"Breakaway! Breakaway! The Kingdom has declared war on Fyresc!" Upon returning from Morgenstern to Bekkanth, Cline sat in the carriage, listening as the newspaper boys rushed down the street, shouting the news aloud. Though well-prepared, he could hardly contain his sighs when the war's full outbreak was confirmed—his spirits dipped once more, his mood sinking slightly. "The hatred stemming from the loss of the crucial territory of Sunya Island... the complex entanglements of colonial interests... the earlier war's failure... the economic downturn caused by pollution-related governance issues... the widespread bankruptcies among domestic farmers due to the冲击 of foreign grain products since the repeal of the Grain Act... the dire living conditions of the common people... the deepening of the wealth gap... "The middle class, overconfident in the nation's strength, urgently seeks opportunities to elevate their status... political divisions within the upper echelons are intensifying, tearing the elite apart... the King and his faction desire a large-scale war... With all these factors combined, viewed objectively and from a materialist perspective, a war of export from Roon is almost inevitable... Reality itself is the best writer..." Klein stepped beyond his previous stance, observing Roon's internal conditions from a fresh, detached perspective, and realized that the tide of the age had already formed, surging forward inexorably—without the arrival of a true god, it could truly not be stopped. By comparison, he was more puzzled about why the Fussak Empire was willing to initiate war on its own initiative. Even if a member of some ancient, secret organization were indeed a high-ranking official within Fussak or the War God Church—someone with the authority to make key decisions—such a person could not possibly act alone on such a momentous matter, and how could others have rallied behind a world war? "Hasn't the internal conflict within Fussak itself intensified to a critical point, making war an urgent necessity?" Klein admitted that he lacked sufficient understanding of the northern empire to make a confident judgment. "They just won the Eastern Baylan War and gained additional colonial benefits—so why would their situation be worse than that of Run? Well, the royal Einhorne family holds the 'Red Priest' path and thus has a clear motivation for war, but the War God Church has no reason not to oppose it. As a member of the Pantheon, they lack sufficient incentive to support the promotion of Amun's brothers to Level 0." Thinking of this, Caine suddenly had a conjecture: Had Amun's brother become aware of the goddess's acquisition of the 'uniqueness' of the 'Death God' path, and at the crucial moment, revealed this information to the 'War God' Church? And since the War God and the Goddess are on adjacent paths, they cannot ignore this matter—they will surely respond with vigorous action... "Of course, it may not have been Amun's brother who did it. It could very well have been the angel Hettel from the Divine Order, who, under the alertness of the scheming expert Solon Einhorn Medici, detected the anomaly earlier. While feigning unawareness and continuing to lay out subtle probes, he simultaneously introduced the War God's Church, thus worsening and deepening the situation. Indeed, the 'Red Angel' demon truly embodies the symbol of war. "If this is the case, then Vaskar's war becomes inevitable. Moreover, the issue of the 'Uniqueness' of the Death God's path cannot be reconciled at all. At the critical moment, the War God might even descend personally, triggering a divine conflict—something not seen since the Fourth Age. "Vaskar's aerial fleet, able to traverse the nearly hundred kilometers along the coastal route to Beckland with such extreme stealth, going completely unnoticed, must surely have been protected by a 'Weather Mage.' Otherwise, even if they took a route through sparsely populated areas, they would inevitably have been "At that time, what stances would 'Lord of the Storm,' 'Eternal Sun,' 'Mother Earth,' 'God of Steam and Machinery,' and 'God of Knowledge and Wisdom' respectively adopt? Might the tensions that had been suppressed between them for a thousand to two thousand years finally intensify? 'Mother Earth' holds a deep affection for the giants, and even among the divine favorites, there are Fyrsak people. Furthermore, the Kingdom of Feneport, due to its internal divisions—particularly the splits between Lumberg, Massey, and Segal—holds a profound animosity toward Run and Intis. Thus, the will of the monarchy and the divine authority are likely to align, possibly forming an alliance with Fyrsak to launch a northern offensive against Run and Intis. Of course, nations such as Lumberg and the Church of Knowledge will surely intervene. As for the Desei Gulf region—Feneport and Run share a direct border there, and peace in the south will hardly be possible." Klein found himself increasingly convinced that the political landscape of the northern continent would become exceptionally chaotic, and no matter which direction the developments took, he felt powerless to stop it. Even a half-god of Sequence 4 would find it difficult to exert a decisive influence under such turbulent times—times that could even lead to a war among the gods. Protecting oneself and one's loved ones would be considered a great achievement. When the Fasak airships first arrived, Klein immediately arranged for his butler, Walter, and others to take shelter in the underground area, which served as a wine cellar, before himself "transmitting" to the Beckland Technical University. By then, a bomb had already fallen, killing several and injuring others; Klein's only relief was that his sister, Melissa, had not been within the blast zone. Only after Melissa and Bassen had reunited and the Fasak airships had swiftly departed from Beckland did Klein return to his manor in D'Orn Thantès. Huff… Caine exhaled slowly, turned his head toward the window, and saw that the pedestrians on the street, upon hearing the kingdom declare war on Vessal, showed