On a steam train bound for Constable, in the county of Intersea. Dressed as a traveling magician, Caine, standing across a narrow table laden with items, looked at the young man and his parents across from him and said, "My magic has two forms: first, I can fulfill your wishes, and second, I can answer your questions through a mirror. Of course, the first requires payment, while the second demands that you answer the questions posed by the mirror. Which performance would you like to see?" The young man, with black hair and brown eyes, appeared to have received a solid education. He glanced at his parents seated beside him and smiled, saying, "My wishes are rather ambitious—I'd rather not trouble you with that. As for the mirror, I find its ability to answer questions far more intriguing." Caine sighed and shook his head, then flipped his left hand, revealing a silver mirror that could be folded into his sleeve, with a black gemstone on each side. "It seems to be an antique." "The young man across from me remarked with genuine interest, then said, 'My question is, what exactly is my purpose for visiting Conston City?' A smile typical of street magicians appeared on Crane's face. He extended his right hand, gently running it over the mirror's surface, and spoke seriously: 'Mirror, mirror, tell me what the answer is.' He repeated this three times, then released his hand, revealing the mirror's surface to the three passengers opposite. Several silver words now appeared on it: 'To get married.' '...Amazing,' the young man said, exchanging a look of wonder with his parents. They had never mentioned anything about weddings since boarding this train, nor had they brought any items that would naturally evoke such thoughts. This kind of magic—without props or artificial audience—had been entirely new to them. 'Now, it's the mirror's turn to ask,' Crane said, smiling, and placed his right hand over the mirror's surface." "Good," the young man replied with genuine curiosity. "Now, let's see what the mirror has to ask." Kline, as if performing a formal magic act, slightly exaggeratedly loosened his right hand. The silver words on the mirror's surface stretched and formed a complete sentence: "Would you rather have a bride who is over forty, wouldn't you?" The young man's expression instantly froze, then turned pale, and finally flushed deeply. "How can this be possible!" he immediately countered, turning his head to glance at his parents, urgently complaining, "What a strange question!" "It was just playing a joke," Kline apologized, quickly pressing his right hand back onto the mirror's surface, as though he had no idea such a situation would arise. Then, he loosened his right hand again. Indeed, the words on the mirror's surface changed once more: "How old are you?" "Twenty-five..." the young man replied carefully, as if afraid of falling into a trap. He sensed that the way his parents and the other passengers were looking at him had subtly changed. "That's it for the magic performance," Klein smiled, folding up the mirror. "Why don't you try another one?" As soon as he finished speaking, the steam train emitted a low whistle, signaling its approach to the station. "I'm sorry, I need to get off now," Klein said, pulling out his gold-case pocket watch and glancing at it. He then picked up his luggage and followed the flow of passengers, stepping off the train onto the platform where the gas lamps had not yet been lit. This was Belland, a city in the Sea County—once thriving due to its coal mines and now declining as the mines wane. For Klein, its greatest significance lay in the fact that it had been a crucial node on the Fosak invasion route during the previous world war. — Farsak has three invasion routes. One targets the bordering Amanda Mountains, aiming to break through the land defenses there; another launches from Sunya Island, attacking coastal ports and attempting amphibious landings; and the third advances through the Intersea, moving along the main railway line toward Bekeland. Due to the presence of the Storm Church and the combined strength of armored ships supported by the high-ranking "Arbiters," Farsak and Feneport's navies have failed to achieve their intended objectives, never securing naval supremacy. The battles in the Amanda Mountains have seen the Night Church's headquarters withstand wave after wave of assaults, remaining unbroken until the war's end—thus sparing regions such as the Cold Winter Province and Eastern Chester Province from direct combat. Among the three routes, only the Intersea forces achieved success. They combined land and naval operations, capturing the second-largest city of Run—Conston, the capital of the Intersea Province—and then advanced southeastward, eventually joining forces with the Inthians in the Bekeland region. Klein plays the role of a wandering magician not only to accumulate wishes, display miracles, absorb potions, and strengthen his own abilities, but also to retrace the path of war, using his own eyes, ears, and heart to truly witness the wounds inflicted by the conflict. Once he understands the secrets of the stars and the earth, he can grasp the intentions of the "Goddess of Night" and, to some extent, accept them—though this does not mean he will remain indifferent to the sacrifices made. At the same time, he has come to realize that even if he fails to prevent George III