Staring at the quiet bar, where one could almost hear the breath of some patrons, Caine paused for two seconds before stepping inside, as if nothing had happened at all, and simply walked straight toward the counter. Next time, he’d need to come prepared—his frustration mounting in his mind, almost reaching for his face. He had assumed, based on Oakfa’s lack of knowledge about Germain Spalro’s successful hunt of the "Slayer" Gilsheis, that his latest developments had not yet reached the "City of Generosity," and thus had arrived at the "Seaweed Bar" with confidence. Yet the issue lay in Oakfa’s relative detachment from the adventurer community, resulting in delayed information—famed adventurers' reputations had already spread widely among the pirates in the vicinity of the Rosted Isles. Taking a quiet breath, Caine settled at the counter and tapped the wooden surface with his fingers. "One glass of Southwyl beer." "…Six pence," the bartender said, struggling to swallow a lump in his throat. Klein placed a few copper pennies on the table, his expression unchanged as he asked, "Have there been any recent developments?" The bartender accepted the pennies, carefully served the beer to Germán Sparrow, and then managed a smile. "Admiral Emilius Levet has been recalled to Beckland. Admiral Robert Davis has taken over his position as the supreme naval commander for the kingdom in this region. The overall situation across the islands has become tense, with several pirate fleets sending representatives to inquire about the latest news." It seems Admiral Emilius has finally been drawn into the matter by his brother and lost his current post... However, as long as he hasn't been directly involved, given his status as a half-god, things couldn't have been much worse. At least his rank as an admiral is secure, and his family remains unaffected. Once the situation stabilizes, he might even have the opportunity to continue serving in a senior naval capacity. Klein took a slow sip of his beer and casually asked, "So, which family is Robert Davis from?" "No, he wasn't born into nobility. He's one of the rare officers who rose from the ranks all the way to the rank of admiral, earning countless honors during his service in the Stormy Sea, on Sunya Island, and in Eastern Baylang." The bartender recalled the recent newspaper praises of Admiral Robert Davis, pausing momentarily. "However, I've heard he has received financial support from several noble families." Indeed, in the current Royal Navy, at least 80% of admirals hail from royal or noble backgrounds—those remaining 20% are largely concentrated at the ranks of lieutenant-admiral and commodore... Caine had already learned about this situation from the files of Emilius Levet. In comparison, the Army is in a much better position. Gelman Sparo didn't ask any further questions, merely sipping his drink with apparent concentration. The bartender then remarked, "Over the past few months, the rebel forces have been highly active, consistently attempting to disrupt rail lines or block roads, which has left the governor's office deeply troubled. They've had to deploy large numbers of troops to secure transportation routes, yet the rebels have rarely engaged them in direct combat." "I know all this—it's exactly according to my plan." In a region where indigenous and mixed-race populations make up 80% of the population, gathering accurate intelligence has never been particularly difficult for the rebels. With external funding, sustaining their operations in the short term is certainly manageable. Their past difficulties stemmed entirely from the irrational nature of Cavituwa—the sea serpent—constantly compelling them to launch attacks on cities, seize strategic positions, and fight head-on against the naval and land forces of the Roon Kingdom." Kline murmured a few comments, then took another hearty sip of his beer, his mood clearly upbeat. He also advised the rebel forces not to become overly active. Should the governor's office be pushed into an extremely difficult position, the Kingdom of Roon would likely dispatch Sequence 5, or even half-divine exceptionalists, skilled in tracking and pursuit—forces that the rebels simply could not match. Under the name of "Poseidon," his instructions were clear: maintain the current situation and make only modest improvements, and await a shift in the broader world situation. This shift would not be far off. Based on the reports from Miss Justice, the "Hanged Man" had already made a positive assessment: as long as the Kingdom of Roon completes its internal bureaucratic reforms and integrates both the original and newly formed armored fleets into combat readiness, a war against its southern continental colonies was inevitable. Sitting quietly, listening to the bartender's account, Caine donned his hat, rose from the bar, and walked steadily back to his hotel. Along the way, he saw again children with copper-toned skin and slightly wavy hair, and indigenous residents dressed in brown jackets and wide-legged pants, who either hesitated, lowered their heads, or retreated to the side, watching Caine with complex expressions. Caine sighed, gently curled his lips, and remained silent as he returned to his hotel room. He did not immediately change his appearance to seek out the pirates in various bars, for those men would surely hide away tonight and not appear again. Just as Caine intended to explore the *Grosset