The night was deep, with thick clouds obscuring the moon. On the Beckett Bridge, everything was dark. As Crane had just "transmitted" to this location and had not yet taken time to survey his surroundings, he saw green bean vines descending from above like a sudden downpour, swiftly covering the surrounding area. They intertwined and wove together, forming a forest that rose layer upon layer, its upper reaches completely out of sight. Crane released his right hand, which had been holding his hat, and moved upward along the paths formed by the vines, with practiced ease. Not long after, he spotted natural swings made of green vegetation and saw standing beside them the "Mysterious Queen" Bernadette. The eldest daughter of the great King of Rosel, Bernadette had chestnut-length hair, wore a woman's blouse with a lace collar, a knee-length gray skirt, and long leather boots, and a soft hat with a fine black lace veil trailing down. In the blue eyes hidden behind the black netting, the silhouette of Germain Spalro was clearly visible. Klein responded without any change in expression: "Hail, Sir Fool." As he said it, a quiet internal critique ran through his mind: That's what self-reliance truly means—sometimes, asking for help isn't enough! "Mystic Queen" nodded gently, her voice soft yet emotionally neutral: "I know precisely why you've come to see me." Before Klein could open his mouth, she slightly tilted her head, glanced at the wisteria swing beside her, and spoke with the calm, steady tone of a lake holding countless hidden currents: "I sense that he has not truly, completely, fallen." ...Meaning, you believe Emperor Rosel hasn't died completely? He still lives somewhere in the world, with the possibility of returning? Klein was surprised to hear such direct, explosive words right from the start. Though he managed to keep his expression steady, he momentarily found himself at a loss for what to say next. At the same time, he noticed that Bernadette used "he" rather than "He" to refer to the Emperor Rossel—whether in the ancient Fussak they were currently speaking, or in their everyday Roon or Intis dialects, these were distinctly different words. This indicated that, in Bernadette's heart, Emperor Rossel was not an angel, but a father. Caine calmed his tone and asked thoughtfully, "Why does it feel that way?" Bernadette shifted her gaze from the wisteria swing and spoke softly, "In his final years, though wildly passionate and progressive, every single endeavor was meticulously planned. I believe he must have made preparations for himself as well. "You know, in his later years, he sought to cross the threshold and claim the vacant throne of the Black Emperor—a task that required the establishment of nine pyramid-shaped secret tombs." "After he passed away at the White Maple Palace, the Church of Eternal Scorch and the Church of Steam jointly identified eight such tombs and destroyed them one by one. Yet the ninth remained elusive—no one knows exactly where it is hidden. 'If he has become the 'Black Emperor,' then he must surely awaken from within this tomb. Should he fail, I believe there may still be a chance for his resurrection...' Bernadette spoke more and more softly, until her voice became faint and nearly indistinct. You're not very confident, are you... more so, a quiet hope and expectation... Kline found himself moved by this. Suddenly, he recalled a statement made by the 'King of the Five Seas,' Nastor: The Emperor Roscel had a habit of standing before a row of floor-to-ceiling windows, gazing toward the west. From Roscel's diary, Kline knew that He had discovered the entrance to the Abyss within the Mist Sea to the west of Intis, found an ancient island there, and believed it to be peculiar and worthy of exploration." Could it be… that Emperor Rossel built the final secret tomb deep within the Abyss, or on the primordial island? Caine pondered for a moment, then gently curved his lips. "You seem quite familiar with the path of the 'Black Emperor.'" He suspected that Emperor Rossel had left a "Black Emperor" card as a bookmark, using Bernadette's ancient Fussac name as the incantation to unlock the ritual—part of his plan had been to share these details with his daughter. Yet it appeared that Bernadette had acquired this knowledge through another means. The mysterious queen, her lips uncovered by the hat's veil, formed a subtle curve. "I have been investigating this matter for over a hundred years, and have endured the knowledge infusion of the 'Hidden Sage' to clarify the details. It's clear that you, and the 'Fool' behind you, also possess deep insight into this story. I've always been curious—why have you and your circle been so deeply interested in his legacy?" "Given the current situation, if we're talking about seniority, you'd better call me uncle... I and the Emperor have likely been roommates for years." Kline eased the dim, somber mood in his voice with a casual remark, responding with a steady, unvarying tone. "You may address Mr. The Fool with this question." He hadn't yet decided to reveal to Bernadette that the ninth secret tomb was likely somewhere in the Mist Sea, possibly