"There's nothing," said Kline gently. He appeared not to have noticed anything at all, yet his thoughts were racing—considering what the sudden change might mean: the internal wardens had previously ascended to the upper floors via the nearby staircases, suggesting they lived there, which matched the location where the change had just occurred. Their condition seemed off—more unstable than typical extraordinary beings—so perhaps they were more prone to sudden outbursts of malice or dark impulses? And yet, these disturbances had been forcefully suppressed or smoothed out by the sealing core behind the Charnis Gate deep underground? If this were truly the case, there would be two possibilities: first, the seal core behind the Charnes Gate could sense all the unusual changes occurring within the Saint Samuel Church and respond instinctively; second, the on-site guards, over the course of years of constant watch, have gradually been eroded by the strength of the seal core, to the point where they have become part of it—or even carried certain unique qualities—so that whenever disturbances arise, they immediately trigger an intervention from the core's essence. If it's the former, then when I incapacitate the internal guard to replace him, the sealing core behind Charnis Gate will easily detect the change, causing it to react as it did just now—thus, the initiative will only begin before ultimately failing. If it's the latter, then when entering Charnis Gate, my disguised internal guard will inevitably be repelled. I must first clarify the root of the issue before I can devise a targeted solution. Indeed, stealing sealing artifacts from within various churches proves so difficult—it's no wonder few are willing to undertake such a task. While pondering these matters,克莱恩 remained attentive to the Archbishop Electra's account of Saint Samuel's experiences and correspondence, listening until the time was nearly right, then politely excused himself. Upon returning to 160 Berkland Street, he had just handed his hat and cane to Richardson when the butler approached. "Mr. Kline, would you like to host a ball or dinner next weekend, inviting your neighbors?" Walter didn't phrase it in a suggested tone—he simply seemed to be asking a straightforward question. Yet Klein was clear in his mind: since the butler had raised this matter, it was now time to act. He gave a gentle nod. "How about Saturday evening? The ball." "We'll need you and Tania to prepare in advance." "Is there still enough money at home?" As he said the last words, Klein glanced toward the housekeeper. Tania nodded seriously. "There is. The wines and spirits stored in the cellar can cover several banquets." When they had moved to 160 Berkley Street, Klein had handed her a cash sum of one thousand pounds for household expenses. At this point, even with the need to replenish items like wine, tea, and coffee beans, the funds would surely last at least a month. The pound remained strong indeed. Klein nodded, smiled. "For the first time, don't go too extravagant with the wines—Lun's preference is understated." "Yes, sir." Walter was certainly well aware of how to stage a ball, yet he listened to his employer with great attentiveness. Pausing briefly, he then said, "All you need to do is two things: first, with our assistance, prepare a guest list and compose a few opening remarks for each person, tailored to their status and background; second, have a new formal evening attire custom-made for the occasion." How tedious... When I greet Walther, can I just say that the plumbing here is cleaner than the squares of the Southern Continent? While murmuring his thoughts and mild frustrations, Caine nodded gently. "No problem." ........ The night was deep and quiet, with the red moon high in the sky. The haze over Beckland had thinned, revealing a serene and peaceful beauty. In Doane Thonstad's master bedroom, Caine set up the ceremony and summoned himself. He would descend into the sewer tonight to verify whether Trish had already departed and to proceed to the junction she described, exploring the so-called hidden passage in hopes of uncovering something significant. Kaine did not expect any additional rewards—his primary concern was that the secret hidden within this sewer might pose a latent threat, one that could eventually erupt and inadvertently involve Doun Tangtases, thereby jeopardizing his efforts to steal the Antigonous family's notes. In such matters, one cannot act like a ostrich, burying one's head in the sand and pretending nothing has been noticed. One must identify issues early, intervene before they fully manifest—either by disrupting or reporting them—this is the most effective course of action. Of course, one must also remain vigilant, ensuring that one’s own investigative activities do not become the spark that ignites the crisis. Kaine’s spirit emerged from the candle flame, elevated by the Azk copper horn, and took bodily form within Doun Tangtases, guiding him to the edge of the "Wall of Spirit," where he settled into the armchair. To an outside observer, it's as if a wealthy man reads the newspaper until he falls asleep, forgetting to go to bed. The soul summoned into his body and inhabiting it feels distinctly different from a direct return to the physical form—there's a clear sense of separation and disconnection. Comparing his experience, Kline settled the majority of items on the altar, leaving only the candle that maintained the summoning, allowing it to burn steadily. After completing this, Kline wore the "craving of hunger," merged with the Azkran copper