Emlin faintly sensed that there might be some anomalies in the exceptional paths of "Earth" and "Moon," yet he did not directly raise the question with Bishop Loreto. He seemed unwilling to answer—perhaps he would wait until the next Tarot gathering to consult the cards of "World" and "Hanged Man," and so on. Emlin subtly nodded, indicating he now understood the distinction between the gifts of the divine and the favored, while murmuring a few thoughts to himself. He hadn't considered seeking counsel from Brother The Fool, as he believed the corresponding questions wouldn't be particularly pressing—no real urgency, given that the Duke, Marquis, and Count of the bloodline remained in good health, and there had been no particularly negative news from the Church of the Mother Earth. At the same time, his earlier speculation had led him to recall the figure of "Primordial Moon"—a being either a demon or a high-ranking devil, posing as such—who clearly exerted a strong influence over the "Moon" path, having caused numerous bloodline members to lose their faculties and collapse into mere creatures driven solely by mating and reproduction upon praying to Him. Emelien suspected that this was one of the malevolent entities responsible for bestowing false divine revelations and prophecies. Without pressing further, Loreto set aside the document and pondered, "This is precisely the issue that demands special attention. Additionally, the Holy See wishes you to establish three to five exceptional teams centered around the vampire lineage in Beckland." "Doesn't the Night Church or the Storm Church have any objections?" Emelien, accustomed to strict adherence to protocol—having only occasionally stolen blood from hospitals—naturally raised this question. Loreto smiled gently, "This is exactly what they are requesting. With the majority of the Steam Church's forces withdrawing, the official vampire presence in Ruin has become notably scarce." "Although the Night Church and the Storm Church have absorbed a number of 'Mechanical Hearts' members and local clergy who wish to remain in Ruin, this remains only a minority. Moreover, they still have to manage the cleanup efforts in Fyrsak and maintain the overseas independent colonial churches. Therefore, we hope we can provide some assistance." "This is certainly beneficial for our missionary work in Ruin. However, you must remember that here, we must remain restrained—our efforts should match those of the surviving Steam Church only. Of course, our numbers will not be able to catch up with the current Steam Church in the near term; this will take generations—perhaps even three generations of sustained effort." "Yes," said Emlin, exhaling a deep breath and responding calmly, "maintaining our current scale, with moderate growth, will be sufficient. Extensive missionary outreach would be quite cumbersome." "Agreed." ...Bayam, the "City of Generosity," on the Sunia Sea. Archbishop Aljé, dressed in a robe embroidered with symbols of lightning and waves, and wearing a metallic storm saint's emblem, stood atop the peak of the coastal mountains, gazing across to the other side of the island's forest. There, the trees had been significantly reduced, and the surrounding hills and small mountains had been flattened to reveal a hidden harbor—once a private port of the rebels. Though undoubtedly smaller than Bayam's port, it was of moderate size, sufficient to sustain a considerable number of people. At present, a bold and rugged city had begun to take shape near the harbor. Though not large—perhaps only one-fifth the size of Bayam, and possibly even less—it featured two towering spires standing side by side, one with a dome and the other a pointed roof, both exhibiting an unusual silver hue that reflected a striking brilliance under the sun's light. Around the twin towers, numerous concrete roads radiate outward, leading either to stone-built structures or connecting broad plazas and training grounds. Lush trees have been planted along the sidewalks, creating a vibrant and thriving atmosphere. Aljeh knows that the city now hosts not only residents from the City of Silver but also people from the City of the Moon. These Moon-born individuals are largely deformed and currently reluctant to interact with the people of Bayam and the inhabitants of other cities on the island, relying instead on the residents of the City of Silver for essential supplies. It is said they intend to build their own city deep within the forest, maintaining only a single road linking it to the new City of Silver. "These are all followers of the 'Fool,' and they need to be gradually guided into becoming part of the whole of the Rosted Isles... For now, it's best to leave the deformed ones undisturbed, and let the residents of the Silver City bring over more of the moon-city dwellers with relatively normal appearances to pay homage to Baym..." Aljer carefully considered what came next. Having initially settled the populations of the Silver City and the Moon City, he had in fact fulfilled the tasks assigned by the 'Fool,' yet he believed he still stood far from attaining the identity, authority, and status of the 'Sea God.' Thus, he diligently addressed the