As Klein deepened his understanding of the esoteric traditions concerning the transcendent realm and gradually explored the partial capabilities of this space above the gray mist, he grew increasingly at ease when facing "Justice," "The Hanged Man," and "The Sun." He no longer felt as hesitant as before, nor did he constantly strive to maintain an air of profound mystery, fearing that the members of the Tarot Circle would keenly expose his facade. Now he knew that while the deities of this world were powerful and enigmatic, they were far from omniscient and omnipotent—such all-encompassing perfection belonged only to the legendary creator-god, and only the city of Silver still recited this ideal. Deities had limitations; they could indeed find themselves in difficulty. This was a point Klein could now confirm with certainty, whether in the *Book of Storms* or in the *Apocalypse of Night*. Thus, at recent Tarot gatherings, Caine has deliberately cultivated his persona, gradually shaping himself as a powerful being close to divinity, yet constrained by certain circumstances that limit his freedom of action. As a result, even when he occasionally demonstrates a lack of knowledge on certain matters or seeks assistance, the members of the Tarot Circle will no longer suspect him. Of course, this all hinges on the fact that, through his previous efforts—particularly by showcasing his formidable strength via the "Favored One" Azk—Caine has firmly established his near-divine image in the hearts of the members of "Justice," "The Hanged Man," and "The Sun." He sighed in relief, hoping this careful crafting would succeed, so that he wouldn't have to worry so much about being unable to answer their questions afterward. Still, he must remain vigilant regarding matters of "common sense"—he cannot afford to falter there. Caine lightly tapped the edge of the ancient long table and smiled softly, saying, "I shall issue a task." A task? Audrey’s ears twitched slightly, her eyes widening with a mix of surprise, anticipation, and nervous excitement. She remembered clearly—this was the first time the "Knight of Pentacles" had formally issued a task! Though He had previously assigned several commissions, they had all been prepaid, appearing more like casual errands designed to uphold the principle of equivalent exchange. This time, however, He had used the word *issued*. As a "Reader," Audrey had grown exceptionally skilled at discerning subtle meanings from mere fragments of speech. At the same time, she noticed that the "Hanged Man" seemed unchanged on the surface, yet was visibly tense, while the "Sun" remained bewildered, treating this as entirely ordinary. "You may choose to accept or decline," Klein, leveraging the "Jester’s" ability, spoke with a relaxed tone. "One of my other companions has arrived in Beckland. He wishes to accomplish something, but finds it inconvenient to appear personally." "Another follower..." The "Turner" nodded thoughtfully, showing no surprise at all. In his eyes, it was entirely expected that a divine being of the " Fool's" caliber would have multiple followers. He didn't know exactly which sequence the "Fool" held among his followers... Hmm, in fact, I still owe a reward to his previous follower. Although the "Turner" pays the "Fool" his stipend, and the "Fool" himself doesn't value money much, I did approach him with genuine desperation back then—after all, it was his follower who was slain by the "Stormbringer." Followers still needed a certain level of operational expenses. "Justice" Audrey felt a little uneasy about this. To be honest, in her view, three thousand pounds and a large plantation were indeed substantial wealth—but even so, it wouldn't have a particularly noticeable impact on her daily life. It's quite good; if not, that's perfectly fine, well, there's still a bit of concern, a little bit... Audrey nodded sincerely to herself. As a young woman still not quite fully grown, not mentioning the large estate, even the remaining 30,000 pounds wasn't entirely under her control. She could only secure a few shares in the Beckland Military Supplies Group and invest in a company aiming to transfer naval shipbuilding technologies into commercial shipping. As a result, the cash prize she ultimately received amounted to only 5,000 pounds—though her fixed annual pension income, originally ranging between 15,000 and 25,000 pounds, was boosted by at least 2,000 pounds. Seeing that "Justice" and the others remained silent, Caine issued the task: "He must carry out the assassination of the ambassador of the Inters Republic to the Kingdom of Roon, Beckland Jean Madan." "The assassination of the Inters Republic ambassador?" "Justice" Audrey couldn't contain herself and stared in astonishment, asking in disbelief. This would surely provoke a dispute between the two nations, even lead to war! As a well-bred noblewoman, her first thought was always about international relations. As for the fact that the " Fool" hadn't personally taken action, she found it entirely natural—how could a great figure always be busy assisting subordinates? After the kingdom's defeat in the war along the Bayland coast, King陛下 hadn't personally led the campaign himself—only replaced the general and sent out a new force. Indeed, it was said that King陛下 had been eager to go himself, but was blocked by the nobles and ministers. "The Hanged Man" Aljer was only slightly surprised by the task; his attention lay elsewhere. The "Fool" truly still lacks the ability to deeply