In the sitting room, Countess Katharine sat on the sofa, with the deputy butler, the house steward, and the appropriate footman standing before her. She spoke clearly and methodically, assigning various tasks for the evening dinner, until her daughter, Audrey, arrived beside her. "Mother, I have something to tell you," Audrey said, glancing at the others in the room. On her way to the sitting room, she had felt the floor tremble gently twice, but noticed no other anomalies. The Countess looked around, nodded gently, and said: "You may all come in later." The sitting room quickly grew quiet, even the large golden dog, Susie, was gently guided out by Audrey's gaze. "You should be with me more often, learning how to manage affairs. Though your household curriculum may contain ample content on such matters, how to effectively integrate them into practice remains a deep and refined art. "The countess, approaching fifty yet looking only in her thirties, smiled gently and said, 'Now, my little angel, what's on your mind?' Audrey wanted to smile with the grace she had practiced so many times in her etiquette lessons, but found herself tense and unable to lift the corner of her mouth. She pressed her dry lips together and simply said, 'Mother, I've been keeping something from you all.' 'Ah?' the countess tilted her head slightly, waiting for further explanation. Audrey's words first came out hesitant, then flowed more naturally: 'I've already... I've already become a marvel—a person with extraordinary abilities, one who has transformed through the consumption of magical potions.' Countess Katelyn, with her golden hair and bright eyes, raised her eyebrows slightly, neither surprised nor startled, and replied, 'I know. Both I and your father know.' 'Ah?' Audrey suddenly didn't know what to say next. Countess smiled,掩嘴 said, "You've taken so many magical materials from the treasury—do you really think we haven't noticed? There are many extraordinary individuals around your father, within this villa, throughout our family's lands—some hired simply through employment, others sent by the goddess's church, and some even born into the Hall family. The King has allowed these arrangements, and so have we permitted your little adventures. Ah, you will grow up, mature eventually. We cannot always protect you under our wings. There will come a time when you must face certain matters on your own. With additional magical abilities to support you, your strength will truly shine. "Well, based on the common sense I have, the initial phase shouldn't be too dangerous. Improvement takes time—typically one, two, or even three years. Therefore, neither I nor your father are rushing. We plan to wait until you officially come of age before giving you some guidance, so you can remain in your current position." "No, Mother, your common sense is mistaken. You're unaware of the existence of the 'role-playing' method. If the materials are gathered, I'll be able to become a Sequence 7 'psychologist' by New Year's. Moreover, I don't want to stop. Duke Niggen's death has shown me that this world is not as stable or peaceful as I once believed. I want the strength to protect you during critical moments. The 'Fool' is gradually recovering, and one by one, the evil deities are attempting to manifest. Though I'm still not fully mature and lack the necessary insight, I can already sense the profound, unspoken crisis beneath the surface. Odile has always been clear that the exceptional materials she took from the vault are an inescapable issue. Yet, she has fortunately believed that neither you nor the parents fully understand the specific functions of those items, and that you might only suspect she is becoming increasingly immersed in the world of mysticism." After shedding the weight on her heart, she deliberately steered clear of her mother's instructions and said, "Mother, later on I joined a secret organization—more academic in nature, one that doesn't worship the demonic deities. Please forgive me for not being able to reveal its name or the specifics; I've already made a solemn vow to that effect." Before the countess could ask any questions, she swiftly moved to the point: "Today I received a message: the common girl that Prince Edsack has fallen in love with is actually a witch, and they seem to be plotting some kind of scheme." She knew little about the mystical world, yet the very name evoked a sense of evil and unease. Audrey nodded quickly. "Yes, a 'Joyful Witch.' " What frightened me even more, however, was that her name was Trischick." "What's wrong with that?" Countess Katharine asked in curiosity. "Within the organization, there are members who have seen the name Chik in an ancient book." Audrey delivered her carefully constructed lie, maintaining perfect consistency in tone, vocabulary, expressions, and body language. "In the Fourth Age—or even earlier—it belonged to the primordial witches." She then added, with