On the deck, an extra layer of stone was placed beneath the grills to shield the ship's surface from coal sparks blown by the wind. The plump chef, wearing a apron and Donatello's invention—a white high-crowned hat—constantly brushed a specially crafted sauce, blended with basil, small cardamom, sea salt, black pepper, and lemon juice, onto the delicate, long fillets of white fish, frequently flipping them to ensure even heating on both sides. The fish flesh, rich in fat, dripped steadily, sending soft hissing sounds as the drops fell onto the iron grate below, occasionally igniting small flames. A fragrant aroma gradually filled the air, which Caine inhaled deeply. Before him, a round table and chairs were set, bearing a bottle of wine with an elegant shape; the wine was golden-red, slightly viscous when swirled. "Sunia's Blood Wine is crafted from the sweet sap of native trees around the Golden Spring region—much like honey diluted with blood. It's sweet and smooth, yet surprisingly easy to become tipsy on. If you'd like to invite a lady to drink with you, this would be an excellent choice; it naturally encourages her to drink more than she intends. Of course, that depends on your own ability to handle it." Noting Caine's attentive gaze, Captain Elran Kage introduced the wine with a half-joking tone. Indeed, a true seafarer—always carrying a touch of hearty humor. Caine sat down, maintaining his reserved demeanor. "A competent adventurer never becomes overly reliant on alcohol." His neighbor, Krivis, nodded in agreement. "Only upon returning home does an adventurer allow himself to drink." "That's truly a pity," Elran remarked, turning to look at Tanah and Danton, the siblings who were now curiously exploring the wine, and smiled. "This isn't something a young person should experience." "I've had it—and I truly enjoy it!" "Madam objected immediately," said she, "only, only later, without realizing it, she had fallen asleep, and slept through the entire afternoon..." "I remember you drank two cups!" said the young gentleman, Danton, with admiration. Ailran, not satisfying their thirst, ordered the crew to serve each of the siblings a cup of sweet iced tea, and added casually: "There are quite a few Southerners on this ship." Danton, his disappointment restored, turned to the fish-man whose valuable materials had been taken, and spoke with a somewhat naive tone: "Actually, actually, it's not that frightening at all—it's just a large, rather unattractive, four-limbed fish!" Madam glanced at her brother: "Congratulations—you've finally grasped its true nature." She then looked earnestly at Crivels and Ailran: "Uncle, uncle, are there many such creatures on the sea?" The merfolk didn't possess any extraordinary abilities beyond imagination. To ordinary people, they were merely sea beasts, akin to the prototypes of legendary monsters. Ailran chuckled, saying, "No. In the main shipping lanes and their surrounding waters, such creatures are rare—most have already been hunted down. To encounter a merfolk and witness this kind of being is truly fortunate for you. Think about it: if I could regularly hunt monsters worth 200 pounds or more, I'd certainly never have stayed as a passenger ship captain. I'd have established my own hunting fleet, chasing after those golden pounds!" That made perfect sense! Kline silently nodded in approval. Based on his observations, the extraordinary materials on the merfolk's bodies were likely their swim bladders—the deep, water-like glow reminded him of precious stones. Krivis took the tea just brought by the sailor, first sniffed it, then took a small sip. "Only when you deviate from the main course and venture deep into oceans often shrouded in fog or storms is there a reasonable chance of encountering such creatures—though that journey is extremely hazardous. "Beyond the climbing, scaled merfolk, there are also legends of nāgas in these regions—beings with human upper bodies and colossal serpent lower bodies, each possessing six arms and moving with remarkable agility." Ailran picked up on this topic. "There are also colossal octopuses whose secreted juices can corrode and destroy many ships, terrifying sea monsters capable of capsizing vessels with a mere gentle push, enchanting sea nymphs whose songs captivate and make people unwilling to leave, blue dragons that can generate lightning, and great birds whose wingbeats can summon hurricanes—ah, I've never seen any of these myself. They're all part of maritime folklore, and no one knows for sure whether they're true or not." Sea nymphs… Kraine's expression remained unchanged. "Most interesting," remarked Danna with deep admiration. Danton glanced left and right, seeing that Clain had not spoken, and thus asked curiously, "Uncle, you're also an adventurer—have you ever seen a creature like this before?" Clain paused slightly, then smiled gently. "Yes, once. We were five people at the time, and we encountered a merman unexpectedly. After a fierce battle, we finally managed to defeat it." This was his actual experience in Tinggen City—the first time he had directly faced an official