Klein naturally turned his gaze, holding his gilded staff and following Higas into the general's manor. The architectural style bore no trace of the southern continent's character—neither did it control natural light to create a dim, gloomy interior, nor did it use a few human skeletons as decorative elements to create a striking impact. Instead, it resembled a refined transplantation of northern continental mansions, with an indelible Intis touch: every column was segmented and wrapped in gold leaf, the wall murals featured vibrant color palettes, golden sculptures were embedded throughout the space, and a grand, spiraling staircase descended from the upper levels, spanning all four floors and terminating at the center of the hall, directly facing the entrance, exuding impressive grandeur. Indeed, under the leadership of the Eternal Sun Church, the nation had truly led the world in golden artistry—there was absolutely no sense of being a rising newcomer. As Klein's eyes swept over the golden angel figures, each palm-sized and projecting diagonally from the handrails and midsections of the columns, he restrained himself from reaching out to gently touch them. Glancing at the guards standing at attention on either side, he casually picked a topic and said to Hargis, "Doesn't Colonel Alfred Hall seem to have established himself well in Xibran?" Hargis nodded sincerely, speaking in the typical Ruin noble manner, "He is a determined and courageous man. He once led a special operations unit of thirty or so, launching a surprise attack on an army of one thousand at Intis, completely defeating them. It's said he has also earned commendable victories in the east, and by the age of just over twenty, he has already risen to the rank of colonel." "It sounds impressive... Maybe Brother Justice has already become a remarkable one, and quite a high sequence as well... Hmm, in noble families, each generation should naturally produce a few members who follow the path of the remarkable ones... Hehe. When Mr. Alfred, after enduring hardships and struggles, finally achieves a high sequence as a remarkable one—earning a major or lieutenant's rank—and returns to Beckland, he might find himself sadly defeated even by his own sister's dog. Before leaving, Klein had downed a potion, using his inner criticism to steady his spirits. He didn't ask further about Mr. Alfred, but instead expressed his curiosity with a tone of inquiry: "I've noticed that there are certain differences in customs between the Western and Eastern Baylands. In many homes here, there are visible bone decorations, which are absent in the Eastern Baylands. I've visited this place numerous times, and have long had this question—yet I've never dared to bring it up." "Hagis paused and indicated the elaborate staircase on the opposite side: "Mr. Tang Taise, please wait a few minutes—General will be down shortly." After attending to these matters, he chuckled and said: "The custom of preserving human bones is not very common. It's only retained in royal territories directly under the Banlang Empire, where it originated. For us, the death of a loved one doesn't mark the end of our shared life; before burial, we extract a bone from the deceased's body and place it at home as a decorative item, symbolizing the continued presence of the departed among the living. The specific bone chosen is determined by the priest conducting the funeral rites through a ritual—typically, the skull is the most meaningful. In some households, the skull is even crafted into a wine glass, used only when hosting the most distinguished guests. Mr. Tang Taise, if this transaction succeeds, I would like to invite you to my home for a visit, and I shall serve you my grandfather's skull, filled with 'Finesse wine,' as a gesture of respect." …Klein’s expression nearly froze, as if he truly couldn’t adapt to the local customs. He managed to chuckle twice, intending to merely go through the motions with Hargis, when he noticed a figure descending slowly from the staircase with golden handrails. The figure was not wearing a hat, dressed in a crisp black military uniform with golden buttons and a crimson sash like fresh blood. His skin was a light brown, with soft contours and a gentle facial structure; his features seemed slightly compressed, tightly clustered in the center of his face, giving the impression that his face was larger than average. Having gathered information from multiple sources, Klein immediately recognized this man as Mezanes, the de facto ruler of the northern province of Xibran, who styled himself a general. Though publicly he maintained a balanced position among the cities of Luon, Intis, Fasak, Feneport, and several rebel factions, Klein suspected that Mezanes had already secured strong backing from the royal line of the Luminous Church. Moreover, Klein doubted that this native general also maintained a solid connection with the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom. As for Mésanyles' own strength, whether "The Ice Admiral" Edwénna or "The Star General" Gardeleia, both have listed him as a Level 5 in their records—though they have not specified which path he follows, since his abilities largely manifest as spiritual in nature, yet he carries magical artifacts associated with the Path of Death. "Good afternoon, General," Caine removed his hat and, placing his hand to his chest, bowed. At that moment, he once again felt a series of glances falling upon him, emanating from various sources—the gleam of light on the golden angel statues, the sunlight reflected off the stained-glass windows, and the luminous quality of the polished marble. "Good afternoon, Monsieur Tang-Tsé," Mésanyles