"Good afternoon, Sir Fool." The other members of the Tarot Circle now appeared notably solemn, having completed their usual greeting with Miss Justice. Once they had settled back into their seats, Sir Kline surveyed the room and spoke softly, "I shall enter into slumber." Upon hearing this, Sir Temperance Alje, Miss Justice Odile, Sir Judgment Hugh, and Sir Magician Forliss all felt a sense of relief—as though the second boot had finally come down. Meanwhile, members such as Sir Star Leonard, Sir Moon Emlyn, and Sir Sun Derek grew increasingly concerned, their hearts sinking and their anxiety deepening. Of course, they were not entirely surprised. The unusual gathering, the unexpected absence of Sir World, both seemed to suggest that something significant was about to unfold. Kline, maintaining his last vestige of clarity, spoke in the same measured tone: "This concerns a war beyond the sequence—one tied to the extent of the end times." Indeed… The "Turner" Aljer had keenly picked up the phrase "beyond the sequence." He had long suspected the existence of a rank above Sequence 0—the rank once held by the ancient solar deity who had eight Archangels. Now, with the "Fool" confirming this, his long-standing suspicions were finally validated, and many of his lingering questions were resolved. The "Watcher" Gardel and others also noticed the subtle implications embedded in the "Fool's" words. Some, like the "Turner," had already formed similar intuitions and now felt a sense of confirmation—this was indeed the case. Others, who had not yet considered such a possibility, were initially astonished and somewhat bewildered, but soon, as they connected the dots with past knowledge, they experienced a sudden clarity. The "Fool" Caine continued: Only when you become an Angel will you be able to know the specifics. Otherwise, merely knowing the facts themselves will contaminate your understanding. This evoked images of "the earth beneath" and "the starry sky," filling the members with a flurry of thoughts they could hardly contain. Kline glanced at the worn table's lowest section and said: "My follower, 'The World,' has already entered deep slumber; I do not yet know when he will awaken." What then? "The Stars," Leonard nearly said, but he clearly sensed that Mr. The Fool had more to say, so he held back. Kline's gaze swept over him: "Next, there is a long-term commission to be issued to all members: 'Spread my name more widely, but avoid conflict with the Divine Church; when necessary, adopt discreet methods of preaching.' This will aid my awakening. 'Also, publicize the various deeds of 'The World' as my follower, recording them in the Church's sacred texts—though be sure not to reveal his private life.' Remember this: 'When 'The World' awakens, 'The Fool' returns.' Klein is aiming to increase the number of his anchors—an asset that may prove particularly useful in his struggle against the "Master of Mysteries'" dreams. At the same time, he intends to shape the "World" into a saint of the "Fool" Church, an angel seated beside the divine throne, thereby enabling this image to be widely shared among believers and allowing him to accumulate anchors of his own. In essence, Klein plans for each believer to contribute two anchors. To him, whether "Fool" or "World," these are merely identities. The images formed by the anchors remain diverse and never converge, thus not affecting his own identity. ——The "Fool" Church spreads its teachings through the names of the divine, the "Fool" emblem, and various doctrines, lacking a fixed image. As for the "World," he holds several distinct identities—such as Germán Sparrow, Doun Tanats, and Merlin Hermes—without settling on a single, unified image. "Compensation is the convenience you've enjoyed, the responses you've received, and the assistance you will seek in the future," said the " Fool" Cline, his tone unchanged. "After I enter my slumber, I can respond to requests to a certain extent, though not always. If there is indeed something of great importance that requires help, then simply make your requests more frequently." Since Antigonus entered his eternal slumber, Cline has been able to make the dream realm aware of his presence, demonstrating that even while asleep, deities can respond to prayers through dreams, provided the right method is employed. Yet, the members of the Tarot Circle found this situation entirely natural. On one hand, most of them—either openly or subtly—have been spreading the faith of the "Fool" for some time. On the other hand, it is exceedingly common that prayers go unanswered; in fact, Cline's consistent responsiveness has been a rare occurrence, and few outside the Circle had ever heard of it. It has already surpassed most clergy of the True God Church to receive responses through repeated prayer on matters of great importance! "Yes, Mr. The Fool," the Tarot Circle members responded without hesitation, all accepting this long-standing commission. Among them, Leonard of "The Star" was the most genuinely enthusiastic and eager. For him, spreading the faith and writings of Mr. The Fool was equivalent to awakening Kline. This instantly gave him the motivation to engage in work beyond his daily duties. At this moment, Mr. The Fool gently nodded and turned his gaze toward "The Hermit" Gardeleia: "The previous commission—to gather comprehensive information on the various aspects of the sudden revival of 'The Hidden Sage'—remains valid. If you wish to take on the risk, then go further and investigate the current state of 'The Hidden Sage.' This will be very dangerous; you may decline, and in that case, your reward will be a wish. "The recluse" Cadrya paused and said, "Respected Sir Fool, is there any connection between this and your awakening? Does it involve how we will endure the end of days?" "Perhaps yes, perhaps no—I can't give you a definite answer at this moment. I've only seen certain visions." This time, Kline didn't deliberately elevate the tone of 'Sir Fool,' for he was truly the Fool. "Also, keep a close watch on all the extraordinary beings on the 