Above an endless expanse of gray mist, within the grand and ancient palace, Caine held the "Cross of No Darkness" in one hand and the "God of the Sea's Staff" in the other, gazing at the real world through the deep red stars symbolizing Judgment. In his spiritual vision, within that eerie alleyway, besides the shorter Miss Thew and the military intelligence officer wearing a golden mask, there was another person hidden. This was a man in his thirties, with an unremarkable appearance—typical of someone from central Ruin—so well blended into the shadows that he carried an almost imperceptible quality. Unless one stood above the gray mist with genuine, clear vision, Caine doubted he would have noticed him even if he were physically present at the scene. It wasn't until the man made a noticeable movement that he could summon a mental image of him through his intuitive spiritual perception. "Shadow concealment combined with psychological invisibility?" Half through objects, half through sequence... Combined with the rest, this isn't quite a half-god. "That's true. In the eyes of the royal faction, Miss Huxley is merely a Sequence 7, with little in the way of magical artifacts. If the matter of Viscount Stewardford is indeed tied to her, then there must be a supporter—perhaps even a powerful faction behind her. Given the current turbulent situation, sending a well-informed half-god directly to investigate might expose them to a trap. Sending someone less familiar with the intricacies, however, would likely cause the information to leak to the three major churches, allowing them to take control of the investigation." "Thus, a capable, trustworthy figure—someone of Sequence 5 or 6—who knows enough to be effective but not so much as to uncover sensitive secrets—would be an ideal choice." Kline murmured to himself, abandoning the idea of arriving via the Gelman Sparrow's transmission to fetch the person. He would gain no useful intelligence in the near term! He decided to patiently wait, watching for developments. Of course, Caine couldn't remain eternally above the gray mist, monitoring from there—otherwise, his physical body in the real world would remain unprotected and vulnerable to even minor disruptions. To address this, he created a series of talismans and entrusted them to members of the Tarot Circle, such as the "Judgment" and the "Magician," instructing them to immediately activate the talismans at the first sign of trouble, thereby securing the aid of "The World." This would be faster and more efficient than simply reciting the name of "The Fool" and having Him relay the message. As a newly elevated half-god, Germaine Spalro is able to make his incantations effective because, when crafting them, he uses the full title and emblem corresponding to the sea god Cavituvah, who in turn, through the gray mist, enables a worldwide responsiveness. This may sound complex, but in essence, it means that Cline draws upon the divine status of his other identities. As for the materials used in these incantations, primarily tin, they are both readily available and inexpensive. Walking on, passing several streets, Hux still didn't encounter any attack. The night was so quiet. At first, she had worried that the royal faction would directly apprehend her through official channels like the Nine Department, bringing her back for investigation. In that case, summoning "Mr. World" would place them in a deeply awkward and dangerous position—effectively putting them at odds with all official forces in Beckland. But then she realized this scenario wouldn't unfold, because it would expose her to the eyes of the three major churches. The investigation would then inevitably shift away from the royal faction within the Nine Department. It would be carried out covertly, and the people appearing publicly might not even be military officers... Ah, perhaps they were still observing, afraid that she was merely a decoy? "Mr. World" had said that if something could be handled independently, there was no need to involve him. Hux glanced around, remained alert, and didn't venture further. She simply returned to the edge of the East District and entered her rented apartment. To be honest, she actually didn't want to involve Furse in this adventure, but since it was the two of them who had been following the Viscount Stafford, Furse had naturally also been added to the investigation list. Although Furse could remain hidden in the East District, rarely venturing out, MI9 might not find her—yet that would expand the scope of the investigation, requiring a thorough review of her past experiences, family and friends, and communication contacts, potentially affecting others. Moreover, if the two of them stayed separate and didn't live together, the lure would become too obvious, making it difficult to draw the target in. After securing Furse's agreement, Hugh ultimately decided to face the unfolding events together with his friend. As soon as Hugh stepped inside and removed his baseball cap, he noticed Furse setting down her magazine, standing up, smoothing