A small-scale naval battle broke out just like that.
The old captain immediately took the helm himself, turning the ship around to get away from the combat zone. To do so, he didn't hesitate to activate the acceleration formation. The boost worked quite well, instantly speeding up the little pirate ship, but before long, a series of bursting pops sounded beneath the deck—the acceleration formation had broken down.
This little pirate ship wasn't just small... it was dilapidated.
Fortunately, the two fleets weren't particularly large. Compared to the clash between the navies of the two great churches Karen had witnessed, this was hardly on the same scale, so the little pirate ship he was on was spared from the crossfire.
Still, truth be told, the slap in the face had come rather quickly.
Hadn't they said rules mattered most on Fire Island? Hadn't the Romaford Pirate Alliance laid down regulations here? Weren't violent clashes forbidden within Fire Island's territory?
From the looks of it now, that didn't seem to be the case at all.
So either the old captain had lied to him... though of course, he had no reason to lie. Karen had not only saved his life but also made it clear that they intended to leave soon and had no interest in keeping this ship. The man would have to be completely out of his mind to harbor ulterior motives right now.
That left only one remaining possibility: a massive upheaval had occurred on the island, shattering the peace of Fire Island.
"Sigh."
Karen let out a sigh.
"What are you sighing for, meow?"
"It feels like every island we set foot on is never peaceful."
"Would you even want to visit primitive native tribes or sleepy fishing villages? Go sightseeing, play tourist, soak in the local exotic charm? Watch men and women, young and old, dance the hula for you?
"It's not that the ocean isn't peaceful; it's that our destinations inherently happen to be places where peace doesn't last.
"Though I really would like to go see the island where that stupid dog was born."
"So many years have passed. That island might have disappeared long ago."
"Not necessarily. Think about it—that's an island that gave birth to two deities!"
"Fair point. But would Kevin tell you the coordinates?"
"I haven't gotten around to asking him yet. We can visit when there's an opportunity later. Still, the tactical command of these two fleets is so abysmal it's practically an embarrassment to pirates, meow.
"Do you see that? They literally look like two gangs of thugs splitting into factions to brawl in the street.
"Once we have our own fleet in the future, I'm sure Count Rekar will command it brilliantly."
"That's getting a bit ahead of ourselves. Even if you want to lay the groundwork, you don't need to start this early."
Pu'er never hid her penchant for forming cliques. At home, for instance, she blatantly pulled Kevin into her faction to distinguish themselves from the 'radio goblin,' as she called him. Out in the world, she didn't hide her desire to give her own family a boost, either.
"It's not far off at all."
"Even if I could soon maintain Count Rekar's sustained Awakening, what about the fleet? The war apparatuses on Black Prison Castle alone give me enough of a headache. I can hardly imagine the cost of putting together an entire fleet."
"Aiya, don't you have Her Highness Ophelia? Once you marry Eunice and have a few babies, you can just take Ophelia as your mistress. Wouldn't the Dark Moon Island fleet belong to you then?"
"Is that really something an elder should be saying?"
"I think once you've gotten married and produced heirs, you've done your duty to the family, haven't you?"
"The Church of Order reached its hand into the Dark Moon Island fleet long ago. In a few more years, that fleet will probably answer only to the Church of Order's command."
"Oh, damn it, I forgot about that detail. Sigh, but I really hope that one day I can lead a fleet on a voyage across the sea, firing a full broadside at whoever annoys me. Didn't you see it in the last war? Even a Temple Elder couldn't withstand a volley from an entire fleet."
"Aside from the orthodox churches, no other denominations possess navies of that scale. Besides, why didn't you think of building your own fleet back then? Were you only thinking about fooling around?"
"Yeah, all I thought about was having fun. Back then, I felt I was still young, with endless time ahead of me to squander, but I never expected..."
Karen stroked Pu'er's tail without offering any comfort, knowing full well the cat in his arms was putting on an act.
After a long pause, seeing that no comforting words were forthcoming, Pu'er looked up in bewilderment. "Aren't you supposed to say something?"
