Now that the "Deep Void" is no longer habitable even for most demons? Upon hearing the "Fool"'s response, everyone present—including the "Keeper" Galadriya—could not help but feel a profound sense of astonishment. In esoteric traditions, the "Deep Void" has long been regarded as the most impure, fallen, and chaotic realm—the very home of demons. Yet now, even the native inhabitants struggle to survive there! Is the environment of the Deep Void deteriorating further, making demons unable to adapt, or has it improved—become cleaner, more orderly, and less suited to their nature? The "Hanged Man" Aljer immediately formed two hypotheses, though he remained uncertain which one was correct. The "Keeper" Galadriya shared a similar line of thought, yet he found himself even more puzzled as to why the Queen had posed this particular question, and what deeper significance lay in the "Fool"'s response—how might it reveal the Queen's hidden intentions or unspoken purposes? As for "Justice" Audrey, a sudden association arose with the half-god prophet of the Knowledge Church. He had once declared that the end of days would arrive in the 1368th year of the Fifth Age—a fact universally accepted by all extraordinary seers, even by the gods themselves. Now, it is the year 1350, just 18 years away from the end. Thus, signs of the "Deepening" have emerged. The already abstract environment of filth and disorder has now surpassed its limits, growing increasingly severe. Audrey now has a clear sense of what is unfolding, and a surge of anxiety and restlessness takes hold. Initially, she had not believed in the end of days, as it had come without any clear signs—her focus had been on the ongoing wars, the deaths, injuries, and sufferings of people in the midst of them. But now, the transformations of the "Deepening" have struck her with unexpected fear, prompting her to urgently seek personal growth and to swiftly complete the magical elixir, in order to inherit the extraordinary traits left by Herwin Lambis and ascend to the status of a half-god. Only then could she develop the capability to intervene and counteract certain realities she did not wish to see. "World"先生's commission has come a bit more often... "Justice" Audrey silently prayed to herself, gently calming her restless emotions. Members such as "Star" Leonard, "Magician" Folsom, and "Judgment" Hugh had certain doubts about whether the "Deep Void" truly existed, as since the Second Age, the Deep Void had not appeared before the public. Most active demons in the present reality stemmed from the Blood Church, and even the high-ranking demons and evil entities invoked in rituals were likely to be drawn from the upper echelons of the Blood Church. Of course, the "Cosmic Shadow," regarded widely as the embodiment of the "Deep Void," has a rather low presence. Unless occasionally responding to rituals and displaying traits characteristic of the demon realm, he might be perceived merely as a myth—much like King Aurnir the Giant. Yet even so, the current secrets of the Night Church that Leonard has access to suggest that it is not out of the question that the "Cosmic Umbral Face" might be a façade fabricated by other devils and hidden entities. As for Deryck, the "Sun," he hardly finds this surprising. In certain remote regions far from the City of Silver, deep within the boundless darkness, there are many demons who cannot remain composed—among them, half-gods such as the "Devils," who are scarcely distinguishable from the "Deep Ones." Were it not for the presence of landmarks like the "Hall of the Giants," the people of the City of Silver would undoubtedly doubt that their very truth of being abandoned had been simply cast into the "Deep." Among the members of the Tarot Circle, the thoughts of the gathered members flickered, and Giselle, the "Wise One," suppressed her own questions, and asked next: "Esteemed Sir 'The Fool,' my second question is: Did the late Emperor Rosel's later actions suffer from external, unwarranted influences?" This issue immediately reminded Claine of the startling inconsistencies in Roscel's late-life journal entries, prompting a moment of quiet admiration. With the demeanor of the "Knight of Cups," he slowly shook his head. "No... all of those things were truly the Emperor's own intentions..." The "Hermit" Gauthier, already feeling a growing sense of disappointment and frustration, heard the "Knight of Cups" speak half-smiling, half-sighing: "It's not an influence—it's a contamination. One that I myself find difficult to perceive." Contamination... Had the Emperor Roscel, by then already fully divine, a heavenly being on earth, been contaminated? And by what—some true god, or even a subterranean force that even the ancient gods feared? In astonishment, "Justice" Odile, drawing upon the hidden details she had gathered, began to form a hunch. The "Hanged Man" Aljé and the other members of the Tarot circle likewise found it hard to believe that such a thing would befall the Emperor Roscel in his later years, and they began to question the very purpose behind the "Card of Desecration" being forged against him. At the same time, they believed that the Count's collection of "defiled cards" likely carried deeper intentions than they originally suspected—involved more far-reaching implications. "In