Hmph. What on earth are Emilius and Oston Levet planning that has drawn the warning from the "Dusk Hermit Society"? This ancient and secretive body wouldn't step forward—without revealing its identity—unless it were a pivotal moment that could genuinely reshape the era and alter the course of history. Standing by the grand castle at the edge of his dream, Kline gazed thoughtfully where the vague figure had just faded. As his thoughts flowed, he suddenly realized something, and his earlier conviction wavered: Perhaps Emilius' and his brother's plans do not necessarily influence the broader currents of history after all. While the "Dusk Hermit Society" focuses specifically on such major issues, as a leader of a secret organization, Kline knew well that such bodies, beyond fulfilling their own missions and values, also routinely supported one another. As evidenced in the journal of Emperor Roscel, the "Order of the Twilight Hermit" comprises members from diverse fields, ranks, and sequences. While some devote themselves passionately to the original Creator, awaiting the coming of twilight and the awakening of the true deity, the majority have their own distinct interests and agendas. Under such circumstances, as long as the organization has not been strictly controlled from the outset, internal delegations are inevitably bound to emerge. "Perhaps Oston Levitt's plans merely affect one member of the 'Dusk Hermit Circle,' whom he has detected early and has entrusted with an internal commission, asking other members to issue a warning to Emirius Levitt under the pretext of 'current trends.' From this perspective, the underlying implications take on greater significance. Given the Circle's stature, Emirius—the Sequence 4 'Weaver'—should be the only member reasonably difficult to eliminate; I even question whether they could muster more than three angels to outperform the seven churches. Then, why not act directly, and instead, issue a warning in advance?" "In Beckland, if an angel truly appeared, a genuine deity might even descend—so the 'Dusk Hermit Society' had to adopt more indirect, less conspicuous methods to handle Duke Nigan. But here, on Orlavi Island, even high-tier强者 aren't permanent residents... The warning stems from the Society's deep commitment to secrecy, unwilling to expose itself and preferring less drastic measures—was it still the same member entrusted with internal assignments who didn't want General Emeric to die? For him, the general proved immensely valuable, and thus, he was unwilling to let him go, even if Emeric might have taken actions detrimental to him? Then Emeric's actual identity now narrows down to a few plausible possibilities... Klein boldly hypothesized, yet found no way to verify it, and thus temporarily set the matter aside, letting it rest in the back of his mind." After all, it was General Emile who alerted the "Twilight Hermit Society"—nothing directly to do with me. As long as I remain inactive and uninvolved for the next few days, I'll manage to see the commission through to its conclusion. What happens afterward? That's entirely beyond my concern! At my current rank, my investigation into the "Twilight Hermit Society" is still far from adequate—I simply don't have the credentials to even begin to explore it. Following his inner conviction, Caine shifted his focus to his own Tarot Society. "Hmm, I've noticed a problem. Other secret organizations primarily embody their own missions and principles, with mutual support among members serving as a secondary element. In contrast, our Tarot Society is quite different—we only delegate tasks to one another, lacking a clear mission or overarching philosophy. Well, perhaps in the eyes of certain members, such a mission does exist—for instance, the 'Moon' member believes our society was founded with the purpose of saving the world." Caine chuckled to himself, then stepped out of the dream. He gently rubbed his artificial eye, then smoothly returned his natural eye to its original position—his movements fluid and precise, with a brief pause midway. "It wasn't just a simple entry into sleep!" Reflecting on what had just happened, Caine slightly furrowed his brow. For that force had initially tried to draw him into a state of deep slumber! "But at the time, I was already asleep—why then did it still act that way? The captain mentioned that 'nightmares' can directly perceive dreams and thus couldn't make such a mistake... Therefore, the visitor I just encountered didn't employ a capability similar to that of a 'nightmare.' Instead, they used a different method—perhaps one of spiritual localization? Or, after determining my location, did they directly influence my psyche through the collective unconscious sea as described by Miss Dail?" "Um... I'd lean more toward the second option—only then can I explain why, despite having fully regained my senses, I'm still unable to break free from the dream. The Emperor Roserel himself mentioned in his journal that the organization he was part of, the suspected 'Circle of the Twilight Hermit,' convened through a real, continent-spanning dream. A real dream..." Kaine nodded, offering a silent, soft smile in the midst of his sigh. "General Emirius certainly didn't anticipate the warning from the 'Circle of the Twilight Hermit.' That is, he hired me—had anyone else been involved, they'd have been exposed by now! I can