In the spacious study, a warm, yellow light bathed everyone. The room was incredibly cozy, even more so than Jenkins's own parlor. Steam gently wafted from the teacups while Chocolate gazed curiously at the night sky outside. Empires rose and fell, but the stars remained unchanged.
"It's not just a matter of divine power," the short woman began. "Death and life are natural enemies, each the bane of the other. I suspect the legendary World Tree could have defeated that sword. But the World Tree vanished along with the elves, and according to historical records, they never crafted any powerful weapons from its branches."
The short woman observed Jenkins's expression as she spoke, but he, just like Miss Stuart, wore a look of disappointment.
He was well aware of this fact. It was a shame the outskirts of Nolan were home to a dragon, but no pointy-eared beings.
The discussion of undead and plagues had the Princess of Ruen itching to get involved herself. But she knew Mr. Williams wouldn't permit it. So, as the conversation on the matter drew to a close, she insisted on placing her personnel in Nolan City under Jenkins's command.
She instructed Julia to bring her the token—a ring painted blue and engraved with a snowflake—and explained to Jenkins how to meet with her loyal agents.
"Mr. Williams, this will surely be of use. Please, accept it. If you find you truly have no need for it, you can simply not use it."
Her plea was so earnest that after a moment's hesitation, Jenkins accepted the ring. Read full story at novel⦿fire.net
Only when he held it in his palm did he realize it wasn't blue paint at all. The ring, to his surprise, was crafted from a single, solid sapphire.
He hadn't been entirely sure if it was a true gemstone, but after nearly two weeks of analysis, the royal jeweler Miss Stuart had commissioned delivered a definitive answer:
"Certain components within it are indeed gemstone."
The sixteen-year-old princess was still captivated by its translucent blue hue. The gem was now stored in a safe behind a bookshelf, resting upon a plush red cushion with golden tassels.
Chocolate glanced down at the shabby cushion he was lying on and was instantly displeased.
"This stone—I'll call it that for now—is about one-third sapphire by volume," she explained. "Mr. Williams, imagine a cake riddled with bullet holes, but the empty spaces have been filled with a material that has the same color and texture as the frosting. It looks like a complete cake, but it isn't."
"An unknown material?"
Jenkins's voice held a note of disappointment. If it wasn't a pure gemstone, it would probably be worth less.
"We don't know. The jeweler couldn't provide an answer either," she admitted. "She told me that by any normal means, it's impossible to tell the difference between this material and the sapphire. The only way to see the discrepancy is to hold it up to the sun and examine its shadow."
Upon hearing this, Jenkins picked up the gem and held it toward the crystal chandelier overhead, but the shadow it cast on the carpet revealed nothing unusual.
"Only direct sunlight will work."
Miss Stuart reiterated her point. Jenkins nodded, realizing the stone's origin was very likely connected to the Church of Sun and Justice; he couldn't believe such a material was naturally occurring. He went to place the object back in the safe, only to look down and find Chocolate perched primly on the red, gold-tasseled cushion.
Only after Jenkins agreed to swap the two cushions did the cat obediently hop out of the safe. Jenkins decided against taking the stone back to Nolan—it was far too risky. Leaving it in Miss Stuart's care for now and retrieving it at a more suitable time seemed like the best course of action.
The princess, of course, had no objection to this simple request. She was more than happy to keep the beautiful object in her care for the time being.
The evening's gathering wasn't entirely focused on Jenkins's affairs. After chatting a little more with Miss Stuart about the story of their "Ice and Snow Romance," the princess presented an interesting object to her friends.
Julia stood on her tiptoes to retrieve a metal box from the top of the bookshelf. It was a new addition to the room, something Jenkins hadn't seen before. He had assumed it was a jewelry box of some kind, given its ornate and beautiful appearance.
Miss Stuart explained that the box was impossible to open. Even though the latch was unlocked, no method they tried could reveal its contents.
A yellow spell aura, and an intense one at that, he noted silently. While it wasn't on par with a numbered item, it had clearly been imbued with a powerful enchantment.
Everyone gathered around the desk, taking turns to inspect the box. When it was Jenkins's turn, he noticed something in the center of the tangled, almost vein-like patterns on the lid: a simple sentence composed of letters no bigger than ants.
"To my lifelong love, Sylph."
"I'm sorry, what did you say?"
Alexia asked quietly from beside him.
"I was just reading the inscription," Jenkins replied. "It says, 'To my...' Oh? Is this Elvish?"
He had read the words aloud without thinking. It was an instinctual reaction, as natural as hearing the bell at Pops Antique Shop and calling out "Welcome," or seeing the young flower seller and feeling compelled to buy a flower, or seeing Chocolate and reaching out to stroke his fur. A perfectly normal reflex.
"Mr. Williams, you can read Elvish?"
Julia asked from the side.
"Yes... I suppose I can."
He wasn't quite sure how to explain it, so he mumbled a vague reply before asking about the box's origins.
The box had been confiscated last weekend by some of Miss Stuart's people from a street vendor in the city. To be more precise, the skittish fellow had panicked at the sight of patrolling officers and fled in such a hurry that he abandoned his entire stall.
The officers who confiscated the pile of junk quickly noticed something was amiss. The box wouldn't even dent when struck with a heavy object. News of this oddity traveled up through special channels within the police force, and the box was eventually delivered to Miss Stuart.
"I don't believe this is a supernatural item. I don't sense that characteristic..."
Alexia paused for a moment, searching for the right words. "disharmony with the world."
She gently brushed her fingers over the Elvish script on the lid, her gaze shifting to Jenkins.
"This might be an artifact from a past epoch, used by one of the elder races," she mused. "But elves aren't fond of metalwork, though they're not entirely averse to it. It's odd. If this were truly an important gift from an elf, it's unlikely it would be placed in a metal box."