"You had it coming."
Pu'er: "..."
"Hmph! Karen, honestly, you and Diss are far too alike! You know, when Diss was little, I actually enjoyed going to chat with him, but he was always mocking me!"
"I think Diss always considered you a friend. Teasing friends is half the fun, after all."
"Humph."
"Right, there's something I've been meaning to ask you. At home, I've never seen any photographs of Grandmother..."
"Karen, your grandmother's story is something Diss will have to tell you himself. All I can say is that she was a very gentle woman. She loved holding me while knitting sweaters for the children. Back then, I wasn't quite used to being treated like an actual house cat, but I never disliked lying in her arms.
"As for the rest, I don't think there's any need for me to say much. She passed away from illness not long after giving birth to Winnie. Even your father, as the eldest son, barely had any clear memories of his mother. It was Diss who raised the children.
"He kept your grandmother entirely in his own heart, unwilling to bring her out to share with anyone else."
"All right, I understand."
"Yeah. When Diss wakes up in the future, you can ask him yourself. But rest assured, your grandmother's story is very warm, yet completely ordinary. I promise you won't end up bumping into her relatives out of nowhere like you did with the Guman family."
"So Grandmother was an ordinary person?"
Pu'er frowned slightly and countered, "Could a woman who conquered Diss ever be ordinary?"
Karen nodded.
Just then, the old captain shouted, "The coastal weapons are raised!"
The outer fortifications of Fire Island were fully activated, coastal cannons erected, and a calibration shell was fired toward each of the two clashing fleets.
"The Delan fleet is coming out, and the Castle fleet is coming out too! Oh, and the Watson fleet! Those are the three oldest pirate families in the Romaford Alliance, and universally recognized as the three strongest!"
"Are they stepping in to break it up?" Karen asked.
Pu'er nodded. "Looks like it."
Sure enough, under this warning, the two skirmishing fleets quickly signaled a withdrawal. Even as they pulled back, neither side forgot to keep firing at the other until they had completely disengaged.
The other vessels lingering on the perimeter—which, like Karen's small pirate ship, had hesitated to advance due to the bombardment—now resumed their course toward the harbor.
Neither pirate fleet seemed particularly accurate with their guns. Only two ships had sunk on each side, while most of the rest merely suffered damage. To put it mildly, it felt like a bit of a waste of so many magic crystals.
"My Lord, should we dock as well?" the old captain asked for Karen's opinion.
Karen nodded.
Finally, when the sun had completely set and the moon hung bright in the sky, the small pirate ship carrying Karen's group docked at last.
"My Lord, I'll escort you ashore personally," the old captain said fawningly.
"And the matters aboard the ship?" Karen asked offhandedly.
"My sons will take care of them."
"Those four tied up alongside you were your sons?"
"Yes, I have five sons."
"Is the other one on Fire Island?"
"No, you cleaved him in half with your sword."
"Oh?"
"Yes, that was him."
"It seems your family discipline could use some work."
"To be fair, he wasn't wrong either. I didn't want to die, but seeing that the one trying to overthrow me was my own son, I actually felt a strange sense of gratification deep down. My Lord, can you understand how a father feels?"
"I'd rather not."
"Yes, yes, of course, that slipped out! But don't worry, My Lord—you saved my life and the lives of my four sons. I will serve you with all my heart to repay your benevolence."
"All right."
Once the old captain led Karen ashore, Karen witnessed Fire Island's prosperity. Even though a naval clash had just erupted on the waters nearby, the town was still bustling and alive.
Karen first headed to the Romaford Alliance's office, which somewhat resembled a Church of Order Church Affairs Building. Once inside, he discovered that both the communication and teleportation formations were barricaded off. A squad of pirates clad in matching armor stood guard, making it clear that neither was allowed to be used.
Forcing their way through in this situation was out of the question. Both formations required sufficient calibration and setup time. A communication formation was one thing, but if a teleportation formation was disrupted mid-transit, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Karen took Pu'er and Philomena to a nearby restaurant to order some food, sending Muri to accompany the old captain and gather information.
