After listening to the High Priest Nym’s reply, Caine carried his lantern and walked twenty or thirty steps to the right along the gray-white mist. Then, he half-closed his eyes, as if sensing something, which caused the extraordinary beings from the Moon City trailing behind him to remain completely silent, afraid of disturbing the divine messenger. After a few seconds, Caine extended his right hand and slowly reached out into the air before him. Instantly, a stone altar materialized from the void, now bearing three candles made of rendered wax and seven or eight spiritually charged materials. As a Sequence 4 demi-god, Nym was momentarily stunned, hardly believing what he was seeing. Previously, he had assumed that Germain Sparo possessed spatial abilities or had been favored by the "Fool," when he used his staff to heal his companions. But now, his judgment was completely overturned—because the altar, the candles, and those spiritual materials were all familiar to him. He had used them himself before! How could he produce things I had once used? Was it the power of history, the force of time itself? Nim recalled fragments of the old texts from Moon City, combined with his understanding of the half-gods, and formed an initial hypothesis. At that moment, Caine turned to him and said, "You may begin." Nim took a quiet breath and, under the watchful eyes of Adal, Xin, and Rous, stepped steadily toward the altar, creating a wall of spiritual energy. He glanced at the symbols, emblems, and patterns inscribed on the altar, confirming they were correct, then proceeded with the ritual according to the sequence already etched into his memory, performing it with exceptional fluency. In the final moments, he bowed his head and intoned softly, "The ever-unchanging mist; "the barrier that solidifies time and space; "the being that encompasses all things..." As the prayer was still unfolding, Caine had already focused his attention on the pale, gray mist, hoping to hear a voice emanating from within. To this end, he dispersed a large number of monster statuettes, secretly controlled and moving through the surrounding darkness, placing them at regular intervals, ensuring no suspicious traces were overlooked. Yet he detected no anomalies until the ritual was complete. After waiting a little longer, Caine turned his gaze to the great priest of Moon City, Nym, and said calmly, "Do it again." As he spoke, the nobles were either in the smaller drawing room or in the dedicated afternoon tea room, where fine black tea and an array of exquisite pastries were served, and occasionally invited Audrey to comment on the culinary skills of their house pastry chefs. Their servants moved with bright cheeks and light, quiet steps, careful not to disturb the guests. "Now, this situation..." Lord Hall sighed. After a moment's thought, Audrey said seriously, "Father, I remember we still have quite a bit of food at home. May I purchase some of it with money?" "Audrey, you've already done so much—you don't need to go further," Lord Hall remarked, frowning slightly. Audrey simply looked at her father, offering no response to her brother's words. Count Hall's expression, initially lightened by his daughter's arrival, gradually grew serious: "Audrey, the premise of charity is that it does not compromise your own life or that of your family—this is one principle I hope you will always remember." Audrey, dressed in a gown of gold and white, furrowed her brows slightly before relaxing them, speaking earnestly: "Father, the grain stored at home is sufficient to feed everyone in this house for a full year, and even more. Moreover, there is still ample grain in the eastern Chestershire region." Since the County of Lyrn had not yet fully fallen, the Fyrsak army invading through the County of Intersea had not attacked eastern Chestershire. Meanwhile, the Fyrsak, Intis, and Feneport fleets at sea were being pressed by several iron-clad fleets of Roon and could only manage to hold their ground, safeguarding the sea supply lines. Count Hall gazed at his daughter's eyes, as deep and clear as precious stones, for several seconds, then sighed and smiled: "Audrey, you have truly grown—now with your own thoughts and a strong sense of determination." "But we have no idea how long this war will last, or what its final outcome will be—so we must stockpile ample provisions to cope with whatever unfolds. I am willing to have two courses fewer at each meal, to assist those in need, but I do not wish my table to become as plain as what the newspapers describe for middle-class households. That would mean we completely lose our noble dignity—the very standard we have upheld through every generation. Do you understand what I mean? I was only using a metaphor. At its core, what I'm saying is that I value the continuity of our family and our future, and the preservation of our identity and status above all. Only when these are not compromised do I express my kindness and compassion." "Audrey, my words might