The Sir of Foolship also holds authority in the realm of the hidden... Leonard suddenly grasped it, understanding why the old man had specifically mentioned the hidden protection. Before he could respond, Caine added: "Also, inform Palis Soloyasde that Amun may well be aware of an angel who passes through the area surrounding Berkland Street, known as a thief." That... Leonard's pupils dilated, and he exclaimed, "How could He know?" That's something I can't tell you... Caine murmured to himself, then spoke seriously. "I'm not Amun myself." Did you deduce this from certain actions or words of His?" Leonard asked instinctively. No—it was I who told Him... Caine smiled gently, offering that as an answer. Indeed... Leonard nodded silently. "I'll pass it on to the old man." He paused, then added, "Are you hoping for a specific plan from Him?" "Klein" nodded. "Regarding Amun's understanding of the 'Thieves' Path, few surpass Him." Having already inferred that Amun would not visit Berkland Street for some time, he added calmly, "No need to rush your response—just let me know at the Tarot gathering tomorrow." It seemed the matter wasn't urgent after all. From Klein's words, Leonard extracted the most crucial point, and gave a slight nod. "Very well, we'll discuss the details then at the Tarot gathering tomorrow." With this settled, Klein immediately rose and bowed toward the location of the "Gate of Light." "Mr. The Fool, we're done." As Leonard just rose to follow, still hesitating to make any movement, his vision blurred and was completely enveloped by a surge of deep crimson starlight. When he regained consciousness, he found himself back in the sparse woodland outside the northern district. "Is there anything you'd like to convey to me?" "Palais Soloyas's slightly weathered voice rose. Leonard cleared his throat and said, 'Cline told me he is a hidden devotee. He can try to seek assistance.' 'Indeed, a hidden devotee,' Palais remarked with a sigh. 'Tell him that, as long as he truly secures the protection of the hidden one, I will be willing to assist him in dealing with Amun and uncovering all of His manifestations within Beckland.' Leonard found this response entirely unsurprising. 'Hey,' he said, 'you don't sound so frail at all!' Palais Soloyas didn't seem the least offended, and chuckled warmly. 'You didn't read the Rosellian Discourses, did you? I remember a saying there: "A lean camel is greater than a horse." ' 'That depends on the breed of the horse and the breed of the camel,' Leonard replied habitually, then asked, 'Old man, how should we deal with Amun? Do you intend to use yourself as bait?' “Hmph!” Palis replied with impatience. "Then we'll face Amun's true form, not just a duplicate. A full divine battle will likely ensue. I'll still have a chance to escape; you, on the other hand, might never make it back to the deep, dark realm of Night." "...” Leonard could only offer a shy smile. Palis Soloyasht continued: "Unlike other abilities, Amun's duplicates can rapidly grow stronger by absorbing the exceptional traits of the 'Thieves' path. They can split off into more 'Time-Beetles,' which then parasitize different organisms. As long as the exceptional traits are sufficient, this process can continue indefinitely..." "This... this sounds just like a pandemic," Leonard said, his spine now chilled to the core. If the exceptional traits of the 'Thieves' path are strong enough, Amun's duplicates could evolve from parasitizing a single individual to eventually infecting every person in an entire city! "Quite accurate." "Palis Soloyasde affirmed Leonard's conjecture, sighed, 'To counter Amun, we must act from this angle—by leveraging the extraordinary traits of the "Theft" path to draw Him up to the half-divine level. Once we successfully eliminate one of His manifestations, the others can be pursued and eradicated. However, Amun is a master of deception; we must remain exceptionally vigilant, or we risk the scenario where it appears as though we are fishing for Him, when in fact He is fishing for us. In this matter, secrecy is paramount!' 'I understand,' Leonard breathed softly, then asked, 'How powerful can Amun's manifestations be?' Palis Soloyasde remained silent for several seconds, as though recalling, before responding: 'Theoretically, His strongest manifestations can reach the Sequence 1 level. Yet, He is almost certain to avoid doing so, as it would destabilize His mental state and lead to loss of control.' "Typically, each of his manifestations is a 'Chrono-creature,' starting with a weak Sequence 4 strength, yet possessing angelic essences such as the ability to shatter the extraordinary. After fully absorbing the extraordinary traits of the 'Theif' path, such manifestations can reach Sequence 2 level. However, Amun rarely achieves this—he instead actively splits, generating more manifestations. 'Given the current realities in Beckland, it's difficult for him to gather the extraordinary traits necessary for his manifestations to grow into Sequence 2,' Leonard mused. 'Therefore, we will be facing a group of Amuns: most with weak Sequence 4 strength, a smaller number at standard Sequence 4 level, and only a few reaching Sequence 3?' 