Protective detention…such a thoughtful response—most certainly befitting the newly appointed "Red Glove" team leader…The "Fool" Kline couldn't help but chuckle inwardly at "Stella" Leonard's answer. He was well aware of whom "Luna" Emlyn was referring to, and had a certain familiarity with the bishop Utrovaski, who had styled himself a priest. He didn't entirely believe Emlyn White's assertion that "he hasn't done anything bad, nor intends to," because for a divine favored one and a fervent believer, the concept of "bad" might differ significantly from that of an ordinary person. Indeed, Kline never doubted Utrovaski's deep devotion and conviction when speaking of the preciousness of life and the joy of harvest. Yet the issue lay in the doctrine of the Earth Mother Church, which taught that life was akin to plants—eventually wilting and returning to the embrace of the Earth Mother, only to regrow anew in the coming year. A competent bishop of the Earth Mother Church would never, and could never, hold views on life and death that aligned with the secular world. Regardless, Utrofsky Father had to be controlled—this was both a safeguard for the Earth Mother's faithful and the surrounding populace, and a protection for the half-giant bishop himself, to prevent any irreversible developments... While Klein pondered this in silence, "Star" Leonard, who was well-informed about the Harvest Church, had already grasped the essence of "Moon" Emlyn's earlier inquiry. He planned to lead his team to the site within the next couple of days to verify the situation, coordinate with the official authorities responsible for the southern district of the bridge, and secure the Earth Mother's devotee under protective custody. Meanwhile, upon hearing the response, "Moon" Emlyn only slowly nodded, saying nothing. When he remained silent, "Star" Leonard shifted to raise his own questions: "Are there any significant developments unfolding in Becland recently?" What he truly wanted to ask was why his small, "Red Glove" unit had been left behind in the capital city of the Ten Thousand to serve as a mobile force. As soon as he finished speaking, even members like Drik of the "Sun," who weren't particularly engaged with external affairs, turned their attention toward Germain Sparo, the "World." In their perception, every time something significant happened in Beckland, Mr. World had at least issued an early warning. What major developments had recently emerged in Beckland? There were so many—George III's "Black Emperor" ceremony, my secret coordination with the "Mystery Queen," the seemingly neutral yet subtly divergent stances of the three churches... In the span of a few thoughts, Klein suddenly grasped exactly what Leonard had meant to ask, as they occasionally exchanged private letters. Indeed, why had Leonard been retained in Beckland? Was it because of my connections that the churches didn't want to place him in a risky situation? Or was I perhaps overestimating my own influence? Klein shook his head quietly, dismissing the first thought that had come to him. He quickly shifted his focus, analyzing what resources Leonard could offer: A Sequence-5 in a turbulent Beckland—what role could he realistically play? If leverage was needed, it wouldn't be through Leonard himself, but through his connections—through me, or through Palais Soloyasde. This effectively ruled out my involvement. For now, I remain a qualified Custodian; if anything is required of me, it can simply be assigned directly. Hadn't the recent purge of all Amun manifestations in Beckland prompted the goddess or the church hierarchy to suspect Palais Soloyasde was hidden within the streets of Beckland, thereby casting doubt on Leonard? It's quite possible—indeed, not a small possibility—and I did have certain concerns back then, believing that the Church and the Parsis-Zoroastrians would be aligned in their stance against Amun's deification, able to reach a mutual understanding. Indeed, at the very beginning, the elder's choice to have Leonard "host" Amun might have been precisely informed by such considerations. — Pathways that are closely aligned can be interchanged at a higher level, and even if one becomes a true god of Sequence 0, there remains a strong yearning for the uniqueness of their respective pathways and the exceptional qualities of Sequence 1. This is precisely what the Night Goddess's strategy demonstrates. Does the Goddess intend to make Bekland a chaotic stew? Crawling, the World, Germaine Sparrow, paused for a few seconds before responding: "Currently, Charathus, the leader of the Conclave and a Sequence-1 angel, longtime friend of Emperor Roscel, is hidden within Bekland." Noticing that the members of the Tarot Circle appeared clearly puzzled and still uncertain, the World added, in a hoarse voice: "The principle we often refer to as the conservation of exceptional qualities typically applies to the conservation of exceptional qualities among closely aligned pathways. That is, a conservation law of aggregation of exceptional qualities also exists among closely aligned pathways." Lennard immediately fell into thoughtful reflection, and after a few seconds, carefully asked: "Are the 'Thief' and the 'Prophet' considered closely aligned pathways?" "Yes, there's also an 'apprentice' pathway." "World" Germain Spalot responded calmly. Hearing the