What do I need? "The Hermit" Cadryla chuckled, sensing the subtle probe hidden within the ordinary question posed by "The Hangings." With a need comes a clue! Already, I have the potion recipe from "The Observer"’s Sequence 4 "Mystic," and I'm gathering contributions for one of its primary ingredients. Even if I had nothing, I would still have access—indeed, multiple access points. Cadryla thought briefly, then remembered the "Diviner"’s sea staff, and smiled: "I need a semi-divine magical item, one with a negative effect that I can tolerate." At that moment, "The Hangings" Aljere nearly blurted out, urging her not to make it up. Even the Storm Church hadn't secured a single such item in several years—let alone one clearly belonging to a mere mid-tier extraordinary being! There are half-divine items with reasonably bearable negative effects—I shouldn't have stayed and used them myself, should I? Aljere understood that the "Recluse" was responding to his probing with a tone of quiet mockery, yet he didn't react with the outrage typical of most of his colleagues. Instead, he took a slow breath and said, "I'll keep that in mind." "And, madam, you must be aware that merely the presence of such items—just their effective traces—might well be worth the entire elixir recipe of the 'Sea Singer.'" ...So deep, so composed, not easily angered—this is quite different from the usual style of the Storm Church. Could it be that my initial observation was mistaken, and he was, in fact, pretending to be a Storm Church priest all along? No—not yet. Perhaps it's because the gaze of the "Fortune" has held him back from anger, or perhaps he is, in truth, one of the more distinctive members of the Storm Church—not exceedingly rare, though certainly not common either... The "Recluse," Gauthier, showed no further ambition, made no second attempt, and simply nodded, "I know." As the conversation between the two concluded, no one else raised any demands during the transaction. Some members were content simply because their desired items were already reserved, eliminating the need for further requests—this included the "Justice" Audrey and the "Magician" Folsom, who were patiently awaiting the forthcoming recipes. Others, however, were constrained by their financial circumstances or current situations and chose to delay early consumption, such as "Moon" Emlyn, eager to secure the noble bloodline's legacy, and the "Magician" lady, who wished to obtain a magical artifact. Indeed, as people gradually moved beyond lower-tier status and promotions no longer came as swiftly, the frequency of transactions had been steadily declining. What used to be one or two deals per week was now sometimes taking two or three weeks, and perhaps even three or four months in the future. The "Fool" Kline, uncertain whether this development was a blessing or a challenge, nodded gently and invited everyone to freely exchange ideas. Immediately, the "Justice" Audrey turned her gaze toward "Sun" Deric, awaiting his account of the developments in Silver City. Derek didn't disappoint her expectations; he spoke earnestly before anyone else could open their mouths: "Loviya the Elder has been released. I met her in the library." Loviya the Shepherd has been released? Her entire small team has been contaminated by the flesh of the True Maker—how could she possibly be unaffected herself? What are the six councilors of Silver City thinking? Caine had intended to express his skepticism with something like, "If Loviya is unharmed, I'll take my head off and serve it as a football to the True Maker," but considering the curse's vow—should it involve a deity, perhaps unforeseen consequences might follow—he wisely tempered his words. Of course, this is all above the gray mist, where such caution isn't strictly necessary... he quietly mused on it. "Loviya the Elder has been released? The Shepherd?" "Justice" Audrey recalled briefly, and then remembered what the name represented. Back then, the young "Sun" used the incident involving the "Divine Disruptor" Amun, with the help of the "Knight of the Fool," to expose the fact that the entire exploration team had been contaminated by the "True Creator." The leader of that team was Loviya, whose "Shepherd" profession perfectly aligned with the "Secret Keeper" path corresponding to the "True Creator!" "Yes," said Drik, the "Sun," with sincere conviction, glancing toward the "Hanged Man" beside him. After a moment's thought, Aljer unexpectedly asked, "Has your chief already returned to Silver City?" "How did the 'Hanged Man' suddenly ask about this matter... Ah, yes—releasing someone so important would certainly require the other members of the Six-Councilors to wait for the Chief's return." "If the Chief hasn't returned yet, yet they've already made a decision, that means the situation is more serious than we imagined—so serious that they can't afford to wait for him. On the other hand, if the Chief has already returned, then the release of Loviara is likely connected to his recent expedition, since, according to the little 'Sun,' this has been the only exploration undertaken by the Silver City in