her hair, and smiling to ask, "Not been followed, have you?" This was their prearranged code—on the surface, a simple inquiry about being followed, in reality, a question about whether any investigation had taken place. "No." Tore shook his head seriously. Firth changed the subject, going on at length about how there was hardly any good tea or alcoholic beverages available in the immediate area—having to travel quite a distance to find anything decent. This warm and peaceful atmosphere continued until late at night, when the two entered the bedroom and lay on the bed of differing heights. After the candles were extinguished, Tore was about to say something when a sudden, sacred and pure light appeared before him. The light instantly solidified into a figure, whose back unfolded twelve pairs of crimson flame-formed wings. The figure descended swiftly, folding the wings layer upon layer until they fully enclosed Tore. The angelic blessing of the "Fool" — Tore instantly understood. This was also the matter she had solemnly prayed to the "Knight"先生 when contacting "The World" Germain Spalro, for she already knew that the King's faction had alliances not only with the Order of Witches but also with the Psychological Alchemy Society, and that extraordinary individuals through the "Audience" path possessed not only the ability to hypnotize but also to walk within dreams—thus, they must be vigilant against investigations leveraging these two capabilities. If no preparations were made, she could hardly suspect herself of being investigated, let alone detect it and inform "The World" gentleman. Everything settled swiftly. Resting her lips, she said to Folth, who lay beneath her on the bed: "Good night." "…Good night," Folth responded, not quite prompt, as though she were already drifting off to sleep. This made it clear to Rest that she too had received the angel's blessing. Time passed slowly, and both eventually fell asleep. Unknown to her, after some time, Rest suddenly awoke, fully aware that she was dreaming. Then she felt a shadowy presence drifting through the dim sky, and various thoughts from deep within her heart surged forth, weaving together into a dream. These thoughts centered on the most vivid experiences from the recent past, especially the incident when, that night, intruders stormed the warehouse and attacked Viscount Stafford. At first, Hugh was startled and tried to wake up from the dream, but no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t break free—seeming to see the dream even when her eyes were open. She soon calmed down and began to focus on controlling these thoughts, finding it surprisingly easy. As a result, the memories of the direct assault on Viscount Stafford were subtly suppressed, though Hugh deliberately left some traces, not making the transition completely clean. In the dream, she and Furse noticed something unusual inside the warehouse—something different from the tornado that had previously been reported to MI9, and they didn’t immediately flee. She didn’t think this would alert the intruder to the issue, yet she couldn’t resolve it. Eventually, the investigators confirmed that there was a half-god or a powerful faction behind both of them, and they believed it wasn’t particularly difficult to deal with, given that the secrecy wasn’t exceptionally high. Thus, it was likely that they would dispatch a half-god to handle the matter going forward—exactly what Rest hoped for, since each half-god held a significant position and had a good chance of knowing the king’s secrets. At that point, Rest’s dreams began to grow disordered, as though losing some guiding presence. She recognized this as a clear sign that the intruder had departed. For the rest of the night, neither she nor Folshe encountered any anomalies.……… As dawn broke, a light mist spread across the morning sky. Audrey had breakfast, then boarded her usual carriage with her golden-haired dog, Suzy, her personal maid Anne, and her bodyguard, heading to the 22nd street in the northern district, the “Rune Charitable Educational Fund.” The chime sound occasionally rings out from outside, carrying a peculiar vitality that draws Audrey's attention to the street, where people and vehicles pass by. It calms her mind and infuses her with a sense of vibrant energy, making her feel as though the entire world is alive. At that moment, in the corner of her eye, Audrey notices a figure stepping onto the carriage. The figure wears a black three-piece suit, a subtle crimson tie, holds a top hat, has completely white hair that remains thick and full, and eyes of a pale blue that seem to hold infinite wisdom. This is Hewen Lambis, a committee member of the Psychological Alchemy Council—a half-god who has journeyed as a spectator! Suddenly, Audrey feels her spirit drift, as if she has lost all alertness and defenses, while Suzy and Anne in the carriage look momentarily bewildered, entering a state of half-dazed, unfocused awareness. Hewen Lambis's gentle voice then speaks: "Two matters." First, didn't you know about Firth and Hugh?