"Moon" Emlin's gaze flickered briefly, leaned back against the chair, and responded to Miss Justice's question in a steady, unhurried tone, with a touch of warmth: "What I need to do is simple—ensure both parties move smoothly forward together." So you don't need to take part in the battles directly, then? Miss Justice Odile had intended to probe a bit further, but after glancing at "Moon" Emlin and reflecting on his words, she smiled lightly instead: "If that's the case, then your one essential task is simply to guarantee your own safety." That makes sense—my own well-being must not be compromised by this matter. After all, there's not much I need to get involved in. I won't be responsible for any particularly risky segments. Once I rent "Leyman's Travel Notes," I'll have "World" record a few pages of "transmissions," and my safety will be well covered. "Moon" Emlin paused for a few seconds, then nodded gently: "A very sound suggestion." Since the other aspects of the vampire hunting operation involved no Tarot Circle members and thus remained uncontrolled, this brief, private exchange concluded swiftly, and all participants returned to the real world. Caylen, however, didn't hurry to leave. After his form vanished, he reappeared on the seat of the "The Fool," summoning the magical items—the "Cross of No Darkness" and the "Thief's Path"—that had been bound together. Now, on the surface of what seemed to be two finger bones polished into pale gray "tweezers," tiny grains of sand, absorbing all surrounding light and appearing deep black and luminous, slowly flowed and coalesced, as if beginning to reassemble into a new form. Meanwhile, the "Broken Finger" itself grew translucent, reflecting faint glimmers of light, and cracked into fine, delicate fissures. "The 'Luminous Cross' truly seems capable of slowly releasing and re-solidifying the extraordinary properties of magical items and seals—of course, provided there is a force akin to the mysterious space above the gray mist that suppresses it, allowing it to 'willingly' interact with other objects possessing extraordinary properties..." Caine nodded in satisfaction. At that moment, the pale, finger-like 'broken finger' suddenly vibrated with a resonant hum, emitting an enthusiastic chorus: "Oh, my sun! Praise you! Praise the sun!..." As it sang, internal sounds of creaking and groaning emerged, as though it might shatter into fragments at any moment. Yet this did not diminish its praise of the sun. "..." Caine's mouth hung slightly open, momentarily unsure of what expression to convey. After a few seconds, he sighed, separated the 'Luminous Cross' from the 'broken finger,' placed them side by side at different locations in the cluttered pile, and used the power of the gray mist to stabilize both. Immediately thereafter, he prepared to leave and return to the real world. At that moment, the luminous point representing the sole devotee of the "Cardinal of the Fool"—the one that had been marked—began to radiate concentric waves of light, and overlapping prayers resonated. Cain gathered his thoughts and allowed his spiritual presence to extend outward, and instantly before him unfolded the scene of Daniz praying with devotion in his own room, while corresponding voices echoed in his ears: "Most Esteemed Sir, the humble devotee of the Fool requests that you convey the following message to Germain Sparo: 'According to my captain, there are many things believed to be essential to the well-being of seafarers during illness, yet all of them are false—none of them holds true. Since the attack that injured him, this pirate general has placed great emphasis on the confidentiality of her movements and has engaged in few raids. Her fleet last appeared two months ago, off the storm-lashed western coast of the island of Selos. Since then, she has vanished into the vast ocean, and no one knows where she has gone.'" "The foreign body within Anderson's abdomen has been initially stabilized and has achieved a certain level of isolation from his body, meaning it will no longer seep into his tissues for an extended period. There are two ways to fully resolve this issue: first, to enlist the help of Sequence 4 'The Unshadowed' from the 'Sun' path, though this comes with a significant risk—there's a strong possibility that even the exceptional nature of this individual may be substantially purified; or second, to seek out the magical formula from Sequence 4 'Iron Knight' of the 'Hunter' path, and through a ritual supported by specific materials, directly absorb and eliminate the foreign body. Anderson favors the latter approach—he's willing to take the risk. It's clearly evident that Daniz is paraphrasing Anderson's response in a manner reminiscent of imitation, which isn't