recent times." "Oh, I didn't think of that earlier, Oudelire—your experience still needs work," thought the 'Justice' Oudelire, half-criticizing herself, half-reassuring. "Indeed, just recently," the 'Sun' Deric was rather surprised by the 'Hanged Man's' accurate assessment. At this moment, the "magician" Foulis, quietly observing, suddenly had an idea: "Sir Sun, wouldn't it be the case that—? Your chief sent an exploration team, including the young boy Jack, to find the path leading out to the outside world, only to discover that this path requires the power of the 'True Creator.' Hmm, this isn't a fabrication of mine—it's a logical inference based on facts. Jack's father belongs to the 'Aurora Society,' who came to your city in pursuit of the 'True Creator's' sanctuary. Therefore, upon returning, your chief decided to release 'the Shepherd' Loviia, for the sake of the entire city of Silver. If this is indeed the case, then Sir Sun will face an imminent danger." "Justice" Odile expressed her concern, and Daryl felt his heart sink rapidly. At that very moment, "The Hanged Man" Aljer shook his head: "No, quite the opposite, I believe." "The Lady of Magic's reasoning aligns perfectly with my own prediction—but I believe that, as a result, 'The Sun' will be safer than ever!" "Why?" Derek asked, his mind instantly focused, his question spilling out. Wasn't it that simple? Balance! In his heart, Kline chuckled. "The peril posed by 'The True Maker' is evident to any intelligent being with eyes and mind. Your chief will certainly not risk everything on Him—he will actively seek out forces capable of balancing 'The True Maker.' And you, having uncovered their conspiracy and now bearing the influence of the 'Defiler' Amon, may represent a completely different possibility. The more fiercely Loivya and the others strive to harm you, the more your chief and the other elders will protect you. Consequently, any lingering doubts about you that may have remained unaddressed will be deliberately overlooked." "The Hanged Man" Aljer offered this explanation simply. Is that truly a good thing? The Lady of Magic, Folshe, found herself genuinely taken aback. The Sir of the Pendulum spoke most convincingly—indeed, in analyzing situations and circumstances, I still fall short of him. Audrey of Justice felt somewhat disheartened, even considering drawing her breath, but decided against it, deeming such an action awkward and unbecoming; she merely thought it over internally. As for Emlyn, the one attuned to the "Moon," he found it difficult to follow the conversation, though he managed to grasp the essence of what was being said, particularly regarding Jack the young boy and the cycles of fate. To break free from the predicament of the Silver City, they had released a "danger" involving the "True Maker"? Emlyn pondered this in his mind. In comparison, Lady Gerda of the Hermit remained entirely baffled, feeling as though she and the others existed in entirely different worlds. "I've suddenly found myself in that familiar feeling—'They're talking about something impressive, yet I completely don't understand it'... I last experienced this feeling many years ago, when I was still quite weak. The previous tarot readings had some subtle signs, especially concerning the City of Silver, but nothing as pronounced as this one. And then—why do they so naturally refer to the 'True Creator' and 'the渎神者' Amun? Hmm... this should be the Amun I know—the one who's the '渎神者'. They're all only at the mid-level sequence. What have they done before, exactly?" Gardelie's confidence, born of strength, was momentarily shaken. After listening to Mr. The Empress's analysis, Deryck of the Sun first exhaled in relief, then immediately grew tense, asking: "Could this mean that the City of Silver will be destroyed by the 'Fallen Creator'?" He had hoped the "Emblem of the Pendulum" would offer him reassurance, but instead heard a low, measured response: "It's not ruled out at all." "What then should we do?" Derek asked sincerely. "Without knowing exactly what the Chief and the other elders of the Six Councilors intend, I can't offer any specific advice—but I think you needn't be so anxious." The "Emblem of the Pendulum," Aljer, looked up and glanced toward the " Fool" seated at the head of the bronze table, quietly observing the assembly. Following his gaze, "The Sun" Derek instinctively turned and saw the "Fool" wrapped in a hazy gray mist, his figure unusually indistinct. A sense of calm settled within him, and without thinking, he recalled the sacred, powerful angel. …though I have indeed thwarted the "True Maker" on several occasions, I would certainly not last a single second if I had to face Him directly… The situation would then become the " Fool" delivering the message, and the "True Maker" would grow even more impatient, finding it hard to swallow. Kline maintained his composed, detached demeanor, silent and uncommitted. Audrey, startled by the lady's title of "The Hermit," instinctively turned her head toward the head of the bronze table, where Sir "The Fool" sat calmly, as though implicitly accepting Amun's other identity.