replied in the Doutan language. Caine, now fluent in Doutan thanks to his secret companion, certainly understood him; yet, the more time he spent on the southern continent, especially in the eastern and western parts of Béral, the more he noticed the striking resemblance between Doutan and the ancient Foskak language. Although these two languages undoubtedly belong to different systems, making it particularly difficult for him to truly master the Tan language, certain details still show remarkable similarities, as if they share a common origin. The only thing Klein can be certain of is that the origin is not Giant. Acting as though nothing had struck him, he naturally engaged in casual conversation with Mesanyes until she brought up issues related to the military supplies transaction. " How many units do you have?" Klein smiled. " We can easily equip three or four thousand soldiers, and we also have a few cannons." Mesanyes paused and said, " What is your price?" After a moment's thought, Klein replied, " If you agree to have me deliver the goods to the Northern Province, the price is fifty thousand pounds. If, instead, you send a team with me to collect the goods and take responsibility for the subsequent transportation and security, the price drops to forty thousand pounds." Mesanyes considered it and said, " The latter." "You hold the deposit and take my people with you. Once you've inspected the goods and loaded them onto the wagon, my people will pay the remaining balance." He paused, adding, "Though, I don't have that many rupees." The foreign exchange reserves are insufficient... Kline glanced around, smiled casually, "You can pay me directly in gold coins, even gold bars or ingots." Mezaneses was decisive, without hesitation, nodded firmly, "Agreed. I'll have Higges bring people and funds to meet you tomorrow." Indeed, I prefer doing business with people who don't haggle... Kline exhaled in relief, then hesitated, wondering whether his initial offer had been too low. When Mezaneses finally left the general's manor, he suddenly looked up and addressed the space above the stairs, "Lord Lukas, is this the person you've been waiting for?" A figure slowly emerged from the upper level of the grand staircase. An elderly man dressed in a simple white robe, embroidered with strands of golden-yellow silk, has white hair that is neatly combed, his eyes a deep gray-green, so profound they seem to extend without end. He replied at a steady, unhurried pace: "I cannot be certain. Though my prophecy foretold that I would meet someone here, within the next few days, capable of resolving my future predicament, the one who just arrived was quite ordinary—nothing particularly remarkable beyond being extraordinary. 'Of course,' I cannot see beyond his surface. There may well be someone behind him, at least as significant as myself." With these words, he slowly descended the steps and paused a few seconds later. "I shall attempt to use dreams to uncover more." "Would you like me to prepare a special room for you?" asked Meisangyes respectfully. Lukah shook his head. "Just this sitting room beside me, then—ah, the best time will be four hours from now. Please do not disturb me before then." He then entered the room, sat down, leaned back against the sofa, relaxed his body, closed his eyes, and remained silent. It was only as the light grew darker that the elderly man truly fell asleep. In his dream, he found himself standing in the grand hall of the general's manor, on the first step of the magnificent staircase, with Meisangyes, Higis, and a number of guards at his side. Opposite him stood the middle-aged man named Daut Dantese, who suddenly smiled with an exaggerated air of grace. Flames surged upward, and one after another, playing cards fell from above. Lukah's gray-green eyes deepened instantly, and Daut Dantese's body immediately sank into an odd, darkening mist. The elderly man, dressed in a simple white robe, then opened his arms, revealing a subtle, glowing vortex in his chest and abdomen. This vortex suddenly expanded and engulfed Daut Dantese whole. Before Luca could confirm what had happened, he suddenly felt a strange sensation, turned his head toward the side, and there, Mesanys’s face was twitching, his body stretching—within a moment, he had transformed into another D’Artagnan. Almost simultaneously, Higges and every single guard present one after another began to reveal the face of D’Artagnan, all of them turning their gaze toward Luca! Luca was instantly awakened, standing in Mesanys’s presence, who had arrived without any notice, and he paused for two seconds, then spoke in a low tone: “I must personally meet the gentleman I just saw—meet the half-god behind him.” As he finished speaking, he instinctively turned his head toward the window. The street lamps were now lit, the sky deep and dark, and the crimson moon had taken on a strangely blood-streaked hue. Another blood moon! …… Thank goodness for the Sir of the Fool! This year’s blood moons have been so frequent—only two months since the last one—leaving me completely unprepared! The Ford model sat up, wiping a bead of sweat from her brow, murmuring softly to herself. She had reached the town at the edge of Dreyler Forest, checked into a hotel, and taken a room with Hugh, planning to conduct an initial survey of the abandoned castle early the next morning. But just as she was preparing to rest, the Blood Moon had appeared. At this moment, she seemed to recall something, her body stiffening as she turned her head toward the adjacent side. Hugh, who had claimed to be going to bed early, had actually woken up at some point and was now gazing at her, eyes open.