serious emphasis: "A demon goddess!" Countess Katharine didn't fully grasp the meaning of "primordial witch," but she clearly understood what "demon goddess" implied. She immediately felt uneasy, her pace quickening as she asked, "Are you certain?" "…Not entirely certain." Audrey believed without a doubt in the "Knight of Pentacles," yet on the surface she could not quite say so. "Regardless, I think it's necessary to have certain confirmation from the royal family—no, from the extraordinary members of the Divine Church—especially regarding the matter of the evil deities. It's always prudent when dealing with such matters." Katelyn looked at her daughter with a touch of surprise. "…Audrey, you've grown up." If the situation weren't so urgent, Audrey would have certainly pretended to be modest, first expressing humility and a touch of coquettishness, then retreating to her room with a sense of pride, perhaps even doing a little twirl. But now, she simply couldn't attend to such things, and her concerns and anxieties were clearly visible. "Mom, could you please help me keep this a secret? I've heard that the extraordinary members of the Church and the royal family hold a deep aversion toward secret organizations that don't belong to them. Well, you might say it's information Dad received—after all, he has many channels of contact." Kathleen stood up and gave her daughter a hug. "Don't worry—neither I nor your father will let anything like this involve you. Your father won't return until evening. I'll first have the hidden guards appear, making it seem as though he sent the message, and then I'll go to find the extraordinary one sent by the Goddess's Church to protect our family." "Great!" Audrey enthusiastically responded. At last, she exhaled in relief, her body weary from the sustained tension. Even the undead that a pistol could not wound were reduced to fragments or pulp, blackened and charred—flames leaping, casting a yellow-white glow that reached deep into his eyes. Undeterred, Caine swiftly formed a plan. Within this scene unfolding in seconds, he hesitated not. The moment he conceived it, he acted. Tap! After mentally calculating the distance, Caine tapped his finger, igniting the remaining flame in the matchbox simultaneously. A bright crimson flame surged upward, swiftly enveloping him. In silence, Caine vanished from his original position, appearing within the flames above the meteor. Swiftly, the meteor descended. As Caine stepped out of the flame, he had already detached from the meteor, plunged into the air that was scorching with an alarming heat. When he leapt with his extraordinary ability, Caine was unafraid of ordinary flames—even if the temperature was slightly elevated. But once he moved out of that state, he could only desperately maneuver the flames to avoid himself, just as easily being scorched or incinerated. Moreover, the high-temperature air lay outside the range of his leap. Pop! Caine tapped his finger again, instantly igniting the air at its critical point. He materialized within another flame, aiming to evade the first wave of impact from the meteor striking the ground. Yet no matter how much he tried or how boldly he ventured, he could not escape the peril—only two options remained: either leap into the forest that had avoided the direct impact and endure the meteor’s cascading effects, or perform acrobatic leaps above, waiting to be engulfed by the mushroom cloud. At that very instant, Caine seemed to see himself shattering into fragments, his body blackened and still glowing with embers. A thought flashed through his mind, and suddenly, changes occurred before his eyes—red grew richer, yellow deeper, white brighter, colors intensifying and layering upon one another, painting a strange, vivid oil painting. The "oil painting" seemed to detach from the real world, as if observed by Clain, the meteor descending slowly, crashing into the ground. The forest was instantly obliterated, the earth shaking noticeably, and a plume of smoke, tinged with flames, rising upward to form a bizarre, mushroom-shaped cloud. Yet Clain remained unharmed, for the impact could not penetrate the overlapping color blocks, the world appearing still and frozen—like a painting. ...Clain was first taken aback, then noticed a figure appearing beside him. The figure was of average height, with bronze-toned skin, dressed in a black formal suit, wearing a half-high silk hat, and possessing warm, weathered brown eyes—gentle in expression. A small black mole adorned the area just below his right ear. "Mr. Azk!" Clain exclaimed with delight. He finally understood what the divination had revealed—exactly what was unfolding right now! "The Sea of Blood" symbolized an inevitable, fatal situation, while "being pulled up by Mr. Azk" meant that he himself had been rescued precisely because of Mr. Azk! As he spoke, Mr. Azk waved him off, grasped his arm, and led him deeper into the richly layered hues!