After over ten hours of sailing at full speed, Silas's fleet finally arrived in the waters near Bayam.
Of course, having the entire fleet enter port would be far too conspicuous.
As usual, he issued orders for the fleet to wander in waters outside the normal shipping routes, while he and Anderson secretly landed on Blue Mountain Island.
The entire island was bustling with activity, the most prosperous of all the islands they'd seen so far.
And all of this rested on the backs of the locals. The enslaved did the most grueling, menial work.
"Captain, should we scout the area first?"
Walking through Bayam's bustling streets, Anderson asked eagerly, still unsure of Silas's exact plan.
"No rush. First, come with me to meet someone."
Silas replied.
Meet someone?
Anderson was somewhat surprised.
He followed Silas through twists and turns until they reached a secluded corner.
Someone had already been waiting there for quite some time.
"Tap, tap."
The person removed his half-top hat, wearing an extremely thin glove, and walked over with steady steps.
This is...
With the help of the dim lighting in the alley, Anderson carefully examined the other's features.
The more he looked, the more familiar the face seemed. Finally, he connected it with a certain recently famous figure.
"Gehrman Sparrow?"
He raised an eyebrow, calling out the other's name.
The adventurer who killed the first mate of the Admiral of Blood... Mm, seems to have some skill, but still falls a bit short of me, the former strongest hunter.
The person the captain wanted to meet is actually him?
"It's me."
The other replied flatly, his cold, lean face showing no expression. "You're late."
"Hey, buddy, watch your attitude."
Anderson smiled with some dissatisfaction. "Our captain is a Sequence 4 demigod. Speaking that way is rather impolite."
A newly famous adventurer already dares to have such an attitude?
"..."
Gehrman Sparrow didn't answer, only staring directly at Anderson with his eyes, looking extremely aloof.
"Whoosh!"
A cold and extremely hungry sensation instantly manifested around him.
It was as if a ferocious beast lurked in the void, writhing, eager to devour fresh flesh and blood.
What the hell!
Anderson immediately felt a chill, his spirituality rapidly warning him. He instantly retreated, pulling away from the distance between them.
Haha, Klein's got this crazy adventurer persona down pretty well...
Seeing Anderson's frightened appearance, Silas laughed wickedly in his heart, but didn't stop it.
After all, he clearly understood the true nature of his colleague and knew the other wouldn't actually attack Anderson like this.
"Alright, such matters are unimportant."
He waved his hand, signaling Anderson to step back.
However, with my second mate present, Klein would always have to maintain his aloof persona, making it impossible to communicate properly...
"Anderson, you've met him. Now go walk around the area near the Governor's Mansion and familiarize yourself with the terrain."
Silas said this.
In other words, didn't you want to scout? Go ahead.
"Alright."
Anderson replied with a smile. He glanced at the adventurer once more before leaving the alley.
"Phew"
Klein seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. He touched his face and reverted to his original appearance.
"Hehe, you scared my first mate."
Silas smiled, then continued to ask, "What's the situation now?"
"According to information from local servants inside the Governor's Mansion, they saw a woman with red hair and noble bearing living in the guest room of the Governor's Mansion.
Her appearance matches that of 'Elaine.'"
Klein said in a low voice.
By this account, it was basically confirmed to be "Elaine."
Silas nodded. "What about Roy King?"
Before setting out, he had obtained a portrait of Roy King from Darkwill and sent it to Klein in advance.
"A servant delivered food to the dungeon of the Governor's Mansion in the middle of the night and discovered that many new guards had been added outside the deepest cell."
Klein answered. "The person they're guarding is precisely Roy King."
Using the "Sea God Scepter," Klein had successfully replaced Kalvetua's position as "Sea God."
Through the scepter, he issued divine oracles to command all believers to search for clues for him.
And coincidentally, the locals generally believed in the "Sea God," allowing Klein to obtain a large amount of useful intelligence from them.
Then there's nothing more to say.
Silas thought. Let's make a trip to the Governor's Mansion.
"Besides that,"
Klein didn't stop his account, but continued sharing intelligence.
He had so much to say that it indeed wouldn't be suitable to speak if Anderson were present.
He handed over an unfolded paper.
"This is a rough structural diagram of the interior of the Governor's Mansion.
The main building is in the center toward the front, and Elaine lives in a guest room on the second floor.
She normally doesn't leave her room much, and servants deliver her three meals a day.
The dungeon is located underground in the auxiliary building at the back."
"Because the main building is where the Governor rests, there are many guards there, and the same applies to the dungeon."
"What about the level of the guards?"
Silas asked. "What's the highest sequence?"
"There are definitely Beyonders among the guards at the Governor's Mansion, but it's hard to determine their specific strength.
Considering the Governor's own financial resources and status, I basically believe the guards' strength reaches Sequence 5 at most."
Demigods were already quite remarkable Beyonders in the current world. A governor wouldn't be able to obtain guards of that caliber.
That's manageable.
Silas thought.
But Klein's next words made him feel less at ease.
"However, outside the Governor's Mansion, there are currently at least two Sequence 4s and one Sequence 3 in Bayam.
The two Sequence 4s are Admiral of the Navy Amyrius and Deputy Director of MI9, Qonas.
And that Sequence 3 is the Storm Church's 'Sea King' Jahn Kottman."
"If we make too much commotion at the Governor's Mansion, they'll discover us sooner or later."
Good grief.
Silas couldn't help but click his tongue.
When he had attacked Backlund's imperial palace, Sodlark Palace, he had only encountered this level of lineup with two demigods!
Compared to that time, he had now advanced to Sequence 4 demigod with greatly increased strength.
But facing so many high-sequence enemies was still somewhat difficult to handle.
Although if push came to shove, he could fully activate the River of Blood and fight them, normally speaking, it wouldn't come to such desperate measures.
"Then I think we still need to discuss the implementation plan carefully."
Silas said in a low voice.
"How about finding someone who understands the situation?"
Klein's eyes flickered.
"The [Hanged Man] is also currently on the island. He understands the Storm Church and has considerable experience. Perhaps he can provide us with some new ideas."
The [Hanged Man] is also in Bayam?
Silas was somewhat surprised, but quickly nodded. "Sure, I'm also very interested in his suggestions."