Jenkins remained silent. If not for his peculiar eyes, he too might have mistaken it for some strange ritual out of a book.
But that was impossible. All rituals required materials imbued with spirit, or they had to establish a direct connection with a deity. Only then could a ritual gain the power to alter the ordinary laws of physics.
Yet, the entire process he had just witnessed had used only mundane objects. Worse, that thick, cloying smell of blood... wasn't it a bit like the bullet Papa Oliver had examined that morning?
After the performance's climax, the baron used the same method to levitate a silver spoon and a jeweled pin. Cheers erupted from the young men and women, the atmosphere growing feverish.
But what followed was not the sales pitch Jenkins had anticipated, nor did the mysterious baron offer any grand revelation. The party simply ended. It seemed this truly was just a gathering for enthusiasts of the occult.
He walked out of the manor alongside Hathaway, whose hired carriage was still parked outside.
"Strange, very strange."
Jenkins pondered, a deep sense of unease settling in him after watching the baron's performance.
The carriage moved forward at a steady pace, but instead of heading back to the city, it turned onto a secluded side road, eventually pulling into a small grove of trees.
The red-haired girl tossed him a familiar-looking piece of silver metal. It was the "Elegant Lady's" cosmetic charm from their last encounter.
"What are you planning this time?"
Jenkins asked, puzzled.
"I want that melody."
Jenkins frowned in hesitation. "I'm sorry, but I have to ask. Miss Hersha, aren't you a follower of the Earth Mother? Why are you so concerned with matters of music? Oh, and I recall that when you were being pursued by the Orthodox Church a while back, you were said to be a follower of the pseudo-god, 'Wondrous Musical Score'..."
She pressed a finger to his lips, and he immediately stopped talking.
"I'm a dual-believer. You have a problem with that?"
She delivered the line with less force than before, her voice barely a whisper on the words "dual-believer."
Jenkins knew something of the matter. Most believers in this world were casual followers. Non-believers were despised by all, and followers of pseudo-gods held a slightly lower social status. But dual-believers—those who followed both a pseudo-god and an orthodox one—were often treated as potential criminals. Even their own neighbors refused to speak with them.
It made a certain sense. Worshipping two different gods was a sign of impure faith, and following one orthodox and one pseudo-god suggested that the person in question had ulterior motives. Fınd the newest release on novel{f}ire.net
Jenkins didn't know how followers of pseudo-gods viewed dual-believers, but the Orthodox Church flatly refused to offer them any assistance.
"I respect your faith. I have no opinion, so long as you're a good person."
Jenkins raised his hands to show his sincerity. He genuinely didn't care about such things.
"Really? You're so naive!"
Her eyes seemed to glisten with moisture. The stigma of being a dual-believer was apparently even more severe than Jenkins had realized.
"Please don't cry here. I'm terrible at comforting people."
He stated it bluntly, earning a slap on the shoulder from the girl.
"Without help, you'll probably go your whole life without finding a woman to spend it with. Now, let's go!"
With that, she leaped from the carriage, leaving Jenkins to stare at her back in confusion.
"Strange. I don't even care that she's a dual-believer, so why is she mocking me?"
The two of them cut through the woods, carefully skirting the shadows until they reached the edge of the manor. With the guests gone, most of the servants were inside cleaning up after the party, allowing them to slip inside with ease.
Just like before, Jenkins used his Soul Departure ability to check for people behind walls, while Hathaway used her Requiem to lull anyone they couldn't avoid to sleep.
They moved from room to room, searching, but they couldn't find the phonograph record anywhere.
"Hey, don't you have some kind of treasure-sensing ability? What are you waiting for?"
Hathaway whispered, patting Jenkins on the back.
"How did you know..."
"Stop pretending, rookie. I pretty much figured out all your abilities the last time we worked together."
Even her hushed voice couldn't hide her smugness.
Jenkins nodded with feigned helplessness, tapping his temple before scanning his surroundings.
Fortunately, the source of the golden glow was just on the other side of a wall from where they stood, so it was still visible.
Moving like thieves, they hurried to the second floor. Hathaway's Requiem sent the baron, who was putting away the records, into a deep slumber, and they immediately entered the room.
"Should we just take it?"
Jenkins asked, reaching over to pull the floral tablecloth from a nearby table.
She strode over to the record, pulled up her sleeve to reveal a pale wrist, and brought a bracelet that looked as if it were spun from silver threads close to the vinyl disc. With a light touch, the bracelet's own golden light flared even brighter.
"Certain similar items possess a devouring trait. But once the devouring is complete, any malicious properties are also amplified."
She explained softly. It was the first Jenkins had ever heard of such a thing.
"No buts. This is a truth known only to high-level Enchanters, a precaution to stop people from creating even more malevolent items out of greed. Besides, officially cataloged A, B, and C-class items are incredibly rare to begin with... Now, let's go."
She didn't elaborate further, but Jenkins didn't move.
He tore the tablecloth into pieces, tossing one to the girl and wrapping another around his own face.
The red-haired girl had no idea what he was planning, but since her objective was complete, she complied, covering the lower half of her face with the fabric.
Jenkins drew the black pistol from his waist, then slapped the baron across the face.
He woke with a start.
Jenkins flicked off the safety and aimed the dark barrel at the baron's forehead. The man instantly understood what was happening.
"If you want Gold Pounds, I have some change on me. There's also some jewelry in the safe in the room to the left on the second floor."
Jenkins patted him down and took his leather wallet, but the gun never wavered.
"We were hiding nearby. That 'little magic trick' of yours... seemed pretty amazing, eh?"
As he spoke, he deliberately slipped into the accent of his hometown from his previous life. Combined with his masked, disguised face, it created the perfect illusion that they were a pair of experienced out-of-town robbers.
"My friend Cowan gave it to me!"
The baron confessed without a moment's hesitation.