Regardless of the language spoken, could they understand each other? Klein's attention immediately passed by Edwenna's first sentence—the "Admiral of the Iceberg"—and settled squarely on the second, which seemed perfectly straightforward. Though this was the world established in *The Travels of Grols*, where anything was possible, certain details still hinted at underlying issues. To Klein, what mattered wasn't merely that they could understand each other, but *how* they achieved that understanding. Was the world rigid in its rules regarding linguistic comprehension, or was there a single, elevated consciousness orchestrating real-time translation, as I did during the Tarot gathering? If it's the former, the target who doesn't understand the Giants' language hears an unfamiliar tongue yet still comprehends the meaning; if it's the latter, they hear languages they're familiar with... Since克莱恩 himself is proficient in multiple ancient or supernatural languages, he finds it difficult to make an accurate judgment at this moment. He slows his pace slightly, walks side by side with Daniz, and lowers his voice to ask, "What language did you just hear Groserel speak?" Daniz pauses for a moment, recalling, "It's a language that feels somewhat familiar yet still foreign, but I understand every word." He is fully fluent in the ancient Hermes language, followed by Elvish; his grasp of Giants' language is still only beginning. Well, something akin to understanding linguistic rules—on a mental, intuitive level—this suggests that the fundamental rules governing the world within the book may differ from those outside, originating from its own internal framework. Yet, it's unclear whether these rules can be altered beyond certain limits; this remains to be verified, as it's not impossible that there exists a figure akin to the Fool, who might translate through purely mental communication. Edwena indeed demonstrates remarkable sensitivity and observational acumen, pinpointing issues that directly address the essence of this fictional world. As he thought, Caine moved steadily and unhurriedly into the vast, dark cavern. Regarding the historical accounts presented by the team members, which seemed somewhat unusual, he showed no surprise—indeed, he had been anticipating such details. Klein had long known that the major churches and the nations of the northern continent were deliberately erasing or concealing records, hiding the true history of the Fourth, Third, and even the Second Ages—thus, the accounts circulating in the wider world naturally differed from what the protagonists of those eras had personally experienced. This too was one of the reasons Klein willingly undertook the risks of entering the world within the book! Next to him was a young man sleeping on a stone, clad in a heavy, sturdy black full-body armor, holding a black straight sword that gleamed with a cold light. His facial features were well-defined, with clear Runestones characteristics. Facing them across the table was a man whose appearance was unusual and somewhat unsettling—mid-thirties, wearing a pointed, rigid black hat, his outer coat buttons arranged unevenly, both up and down, neither symmetrical nor harmonious. His boots were sharply pointed, resembling those of a circus clown. The man had a decent face—light flaxen hair, deep brown eyes, a high nose bridge, and thin lips—giving off an air of dignity even while seated. Edwenna indicated him and said: "Lord Mobet Soloyasht, Viscount of the Kingdom of Solomon—a man who can take away others' ideals and dreams." "No need to be so diplomatic. Good day, I'm Sequence 5 of the 'Thief' Path, the 'Dream Stealer.'" "Moberg chuckled warmly, completely contrasting with the lofty air he carried. A member of the Zoroastrian family... there's an angel from this family residing within Leonard, perhaps they know each other? Ah, now I understand—the names of the Sequence 5 and Sequence 4 of the 'Theft Path' are clear to me, yet I still don't know the corresponding Sequence 7 and Sequence 6. Kline remained composed, silently passing over several thoughts. At this moment, Anderson greeted him warmly with a friendly, natural ease, asking, 'Honestly, I first heard of the 'Dream Stealers' today. I'm only familiar with the 'Thefters' and 'Con Artists'; there are still two sequences missing. Isn't the number of extraordinary individuals on this path now so scarce? Didn't Edwena know? Sequence 7, the 'Decryptor'; Sequence 6, the 'Fire Thief.' Ah, I'll be delighted to introduce you both." "Moberth pointed warmly at the prayerful figure facing away from the group, 'This is the devout Snowman monk, who believes in the Lord, the All-knowing, All-powerful Creator. Don't mind him—he's completely immersed in his own world of faith. But when it comes to battle, he'll be a most reliable companion. Oh, Moberth, at least say something!'" Moberg shook his head and instead pointed to the austere monk Snowman. "He might go years or even decades without speaking a word. Chatais, on the other hand, is a very