At No. 15 Minsk Street, upon returning home, Crane didn't immediately rush to the Gray Mist to make a divination. He simply sat there, as if nothing had happened, reading the newspaper. During this time, he heard a layered, ethereal plea, faintly recognizing it as coming from a lady. After enduring the ravages of the "True Maker's" murmurs, my ability in this regard seems to have improved slightly... Crane thoughtfully turned the pages of the newspaper, remaining steadily half-sitting, half-laying in the armchair without moving. It wasn't until the hands of his watch approached ten o'clock that he set down what he was holding and went to the bathroom on the second floor to freshen up. Entering the bedroom, drawing the curtains, Crane smoothly ascended to the Gray Mist, where he observed the deep red star symbolizing "Justice" continuously expanding and contracting, accompanied by a steady echo of pleas. As he extended his spiritual presence and reached out, a figure in a light silk nightgown—The Lady of Justice—immediately materialized before him. Though her image remained somewhat blurred, she appeared to be lying on the bed. After reciting the noble name, Audrey turned to the main point: "Ambassador Beclan is a 'Conspirator' in the 'Hunter' path, at Sequence 6, with a suspected Sequence 5 assistant..." "Once I obtained detailed intelligence, I consulted Mr. A, who agreed to take on the mission to assassinate Ambassador Beclan, on the condition of either 10,000 gold pounds, or a partial formula—just a portion—of one of the following magical elixirs: 'The One Without Shadows,' 'The Master of Calamities,' 'The Seer,' or 'The Manipulator.'" "I chose the former, and paid an advance of 2,000 pounds, esteemed Mr. The Fool. Is my decision sound?" Ten thousand gold pounds... Klein's lips moved slightly, then he forced his thoughts to shift to another direction: The Sequence 5 assistant—wasn't that the infiltrator from the 'Oracle' path? First, let's assume that the assessment of the adversary is generous... Does Mr. A possess the capability—will he accept funds without delivering results? Among the ranks of "Champion of the Catastrophe," "Seer," "Master of Influence," and "One Without Shadow," these should all fall under Tier 4, representing the threshold for higher-tier status. Mr. A is very likely one of the twenty-two Divine Messengers of the Aurora Order—the fact that he has been assigned to Beckland, the capital of a thousand cities, indicates his standing is just below the five highest-ranking Saints, making him an outstanding Messenger. The Aurora Order holds the Path of the Secret Priests, a direct route toward the True Maker. As a Messenger, Mr. A is undoubtedly an exceptional figure within this sequence. Given Beckland's prominence, it is reasonable to initially conclude that he belongs to Tier 5. He is, in fact, a Shepherd—though he might be slightly lower, perhaps a Rose Bishop—but in other aspects, particularly intellect, he stands out. We must remind Miss Justice not to engage with Mr. A too frequently. The exceptional Messengers of the Secret Priests Path are either already clearly mad or deeply concealed in their madness—there are Is this a path interchangeable with the "Seer" path at higher sequences? There are quite a few—now that I've counted, there are five. The "Luminous Ones" belong to the eternal blaze, the "Champion of Calamities" sounds like either the sovereign of storms or the goddess of night... Previously, I believed the paths of the eternal blaze, the storm sovereign, and the gods of knowledge and wisdom belonged to closely aligned sequences, hence they were in mutual rivalry. Now it appears the "Champion of Calamities" is the sovereign of storms, belonging to the "Mariner" path at sequence 4, while the "Prophet" is associated with the gods of knowledge and wisdom. Then where does the "Controller" path fit in? They can all swap with the corresponding sequences of the "True Creator"—that's quite interesting... Hmm. The formula for the "Unshaded Ones" cannot be given to Mr. A; even a partial transfer wouldn't work. The members of the Aurora Circle are always on the lookout for opportunities to retaliate against the world and threaten public safety. Strategic matters simply cannot be entrusted to them. This isn't just a matter of底线—it directly concerns their own safety. Once the right moment arrives, the madmen of the Aurora Circle might very well sacrifice the entire city. Then, let's keep the lady of Justice's ten thousand pounds—this includes her planned share for the followers I have. The remainder I can compensate with knowledge. Caine gently pressed his cheeks. He didn't immediately respond to the lady of Justice, but instead manifested a sheet of paper and a pen, preparing to make a divination. The friend mentioned by Mariach, Caine knew nothing about—only that she was female, based on the pronouns. To directly determine whether she was reliable through divination would inevitably fail. However, Kline could indirectly divinate, divinating through his own safety, which would significantly increase his chances of success. As for potential disruptions or the accuracy of the results, he had no concerns at all due to the gray mist acting as a barrier. After carefully considering for several seconds, Kline wrote: "There is a risk in hiring my friend Marič as a bodyguard for three days." He set down his pen, unfastened the spirit pendulum, and focused his mind, quickly performing a divination. When he opened his