15 Minsk Street, Qiuwood District. Klein, full and satisfied, sat in the armchair of the living room, the fireplace burning logs beside him. Warmth enveloped the room, like early summer. He wore a white shirt, a dark vest, and light trousers, his hands spread out over a newspaper, flipping to the section packed with the most small advertisements. "A new kind of transportation vehicle, seeking investment—details to be discussed..." Klein read it aloud twice, then reached over to the small, dark red round table beside him, picked up a pencil, and circled the item. If no commission came in over the next two days, he intended to visit and assess whether the new transportation vehicle truly held investment potential. —Such things couldn't be predicted in advance, lacking sufficient information. "Perhaps something like a bicycle..." Klein murmured silently, when suddenly, layered, ethereal pleas echoed in his ears. Who? Miss Justice? Mr. The Hangman? Mr. The Sun? Or perhaps one of the bank clerks who had copied down my password? The thought flashed through Kline's mind. He set down the newspaper, returned to his bedroom, and locked the door from within. Taking four steps backward into the gray mist, he saw a clear radiance spreading in concentric circles at the side of the ancient, weathered bronze long table, near the Fool's chair. With steady composure, Kline settled himself, allowing his spirit to unfold and gently reaching out to touch the ripples of light. The scene before him suddenly shifted, revealing a group of blurred sofas upon which a small woman in the attire of a novice knight was curled up. No one had copied down the password—she was simply reading a sheet of paper. Kline suddenly realized the reason: "She must be one of the two extraordinary individuals mentioned by the 'Justice' lady that I need to examine." After pausing for several seconds, Kline did not offer a direct response. He decided to carry out this step later at night, observing her demeanor, attitude, and manner of handling the situation to assess her character and capabilities. Of course, he would never force anyone to join the Tarot Circle. "...The Fool out of this age..." As he finished reciting the ancient Hermes formula, he paused for a few seconds, then straightened up with a sudden snap of his back. It seemed likely—perhaps even certain—that this was the secret title of some hidden entity! She suddenly realized this with a surge of fear. Her knowledge of esoteric traditions and the various tales she had heard always told her: Once the full, secret name of a hidden being is properly chanted, that being invariably turns to gaze upon the one who spoke it. The consequence of such a gaze is rarely pleasant—often, it is dreadful. Many of these hidden beings are incarnations of demons and infernal deities! And I chanted it in unprotected, ancient Hermes—without any protective incantation! How foolish of me—why did I bother to carefully distinguish each syllable, to recite it with attention? Hestumbled, looking around nervously, afraid that in the stillness of the room, some form of creature beyond words might suddenly emerge. The sofa, side table, cabinet, dining table, chairs, and oil paintings came into view one by one, unchanged. After hesitating for several seconds, Hui slightly relaxed, reassuring herself: "Don't worry, don't worry. I only recited the name just now; I didn't follow through with the subsequent prayer incantations." "That makes the ritual incomplete—so it shouldn't draw any attention." "Moreover, the name might have been translated by the paper's owner based on the special symbols of Emperor Roscel, and perhaps it's not entirely accurate." "But, but I heard that if the demonic deities become interested, even an incomplete ritual will elicit a response... I'm truly foolish, really foolish..." Thinking this, Hui once again fell into a serious frown, feeling she had made a grave mistake. After waiting a few more minutes without any clear response, Hui puffed out her cheeks and slowly exhaled. She tucked the paper back into the book, *The History of the Noble Houses of Roon*, and entered the bathroom with a slightly heavy heart, turning on the tap to refresh herself with cold water. Plush! The nearly transparent water flowed down. Hoo bent low, extended both palms, and cupped a small amount. As she was about to apply the cold water to her face, her peripheral vision caught a long, slightly wavy brown hair appearing in the mirror. Her own hair, however, was shoulder-length and messy, golden in hue. Suddenly, Hoo’s hairs stood on end. She pushed hard with her feet, braced her hands, and leapt backward with a sudden motion, turning halfway and elbowing sharply. *Plunk!