In the eastern district, within a two-bedroom rental apartment. Crayne received a reply letter from the sorceress Trist from the messenger girl Renette Tynicol, sat down at a chair, and began to read. The letter revealed that Trist not only knew of the existence of the "Lord of the Doors," but also had a means—through the bloodline connection of the Abraham family—to engage in dialogue with him. Trist had now grown capable of enduring the Lord of the Doors' calls for help, no longer fearing loss of control. Moreover, she seemed remarkably certain about the identity of the Lord of the Doors. Indeed, she had gained further knowledge and secrets from the "Primordial Sorceress." Yet, if that were the case, why would the "White Sorceress," Caterina, pursue her? Crayne read through the brief letter, and a series of questions arose in his mind. Since the matters Trist mentioned were already familiar to him, he trusted her account and believed she had not lied—rather, she had offered a highly feasible solution. Of course, the success of this method hinges on three conditions: mastery of the correct rituals, the presence of appropriate mediators from descendants of the Abraham lineage, and a willingness to endure substantial risks. Among these, Kline lacks the first condition and harbors considerable doubt about the third, striving to find a safer, more discreet approach, while the witch Trist appears to be missing only the second. "For me, it's relatively straightforward to locate descendants of the Abraham lineage—direct communication can be established through the 'Magician' Miss. However, once I offer the woman's hair, blood, flesh, or bones to Witch Trist, those individuals will be exposed to the risk of being cursed..." Kline, well-versed in the capabilities of witches, knows they are particularly adept at casting curses. As his thoughts swiftly evolved, he began to formulate a strategy: utilizing the hair, decaying flesh, or bones of the deceased. He remembered that the "Magician" had mentioned to the "Knight" that she had once buried an elderly man named Lawrence, who without a doubt was a descendant of the Abraham lineage. "Hope it's not a cremation... though that might be a slight indignity to the body, it's an essential step in breaking the ancient curse of the Abraham lineage—dialogue with the 'Gate' gentleman is a necessary rite, and it's better to involve the deceased than the living. When you write to Trish, include this as a request from a descendant of the Abraham family, claiming it's a requirement for the ritual medium. Also, we must first confirm that Trish intends to speak with the 'Gate' gentleman, rather than trying to pull Him back into the real world. They might themselves be high-ranking, or connected to high-ranking figures, making it difficult to receive clear insights through divination. But the Emperor has said the return ritual required by the 'Gate' gentleman is quite complex and cannot be simply fulfilled by a few ancestral artifacts. We should ask the 'Mystic Queen' and Miss Sharon to monitor the underground trade markets in Beckett, keeping an eye out for any unusual material or personnel movements." Klein nodded slightly, deciding to visit Miss Magician shortly and also follow up on her manuscript. ……… The northern district, Peisfeir Street. A young man in a black overcoat, wearing a silk hat and with a slender face and a broad forehead, sits on a bench, gazing in quiet wonder at the golden-brown leaves drifting from the intended elms. He wears a single-lens spectacles made of crystal, giving him a refined appearance. As an elderly man walking toward Saint Simon's Church passes by, he notices the young man's unusual demeanor and stops, speaking gently: "Young man, what is troubling you? Something about the war?" He suspects that the young man has lost relatives, lovers, or friends—either in the previous air raids or in the fierce battles on the front lines—and thus sits motionless, lost in thought. The young man lifts his hand, gently pressing the spectacles, then sighs and shakes his head. "I'm simply thinking about some rather complex matters." "A philosopher?" the elder asks, pausing in surprise. "No, but I often pose philosophical questions to others—such as, who am I, where am I, and where am I going." The young man smiled calmly, continued his quiet reflections, occasionally moving his lips as if speaking in whispers. The elder found it hard to grasp, shook his head in