eyes, he noticed the yellow crystal pendant rotating slowly in a clockwise direction, though the movement was subtle. There was indeed some risk, but it was quite low—reliable. Kline nodded slightly and then shifted his divination to Mr. A. Similarly, he had no direct interaction with Mr. A; all his knowledge came through secondhand accounts and inferences. To determine whether Mr. A possessed the necessary capability and was willing to uphold his commitments was difficult to ascertain directly—thus, he had to rely on an indirect approach to divinate. As a truly accomplished seer, Caine quickly settled on his direction: he would predict the fate of Ambassador Beckland. This ambassador was deeply connected to him, and the available intelligence was particularly detailed—Caine even knew precisely what events had involved him, making him an ideal subject for prediction. After careful consideration, Caine wrote: "Ambassador Beckland will face a fatal threat from Mr. A." In this less certain prediction, he deliberately softened the language, avoiding a definitive outcome to minimize the risk of failure. This time, however, the pendulum continued to swing clockwise, but now with increased speed and amplitude—indicating that Mr. A would carry out the task with a strong likelihood of success. Caine exhaled slowly, beginning to respond to Miss Justice's request: "Yes." "Your decision is sound." "Do not appear personally." "My associate wishes to receive 1,000 pounds for operational expenses, preferably in the same manner as before, and ideally we can finalize this by tomorrow. This will offset the 'Luminous Seekers' formula, eliminating the need for you to gather further intelligence from the Convent. However, if you can provide any additional information, I will be willing to trade with you." Now that he knows the infiltrator is an extraordinary one of the 'Seer' path, his need for intelligence from the Convent has become less urgent. He had originally hoped for more than 1,000 pounds, but considering that Miss Justice will have to pay 10,000 pounds for the assassination of the ambassador, his financial situation will undoubtedly become strained, so he has settled on this minimum. Having completed all this, Caine made no further delay and immediately returned to the real world. ……… Audrey was holding a score of music, humming softly, as the red moon appeared and faded gently beyond the window. Suddenly, a thick gray mist rose before her, and a figure stood upon an ancient chair, gazing down with a calm, low voice. Upon hearing the "Fool's" reply, Audrey exhaled deeply, her anxiety instantly easing. 1,000 pounds... my debt to the "Fool" is nearly settled... I feel so much lighter now... Audrey leaned the score against her chest, a slight smile forming on her face. Though she would have only 1,000 pounds a month for a long time to come, which would have been quite strained, she was confident she could manage it with determination. She could borrow a bit more from Gleantrit, spread it out over a longer period—she had a solid upbringing in financial discipline, after all, her father being a powerful behind-the-scenes banker. On Thursday noon, Caine once again heard the faint, ethereal plea, and upon verification, learned that Miss Justice had deposited the funds into the anonymous account. Bank reconciliations and settlements within the Beckland region are completed on the same day, meaning that starting Friday, Klein could withdraw the cash at every branch of the Beckland banks located throughout the city. After lunch, Klein met with Mary Gale once again, who brought him to the outside of the Crag Club, where two members were waiting. One was the well-known surgeon, Allen Cris, and the other was the noble equestrian instructor, Talim Dumont. After exchanging greetings, the slender, reserved surgeon—wearing gold-framed glasses—entered the club first, while the equestrian instructor, Talim, with his brown short curls, walked and smiled: "I didn't know Beckland had a standout detective, not until Mary mentioned you. If I ever need anything done in the future, I'll be sure to reach out to you." "I'll be glad to have that," Klein replied with a smile. According to Mary's account on the journey, he knew that Talim had been born into a noble family, with a viscount title in his ancestry. Unfortunately, his grandfather had squandered all the family's wealth, leaving Talim with a substantial number of relatives—nearly ten brothers and over six sisters. As a land-based noble, when the family's land holdings fell below the standard threshold, the hereditary title was typically downgraded, though this ultimately depended on the king's goodwill. Talim could not, like other noble sons, secure a substantial sum upon coming of age to pursue business ventures. Due to his grandfather's reputation, he also lacked access to government employment or positions as a house steward in other noble households. Instead, he relied on his strengths and became a successful riding instructor for many nobles, earning a steady income of around four hundred pounds annually. "Oh, divorce truly is a path to financial hardship," Talim remarked—either subtly referencing Mary Gale's situation or reflecting on his own more Indigene-like grandfather. Klein couldn't think of anything to say, so he followed the other person into the Crag Club and saw a spacious, bright hall. PS: Two chapters sent today, kindly recommend a monthly subscription, as we'll be out of chapters in the evening.