Travelogue*, his door was suddenly knocked on steadily—thump, thump, thump. Without any inquiry, as soon as he grasped the handle, a clear image of the visitor formed in his mind: a middle-aged man in a dark red coat and white trousers, wearing a ship-shaped hat, with distinct wrinkles around his eyes, forehead, and mouth—exactly Captain Elran of the *White Chrysolite*, a military officer, fair and impartial. That's impressive. Just as the news of my arrival in Bayam broke, they already found out which hotel I was staying at and which room—I didn't even hide it, having registered directly with my identification documents. Klein turned the handle, pushed the door open, and politely said, "Good evening." "Good evening. It's wonderful to see you back in Bayam," said Ailran, removing his hat and entering the room with ease. "Is there something on your mind?" Klein pulled out a chair and sat down. Ailran then sat across from him, offering a light smile. "Isn't visiting a friend the most important thing of all?" said Ailran. What a good conversationalist! Though Anderson has already left, it would have been a great opportunity for him to learn from him. Klein found himself unexpectedly moved. He maintained his usual demeanor, meeting Ailran's eyes and saying, "Well, you've already made the visit." Ailran seemed to have anticipated this response, and smiled gently. "Do you remember Tanna?" "Of course, both she and her brother are quite endearing. I wonder if they've managed to shake off the shadow of my 'intimidation,' and thus lost their curiosity about the mysterious world... Caine responded calmly: 'I don't have amnesia.' 'Forgetting minor things is good for our mental well-being, quite true—that's what Emperor Roscel said,' Elran explained simply. 'Didn't you tell Dona's father that, if he needed help, he should place a continuous three-day advertisement in the *Sunia Morning Gazette* seeking buyers for Damir's specialty cured meats? He's been doing exactly that, though you've been away in Bayum, not near the coastal waters.' 'And then what?' Caine asked, sensing Elran's relaxed demeanor and instinctively believing that the Dona family hadn't faced anything particularly serious. Ailin chuckled, "I happened to overhear your conversation. After hearing about the advertisement, I went to visit the family according to the address. As you know, Tanna is a sweet little girl—she always reminds me of my daughter. 'The matter isn't complicated,' said Urdi, Tanna's father. He had a valuable cargo seized by 'Captain Mad,' which significantly strained his finances. Though he hasn't gone bankrupt, his life has become quite difficult, so he'd like to entrust you with recovering the goods. 'I wasn't in Bayum at the time,' I explained, 'so I had to rely on my own connections to help Urdi recover the cargo at a reasonable cost.' 'Captain Mad'? Kline first found the nickname familiar, then recalled where he'd heard it before. According to Eileen, the "sick-ship" Tracy helped deliver slaves to the sorcerer's order were handed over to "Mad Captain" Conner Victor, who appears to have close ties with many slave traders and population brokers in the kingdom of Roon. This ties directly into the missing population cases in the colonies and the hidden truth behind the great smog in Beckett! I've always wanted to investigate this matter—my initial attack on Tracy was partly motivated by it. Unfortunately, I didn't succeed then, and later, I had to focus on playing the role of digestion and searching for the mermaids, temporarily setting aside the investigation. Klein's thoughts raced, yet he remained composed, calmly asking, "Where is 'Mad Captain' currently?" "The cargo has already been retrieved," Elran gasped, emphasizing that the matter was now resolved. Klein looked at him and repeated, "Where is Conner Victor now?" Ailin shook his head helplessly. "I'm not sure, but his subordinates are still gathering information in Bayam. You know, General Emirius has returned to Bekland, and General Davis has arrived. Many things are bound to change, and the pirates need to stay informed." "So, I suspect Konnas's ship is likely sheltered somewhere in the shadow of one of the nearby islands—but that's only a guess; there's no way to confirm it." Kline listened quietly, hands clasped. "Thank you." Ailin exhaled, glanced out the window, and his expression quickly grew serious. "I came to see you today because you've been standing out so much. Now, the higher-ups are paying close attention to you. A warrior capable of easily defeating Gilsheis won't be overlooked!" "You should stop using this identity to check in for lodging—otherwise, you might encounter some difficult complications." Kline nodded seriously. "Understood." He was deeply grateful to Captain Airlan for his reminder, yet he didn't show it. Once Captain Airlan had left, Kline immediately changed his appearance and switched lodgings, ensuring his movements remained unobserved by the military. After completing these steps, he began thinking about how to locate Captain "Mad" Conner Victor. While this was a significant challenge for others, Kline had a clever method: he used the "Staff of Neptune" to communicate with the marine life beneath the nearby waters! As long as Captain Conner Victor remained within the waters of the Rosedale Islands, Kline would never miss him. Of course, this depended on having sufficient time to search. PS: First publish, then revise.