"Where exactly is this?" Audrey asked, her expression unchanged, as if inquiring about the location of the evening ball. Bolí Delaure, who had introduced himself as the president of the Association of Psychological Alchemy, likewise turned his gaze toward the window, smiling. "This is the city within each of us. 'Wherever there are people, there it is,' he said. Audrey nodded thoughtfully. "So, one could enter from any corner of human society?" Delaure stroked the armrest of his wheelchair. "Yes." He offered no further explanation, but instead pointed to the pedestrians outside the carriage window. "Everything here has a corresponding psychological symbol—they call it 'the Vitality of the Beast.'" The Vitality of the Beast... Audrey silently repeated the word, maintaining her poised posture and extending her gaze further into the distance. Among these individual "pedestrians," besides the werewolves, there were upright bears, cats with languid expressions, a strange figure whose face was that of a vibrant spider, giant mice with red eyes, pythons exhaling their cores, and certain canine creatures gazing at each passerby with an intense, mating-driven gaze. They wore hats and coats, or elegant, intricate dark gowns, striving to mimic every human detail, yet remained fundamentally unlike humans. As the carriage moved through the dim night, weaving through these pedestrians and various Gothic buildings, it soon reached the city's central cathedral. The cathedral stood over eighty meters tall, supported by massive black columns, each adorned with a number of skulls—some human, others from various creatures—whose hollow eyes faced downward, as though watching every living being entering the cathedral. Like most of the buildings here, this church boasts exquisite details, yet the elements that compose them lean toward nightmare, horror, mystery, and the uncanny. As she stepped down from the carriage and entered through the main door, Audrey saw a grand yet spacious hall. Deep within the hall stood a massive crucifix, wrapped around it like a gray-white dragon statue. Unlike a typical church, there were no rows of pews for prayer, nor any places for candlestands—only a modest long table placed before the dragon statue, with five chairs on either side, all empty at the head and at the foot. Paul Delaunay maneuvered his wheelchair to the head of the table and then pointed to his left. "Please sit," he said. Audrey followed him at a steady pace, glanced around, and settled into a chair at random, taking her seat. She wasn't particularly close nor particularly distant from the Head of Psychological Alchemy, striking a balanced tone that conveyed both readiness and composure. Bolay Deloray raised both hands, bringing the staff to rest on the long table surface. "Madam Audrey, I have a few questions I'd like to ask you." "Please go on," Audrey gently turned her head, meeting his gaze with her emerald eyes. Deloray nodded slightly. "I'd like to know how you ascended to the rank of Sequence 4, the Master of Manipulation—where did you acquire your potion recipes and your extraordinary traits?" Audrey answered with quiet assurance. "It came through a transaction. A client wished to engage a Half-Deity through the 'Audience' path and had prepaid for the Master of Manipulation's potion recipes and extraordinary traits." Deloray chuckled. "Indeed, such a thing? The terms are so generous, as if a father were making excuses to give a gift to his daughter." "Could you tell me precisely what kind of assistance you provided?" "To eliminate another half-god. Mental control is particularly crucial in this matter," Audrey explained briefly. Her tone was calm, as if describing a homework assignment set by a household teacher. Deloray's long, flowing eyebrows lifted slightly. "Successful?" "The results are clear," Audrey responded more gently. Deloray studied her closely, as though only now realizing that the noble girl to her left was someone capable of defeating other half-gods—a master manipulator. Audrey read his thoughts and added, "I'm just one of the participants." Deloray nodded. "Do you know where the 'master manipulator's' elixir formula and exceptional qualities originate?" "He didn't directly address this point," Audrey replied, using a phrase she had carefully prepared. "He? Can you tell me who he is?" Deloray asked, pausing thoughtfully. Audrey has been on guard against the possibility that the other person might develop a "virtual persona" and seep into her inner island of consciousness, yet from the beginning to now, she has not detected any anomalies. This has led her to wonder whether perhaps the other person doesn't need to dive in at all, but simply observes the ebb and flow of the collective unconscious sea around them, thereby gaining insight into her most authentic thoughts. Un遮掩, she calmly replied: "This stems from my agreement with him. I believe that honoring one's commitments should be a universally recognized moral standard, and in the field of esoteric studies, it involves even deeper dimensions." At this point, Audrey added: "If, due to this matter, you are unable to truly trust me, I am willing to accept that. I would be content to remain just an ordinary member, exchanging my contributions for the psychological research materials I can access." Delaure