various issues left behind by the Great Migration. Honestly speaking, Aljer was most concerned that the 'Fool' might eventually leave him with nothing to do—once that happened, he wasn't sure when he would accumulate enough merit. And as the new city of Silver flourished with vibrant energy, he grew even more acutely aware of the looming crisis: Silver City and Moon City each boasted multiple Sequence-4 semi-gods, all steadfast devotees of the "Trickster." At any moment, the "Trickster" might bestow upon one of them the title, status, authority, and power of the Sea God! According to Cardinal Aljer, the number of "Level 0" seals across the major divine churches ranges between five and eight, and there are no more than four active angels still operating on the ground—indeed, this is significantly stronger than the combined strength of the Moon City and the Silver City. However, when it comes to "Level 1" seals and the number of saints, the divine churches do not hold a clear advantage, especially in the latter aspect. ——Under the current situation of a full-scale war and intensified efforts to cultivate saints at the upper levels, the Storm Church has only just reached around twenty saints. "The Church of the Sea God has no half-divine beings yet, but soon new Sea Gods will emerge... And under the stewardship of the Fool, there is the Angel of the World, the Angel of the Death Magistrate, the Angel of the Path of Fate, and the saints among us in the Tarot gatherings..." Aljer grew increasingly alarmed, realizing that he himself was somewhat slow to grasp this aspect. Perhaps due to his close involvement, he had always been amazed by such things, yet only now does he clearly recognize: unconsciously, the influence of the "Fool" has grown to match that of the Holy Church of the Divine, with only a slight gap—merely one of accumulated strength over a long historical span. And this is still less than three years since Aljé joined the Tarot Circle! "Without having personally witnessed these transformations, I would never have believed it," Aljé thought, growing ever more eager to do something meaningful for the "Fool" in order to accumulate sufficient contributions toward his eventual transformation into the "Sea God." Only then could he truly turn his gaze toward the Book of Catastrophes, and begin fulfilling the commission entrusted to him by the elven queen, Ghisnam. Shifting his gaze, Aljer glanced again at Bayam at the foot of the mountain. The city, which had not suffered severe damage in the previous wars, now shone with renewed vitality and had once again earned its reputation as the most prosperous urban center on the Sunia Sea. At this very moment, the priests, bishops, and faithful of the Storm Church were working in coordination with government employees and members of the "Sea God" Church, constructing schools and hospitals, and providing education, medical care, and relief for the children of the slums and the indigenous communities lacking economic means. Aljer watched the people moving in and out like ants along the roads, and the vibrant, colorful buildings that contrasted with most of the regions of Luon, a gentle smile forming at the corner of his mouth before quickly fading. He narrowed his eyes, as though experiencing or savoring something. Then, suddenly, a haze of gray and white appeared before him. Immediately, he saw the ancient palace and indistinct figures nestled in the midst of the mist, and heard the words from Mr. The Fool: "A task: monitor a man named Verdu García." With this prophecy came a vast and intricate array of information, pouring down like rain into Aljer's mind, revealing the specific details about Verdu García. This was a hidden member of the Abraham family, recently having left Dese County and now arriving in the Rosedale Isles. "I shall carry out your will," Aljer replied, calmly and respectfully, with a sense of quiet delight. Klein asked the "Magician" to inform members of the Abraham family about one of the rituals that would help free the "Gate" gentleman because trust between the two sides had not yet fully established—should the information be withheld or presented as requiring the hunting of angels to set the ritual in motion, members of the Abraham family would inevitably suspect and would prompt the "Magician," Folsom, to continue contacting the "Gate" gentleman, seeking alternative means and channels to verify the situation. Once they discovered something, Klein would lose control over the Abraham family and would no longer be able to preemptively contain the risk. In earlier years, Klein hadn't been overly concerned about this issue, but as the end approached and the outer deities increasingly eroded reality, it was only a matter of time before members of the Abraham family came into contact with relevant phenomena or adherents and acquired the correct rituals. Therefore, Caine believed that performing the particularly difficult ritual would effectively win the trust of members of the Abrahamic family, deepen their faith in the "Fool," make them increasingly devout, and then, through these devout followers, he could monitor the more radical members, track their movements, and intervene promptly.