extraordinary being that had lost control. At the time, he and Old Neil had been requested by Svien, the owner of 'The Dragon's Den,' to assist in eliminating a mutated seafarer. Thinking back on this, Clain felt a sense of nostalgia and quiet reflection, and the cold, sharp demeanor he had been maintaining softened naturally. "Five people?" he asked, while subtly counting the participants in the battle just now. One, two, three... He noticed that only three of them had actually engaged in combat to defeat the merman. Before Kline could respond, Ailran spoke with a touch of surprise: "By chance?" "Yes," Kline replied calmly. "Any casualties?" Ailran asked. Kline shook his head. "Only minor injuries." "By chance, they managed to defeat a merfolk with just five people—remarkable," said Crivis, offering his assessment. His companion, Cecil, nodded in quiet admiration. The battle had been brief and decisive; the merfolk seemed to fall easily, yet both Kline and Crivis knew well that without the carefully laid traps, the hallucinogenic effect of the pepper grains and the resulting fatigue, the life-threatening impact of the mint salve on the merfolk, and the two borrowed rifles borrowed from the others, the number of casualties would have been far greater. "Indeed, quite impressive," Ailran remarked, looking at Kline thoughtfully. That was a team composed of four Sequence 9s and one Sequence 8... Caine half-smiled, half-exhaled, "Back then, I was still quite young—hadn't even experienced much combat, just a pure support role." "Uncle, you're still young!" Tanah gently tapped her own head. I love that phrase... Caine noticed that Captain Elran had relaxed slightly due to his just-spoken words. At that moment, several crew members brought a ceramic platter featuring golden-fried fish meat, garnished with colorful basil leaves, releasing a most inviting aroma. Elran raised a cup filled with Sunia's blood wine and delivered his toast: "May this be a beautiful evening, with the storm joining us!" "A beautiful evening!" Tanah and Danton cheered, each taking a sip of their sweet iced tea. Caine chose to clink his cup of black tea against Elran's. He picked up a piece of meat from the fish's rib section, feeling it firm and dense with little fat. Yet after absorbing the plant oil, the dryness was compensated for, releasing a lingering elasticity and rich meaty aroma with each bite. Indeed, it was slightly inferior to the flesh on his cheeks, but still quite good—better than any fish he had eaten in Beckett or Prittlewick. Klein praised it with satisfied appreciation. "Even if any pirates make a run here, they won't go too far—they'll simply demand some compensation after having seen our cannons." Seeing the two young children settle down, Ailran added, "But once we head south from the Rostead Islands or continue eastward, we'll have to rely entirely on the Lord's protection. "Many pirates are active in these regions, hiding in and out of naval and ecclesiastical vessels. If our luck holds, we'll reach the southern continent smoothly, arriving safely at each destination. But if our luck runs out, we may encounter powerful pirate forces—indeed, even the seven pirate generals, or the fleets of the Four Kings. "Yet you needn't worry too much. Since Nastor became the 'King of the Five Seas' and established certain maritime rules, most pirates now settle for plundering your goods and won't go beyond that." "Among them, the one we fear most is the captain of the 'Black Tulip,' Ludewell, the 'Duke of Hell,' who will have his crew kill everyone aboard and cast the innocent souls into hell. Next comes Senyore, the 'Duke of Blood,' who relishes blood and tolerates every atrocity committed by his subordinates; many young women are raped and then sold off to different islands..." Dandara shivered, instinctively shifting the topic. "I've heard there are many treasures at sea!" "There are indeed legends of treasures, but most of them are false." "Elan glanced at Kriwes and said, 'There are six stories that are both the most renowned and the most detailed. The first is "The Key of the Death God." It is said that at the end of the Fourth Age, the Death God—responsible for the White Catastrophe—was defeated by the Seven Deities but did not perish immediately. Instead, He attempted to return to the Southern Continent. In doing so, He stirred up violent storms, creating impassable barriers that completely severed the maritime routes between the Northern and Southern Continents—thus giving rise to the legend of the Stormy Sea. Yet, ultimately, the Death God never reached the Southern Continent and vanished into that vast ocean. As he spoke, Elan sighed with a touch of longing: 'It is said that somewhere deep within the Stormy Sea, the Death God has left behind a treasure, waiting to be discovered and unlocked by someone who possesses the right key. But no one knows what that key looks like, or where it might be found.' The second is 'The Spring of Immortality,' located deep within the Sunya Sea. It is said that one of the Four Kings, the King of Immortality, Agarit, once drank from its waters