forceful woman—whenever she feels even a slight emotional shift, she'll hit me. Oh, how deeply I once admired her! Now, how deeply I fear her. So, I've had to take the initiative to speak, to find words with them, or else I'd surely go mad! Fortunately, Draken came later. He's rather talkative. Oh, Draken, wake up! We've got new companions!" The black-armored knight, who had been sleeping, stirred slowly and opened his eyes toward Caine and the others. Suddenly, as metal clinked and rang, he rose to his feet and fixed his gaze on Caine. "A Ruin-born?" "Yes." Caine nodded calmly, noting that the former Ruin soldier, missing for over 165 years, showed not the slightest sign of aging—his black hair cascaded down, his blue eyes sharp and penetrating, making one feel instinctively inclined to obey. Longzeler showed clear signs of dazedness, but quickly composed himself: "Do you know the Edward family of Beckland?" "Beckland has many Edwards," said Kline simply. "The Edward family living at 18 Dehale Street in the northwest district." Longzeler pressed urgently. Kline shook his head. "There's no longer a northwest district." "There's no longer a northwest district..." Longzeler repeated the words softly, his voice gradually fading. After a moment of silence, he exhaled and said: "I don't know how many years have passed outside, but it must have been many—Edwenna gave me the exact years. Yet I can't remember which year I arrived here. Most of the time I've been asleep, and time here has seemed to freeze." "Mobert Soloyasde chuckled lightly upon hearing this: 'This is merely bad luck on your part. When we traveled through cities and villages earlier, everything was splendid.' He turned to Caine, Andersen, and Daniz and said: 'At that time, we lived among human and intelligent species. We married repeatedly, and each time watched our wives grow old, weaken, and eventually pass away. Indeed, before new members joined, we would often forget our purpose, living for decades or even centuries in ordinary, peaceful, and joyful lives—except that we never had our own children.' 'Then came Drayzal, and we entered this region shrouded in ice, hunting numerous monsters. Yet gradually we began to fall into deep sleep, waking only rarely, until we met Edwena." That is to say, time in the world of the book flows normally, and what maintains the story's progression is some kind of force affecting the protagonist team. Until a new member joins or the book turns a page, they remain at the previous stage, doing other things... This is similar to the mutual translation between mental and spiritual levels of language... Could we say, in reverse, that the towns and villages in the book world are developing normally in reality? Yes—we must quickly find King Yurisahn of the North, or else, as time passes, we too will suffer this influence, drifting into a state of drowsy unconsciousness or gradually forgetting our primary purpose, staying here for a long time until new members are absorbed into the book and find us. Caine remained silent for a few seconds, about to speak, when Edwena interjected: "We needn't worry about this anymore. "We'll soon meet King Yurisahn of the North." "Why?" both Anderson and Moberet asked simultaneously. Edwena surveyed the room and said, "Before I entered, the sections of the journal that were stuck together had already been reduced to just a few pages. Now that you've all arrived and found the camp, surely more pages have been turned, and the story is drawing to a close." Moberet gave a barely perceptible nod, agreeing with Edwena's assessment, while Anderson murmured softly about the word "stuck." Edwena then introduced Craine, Anderson, and Daniz, and sat down beside the fire as if demonstrating. Craine removed his hat and held it alongside his walking stick, sitting down slowly and gazing at Moberet Soloyasde, who loved to speak. "Have you ever heard of the Tordu Empire or the Trenzosth Empire?" he asked directly, without any hesitation—this was consistent with the character of Garmen Sparo. "No." "Moberet shook her head." "Edwenna has already asked me. Hm, in my generation, the Tord, the Trenzost, and even our Soloyast family were all great noble houses of the Solomonic Empire, loyal to the 'Black Emperor.' " So both the Tord and Trenzost families were actually traitors to the Solomonic Empire... After a moment's thought, Kline asked, "Besides you, what other noble houses remained in the Solomonic Empire?" "Many, many," Moberet smiled, glancing at Longzeler. "Augustus, Abraham, Zarathustra, and so on—so on. In my time, the Night Church's greatest rivals were the War Church, the Egis family of the southern continent, while the Storm Sovereign, the Eternal Sun, and the Churches of Knowledge and Wisdom were all in constant rivalry with one another, each striving to gain the support of the Solomonic Empire." He paused for a moment, his expression gradually becoming solemn. "At that time, the gods walked upon the earth, not in the celestial realms." PS: Updated early in the morning.