Above the gray mist, the palace of the Giant King remained unchanged as the Silver City exploration team began their return journey. Keene exhaled in relief, leaning back wearily against the chairback. After nearly two hours of observation, his spiritual reserves had nearly reached their limit—he could probably sustain another fifteen minutes at most. "Regardless of what happens, the results of this mission have completely exceeded my expectations. It's definitely worth delivering the 'Silver Knight' potion formula to the Silver City." Keene rubbed his forehead, his thoughts drifting naturally. "Mastering these ancient secrets will be immensely beneficial for my digestion as I advance in rank. The issue now is that my 'Mystic Magician' potion still hasn't fully settled in." "The feedback we've received steadily over this period clearly shows that the spread of various local legends has made a significant impact. Once the 'Magician' Miss completes her manuscript, it's published and undergoes a period of maturation, it should all come together then." "However, she's only been writing for a few days now—there's no telling when she'll finish. Why can't she write several hours every day? Maybe I should take her this time and gently urge her along..." As this thought came to him, Caine suddenly remembered something—he hadn't yet paid Anderson the fee for finding the 'One Who Will Suffer Illness'. "Let's wait until he helps Daniz become a 'strategist'—after all, that's also part of the agreement. The promotion ceremony of the 'Iron Knight' is neither easy nor simple to organize, especially for a 'Hunter'. It's particularly troublesome. Indeed, it requires a 'Hunter'—one skilled at provoking others and fond of plotting schemes—to assemble a team of at least thirty people, cultivate deep bonds of camaraderie with them, strengthen each of them individually, and ensure they work in perfect harmony, able to understand the 'Hunter's' intentions through mere gestures and eye contact, becoming almost one unit as a whole. Only then can this team carry out the ceremony. The more powerful and cohesive the team, the more effective the ceremony becomes." After the exploration team from Silver City returned smoothly and without incident, Caine finally felt at ease. He left the gray mist above, collapsed onto his bed, and fell asleep soundly. ... In the town camp in the afternoon, after a period of rest, Drik Berg had fully recovered, his complexion no longer pale. He had just finished eating bread baked with a powder of black face grass, when a figure emerged from the shadow outside. In a low, steady voice, he said, "Derek, the Chief is looking for you." "Yes," Derek rose instinctively, "thank you." He had already intended to go to the Chief to present the magical recipe for the "Silver Knight." After watching the messenger retreat back into the shadow, Derek stepped out of the room and onto the camp square illuminated by the firelight. At first glance, he saw several members who had not participated in the current exploration gathering in small groups, their faces bright with excitement as they whispered and discussed among themselves. They now knew that the "Kingdom of Giants" could see the sea, and that it was not far from the coast—once the right path was found, they would reach it in no time. This was a crucial step in the self-rescue of the Silver City, following the discovery of the foreigner, Jack. For the first time, the residents of the Silver City, primarily driven by the forces of "Dawn" and "Morning Light," had finally seen the dawn break. The long wait and perseverance seem finally about to bear fruit. Derek could understand the players' feelings—he had felt them himself. Yet, having heard from the world-renowned Gelman Sparo about the various tales of the "Divine War Ruins," he knew that the sea was no ordinary place. Reaching the other side would likely prove immensely difficult. Aside from that, the very presence of "Dark Angel" Sasselir, slumbering within the Giant King's palace and blocking the vital route, was already an insurmountable obstacle at present. He could only hope that the "Fool" would continue to watch over them. Indeed, the fact that the young boy had appeared within the temple ruins suggested there was another path that could bypass the Giant King's palace and reach the seashore. With hopeful anticipation, Derek walked past the quietly burning fire, heading toward the chief room on the opposite side. Suddenly, he spotted a figure sitting silently in the shadow of a massive stone. He was a man in his twenties, considerably taller than Deric, holding a pale golden bracelet with three small bells attached, his gaze unfocused. Deric knew him well—he was Dolores, the wife of Antilena, a Sequence 6 "Dawn Knight." In the Silver City, individuals could freely choose their partners and marry before turning eighteen; if no spouse was chosen by eighteen, they would be matched, and the same rule applied to widowed individuals. This measure ensured a stable population, though it seemed to contradict human nature. To secure the city's continuity in the land of darkness, such a system had to be maintained, and it also ensured that each person had a sufficient number of close relatives, preventing them from transforming into terrifying malevolent spirits after death. Dolores and Antilena have been neighbors on the same street since childhood, sharing mutual affection