within that primordial island or the depths—letting The Fool answer would be more fitting and appropriate. The "Mystic Queen" found Germain Sparo's response somewhat unexpected, and her gaze shifted westward, toward a distant place. Though she couldn't see Bernadette's eyes, Kline sensed that the lady was looking back at the place where she had grown up, at the spiritual and emotional home she once knew, at the homeland now irrevocably lost. At this moment, within the vibrant green vines and the deep, solemn black, many subtle emotions and long-held dreams were slowly fermenting. Just a few seconds later, the "Mysterious Queen" withdrew her gaze and spoke gently: "Once my affairs in Beckland are settled, I'll hand over a few pages of my journal to Gardeleia, asking her to pose this question on my behalf." "Why not ask it next week?" Kline didn't hide his curiosity. Bernadette replied calmly: "I feel that the answer will affect my mood, and an unsettled mood may lead to my failure." Could a mood be enough to cause failure? How strict was that? Was it due to a confrontation with a half-deity of the Mind domain? Or had she, after resolving certain inner tensions, gained confidence to challenge the Angelic rank? Kline nodded thoughtfully, choosing not to press further. This touched upon her private matters—best not to inquire unless absolutely necessary. The Queen of Mysteries said, "I was sitting across from him when he wrote one of those journal pages, eager to have him teach me how to interpret and draw those symbols. He didn't agree—he merely ran his fingers through my hair. At that time, I was already an adult. I could see that he was concerned, hesitant, even fearful as he wrote that page, and finally, he said to me: 'If you truly become a great figure in the mystical world as Chalatu foretold, then remember—always be cautious of the 'audience.''" Cautious of the "audience"... Kline repeated the reminder in his mind. He believed the Emperor did not mean all the extraordinary beings along the 'Audience' Path in general; rather, he must have been referring to a specific being, or a particular event, or both. King Roscel is a member of that ancient and secret organization… the founder and leader of that very organization is… Klein’s eyes slightly fluttered as he hesitated, afraid that someone might hear his inner thoughts. “Perhaps there’s a detailed account on that page of the journal,” he added, hoping to soon see that page. “I know,” Bernard nodded. She didn’t pursue the topic further, but remained silent for two seconds before saying, “I’d like to extend my gratitude to both the ‘Fool’ and you for securing the blood of the ‘Snake of Fate’—it will be of immense assistance to嘉德丽雅 in her future journey. While any mythical creature’s blood can be used during the ‘Mystic’ advancement ceremony, the blood from the ‘Fate’ path is the best choice—it will make her progression to Level 3 significantly smoother.” “Why?” Klein asked, approaching the matter with a mindset of learning. After all, no patron could possibly know everything—let alone the true gods themselves! Bernadette's gaze was slightly distant: "To 'peer into the secrets of fate' is another way of saying 'prophecy.' The Sequence 3 title for a 'Seer' is 'Master of Prophecy'—that's precisely why I'm in Beckland." Because of a prophecy? Caine guessed, with growing clarity: "It seems many paths possess prophetic abilities." The "Mystic Queen" gave her lips a slight upward curve, then sighed: "In ancient times, many extraordinary beings believed that by concentrating similar abilities together, they could achieve a transformation and breakthrough. Yet, without exception, they all went mad, losing control. It wasn't until the first 'Board of Desecration' emerged that all beings realized: balance—balance that exists on the edge of a cliff—is the essential key to the path of the extraordinary." So, abilities within a single domain are spread across multiple paths, with the primary path concentrating most of them, while the others share the remainder? Well, the counterexample is the "King of the North," Yurisun, from Grozle's Travels... Kline pondered, without pressing further. After a while, the enigmatic Queen Bernadette broke the silence: "If you have no other matters, then we'll conclude for today." Kline thought for a moment and said, "Very well. Should you need anything, simply reach out through the 'General of the Stars' to me." Bernadette nodded gently, and then her form suddenly became translucent, dissolving into a cascade of foam. The foam drifted and vanished in an instant, and with it, the dark green and black bean vines curled up and disappeared into the night. Kline felt as though he were being gently lifted by an invisible hand, drifting down to land on the Beckland Bridge. He reached up to steady his hat, then surveyed the surroundings—on both banks, houses stood in close proximity, their warm, yellow lights glowing softly against the rushing river and the deep, quiet night. Everything seemed calm, serene, warm, and peaceful. "Hope all this remains undisturbed..." Klein sighed, his form rapidly becoming transparent and fading away.