Indeed… Leonard, whose thoughts had been confirmed, no longer dwelled on the matter and turned back to the point: "Old man, you just asked me about the dreams I visited, didn't you? Yes, during the process of avenging myself against Inz. Zangewell, the brother of Amun, a certain King of Angels, appeared." His slightly aged voice in his mind didn't respond immediately; it took several seconds before he sighed. "As I expected, '0–08' matters always manage to draw Adam into the picture at some point. Good thing I chose to enter a state of sleep in advance." Before Leonard could reflect on Palis. Soloyasde's words, he instinctively exclaimed in astonishment: "Old man, you—you just mentioned His name!" Adam's gaze was already coming, and it had already arrived. The slightly weathered voice intoned, "Hey— you've actually learned about Adam's special... But I mention it, and that's fine; He'll simply think someone else is speaking about Him. Of course, you don't need to know much about it— if you do, you'll find yourself occasionally wondering. Over time, or if you're close enough, Adam will eventually learn too. Just like '0–08'. And '0–08' only affects one major metropolitan area, whereas Adam's influence spans the entire world." As terrifying as Amun— another kind of terror. Leonard steadied himself, forcing himself not to dwell on Adam, and reflecting on Palis Soloyasde's words. Suddenly, he nearly couldn't suppress his voice as he said aloud, "Old man, you've been sleeping not because of frailty, but because you're worried about encountering Amun's brother?" "Cough." "Palis cleared his throat." "There are two reasons, and they're not contradictory. After giving you the two 'Chrono-beasts,' my condition has worsened. In this state, how can I face the King of Angels and conceal my very existence? I'm this old now—my arms and legs are weak. I don't need to be visible at all; I have to hide." Leonard momentarily found no words to counter this, and only after a few seconds said: "Amon and his brother are surely older than you. The ancient sun gods were indeed the primordial deities even before the great catastrophe..." Before Palis. Zoroastre could respond, he slightly exhaled in relief: "So, because of your self-imposed isolation and slumber, the King of Angels hasn't noticed any issues with me?" Palis chuckled: "No, he has." "...Leonard's expression froze, almost as if he were about to look around. He suspected Adam might be sitting quietly in some corner of the room, listening to his conversation with the old man!" At this point, Parves Soloyasde added, "You must have been very close to Him at that time. Did you really think your inner thoughts could remain hidden from an Angel King who embodies the 'audience' pathway of 'uniqueness'? And surely, you didn’t politely call out 'old man,' 'old man' at the crucial moments." Leonard paused, instinctively responding, "…Did you hear that?" He doubted that the old man had indeed heard, yet chose to remain silent, fearing that Adam would notice. "No," Parves' slightly weathered voice carried a touch of irony, "I don’t even need to hear you to know what you’ll do—I still haven’t quite grasped what kind of person you are." With a touch of embarrassment, Parves Soloyasde continued, "Adam undoubtedly knows you’ve been taken over, but due to my own slumber and isolation, He hasn’t yet been able to determine who exactly has been infecting you. How many such half-gods possess this ability? Not many, certainly—but not exactly rare either." "Ah, so that's it," Leonard exhaled, finally easing his tension. He had been most concerned that Adam would notice the old man and relay the news to the "heretic" Amun upon returning. As he thought about this, Leonard voiced a question he had been holding since earlier: "By the way, old man, what exactly is the 'King of Angels'?" After a moment's pause, he spoke in a low voice: "In the battle for vengeance against Inz. Zangweil, I encountered great difficulties—so great that I could not even meet my enemy's gaze, let alone cast the 'Steward of the Flow' sigil. When my appeals for your assistance went unanswered, I chose to recite the sacred name of the 'Fool,' and received a response. "After the event, I found myself as if in a dream, arriving at an ancient palace rising above an endless expanse of gray mist..." As Leonard was still speaking, Palis interrupted him quietly: "Did you see the 'Fool'?" "Yes," he replied, recalling the moment with a poetic tone. "His presence was as deep as the sea and as majestic as the mountains, his form veiled in the gray mist, so that I could hardly make out his shape. He has established an organization, holding weekly afternoon meetings before the divine altar—true divine assemblies—and I am now one of its members." "Palais remained silent once again, speaking little for a long while before finally saying, 'Was this the 'Fool' who you were told to convey this message to?' 