Pope... Danyz was startled, nearly unable to believe what he had heard. If the instruction hadn't come directly from the "Knight of Pentacles," he would have burst out with a string of curses. Of course, if the recipient had been Germain Spalro, he would have managed to remain composed. "Lord Messenger, is there anything else?" the head of the Sea God's Church intelligence office, standing outside, noticed the countenance of Lord Danyz had grown unusually strange and felt a moment of apprehension. Danyz gathered himself, offered a faint smile, and said, "Keep a close watch on the activities at the Church of the Waves." "Yes, Lord Messenger," the intelligence officer breathed a sigh of relief, bowed, and quickly departed. Danyz turned back to Aljé Wilson, beaming with delight and said, "The Knight of Pentacles has issued his divine decree." Aljé didn't hesitate at all—he rose immediately, placing his right hand upon his left chest. Danzis straightened his posture and spoke solemnly: "The divine decree states that, from today, Aljer shall wear the mask and serve as the Pope of the Church of the Sea God." "My wish is the will of the 'Fool'!" Aljer could not conceal a smile, bowing gracefully. Half of his smile was directed toward Danzis, a gesture of humility, while the other half was genuine—because this prophecy carried two significant meanings: First, it signaled a certain agreement and mutual understanding between the 'Fool' and the 'Lord of Storms'; Aljer's act of defection would no longer be pursued, though he must wear the mask, use a false name, and uphold the dignity of the Storm Church. Second, becoming the Pope of the Church of the Sea God marked a crucial step toward the throne of the Sea God himself. In Aljé's view, this marked his formal appointment as a subordinate to the "Fool," opening significant opportunities for him—whether to secure the identity of the "Sea God" or to eventually rise as leader of the "Fool's" Church. The "Fool" was a great being, gradually recovering and standing on par with, or even above, the true Deity; how could His representative not be an angel? After the formal salutation, Aljé patiently waited until the divine messenger Daniz presented him with a silver-black mask. He took it, and with solemnity, placed it upon his face. Regarding this command, Leonard wished to comply yet found himself powerless, as he had long known the broad truth from the old man, Parès Soloyasde: "The Door" had returned to the real world, while "Time Angel" Amun had seized upon his divine consecration ritual, ascending to become the "Error" of Sequence 0. Almost simultaneously, "The Fool" had further revived, establishing fragile, fleeting connections with the extraordinary beings along the paths of "The Tower," "The Oracle," and "The Apprentice." — As an angel of the "The Thief" path, Parès Soloyasde was undoubtedly aware of Amun's ascension, felt the corresponding shifts in authority, and discovered a subtle connection forming between "The Tower" and himself. "Old man, Amun has already reached Sequence 0. To him, you must now be of little significance. Why do you still 'inhabit' within me?" After taking a deep breath of the fresh morning air, Leonard spoke softly, half-uncertain, half-concerned. Inside his mind, Palis Soloyasde gave a soft "hmm." "Naive," he remarked. "Do you feel as though you've become a saint, equipped with a wealth of esoteric knowledge, and no longer need my guidance?" "You could certainly choose to teach me face-to-face," Leonard said, carefully modulating his tone. To him, the presence of an angel residing within him was both an advantage and a disadvantage. The advantage lay in the fact that even should he encounter genuine mythic beings, he now possessed the strength to stand up to them—merely calling out "Old man" might resolve the issue. Moreover, knowledge of the Fourth Age and various rare esoteric disciplines proved invaluable. The drawback, however, was most evident: his life was now in the hands of the host. Should the angel grow ill-intentioned, he would be powerless to stop it. This issue had once been Leonard's greatest concern, but now it no longer matters, as the "Knight of the Fool" is recovering rapidly and has already fully suppressed Palis Soloyasde. Moreover, Leonard has become a high-ranking steward of the Church of the Night and thus is inevitably under the watchful eye of the "Goddess of Night," even bearing a special mark. Under such circumstances, the deity who governs hidden matters could not possibly have overlooked Palis Soloyasde; if the old man harbored ill intentions, he would have been dealt with long ago. Leonard's current concern lies in the fact that many things have become less convenient as a result. Although he has grown accustomed to having the elderly figure residing within him while using the restroom, even engaging in casual conversation with him while seated on the toilet, he still prefers to be alone during such moments. So he thought it was better for the elder to leave his body and live in his home like a senior family member, only temporarily "reincarnating" back when more dangerous matters needed to be handled. Hearing Leonard's suggestion, Palis Soloyasda chuckled, saying, "Are you still imagining that after we return home, we'll dissolve the 'incarnation' and only