'That aligns with Amun's nature, but you must remember—he is particularly skilled at deception." "Palais Soloyasde added, 'Moreover, considering the timing of Amun's manifestation in Beckland, the number of 'thieves' whose exceptional traits he has gathered will likely be limited. After all, this is Beckland, and if the situation deteriorates, his manifestations will coalesce around the strongest one, actively consolidating to elevate their essence. The key to countering Amun lies precisely in preventing the situation from reaching this stage—otherwise, even a secret-realm angel arriving in secret would be unable to halt Amun's escape.'" "Truly difficult to handle—this is just a randomly dispatched, freely developing offshoot. No wonder he's the King of Angels..." After a moment of reflection, Leonard suddenly remembered Caine's reminder and quickly added, "Amon appears to have already identified a half-deity from the 'Theft Path.' Caine encountered Amon while pursuing that very figure. Moreover, Amon seems to know that there's a 'Theft Path' angel hidden within the surrounding area of Berkland Street..." Palis Soloyasda remained silent once again, long before Leonard felt the need to prompt him. Finally, after a while, when Leonard was about to urge him on, Palis exhaled, "What about your former colleague—does he have the same issues as you?" "What?" Leonard looked utterly puzzled. Palis Soloyasda sighed impatiently, "Amon's knowledge of a 'Theft Path' angel concealed in the Berkland Street area—most likely stems from him!" "Old man, you—you used your ability to 'decrypt' it?" "Leonard asked with a touch of surprise. Palais huffed, "I'm using my brain! Otherwise, what do you think would have happened to the 'Berkland Street' prefix?" ...Yes, indeed. Everything connected to Berkland Street always seems to circle back to Doun. Tanghès. Could it be another matter caused by that man, Klein? Now Leonard finally realized. At that moment, Palais exhaled, "Good thing he only mentioned angels and didn't name me. Otherwise, my recommendation would have been to leave Berkland as soon as possible." "Tell him there are now two options: First, gather first-tier seal objects obtained through the path of the 'Thieves,' or locate a half-god from that path and design a trap using them—this entire process must unfold under discreet protection, appearing natural, logical, and ordinary, without raising any suspicion. Second, wait for Amun himself to enter Berkland Street. He is likely to combine the methods of impersonating someone else and moving silently through the air. Therefore, your former colleague must be able to detect the subtle seams of fate's integration—or notice anomalies in the behavior of small creatures—otherwise, no matter how well-planned, all the efforts will amount to merely delivering food to Amun." Leonard's eyes widened slightly, and he nodded seriously: "I'll discuss these matters with him tomorrow afternoon." "Good." "Palais Soloyasde sighed again and added, "Also, if I can eliminate all of Amun's manifestations in Becland, the majority of the remaining 'Chrono-creatures' shall belong to me." Was this a supplementary request? It made sense why the old man wanted to take risks. Leonard asked with growing clarity, "Do the 'Chrono-creatures' possess the exceptional characteristics of the 'Thief's Path'?" "That's true in my hands; it may not be the case elsewhere," Palais explained simply. "When Amun's manifestations die, the 'Chrono-creatures' they leave behind initially contain sufficient exceptional traits, but these quickly fade and return to the original body. Only with specific abilities can this phenomenon be prevented." Leonard nodded initially, then asked in confusion, "Then why are the 'Thief's Path' seals created from the 'Chrono-creatures' so powerful?" Palais laughed outright, "Have you forgotten the very essence of a seal?" "At its essence, it involves seeking strength from a high-level existence and then fixing that acquired strength using suitable materials and corresponding symbols. The 'Chrono-Beetle' serves as a uniquely appropriate medium in this process—its level, fundamental nature, and spiritual quality are sufficient to meet the requirements." "So, the actual power of the 'Steward of the Flow' talisman actually comes from Mr. The Fool?" Leonard asked thoughtfully. Palis Soloyasda chuckled warmly. "Yes, you could also try seeking strength from Amen and use His power to create the 'Steward of the Flow' talisman. Moreover, the unique qualities of the medium itself influence the final form and effect of the talisman—different special materials evoke distinct responses. Indeed, talismans are a deeply profound and intricate discipline; it's not enough to simply learn them superficially. You have to pay close attention and think deeply about them." Leonard felt a sudden sense of embarrassment. ...On a Monday afternoon, after carefully observing the Hai Ruo family within the mysterious space above the gray mist using the power of that space and confirming that there were no immediate issues, Caine patiently waited until the Tarot gathering was convened. Deep crimson lights surged throughout the ancient palace, then gradually subsided.