finally say I've upheld the 'Ninth Law' seal." "Yes, I have already registered as a 'Solar High Priest' of Sequence 7." Deric had registered long ago and now had no reason to hide it. Colin's deep, weathered blue eyes shifted slightly, asking with an air of casual attention: "Are there any further potion recipes?" The earliest Deric would have answered directly, "No." But now, even before speaking, he finds himself accustomed to pausing and thinking. If he said "No," and later received a promotion without corresponding experience to back it up, that would surely raise questions. However, if he said "Yes," the Head might ask him to present the recipes in exchange for items, and begin cultivating more exceptional 'Solar' path practitioners—clearly proving that he had been lying. Deric paused, thought it over, and spoke sincerely: "No." In his mind, experience could be created. Colin nodded without any concerns: "Around two months from now, I'll arrange an exploration with the team. We'll solidify the path and ruins we discovered through Jack's efforts and carry out a second round of clearing. I hope you'll gain even more insights." "Indeed, Sir." As Drikik finished his response, he suddenly remembered Elder Lovira, the 'Shepherd'. ... After sunrise, Caine changed into fresh clothes with Cynthia's assistance, enjoyed a sumptuous breakfast, and then took a carriage into the Orlavi Naval Base, escorted by the General's guard. In the morning, he inspected the condition of the ships and ammunition stores, visited the newly constructed training grounds, and the baths that had undergone twenty repairs over the past year. After lunch at the naval canteen, Caine convened officers at the rank of major and above, as scheduled in his agenda, to hear their reports. Throughout this process, a thick black notebook remained open before him, containing a series of questions specially prepared by Admiral Emilius Levet. "Over the past several decades, due to salary cuts and mistreatment of sailors, seventeen mutinies among the lower-ranking troops have occurred at Olaavi. Since the implementation of the Royal Navy's latest regulations, under your guidance, Admiral, we have significantly improved this situation—there have been no such incidents in the past three years..." A colonel from the Olaavi Naval Base stood in place, reporting the overall situation. He occasionally glanced up at Admiral Emilius Levet, noting how attentively he listened, taking detailed notes, the rustling sound of the pages creating an atmosphere of focused concentration that made every officer seated around him feel compelled to remain equally engaged and attentive. The colonel, receiving such a positive response, gradually raised his voice slightly. How boring... Caine held a pen and casually sketched creatures like turtles, octopuses, and giant dragons onto his black leather notebook. Since he had never studied drawing, he drew wherever the inspiration struck, resulting in a rather unimpressive mess. Eventually, he even drew a series of intersecting solid lines, playing a game of Go—five-in-a-row—that Roscelis the Great had invented. Of course, his rich experience and awareness of his own role ensured that he would periodically lift his head, gaze seriously at the speaker, and offer encouraging nods—though he paid no attention to what was being said, only remembering occasional phrases. Between reports, Caine would glance at his blonde secretary, Lurien, asking him to take over and raise a few points that needed clarification. Everything proceeded according to routine. In the end, Caine flipped a few pages forward in the black leather notebook and recited the secretary's draft report, revised by the marshal, in the refined tone of a Roon nobleman, adding appropriate transitional phrases and habitual expressions—such as "Here are a few more points" and "Let me add a few more"—tailored to match the actual situation and the marshal's own speech patterns. By the time the meeting concluded, it was already evening. Caine left the Orlavi base with the secretary, Lueran, to attend a dinner hosted at a naval agent's residence. Over dinner, they casually discussed fluctuations in port supply prices, while Caine, emulating Marshal Emirius, occasionally shared an outdated Beckettland joke, each one eliciting warm, enthusiastic responses and praise from everyone, who consistently lauded the marshal as truly witty. Though he successfully maintained his role throughout the evening, when Caine boarded the carriage, he felt a profound sense of physical and mental exhaustion. "Every word and gesture must be carefully attended to—just playing the role of a day is more exhausting than fighting a battle against the Admiral of the Pirates..." Caine breathed silently, half-closing his eyes with composed calm. He knew the most difficult phase of today had not yet passed! He still had to face Cyntha... ... In the villa, Cyntha learned from a servant who had been out gathering information that Admiral Emirius was on his way back. She quietly returned to her bedroom, removed the small pendant resembling a black rhinoceros horn, scraped off a little powder with a thin metal sheet, and added it to the hot water in a white-glazed porcelain teacup. She silently chanted the name "Tree of Desire" seven times, then waited another few seconds before lifting the cup with hopeful anticipation and sipped it down.