* She pressed against a warm body, causing the other to emit her familiar cry of pain and collapse to the floor. Hoo halted her actions and looked at her friend, now clutching her abdomen, rolling over in pain, eyes glistening with tears. Her lips subtly twitched as she said, "Vorth, when did you return?" "Vhale didn't answer right away. After a moment, she slowly pushed herself up against the wall, complaining, 'I just came back. I'm still fresh from my arrival—did you go mad? Didn't even take a moment to see what was happening before you acted! You hit me so hard!' "Vorst rubbed his stomach,茫然 and concerned, asking, 'Now, what about your mind? Shouldn't you be all right? The ritual wasn't complete, and who knows—maybe it's all just fiction...' Vorst recounted the entire story of how he had discovered the folded layer in the book's cover, found an old piece of paper, and, by accident, recognized and silently recited an ancient Hermesian incantation that seemed to bear the name of some hidden entity. As he spoke, Vorst glanced around, suddenly feeling a strange chill. "Seeing the tension ease, she thought of the pain in her abdomen, adding with a touch of malice: 'Of course, if anything truly goes wrong, with our current capabilities, we won't be able to save ourselves.' Rest's face paled instantly, and he blurted out: 'Folse, let's spend the night together tonight—no, I'll just stay here by myself...' Folse lifted her eyebrows, chuckled lightly: 'Well, actually, there's no need to worry. You know, every full moon I hear strange murmurs, yet I've never shown any signs of madness or loss of control.' 'Ah... Let's examine the other three volumes. If they share the same paper and incantations, then it's likely a prank by Lord Glayntr.' The two of them quickly pulled out books such as 'Heraldry' and carefully reviewed them, finding no additional clues. Rest looked at Folse, and Folse looked back at Rest—the atmosphere grew once again solemn. 'Or perhaps,' Rest suddenly proposed, 'we could sleep in the chapel of Saint Samuel tonight?' This is the headquarters of the Night Goddess's church in the Beckland district. "Why not St. Hilary's Church? I don't think the Night Goddess will protect me..." Folsom murmured instinctively. That was the headquarters of the church of the God of Steam and Machinery in the Beckland district, located in the St. George area, adjacent to numerous large factories to the southeast. The two women, holding different beliefs, fell silent once again. After a while, Folsom sighed, "And that would make us vulnerable to the night watchmen—or the Heart of Machinery. Perhaps that's precisely the purpose of the one who remains hidden." "Alright, go to sleep. By morning, you'll know the answer. If nothing happens by then, then everything will be all right." ………… At midnight, the otherwise imperfect red moon was obscured by clouds, and the night sky of Beckland had rarely been so starlit. Kain stirred instinctively, pushed back the blanket, and rose to walk upon the gray mist. Seated himself in the high-backed chair belonging to the Fool, he prepared to respond to his companion of the "Justice" lady, setting the matter into the "investigation process." At that moment, however, a new idea struck him: perhaps he could try to draw someone into the gray mist above! The lady should have fallen asleep; even if his efforts succeeded, she would likely believe she had only experienced a somewhat clearer dream... Yes... if successful, he would promptly cut it off, so she wouldn't witness the surrounding scenes clearly. After careful deliberation, Caine gently touched the ever-expanding circle of light, establishing connection. Suddenly, he felt his spiritual essence surging forth wildly, causing the mysterious space above the gray mist to tremble subtly. Just as Caine thought his spiritual energy might be completely drained, everything stilled, and a blurred, distorted figure emerged along the edge of the bronze long table. Xiu slept, her eyes opening heavily, and saw an endless gray mist, an ancient high-backed chair, and a dark silhouette gazing down at her. Klein was pleased and immediately cut the connection according to his planned sequence. The hazy, delicate figure vanished, yet within the pale mist, a shimmering, deep-red star-like form appeared. Klein watched this scene and confirmed one thing: as long as someone recited his name, he could draw that person into the mist above—this deep-red star was the sign of a firmly established connection. "There are certainly limitations," Klein thought contentedly. "With my current strength, I can establish only one more connection. Based on my recent experience, I can currently draw in a transcendental being one level above me in sequence—though that's not guaranteed. It's only a preliminary assessment. For beings at the same level or below, however, I have no doubt. That's solid." He needed no further response—his attempt had already been sufficient. ...Brushed awake, Xiu sat up in her sleep. She had always been concerned about the potential risks of chanting the name of the deity. Only shortly after falling asleep, she found herself dreaming of a mysterious space, of a hazy figure observing her from above. The dream was so vivid, so clear, that it made Xiu feel afraid. She glanced at Fols, who slept peacefully beside her, and trembled, thinking, "Is this a nightmare caused by fear, or is there a malevolent spirit silently watching over me?" "Hmm... There's a gathering of extraordinary beings scheduled for tomorrow evening. Besides buying the recipe, I'll need to find someone skilled in exorcism to purify myself."