"Is there a problem, Jenkins?"
Papa Oliver asked, looking puzzled at the report he was holding.
Jenkins figured trying to explain would just be a waste of time.
He decided to just let it go. The chances of that gun ever finding its way back into Papa Oliver's hands were practically zero. But he would remember this, engraving it in his memory, and vowed to pass the story on, exactly as it happened, if he ever met someone else who could retain such information.
Chocolate meowed from his perch on Jenkins's shoulder, a gentle reminder not to take the wrong turn. To get to the church, he needed to turn left onto the main street ahead.
After submitting Papa Oliver's report, Jenkins had planned to take a leisurely stroll back to the antique shop. He'd had a late breakfast and wasn't hungry at all. As he was leaving the church, he ran into Fini. It seemed to Jenkins that she was having a growth spurt. Even though they saw each other three or four times a week, he could still notice a distinct increase in her height.
Wednesday was Fini's birthday, and as one of the few people close to her, Jenkins wanted to get her a gift. He was completely hopeless at choosing presents, so he decided to just ask her what she wanted.
"But... it's already Monday."
The old man looked troubled.
"Of course, but I'm willing to pay a rush fee."
Gold pounds could solve most problems.
The matter of the pistol was closed for now. When Jenkins returned to the antique shop that afternoon, Papa Oliver didn't mention the morning's report at all. Jenkins strongly suspected his mentor had already forgotten the entire incident.
But the biggest problem facing Jenkins now wasn't a gun, but the undead. That afternoon, he subtly brought up the three suspicious Cursed Items the Star Spirit had mentioned, and Papa Oliver responded accordingly.
"A-06-2-8403, the Skull of the Undying Lux? No, no, what's happening in Nolan City has nothing to do with that item. You have to understand, the overseas volcano where it's sealed is on the eastern side of the continent, and we're a city on the west coast. Even if A-06-2-8403 did escape containment, it wouldn't make a scene in Nolan City first."
"What about the transcripts of the Necronomicon? It wouldn't be surprising if that thing caused all sorts of trouble."
Jenkins was eliminating suspects one by one.
"That is indeed a strong possibility."
Papa Oliver licked his finger and turned the page of the old book in his hands.
"The Church suspects that as well and is currently investigating. As for what you said about A-12-1-0044, the Skull Sword of the Departed Soul... that theory is terrifying... but definitely possible."
As he spoke, he looked up from behind the book, his eyes meeting Jenkins's.
"If it really is that sword, then Nolan City is in for some serious trouble. Yes, serious trouble. It's truly dreadful."
That afternoon, a letter from the Church arrived for Jenkins. It was about the midnight serial killer he had captured. Because of the incident in the Mysterious Realm, the killer's status had been changed from an ordinary criminal to an individual with knowledge of supernatural powers. As a result, he was being temporarily held in the church's catacombs.
The investigation had turned up a new lead: the man had been in frequent correspondence with someone in Tobie Town.
"Tobie Town? That name sounds very familiar!"
He fell into deep thought.
Papa Oliver flicked Jenkins on the forehead. "It's the town you passed through on your trip to the mountains!"
"Oh, right! Of course it is!"
After some digging, the person the killer, Howard Link, had been corresponding with turned out to be none other than the old key keeper from the mountain villa. By examining their letters and other clues found in the villa's ruins, investigators discovered that the communication between the two serial killers—men half a century apart in age—had started long, long ago.
"So, in other words, Howard Link didn't become the midnight murderer just because of the Mysterious Realm. He was preparing for this long before."
"You could say that, but I don't know the specifics of the situation. You'll have to judge for yourself."
But the real question now wasn't Link's connection to the key keeper. It was why Link, who lived in the very room where the Mysterious Realm had manifested, hadn't been affected like his unlucky neighbors.
That evening, Jenkins even got a look at Link through a one-way mirror at the church. But in every respect, his behavior was indistinguishable from that of a normal person.
Today was Monday, which should have been the start of Miss Bevanna's combat lessons. But Miss Bevanna had been called away from Nolan on some business. She had sent a letter asking Jenkins to wait for her until ten o'clock before leaving. Read full story at novel·fire.net
With nothing else to do that evening, the writer decided to ask about the killer's case in more detail. He was surprised to learn that his selection as a target might not have been a coincidence.
However, the Church also found no trace of the supernatural about Link. A thorough examination revealed no abnormal powers. Given these two points, Link was transferred from the church's dungeon on Tuesday morning to a special prison on the outskirts of the city, in order to make room for more troublesome prisoners. But unfortunately, he managed to escape during the transfer.
Jenkins was discussing Miss Bevanna's whereabouts with Papa Oliver at the antique shop when he heard the news. She had missed his lesson the previous night.
Jenkins couldn't believe the Church could make such a colossal blunder. Even if transporting an ordinary person didn't require the involvement of Scribes, escaping from a full squad of highly-trained church security personnel should have been next to impossible.
Papa Oliver considered it a deeply embarrassing incident. While it wasn't quite as bad as the followers of the Church of Death and End still having no clue about the truth behind the undead resurrection, this disgraceful affair would surely be a topic of gossip among heretics for years to come.
Since this case was connected to the criminals from the mountain villa, Jenkins cautiously inquired with the Church again about the progress of that investigation. The matter of the doctor remained unresolved; the authorities in Shire were still searching for clues about the apartment building's previous owner. And the investigation into the key keeper had run into numerous obstacles.
The biggest problem was that their attempts to communicate with the body's spirit had yielded no results, as if the old man's soul no longer existed.
This was extremely strange, especially for the corpse of an ordinary person. Extremely strange indeed.