After "World" and "Sun" had concluded their individual exchanges, the Tarot gathering moved into a free-flowing chat session. "Justice" Odile, eager and curious, inquired about the unique landscapes and fascinating tales from the sea. "The Empress" Aljir responded selectively, drawing from his own experiences. "The Magician" Fotherst quietly listened, gradually inspired to write a novel about a pirate king—telling the story of how he captured a female passenger and developed a complex, intertwined love-hate relationship with her, blending fantasy and reality. "Sun" Deric, on the other hand, could only imagine the sea based on paintings preserved in the Silver City and accompanying textual descriptions. In the end, as "Clair" felt his spiritual energy wane, he announced the conclusion of the Tarot gathering and swiftly returned to the real world, catching a quick nap. ………… Seven thirty p.m., Queens district, within a house that appeared to belong to a noble family. Forsyth donned her hooded robe and, after many days, once again attended the gathering organized by Mr. A. She sat quietly in the corner, feigning casual glances around, and noticed that Mr. A, who had been sitting alone on a single sofa, seemed slightly different from before. This was not a change in appearance or demeanor—since Mr. A’s face was entirely concealed within the shadow of his hood, Forsyth could not see it clearly. What she sensed was more intuitive: Mr. A no longer seemed as relaxed and detached as he had been, no longer viewing everyone with a calm, superior gaze. Now, he appeared restrained, striving to control something, and the sense of potential danger had risen sharply. In the past, Mr. A had been like a vast mountain; now, he seemed more like a serpent that had straightened its body and exhaled its venom. The best-selling novelist Forsyth suddenly felt grateful that, in order to conceal the details of the Tarot readings and to keep Mr. Huxley unaware of her interest in solar-related items, she had not invited her to join the gathering. In that way, even if something unexpected were to happen, my escape would be much simpler... Folshe twisted the bracelet, now with only two stones remaining. She didn't immediately write down her own needs on a slip and hand it to the servant, but instead patiently observed for a while. This wasn't born of innate caution—past lessons had left a deep impression, as evidenced by the dwindling stones on her bracelet. After waiting for over fifteen minutes, she finally picked up the paper and pen, writing with a deliberately distorted hand: "Seeking magical items from the domain of the Sun or exceptionally powerful weapons." After handing the slip to the servant, Folshe glanced around again, but couldn't locate the "Eternal Radiant Sun" devotee who had assisted her previously with the purification and exorcism rituals. One by one, transactions unfolded as the servant moved between guests, and the hall remained quiet and orderly. After the intermediate discussion and exchange of ideas, Forth's needs were added to the two blackboards at the front. Not long after, she received a reply from the waiter. On a relatively small sheet of white paper, words were densely written: "Magical item: the 'Ring of Light.' It makes the wearer a messenger of light, a servant of the sun, immune to numerous illnesses, and grants mastery over sacred powers. The wearer can summon beams of radiant light and use a variety of sun-based spells, capable of purifying undead within a 50-meter radius—making it a powerful counter to such creatures. Through this ring, the wearer's acknowledged beliefs will be strengthened, while those they disapprove of will be weakened. The only drawback is that if the wearer uses it frequently, they will gradually become devoted to the 'Eternal Radiant Sun,' eventually embracing its teachings and praising the sun from the heart. Should you wish to proceed, please pay a cash sum of 9,000 pounds upfront. I can wait for you to raise the funds." 9,000 pounds? Forsyth opened her mouth, feeling as though the other person were robbing her. This was a sum so vast that even if she had borrowed from others, she couldn’t have secured it! Beyond the deposits from the assassination of Ambassador Indis, the total amount she had seen so far across all her encounters still fell far short. To possess 9,000 pounds in cash—absolutely a wealthy individual in Beckland! Though I knew magical items were expensive, I hadn’t expected them to be this costly… Was the other person intending to withdraw entirely from the circle of extraordinary beings, to step away from gatherings and simply enjoy life with this sum? Forsyth took a quiet breath, hesitating briefly before responding. She had listened attentively for nearly ten minutes, pretending nothing had happened, but without any further offer—especially not a more affordable magical weapon—she finally rose to head to the restroom. After ensuring that no one was around, she closed the toilet door, sat on the commode, and recited the name of the "Simpleton" with prayerful devotion, narrating what had just happened to him and requesting that he pass