Rubbing her forehead, Caine was about to attempt splitting another "spirit insect" when suddenly, Renette Tiniocer, dressed in a gloomy, elaborate gown, stepped out of the air and stood beside the desk. In one of her four heads, she bit into a neatly folded letter. "Whose is this?" Caine asked casually. The other three heads of Renette Tiniocer responded in turn: "Mushroom..." "King..." "of..." "superior..." The Mushroom King? Caine paused for a full two seconds before realizing it must be Frank Lee. And Frank Lee's superior was the "Star General" Gathelie. "Does 'Mushroom King' refer to Frank Lee?" Caine asked as he reached out to take the letter, confirming with a question. The four golden-haired, bright-eyed heads, using the hair held in place, moved up and down, as if nodding. The messenger girl also gives people nicknames... Wait, no—Frank isn't just skilled with mushrooms. His expertise spans cattle, wheat, fish, and the Rose Bishop. This breakthrough in Frank's mushroom experiments must have caught the messenger girl's attention—had she seen a full cargo of mushrooms aboard? Kline couldn't help taking a deep breath and quickly unfolded the letter. He feared it might be a plea for help from the Lady of the Hidden. Of course, he wasn't overly urgent, knowing that in the final moments, the experienced pirate, the Star Above, would surely turn to the Sir Fool for aid. The letter indeed came from Captain Galadriya of the *Future*, written simply: "The Queen has confirmed the time and place: Wednesday at eleven p.m., at the old spot." "...I'm not exactly sure what you told Frank Lee, but it's clear he's been energized lately—pulling that 'craftsman' into numerous experiments, claiming that within three to six months, they'll achieve a阶段性 breakthrough. He even mentioned that if they secure the 'Druid' potion formula, they might be able to skip all intermediate steps and directly produce the final result. All I can say is, good luck. "...I hope everything concludes before the 'craftsman' completely collapses—he's already beginning to regret his faith in the 'Primordial Moon'...". Should I be happy that the grain security issue in Silver City is finally progressing, or should I worry about unforeseen complications? Kline rubbed his temple again, deciding to set this aside for now. After all, there's always the 'hidden one' lady on the verge of becoming a half-divine figure overseeing things. If anything unexpected were to happen, she'd surely reach out. He exhaled, finally settling on the arrangements for meeting the "Mysterious Queen." With a crisp snap of his wrist, the letter paper ignited into a vibrant crimson flame. After watching the messenger girl depart, he was about to continue separating the "Spirit Insects" when his brow furrowed—struck by how glaringly the ashes of the letters on the desk surface and in the trash can seemed. Without thinking, Caine reached for a paper towel, wiping the desk surface and then covering the trash can. After completing these actions, he glanced at his slightly soiled hands, stood up, and entered the bathroom, turning on the faucet. As he washed, his peripheral vision caught the nearby toilet, and his brow furrowed again. "Today's cleaning wasn't quite up to par," he murmured, suddenly realizing something was amiss. In an instant, his sharp intuitive sense of spirit revealed the cause: it was a side effect of using the left-hand revolver, "The Bell of Doom!" Since he has become a half-god, his spiritual essence has undergone a qualitative transformation, acquiring divine qualities, which has weakened the negative effects by more than 90%. Instead of exhibiting the terrifying weakness of being afraid of dirt—something that was expected this time—he now possesses a "cleanliness" attribute. Similarly, the duration of his weaknesses has shortened from six hours to under one hour, and the usual issue of thirst caused by the "Funeral Chime" is no longer as pronounced. "Good—well," Kline exhaled, smoothly drawing out the toilet brush from beside him. ........ At 11 p.m., atop the gray mist, at Emlyn White's request, the figures of "Justice," "The Star," "The Judge," "The Magician," and "The Hangman" appeared within the ancient and majestic palace. "These are all the spoils. "Moon" Emlin tossed the 3,000 pounds in cash he had just sacrificed onto the table at the center and explained, "One of the magical items is called the 'Vow of the Rose'—a ring that allows the wearer to share senses and exchange thoughts with someone anywhere within a regular city, regardless of distance. This is quite valuable, yet this time we only secured one of the rings. No matter whom we give it to, it's extremely risky. Therefore, I presented it to our vampire elders and received the 3,000 pounds in return." He had originally intended to claim the 3,000 pounds as his own prize, but after some thought, he decided to offer it up to the Gray Mist as one of his options. Pausing, Emlin then went on to introduce the other items, outlining both their positive and negative aspects, and elaborating on their origins and expansions—some of this knowledge stemming from his personal interest in vampire history, and the rest from the account given by Oneas Bojal under the watchful gaze of Father Utravski. There's a touch of boasting about it... Otherwise, given "Moon"先生's nature, he wouldn't have gone on so at length. Hmm, also, "The Fool"先生 isn't here, which makes him more relaxed. "Justice" Audrey seems like an observer, not actively stepping forward to select any spoils. "The Hangover" Aljere glanced at the spoils briefly before turning to "Moon" Emlyn and asking, "Have you met with the upper echelons of the Bloodline? Has