After finding reasons to temporarily send the maids away, Audrey locked the door and turned to look at the golden retriever, Susie, whom she wasn't sure anymore whether to consider her pet. "Did you hear something, or did something happen?" Susie calmly settled in place, let out a low, resonant woof that vibrated through the air. "Yes, I heard the Earl and several members of parliament discussing matters in the study. They mentioned that the King and the Prime Minister have reached an agreement to abandon their plan for immediate retaliation against the Fussac Empire along the Bayland Coast. Where exactly is the Bayland Coast?" Seeing Susie's remarkable progress in mastering the Ruin language, Audrey felt increasingly complex. After a moment of silence, she said, "I'll give you a map tomorrow..." "Great!" Susie responded cheerfully. "The King and the Prime Minister believe that the most pressing matter at the moment is to advance the earlier reform plan—appointing government officials through open examinations. They hope to have this matter approved by both the Upper and Lower Houses by October." "Really?" Audrey asked in surprise. This was the first time she had, since becoming a "spectator," actively used her own abilities to subtly guide the situation—something that would surely bring her great satisfaction if it came to fruition! Suzy answered honestly, "I can't give you a definite answer. This is just what I've heard, and even I don't fully understand it myself. After all, I'm only a dog who's just beginning to learn." "...," Audrey paused momentarily, then smiled warmly, "Suzy, you've done wonderfully! Here's your reward!" She reached into a beautifully decorated cabinet and pulled out a bag, unfastened the seal, and placed it in front of Suzy. These were dog biscuits made by the "Bakerland Pet Care Company"—crafted from flour, vegetables, meat, and water—and were Suzy's favorite snack. Sitting upright, Suzy sniffed thoughtfully, lifting one paw as if considering how best to eat in a way befitting her current status. A few seconds later, it abandoned thought, followed instinct, and lunged forward, carrying the bag of dry provisions straight toward the door. It straightened up, opened the door with one paw, stepped out, sought shelter in the shade, and began to munch on its snacks with a labored breath. . . . On a Sunday afternoon, after making up for the sleep lost while on duty at the gate of Charnis, Caine took an unstaffed public horse carriage and arrived once again at the Dragon's Pub. He had originally intended to use divination to locate the "monster" Ademissor and investigate the reasons behind the latter's recent odd behavior, but the sudden loss of control of the substitute penance interrupted his plans, so he decided to come today instead. Passing through the billiards room and entering the underground market, Caine found Ademissor already huddled in a corner, trembling. The young man with disheveled, oily black hair and a pale, wan complexion noticed Caine's approach and immediately covered his eyes, pressing against the wall, eager to move toward the side door. But Kline had hurried up, blocking his path and gently tapping his left teeth twice. In his spiritual vision, Admessor's aura was notably unwell—regardless of the hue, it appeared dimmed, indicating that though he had no serious illness, his physical condition was extremely frail. At the same time, Kline noticed that the "monster's" emotional tone clearly conveyed fear and tension, with a complete absence of the blue representing rational thought. The star-spirit's outer layer had expanded from the deepest depths of the etheric body, appearing uniformly transparent and colorless—like it was composed entirely of pure light. This, Kline thought, was the special nature of a born "monster." He gave a barely perceptible nod, fixing his gaze on Admessor's face, and spoke directly: "What have you seen recently? What have you encountered? Why are you trembling in the corner, saying everyone is dead, that they're all corpses?" At that moment, Admessor lowered his head, gazing at his own feet, as though unwilling to meet the gaze of the person before him. He was trembling all over, wearing gray-blue trousers and a worn linen shirt, answering in a panicked voice: "No, I didn't see anything. No, no, I only had a dream—full of blood, people all dead everywhere. Ha! Huh-huh-huh, people dead—me too, me too! I'm going to die, I'm going to die! I don't want to die! I don't want to die!" He was laughing and crying at the same time, and his words left Klein feeling utterly confused. He rubbed his temple and asked calmly: "Why are you afraid of me?" Ademissor paused for a few seconds, then suddenly knelt down, calling out in sheer fear: "No! No!" "No! No!" ... A wave of eyes turned toward Klein, and he felt instantly embarrassed. I didn't do anything to you... why are you calling out as if something had happened to you? He cleared his throat, seeing Ademissor hunched and trembling, only pleading for mercy—having no further words, he stepped back, feigning a mere passing by. Hmm, perhaps he should consult Mr. Azk—though he had already been on vacation in the northern regions of the Fesak Empire just two weeks ago, and wouldn’t return until next Thursday or Friday… For now, he’d first report to the captain. Kline rubbed his mouth, yawned, and turned to leave the underground marketplace. With this week’s salary, his personal savings had returned to eight pounds and ten sures, but even then, he could only afford to glance at the extraordinary materials—of course, if he didn’t mind