smiled upon hearing this: "Everyone has their own secrets—this is entirely natural. What I need to assess is whether your secrets might impact the overall stability and smooth operation of the Psychological Alchemy Circle." He looked at Audrey deeply and then said, "Could you tell me how you came to meet such a client?" "Indeed, I remember having reported to you previously. Before joining the Psychological Alchemy Circle, I had already made connections within the esoteric circles and met several extraordinary individuals." Audrey spoke with genuine sincerity. As for the actual logical sequence of her earlier responses, that was a matter for another time. Moreover, Herwin Lambis's 'disappearance' stemmed from the investigation into Firth and Hugh—a fact both parties acknowledged absolutely, despite having never exchanged words. Delarou withdrew his hands from the table and placed them gently over his chest: "One more question—when was the last time you saw Herwin Lambis?" Audrey furrowed her brows and replied, "I remember you having asked that before." After Herwin Lambis's death, she did not immediately sever ties with the Psychological Alchemy Circle; instead, she maintained connections through Hilbert, Stephen, and Islanter, and only when the war drew near Beckland did she realize that the members of her own psychological study group had become unreachable due to various reasons. "I need to confirm this in person," Delaure said calmly. Audrey nodded gently. "My last encounter with Commissioner Herwin Lambis was at the Viscount of Glayrint's manor. As instructed, I hypnotized two of my exceptional friends to find out why they were investigating the Viscount of Stedford and who the driving force behind the investigation was. At that time, Commissioner Lambis was nearby, ensuring the hypnosis proceeded smoothly, and once he received the answers, he promptly left. Since then, I have not seen him again." During the response, Audrey remained on guard, protecting her inner island from potential invasion—yet there was calmness, nothing stirred. This didn't bring her ease; rather, it heightened her vigilance, to the point where she dared not think of anything at all concerning Mr. The Fool or Germaine Sparrow, the Master of the World. She was certain only one thing: as long as she faced a risk of exposure, Mr. The Fool would surely offer her protection. "Consistent with our earlier response," Delaure slowly nodded. He then looked into Audrey's clear green eyes and spoke openly: "I cannot trace the origin of that extraordinary quality within you through esoteric means. This indicates that the one who provided it is underpinned by an existence far beyond imagination." Audrey nodded slightly, affirming her own belief. "I can't force you to collaborate or make transactions with other extraordinary beings—that would be unrealistic. All I ask is that you commit to one thing: keep the details of the Psychological Alchemy Circle confidential, at least when you delegate certain tasks, ensure they're properly packaged and the secrets are masked." Delaure returned his gaze, speaking calmly. Audrey responded without hesitation: "I pledge to never reveal matters related to the Psychological Alchemy Circle to any being lacking the corresponding authority." She proactively broadened the concept of "being" to encompass "beings," thereby strengthening the integrity of her commitment. As soon as she finished speaking, she felt a cascade of intentions emerging within her inner island. These intentions intertwined, forming a shimmering network that seeped into the depths of her inner island and gradually became part of her unconscious. Because this "web of limitations" arises from Audrey's own spiritual essence, even if she becomes an angel, she will be powerless to remove it—she will lose the willingness to discuss matters related to the Psychological Alchemy Guild when facing members who are not part of the Guild or who lack sufficient authority. Yet Audrey herself remains unaware of this. He did not invade my inner island; simply through my own words, he transformed a promise into reality... Audrey was startled internally, though this surprise did not manifest clearly on her surface. Of course, she couldn't fully suppress her astonishment, as it was an instinctual reaction to being amazed by such a method employed by a "master manipulator." Based on this, she began to suspect either that the city within her mind was flawed, or that Deloray, the head of the Psychological Alchemy Guild, held a status beyond that of a Saint. Upon seeing Audrey make her commitment, Deloray nodded toward the long table with satisfaction: "From now on, you are a member of the Psychological Alchemy Guild's Council. You may choose a personhood mask as your designation." As he spoke, seven pale, somewhat ethereal, and unusually cold masks materialized on the long table, five of them placed in their respective positions, as if already belonging to their owners. "The remaining two personality masks are 'Anger' and 'Arrogance,'" Delor introduced. "They originate from the sacred texts of the Third Age's Creator." Audrey paused for a moment, then reached out to touch the mask that lacked anger: "I choose 'Arrogance.'" Delor glanced at her and smiled gently: "That was also Herwin Lambis's choice."