On the mirror's surface, silver words rose one after another in the rippling light: "…accepting the extraordinary individuals willing to pledge allegiance to the War God's Church and the Fsaq military, we will only eliminate the few high-ranking officials who are exceptionally devout and willing to sacrifice themselves for their faith—this reflects both the goddess's mercy and tolerance, as well as an inevitable measure necessary for the evolving circumstances. As the end draws near, extraordinary events will inevitably increase across regions. To maintain the world's stability, we must rapidly and substantially strengthen our own capabilities. If we were to harvest the extraordinary individuals from the War God's Church and the Fsaq military, even if we gained the corresponding traits, we would not be able to cultivate an equivalent number of experienced, capable extraordinary individuals within a few years—whether it comes to mastering elixirs or accumulating experience would require sufficient time…" Upon reaching this point, Caine internally exhaled, feeling that this was not the usual tone of the 'Magic Mirror' Arodos, but rather more akin to an official document. It fully presented the documents that had been quietly observed somewhere—using the term "digestion," it indicates that both the scribe and the reader have mastered the art of performance, and the tone suggests it was taught by someone from the night. Combined with these observations, it is clear that this is a document circulated between the Archbishop and the senior deacon, and the scribe is likely the priest from the Tranquility Church. Arodès has a remarkable ability to observe. Klein nodded slightly, imperceptibly, waiting for the content in the mirror to "turn the page." One after another, the pale silver words faded and reappeared, quickly forming new sentences and paragraphs: "Once the new oracles have been delivered, we will then proceed with the changes. For now, we shall only establish corresponding contingency plans. 'We must strive to avoid strong resistance from nations such as Fosac. We have already lost too many extraordinary individuals and soldiers, and have depleted significant resources and supplies. The Church, the nation, and people across all social strata are now deeply weakened and require a period of peace and stability to recover. Therefore, we should unite with the Storm Church, the Church of Knowledge, the Church of the Earth, and the kingdoms of Feneport and Lunburg, compelling Indis and Fosac to unconditionally surrender, and securing the outcomes we seek through negotiations. Throughout this process, we can apply pressure by eliminating stubborn resistance elements. 'In managing domestic affairs and taking over the areas left vacant by the Steam Church, we must show sufficient respect to the Storm Church, and even make concessions on certain matters—this is in accordance with the will of the Goddess.' " "Finally, starting now, reduce the occurrences of the Red Moon during missionary services, rituals, Masses, and so on, and in the official texts, no longer mention the goddess's title of 'Lady of Crimson Sovereignty'..." No longer mention the title of 'Lady of Crimson Sovereignty'... Klein's eyebrows slightly furrowed, deeply puzzled by the final sentence. Soon, he recalled the bloodline's primordial ancestor, the ancient deity of the Second Age, the current 'Mother Earth Goddess' Lilith, who had once been a Sequence-0 entity of the 'Moon' path—truly the 'Lady of Crimson Sovereignty'—and suddenly felt a sense of clarity, vaguely grasping that this might very well be the underlying exchange, an essential price to be paid. "Well... the goddess's stance is clear: stabilize the situation as soon as possible. Before she fully secures her authority over the 'Death God' and the 'War God' and becomes the 'Primordial,' she undoubtedly doesn't want any more divine beings to fall. If that happens, the fissure in the intangible barrier left by the 'First' will remain unattended, giving the Outer Gods the opportunity to bring about the end of days prematurely. Moreover, given the current state of Ruin, continuing the war will further destabilize the anchor—potentially even triggering the awakening of the 'Primordial' within the goddess herself. Back when she retreated the front lines to Beckland, she took considerable risks, having to dedicate additional strength to contain the 'Primordial.' Should the 'Earth Mother' betray her, she might fall before the 'War God' does. Hmm—does she have any other reserves left?" "The losses sustained by both the Goddess Church and the Storm Church appear to be significant—no wonder, after the Resistance announced its intention to preserve the respective churches and honor the Storm faith, those restless factions didn't launch a counteroffensive and simply accepted the establishment of the new government..." Klein murmured to himself, gaining a clear sense of the current situation. He then posed his third question: "If the Goddess of Night wishes to advance further, does she need to locate the 'River of Eternal Darkness'?" This one of the Nine Primordial Substances, Klein recalled Arōdes had once mentioned—it was linked to the ancient Death God and the primordial phoenix ancestor, Greagaris—and the clue seemed to lie deep within the heart of the