This is it—what's there to doubt? Kline met Edwena's gaze steadily, neither shifting nor flinching. After revealing to the "Iceberg Admiral" the fact that he had sacrificed himself to her just before dying in Cavitova, Kline had been well-prepared. If he had been seated on a sofa rather than standing at the ship's side, he would have casually lifted his right leg, leaned back, and responded with calm composure. A gentle smile spread across his face as he raised his left hand and said with ease, "My gloves are called 'The Thirsting Hunger.'" Kline was confident that Danyz, having witnessed his combat, had already shared the specifics with his captain. Therefore, it was only natural that the "Iceberg Admiral," Edwena—equal in stature to the "Storm Admiral" Zinglungs—would already know of the 'Thirsting Hunger.' By proactively revealing it, Kline gained a clear psychological advantage over being uncovered unexpectedly. And by suddenly bringing up this matter, he conveyed two intentions: first, subtly informing the other that he had an organization behind him—one capable of eliminating the "Admiral of the Storm," orchestrating the fall of Cavitua, and stepping in to respond to the faithful in his place; second, warning Edwena not to investigate, not to delve deeply, or else the fate of the "Admiral of the Storm" being instantly wiped out would serve as a stark example. At this moment, Caine still upheld the established persona of Germain Sparo, neither directly threatening nor stubbornly refusing, but instead responding with a calm demeanor that subtly hinted at madness. Edwena Edwards nodded gently and suddenly shifted the topic. "I intend to provide some assistance to the resistance forces on the Rosedale Islands, primarily in the form of grain and textiles." Assistance? Was her underlying power in opposition to Ruin, or was she simply aiming to annoy the Storm Church? Caine smoothed his smile and responded calmly, "This has nothing to do with me." "I won't leave any leverage behind... He silently added to himself. Edwenna turned her head, raised her arm, and pointed toward Daniz, the "Flame," who was sipping his drink while glancing in that direction: "I'll entrust him with full responsibility—handling communications with the resistance, setting the timing, arranging the private harbor. I hope you can provide me with some level of protection." He didn't ask about the specific amount, and Edwenna seemed to have forgotten to mention it as well. The thoughtful, beautiful pirate general paused silently and said, "Senior sent a message stating he's willing to pay 5,000 pounds for the giant's key I discovered previously." This referred to the massive black iron key famously known as the "Key of Death"—the one that nearly cost Daniz his life in Bayam—whose significance, Klein suspected, not only stemmed from the Second Age of Darkness but also held a connection to the Giants' royal court. Implied was a question: would he be interested in offering a price? Klein was momentarily taken aback, then quickly realized, and quietly murmured to himself, "5,000 pounds? I haven't even confirmed whether that key actually works, or whether it truly ties into the Giants' royal court! If it doesn't, can we return it? Moreover, there was no prior information provided—no matter how I consulted the gray mist oracle, I wouldn't receive any meaningful guidance. "Well, a simple deduction is that if the treasure in question isn't tied to the King's Court of the Giants, and instead involves some other treasure I'm completely unfamiliar with, then even if I purchase it, I won't be able to use it—my only advantage would be disrupting the 'General of Blood's' plans, at the cost of both harming others and losing my own gains. If, however, the treasure is connected to the King's Court of the Giants, then even if the 'General of Blood' acquires it, he'll likely struggle to locate the specific site, since it lies in the 'God-Abandoned Lands.' In that case, my plan is to hunt him down, and once I do, I'll obtain the key without having to pay a cent—effectively, he'll have bought it for me and held onto it for a period of time. Edwenna listened quietly and didn't pursue the topic further. She half-turned and indicated the entrance to the cabin. "I've prepared breakfast for you." "Thank you," said Kline, removing his hat and bowing. As he walked toward the cabin with the "Admiral of the Ice," he quickly went over the conversation once again, searching for the true intent behind Edwenna's invitation to meet with him. "From the matter of Germain Sparo's identity, to the mysterious object rumored to be 'the creeping hunger,' to the sacrifice to Cavitua and the sea god who, despite being expected to fall, continues to respond to his devotees—these elements together certainly suggest that there's an unseen, purposeful organization operating behind the scenes, one whose goals remain unknown to me. And since the forces to which the 'Admiral of the Ice' belongs are both cautious and attentive, and deeply interested, it makes sense that she would have arranged this meeting as a means of probing into my background to see what she might uncover." "They're still rather kind right now, and providing aid to the resistance is one way of expressing that—seeming to lean toward a certain level of cooperation with the organization behind me. Of course, uncertainty always instills fear. With so little understanding and no clear grasp of what's at stake, the likelihood that 'Iceberg Admiral' would take decisive action is extremely low. 