With Anderson's command of "Set sail," the flesh puppets began busying themselves at their respective positions.
Some raised the anchor, others rowed the oars, slowly moving the ship away from the shore.
"Swoosh!"
Two flesh puppets grabbed the ropes and pulled down hard, gradually raising and unfurling the mainsail.
"Keep adjusting the braces to the left, let the sail catch the wind better."
Anderson stood at the bow, directing with great interest.
When it came to sailing, he was a novice. But commanding so many people to do something novel was still quite fun, especially with some not-too-troublesome small problems waiting to be solved.
As long as he dealt with them one by one, this ship would perfectly unfurl its mainsail in the way he expected and advance into the depths of the ocean.
Anderson thought with anticipation.
"Whoosh..."
However, a perfectly timed strong wind blew over, instantly spreading and tightening the mainsail.
The large ship immediately shot forward like a wound-up toy carriage.
"Why make it so complicated?"
Silas withdrew his hand and said.
Anderson: "..."
Right, with someone here who could directly provide wind from any direction, why bother with all that adjustment?
And so, the interest that had just risen in Anderson quickly dissipated, and he climbed down from the bow.
The following stretch of the voyage was uneventful. Night didn't fall, nor did the golden carriage pass by.
At first, Silas was somewhat curious about operating the sailboat, but after controlling it for half a day, he grew bored.
He threw all the work to the flesh puppets and Anderson while he sat by the gunwale fishing, using fresh fish to replenish his blood and flesh.
Perhaps because there were few ships in these waters, the fish had no wariness at all. Seeing bait, they stupidly rushed to bite it.
Before long, he had caught quite a few.
"Hm?"
Just as he caught his seventh large fish and, having replenished his blood and flesh, started feeding Luna for fun, Anderson, who was observing at the bow, suddenly let out a soft exclamation.
"What's wrong?"
Silas asked, casually removing the hook from the fish's mouth and tossing the fish to Luna.
"There seem to be ships ahead... more than one!"
Other ships?
Could it be the King of Black Throne or the Queen Mystic?
Silas stood up abruptly, rushed to the bow, and looked in the direction Anderson was pointing.
He noticed a three-masted sailboat appearing in the distance where the water met the sky.
Trailing closely behind it was an even larger vessel. The two ships, one leading, one chasing, seemed to be enacting a scene of pursuit and escape.
Both were moving swiftly. While Silas watched, they grew from tiny specks on the horizon to the size of a fingernail.
Not the ships of those two monarchs.
Silas made out more details on the ships and relaxed slightly.
But Anderson beside him didn't have such peace of mind. Instead, he immediately cried out.
"Oh no! It's the 'King of Immortality's' crew!"
The King of Immortality?
Silas was shocked.
Wasn't that the third Pirate King on the seas?
How unexpected that this divine battlefield ruin had actually gathered all three monarchs at the same time!
"No, it shouldn't be him personally. That ship isn't their flagship, the 'Death Announcer.'
But the sail is painted with a black tombstone pattern, so it should be one of his fleet... carrying other members of his pirate crew," Anderson said.
Hearing this, Silas observed the large ship chasing the three-masted sailboat more carefully.
The unfurled sail indeed bore a painted black tombstone. That tombstone was eerily deep, filled with an ominous aura.
"They're coming our way. Should we avoid them?"
Anderson asked in a low voice.
The three-masted sailboat ahead must have also spotted their ship and was sailing toward them at full speed.
Its speed was faster than the large ship behind it, but the larger vessel fired its cannons from time to time, disrupting its speed.
Water columns constantly erupted around it, and sometimes cannonballs would hit the ship itself, causing chaos on board.
"No need."
Silas said calmly.
He actually thought this was a good opportunity to update his lamb slots.
The pirates under the King of Immortality committed all manner of evil; killing them would bring no guilt whatsoever.
He only hoped these pirates had high enough Beyonder sequences and good enough abilities.
"Head toward them."
He said.
"...Huh?"
Anderson froze for a moment, then guessed his intention. "You want to hunt them? Hunt the King of Immortality's subordinates?"
"Is that a problem?"
Silas glanced at him and simply created a strong wind himself, blowing the sail and making the ship sail toward the two pursuing vessels.
Hearing him say this, the expression on Anderson's face changed rapidly. In the end, however, he actually laughed out loud.
"Alright then, let's consider it as making this trip profitable."
As he spoke, he began unconsciously rubbing an ordinary button in the middle of his shirt.
They had two Sequence 5s on their side, and that Alexander Gascoigne was a troublesome Shepherd... It was hard to say which side would have the advantage!
The three sailboats sailed toward each other, rapidly closing the distance.
Silas could gradually make out the expressions of the people on the ship. They carried terror, yet they were still fleeing with all their might.
And this wasn't a death struggle.
Their eyes flickered with greed and fanaticism, as if something even more important was driving them forward, even if death's threat loomed behind them!
"Hey! Help us!"
The three-masted sailboat was already very close to them.
A crew member with golden hair shouted at them, "We're adventurers! We've discovered the secret of the King of Immortality's longevity... clues to the Fountain of Immortality!"
Fountain of Immortality?
After hearing this, Anderson repeated it with considerable interest.
Legend had it that in the depths of the Sonia Sea, there was a spring called the "Fountain of Immortality."
Those who drank from it would remain eternally young.
And the King of Immortality, Agalito, had survived for so long because he had drunk from the Fountain of Immortality.
If they could really find the Fountain of Immortality, they'd strike it rich.
Silas didn't pay them any attention. Instead, he turned his gaze to the black-sailed large ship further back.
Suddenly, his eyes focused sharply.
It turned out that the ship had, at some point, stopped its pursuit, turned its bow around, and was sailing away from them!
These guys are fleeing!
"Eh? Why are they running away?"
Anderson said with both regret and relief.
"What a shame. Still, we can chat with those adventurers and see if the clues about the Fountain of Immortality are reliable. Wait, what are you doing?!"
"Whoosh!"
Anderson had good reason to cry out, because surging air currents were rising from beneath his feet, lifting him into the air.
Floating into the air along with him was Silas.
"Chase them!"
He said, then without giving Anderson any time, he directly carried him in pursuit of that black-sailed large ship!
Although he didn't know why they were fleeing, Silas had already decided to pull off this job. How could he possibly let his prey escape?!