Audrey, deeply interested in the pirate admiral's story, asked with prompting: "What's his name? What's his current title? We haven't heard any news about him from Beckland yet." Aljer, the "Hanged Man," nodded slowly: "She's a woman—once a well-known pirate. 'The Sick Maid' Tracie, haven't you heard of her?" "No," Audrey admitted honestly, shaking her head. I too—Klein, the 'Fool' at the very pinnacle, added mentally. Aljer paused for two seconds, not wasting time on explanations, and simply said: "In short, she secured the Zilings' fleet last month, proving through action that she possesses the stature of a pirate admiral. She renamed the Zilings' ships the 'Black Death' and now calls herself 'The Sick Admiral'." "She has traditionally operated independently, excelling in curses, black flame, and frost—her adversaries consistently fall ill with a variety of ailments. While it remains unclear which specific path she belongs to, there is no doubt that she stands at the level of Sequence 5." "Justice" Audrey listened intently, blinking her eyes with curiosity and asked: "Mr. The Empress of the Hanging, could you please provide a detailed account of the four Pirate Kings and the additional six Pirate Generals? I've only heard their names and titles, and I'm not familiar with their exceptional abilities." Alger glanced around, noticing that both "The Sun" and "The World" were attentive, and then nodded gently. "Of course." "The most powerful pirate king is 'King of the Five Seas' Nastor, who claims descent from the fourth age of the Solomon Empire. Not only is he himself a high-tier powerhouse, but he also commands the legendary ghost ship 'Black Emperor,' inherited from the empire. He excels at leveraging order, drawing opponents into his preferred domains of battle and creating astonishing, often unprecedented effects... He is also the oldest pirate alive; it is said that he has been active across the Five Seas since the late Rorsel era, over a century ago—though his exact age remains unknown. Of course, compared to the other great pirate king, Nastor has a wealth of documented information. As for the captain of the 'Dawn,' we know only that she is a beautiful woman, once a wizard, now herself entering the realm of half-divine, half-human—her title is 'The Enigmatic Queen.'" "... After introducing the 'Four Kings,' Aljere, the 'Turned Over' Admiral, shifted the conversation to the remaining six Pirate Admirals: 'Ludewell, the master of the 'Black Tulip,' once served under the 'King of the Five Seas' before breaking away and claiming the title of 'Admiral of Hell.' It is said he has established a certain connection with the Order of the Spirits; he is a powerful spirit-medium capable of summoning various spiritual beings, both terrifying and eerie, and reportedly possesses a ring inherited from an ancient Death God. 'Gardelie, the 'Admiral of the Stars,' once followed the 'Mystic Queen,' but the two parties nearly parted ways long ago. According to maritime lore, she joined a secret organization that angered the 'Mystic Queen.' As for the details, according to the latest information I've received, that secret organization is the 'Moses Monastery.' " "The Monks of Moes... the 'Inquisitors' path... the Hidden Sage... Suddenly, Caine recalled Elder Neil's moment of loss of control, and the infernal deity whispering subtle temptations to the lesser, non-exceptional beings on the same path. This was the first time he had learned of the Monks of Moes in reality, rather than through books! Then, 'The Hangman' Aljer introduced to him 'The Blood General' Senior, a suspected spirit not of human origin; 'The Deep-Sea General' Hal Constantine, with partial sea-monster blood; 'The Ice General' Edwina Edwards, who claimed her title; and 'The Dusk General' Bratov Iwan. 'Thank you so much for sharing,' said 'Justice' Audrey, her eyes filled with anticipation. 'I've already begun to long for the sea. I wonder when I'll finally be able to go on a real journey outside.' 'No, Madam Justice,' he replied, 'this is far from what you imagine. To me, it's a blend of bloodshed, chaos, slaughter, desire, and fear.' Aljer calmly poured a basin of cold water over her. Audrey nodded and said, "There's a series of murders in Beckland—eleven in total, though one has been confirmed as a copycat case. The pattern involves women who used to be streetwalkers but now have stable careers. The killer slices open their abdomens and removes their internal organs." "That sounds connected to a devotion to demons—something the Blood of the Covenant might have done?" "The inverted one," Aljer instantly guessed. "I'm not sure. The killer hasn't been identified yet." Audrey longed to become a detective herself, determined to bring the troublesome culprit to justice with Suzy. At that moment, "The Sun" Deric suddenly said, "I know this ritual." Did he know? Indeed, prior to the great upheaval—especially during the Second Age—demons were active in the real world, dwelling upon the land, and were objects of hatred for both the Giants and the Great Dragons. It's therefore quite normal that the Silver City has records of them... their history has never been hidden or altered, nor has there been any gap in the chronicles. Klein thoughtfully gazed toward the "Sun," waiting for it to reveal more. "Did you know?" asked Audrey of "Justice" with evident delight. Derek nodded: "Our textbook on demonology mentions this ritual—it's quite ancient, one