"At sea?"
Silas looked at where the black cat Luna had landed and froze for a moment.
In the current world, humanity had mapped out five major seas.
They surrounded the Northern and Southern Continents on all sides: the North Sea to the north of the Northern Continent, bordering the ice cap; the Polar Sea to the south of the Southern Continent; the Violent Sea between the two continents, known for its extremely harsh climate; the Foggy Sea to the west of both continents, perpetually shrouded in thick mist; and the Sonia Sea to the east of both continents.
These five seas were collectively known as "the Five Seas."
As for Luna's divination result for Silas, it pointed precisely to the Sonia Sea, one of the Five Seas.
"Going to sea doesn't sound too bad.
The security there seems pretty chaotic, with pirates everywhere."
Silas pondered.
With the industrial revolution led by Roselle gradually gaining momentum, commerce and industry in the Northern Continent flourished, and exchanges with the Southern Continent and surrounding islands became increasingly frequent.
The shipping industry expanded rapidly as a result, with ships constantly traveling between the Five Seas.
At the same time, the prosperity of maritime trade also bred crime. Especially in lawless zones on the fringes of various nations' territories, pirates were as common as weeds.
They nested in hidden harbors and attacked passing ships.
Some were utterly depraved, while others had a code of honor, but regardless of which pirate crew it was, they all remained the most terrifying nightmare in the hearts of sea travelers.
Moreover, this was a world where Beyonders existed.
Those powerful, high-bounty pirate captains were basically all Beyonders. Among these pirates, the seven "Pirate Admirals" and four "Pirate Kings" were the most notorious.
"Are you trying to tell me I need to find my potion ingredients on one of these major pirates?"
Silas reached out to stroke the cat's head. "Or maybe in some lost ruins at sea?"
"Meow-ow~"
Luna looked up at him, her eyes seeming to carry a hint of helplessness. She couldn't speak, so how could she possibly answer such detailed questions?
"Alright, that was a dumb question on my part."
Silas realized his mistake and chuckled.
He tried to get Luna to continue divining, asking about the source of the recent crisis and when it might erupt.
But whether it was because he hadn't provided enough information for the divination, or because the black cat had simply lost patience, she didn't respond to Silas at all.
Instead, she walked away with her tail held high.
"Tsk, it doesn't matter if you won't divine for me. I can always find someone else."
Silas thought of Klein.
He'd already reached Sequence 7 a while ago, so his results would definitely be more accurate than his own cat's.
However, the various events that had occurred recently had put him on high alert. He felt that meeting face-to-face might be somewhat dangerous.
"I'll just write Klein a letter to warn him to be extra careful lately."
With this thought, Silas casually grabbed paper and pen from his desk.
The last time he'd used them was when he tried to fabricate a scripture.
Of course, after things spiraled out of control, he'd already abandoned any plans to concoct some ridiculous scripture.
He wrote on the paper:
"Dear Detective Sherlock, I have some secret journal entries of Emperor Roselle here."
It was the same routine as last time, disguising himself as a client seeking help deciphering Roselle's writings, while writing the truly important information in a different language.
This way, even if someone else discovered it, they wouldn't be able to read the secrets within.
In the "Roselle journal", Silas warned Klein that something major might happen soon and he must be careful.
After finishing the letter, he wrote "James Sherlock Holmes" on the outside of the envelope and tucked it into his pocket, planning to drop it in a mailbox when he passed one.
---
The Forsaken Land of the Gods, City of Silver.
Derrick took a deep breath and walked to the round tower at the city center that represented the highest authority.
This time, before he could explain anything, the guards standing at the tower entrance simply moved aside. "The Chief is waiting for you in his room."
The Chief had indeed anticipated this...
Derrick entered the tower and climbed the stairs, arriving at Chief Colin Iliad's room.
Pushing the door open, he saw, as always, the Chief with his back to him, and standing beside the Chief was Elder Lovia.
She was a beautiful woman with an imposing yet radiant presence, appearing to be around thirty years old.
She wore a mysterious black robe with purple patterns, and her slightly curled silver-gray hair fell around her.
But the moment he saw this beautiful woman, Derrick froze, nearly crying out!
Not for any other reason, but because this elder of the "Council of Six," a Sequence 5 Shepherd, was already a believer of the Fallen Creator, making her a mortal enemy to himself, a believer of The Fool!
Why is she here?
Derrick's eyes widened, his heart filled with shock and suspicion.
Lovia, meanwhile, gazed at him with her light gray eyes, her expression indifferent, saying nothing.
"You've arrived, Derrick Berg."
Just as the atmosphere between the two grew somewhat strange, Colin slowly turned around.
"You're here to apply for the 'Black Knight' potion formula, correct?"
"Yes, Chief, and Elder Lovia."
Only then did Derrick remember his manners. He pressed his hand to his chest and greeted both of them in turn with a solemn voice.
"I called Lovia here. The 'Black Knight' formula was contributed by her, so she has the right to witness this."
The Chief said flatly, leaving no room for Derrick to question.
But exchanges usually aren't this complicated... Derrick thought, quite confused.
He glanced at Lovia again, but she remained silent.
The Chief must have his reasons for doing this, but I don't understand them yet.
If only I could be as wise as Mr. Hanged Man... Derrick sensed the abnormality but didn't dare voice any objections.
"Very well, Derrick Berg. Let me ask you, what do you plan to exchange for the formula?"
Seeing this, Colin stopped explaining and spoke directly.
"Chief, I have a Sequence 4 potion formula from the Devil pathway. I obtained it by chance during my recent patrol duty."
Derrick quickly presented the terms Silas had provided.
When he mentioned that the item was "obtained by chance," even he felt his face redden a bit.
Because it was an obvious lie, and the two people across from him certainly knew it too.
If high-sequence potion formulas were that easy to obtain, the City of Silver would have already nurtured a whole group of demigods and fought their way out of the Forsaken Land of the Gods!
However, the two elders tactfully remained quiet until Derrick finished speaking.
"...The Devil pathway formula.
Currently, the City of Silver only has Sequences 9 through 5." Colin Iliad nodded.
"If these two formulas are genuine, then the City of Silver will have mastered another high-sequence pathway."
They're definitely genuine. Under Mr. Fool's witness, there's no way they could be fake...
Derrick thought to himself.
He watched Colin nervously until the other party slowly nodded, and only then did his anxious heart finally settle.
"Bring over the formula. If there are no problems after verification, you can have the Black Knight formula."
The Chief said.