'Earth' and 'Moon' paths." Cadrya remained silent for a moment, then spoke slowly, "I accept this commission." Kline then turned his gaze to the other side, to Driek of the 'Sun,' and said, "Your task is to protect the new Silver City and the new Lunar City, and safeguard the Rosted Islands. The more of my followers I have, the safer we are—and the greater the likelihood that I will awaken. On this foundation, consider how you might expand the Church and spread the faith." "Your reward is to become my眷者." Derek's eyes suddenly warmed, as he recalled once again the steady encouragement from his chief when he pushed open the final door of the "Giants' Court." Taking a quiet breath, he spoke firmly: "Yes, Sir, the 'Fool'!" Klein nodded, then turned to the "Magician" Folshe: "You must protect the Abraham family, safeguarding them from any allurements coming from the stars. Also, gather more information about the Fourth Age—particularly the state of the 'Gate' gentleman at that time, and uncover any hidden issues within the Abraham family." "These are precisely the things I myself wish to pursue." The "Magician" Folshe hesitated slightly, yet still affirmed that even without a formal commission, he would carry out these tasks. "The fool" Caine neither said yes nor no, but added: "If you wish, you may write biographies and stories about the various identities of 'The World,' publishing them under different pen names. As compensation, when you have the hope to become a 'Traveling Wizard' and must journey to the stars, you shall receive my protection." Although Caine knew that, while asleep, he could respond to some extent through dreams, he was uncertain whether he or the 'Master of Mysteries' would hold the upper hand at that time, so he wished to solidify this more important matter through an oral agreement by fulfilling the commission and receiving the promised reward. In this way, even if he were at a disadvantage, he could skillfully fulfill his response through this intangible arrangement. "What a Traveling Wizard?" "The Wizard" Folsen paused. Honestly, she had never considered this at all—her current concerns were about digesting the 'Master of Secrets' and completing the rites of the 'Wanderer.' Soon, she collected herself: "Yes, Mr. The Fool." Kaine then turned his gaze toward "The Moon" Emlyn: "The campaign against the Rose School is tied to end-time preparations and is quite dangerous—even with the involvement of angels, you must remain vigilant for your own safety. Your task is to gather as much as possible from the 'Original Moon' believers within the Rose School—the blessings, essences, and artifacts bestowed by the 'Original Moon.' These may be even more dangerous than a Level 1 seal." Though Kaine still maintained the tone of "The Fool," his words now carried a subtle undertone of care and concern, something that Audrey, who had initially steadied her composure, now noticed. Recalling what the "Fool" had just said to the other members, she quietly remarked: "When the Fool is about to enter deep sleep, his humanity seems to grow richer..." As Emlyn, the "Moon," expressed a moment of surprise and curiosity, Caine continued: "In addition to participating in the campaign against the Rose School, I would like you to establish a pharmaceutical company focused on scaling up the production of medicinal formulations with magical effects." "As long as we scale up production, the effects can't remain particularly magical," Emlyn instinctively replied. Caine nodded in agreement: "Seek a compromise. Your primary objective should be to use this pharmaceutical company as a platform to promote my name. And the compensation—well, that's also a wish." "This isn't a matter of danger or safety—it's about whether it's feasible... The simplest solution is to provide me with one thousand batches of 'Pharmacist' potions. With that, I can establish a 'Pharmacist' factory and achieve mass production." Emlyn murmured to himself, then replied formally, "Yes, Sir, the 'Fool'." Klein turned to the other side and addressed 'Judgment' Tho: "The end times are drawing near. Whether the 'Red Priest' or the 'Witch' is active, both will become prominent. Your task is to leverage official support, trace the three sequence-1 extraordinary traits and their corresponding unique attributes of the 'Red Priest,' and if possible, gather clues to determine the current state of the 'Primordial Witch'—this will be highly dangerous." Klein did not mention compensation, as he had already paid it in advance: Tho had fulfilled his own wish by performing the ritual and ascending to the rank of sequence-4 'Lawful Wizard.' As for the three exceptional traits of the "Red Priest" path in Sequence 1 "Conqueror," Kline previously knew that one was held by the Solon family of the former royal house of Intis, one by the Ainhorn family of the royal house of Vosak, and one by the Augustus family of the royal house of Roon, later transferred to the Magdalene Order as compensation. Of course, this is only an initial answer—the situation may have changed significantly by now: the Thurn family had already begun to decline well before the time of Rosel, and it is unlikely they still retain that exceptional "Conqueror" trait or the corresponding seal object; in fact, Caine even suspects that the Iron Cross might have already secured it. The earlier wars have dealt considerable damage to the Einhorn family, and Caine cannot rule out the possibility of high-ranking angels having perished or of "0"-level seal objects having been lost. The "Conqueror" trait granted to the female order by the Augustus family is currently the most clearly traceable, though Caine knows that the malevolent spirit Solon Einhorn Medici—the "Red Angel"—has long been eyeing it, possibly having already succeeded in claiming it, or perhaps actively pursuing it at this very moment. As for the unique status of the "Red Priest," however, there are currently no known traces—its last documented appearance within the Mystical World was during the final days of the Fourth Age, at the time of the White Plague.