spiritual city of Caldrón. "Yes, Esteemed Lord," the pale silver words wavered and reshaped into new text, "The Death God of the Late Fourth Age could also make use of the 'River of Eternal Darkness.' He attempted to forcibly incorporate the 'uniqueness' of non-adjacent pathways through this primordial substance, and as a result, He went mad." "Actually, the Death God was that crazy back then. I always said that any Sequence-0 True God who had lived through three eras and witnessed the 'Defiled Stone Tablets' wouldn't lack common sense—drinking random magic potions, not even like Alistair Thud, who was already at the point of going mad and dying if things didn't improve. That's why the Death God dared to challenge the seven gods in a state of fragmentation, carrying only the 'Primordial Maiden'—at that time, He was effectively half an 'Age-Old' being. Hmm. Previously, Mr. Azk had a golden不死 bird pendant from the Death God. Klein pieced together several details. Suddenly, he let out a sharp 'hiss' in his mind, beginning to doubt whether the goddess had priced all her gifts at 'The River of Eternal Darkness.' Just as the 'True Maker' repeatedly tolerated him, in order to drive him into the Giants' palace and secure the first 'Defiled Stone Tablet'! As the steward of the 'Source Citadel,' he was likely the only one with a high sequence who could still resist other source pollution." Of course, the "Goddess of Night" could wait several or even a decade or so, until the original will further wanes, then personally retrieve it—yet whether she would still be able to complete the ritual in time for the end of days remains uncertain. Immediately, he gathered his thoughts and raised his fourth question: "Where can I obtain the recipe for the 'Mysterious Servant's' potion?" The "Mirror" Arōdes rearranged one by one the pale silver words into a fresh composition: "Chaldaea; the first 'Board of Desecration'; the second 'Board of Desecration'; the 'Trickster' card from the 'Cards of Desecration'; the mythical creature evolved from the 'Uniqueness' of the 'Trickster'." The first and second choices might both be plotting against me... Charathu is more terrifying and more cunning than the Dark Wolf; if I plan against Him, I'm likely to fall into His trap, with a very high risk. The third choice is Amun, His brother—He has already become a "visionary" through this war. If I provoke Him, even "Source Fort" might not be enough to save me. The fourth and fifth options are both tied to the half-"fool" of the Antigonus family, and to the goddess's misty town. Well, the goddess probably has a way to bypass that half-"fool" and draw out the "Card of Desecration," but perhaps I'll have to trade my "River of Eternal Darkness" for it. Caine finds himself entering a dead end. Ahead lies the "River of Eternal Darkness," and behind him stands the head of the Convent, Charathu. Alas, if only they could find the Umbral Wolf and attempt to negotiate with Him—He must have seen the first "Board of Desecration" and thus knows the magical recipe for the "Mysterious Servant"... Ah, He now flees far away the moment he detects my presence. Klein thought for a moment, then turned to the "Magic Mirror" Arhodes and asked, "The fifth question—when you previously said I appeared as pillars and rulership, what did you mean?" The waterlight within the mirror gently swayed, deepening the sense of profundity, while the pale silver script seemed to grow slightly whiter. "Great Lord, this is a sensation—I cannot describe it in words. However, I have encountered a similar feeling in another being. Besides You, only that being possesses it. That being was the Ancient Sun God." Ancient Sun God... Klein nodded thoughtfully. "Very well, it's now your turn to ask a question." On the surface of the mirror, the faint silver script instantly turned golden: "Most High, Most Great, Most Supreme Lord, may I this time take with me your faithful, humble servant, Arodos?" "Most High, Most Great, Most Supreme Lord, may I this time take with me your faithful, humble servant, Arodos?" ... This question repeated five times in succession, completely filling the mirror's surface. "Praise the Most High, the Most Exalted, the Most Great!" After the smoke had subsided, a golden message flashed within the mirror. ………… In the midsection of a sleek steam train, a simple room. A young man with rich brown hair, tall and handsome, sat in a solid wooden chair, facing the triangular holy emblem, hands clasped, eyes closed, praying with devotion. On a narrow table beside him stood a figure crafted from metal parts; behind it, a faint, interwoven glow shimmered. Suddenly, the young man opened his eyes and turned toward the other side. There, a figure had appeared without any prior notice. Yet in the young man's deep blue gaze, the figure seemed human—only to be revealed as an intangible vortex wearing a silk hat and a black coat, with translucent, twisting worms coiled together, moving in and out within its form. "Germán Sparo." The young man spoke calmly, reciting a name. At that moment, all the objects around him floated, yet there was not a single ripple of air in the room. Caine pressed gently on the brim of his top hat, revealing his human face and asked, "I don't know how to address you." The young man nodded slightly, saying, "Bonova. Gustav."