the interest rate, he could approach his boss, Swyn, for a short loan. After stepping out of the Dragon's Den tavern and waiting for the public carriage, Caine allowed his thoughts to drift toward the next steps: "There's still one week left until the initial £12 is due—once that's settled, the money at home will finally reach £3 per week. Then Melissa won't have any more excuses to delay hiring a housemaid. I'll hold off on the additional £3 for a bit longer and save up some personal funds." "And furthermore, I need to secure the 'Mind-Reader' formula from Dastur Goodrian as soon as possible—or find relevant clues—then use the need to fund my staff as a reason to draw cash from Miss Justice. This can be accomplished through the bank's anonymous account system. Along the way, I'll introduce some subtle interference using my divination methods, ensuring my secret remains safe and unexposed." ... Once aboard the public carriage, Caine didn't head straight to the Black Thorns Security Company. Instead, he intended to spend two hours at the Divination Club first. This is a preliminary setup to lay the groundwork for his next engagement in preparing the potion of digestion. Moreover, for Cline, he has built up a certain reputation within the field of divination—some of his older clients return, others bring in friends. Should the circumstances align, he might even close over ten consultations in a single afternoon. Thus, even if he visits only twice a week, he can earn a modest income of around half a pound, which is no small matter for the poor gentleman. Although Caine now fully assimilates the potion, he is unwilling to take the risk of deviating from his previously established "Seer's Tenets," especially the principle of not securing extraordinary benefits without first consulting a seer's prophecy, since he cannot be certain whether such a course might lead to a loss of control or other adverse consequences. ——The internal records of the Watchers contain no concept of "assimilation," so Caine cannot assess whether there remains any risk even after complete integration of the potion, and thus cannot act in a way that would violate the corresponding rules. As he pondered these matters, the elegant receptionist, Angelaika, entered, approached him, bent slightly, and whispered: "Mr. Moretti, there's a visitor who would like to consult you in Room 'Red Garnet.'” "Very well." Caine had confirmed earlier that today was auspicious for a visit to the club, and the seer's prophecy had affirmed this. He took up his half-high silk hat and stepped out of the conference room, where he found the guest already waiting at the entrance to Room 'Red Garnet.' The customer was a young girl of about sixteen or seventeen, dressed in a light blue long dress with ruffled hem, holding a matching silk hat. She had naturally wavy brown hair, a baby-faced charm, and bright, fresh浅 blue eyes. "Elizabeth?" Klein recognized her as his sister's friend, currently studying at Ivois Academy. He had once helped her choose her amulet and, together with her, resolved the Selena mirror divination incident. Elizabeth, too, looked surprised. "Mr. Moretti, is it really you? When I saw your name, I immediately thought it might be you." "After all, I'm a devoted enthusiast of the esoteric arts," Klein explained with a touch of resignation, adding, "Don't tell Melissa—well, nor Selena." The divination clearly indicated she would be well-suited to come to the club. How then had she ended up meeting Elizabeth? He shook his head in quiet wonder as he turned and opened the door to the "Red Garnet" room. At the same time, he gently tapped his left teeth twice. Stepping slowly into the room and sitting down at the seer's position, he looked up at Elizabeth. Just a glance, and his brow furrowed immediately. The atmosphere around the young woman had taken on a shade of pale green tinged with a hint of gray—signs of a spirit haunting her! Calmly assessing the situation, Klein directly asked, "Have you recently been having nightmares, with certain things recurring in them?" Elizabeth, who had just locked the door behind her, had not yet sat down when she was startled into stillness, hesitating before finally responding, "Yes... that's precisely why I came to see you." Klein leaned back slightly and asked, "What dreams have you been having? When did this start?" "Since the last two days of my holiday in the town of Lamde, um, my family owns a small manor there." "Elizabeth is also, in a way, a partial esoteric enthusiast, and thus recalls the relevant details quite clearly," said Crane. "In my dreams, I always encounter a knight clad in a complete black armor, wielding a massive broadsword. His face is entirely covered by the visor of his helmet, so I can only see two glowing red eyes. He keeps trying to approach me, and every time I'm terrified and run away—each time, he comes closer." After pausing, Crane asked, "In the two or three days before these dreams began, did you come into contact with antiques, ancient ruins, or burial goods and tombs?" Elizabeth recalled for about fifteen seconds. "Yes, during those days, I visited a hillside near the town of Ramde. There's an abandoned castle there." This is the classic supernatural novel opening... Crane silently muttered under his breath, then asked, "Did you leave any items behind at the castle, or did you take anything with you from it?" Elizabeth furrowed her lovely brows and, after a moment, asked uncertainly, "I was pricked and bleeding at the time... does leaving blood count?" Kaine nodded firmly and replied in a steady tone, "Yes."