"The Scholars"… the name alone sounds rather imposing… The Sequence 7 path for the "Readers" is called either "Guardians" or "Investigators," roles that emphasize knowledge acquisition and reasoning skills, with perhaps solid combat and equipment-handling abilities—nothing particularly outstanding, but by Sequence 6, there seems to be a noticeable leap, especially in extraordinary combat capabilities… It appears that each exceptional path reaches such a turning point at some point below higher sequences, though the exact sequence varies—take the "Seers" path, for instance, which reaches its peak at Sequence 7. Kline sipped his hot coffee, choosing not to inquire further about others' sequence secrets, and instead smiled, saying, "Mr. Stanton, you seem quite at ease—neither tense nor concerned." Esengar did not answer directly. He set down his fork and knife, then produced his pipe, asking, "Would you mind?" "Actually, I'm rather concerned, but the pollution and mist in Beckland have already become so severe that another few puffs of secondhand smoke won't make much difference..." Klein shook his head and smiled. "Does that help you think?" "More precisely, a habit—every morning after breakfast, I've developed this routine." Aesingh adjusted his pipe and took a deep draw. As he exhaled, he sighed. "Fears, anxieties, and worries don't help us face threats. So why not ease up a bit? A calmer mind becomes more alert. My assistant's fatal disaster was precisely due to her excessive worry—ah..." Aesingh glanced at Kaslanara and continued. "Moreover, our adversaries are the 'Apophthegm Apostles,' and intense emotions must be strictly avoided." He then chuckled lightly. "Most importantly, we certainly have other methods to pin down the 'Apophthegm Apostles.'" "What methods?" Kaslanara placed the last piece of bacon down and asked seriously. Esgarrouth drew on his pipe, chuckled self-consciously: "When it comes to discussing topics like this, I still prefer the armchair. The 'Devils' have a strong sense of impending danger, but are not particularly skilled at divination or foresight. Therefore, in order to identify the primary targets of his vengeance, the 'Apostle of Desire' must actively investigate the situation and gather information. Otherwise, how could he possibly know that a private detective firm had made outstanding contributions in a series of murders, or accurately pinpoint you and me? Throughout this process, he will inevitably interact with many people. Even if he maintains a façade, certain traces will remain. Combined with the somewhat blurred images provided by the 'Heart of Mechanism,' these traces will form a clear trail." "Similarly, if he wants to attack me, he must first determine where I live, my routines for entering and exiting, my daily habits, and whether there are powerful official extraordinary beings protecting me. This requires a considerable period of observation and corresponding inquiries. Likewise, he must interact with others and with fixed locations—ah, once interactions occur, traces inevitably emerge. "I particularly admire a saying: 'Wherever one walks, traces are left behind.' " I know this saying—it was said by Emperor Roscel. Clain smiled. Then, he sighed slightly, as this was the second time he had heard it mentioned in this world. The first time, he was still in Tinggen. The slightly drooping facial muscles of Kaslanna sighed, "You truly are a great detective—I never thought of these things before. Your observational and analytical skills are truly impressive." Esgarrouth smiled in response, "Everyone has their own strengths. In matters of pure combat, I would be defeated by you again and again." "Sherlock must have also considered the points I just mentioned—he possesses exceptional observational and deductive abilities, making him an outstanding detective." In fact, as you were speaking so confidently, I found myself unexpectedly humble... Caine offered a smile. "No, you are truly a first-rate detective, while I still have a long way to go." "You are indeed a humble young man," Esgarrouth remarked. He smiled and then added, "So from now on, we will focus on these aspects—you will need to draw upon your own resources and information networks." Aside from the Tarot gathering, one-third of my resources and channels in Beckland stem directly from your office... Caine responded with a forced smile. "Understood." Beyond the gathering of the "Eye of Wisdom," he could only rely on Marič and Miss Sharon, the vampire Emlyn White, and Father Utravski. With the "mechanical heart" quietly safeguarding me, Sharon and Mariichi will have to be dealt with directly. As for Emlyn the vampire, he can certainly be seen—now that he's half-a-faithful to the Earth Mother, protected by Bishop Utravský, he won't be targeted for official, systematic elimination by the extraordinary agents. Klein instantly settled on the next course of action. A Class "1" seal item—highly dangerous, usable only to