re-establish it when we need to go out? Isn't that like having me as your bodyguard?" Leonard managed a dry laugh and then added, "If you haven't fully recovered and still wish to remain in 'incarnation,' I have no objection." Palais Soloyasde fell silent for two seconds, allowing his slightly weathered voice to resonate once more in Leonard’s mind: “The most dangerous period lies ahead. For the position of ‘Master of Mysteries,’ ‘The Fool’ and Amun will inevitably clash. Under the influence of extraordinary traits and various laws, we angels on the same path might be affected—ah, it will be safer to remain under the protection of the night’s vision.” Once the ‘Master of Mysteries’ is born, you’ll ask me to ‘host’ you—well, I’ll simply not consider that request!” Leonard found himself slightly astonished, instinctively repeating the name: “Master of Mysteries?” “That’s not something you can fully grasp—of course, with me here, you needn’t worry too much.” Palais Soloyasde said with both admiration and pride. As Leonard prepared to ask a question, he suddenly noticed a member of the ‘Red Glove’ rushing over with a telegram. “Your Grace, a message from the Hall.” The member bowed respectfully. Leonard nodded gently, took the telegram, and quickly scanned it: "Head to the Southern Continent to participate in the campaign against the Rosary School." Southern Continent... Rosary School... Leonard extracted the two most crucial terms. He swiftly returned to the city's largest cathedral, cast a grand ritual magic to establish contact with the Holy See, and in his dreams, saw the Pope and Lady Arianna among the high-ranking figures. After a brief exchange, Leonard gained a clear understanding of the mission's essence: Each of the major divine churches would dispatch three to four half-gods to the Southern Continent to campaign against the Rosary School, which has been exceptionally active since the onset of the all-out war. This would be a long-term mission, as the Rosary School's half-gods were adept at concealing their movements and operating with great discretion—difficult to locate, difficult to track, and difficult to engage. According to the Pope, achieving tangible results within three years would already be considered a significant success. During this process, the Sanctum rotates the half-gods as needed, ensuring that the archbishops and senior deacons responsible remain in a relatively stable mental state. After emerging from his dream, Leonard surveyed the room and said in a low voice, "Old man, something seems odd—why have the major churches suddenly launched a coordinated campaign against the Rosary School?" This isn't an easy task. Over the past several centuries, the orthodox divine churches have made similar attempts before, yet they could only suppress or weaken the Rosary School—they never managed to eradicate it entirely. One reason lies in the growing tensions and mutual suspicions among their allies, lacking seamless coordination. Another reason is that the Rosary School's half-gods, though indulgent and often mentally unstable, consistently retreat, hide, and avoid confrontation when threatened, never willingly sacrificing themselves. Furthermore, they are protected by the "Bound God" and the "Mother Tree of Desire," making it difficult for the divine beings to offer clear, precise guidance for their actions. Palace Soloyasde didn't immediately answer Leonard's question. After a few seconds, he sighed, his voice slightly weathered, saying, "This is about eliminating potential threats, preparing for the end times." Preparing for the end times... Leonard opened his mouth, intending to say something, but ultimately remained silent. ... Beckland, the Church of Harvest. Emlyn White had just entered the hall and hadn't yet gone to his room to change clothes when he noticed Father Utravsky rising to his feet at the front, as if emerging like a towering mountain. "Our Mother Goddess has sent us to the southern continent to bury those evil ones," the chosen one said in a low, resonant tone. His voice echoed throughout the hall, like a deep, rolling thunder, startling the bloodline believers who had been praying, causing them all to lift their eyes. It was truly real—the dream from last night... Emlyn felt a sudden clarity. Last night, he dreamed of the Primordial One, who envisioned him uniting with Father Utravskiy of the Rosicrucian Temperance Order to journey to the Southern Continent, to confront the members of the Rosicrucian Order who adhered to the belief in the "Primordial Moon." Of course, if the opportunity arose, he would not overlook those enemies who upheld the doctrine of the "Desire Mother Tree," given the frequent occurrences of false revelations. Yet, since Emlyn had not considered this dream particularly significant, he merely prepared to change his clothes, complete his prayers, and then seek confirmation from Father Utravskiy. To his surprise, he responded to the priest with a steady, composed tone: "No need to rush. I'll first reach out to the members of the Rosicrucian Temperance Order." Father Utravskiy nodded calmly: "Then select a few bloodline members who are willing to join." ... In the Republic of Indris, in the capital city of Trier, a senior official of the intelligence agency was assigning tasks to his subordinates.