to avoid causing a panic; he was also worried that Hathaway, who knew the truth, would rush to the antique shop the next morning to check on his safety.
"My friend lives on St. George Avenue. He's an Enchanter, too."
Miss Skylark said with so concern: "But he told it really is just normal pipe maintenance. The city council even gave every household a rather large compensation paynt, enough for them to rent an apartnt anywhere downtown to last through the winter."
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