'Heh. If they found out that the secret organization behind me has only been in existence for just over six months—counting Miss Hoo, who's been in contact with 'World' but hasn't yet been formally integrated—having fewer than ten members, wouldn't they be so furious they'd lose control?' Thoughts racing through his mind, Caine entered the cabin, moving along the dimly lit corridor, passing through one wooden door after another. He followed Edwena up the stairs to the brighter second floor. Before entering the pirate restaurant, they passed by a partially open room. Caine glanced in casually and noticed the large black iron key resting casually on a wooden table." "This is proof of our past treasure hunts—some of these are merely commemorative, while others have yet to reveal their true value and require further study." Edwena spoke with apparent reserve, yet her explanation was detailed and thorough, as if she were particularly concerned that the listener might not understand. When she mentioned the word "study," her clear, aquamarine eyes gleamed slightly. "Proof of our past treasure hunts?" Kline couldn't help but glance at the documents more closely. At that moment, Edwena pushed the door open wider and stepped inside, casually introducing, "This one is a gold coin from the Fourth Dynasty of the Kingdom of Solomon." Kline's gaze shifted accordingly, and he saw a coin displayed within a frame. The coin had a deep golden hue, as if composed of two half-circles of unequal size joined together—highly asymmetrical—and its surface bore a sharp crown, very similar to the one adorning King Nastor, the Lord of the Five Seas. Edwina was like a host eager to showcase her own collection, introducing the items one by one in the room. This reminded Clain of a familiar figure—the "Eye of Wisdom," the esteemed detective Alistair Stanton. "They're so similar in their love of displaying their collections… isn't that a common trait among people with rich collections? Wait—Stanton studied in Lüneburg for four years, and the description of the 'Iceberg Admiral' mentions 'Edwina Edwards from Lüneburg.' Hmm. Lüneburg is the capital of the Church of the Deities of Knowledge and Wisdom, and Stanton himself has acknowledged having converted to that Church during his studies. Could it be that the power behind the 'Iceberg Admiral' is precisely them?" Clain listened thoughtfully, until Edwina paused before the massive, dark iron key. As he had seen it in his dream, the key was as large as a seven-stringed harp—so large that an ordinary human would have to carry it. It was dull and ancient in appearance, lacking any gleam. The pattern on the surface resembles the style of the Silver City, with clear traits of the giant lineage... Cline nodded, about to shift his gaze away, when Edwena spoke: "You could study it." Study it? You probably don't know how many latent issues I've already triggered—how many times I've had to release myself to pursue research, only to fear I'll lose sight of the "Golden Dream" ship by the time I'm done... Cline offered a few self-deprecating remarks, then extended his right hand toward the black iron key belonging to the giants. He felt the key was cool to the touch; no matter how much he infused it with spirit, it remained inert. Unfortunately, he couldn't carry it directly to the Gray Mists for study. Cline withdrew his hand, giving a barely perceptible shake of his head. His gaze then shifted to another book resting on the same table—a volume bound in leather, its deep brown cover bearing a line of ancient Fussac script: "The Travels of Groserel." "This originates from a sunken ship at the ocean floor, preserved for 165 years without any damage." "Edwena introduced, 'It contains a story of a giant named Grolth who decides to hunt the 'Northern King,' a powerful frost giant dragon. Along the way, he meets various companions—female elves, devout monks, nobles from the Solamnic Empire, and soldiers from the realm of Ruin. The story progresses until they finally face off against the 'Northern King,' at which point it abruptly stops—not because there's no continuation, but because the following pages are difficult to open, no matter how many attempts you make. You might want to try that yourself.' Isn't this a novel rather than a travelogue? It's quite unusual—bringing together characters from different eras and ages, suggesting it's a more modern composition... Kline turned the pages of the book, letting the warm, tan paper glide smoothly from one to the next." The content was quite similar to what Edwenna had described, though the narrative felt abrupt and disjointed, often leaving Caine questioning whether he had missed a section—such as how the protagonists suddenly transitioned from strangers to close acquaintances. Soon, he flipped to the final few pages and found them indeed stuck together, refusing to separate. This effect could likely be addressed on the Gray Mist itself—though he wasn't sure what unforeseen complications might arise. Caine turned his head toward the "Commander of the Ice Mountain." Edwenna paused and said, "If you'd like, I can sell you the material. I've studied it for years, yet still haven't made any breakthroughs. However, I have one condition." "What condition?" Caine asked. Edwenna smoothed her lips. "If you achieve any results, please share them with me so I can no longer wonder. As long as you agree to this, I'll sell it to you at a very reasonable price." Klein suddenly became interested: "How much?" "Eight thousand pounds," Edwenna said calmly. "Hmm..." Klein pretended to ponder, gave a composed nod. "I'll think about it." How to pretend this wasn't going to happen... he thought silently.