a sense of fear in only a small portion—seemingly recalling the morning air raids—while the majority appeared bewildered and slightly panicked, wanting to do something but unsure of what to do. They might not yet fully grasp the profound implications of such a war, yet instinctively felt that peace had been shattered, and that the future was now chaotic, full of dangerous uncertainties. Caine turned his gaze back, fixing it on his personal servant, Enyin, and saw in his eyes a similar sense of bewilderment. Half-smiling, half-sighing, Caine raised his hand to rub his temple, setting aside his sense of disappointment and helplessness, and began to think about what he could do and what he needed to keep in mind: "Regardless of what happens, this experience and the lessons learned have enabled the royal faction to launch the war as they wished. Before Ruin suffers a complete collapse, Fyresk is extremely unlikely to launch another invasion into Beckland. In fact, Bassen and Melissa staying here may actually be safer than ever. What we need to worry about is the shortage of food and various assassination attempts—though the latter is not a pressing issue. Melissa and Bassen's residence and their social standing determine their exposure; they don't currently intersect with key figures who are vulnerable to assassination. Fortunately, Portland Monmouth's laboratory is still in its early stages and hasn't yet produced any significant results, so it won't become a critical target to destroy. As for the food shortage, we can secure some support through Miss Audrey's assistance. The County of Winter's End, where the Sanctuary is located, lies in the northernmost part of the kingdom, bordering Fyresk and serving as the frontline in every war. Lady Patrick Byrne is well aware that Doun Tanats equals Gérard Spalro equals the "Divine Patron," and I deliberately revealed this to draw suspicion toward Mr. Azk, the "High Officer of Death." Now, this means that the "Red Angel" spirit won't be far from acquiring this information soon... The "Red Angel" spirit is currently high in rank, but its actual competence still hasn't quite reached the level of an angel. I have no deep-standing grievances with it, nor does it possess anything of value that it desires. Even if it knows that Tanats equals Spalro, the likelihood of it coming directly to confront me is quite low. Beyond a direct intervention—what other harm could it cause? Could it devise a scheme based on this information, or sell it to someone who needs it? "What conspiracy... who would need to be involved..." Thoughts and names surged through Caine's mind, only to be swiftly dismissed. This included his brother Amun and the "Angel of Fate," Ulophus—based on the actions of the "Red Angel" spirit prior, Ulophus currently showed little interest in engaging with those of the "Rose of Redemption," while Amun's brother and the Medici were, in fact, bitter rivals. Suddenly, one name stood out clearly in Caine's mind: "Charathus!" The head of the Convent, Charathus—the Angel of the Pathway Sequence 1, the once-mentally-unstable Seer who had recently regained his composure! According to feedback from the "Mirror," Arodes, this powerful and hidden figure had already left his original location and was now missing. Caine had previously speculated whether Charathus might have been drawn to Beckland due to his extraordinary properties aligning with the Law of Aggregation. The Medici and Chalatous families, as well as the Zoroastrian family, have all served the Solomon Empire—though they may not be close friends, they are certainly very familiar with one another... When Chalatous arrived in the misty town, he encountered Germain Spalro. If he were truly seeking someone, he would surely head straight for the mad adventurer. Klein's mind stirred instantly, and instinctively began to assume that Chalatous was in Beckland, actively searching for Germain Spalro's trail, using that as the foundation for analyzing other anomalies. Almost immediately, Klein recalled a matter: the incident where the Rose Order had failed in its joint operations with the bloodline. "Both the Rose Order and Chalatous are now seeking Germain Spalro. Might Chalatous have coordinated with them?" "At that moment, the evacuation had nearly succeeded—so hurried was the leader of the Rose Order in Bekeland that they only realized the crisis at the very last minute. This was especially surprising, given that the vampire lineage had prepared corresponding seals, and even the Duke himself found it puzzling. Yet what if it was simply the intuitive foresight of a 'Seer'—a Sequence 1 Angel through the Path of Prophets? "If the 'Red Angel' spirit has already passed the intelligence to Charathus, then isn't my return to Berkland Street in this state of chaos simply throwing myself into the lion's den?" Klein's eyes narrowed instantly, and he spoke directly to the coachman ahead. "Just stop here—I've suddenly realized I have other matters to attend to." As he said this, Klein remained highly tensed, fearing the coachman might not respond and would simply continue driving. Fortunately, nothing of the sort happened—the carriage pulled over to the side, and Klein, accompanied by his personal servant Enyuni, walked toward a nearby alley. Then, in a quiet moment, he snapped his fingers once, and a vivid crimson flame surged from the folds of his coat, enveloping both himself and his mask. He needed to reach St. Samuel's Church swiftly and discreetly! In the flash of light, Klein and Enyuni vanished from sight. Yet, as soon as he completed his leap, the flame he had been sensing suddenly disappeared—completely gone. Before him appeared a spacious living room, with an ordinary armchair where a slender, young man sat half-reclined, half-leaning, of Southern Continent descent, with a pleasing facial structure but pale complexion. "The Red Angel" spirit, Solon Einhorn Medici! With the red flame in his hands, the man gently played with it, a subtle upward curve forming at the corner of his lips. "He has detected me earlier than I anticipated."