sound harsh, but you've grown up now, and it's time you listened. Everyone is self-interested—just to different degrees. In my heart, the importance of the Hall family surpasses both me and your mother, surpasses you, and even surpasses Herbert and Alfred. Beyond that, I value faith and close friends first, then acquaintances, and only lastly, the countless people across Beckland who need aid. If I can help them without compromising the priorities above, I'm quite willing. Unfortunately, right now, I have to consider many other matters." At this, Earl Hall gave a self-deprecating shake of his head. "I'm sorry to tell you that your father is someone so self-centered." While Audrey listened intently to her father, her expression first showed subtle shifts, then settled, remaining entirely composed until the end—no further emotional reactions emerged. At that moment, she paused and asked again: "…yet we have acquired so much more than we originally needed—can we possibly give even a portion of it away?" Hibert Hall interjected with some irritation: "Why should we give away the things we have worked so hard to earn? These are the products of our fields, pastures, and forests—these are the goods we have purchased with our pounds of sterling. Our money and assets have been passed down through generations, earned by our father through his keen judgment and unwavering determination, accumulated over many years. Charity and helping others is a matter of extra generosity—it is not something we must do, do you understand?" The Earl nodded: "Hibert's point is essentially sound, and it aligns with my own view." Audrey bit her lip and slowly nodded. "I understand..." The Earl turned his gaze away and addressed Hiberth. "The stored food must be carefully guarded. If the war's outcome truly proves unchangeable, try to reach out to the people in Intis. Offer them our goodwill. The war has lasted so long that many of them have fallen, fields have been abandoned, cities are experiencing soaring prices—there will undoubtedly be strong demand for grain, pastureland, and forest resources. Plus, my shares in Intis' Suheet Bank, along with partial stakes in Bavat and Beckland Banks, should be sufficient to secure their support. After all, in such circumstances, only once these material needs are met can we begin to discuss familial ties." Intis and Roon frequently marry, and many noble families are closely related—especially among the followers of steam technology. "Father, are you considering surrendering?" Hiberth asked, somewhat surprised. Count Holm nodded gently and sighed once more: "With the current situation, how could I possibly overlook it? When that happens, you will be the new Count Holm." Shibert was deeply moved, yet still puzzled: "Father, what about you?" Count Holm smiled wistfully: "Both my wife and I are devout believers, and we hold a certain standing within the Church. Should Ruin fall and the Church be destroyed, if we still refuse to step back, our fate won't be very bright." He then comforted his eldest son: "As long as the Holm family remains, the title endures, and our core assets aren't severely damaged, we'll have a decent retirement. After you convert to steam power, remember to set up a private chapel room at home for us." While they spoke, Audrey, dressed in a long gown of gold and white, stood quietly by the door—silent, attentive, her emerald eyes gleaming like precious stones. After one after another attempt, as the projection on the altar faded, the High Priest of Lunaria, Nym, carefully addressed Germain Sparo, who was holding the strange lantern, saying, "It seems we won't succeed today. We can try again tomorrow—at most, it won't take more than two months." At that moment, all that ran through Caine's mind was another question: Could the ritual have failed simply because the historical image projections had been used as a mere substitute? He deeply reflected on his own actions and decided to follow the High Priest's advice, attempting again the following day—this time, he would insist that the High Priest bring genuine materials. As he was about to nod, a faint, indistinct voice suddenly reached his ears. It emerged from the depths of the gray-white mist, layered and murmured, remarkably hazy. It was effective, wasn't it? The ritual was indeed effective—just significantly delayed. Caine felt a surge of joy and immediately raised his right hand, gently lowering it to signal the extraordinary beings of Lunaria to remain silent. He then held his breath, calmed his thoughts, and focused intently on listening. The voices echoing within the pale mist seemed to originate from multiple distinct sources, intertwining and at times interfering with one another, canceling out or overlapping, creating resonances. Gradually, the sound grew clearer in Caine's ears, especially during the resonant moments. It seemed to be a language he recognized—several countless voices chanting a single name together. That name was: "Fu Sheng Xuan Huang Tian Zun."