The investigation that followed had nothing to do with Jenkins—at least for now. Captain Bincy kept his promise and had a carriage take Jenkins back to the church. He and Chocolate were lucky enough to make it back in time for dinner. Tonight's caviar salad was excellent, though Jenkins wasn't particularly fond of the shredded lettuce.
Before the evening class began, Bishop Parrold found Jenkins to discuss something with him. It was nothing major, really. The church simply wanted him to give another public speech about the "Fabry Fraud." The speech would be held at the church, and the audience would be all the believers of the Sage.
He wouldn't need to delve into anything too profound—just repeat the speech he had given at the end of last year.
"People are eager to hear your voice, Jenkins."
The old bishop clapped Jenkins on the shoulder in encouragement:
"The Fabry Fraud has left everyone on edge. The local mining industry can't even find investors, which was unthinkable before. Go and tell the people, Jenkins, that it's all over now." Updates are released by N0v3l.Fiɾe.net
A speech like that wouldn't be difficult, at least not compared to the evening arithmetic class. The weather was pleasant tonight, so many people attended the night class. The lesson returned to the simplest additions and subtractions within ten, and he was dismayed to see many familiar faces in the classroom once again.
The combat training session afterward was the same as always, with Jenkins forced to parry for the entire duration. Miss Bevanna had heard he used a combat technique yesterday evening while fighting the high-level undead creature, so she had Jenkins demonstrate it.
He leaped high into the air, tucking his legs in just as he had yesterday, and then kicked out fiercely as he reached the apex of his jump. But this time, the move failed. Miss Bevanna, who stood in the path of the attack, simply spun around and swung her right leg out, striking Jenkins squarely in the waist.
"In close combat, you must avoid letting both feet leave the ground. Power comes from your feet. Though none of us are the fabled Children of the Titans, the earth is still the ultimate source of our strength when we exert force..."
"I get it, leaving the ground in a fight means opening yourself up to an infinite combo from your opponent."
He grumbled inwardly as he got to his feet and watched Miss Bevanna demonstrate the key to countering his move.
By the time he returned home, it was already half-past ten at night. After changing clothes, he and Chocolate initiated the projection. The moment his senses returned, a frigid wind lashed his face, making both man and cat shiver.
He wasn't indoors but out in the wild. The royal hunt had begun.
"Hey, Jenkins. You're even earlier than I calculated."
There were no hunting lodges in the royal hunting grounds; the nobles who came to hunt had to stay in tents. Miss Stuart hadn't brought many people, but she had ensured they were all trustworthy servants.
The group had set up camp in a sheltered spot at the base of a cliff. Alexia was sitting on a patch of dry ground, tending the fire. She wore a somewhat bulky cotton-padded coat and had a mink scarf tied around her neck. When she spoke, the white puffs of her breath lingered long in the air.
Overhead stretched a vast river of stars and the serene twin moons. Only out in the wilderness, free from air pollution and artificial light, could one witness such a breathtaking night sky.
He sat down on the ground as well, and Chocolate, seeing the nearby earth was free of snow, hopped down too. Just then, a dark cloud drifted by, obscuring a portion of the twin moons and casting the little kitten entirely in shadow.
But there was no fear of losing sight of it; those beautiful amber eyes shone even brighter than the campfire.
"I thought you would ask about Dolores first."
The woman hugged her knees and said with a smile.
"Many people may think I have low emotional intelligence, but that doesn't mean I'm an idiot."
Jenkins shook his head and picked up a dry branch from the pile nearby, adding it to the fire.
"Today went well. The departure and setting up camp were both smooth. Dolores said this year's hunting location is excellent—the winter scenery in this area is the best."
"Is she really treating this like a camping trip? I'll remind her to be careful in a bit."
"That's good. She listens to you."
Alexia's words carried a hidden meaning, but unfortunately, Jenkins didn't catch it.
They hadn't been talking for long when Miss Stuart emerged from the camp with Julia. Compared to Alexia's simple winter attire, the Third Princess's outfit was immeasurably regal. Her top, primarily red with white accents, featured intricate buttons down the front and layers of ruffles at the chest. Over it, she wore a cloak outlined in gold thread, and the tall women's boots on her feet accentuated the perfect lines of her legs.
Seeing Jenkins rise to greet her, she instinctively removed her hat and smoothed her beautiful long hair. She handed the hat to Julia behind her, then placed her arms naturally at her sides, elbows slightly bent, and clasped her hands just above her navel before giving Jenkins a small curtsy and a smile.
Even Alexia gestured for Jenkins to say something. He blinked, momentarily stunned. "Very beautiful. Oh, yes, Miss Stuart, you look absolutely stunning tonight."
The clumsy compliment drew soft laughter from Alexia and Julia, but the sixteen-year-old girl was more than satisfied.
Seeing that all was well, Jenkins chatted with his friends for a little while before returning home, as it was getting quite late. Since the hour was late, Alexia and the Stuart pair—mistress and maid—also retired to their tents for the night.
As invited friends for the hunt, their tents were pitched close together, which also provided a measure of security.
The princess's tent was magnificent. Inside the enclosed space, it was much like a small sitting room, lacking only a fireplace. Both the maid and the princess slept there. After they had washed up, Julia watched her highness climb into her sleeping bag, then giggle as she pulled out Jenkins's book.
Simple folding beds already existed in this era, but His Majesty Salsi II had forbidden his children from bringing such things, hoping to toughen them up.
"Your Highness, please don't stay up too late. You know we have plans for tomorrow. Don't let sleepiness delay our schedule."
"I know, Julia, but this book is just so interesting—even more so than the 'Stranger's Story Collection'! I have to read a few more pages tonight before I can sleep."
Julia thought that the author of the book was the truly interesting one, but she was wise enough not to point that out. After bumping into Jenkins at a tavern on a snowy night last week, they had chatted for nearly an hour, and she had learned much about him that wasn't apparent at social gatherings.