The forces backing me?
Silas was caught off guard by Anderson's question.
Thinking carefully about it, there really didn't seem to be any forces backing him.
The Church of the Evernight Goddess?
That was at most a former employer.
After his death and resurrection, he'd completely lost contact with them.
"Why do you think there are other forces backing me?"
Silas asked impassively.
"Captain, when we were trapped on the island before, you once told me you were a believer of The Fool."
Anderson smiled. "So I figured there might be an entire organization behind you that worships The Fool."
Oh right, there was also the Tarot Club.
But if he really had to say, the Tarot Club didn't count either.
Though it was a lofty assembly before a god, Mr. Fool never forcibly constrained the members, only occasionally guiding them.
This organization served more as a platform for communication and transactions.
As for faith... he felt his feelings toward The Fool were more gratitude than anything approaching true worship.
After all, as a former Secrets Suppliant, he already had his own views about divine beings.
That's why he'd told Anderson at the time that he was a believer "in a certain sense."
"You can think of it that way."
Silas said vaguely.
Seeing Anderson still standing there, he realized. "Something else?"
"Yes, Captain."
Anderson said, "Which direction should our ship head? What specifically should we be doing from now on?"
At the time, the fleet had urgently put to sea to avoid the approaching "Sea King" Jahn Kottman.
Now, after drifting at sea for several days without a clear objective, the crew was beginning to waver to varying degrees.
After all, we're still a pirate fleet.
What kind of ships should we raid, which shipping lane should we patrol and hunt on, even if we're going to confront the navy, shouldn't we have a clear destination?
"Oh, you're right."
Silas nodded, showing understanding.
The fleet had sailed away from Toscarter Island for several days, and Jahn Kottman hadn't caught up, meaning they should be safe now.
It was time to determine the next step of the plan.
"Bring 'Sea Serpent' here."
He said.
Before long, the boatswain "Sea Serpent" Walter quickly entered the captain's quarters.
"Captain, you wanted to see me?"
He asked eagerly.
"Mm."
Silas looked him up and down. "Walter, I called you in because I have something to ask you."
"Please ask."
"What are the main shipping lanes nearby?"
His boatswain had previously been a pirate captain and should be very familiar with merchant ship routes.
"There are two main ones."
When Walter heard a question about his area of expertise, his spirits immediately lifted.
He turned and walked to the table, pointing at the lower right section of the spread-out nautical chart.
"We're currently roughly south of Toscarter Island.
There are two main shipping lanes nearby, leading respectively to West Balam Island in the southwest and Oravi Island in the northwest."
Hearing "Oravi Island," Anderson's body stirred slightly.
The misfortune Ouroboros had brought upon him had yet to be removed.
The solution Silas had obtained from the Speaker of the Life School was precisely to go to Oravi Island and find a "Council of Fate" member!
"Which one will encounter the Loen Navy?"
Silas also thought of this matter but didn't immediately make a decision, instead continuing to ask.
"...Both will encounter them, but West Balam Island is closer."
Hearing Silas inquire about the navy's whereabouts, "Sea Serpent's" brow twitched sharply, but he still answered truthfully.
"Captain."
Anderson stepped closer, his eyes fervent. Clearly, he wanted to go to Oravi Island.
"Mm."
Silas nodded, then asked Sea Serpent again, "Are our supplies sufficient? How many days to reach Oravi Island?"
As captain, he still needed to consider consumption issues.
"Our fleet has very few people."
Walter recalled the mere twenty-some crew members on board and the two ships beside them stuffed with flesh puppets.
His mouth twitched. "The supplies on the three ships are enough for long-term use."
"Good."
Silas nodded. "Notify the entire ship, we're going to Oravi Island."
"Yes!"
Walter's spirits lifted. He was about to leave when Silas called him back.
"Walter, what pathway are you?"
He looked at him and asked.
"'Lawyer' pathway, Captain."
Walter answered cautiously.
So that's why he tried to use eloquence to persuade me back then.
Silas nodded. "How's your potion digestion coming along?"
"Uh, I've already finished digesting it, but I haven't gotten my hands on the subsequent formula..."
"I understand."
Silas said coolly, waving for him to leave.
Walter bowed to him with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation, then turned and left the captain's quarters.
Before long, his voice came from outside summoning the sailors.
He was announcing the captain's decision, directing everyone to adjust the ship's course.
Cheers quickly rang out as the sailors finally had a clear objective.
"You're planning to give him a Sequence 7 potion?"
Listening to the sounds outside, Anderson asked with a smile.
"If he does his main job well, giving some rewards is normal."
Silas glanced at Anderson. "Same goes for you."
"Whoa, really? That generous?"
Anderson whistled and laughed.
"But what I need is a demigod-level potion formula.
Even you, Captain, couldn't possibly have such a coincidence... What's that?"
His words cut off abruptly, his eyes suddenly fixed.
Because at some point, a card had appeared in Silas's hand.
It was an exquisitely illustrated tarot card depicting Emperor Roselle dressed in red priestly robes, driving a galloping chariot.
In the upper right corner of the tarot card were written these words:
"Sequence 0: Red Priest"!
"This, this is..."
Anderson's voice trembled slightly.
Looking at the card's design and feeling the high-sequence attraction from the same pathway emanating from it, he quickly recalled information from certain secret knowledge and connected it to something.
"A Blasphemy Card."
Silas smiled, giving the answer he'd expected.
"The Blasphemy Card, rumored to have been created by Emperor Roselle, recording the complete potion formulas for an entire pathway's sequences?"
Anderson asked in disbelief, as if unable to believe it.
"That's right.
Worthy of someone from the Church of Knowledge, you know so much.
And what a coincidence, this card happens to be for the Hunter pathway."
Silas waved the card in his hand, as if his memory had suddenly deteriorated significantly, asking in feigned confusion, "Hey, what were you saying just now?"
"I was saying that I will forever remain loyal to Captain, making it my mission to carry out his will."
Anderson immediately changed his attitude, straightening up with a completely serious expression.
"Meow"
In the corner of the captain's quarters, Luna, who had witnessed all of this, drooped her eyes and let out a low purr, seemingly feeling helpless about humanity's fickleness.