bewilderment, and slowly walked away, under the watchful eyes of the wild dogs by the roadside, the sparrows on the trees, the ants on the ground, and the smaller creatures in the air. The young man did not turn his head. The lenses of his single-spectacle glasses reflected patches of falling yellow leaves as he murmured to himself: "Parasitic..." "Not parasitic..." "Parasitic..." "Not parasitic..." "Watching the bait..." "Swallowing the bait..." "Watching the bait..." "Swallowing the bait..." ... Klein suddenly felt an inexplicable, complex sense of anticipation, and for a moment hesitated, not reaching out to take the bundle carried by the messenger girl. Renee Tynicol's three idle heads spoke in succession: "Mutated..." "the..." "truly..." "the..." "mushrooms..." "king..." A string of such modifiers... I now understand what's going on.... Klein managed not to show his gritted teeth, and slowly took the bundle. Upon opening it, he found, as expected, a large number of various mushrooms—no, mushrooms. Some were white and plump, as if they would burst with milk upon a gentle touch; others had a dark base, adorned with delicate blood-colored filaments and fat streaks; some were studded with golden stars, their caps as broad as a human palm. At this moment, the mushrooms were still subtly pulsing, as though trying to release their mycelium and spores into the air. Caine took a swallow of saliva, picked up the letter surrounded by the mushrooms, and unfolded it to read: Klein held the letter, remaining silent for a long while, then looked up to find the messenger girl still waiting. ...He sighed softly without speaking, walked to the desk, pulled out a sheet of paper and a steel pen, and wrote slowly: "...I'm very pleased you've achieved success. These mushrooms have been of great help to me—they will effectively alleviate famine in certain regions... "...I am currently occupied with several matters and don't have enough fresh ideas at the moment... "...Yours sincerely, Gérard Spalro..." Folding the letter, Klein glanced at the messenger girl and hesitated before asking: "How is Frank Lee doing now?" "Renee Tini科尔's head that had previously been silent spoke first: 'Eager...' The other three added in turn: 'Active...' 'Happy...' 'Satisfied...' Then, the four heads said together: 'No longer...' 'Afraid...' 'Buried...' 'In the earth...' 'Why?' Kline instinctively asked. Renee Tini科尔 held up the four golden-haired, bright-eyed heads, each word being slowly released: 'He...' 'Can...' 'Draw...' 'Nutrients...' 'And...' 'Oxygen...' 'From...' 'The soil...' Frank, now a 'Druid,' had indeed undergone significant evolution... Kline found himself unsure whether to celebrate his friend's progress or to silently mourn for the crew of the 'Future.' After sending off the messenger, Caine used meditation to force himself to fall asleep, and woke up at 2:30 p.m. to prepare for the weekly Tarot gathering. By 3:00, a series of deep red lights rose within the ancient palace shrouded in gray mist, solidifying into the forms of the attendees. "Justice" Audrey stood up, gently lifting her skirt, and bowed to the head of the bronze table: "Good afternoon, Sir 'The Fool'~" As a seasoned psychologist, she possessed exceptional skill in managing her own mood, and this week had been relatively uneventful—mostly focused on fundraising, coordinating with pharmaceutical companies, and organizing volunteer medical staff. Yet, compared to previous weeks, the lightness and joy she usually carried when greeting others had noticeably diminished. Caine nodded lightly in response to the greetings from the Tarot members, then turned his gaze toward "The Hermit." He still had eight questions left to ask her. "The recluse" Cadellia bowed her head slightly, speaking with perfect composure: "Esteemed Sir Fool, this time I have two questions." Only after receiving her approval did she continue: "The first question is: what is the current state of the demons within the 'Deep Void'?" The "Mysterious Queen" had initially doubted that the Emperor's tomb lay hidden within the 'Deep Void'—a point entirely consistent with the Emperor's own reasoning, truly a true child of his. Yet, alas, there were no available 'people' to serve or drive the matter forward. In her mind, Sir Fool Caine murmured a few thoughts, maintaining his composed expression as he replied: "At present, the 'Deep Void' is such that even the majority of its demons can no longer survive."