Jahn Kottman is a Cardinal of the Church of the Lord of Storms, and a high-ranking deacon of the Mandated Punishers.
He is the former Archbishop of the Cathedral of Waves in Bayam, and the former true ruler of the Beyonder world in the Rorsted Archipelago.
He is a Sequence 3, Sea King of the Tyrant Pathway.
"Although Toscarter Island is nearly a thousand nautical miles from Bayam, that 'Sea King's' ability to fly over water is astonishing.
It would only take him a few hours to get here!"
Anderson said urgently, "We don't have much time!"
"Mm."
Silas nodded in agreement.
A Sequence 3 Beyonder, unless absolutely necessary, it was best to avoid confrontation.
They had to leave immediately.
Originally, he'd planned to recruit crew and purchase new ships while on the island.
Now time was tight, it seemed too late... No, if handled properly...
After thinking for a moment, Silas looked up at Anderson.
"What are your plans now?"
"Plans? What plans can I have?"
Anderson gave a bitter smile. "I've already been put on a wanted list."
Carter's telegram had been sent throughout the Rorsted Archipelago.
The bounty notice for the "Strongest Hunter of the Fog Sea" would soon be posted in every tavern and Free Adventurers Union.
If he dared leave on his own now, it would truly be suicide.
Fate was truly peculiar. Just carelessly speaking a name, and he'd fallen to being a wanted man.
Though running back to Lenburg or nearby Knowledge Church territory could get him sanctuary, that meant returning to a constrained life.
After considering everything, he might as well change his perspective and become a pirate instead, which seemed more comfortable.
After all, that Edwina woman was doing the same kind of work. No shame in it...
"I just want to ask one thing: does your earlier recruitment offer still stand?"
Anderson asked Silas.
"Of course."
"Then from now on, please look after me, Captain."
"Good. Congratulations on becoming the second crew member on my ship. I'm appointing you as first mate," Silas nodded and said quickly.
"Now, I have a task for you..."
A few minutes later.
The slums of Toscarter Island.
"I think we can go out now."
Filia adjusted his position and said. He'd been crouching on the mat at home for so long that his legs had gone numb.
"No!"
His mother hissed, shooting him a stern look.
"Stay put! Look, all our neighbors are hiding in their homes. Who knows what's happening outside!"
"It's just because there was a dragon."
Filia pursed his lips dismissively.
He was nearly an adult, and his mother was still using tactics to scare children on him.
"I already saw it. That dragon was killed by a black knight..."
"Keep your voice down, I said!"
His mother pinched his arm and forcibly pulled him back down.
Everyone's too timid...
Filia sat down helplessly.
The whole street was dead quiet.
He could imagine that in every other house, people were huddled in corners, trembling with fear.
When those "gentlemen" from Loen came, this was exactly how they acted, fearful yet obsequious, no matter how they were oppressed, only curling up into themselves.
He looked at his family.
Dad had been dragged to the other side of the island to work.
Mom was becoming more and more timid, only wanting to protect her children.
His younger siblings were just blank, timid as mice in a hole.
He increasingly felt this kind of life was meaningless.
He'd made up his mind to jump aboard one of those ocean-going ships and become a free sailor.
Or simply become a pirate and attack those Loen bastards...
Just as Filia was fantasizing, the street outside gradually became noisy. It seemed like people were cheering.
"Did you hear that?"
Filia said.
"Quiet!"
His mother struggled to hold him back.
But Filia heard it more and more clearly.
People really were cheering, shouting in the local language, "They're throwing money!" "The Loen people got beaten!"
I didn't hear wrong!
Filia leapt up.
The familiar language and the lure of money made him abandon his family and rush out the door.
He wasn't alone. People from the surrounding houses were also starting to venture out cautiously.
Then they were stunned by the lively scene before them.
Right in the center of the street, a giant parade float was slowly passing by.
On that float was the corpse of a terrifying dragon, and kneeling beside the corpse was the local affairs officer.
That Loen man who normally lorded over everyone was bound hand and foot, his face deathly pale as he endured the people's curses.
And his lackeys, the soldiers Loen had sent locally to suppress them, were in front of the float, replacing oxen and horses, dragging it forward.
Is this a dream?
This has to be a dream!
Filia could hardly believe what he was seeing. Then...
"Clattering!"
A large handful of something suddenly flew from above, hitting his face and body, letting him feel pain that confirmed this wasn't a dream.
Filia looked down and discovered what had been thrown at him was actually a handful of coins!
On top of the dragon's corpse stood a guy who also looked like he was from the Northern Continent.
He was pulling money from his pocket and freely tossing it toward the cheering crowd.
With every handful of coins he threw, the crowd erupted in roaring cheers.
The whole street had turned into a sea of celebration.
Filia stood frozen. He had never seen anything like this, never seen such raw, alive expressions on the faces of his usually numb companions.
"We beat the Toscarter Island authorities!"
"We took their treasury, and all of it is for you!"
"Our fleet is recruiting!"
Each time Anderson tossed a handful of coins, he shouted louder, "The captain is the Blood Reverend who attacked the King of Loen! Anyone who wants to stand against Loen, anyone who wants a chance at greatness, go sign up at the port!"
He shouted once in Loenese, then repeated it in the local language.
"I'm going, I'm going!"
Filia heard a man next to him cry out.
"My sister was killed by Loen people. I'm joining the ship!"
One by one, others began shouting and running toward the float.
Filia felt his body trembling with excitement.
A few children scrambled at his feet, trying to snatch the coins, but he didn't care about them.
Instead, a warm current seemed to flow through him, filling him from head to toe.
So powerful, so magnificent.
The spectacle before him hit him like a wave.
In his twenty years of life, he had never seen anything like this.
This—this was how life was meant to be lived: with purpose, with fire, with spirit!
And their fleet was recruiting. Wasn't this the opportunity he'd been dreaming of?
"I'm going too, I'm joining the ship too!"
Filia jumped up and shouted, nearly knocking over the children around him. He took off running, chasing after that float.
At the same time, in the central commercial district of Toscarter Island, inside a certain Red Mill.
"I'm taking your ship. No objections, right?"
Silas asked amiably of a certain pirate captain who'd just climbed out of a courtesan's bed.
"No objections, no objections."
The other man shook his head vigorously, his face full of smiles.
See? In just a few hours, crew and ships were both secured. The fleet was assembled, wasn't it?