a limited extent—even the Bekland diocese can only preserve one or two such items… In an instant, the corresponding description flashed through Caine’s mind. He asked with genuine interest, "What kind of item is it? What abilities does it possess, and what negative effects does it have?" Esgarrouth smiled and replied, "This is a secret of the Night Goddess’s Church. I’m not entirely certain myself—I only know that it wasn’t originally in Bekland. It was brought there urgently following the series of murders. "It’s said to be a silver full-body armor, stained with small patches of dried dark blood. Once, it directly caused the destruction of a whole town, with over ten thousand people dying as a result." "Curse Armor?" Caine asked, naming it. Esgaroth exhaled a stream of smoke and shook his head gravely. "Perhaps it's not a curse—at least, some call it the 'Mad Armor,' the 'Bloodthirsty Armor.' Within our Church, we once speculated that the blood staining its surface might have come from ancient deities. When it was first discovered, it showed no unusual signs and was simply treated as a mere antique, bought and sold, collected and preserved. But over time, those who came into contact with it began to die—one after another—dying in horrifying ways, almost dismembered. Then, death spread outward from its center, reaching even those who had never touched it, ultimately leading to the complete destruction of a small city. This event occurred in the early Fifth Age, and since then, the Night Watch has been responsible for managing its aftermath." Indeed, the extraordinary knowledge and insight of the Church's exceptional ones—how well they understand history and the realm of the extraordinary—was no surprise to Caine. Caslanara, however, expressed concern, asking, "Will it pose a threat to us?" "The Lady of the Night certainly found the right way to seal the spell, but for us, whenever possible, we'd prefer to avoid contact." Esgarrouth said, half reassured, half reminding. After breakfast, Caine and he entered the drawing room where the battle had taken place, while Kaslana went to the bathroom first. Watching her back, Caine mused, "She seems to be an extraordinary one of the 'Arbiter' path?" "Your observation is indeed keen," Esgarrouth said, settling into the armchair. As Caine walked toward the single sofa, he murmured in thought, "This path has been strictly maintained by the royal family, the military, and the ancient nobility—very few formulations or materials have been made public. How does Kaslana have such background?" Esgarrouth smiled, "It's obvious. Yet, at this level, she hasn't mentioned it herself—this clearly indicates there are certain reasons that make it difficult to speak openly." He looked at Caine with a warm smile, implying, in a quiet way, that he himself was no different. Caine cleared his throat and sat down. After a moment, Kaslanara arrived in the living room and continued discussing the matter of the "Apostles of Desire" with Caine and Esgarrouth. As they spoke, her expression suddenly grew somber, and she sighed, saying: "This has been the most dangerous event I've ever been involved in. I'm not sure whether I'll survive. If I am killed by the 'Apostles of Desire,' I hope my tomb will bear this single line: 'She had a great mother.' " Her voice softened, and the earlier stiffness and reserve gave way to a gentle warmth. Esgarrouth nodded in deep agreement: "This has also been my most dangerous adversary." He then smiled and added: "If I should perish and you both survive, would either of you be willing to deliver my belongings to Lemburg, to the 'Temple of Knowledge'?" "...Don't go crazy with all these promises! Klein's mouth hangs open, unsure of how to stop the two detectives before him." "No problem," he tries to ease the situation. "But I hope we never reach this day." Esgarrouth gives him a curious glance and asks, "Sherlock, what about you? If you're killed by the 'Apostles of Desire,' what wish would you have someone fulfill on your behalf?" "...To be resurrected!" Klein sighs. "I'd like to be buried in a beautiful cemetery, with my body intact—sprinkled with holy water and fresh..." The essence of his words is clear: Don't cremate me! All three fall silent at once, until the sound of the doorbell rings softly outside. The visitor is the steward named Icanser Bernard of "The Heart of the Machine." His hair stubbornly pushes out from the brim of his hat, giving the otherwise sharply defined, masculine figure a certain unruly charm. This time, he didn't take the strange silver mirror known as Arodés—he had no idea where he'd placed the other one. If given the chance, I'd actually be quite interested in using that magical mirror to see how my faithful, humble servant would react... Klein thought to himself. Ikonsé didn't enter the room; he stood there, gazing at the trio of detectives, speaking in a low, yet rapid pace: "There's progress on the trail of the 'Apostle of Desire!'"