exchange between the two, "Magician" Forliss first recalled her teacher, Dorian Gray Abraham's lecture on the attraction between exceptional traits, and then thought of the "Divine Saint" Butis who had been drawn to them at that moment. Then she began to wonder: if, as "World"先生 had said, exceptional traits within similar pathways also exerted an attraction, wouldn't that have drawn Chalatu, who was already in Bekland, to the area as well? Suddenly, Forliss remembered the raven watching Butis's back! Hmm... Forliss quickly raised her hand, signaling that she had something to say. When all the members turned to look at her, she promptly spoke: "My teacher is a member of the Abraham family, and holds a particularly significant seal." Since the earlier part contained information known to all members beyond the "stars," Folveth hadn't felt the need to conceal anything. For the latter half, she made a slight refinement, changing "very important" to "important." Seeing no questions, Folveth continued: "This has occasionally led him to encounter extraordinary beings on the higher ranks of the 'apprentice' path. When he first came to Beckland, a figure known as the 'Sage of Secrets' from the Aurora Circle, Butis, had already appeared nearby. I've noticed a crow observing the direction in which Butis was moving." A crow... Instantly, in Caine's mind, the specific details of the misty town came into focus: atop the dark church's spire, crows circled and flew, as if in tribute or mourning, while Chalatu's duplicate remained hidden within the church. Did Chalatu habitually use crows as his secret agents? Was this a mark left behind from His time as the 'Master of Intrigue'? Klein thoughtfully prompted "World" Germaine Sparrow: "That very well might be Zaratustra." He had actually met a Sequence-1 angel... "The Magician" Folsen felt a sudden wave of apprehension, startled and afraid. She then recalled her conversation with Hous about Adam, possibly the very thing under scrutiny, and unexpectedly felt as though she herself had become the protagonist of a novel—being linked to the King of Angels and a Sequence-1 angel, starting from just Sequence-7 or Sequence-6! With this thought in mind, Folsen quickly turned to "Justice" and asked: "Could you please 'hypnotize' me so I forget certain things? I'm afraid that if I remember too much, I'll draw attention to myself." "Of course," replied "Justice" Audrey, glancing briefly at "Judgment" Hous and giving her a nod. Meanwhile, "The Star" Leonard also began to form some conjectures and intended to return to the old man to discuss it and hear his thoughts. Klein did not delve further into the major undertakings hidden within Beckland, as they were simply too sophisticated for the other members of the Tarot Circle—neither could they directly participate, nor even fully comprehend them without risking misfortune. In this regard, Klein's belief was that certain stages or links might require some assistance from specific members of the Circle, but much like assigning a bounty hunter a task, he wanted to keep them from being overly involved, allowing them to understand the full picture without being exposed to unnecessary risks. At that moment, "The Hangman" Aljer surveyed the room: "From my observation, the Storm Church isn't particularly enthusiastic about this war." Not particularly enthusiastic? This doesn't align with the image of the Church of the Storm... Although their doctrine neither glorifies combat nor promotes war, it absolutely emphasizes treating enemies with relentless fury, expressing anger immediately and fully on the spot. Caine found this rather surprising, and then, drawing upon his understanding of divine realms, began to analyze: According to my earlier hypothesis, "Storm," "Sun," "Reader," "Audience," and "Shepherd" are interchangeable pathways at a higher level, and thus should be in significant contradiction with one another. The "Lord of the Storm" is likely the original Wind Angel who consumed Adam's father—the ancient Sun God, the Creator of the Silver City. Even if He had allowed George III to become the "Black Emperor," He would hardly have permitted Adam, through the "current of the ages," to ascend to the divine throne. Therefore, is it not the case that the Church of the Storm is unwilling to expand war into a global conflict, actively restraining its own impulses? Indeed, they are in a difficult position... This explains why Roon and Intis have remained strangely silent regarding Feneport's incursions into Lunburg, Massey, and Segal. The Eternal Sun Church and the Storm Church are likely also in a state of uncertainty, unable to make a decisive move: on one hand, at the divine level, they have not entirely failed to uphold their alliance, and there is a genuine possibility of turning against the Church of Knowledge; on the other hand, national strategic considerations compel them to protect those nations, and forcing a departure from the established perceptions of their domestic populations would risk destabilizing their foundation. Moreover, once they engage in conflict, they would fulfill Adam's conditions for his advancement to Level 0. Carefully, Caine allowed the world of Germain Spalor to remain momentarily stunned before responding to the information about the "Emperor of the Hanging Man": "At present, this is a matter of necessity."