The clockmaker Kanoe's expression grew strangely puzzled upon hearing the name Frank Lee: "I know him—he's a kind and pure man, though sometimes, his purity is so intense that it's almost intimidating." Indeed... Klein stepped aside to allow room at the stairwell, following Kanoe down as he casually remarked, "You know him well, don't you?" Kanoe walked silently ahead, and only after a moment did he turn back to face Germán Sparro and say: "I'm a product of failure, full of problems, constantly mocked—only Frank and a few others see me with ordinary eyes, treating me as a truly authentic person with my own soul." "Why did he leave the Church of the Great Mother?" Klein asked, knowing full well the answer. As Kanoe stepped out of the bell tower and began to orient himself, he replied, "I don't know the exact reasons." "He was an orphan, raised from childhood in a monastery, where he truly regarded the church as his family and saw the Mother Goddess as his mother. He has many odd ideas. Originally, he had a strong chance of becoming a bishop, but he nearly ended up before the court of judgment—on the grounds of heresy. Frank mentioned this, because he wanted to cross-breed bulls, cows, and wheat. To be honest, if it were me, I'd have sent him to the court as well. The reason he hadn't had any major issues so far is undoubtedly that his rank wasn't high enough yet, limiting the scope of his actions. Klein mumbled a few words and then followed the clockkeeper, Cano, down a street to a side alley behind the Saint Drelk Church. Cano approached a regular house, rang the doorbell twice, then once more—three times in total. After a while, the tapping sound grew closer, and the door creaked open. Klein then saw an elderly man dressed in a black short coat, holding a sturdy walking cane." The elder had hair and skin as white as snow, with no obvious wrinkles on his face, and a black eye mask covering his entire field of vision at the eyes' position. "Mr. Ryochod, Mr. Gelmann Sparo has come to see you." Ryochod? That's Ryochod? He's blind? Klein had only heard of him before, never seen him personally—now he found himself rather astonished. Ryochod tilted his ear slightly and slowly turned his head toward where Gelmann Sparo stood, chuckling: "Sorry, I can only meet you this way. This morning, as I got up, I suddenly had a feeling—today I wouldn't be able to open my eyes and see anything. To prevent any unexpected mishaps, I've decided to wear this mask." ...That's quite something... I can't quite match his mystic flair. Klein found himself both amused and surprised. Then it dawned on him—the precise interpretation of the feeling was that he wouldn't see *himself*. He remembered that the extraordinary ones who passed through the "Monsters" could see things others couldn't, so it was only natural that "Mercury Serpent" Wil Aunseint could perceive his own uniqueness, while back in Tinggen, Ademissor had immediately gone blind, collapsing in pain the moment he saw him. Senator Rijord sensed the danger and had already donned his eye mask in advance... Oh, if he hadn't done that, I would have surely asked him what he saw. Klein never forced others to endure self-harm; he steadied his thoughts and asked instead: "Any clues regarding the magical artifacts I need?" "Not yet," Senator Rijord smiled. "After recovering, I went to Bayam and fortunately encountered high-level reassignments within the navy and the governor's office, which enabled me to successfully rescue Roy Kin, though it did take up considerable time." Klein had anticipated this development and responded calmly: "Then I'll trade this request for a favor." "My friend has been plagued by misfortune since coming into contact with the murals left behind by the 'Angel of Fate.' He needs to be completely freed from this influence." The Member of Parliament, Rijod, paused thoughtfully. "No problem. Take me there, and don't let him leave—there might be an unexpected development." Kline nodded, picked up his suitcase, and walked toward the alley entrance, seizing the opportunity to ask, "Mr. Member, could you tell me what you know about the 'Tree of Desire'?" In Kline's view, the Life School and the Rose School had many visible points of contention, suggesting a deep mutual understanding between them. Rijod held his walking cane, moving slowly behind and to the side, independent of any assistance or guidance—much as if he hadn't been wearing a blindfold at all. He chuckled warmly. "The 'Tree of Desire' is the embodiment of the 'Bound God' of the Rose School. Yet I suspect the truth may be the opposite—the 'Bound God' is actually one of the manifestations of the 'Tree of Desire.'" My reasoning is that the "Red Light" Ael Moria has yet to assign the Sequence 0 position in the "Stranger" path—do you know what Sequence 0 is?" "Yes," Kline replied succinctly, without elaboration, even though he didn't mention knowing anything about the Clear Light Brotherhood. "Well," said Senator Rijord, "in short, no one knows the true identity of the 'Tree of Desire,' nor which path it corresponds to—perhaps that is precisely its true identity. Additionally, I can offer some circumstantial details. "The Tree of Desire and the 'Primordial Moon' are in constant opposition, seemingly irreconcilable, which is why the Rose School has always been hostile toward us. "Yet, at times, their relationship is quite subtle—perhaps hard to imagine—there are even 'Moon-Worshipping' wizards from the Southern Continent