whistle, the "Bell of Doom" revolver, and the Senyor gold coin, and then stepped out of the main bedroom, ascending into the air above the 160 Berkland Street, and entering the sewer system. As soon as Kline stepped into the damp, dirty environment, he immediately released the "spirit" Senyor, commanding the spectral figure to move away and establish distance, turning into a hidden side passage where Trist had previously recovered. This time, he observed that the once-clean, seemingly unsewered area had now begun to show signs of soiling, with mice active in the vicinity. "It seems Trist really has gone..." said Kline, silently exhaling as he trailed behind. As a spirit, he didn't need to breathe or walk on the ground, so he didn't mind the harsh conditions within the sewer. Senior, the wraith, turned and stepped out of the area, continuing forward and eventually reaching the sixth left-hand turn. Kline maintained a distance of over fifty meters, fully playing the role of the unseen orchestrator. At the end of that corridor stood a wall thick with moss, visibly corroded—appearing entirely ordinary at first glance, unless Trist had mentioned it, Kline would never have asked the spectral companion to carefully explore every inch of it. A few minutes later, Senior, dressed in a dark red coat, suddenly straightened and took a step forward, stepping into the wall. Penetrating through the thicker obstacle, Klein suddenly found himself in a clear view, using the secret doppelgänger's vision to see a cavern that was half-natural and half-man-made—about 1.8 meters high and roughly 3 meters wide. The floor was cluttered with iron shovels and other tools wrapped in oil cloths, piled high with soil and rubble. In front, two concealed passageways sloped downward. The one on the left was about five to six meters deep, while the one on the right was nearly ten meters deep—both remained empty, as if excavation work was still ongoing. Had Sea Yur created these? During the day, she was a proud, refined lady of high society, yet at night, she worked as a sewer digger, hauling buckets of soil and rubble one by one. Was she circling to pinpoint the exact location, with the excavation to follow? There must have been a hidden door on that wall just now. Klein leaned against a concealed spot outside the junction, guiding Senior to carefully survey the surroundings. Next, he guided the "Spirit of Resentment" into the concealed passage on the left, leading it all the way to the far end where the layers of mud piled up tightly and formed an impenetrable barrier. Senyor's form gradually faded, losing his tangible presence, as he moved through the soil ahead, exploring deeper. Yet, even as he approached the hundred-meter limit, he found no noteworthy discoveries—only ordinary insects. Then, Caine instructed the secret figure to change direction and "swim" through the vast expanse of soil, but still yielded no results. Soon after, the "Spirit of Resentment" Senyor returned to the original cave and entered the concealed passage on the right, unaffected by any obstacles. "There's still nothing out of the ordinary... Trist's judgment that a specific path or certain items are required does make sense... Hmm, she must have been exploring through the intangible threads of the 'Joyful Muse'... Unfortunately, my 'Seed' gloves are lost... I'm not sure if the gray mist aura I carry will suffice—it seems to attract the extraordinary ones who follow the 'Thief's Path'." Kline murmured silently, considering the current opportunity to personally explore the two hidden passages reportedly uncovered by Hayur, now in his ethereal form. Yet, he restrained himself, for he was currently the 'Master of Secret Personas,' and stepping fully into his physical form was against the principle of his performance unless absolutely necessary. "It doesn't matter if there's no misty aura anymore. Just before the Tarot reading tomorrow afternoon, purchase a magical item obtained through the 'Thief's' path—something not too expensive, corresponding to Sequence 9 or Sequence 8... Hmm, the Larnuus badge is merely a signal receiver; it doesn't count as an item from this path. Without knowing what lies deep within the hidden corridors, blindly sending one's ethereal body to explore might very well summon a high-sequence creature. Caution and vigilance will always remain essential self-imposed standards..." Kline exhaled slowly, gently returning the 'Spirit of Resentment' Senior. He had no concern that Haeiru would continue coming—normal human minds wouldn't keep showing up until they found a way to handle the situation from before!" Need not mention whether Hairel has ever been in touch with the circle of the extraordinary beings—even if she has, securing an item from the "Sun" domain isn't a simple matter, after all, since Beckland is the territory of the Storm Church... I do have one item that I rarely use, though, he chuckled. "Why not offer it to her, and then use it to harm my secret companion? That would be a nice irony," he self-deprecatingly remarked, shaking his head with a smile. He then concluded his summoning, stepping directly back onto the gray mist and vanishing into the underground passages. "Emlyn had intended to refuse, but found the other person pressing a small note against the fingers holding the newspaper. ...Emlyn quietly produced a one-penny copper coin, gave it to the person, and took back both the 'Tasok Gazette' and the note. As he approached the church of the Harvest, he swiftly unfolded the note and scanned it: 'Your person has leads—come to the Tavern of the Brave.' "