this grand game spanning the entire world, only figures of the Count's stature are worthy to be card players, while we are merely cards—or mere pawns... Perhaps the King of Angels, or the Angel of Sequence 1, might qualify..." Alje, the "Hanged Man," sighed deeply, even developing a desire to become one of the card players himself. Had the later tales of the Great Emperor evolved from a tyrant into a deity of chaos? A novel that began with romance, inspiration, passion, love, adventure, and a portrayal of the decadent life of the Intis elite—had it ultimately transformed into a tale of horror? I wouldn't dare write it that way! If I were writing it, I would have the Great Emperor's tragic end stem from betrayal—betrayal of love, of marriage, of promises... "The Magician" Folshe couldn't help but let his thoughts wander, feeling a strong impulse to pen a full biography of Emperor Roscel. Of course, there are already numerous biographies of Roscel on the market, some even banned. Contaminated... Ah, contaminated—that's what it was. "The Hermit" Gauthierya was struck with both admiration and sorrow. She admired that the Emperor had not, as he once told the tale of the dragon-slaying hero, transform from hero into evil dragon; he remained the revered legend he always was. What saddened her was that only today, this misunderstanding was beginning to be unraveled. As her emotions settled, Gauthierya reflected on the contamination, and the more she thought about it, the more profoundly frightened she became. She considered herself the most knowledgeable among all the Tarot Circle members about Roscel, deeply aware of the heights he reached in his later years—"The Fool" was the convenor and witness, not a member. Yet, such a Sequence 1 Angel, striving for the throne of the True God, had been silently corrupted—neither He nor any of those close to Him had noticed anything at all! This was even more terrifying than that... "The Hermit" Cadrya took a quiet breath, then slowly exhaled to steady herself. Then, she bowed once more to the head of the weathered long table: "Thank you for your answer, esteemed 'Fool'先生." ...And I also thank you for not asking any questions that went beyond the scope... "The Fool" Kline self-mockingly remarked, leaning back against the chair's backrest and giving a gentle nod. "Now, it's your turn." As before, many of the Tarot's members—either newly promoted, still adjusting, or lacking anything to trade—found themselves temporarily in a state of no immediate need. After exchanging a few glances, they collectively decided to move straight into the free exchange session. Of course, Emlyn, the "Moon," was an exception. He had longed to make a request: to have someone assist in rescuing him from beneath the Saint Samuel Church. Indeed, until today, he has remained under protective custody behind the Charnes Gate of the Night Church's Becland district headquarters, directly adjacent to Bishop Utrofski. And throughout this period, no "Night Watch" has come to review their case. Without the daily deliveries of fresh water and food from the internal staff responsible for guarding the sealed site, Emlyn would have certainly believed himself and Bishop Utrofski to have been forgotten. The dark, quiet environment was manageable—just a bit cold… But without any mannequins, no newspapers, no books, no historical documents, this life had no meaning at all… And the beef provided by the Night Watch was quite poor in taste and effect; I’ve grown weak from it. Emlyn opened his mouth, yet said nothing, feeling deeply embarrassed. After all, it was he himself who had previously consulted the "Star" to advocate for the "custodial protection" initiative—only to have that very initiative applied to him now. He hoped the man hadn’t forgotten him and was actively working on freeing him. Emlyn glanced at the "Star," Leonard, and remained silent. Leonard maintained a still, respectable posture, neither acknowledging nor responding to the "Moon’s" gaze. He didn't have much of a good option right now, since it was he who had proposed the "protective detention" before the Archbishop. Emlyn White was a vampire count—equivalent to a fifth-tier extraordinary being—someone who moved like a human-shaped bomb, and a devoted follower of the Earth Mother. There was no reason to release him now. He could only wait until the vampire line raised formal objections through other channels, then he'd have room to act. "Stella" Leonard decided to request a private meeting shortly, while "Moon" Emlyn would work to establish contact between the vampire hierarchy and the Church of Night. "Justice" Odile had been observing their interactions closely and immediately linked them to the question Emlyn had previously raised, suspecting that something had gone awry during the implementation of the "protective detention"—though not severely. She heard that the parish priest of the Harvest Church had saved many lives during the severe smog in Beckland, and hoped nothing untoward would happen. Odile gave a slight nod and turned her gaze toward the young "Sun." The other members of the Tarot Circle were also turning their attention to "The Sun," Deric. They all knew that Silver City had been scheduled to explore the "Kingdom of the Giants" last week, and the results should now be in.