Over the next several days, Silas kept busy getting his fleet in order.
The potion ingredients supplied by the Tarot Club members arrived one after another, allowing the most eager members of his crew to successfully become Beyonders.
Most chose combat-oriented pathways such as Sailor, Warrior, and Hunter, while a handful became Savants, Spectators, or Seers.
Boatswain Walter had purchased a Sequence 7 potion from the Black Emperor pathway at the pirate congress and had already advanced to Briber.
Helmsman Rupert, after receiving a reward from Silas, advanced to Sequence 8 Berserker.
The ship's doctor, Darkwill, appeared to be negotiating with his teacher in hopes of advancing as well.
First Mate Anderson had assembled a thirty-man unit from the crew, intending to use them for his Sequence 4 advancement ritual.
Meanwhile, the name of the Scarlet King was spreading throughout the Five Seas.
Stories of Alexander Gascoigne driving the King of Immortality before him and crushing the Divine Abomination spread among the surviving pirates who had attended the congress.
Alcohol and vanity inevitably warped and exaggerated the stories along the way, but the basic events remained true.
As a result, more and more people began to regard this new pirate king with equal parts awe and admiration. The fleet's recruitment efforts proceeded remarkably smoothly wherever they went. Several pirate crews even came forward to swear allegiance to him, but Silas turned them away.
The bloodstained skull flag flew high above the bows of their ships. Every island they passed fell into panic, and every vessel that spotted them fled into the distance.
The Sea of White Whales.
The White City of Nass, capital of the Galgath Archipelago.
"You can disembark now," Silas told Sophia.
This was a Feysac colony, so naturally, they would take good care of a princess from their own country.
"All right, Captain."
Sophia's eyes flickered. "Before I go, please let me say goodbye to everyone."
She turned toward the deck and smiled as she waved to the crew members gathered around her. They were clearly reluctant to see her leave, not only because Sophia was the only woman in the fleet, and an exceptionally beautiful one at that, but also because of her cheerful, easygoing personality.
Despite being a princess, she could speak comfortably with ordinary people and never made them feel beneath her.
Silas stood inside the captain's cabin, watching through the window as the red-haired girl smiled and chatted with the crew, easing their sadness.
A faint rustle sounded beside him as M's figure emerged.
"Are you sure keeping her blood is a good idea?" she asked.
"It's only a precaution," Silas replied.
A flash of red passed through his hand, revealing a transparent glass tube filled with a translucent crimson liquid.
Sophia Einhorn's blood.
In the end, Silas had kept Sophia's blood, but he had chosen not to give it to Medici immediately. For now, he would hold on to it himself.
If he truly had no other way to obtain the Sequence 3 potion formula, he could use the blood to make a deal with Medici.
But as long as another option existed, he had no intention of relying on that natural-born schemer.
Just then, Sophia finished saying goodbye to the crew and returned to the captain's cabin.
"Thank you, Captain. I was happier and freer here than I've been in a long time," she told Silas sincerely.
Silas gave a slight nod.
"Unfortunately, to prevent any information from getting out, I'll have to seal away your memories of your time aboard this ship. Don't worry. They should return on their own in about three to five years."
By then, Silas would most likely have advanced to a higher Sequence, and the fleet's overall strength would have increased considerably. There would no longer be any need to fear an attack.
"I understand. That seems reasonable."
Although she was a little disappointed, Sophia nodded.
"Good. Relax, and clear your mind..."
Silas spoke in a soft voice.
Sophia's eyes gradually lost focus as she slipped into a hypnotized, almost sleepwalking state.
M stepped forward and gently cradled Sophia's face between her hands. She reached deep into Sophia's mind and began stripping away the relevant memories...
M's radiant face was reflected in Sophia's crimson eyes.
At that moment, their minds connected. For the first time, Sophia caught a glimpse of Silas's other identity.
The instant she clearly saw M's face, however, she spoke without warning, as though reacting on instinct.
Her voice was hazy and unconscious, yet carried a trace of recognition.
"Ivanova? What are you doing here?"
When Sophia regained awareness, she found Silas staring at her with an expression she had never seen before.
Anger, confusion, and disbelief were all tangled together on his face.
"Captain, did you seal my memories successfully?"
Even as she asked, Sophia sensed that something was wrong. Her memories remained perfectly clear, without the slightest trace of fading or confusion.
"That can wait," Silas said, his voice slightly hoarse.
He looked at Sophia, raised one hand, and manifested a figure beside him.
"Look again. Do you know her?"
Sophia followed his gesture.
Before her stood a breathtakingly beautiful woman with red hair and golden eyes. A pure white robe covered her body, and a gentle smile rested on her face.
"I do know her," Sophia replied, sounding puzzled. "But I've never seen her dressed like that before..."
She abruptly fell silent.
The captain's expression had grown even darker and more strained.
"Then tell me exactly who she is."
Golden light flickered in Silas's eyes as he spoke quietly.
"She's a member of the Feysac royal family. Ivanova Einhorn."
The golden light seemed to shine straight into Sophia's heart. She found herself completely unable to resist and answered truthfully.
"Based on her position in the family, I suppose she would be my aunt."
"Is she still alive?"
"Of course she is. Before I fled Feysac, she was perfectly safe..."
After Sophia answered, she saw the captain take a deep breath, as though forcing down the emotions surging inside him.
"What else do you know about her? What has she been doing? Who does she usually associate with? What kind of person is she?"
Why is the captain so interested in a member of our royal family?
Sophia grew increasingly confused, but she continued to cooperate.
"Ivanova usually... Hm?"
She opened her mouth, but no words came out.
A strange sensation stirred inside her mind.
She had clearly spent a great deal of time with Ivanova Einhorn. They had spoken often in their everyday lives. Yet now, Sophia could not say a single thing about her.
It was as though the memories of those days had been covered by a thick white veil, leaving them blurred, distant, and impossible to describe.
"I forgot..." Sophia murmured in disbelief. "How could I have forgotten everything...?"
A strange sense of absurdity welled up inside her.
Silas remained silent for a moment before raising his hand.
"Forget everything we just discussed," he said.