Lord of The Mysterious Realms-Chapter 30: Beseeching Your Gaze, Part One
"Mr. Candle is right, Magic Miss. Please don't offer items like that. It erodes the trust our members have in this gathering."
Mr. Hood was quick to support Jenkins's stance, and Magic Miss, for her part, didn't seem offended or raise any objections.
"Very well, then. I suppose I was being inconsiderate."
With those words, she produced another item: a blue feather about the length of her palm.
"I don't know what it is, but it definitely contains spirit, so it must be some kind of special material."
To Jenkins's Eye of Reality, the feather emitted a faint white glow, though it wasn't particularly intense.
"That will do."
He didn't have any better options, and at least it wasn't glowing gold.
Jenkins shared what he knew about A-01-2-0198—its history, its properties, and so on—but he omitted any mention of the black and white flowers. That was classified Church information. Not only was he bound by the confidentiality pact he'd signed upon joining, but revealing such details could also expose his identity.
After that transaction, the members exchanged a few other special materials. Mr. Hood, once again, expressed his desire to purchase silver blessed by the Church of All Things and Nature.
"I have an Extraordinary item,"
Just as Jenkins thought the gathering was drawing to a close, Mr. Birchwood cleared his throat twice and made an unexpected announcement in a low, gravelly voice.
The primary distinction between Mysterious Objects, Bestowals, Extraordinary items, and items crafted through rituals is their permanence; their spirit never fades. These three categories of items can only be obtained through a handful of means—bestowed by a deity, acquired from a Mysterious Realm, or formed naturally—which is why they are cataloged with official designations.
"I doubt anyone here can afford it, can they?"
Magic Miss let out a light chuckle, though it sounded more like the cackle of a wicked witch.
"Its function is rather unremarkable, and its origins aren't exactly legitimate. And I happen to be in need of some cash..."
"This is a legitimate gathering! We cannot trade in stolen goods!"
Mr. Hood interjected at once.
"No, please, hear me out. It's not stolen goods, merely of... unknown provenance. The Orthodox Church has it on record: B-01-5-9293."
"If I recall correctly, the '5' in its designation means it 'can be used normally under any circumstances and possesses no inherent danger.'"
Jenkins remarked. Mr. Birchwood nodded:
"Yes. Its name is Mr. Hunt's Fruit Platter. By infusing it with just a small amount of spirit, you can get three different pieces of fruit each day. Ordinary fruit, of course."
The other five members of the group fell silent.
"It can be purchased with cash, and it is, after all, an Extraordinary item..."
His voice trailed off, as if even he couldn't quite justify it.
Through Jenkins's sight, the object glowed blue—a color he had never seen before. His interest was piqued, but he worried he didn't have enough savings to afford it.
"Ten pounds," Magic Miss said. "Its origins are questionable."
"Can't you go any higher?"
Mr. Birchwood asked tentatively. Magic Miss just shrugged.
"Eleven pounds."
Jenkins spoke up. Though the one-pound increase seemed aimed directly at Magic Miss, she appeared unbothered and remained silent.
In the end, for half of his savings, Jenkins actually managed to purchase an Extraordinary item. An item of unknown provenance and with an underwhelming function, but an Extraordinary item nonetheless...
Due to the giant octopus haunting Nolan City at night and the recent incident with A-01-2-0198, the next gathering was postponed for two weeks. The password was once again set to be a specific newspaper.
Following the predetermined order, Jenkins was the second to leave. He had considered asking Mr. Hood if he knew of any other gatherings, but decided against it. Such a question felt far too careless, so he let the idea go.
After wandering the alleys of the Sabine District for a full half-hour to ensure he wasn't followed, Jenkins finally felt safe enough to climb the large tree back to his bedroom. Excellent. The door was still bolted from the inside.
Tonight's gathering had given him a chance to learn more clandestine information. It might not seem useful now, but as someone from the twenty-first century, he understood the paramount importance of intelligence.
Besides, it was rather fun, wasn't it?
Instead of going straight to sleep, he took the slightly grimy wooden platter from his coat. Its surface was carved with a few common decorative patterns.
He infused it with a whisper of spirit, and there in the moonlight, a not-quite-ripe green apple, a single hazelnut, and a luscious-looking red cherry materialized on the platter.
"Is a hazelnut even considered a fruit?"
He frowned at the thought before popping the cherry into his mouth. It tasted pretty good.
Jenkins sometimes wondered if, despite being a transmigrator, he wasn't actually the protagonist of this story. The following week, his life returned to its peaceful routine, a far cry from the string of supernatural incidents he had been expecting.
"Still, this isn't so bad either."
Jenkins, leaning over the counter to transcribe the tadpole-like script from a photograph, murmured aloud, startling Papa Oliver so badly that he nearly dropped the piece of porcelain he was holding.
Papa Oliver was still working on finding a publisher. They had both assumed the Church's connections would smooth the way, but they'd since discovered that publishing a legitimate book required an official approval number—a license issued by the kingdom—and the Church's allotment for the period had already been used up.
Papa Oliver had already found a professional printer affiliated with the Church, a man who greatly admired Jenkins's collection of fairy tales. He had offered to make Jenkins's book his first project of the next batch, if Jenkins was willing to wait until the last quarter of the year when new approval numbers were released. But Papa Oliver thought that was too long to wait, so he had reached out to some of the Church's other partners, a process that would also take time.
Jenkins's own studies were finally shifting from theory to practice, not only in the field of antiques but also in the realm of the supernatural.
One day, under Papa Oliver's watchful eye, Jenkins performed his first solo "prayer ritual" in the warehouse behind the antique shop. As the name implied, the purpose of the ritual was to offer a prayer to the Legacy Sage. If successful, it would earn him a brief moment of the goddess's attention.
Given his unique circumstances, Jenkins was deeply resistant to the idea. But with no plausible way to refuse, he could only steel himself for the task. Using the leftover ritual chalk, he drew the Sage's holy emblem on the floor, knelt upon it on one knee, and began to pray to the Lady for her gaze. Before him lay a small piece of silver, a token offering.
The silver was merely a symbolic offering. According to Papa Oliver, even earning a moment of a god's attention required a price. The Righteous Gods, however, were quite generous. As long as one didn't offer spoiled food or refuse, They wouldn't take offense.
The process went unexpectedly smoothly. The moment Jenkins, head bowed, recited the final syllable of the prayer, he felt it—a gentle gaze, as tangible as a physical touch, descended upon him from above. It carried with it an immense, overwhelming pressure, looking down on him from an impossible height.
Chapter 30: Beseeching Your Gaze, Part One
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