intervene in the real world... My assumption is correct. I wonder what influence He might exert upon us now—can He easily take away lives? Alger, a little self-assured, gradually let his thoughts drift. "The Sun," Deric, listened with growing bewilderment: What was the Inthess Republic? What was a diplomat? This patchwork of giant speech seemed quite strange. Kline glanced around, maintaining his earlier relaxed tone, and asked, "Who among you would like to take on this task?" "What kind of compensation are you offering?" Ah... to simply kill an innocent person without any clear reason, I find it hard to justify. Moreover, this could very well lead to a disaster—a war-related one. "Justice" Audrey raised her hand, hesitating. At that moment, "The Hangman" cleared his throat and said, "I've heard that this ambassador, Beclan, is also the chief intelligence officer of the Inthess Republic in the Kingdom. He quietly supports the bloodshed in the demonstrations, orchestrates events that strain the relations between the nobility and the wealthy, and spreads rumors widely, stirring up opposition between the people and the government." He seemed to have sensed "Justice's" hesitation and provided a detailed account of Beckland's darker aspects. Then he added, "I'm not sure whether this ambassador is exceptional, but numerous clues suggest that he very likely is. There are many exceptional individuals around him, belonging to the Intis intelligence apparatus—a department that has long been influenced by the original royal family, the Solon lineage, and holds control over the earlier segments of the 'Hunter' path. Moreover, whether or not war breaks out between the two nations depends solely on whether the upper echelons of each side are willing to go to war, not on the life or death of a single diplomat." After the assassination of Emperor Rosel, Intis underwent several major upheavals before ultimately stabilizing its republican system. The Solon family, severely weakened during Rosel's reign, saw its overall strength significantly erode and was thus forced to accept this reality, shifting its focus to securing parliamentary seats and quietly influencing the national intelligence services and a small number of military units. After hearing the information provided by The Hangings, Audrey's hesitation vanished instantly, and with graceful nod she said: "In recent years, the Fasak Empire has expanded significantly, defeating both the Kingdom and the Intis Republic in succession along the Bayland East Coast and the Star Highlands. Afterward, simply shifting the blame to them is acceptable and believable to the high-ranking officials and the general populace of Intis." Though Audrey had not a deep understanding of politics, her father, a hereditary earl of the Upper House, had certainly exposed her to many such events. Whether or not the responsibility was actually borne by them was less important—what mattered was that the northern barbarians, long unwelcome among the nobility and ministers, were always the most convenient and effective target for deflecting blame or transferring domestic tensions. Indeed, this role had been traditionally played by Intis and Rosel over a century ago. After a moment's pause, Audrey, whose expression was both hesitant and somewhat uneasy, looked toward the head of the bronze long table: "Mr. The Fool, I would like to attempt this task, though I cannot guarantee success." While she intended to verify with her father whether the Ambassador Beckland was indeed the head of Intis intelligence, she had never really considered taking on the responsibility herself. Neither a natural performer nor a combatant, whether as an observer or a reader of minds, she had focused instead on gathering as much information as possible about the Ambassador within the upper circles, then delegating the task to others. Perhaps she could ask Hugh and Folsom to request Mr. A to take the lead—or seek out other hosts from different exceptional circles. She must remain discreet; it was possible that Intis agents were already embedded within those circles. The cost would surely be substantial; perhaps five thousand pounds would not be enough. Already, Audrey was beginning to think ahead about the next steps. Klein didn't expect the "Justice" from Sequence 8 to surely succeed. He merely nodded and said, "What do you hope to be paid?" "The formula for a 'psychologist,'” Audrey said at once, then hesitated and added, "and the corresponding extraordinary materials. Hmm, those can be discussed once the task is completed. If we fail, I'll bear the costs myself. I still owe the Keeper a reward." A reward? So the reward had already been given to the "Justice" – 10,000 gold pounds, half of which was 5,000 pounds. With a gray mist lingering around him, Klein thought for several seconds about how much the Ambassador Beckland might be worth, ultimately concluding that he was certainly more valuable than the "Storm Admiral" Zilinger. "Agreed," Klein replied in a calm tone. At that moment, "The Turned One" Alje spoke up: "I'd also like to take on this assignment. The compensation can be settled upon completion." "Didn't you return to sea?" Audrey asked in surprise. "I'm not in Bekland, which doesn't mean I can't assassinate Ambassador Bekland," Aljé smiled, offering no direct explanation. Deryck of the "Sun" had struggled to weave himself into the conversation. Kline nodded in agreement. "Good," he said, then immediately turned his gaze to the journal of Rossel in his hands.