Setting down the "Classical Alchemist" potion formula in his hands, Caine turned his attention to the two vials of blood offered by the small "Sun." Then, he summoned a ceramic jar wrapped in layers of paper figures. This had been collected from blood samples of extraordinary beings through various means, and had been kept suspended above the gray mist, sealed by "Angel Paper Figures," to gradually blend into the ambient atmosphere of this mysterious space, severing the connection between the blood and its donors, thus preventing unforeseen disruptions during the process of drawing symbols to open the way—potentially affecting the contributors. To Caine, a reversal of his own condition was merely acceptable; after all, he still had at least one, possibly two, chances of resurrection. But if it compromised those who trusted him and willingly provided their blood, he would rather not proceed at all. After removing the paper figures sealing the jar's mouth and pouring in the two vials of blood, Caine manifested a glass rod, inserted it, and stirred gently. Then, he used the "Angel Paper Figures" once more to reseal the jar. "Only the 'prisoner,' 'demon,' and 'witch' remain... Once I complete the ritual, I'll personally visit Miss Sharon. It's far more courteous to request in person than to write a letter. The 'magician' is quite special—clearly, she'd rather I write and never see Germain Spalro. Hmph! She's even cited the cold temperature freezing the ink as an excuse for delays—has she really forgotten all her tricks? Well, at least my potions are now fully consumed, so no need to press her further..." Klein muttered to himself as he tossed the ceramic jar, wrapped in a paper figure, back into the pile of miscellaneous items. After leaving the realm of the misty haze, he didn't immediately proceed with preparations for his elevation to "Ancient Scholar." Instead, he pulled out paper and pen, sketching a complex symbol that blended elements of "secrecy" and "gazing." This was precisely what he had planned to do before consuming his potions—seeking information about the "Source Citadel" from the "Magic Mirror," Arodos. As the symbolic form took shape, the already dim interior of the room grew increasingly shadowed, as though clouds had drifted across, just covering the sun. After a few dozen seconds, the surface of the cracked full-length mirror, previously still, rippled with a shimmer and quickly inscribed one after another silver words: "Great, Highest, Eternal Lord, your most devout, humble servant Arondes appears at your call. 'Am I still your most trusted, closest, and beloved servant?'” This question... I sense a sense of anxiety and urgency in the mirror—there is clearly a sense of crisis.克莱恩 nodded thoughtfully, with a slightly amused expression. "Yes." It has never truly been so... I've only been comforting you. After finishing his response,克莱恩 silently added two more thoughts to himself. The shimmer on the mirror's surface suddenly brightened significantly, and all the silver words now glowed with a golden hue. They moved, forming new sentences: "Great Lord, do you have any questions to test me?" "Yes." Kline tightened his mental focus. "What do you know about the 'Source Citadel'?" The mirror, Arordes, remained silent for a few seconds before the pale golden words shifted: "I have little knowledge of it, only heard some rumors. In the early Second Age, the ancient gods believed that the first Creator left behind certain things—perhaps a part of His body evolved into a 'realm,' or perhaps something He himself crafted—and the 'Source Citadel' was one of those. This name was given by the King of the Great Wolf, Fregrala, who referred to the Dog of Fugon as the 'Guardian of the Source Citadel.' However, until Fregrala's passing, He never entered the 'Source Citadel,' so many powerful beings doubted its very existence, believing it to be merely an abstract concept." Related to the very First Creator, the one who brought forth the world at the beginning? Klein pondered for a while, then said: "How many such places or objects—similar to the 'Astral Citadel'—are there? Eight, specifically recorded on the second 'Board of Desecration,' though I haven't had the chance to review it. The mirror's surface now displays rows of words, fading from a soft gold back to a silver hue. The ancient gods suspect that the source of the subterranean contamination originates from such places, calling them the 'Chaos Sea.' Moreover, there's a tradition that deep within the city of Caldrun in the spiritual realm, the traces of the 'River of Eternal Darkness' are hidden—this river is linked to the ancient death god, the first immortal, Greagal. As for the others, I've heard some names, though they're incomplete: the 'World of Shadows,' the 'Wasteland of Knowledge,' and one related to the moon, known as the 'Nest.'" "There are eight in total—the 'Chaos Sea,' the 'Eternal River of Darkness,' the 'Wilderness of Knowledge,' the 'World of Shadows,' the 'Nest'... The 'Nest' is connected to the Moon, which already sounds quite dangerous. I wonder if it has any relation to the 'Tree of Desire.' "Klein silently repeated the key points from Arodus's response, feeling as though he should be able to grasp something significant, yet still coming