'Yes.' Leonard nodded to himself, lowering his voice toward the air. 'Old man, have you ever met Him?' Palais Soloyasde sighed and replied, 'I don't know Him personally, but I can probably guess at a bit of His background. You needn't ask what it is—I won't tell you.' 'Ah, perhaps this is your chance. Otherwise, you'd hardly become a half-god.' Leonard opened and then closed his mouth again, refraining from mentioning the Tarot gatherings, since the 'Fool' had not shared any further details that could be passed on. He thought for a moment and then asked, 'Old man, is there another Angel King named Medici, known as the 'War Angel'?' Palais nodded. 'You can also call Him the 'Red Angel,' though He has already fallen. You've been close to the place where He died.' 'Where?' Leonard was taken aback, completely forgetting the matter. Palis chuckled, "Do you really all have such poor memories as the 'Night's' path? I thought your goddess was different. Do you remember the underground ruins discovered in Bekland?" "Thord-Trenzost Empire? The place where Alistair Thord became the 'Emperor of Blood'?" Leonard asked, now beginning to grasp the point. Palis Soloyas, his voice slightly weathered, echoed, "Yes." While trying to piece together the underlying logic, Leonard related the tale of the spirits to the elder. "Is it the fusion of Medicis' spirit with the remnants of the two great angels, Solren and Einhorne, that has formed this new entity of evil?" "Palis repeated Leonard's words with sheer disbelief, then couldn't help but smile, saying, 'They three are absolute rivals—without you, there's no such thing as my kind. After death, they merge into one, completely indistinguishable. What a spectacle, truly! Hah! That must be quite lively.' Leonard didn't quite understand what the old man found so amusing, so he instinctively asked, 'Are they rivals?' Palis suppressed his smile and replied, 'Yes. The Medici were caught off guard precisely because at that moment, they were engaged in battle against the ancestral lineage of Thrain, the family of Thorin. They weren't unprepared—indeed, their defenses were primarily focused on the "Primordial Witch." But who would have thought that Alistair Tordu suddenly went berserk? Amon and Adam played a crucial role in this matter.' That spirit and Adam are still rivals, aren't they? Then, why does the 'Emperor of Blood' want to capture the Medici, the two great angelic families—the Sylphs and the Einhorns?" Where they fell was the palace where Alistar Tudo became the 'Emperor of Blood'... Were they the ritual materials necessary to fulfill the true divinity? Well, according to the 'Knight of Cups,' Adam has grown closer to the divine seat after receiving '0–08'... So this is also gathering materials? Does Amun's confrontation with the old man stem from such a reason? Leonard had a hunch and intended to ask, but ultimately didn't speak. He feared touching upon something too intimate, which might provoke an adverse reaction from the old man. He planned to inquire about this matter during a future Tarot session. After a brief silence, Leonard glanced at the now-closed door and said softly, "Does the 'Knight of Cups' have a certain level of understanding or agreement with the Church?" "The fact that no one has come to investigate you up to now proves it," Palis Soloyasde replied directly. Leonard nodded slightly, almost imperceptibly: "What will they do with me next?" "So, how about it? I'll record this as a notable achievement. Once you've fully absorbed the potion, I'll promote you to Level 5 and assign you a small 'Red Glove' team to carry out tasks—or send you to one of the larger dioceses in Beckland to serve as a steward in a specific capacity." Palis said casually. Back to Beckland... It seems Klein is planning something there. Leonard's thoughts suddenly drifted off. He didn't speak further to the old man, simply reclined against the wall, placing his hands behind his head, sitting with relaxed ease. ... Late at night, outside a row of warehouses in the border city where the eastern and western regions of Bayland meet. Dawn Tantez, with silvering hair and dressed in formal attire, held a gold-handled staff, exchanged signals with the on-duty officer, provided the code, and then watched as he opened a warehouse door. The officer spoke with ease: "All the goods are inside—have your team inspect and load them up. And before you leave, settle the final payment with me." Dawn Tancrède nodded gently, weighing the leather suitcase in his hands—inside lay exactly 5,000 gold pounds, all paid in advance by Mesnard. At that moment, within the third-floor building two warehouses away, two figures were quietly observing the scene.