It wasn't until everything was over that Filia gradually regained consciousness from his state of frenzy and terror.
"Did we win?"
He looked around in confusion, seeing the deck of the Doe scattered with shattered wood, the smell of gunpowder permeating everywhere.
Before the battle started, the bosun had assigned Filia the job of artillery assistant, which meant helping the gunners transport ammunition, clean the cannon barrels, and such.
When the artillery battle truly began and roaring shells whistled overhead, bringing death at any moment, he became somewhat dazed, only repeating by instinct the movements he'd trained earlier.
"Where did everyone go?"
The cannon fire had stopped.
He suddenly realized he seemed to have lost his memory of the battle.
The last scene he could recall was the Doe charging toward the cannons, the steel hull of the opposing warship gleaming with blinding metallic luster under the sun.
At this moment, the deck was a mess, even with a large hole blasted by a cannonball.
What a shame, I cleaned it every day.
Filia looked at the deck, thinking with some heartache. He pushed away the planks pressing on him and swayed to his feet.
He could vaguely hear his companions cheering nearby, but couldn't see their figures.
The gunpowder smoke made the surroundings somewhat blurry. He could only grope his way forward.
The scene at the other end of the deck gradually appeared before him.
"Ah!"
Filia cried out, seeing several bloodied and mangled companions lying side by side.
Some had broken arms, some had legs in three pieces, and most horrifying was a poor soul hit at the waist by a cannonball; the entire person had already been split in two!
"Oh my God..."
Seeing that these people were still alive and letting out wails, Filia couldn't help but feel his legs go weak.
But he quickly noticed that a handsome man in red robes was with the wounded.
Their ship's most mysterious captain!
"Captain, I'm going to die..."
The sailor split in two at the waist struggled, his organs spilling from the severed section, giving off a bloody smell. "I can't feel my legs..."
"Calm down. Take deep breaths."
The man who had slain a dragon on Toscarter Island said, his tone calm.
What good are deep breaths when his waist is broken...
Filia thought.
Then he saw the captain reach out and press on the severed section. The originally scattered flesh and organs seemed summoned, beginning to automatically piece together and heal, until completely restored without a trace of injury.
Filia's mouth opened wider and wider.
Such a terrible injury that would take a person's life was just healed like that?!
"Huh?"
The sailor who'd been cut in half was even more stunned than Filia.
He sat up straight, touching his intact waist, staring blankly at Silas.
But Silas had already stopped paying attention to him and walked to the next wounded person, using Blood Magic to heal them.
Before long, all these wounded had completely recovered their health.
"Although you're healed, you might feel weak recently. Best to eat more to replenish yourselves."
He gave brief instructions, then glanced at Filia standing stupidly to the side and simply stood up.
The pirate crew's first battle could be said to be unremarkable.
Although the enemy was a warship, although there was a Sequence 5 Beyonder on board, when facing a demigod, they were still powerless.
The only thing worth noting was probably that his crew was indeed inferior to the well-trained navy, not to mention the gap in cannonball firepower between both sides.
Silas left those crew members behind and, riding the wind, flew toward the opposite warship.
Compared to the Pritz, that massive vessel he had once controlled, this warship was much smaller.
Its port side had taken a hit, with the blasted metal sheeting exposing the wooden body underneath; of course, it was still obviously stronger than ordinary wooden sailing ships.
The surrendered navy personnel had been tied up, right next to the pirates they had previously arrested.
These guys, seeing the situation reversed, began to gloat, laughing and mocking the soldiers.
After all, in their view, pirates wouldn't make things difficult for pirates; the navy was their common enemy.
"Untie us! Sir, we're also pirates, we can help control these navy guys!"
"Yeah, let us join you!"
Some of the more impatient pirates had already started shouting at Anderson.
The passengers' expressions were rather bitter. First pirates had tried to rob them, then the navy wanted to press them into labor, and now they'd been captured by a new wave of pirates.
They were already numb.
"Very sorry."
Anderson looked at them upon hearing this and refused with a smile.
"You couldn't even beat these navy guys, so why would we keep you?"
"..."
The previously noisy pirates instantly froze upon hearing this. What kind of talk was that? How could ordinary pirates beat the navy?
At this moment, everyone heard a gust of wind; it was Silas landing on this ship.
"Captain."
Anderson stepped forward to greet him. "The situation is under control."
"Mm."
Silas acknowledged and surveyed the deck. He saw the passengers, navy personnel, and pirates forcibly gathered together.
At this time, more people were walking up from the cabin; they were also victims kidnapped by the navy.
"It's the Blood Reverend!"
Someone recognized his appearance and shouted in a low voice, causing the surrounding atmosphere to suddenly become panicked.
That extremely evil criminal, and they'd run into him!
Silas ignored the crowd. He continued surveying, seeing the navy lieutenant commander who had shot himself, and also seeing the corpse of the Beyonder he had personally killed.
The other wore a proper suit and was a Sequence 5 of the Lawyer pathway; he should be someone from MI9.
Both corpses had been subjected to some kind of restriction.
When they died, their spirituality was completely extinguished, so they could neither be channeled nor divined.
As for questioning the soldiers, they knew nothing; they were just following orders.
"Captain, what do we do next?"
Anderson asked.
Silas looked up at these people and was about to speak when he saw a familiar face among the passengers.
It was a chubby man with an owl perched on his shoulder.
Darkwill!
After leaving Backlund, this guy had run to the sea?
Silas's heart stirred. He said to Anderson, "Call over that person with the owl."
"Is there a problem with him?"
Anderson had his subordinates go pull the person over while quietly asking.
"He's a Beyonder and should be useful to us."
Silas said.
He suddenly remembered that this Darkwill guy was of the Apothecary pathway, and the School of Life just happened to have an organization on Oravi Island, controlling this pathway.
Could Darkwill happen to be from the School of Life?
"Respected... respected sirs."
Darkwill was pulled over by the sailors, his chubby face trembling as he forced an ingratiating smile.
Silas looked at him and the owl on his shoulder trying hard to pretend to be normal, then suddenly spoke.
"Planning to go to Oravi Island to find Councilor Jorad, right?"
"Huh? No, no!"
Darkwill was startled, his movements violent, causing the owl on his shoulder to flap its wings to adjust.
Its golden eyes betrayed helplessness, clearly reflecting worry for its master.
Darkwill's act was too obvious, and by now, it had already confirmed more than enough.