away with little concrete insight. He was missing the connecting thread that would tie everything together. Seeing that Arodus had only heard fragments of the stories and lacked substantive knowledge, Klein organized his thoughts and casually added, "Given that, perhaps you come from the 'Chaos Sea.'" "That is not important. What matters is that I am now your loyal, humble, and obedient servant." Arodus delivered a full sequence of words in one breath. "Humble and obedient—such a phrase," Klein thought to himself, then asked, "What is the origin of the 'Dark Angel' Salsir?" On the surface of the mirror, silver words formed one after another: "I too cannot see. But at that time, there was a myth circulating: when the ancient sun god came into being, he was a unity of light and darkness. After all, claiming to be the creator, he had to be complete—nothing could be missing. Later, he separated the darkness within himself and used it, together with a rib from his own body, to create the first angel—thus forming the 'Angel of Darkness,' Sathelir." That... the rib... I can easily imagine that the ancient sun god himself composed and spread this myth originally. Your wife has become the 'Angel of Darkness'! Kline was first stunned, then a cascade of strange thoughts began to surface. As his thoughts settled, he began to analyze the possible truths embedded in this myth: "The fact that this myth has endured suggests that believers now see Sathelir, the 'Dark Angel,' as the shadow aspect of the ancient solar deity 'Dark,' and worship Him in the manner of the Divine Sovereign. At the time, no one objected, and no one prohibited this development. Moreover, Sathelir has always remained the Deputy King of Heaven, the Divine Left Hand—this very point is likely authentic. "What followed can be summarized as the shadow aspect of the ancient solar deity forging alliances with external foes, persuading the Angelic Kings, and ultimately assassinating the divine essence itself?" "This elegantly explains why Ulorius and Medici joined the 'Red Rose of Redemption'—they simply followed the Sovereign's command." "In this light, doesn't Sathelir's role within the ancient solar deity's heavenly realm correspond precisely to the 'World' card in the Tarot?" Well… "Good thing the 'World' is just a figurehead—she doesn't actually possess her own spirit or thoughts…" As he thought about it, Klein suddenly felt a wave of perspiration roll down his forehead, deeply grateful that he was a 'Seer' rather than someone through another path. Based on his reasoning, he now had a clear hypothesis as to why the 'Dark Angel' had been sleeping in the 'Kingdom of the Giants': "Perhaps it's connected to the fall of the 'Ancient Sun God'… Therefore, Amun's brother, the Dragon of Wisdom, and the 'True Maker' all wish to ascertain the current state of the 'Dark Angel' Sathelir." Yet, there were still many unanswered questions. Among the twenty-two extraordinary paths, where exactly did the Angelic King, the 'Hand of God,' belong? "The 'Thieves' are Amun, the apprentices are the 'Gate' Master, and the 'Audiences,' 'Readers,' 'Praisers,' 'Sailors,' 'Secret-Prayers,' 'Warriors,' 'Night-Watchers,' 'Farmers,' 'Generalists,' 'Monsters,' 'Assassins,' 'Hunters,' and 'Judges' all seem clearly impossible... The 'Burial-Keepers' are also unlikely; there was a 'Death God' in the Fourth Age, so it's improbable that an Angelic King exists simultaneously, unless the 'Dark Angel' has already fallen to the second-tier rank. The same reasoning applies to the 'Seers' and 'Lawyers,' who can be tentatively ruled out until we confirm that the 'Dark Angel' is no longer the Angelic King. The 'Inquirers,' 'Moon,' and 'Devils' have a certain possibility—perhaps the 'Hidden Sage,' 'Primordial Moon,' or 'Cosmic Dark Face' are all veiled identities of the 'Dark Angel.' Hmm, there might even be a hidden presence of the 'Mother Tree of Desire' here. The 'Prisoners' also remain possible; there Klein pondered for a moment, then turned to the "magic mirror" Arodos and said: "It's now your turn to ask." On the surface of the mirror, which bore numerous cracks, silver words twisted and recombined, stretching into a new sentence: "Great Lord, can I guess what you would like to ask next?" ...Klein chuckled and nodded. "Yes, you can." "Regarding Sasriel's current condition, my answer is: I don't know— I cannot see him." A simple sketch of a smile followed the silver words. "Good," Klein praised. "Then that concludes today's conversation. I may summon you again at any moment in the near future." "Yes, Great Lord, your loyal servant Arodos is ever ready to serve you!" The simple sketch of a smile on the mirror's surface transformed into a swiping cat paw. Once the mirror returned to its normal state, Klein took out a sheet of paper and pen, writing down what he had just learned. This was one of the documents he had prepared for the "Ancient Scholar" ritual. — Over the many days that have passed, he has compiled a vast amount of ancient historical records. Then, with these materials and two secret figures, he "transmitted" them to the Southern Continent. He simply couldn't risk his promotion in Bekland; should anything unforeseen happen, Amun and Chalatu would surely detect it and come directly to him!