it on to the "World." Amid the boundless gray-white mist, Klein swiftly entered and began to grasp the situation, hearing the layered, ethereal sounds. Nine thousand pounds? He silently repeated the figure, his expression slightly distorting. After mentally calculating the funds he could raise in the near term, he exhaled and manifested the world of the "Dummy," guiding his response: "…The drawbacks of this remarkable object are too severe; I do not wish to become a devotee of the Sun." "Need not worry about this matter anymore—we shall proceed with cash payments." "Pay 450 pounds, and the 'Master of Illusions'’s formula is yours." As soon as she finished speaking, the connection was lost. Caine watched the "world" fade away, rubbed his forehead, and murmured to himself, "Now it will depend on what clues the 'barbarian' lady can gather regarding the items..." "Otherwise, we'll have to purchase the brooch from the elderly 'Eye of Wisdom' gentleman." She had simply watched until the end, and due to the transformation of Mr. A, she made no stop, no conversation, and swiftly left the house. A few minutes later, the gathering was completely over, leaving only Mr. A and his servants. Mr. A rose slowly, walking down the stairs toward the basement. Suddenly, he bent at the knees and fell to the ground, rolling down several steps. Lying there, his shadow beneath him rapidly turned crimson. His flesh began to melt and seep into the shadow, as though a new, monstrous being—skinless and detached—had emerged from within him! Hh... Mr. A's breathing gradually calmed, and his tense body slowly relaxed. Then, the melted flesh began to flow back. Everything returned to its original state. Mr. A crawled forward, kneeling in the basement, and once again choked on his repentance. He had failed in his vigilance, made mistakes in his earlier actions, and thus had disrupted the divine descent. ……… The city of Silver, at Darien Berg's home. He circled the table silently, walking several times without finally making up his mind. His reason told him that Master "The Hanged Man"'s suggestion was the best course of action, yet his mind kept flashing back to the faces of the other members involved in this mission—feeling as though by pretending not to show signs of distress, he was betraying them! Was there any way to save them? Should he find an opportunity to meet with the Chief and reveal that the partially ruined temple belonged to a fallen deity, to a dark god who presided over the "Shepherd" path, urging him to take special care of Elder Lovie and to replace the current mission leader? But where would he find the strength to know this? In their eyes, Master "The Fool" should surely be seen as a god of evil as well. Darien grew increasingly frustrated, running his fingers through his hair. The Storm Axe stood just within easy reach, glowing faintly with each flash of lightning streaking across the window. Suddenly, Deric stopped, gazing outward at the alternating light and shadow, at the dark expanse of the sky. He seemed to see once again the images of his parents as they died, and felt the sharp pain of the sword piercing straight through him. "This time, it's too late... I must prepare myself to ensure that the discovery of him as the 'Fallen Lord' is not questioned..." His expression twisted, and he bit his teeth, whispering a few words before suddenly turning away from the window and rushing back to his desk, beginning to channel the extraordinary abilities of a 'Luminous Seeker' to rapidly deplete his own spiritual essence, drawing it swiftly toward dryness. The lady, though approaching fifty, looked no more than in her thirties—golden hair, blue eyes, beautiful and graceful, enough to capture the attention of most gentlemen. "Mother, what's on your mind?" Audrey set down the items in her hands and rose, puzzled. The countess glanced at her daughter, who now looked even more beautiful than when she was younger, and smiled. "I just returned from the dinner party. Madam Della mentioned that you're interested in psychology and would like to hire a private tutor, is that correct?" "Yes, but I haven't quite made up my mind yet..." Audrey replied with a practiced hesitation, as she always did. The countess couldn't miss the signs of her daughter's thoughts. She smiled. "She recommended a psychologist named Islande. If you have no objections, I'll send someone to invite her—two lessons a week, how does that sound?" "Then it's settled," Audrey said, her smile gradually spreading. "Mother, come sit here—right now, I'm in need of a beautiful model!" … On a Tuesday morning, Caine confirmed from the *Bakerland Morning Herald* that the gathering convened by the elderly gentleman known as the "Eye of Wisdom" was scheduled for tonight. He immediately breathed a sigh of relief, no longer concerned about whether the items would make it in time for Miss Sharon's battle against her enemies. To celebrate this good news, he decided to spend a relaxing day at the Cragg Club. PS: Tonight at three, kindly recommend tickets and monthly passes. Also, this chapter was updated on time, though the Start platform experienced a crash.