that gradually blossomed into a romance when they became teammates on the patrol squad, eventually evolving into a deep, enduring marriage. Considering their children were still young, Colin Iliad deliberately left Dolores behind during this expedition to the "Kingdom of the Giants." While Dric appreciated the chief's decision, he felt a profound sense of sorrow—deeply stirred by Dolores' performance—reminiscent of the moment when he had had to personally kill his parents. Though the expedition lasted only a few hours, everything felt utterly different to Dolores. After a moment of silence, Dric turned his gaze away and continued forward, his steps now unconsciously heavier. At the same time, he recalled a rumor: Elder Lovie, the "Shepherd," had once been married, and her husband had died during an expedition—a quite common occurrence, hardly worth mentioning. But after that expedition to the temple ruins, not only did all the other members of the team go mad and fall out of the picture, but gradually, a whisper began to circulate among some residents of Silver City: during that expedition, Elder Lovie had actually eaten her husband! The lightning strikes were infrequent, the wind a bit cold; Drik shivered and refocused his attention on what lay before him. He hurried a few steps and reached his destination, then knocked gently on the chief's door. "Come in," said Colin Iliad, his voice unchanged. Drik stepped inside and saw the chief, dressed in a linen shirt and a dark coat, polishing the two straight swords with oil. Colin Iliad did not pause, lifted his head, and looked toward Drik: "What are your thoughts on this expedition?" What was the chief really trying to get at? That thought naturally arose in Derek, deeply influenced by the "Temperance" archetype of Aljer. Unable to grasp the chief's specific intent, he simply closed the door and responded calmly: "There might be other routes to the seashore; the palace of the Giant King should be crucial, but it's too risky—we need more information." Colin Ilyas nodded and then asked: "The angelic kings and those beings who claim divine status have been plotting—have they been aiming to resist the Sovereign? And has that resistance been successful, leading to the abandonment of this land?" Though Derek hadn't heard this specific inference directly, the subtle clues gathered at the Tarot gathering led him to arrive at a similar conclusion: "Yes, that's exactly it." Colin fell silent, his movements in wiping the straight sword slowing slightly. After a few seconds, he set down the items in his hands and took two steps forward, saying, "Are the entities involved in the plot still active on the other side of the sea?" Daryl remained silent for a moment, carefully responding, "Most of them are. "But not particularly active." Colin Ilyas nodded, indicating he had no further questions. Daryl quickly added, "Chief, at the time of the death of 'The Light-Slayer' Milgongen, I obtained a partial recipe for the 'Silver Knight' potion, including auxiliary materials and the promotion rite." As he spoke, Daryl realized his lie was so utterly false that it would be immediately apparent—indeed, he had been too afraid to even open his eyes. Yet he could still think of no better excuse. If only Mr. The Hangman were here, he would surely have a better solution... As this thought formed in his mind, he heard the Chief speak slowly, "Very good. What exactly?" "...After a moment of pause, Deric quickly and thoroughly recounted the relevant rituals and supporting materials. Colin, the Hunter, listened quietly and then sighed deeply, saying, 'Your contribution this time has been truly significant—it's of vital importance to Silver City. From now on, our ceiling will be Sequence 3, not Sequence 4. As a result, exploration teams will face considerably reduced risks within a certain range.' Why exactly would the ceiling be Sequence 3, and how would that lead to reduced risks for the exploration teams? Deric was pleased with his own contribution but found himself somewhat puzzled by the Chief's explanation. He knew this was knowledge beyond his current understanding and intended to inquire about it during the Tarot gathering. He then proposed to leave, turning to open the door. 'Deric...' Chief Iliac called out suddenly. Deric turned, slightly puzzled, and noticed the Chief's expression was notably serious and composed." Colin remained silent for a moment, then shook his head. "Be careful of Loviara." "Yes, Sir," Drik replied sincerely. ………… Beckland, North District. Haywella rode in a carriage from the Deer Estate back to the city, preparing to meet with the Roon Charitable Education Fund and Miss Audrey to discuss donations and other assistance. After several interactions, she had developed a very favorable impression of the noble lady, feeling no pressure at all and gradually easing the strange emotions that had been accumulating, as if rediscovering many memories she had long forgotten. "I should still have a teacher... What exactly happened that day? Every time I try to recall, I feel my body trembling..." Haywella cast a slightly melancholy gaze toward the window. Her carriage was passing through the area near Berkland Street. At that moment, a man dressed as a postal courier rode by on a bicycle, moving with a particularly relaxed demeanor. Hai Rui'er glanced casually and spotted a single-lens pair of glasses worn on her right eye.