By the time Leonard had recovered, towering stone pillars rose above an endless expanse of gray-white mist, supporting a magnificent palace that seemed to be the dwelling of giants. With a green gaze filled with bewilderment, Leonard found himself, after a moment of stillness, seated at the side of an ancient, weathered bronze long table, flanked by dignified, high-backed chairs on both his sides. At the highest point of the table, a figure was veiled in thick gray mist, leaning gracefully against the chair back, as if gazing down upon all that lay beneath. As this figure first came into view, Leonard felt as though he had stepped aboard a ship, facing an endless, deep sea with no visible edges or bottom, or as though he had stepped out of the city into the suburbs, gazing up at majestic mountains rising into the sky. In an instant, Leonard's mind flashed with a series of thoughts, forming a clear sense of his current situation. As a remarkable figure of the Church—a believer in the true existence of the divine—he could not resist the inner conviction and, instinctively, rose to his feet to pay homage before the presence before him. The power of the divine! It was as vast as mountains and as deep as the sea! Just as Leonard began to rise, an invisible force pulled him back down, and a calm, even voice resonated in his ears: "Need not go through such formalities. You may call me 'The Fool,' sir." The Fool... Indeed. The heart of Leonard, once trembling with fear of the unknown, now settled. Though he still harbored concerns about what might come next, he no longer felt uneasy or restless, nor was he parched with anxiety. He rose slightly, placed his hand on his chest, and bowed respectfully: "Respected Sir Fool, what is it that has summoned me here?" "As a seasoned 'Night Watchman' and a 'Red Glove' who has participated in numerous major cases, Leonard knew firsthand how perilous it was to establish a connection with a hidden presence, and he was now clearly slipping downward toward the abyss, with no chance of rescue. At the very moment he decided to invoke the name of 'The Fool,' he could foresee a tragic outcome. Yet, for the sake of vengeance, he made his choice without hesitation. Still, human beings possess an innate instinct for survival—knowing that his faith in 'The Fool,' Klein Moretti, not only survived but had even ascended to semi-divine status, Leonard could not help but harbor a glimmer of hope and expectation. Then, he heard 'The Fool,' veiled in gray mist, emit a soft, low laugh: 'Since you have sought my assistance, by the principle of equivalent exchange, you must surely offer something in return.' Leonard trembled slightly, lowering his head further: 'What would you like from me?' After a brief pause, the voice of "The Fool" resonated once more: "Don't worry—perhaps later you'll be asked to do something, to help certain people. Sit down." Leonard exhaled slowly and settled into a seat, glancing around as he asked, "He, Kain Moretti, has also come here, just like I have, hasn't he?" The "Fool," emerging from the gray mist, spoke with a tone that remained steady. "A different way." A different way... Indeed, Kain had not entered this place by reciting his name. He had become a follower of "The Fool" through receiving guidance from Azk. Aeges, the "High Officer of Death." Leonard glanced around again, noting that there were exactly twenty-two high-backed chairs surrounding the weathered long table. Corresponding to twenty-two extraordinary paths, or twenty-two Tarot cards... "The Fool"... just as Leonard's mind began to form a guess, he heard Mr. The Fool chuckle lightly: "Besides you, other beings have also been drawn here for various reasons. They have asked me to convene regular gatherings, where they can exchange information, buy and sell materials, trade recipes, and support one another—this will help them advance swiftly and become higher-tier members." This differs somewhat from my imagined secret organization, where Tarot cards serve as identifiers—it feels more loose and flexible. What purpose does Mr. The Fool have in agreeing to such requests? Since arriving at this ancient palace rising above the gray mist, Leonard's spirit has remained highly alert, sharpening his thoughts beyond normal acuity, and prompting numerous questions. After successfully avenging himself, he actually went through a period of melancholy and emptiness, as though he had lost his sense of purpose—yet he soon regained his strength, because Dail's death reminded him that he wasn't yet strong enough. To reduce the number of fellow companions who would fall in future missions and to no longer be helpless in saving them, he needed to raise himself at least to Sequence 4, becoming a being half-god, half-human. Thus, the "Jester's" words stirred something within him—feeling it to be an opportunity. At the same time, he believed that joining the gatherings and gaining a deeper understanding of the inner workings of this secret organization would help him mitigate the risks associated with forming a connection with the "Jester" in the future. After some thought, Leonard asked: "Is Caine Moretti one of the regular attendees of these gatherings? Does he have a seat reserved here?" The "Jester" responded casually: "Yes." Leonard paused for a moment and said, "Respected Sir Fool, may I join that regular gathering?" The "Fool," enveloped in gray mist, smiled and replied, "Certainly. But upon your return, do make sure to mention this to Palis Soloyasda. Do not attempt to conceal it from Him." He... the old man is truly an angel! That explains why the "Steward of Fortune" seal works so marvelously... Although Leonard had long suspected as much, he still felt a sense of astonishment upon receiving confirmation from Sir Fool. He hesitated and asked, "Why must I specifically inform Palis Soloyasda?" Though he got along well with Palis Soloyasda and had built a certain level of trust with him, he still harbored a good deal of caution. It was precisely this cautiousness that had prompted him to make the initial request—to balance the potential threat posed by the ancient parasite through his participation in Sir Fool's secret gatherings. He immediately heard the gentleman known as "The Fool" chuckle: "Often, deterrence proves more useful than battle." Deterrence proves more useful than battle... indeed, forcing a balance might provoke the old man. Regardless, the final battlefield will undoubtedly be within me, and that would be highly unfavorable to me. Deterrence, however, allows Him to grasp the situation clearly. Even if He harbors ill will, He will seek alternative solutions and pathways. Leonard nodded thoughtfully and said, "Respected Sir 'The Fool,' I have no further questions." At the head of the bronze long table, "The Fool" manifested a Tarot card and pointed to it: "Each of them has chosen a Tarot card as their designation. You may draw one as well. 'The cards with a sovereign are already excluded.'" Indeed, they have chosen Tarot cards as their designations... Leonard exhaled, and couldn't help but ask one more question: "Which card did Caine Moretti draw?" "The World." "The Fool" said lightly, "It was him, and it wasn't him." What did that mean? Leonard didn't dare ask further. He extended his right hand and drew one card from the tarot deck. When he opened it, he saw a sky filled with stars and a goddess pouring holy water. "The Star!" That wasn't quite Leonard's taste, but since the ritual had been performed under the witness of "The Fool," he had to accept it. "Return to Beckland. Gather every Wednesday at three in the afternoon." With a gesture, "The Fool" raised his hand, and as Leonard hurriedly bowed, he vanished into the ancient palace. "The Fool" then chuckled, turning all the tarot cards face up. They bore the same image—the same vast expanse of stars. Every single one was "The Star!" After a moment of laughter, Klein turned his gaze once more to the deep red star representing Leonard. While attempting to draw his poetry-class colleague into the realm above the gray mist, he had made careful observations and discovered a luminous orb residing within Leonard Mitchell—this orb seemed composed of countless linked segments of a worm-like creature, deeply embedded within his spiritual essence. This confirmed for Caine that Palis Soloyasde was only in an initial state of parasitism and had not yet fully seized control of Leonard’s mental body, stellar spirit body, etheric body, or physical form. Having ascended to semi-divinity and gained deeper mastery over the mysterious space above the gray mist, he now could no longer rely solely on drawing the soul as a whole; instead, he could effectively divide and select specific components. Therefore, Caine decided to leave Leonard’s spiritual body untouched and draw only his stellar spirit body into the realm above the gray mist—this would avoid disturbing Palis Soloyasde, or drawing Him along with Leonard into this mysterious space. Of course, the Sequence-1 angel who had arrived via the "theft" path would surely perceive what had transpired. Yet the extraordinary ability of the "Night" path—enabling individuals to enter others' dreams—originates from the stellar body, and this does not hinder Leonard in exercising his own strengths within this mysterious space. "I hope he can gradually shed the parasitic influence of Palis Soloyasde," Klein sighed suddenly. He had invited Leonard into the Tarot Circle precisely to help his teammate grow stronger, step by step, and gradually escape the shadow cast by Palis Soloyasde. If the angel of the "Theft" path harbors no ill will, then let Leonard assist Him in evading Amun and restoring Him; if there is malice, then compel Him to seek a new host. Turning his gaze away, Klein thought for a moment, then transferred the magic potion formula for the "Hunter" path, Sequence 6, "The Strategist," into the luminous point representing Daniz, and instructed him in the voice of Germán Sparo to depart from the Southern Continent and return to the "Golden Dream" ship. “The hunting eyes of the black spider, the lion’s mind...” Danyz paused, recalling what he had just “seen,” then happily stood up. He decided to immediately say goodbye to Anderson Hude and flee the dangerous southern continent. At the door of the mist-sea’s foremost hunter, he knocked gently and found the wooden door already open. Anderson hadn’t closed it! Danyz was taken aback and quickly turned his gaze, seeing Anderson now using his short blade to gesture over his own stomach.