Nolan, a world of mirrors shrouded in dense fog. Jenkins and the strange woman were both huddled on a balcony, not daring to move. The woman first glanced at Jenkins’s face, then at the cat he was protectively cradling in his arms.
Though she hid it well, Jenkins could still see the expression of soone trying to stifle a laugh. He opened his mouth to say sothing, but reason suppressed the impulse.
The owner of the footsteps below radiated a black aura. As it passed along the street, a heavy stench wafted up, so foul that the two people and one cat on the balcony nearly fled in disgust. But as soon as the footsteps receded slightly, the odor vanished without a trace. Unable to hold his breath any longer, Jenkins risked being discovered and took a deep, ragged breath.
The woman beside him did the sa, and she seed even more sensitive to the sll. The cat cradled in his arms appeared to be faring a bit better; it had burrowed directly into Jenkins’s coat, attempting to use the fabric as an air filter.
“Sigrid Capet.”
Only after the footsteps had completely faded did the two dare to stand and speak. The woman offered her na first, then extended a hand to Jenkins with a gracious air.
Jenkins hesitated for a mont before shaking it. “Jenkins Williams.”
He was using his own face, so he gave his real na. The woman looked a little surprised. She glanced at his face again, then nodded.
“I’ve heard your na, Mr. Williams. Soone ntioned you to before I left for Nolan. We have you to thank for what happened with Constantine in the Cheslan Kingdom last year. Hello, let introduce myself properly. I am Sigrid Capet of the Church of All Things and Nature. I was dispatched by the Holy See to deliver so docunts to the Church of Ocean and Exploration in Nolan. I ran into this trouble right after getting off the train.”
As she explained her identity, she released her soul emblem. Coincidentally, hers was also from the green life series, but its pattern resembled a leek. Jenkins decided it was probably best not to point that out.
Revealing one’s soul emblem was a sign of goodwill, so Jenkins decided to trust her for the ti being.
As they rose and headed downstairs, the woman continued speaking.
“I stumbled in here by accident three days ago, but I’d already heard about Nolan’s efforts to track this Mirror World. Tell ... were you dispatched to enter this place?”
Miss Capet was hoping Jenkins could lead her out, but her hopes were quickly dashed. Upon learning that he and his cat had also entered by accident, she showed a flash of unconcealed disappointnt. However, she quickly composed herself and invited Jenkins to join her in exploring this place together.
The Mirror World was nothing like the peaceful, illusory worlds created by Cursed Items that Jenkins had experienced before; this place was fraught with danger. The entity that had just passed below them was once a Cursed Item designated A-11-02-3339, the “Gas ssenger.” Its number had been retired at the beginning of this epoch, as the Church believed it no longer existed.
“In fact, it still exists, but it ended up in the Mirror World by accident. Ti flows in this world as well, so anything that can move is worth being wary of.”
After coming down from the balcony, the two made their way through a small alley behind the house toward another street. Miss Capet had two other companions, both of whom were also Enchanters from the Orthodox Churches.
“But the danger isn’t limited to the Cursed Items or other strange things that have entered the Mirror World. This world itself is quite hazardous.”
Jenkins and Chocolate listened intently to her every word. Following behind the woman, Jenkins felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity in the way she carried herself, though he couldn’t place who she resembled. The number, type, and rotational speed of Miss Capet’s spiritual light spots were different from anyone he knew, so she couldn’t possibly be an acquaintance.
“...Be careful of the mirrors.”
“Hmm?”
He had been lost in thought and missed what she said before, only catching the word “careful,” which snapped him back to attention.
“In the Mirror World, mirrors represent danger. If an object that shouldn’t be a mirror suddenly becos one, everything around it will rapidly undergo mirrorization. After about ten minutes, the mirrorization will fade, and inanimate matter will return to its original state. But living things can’t revert. I think you understand what I an.”
“I understand. Does this sort of thing happen often?” Jenkins asked.
“Not really. I haven’t encountered it once in the three days I’ve been here. This is information from my friends who got here before . Miss Worfil...”
Crack!
A distinct shattering sound echoed from nearby, accompanied by the sound of frantic footsteps. Miss Capet’s hearing was about as sharp as Jenkins’s; they both stopped in their tracks.
The footsteps rounded the corner of the intersection ahead. Two won, running for their lives, dashed straight toward Jenkins and Miss Capet. Behind them, a tide of mirrors advanced like an ocean wave, assimilating the world. The silver surfaces glead brightly even in the heavy fog.
“Damn it, run!”
Jenkins barely had ti to shout before he spun around and fled. Miss Capet was even faster off the mark. Mirrorization was one of the most common natural disasters in the Mirror World, as ordinary as rain or an earthquake in the material world.
There was no way to fight it. When you saw it, you just had to run.
The two won being chased were evidently Miss Capet’s companions, and by a strange coincidence, Jenkins actually recognized them. In fact, he didn’t know many female Enchanters in Nolan City. If not for this chance encounter, he wouldn’t have realized he had so many acquaintances.
The two won were Miss Celtic Knight from the Church of Sun and Justice and the huntress. Jenkins had just seen the forr in the Evergreen Forest yesterday, and they had even spoken. The latter was clearly the “Miss Worfil” Miss Capet had just ntioned.
Jenkins had once traded with the huntress for a divine art originating from the Righteous God, the Lord of War, which led him to suspect she was part of the Church of War and Victory’s Noland diocese. Seeing her now, he was more certain of his conclusion.
He didn’t know why Miss Knight and the huntress were here, but he assud they, too, had been accidentally drawn into the Mirror World. It was better to stick with familiar faces than to go it alone. Jenkins had already decided to team up with them.
Of course, the imdiate priority was still the wave of mirrorization at their backs.
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