quite his usual speaking style... Yet, some of the wording seems imprecise. Could it be that Daniz has subtly revised the phrases, replacing them with terms he understands better? Is he, is he concerned that General Gorman Sparrow might not fully grasp the nuances?" Klein raised an eyebrow, refocusing his attention on the content: "During the illness, will the female mage's order have instructed her to remain hidden—especially during this more critical period?" If that were truly the case, it would be essentially impossible to catch her within a short timeframe, and in another one or two months, the situation might already fully erupt—making it unnecessary to seek her out anymore... First, send D'Niz to look for her, keeping a measure of hope... My own focus, however, is shifting toward seeking out the witch Tristram. I have her contact information, and I can use the opportunity of cooperation against the "White Saint" Catharina as a pretext to arrange a meeting between her and Germaine Spalro, to see if I can gain control of her and use her to draw out Catharina... Anderson's two methods for eliminating potential threats—I can assist with both. Since he leans toward taking risks and absorbing foreign entities in pursuit of promotion, I no longer need to go through D'Niz to pitch him a temporary usage of the "Cross of No Darkness"... That's quite favorable—especially since I no longer have to worry about any adverse chemical reactions between the cross provided by Adam and the foreign entities left behind by Adam... As for the elixir formula of the "Ironblood Knight," given Anderson's pivotal role in luring Ins. Zangewell, it's ……… The Misty Sea, aboard the "Golden Dream." Thud! The wooden door was suddenly pushed open with a force that sent it crashing against the wall. Amid this noticeable commotion, Anderson paused his fingers mid-page turn, maintaining his composed expression and gazing calmly at Daniz, who stood by the doorway with his hands in his pockets. "Here's a great assignment for you," said Daniz, wearing a cloak but without his gloves, lifting his chin with a warm, cheerful smile. Anderson studied Daniz carefully, then sighed, "You seem quite confident." "What assignment?" Daniz asked, glancing at Anderson. "Accompany me to Selos Island to help track down the whereabouts of the 'General of Illness.' Also, gather the extraordinary materials the 'Conspirator' needs—ah, that one will have to be paid for out of your own pocket." Anderson nodded thoughtfully. "So, what's the compensation?" Daniz's lips curled slightly, speaking with a tone of quiet superiority. "The auxiliary materials list of the 'Iron-Blooded Knight' and the promotion ceremony." Anderson said nothing, made no movement, his gaze fixed on Daniz for nearly ten seconds. Then, as though eager to speak at once, he abruptly set down the book in his hands, rose to his feet, and with a bright smile asked, "When shall we leave?" "Next, my goal is to uncover exactly what this king intends to do. To that end, I plan to oppose the 'White Saint' of the Sorceress Order, Catriona—she undoubtedly holds the relevant secrets. She ranks third in the hierarchy, an immortal sorceress, extremely difficult to kill or capture. I must admit that, with my current strength alone, I am not yet capable of confronting her. Should you be interested and confident, we might well collaborate. You know how to reach me. 'Tilith.' — Though Tris couldn't be certain of Germain Spalro's intentions, nor whether he might suddenly launch an attack, she instinctively chose the safest course of action. After handing the letter to the messenger, she left, waiting for Germain Spalro to contact her. She made every effort to avoid meeting him until the very last moment—uncertain of the forces behind him, she would rely primarily on maneuvering and leveraging his resources rather than placing full trust in him. This approach was indeed cumbersome, but it ensured safety. As she thought these things, she concluded her current tasks, stepped back two paces, and gazed at the candle, reciting in ancient Hermes: "I! I summon by my name: The spirits wandering in illusion, the friendly beings at my disposal, the messenger entrusted solely to Germain Spalro." As soon as she finished speaking, the candle swelled, growing unusually pale. Then, a figure stepped out from among the candlelight, dressed in a dark, somber gown adorned with intricate details, holding four bright, vibrant golden heads with red eyes. The eight crimson eyes on the four heads turned simultaneously, all fixing their gaze on Tris directly across from her. Tris's pupils dilated instantly, as though she had witnessed something extraordinarily terrifying and unprecedented. After all, once a monster is killed, it will die.