from becoming the "Black Emperor," the World War will still unfold, with Roon gaining the upper hand, while the Goddess of Night and her allies directly press the "God of War," gradually compelling him to seek aid from the "Mother Goddess." In that scenario, the frequency, intensity, and scale of the divine battles will surpass what is currently occurring. For this very reason, Klein follows the Fosk invasion route, wandering step by step, one station at a time. After leaving the platform still bearing traces of expendable personnel, he carried his worn, battered suitcase containing his laundry, orienting himself and walking toward what he believed to be the inn. At night, he would wander the city's streets and alleys, performing wish-magic for the people. After taking a few steps, Caine's inspiration stirred, and his gaze settled on the end of the street. There, he saw a woman in a simple linen robe, wearing a belt of woven bark, with long black hair and barefoot. Arianna! The head of the austere monks of the Night Church, the earthly angel Arianna! How could she be in Bellend? Shouldn't she have already returned to the Night Monastery in the Tranquil Church, or been dispatched to the capital of Fsaq, Saint-Milon, to oversee the reception of the "War God's Legacy"? A celestial being walking among the people in such a small city—this could not be mere coincidence. Caine found himself puzzled, his brow furrowed. After a moment's hesitation, he decided to ask her a few questions. This wasn't him trying to interfere—rather, everyone lived in the same city, and if something truly unexpected happened, no one would be safe. Yet by now, Arianna had vanished into the crowd. As the "Servant of the Hidden," He made it impossible for Celine to track Him down. Likewise, when it came to matters of quiet intimacy, Arados, the "Mirror," had little to offer. Celine took a slow breath, turned thoughtfully, and entered the inn, checked in, and set his luggage down. Then, maintaining his appearance as a wandering magician, he accompanied Arados, following the intuitive guidance of the Seer, all the way to the city square of Beldan. Near the town hall, there stood a notice board displaying several official announcements. Seeing that many people had gathered, as if fresh documents had just been issued, Celine approached and positioned himself at the edge of the crowd, gazing at the warm, natural wood board. At the center of the bulletin board, a slightly yellowed sheet of white paper lay atop the others, its surface written in black ink and Runes: "Ladies and gentlemen, I am your newly appointed Magistrate. Now, I proclaim three new ordinances: First, no living being may leave this place without my permission. Second, all beings shall be equal before the law—even angels may be killed by ordinary mortals. Third, those who commit the following offenses shall face severe penalties, including death: 1. Murder; 2. Theft; 3. Uttering the full name of a divine being; 4. Worshiping a malevolent deity; 5. Deception; 6. Breach of confidentiality; ..." Such an announcement... Caine raised an eyebrow, noting with no need for spiritual intuition that the content seemed amiss. He instinctively turned his thoughts, attempting to draw the ethereal beings back to the "Source Citadel." Yet an invisible force blocked his departure, allowing him only to touch the gray-white mist but preventing him from passing through. This… Caine narrowed his eyes slightly and stepped back a few paces, distancing himself from the crowd. In his judgment, such an anomaly had reached nearly divine proportions. He had previously experienced instances when he could not return to the "Source Citadel," but those instances were primarily due to being unable to reverse four steps and recite the incantation, or being interrupted and obstructed by his own presence. Truly, only once had an external force prevented him from leaving the realm of reality: That was within the misty town—where the "Goddess of Night" had personally crafted a hidden world, sealed by powerful enchantments. Besides this, even the "profane one" Amun hadn't achieved something similar. Of course, at that time, Amun's primary objective was to compel Kline to activate the "Source Citadel," then seize the opportunity to exploit any weaknesses and replace him as the Great Sovereign above the Spirit Realm—otherwise, this "Temporal Angel" could simply have prevented Kline's return by stealing his thoughts. Who is the newly appointed "Magistrate" of Belland? That is precisely why Lady Arianna has come to Belland. As thoughts raced through him, Kline allowed the "Magic Mirror" to slide from his broad sleeve into his left hand. "What has happened?" Kline asked softly. On the silver surface, the water shimmered erratically, and the slightly whitened silver words appeared: "Several rules here have been revised; however, the identity of the one who made the changes remains unknown. Great Lord, you may try to locate the 'Secret Servant' Arianna and learn the truth from her. Do you find my response satisfactory?" "The rules have been replaced... 'lawyers'? 'arbitrators'? Or is there a bug? Klein raised his head thoughtfully, looking around, noticing that the citizens on the square seemed puzzled, unsure why the new notices now mentioned angels and why departure now required applications and formal approval. The war had already ended!"