that demons perform to aid their own ascension, typically occurring during a promotion from Sequence 6 to Sequence 5." "Is this not a ritual meant to please the demons, but rather one that demons use to aid their own advancement?" Audrey asked, clearly surprised. Derek responded seriously: "Yes, the Sequence 6 of the 'Deep One' path is specifically known as 'Demon'—this is also the origin of their family name." "The 'Deep One' path?" Before the great upheaval, the "Devil" path was known as the "Deep One" path, and "Devil" was merely the name assigned to Sequence 6... Could it be... Sequence 0, the Deep One? Kline once again recognized the value of his "Sun" classmate. Many knowledge and secrets that had long since faded into the historical stream still remain in the city of Silver! "That's interesting," Audrey nodded slightly. "Mr. Sun, do you understand the specifics of this ritual?" Derek nodded. "At the very least, we need 13 people, and up to 49. The more complete the ritual, the greater the chances of advancement." "Between the two killings, there must be at least three days of separation—otherwise, the ritual risks becoming unstable. However, the interval cannot exceed nine days, or the ritual will reset." "With each killing, and after each segment of the ritual, the demon consumes the victim's internal organs. From that point on, he will remain in a state of agitation and bloodthirstiness, eager to harm others, until that desire is once again fulfilled." “It’s truly terrifying,” Audrey sincerely remarked, finding it hard to imagine even now. Klein sat in the thick gray mist, listening quietly and taking notes. After discussing the series of murders, Audrey turned to Aljer, organizing her thoughts: “Mr. The Hangman, there’s one thing I’ve always been puzzled about. I’ve attended several gatherings of the extraordinary, and I’ve noticed that very few people sell their magical potion recipes—those who do often struggle to close the deals. Why is that?” Aljer chuckled softly. “Because magical potion recipes are easy to forge, and the gatherings themselves are relatively private and lack strong accountability. As a result, no one dares to risk their lives. Surely, you can’t prepare two sets of extraordinary ingredients and first conduct an experiment using animals, can you? That would be too costly.” “…” Audrey suddenly felt a bit uneasy. "Moreover, the additional costs go beyond this. After consuming the potion, animals are more prone to losing control than humans, so you'll need to hire a few exceptional beings to protect yourself and prevent death during the experiments. As a result, even when a formula is available, most exceptional beings hesitate to purchase it." Aljer added. "…" Audrey grew even more uneasy. "The Hanged Man" Aljer didn't notice her reaction and continued: "Therefore, unless the host or one of the members possesses the ability to authenticate the authenticity of the potion formula and has already earned the trust of the majority of the group, the transaction of the formula is difficult to establish." Hmm. "The Eye of Wisdom" the elder could certainly do that... Mr. A, being a shepherd, should also be capable... Klein leaned back in his chair, silently murmuring two sentences to himself. "Justice," Audrey thought suddenly, and asked casually: "Could we not achieve this through a sworn vow?" "Madam, this is an underground gathering, solemnly swearing our vows in the name of the seven orthodox deities. Do you find that appropriate? This isn't merely a simple oath—we must have a corresponding ritual to address it." The "Turnspire" Aljer chuckled. "As for the lesser deities—such as the 'Hidden Sage' and the 'True Maker'—who are often seen as demons or hidden entities, who dares to swear in their name, except those already devoted to them? Wouldn't such a person be scorned, perhaps even wishing for a quicker death?" He paused, then sighed. "Moreover, when one lacks mastery of the 'art of performance,' magic potions often go awry, transforming their bearers into monsters. The required ingredients are also difficult to source and costly. Thus, as long as the seven churches refuse to officially recognize such transactions, the recipes won't spread beyond small circles—let alone become widely accessible." "Ah, so that's why..." Audrey murmured, finally easing a major point of confusion. It made perfect sense—Clayne, too, felt a sudden clarity. Seven orthodox deities? "Sol" Deryk would have liked to ask just which seven, but ultimately chose to hold his question in reserve. After a moment's reflection, he said, "The Silver City recently organized an expedition into the depths of darkness, where they discovered a partially ruined temple housing a statue of a naked man crucified upside down, with numerous streaks of blood still smeared across his body." "Do you know which deity this is?" This... "The True Maker!" A temple dedicated to the True Maker in the Land of Abandonment! And judging by the tone of 'Sol,' the True Maker must have been absent prior to the Great Cataclysm—otherwise, the Silver City would surely have recognized him! Kline managed to suppress his astonishment with the grace of a clown. "Justice" Odile, "The Turned One," and "The World" exchanged glances, then both shook their heads in unison. "We do not know." As soon as they finished speaking, the gentleman known as the "Fool" in the gray mist spoke in a deep voice: "This is the 'Fallen Creator.'"