the matter of hunting key members of the Rose School been confirmed?" "The initial arrangements have been solidified, and I've connected with that member of the Temperance faction as well, though he'd like to delay this initiative until after September." "Moon" Emlyn offered no concealment, fully trusting "The Hangover" to provide valuable insights. Indeed, "The Hangover" Aljere nodded and replied, "We must wait until after September, then?" "This shows they're waiting for something that will have a major impact on them..." Upon hearing this, Kline, who was waiting on the other side of the ancient palace for the small gathering to conclude, felt a spark of insight—suspecting a connection to Miss Sharlen's promotion. According to Miss Sharlen, she could begin the half-divine ritual as early as July... Could it be that the ritual would only be considered complete after lasting at least a month? If that were true, it would indeed differ from other pathways. Kline had a hunch, but wasn't certain. "Possibly," agreed Emlyn, the "Hanged Man," after a brief thought. Then, he glanced around, smiled, and said, "We can begin selecting now." Miss Odile, the "Justice," had the "Steward of Fortune" talisman promised by the "World" gentleman, and Leonard, the "Star," had received his corresponding reward from the old man Palis. Both had remained calm and composed in receiving the gifts from the Countess, with no one eager to speak first—everyone politely waiting for others to make their choices. Moreover, one had personally witnessed the battle at the angelic level, another had seen the terror of Amun’s manifestation, and both had confirmed the powerful potential hidden within the Tarot Circle—now they were inevitably feeling mentally drained. "Judgment" took a glance to her right, then to the opposite side, observing that everyone remained humble, and thus broke the silence: "My portion was straightforward—no significant risks involved—and since 'Moon' Mr. Emlyn has already paid me a advance of sixty pounds, I’d like to take the cash from this folder here." As she spoke, she picked up the handmade leather folder, withdrew the bills, and quickly counted them: "Three hundred and thirty-five pounds." "Moon" Emlyn surveyed the room, seeing no objections, and nodded: "Agreed." As for the handmade folder, "Judgment" returned it to the center of the table and handed it back to "Moon" Mr. Emlyn, leaving it to him to handle. With Hoo leading the way, the "Magician" Folshe spoke up: "I've merely lent out 'Lehmann's Travel Notes'—I've carried no risk. I'll take the 'Moon Paper Man' instead..." While not as valuable as magical artifacts, such one-time extraordinary items are relatively less significant. Yet, for the "Magician" herself, even though she is qualified to select magical items, she would never do so, because certain abilities of those magical items are essential—she can always hire the corresponding member to record such needs. However, the 'Moon Paper Man,' which can absorb a single fatal blow or a piercing mental assault on her behalf, is something that cannot be recorded. For someone timid and fearful, this is undoubtedly the first choice. After speaking, she waited quietly, and only when no one objected did she bring the 'Moon Paper Man' to her own place. Emlyn then turned his gaze toward the "Justice" lady, while "Stella" Leonard also reached out, smiling and saying: "Ladies first." "Justice" Audrey didn't hesitate. She glanced at the items on the table and pointed to the diamond pin, smiling lightly. "I'll take that one." She had heard "Moon" Mr. Emlyn mention it before, knowing it was known as a "wine killer"—it kept the wearer energized and mentally sharp, effectively countering psychological influence. Fortunately, she had previously used the "bribery—charming" strategy for added security. Plus, O'Neale had just woken up from his dream, still in a semi-conscious state, so otherwise, she might not have succeeded in hypnotizing him. This item also serves her well—especially when facing higher-level members of the psychological alchemy circle—offering her an added layer of protection. She can usually leave it off without worrying about any negative effects. Audrey felt both relieved and satisfied as she turned her gaze back to the diamond pin. After making her choice, "Moon" Emlyn didn't give "Star" Leonard a chance to speak, and simply said, "This 'Moon Ribbon' is yours." In his view, this "Moon Ribbon" was worth well over 5,000 pounds—definitely better than 3,000 pounds in cash. In fact, I actually would have preferred 3,000 pounds in cash... I'm about to purchase the "Sea's Voice" cane next, which is now priced at 10,000 pounds after the discount... After that, I'll only have 650 pounds left in my savings. Finally, Leonard didn't decline; he simply nodded. "Very well." After distributing the spoils, "The Moon" Emlyn picked up the remaining 3,000 pounds in cash and set a stack aside, pushing it toward the side. "Mr. Temperance, here is your fee—1,000 pounds." "More accurately, an advisory fee," he added. With no "The Fool" present, "The Magician" Fotherse felt considerably more at ease. "Mr. Temperance" Alje didn't hesitate; he gently nodded and placed his palm upon the stack of cash. "I'll cover the compensation for the coachman as well." "The Moon" Emlyn, in a pleasant mood, then took ...At 11 p.m. on a Wednesday, at the southern entrance of the Beckland Bridge. A figure swiftly emerges against the deep night, one hand resting on his hat, the other resting between the buttons of his suit coat. Dark hair, brown eyes, sharp features, a composed and stern expression—none other than the greatest adventurer, Germain Sparo.