who have joined the Rose School. "The Seven Divine Churches detest the 'True Creator,' 'Primordial Witch,' and 'Cosmic Shadow,' yet they harbor even greater enmity toward the 'Primordial Moon' and the 'Witch of Desire.' Similarly, the Aurora Order, the Witch Orders, the Blood-Devotees, and the Moes' Ascetic Order all hold a strong aversion to the Rosicrucian School. That's rather intriguing... Is the 'Witch of Desire' one of the two most isolated entities? Klein paused a carriage, watching the clockmaker Kanos escort the 'Fate Senator' Rijord aboard. He then entered the carriage and instructed the driver to proceed to a nearby inn. Not long afterward, the carriage arrived at its destination. As Klein was about to alight, a tremendous roar suddenly echoed through the street. The explosion sent the entire avenue trembling, shattering glass panes and scattering their fragments across the ground. Unlikely... Could this be the misfortune befalling Anderson? Klein's spiritual intuition confirmed it—indeed, the truth was as such—but the most unfortunate hunter still hadn't perished yet." He turned his head toward the outside of the carriage and saw that a large section of the wall on the second floor of the inn had collapsed, with traces of flame and smoke still lingering. At that moment, a figure stood below, with disheveled golden hair and tattered clothes, murmuring to himself: "How bold of someone to conduct military supplies transactions—especially new explosive compounds—right inside the inn! It nearly left me in the dark about what happened... My luggage box..." Klein glanced down at the leather suitcase he was carrying and suddenly felt grateful for his cautious nature. He turned back, supporting Rijod and helping the esteemed member of parliament descend from the carriage. Anderson sensed the shift and offered a wry smile. "These weapons merchants these days are simply not professional! Fortunately, it's daytime, so few guests were resting. The inn owner is indeed unfortunate to suffer such losses, though—his precious gold should remain safe and intact, at least, and will help offset the damage." I think your misfortune bears a significant share of the blame... Klein nodded, turning to Rijod. "It's him." Rijord immediately turned his head toward Anderson, but the dark eye mask obscured all sight. He paused for a few seconds, then smiled gently. "Here's a coin for you." "Uh?" Anderson hesitated, pulling out a Ruin coin from the inner lining of his clothing, then smiled at Germán Sparo. "It's a custom in my hometown—to sew a small pocket into the inner layer of one's clothes and place a few coins inside. I didn't believe in it at first, but lately, I've been having such bad luck." He handed the coin to Rijord as he spoke. Rijord took the coin, slowly closed his fingers around it, and then withdrew his hand. He then smiled and said, "Your misfortune is now lifted." "Ah?" Anderson stared blankly at Germán Sparo beside him, as if to say: That's it? You're not a fraud, are you? Klein was equally astonished, yet chose to believe Rijord—after all, he was a Member of the Council of Fate. Rijord tucked away the coins, chuckled, "You've always had bad luck in such a simple way, haven't you? If you don't believe me, just try your luck at the casino." "Good point!" Anderson clapped his hands together, immediately grabbing a passerby to find out where the nearest casino was. A while later, he returned in a clean, well-pressed jacket, looking at Rijord the member of parliament waiting by the street corner. Instinctively, he opened his mouth. He suddenly froze, forced himself to close it, and then smiled warmly and thanked him. When the half-god was finally taken to the carriage, he leaned close to Germán Sparro and remarked with a sense of wonder, "I was going to say that although you're blind, you're truly skilled in matters of fate—thankfully, I remembered that you're a half-god." If you really say that, then you might just become the hunter who meets his end right after his misfortune is lifted... Kline didn't agree with him, but instead said, "Could you tell me about that gun?" "Since his 'craving for movement' has certain limitations, he still hopes to possess a more conventional offensive magical item. Anderson combed his hair and chuckled, saying, 'In Bayam. 'He's a friend I knew previously—a very accomplished adventurer. Growing tired of the unpredictable and dangerous life, he used his savings to purchase several spice estates, married a good woman, and completely stepped away from the adventure world. 'A few months ago, he had a child, and his mindset shifted again. Now he wishes to provide his child with a better environment, better education, and a safer life, so he plans to move to Beckett, which boasts the finest grammar schools and public schools. 'He doesn't intend to merely rent in Beckett, nor does he plan to sell his profitable estates that continue to generate income. With a surplus of magical items, he's decided to sell that revolver." "At the time, I was eager to join the treasure-hunting group to that sea region and didn't know whether our mission would ultimately succeed. Still, it's quite rare for someone to secure nearly ten thousand pounds in a single transaction—arranging such a deal isn't easy." "Then, take me to see him," Caine replied simply. ……… At this very moment, Daniz was deeply alarmed to discover a problem aboard the *Golden Dream*: The captain had not appeared on board for three days!