In the dim room, Jenkins frowned at the shimring, kaleidoscopic machine before him while his cat watched on in silence. The magnificent play of light and shadow sent the shadows on his face flickering wildly. He couldn't afford to wait much longer.
B-08-2-8214 wasn't spitting out a product directly like it had during his divination lesson. Bathed in a dazzling light, the machine continued to whir and hum, refusing to stop. This was a disappointnt for Jenkins, who had expected to receive his weapon imdiately.
After five minutes, nothing had changed. Jenkins was even beginning to suspect that the machine was broken.
The localized anomalies in the room and the surging tides of energy clearly indicated just how extraordinary the item being forged would be, but Jenkins truly had no ti to wait. The battle outside was raging fiercely; the undead army had the advantage of numbers, while the living had the advantage of skill.
The Church could likely hold its own for now, but the sleeping populace were as helpless as lambs to the slaughter.
Activating his Eye of Reality to observe the energy fluctuations, he was surprised to spot more Enchanters appearing at the church entrance. And they weren't Scribes from the Church of Knowledge and Books.
Two won entered through the church's main gate, heading straight for this building with a clear purpose. It was Miss Audrey and her teacher, Mrs. Brolignans... or rather, Miss. Jenkins had thought all the demigods were busy dealing with Pomphey.
"What are they doing here?"
He and the cat could leave at any mont, but the machine, into which he had invested so many precious materials and items, had no pause function.
Laying low for a mont might be a good idea, but Jenkins had a nagging feeling it wouldn't be that simple. While his own presence here was inopportune, the appearance of two followers from another faith when the church's defenses were stretched thin was far more suspicious.
"That's right," he realized. "I'm the Saint of the Church of Knowledge and Books. This is our church. Why should I be afraid of two followers of another church?"
With this realization, his posture straightened instantly. He told Chocolate to watch the machine, tossed two [Silence Charms] into the room to muffle the unusual sounds, then turned and walked out the door. He strolled casually toward the stairwell, where he just so "happened" to run into the two diviners.
The won were dressed in matching outfits today: light purple gauze skirts under tunics adorned with intricate tassels. The tunics were also embroidered with stripes of gold and silver thread. On closer inspection, the patterns seed to be a type of ancient charm, sothing Jenkins had only read a vague description of in one of Papa Oliver's books.
"Mr. Williatte, staring at an unmarried woman's clothes is hardly the mark of a gentleman."
Miss Brolignans chided. She appeared to be at least forty, so whether her claim of being unmarried was true was anyone's guess.
He glanced at Miss Audrey, who wore a stony expression, clearly sulking about sothing.
"Good morning to you both."
As he spoke, he glanced through the corridor window at the black sky and the eerie, dense fog. The temperature today was at least ten degrees colder than yesterday, as if the newly arrived spring had been chased away by winter once more.
"Good morning, Mr. Williatte," she replied. "But from what I understand, shouldn't you be in the Evergreen Forest for your baptism right now?"
So they had co for him after all. Jenkins refused to believe this was a simple coincidence.
"And what brings you ladies here, then?"
He was inwardly annoyed with Miss Brolignans, but she was Audrey's teacher, so he had to maintain at least a veneer of politeness.
"To find you, of course."
Miss Brolignans said with a beaming smile. Though the woman looked old, she had very few wrinkles, making it difficult to guess her true age. Still, he knew she had t his father, Robert, thirty years ago.
She reached out to pat Miss Audrey on the shoulder, motioning for her to continue the explanation.
"We know you're in trouble," Audrey began, "so we ca to help."
Miss Audrey looked extrely reluctant, but she handed a paper bag to Jenkins and said sothing that stunned him:
"Inside, you'll find the thod to learn [Perforr], along with B-10-3-4093, the [Reader's Notebook]. The Notebook was a gift from the Church of Knowledge and Books, a thank-you for our assistance."
Jenkins instinctively took a step back, his alarm so palpable the two won could feel it.
"I don't understand."
"Oh, but you do."
Miss Brolignans took a step forward as if chasing him. Miss Audrey reached for her teacher's hand, only to be forcefully shrugged off.
The demigod diviner's eyes blazed with a fanaticism Jenkins couldn't comprehend. Just as Alexia had once said, the woman truly looked mad.
"You know what this is, Williatte," she insisted. "You have to."
"No, I don't understand at all."
He shook his head vehently and turned to leave. The woman didn't stop him, asking instead:
"Aren't you curious about your own family?"
He stopped in his tracks.
"You have the answers?"
he asked, his back still turned to them. Beside him, Miss Audrey couldn't stop herself from clenching her fists.
"Of course not. I don't know the whole truth myself, but I can help you. Thirty years ago, my chance eting with your father was a twist of fate. Only now do I understand what that encounter truly ant. I lost a chance that cos only once in an Epoch, but now, Audrey has been given that sa chance... Young Williatte, are you really not curious about your family? I suspect you've long been aware of your own extraordinary talents."
In the end, Jenkins didn't leave. He sighed, turning back to face the persuasive woman.
"So, what exactly is in this bag?"
"An opportunity," she declared. "A chance for a teoric rise. The followers of the Lying God, along with other ambitious players, are already preparing to welco the end of the Epoch. As one of the destined participants, a single ticket is far from enough for you. This is your second."
The woman certainly knew a few things, but clearly not enough. When her teacher ntioned "a single ticket," a sneer flickered across Miss Audrey's face, gone in an instant.
Engaging in a battle of wits with her teacher was sothing Miss Audrey had been doing ever since completing her apprenticeship. She would never tell anyone what she knew—not that anyone would believe her even if she did.
The burden that seemingly simple and guileless man carried was far more than a re qualification.
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