Seeing Elder Lovia staring directly at him and walking over step by step, Derrick immediately felt something was wrong.
"Elder Lovia."
Several team members near Derrick saw the elder from the Council of Six approaching and immediately bowed respectfully.
Derrick could only suppress his inner unease and, like the others, place his hand on his chest and bow his head in salute.
"Mm."
Lovia, with her slightly curled long silver-gray hair, showed little reaction.
"I have something to discuss with Derrick. You all go ahead."
"Yes!"
Facing an elder, the other members naturally couldn't disobey, nor did they have reason to disobey.
They just looked at Derrick with some curiosity, then quickly caught up with the team ahead, leaving the two of them at the back of the group.
Why is Elder Lovia looking for me... I secretly observed her. Did she discover me?
Derrick thought nervously and somewhat guiltily.
He instinctively looked toward the middle of the team. The Chief, Colin Iliad, was clearly visible.
This tall figure gave him much courage. Derrick knew that as long as the Chief was here, Elder Lovia wouldn't rashly make a move.
The two walked side by side at the very back of the group, darkness shrouding all around.
Although lightning occasionally flashed to illuminate the surroundings, it still felt very oppressive.
"Elder Lovia, is there something you need?"
Derrick mustered his courage to ask.
"I'm a bit curious."
Lovia carefully examined him with her gray eyes, finally slowly speaking.
"Curious why you would use your precious contribution points to exchange for a Black Knight potion formula."
Derrick froze.
He quickly understood Lovia's meaning.
From Derrick's own perspective, he was purchasing an advancement formula for Mr. Temperance.
But from the perspective of other people in the City of Silver, he had exchanged at great cost for a potion formula that was of no use to himself... This was clearly unreasonable.
However, since the Chief had agreed to the exchange, he tacitly acknowledged that there was something unusual about Derrick.
And that exchange was only known to the three people present, it hadn't spread.
"I..."
Derrick didn't know how to answer. He struggled to turn his brain, trying to fabricate a plausible explanation.
"Hehe."
Lovia looked at him and suddenly smiled.
"Have they advanced?"
She asked this.
This question seemed a bit abrupt at first, as if asking whether Derrick himself had advanced.
But its true intent was probably asking whether the person behind Derrick had become a demigod through the potion formula he provided.
Lovia had already guessed that there must also be a Shepherd behind Derrick, who, like herself, hoped to advance to Sequence 4 Black Knight.
And since this Shepherd was aligned with Derrick and shared the same stance, it indicated that this Shepherd very likely did not believe in the True Creator!
She's trying to use me to learn about the outside world!
Derrick's heart jumped.
He noticed that Lovia was staring intently at him with her silver-gray eyes, and in her gaze seemed to be some indescribable emotion.
"Thank you for your concern."
Derrick answered very cautiously. "I have successfully advanced to Sequence 7 Solar High Priest."
"...I see."
Lovia's expression didn't change, and it was impossible to tell if she was disappointed.
She just nodded. "Alright, you can go ahead now."
"Yes."
Derrick couldn't wait for her to let him leave.
He quickly bowed and turned to catch up with the team.
In the dark rear of the group, only Lovia remained, walking quietly alone.
"Ah!"
Suddenly, her body violently trembled, and then an expression of extreme pain appeared on her face, as if she was enduring some kind of torment.
"Lord... please forgive me..."
Lovia trembled, praying in suppressed tones.
"I shouldn't have questioned the Lord's glory. I am guilty, I am guilty..."
Her low voice seemed like a whimper, scattered by the wind sounds in the darkness.
Sonia Sea, on the route to Oravi Island.
"Captain! We've found prey!"
Anderson ran in excitedly shouting, "And more than one!"
"Which direction?"
Silas, who was reading ancient god materials while holding a cat, looked up at these words and put down the parchment in his hand.
He took the telescope Anderson handed him and, standing in the captain's cabin with its good view, looked in the direction the other was pointing.
He quickly discovered the target.
Several ships were stopped on the sea surface several nautical miles away.
The largest among them was a three-masted sailing ship.
Judging by its configuration, it should be a merchant ship used for both passengers and cargo.
Its hull had some obvious damage and bloodstains, and the cause of all this should be the other ship right next to it.
That ship looked light and swift, with both sides of the gunwales loaded with cannons, and a black flag flying at the top of the mast.
A pirate's black flag!
This was the pirates' standard practice for plundering.
After approaching the target within a certain distance, they would raise the black flag to reveal their identity.
Telling the other party: we are pirates. If you surrender and stop the ship, we'll just take your things.
If you flee or resist, don't blame us for being ruthless afterward.
The advantage of doing this was twofold: first, it could cause panic among the people on the ship, leading to internal conflict, allowing their own ship to catch up earlier; second, it also provided an excuse for cruel acts after the battle.
Without a doubt, the ship currently next to that merchant vessel was a pirate ship.
The pirates on board had successfully intercepted the merchant ship and were carrying out their plunder on it.
However, things weren't that simple.
Silas moved the telescope slightly and soon saw a third ship.
It was a vessel gleaming with metallic light, with many cannons, and uniformed people were running back and forth on it.
A warship!
Ordinary passengers, pirates, and the navy had all gathered at this moment!
"How about it, Captain? This scene is interesting, right?"
Anderson said with great interest.
"I think we can use this as our pirate crew's first memorable operation."
After being wanted, he had completely let himself go and truly intended to make a big splash as a pirate.
Silas smiled.
"Really excellent prey indeed."
He nodded.
Pirates plundering a merchant ship caught by the navy; this scene was truly rare.
"Captain!"
At this time, the bosun Sea Serpent Walter also ran in.
"How's the crew training going?"
Silas asked.
"They've got some basics down and can handle ordinary pirates. But if we're really up against the navy, it's probably not quite enough yet."
Walter spoke honestly.
"No matter, they can learn the rest in battle."
Silas didn't mind and nodded. "Then let's get to work. Tell the sailors to raise our black flag too."
"Yes!"
Walter shouted, turned and ran out of the cabin, loudly calling to summon the sailors.
Before long, excited shouts came from the deck.
Silas saw a black flag being raised up the mast.