The spread was lavish. Karen had requested a private dining room and ordered several expensive dishes, which arrived looking quite exquisite.
"It seems this island is usually quite safe," Karen remarked.
"Why do you say that?" Philomena asked. "I saw plenty of resentment lingering on the people in the streets, and most of them are pirates."
"Pirates aren't incapable of maintaining rules. Take the dishes in this restaurant, for instance—a restaurant in a lawless, chaotic region could never turn out such refined cuisine."
"Oh." Philomena nodded.
Pu'er studied Philomena with a hint of curiosity and asked, "Why do I feel like you've changed a bit?"
Philomena asked, "Have I?"
"Yes. You feel somewhat... brighter."
"I don't think so."
Karen said nothing. Picking up a spoon, he dished some food onto his plate and began eating.
He still remembered during the final selection, Philomena had dragged a squad of troublemakers almost all the way to the finals on her own. After joining his squad, she had shown visible anxiety about being ostracized by him once again.
She was a girl sensitive at heart. Her past demeanor was shaped by the environment she grew up in, but sensitive people were prone to change.
Karen remembered that when the woman in red was pulled back down into the well, her figure had been noticeably fainter than when she had emerged. That suggested she had likely left Philomena an inheritance of sorts.
On top of that, Karen had promised to help her deal with her grandmother.
For a lonely girl who had grown up without friends to suddenly receive help from two strangers, it was only natural for her mindset to shift.
How old was she anyway?
Just as he had thought that night, if not for that horrifying curse, she might have been a lively young girl of the Felscher family, perhaps even cheerful and carefree like Ashley.
Pu'er asked curiously, "Don't tell me you've fallen for Karen?"
Philomena shook her head and said, "I'd rather fall for Richard."
This was a denial—and a multi-layered one at that. Here, 'Richard' carried several connotations, serving as a stand-in for 'a pile of shit.'
Pu'er blinked, then silently lowered her head to take a sip of the coffee set before her, muttering to herself inwardly:
*Is this the destiny of men in the Guman family...?*
Just then, the old captain and Muri returned to report on the situation.
It turned out the Romaford Pirate Alliance had received offers of enlistment from both the Church of the Moon Goddess and the Church of Samsara—which could essentially be understood as the churches looking to hire mercenaries. After all, the war between the two sides was being waged primarily at sea right now. Building new warships on short notice was impossible, and even more importantly, training new crews was out of the question.
To sustain the war effort, every available asset in the vicinity was being rounded up. By now, the affiliated lesser churches of both factions had already mobilized to fight alongside their respective patrons.
Division had broken out within the Romaford Alliance. The three strongest pirate families were unwilling to take sides at this juncture; they preferred to maintain their independence and steer clear of the conflict.
Because unless one side completely annihilated the other, once the war ended, either orthodox church could crush a pirate alliance with ease. Remaining neutral was by far the wisest choice.
However, the four lower families had already chosen sides: two backed Samsara, and two backed the Moon Goddess. The firefight that had just broken out was a clash between two opposing factions.
The communication and teleportation formations had been shut down starting today. The top three families of the Romaford Alliance had ruled that Fire Island and the nearby pirate fleets had to maintain total silence during this period.
Anyone who wished to leave and serve as mercenaries was welcome to do so, but they would be permanently expelled from the Alliance.
The old captain concluded with a sigh, "They're dead set on hiding in their shells like turtles."
Karen sipped his soup and asked, "So neither the teleportation nor communication formations can be used anytime soon?"
"That's right," the old captain said helplessly.
"Are there any privately run ones?"
"There might have been in the past, but probably not anymore. To strengthen the Alliance's unity and integrity, Fire Island conducted a crackdown on illicitly built communication and teleportation formations last year. All seven families participated, rooting out several smuggling families and pirate crews doing just that, and they killed quite a few people."
Pu'er said resignedly, "That makes things difficult. Official channels are closed, and private ones are gone."
Karen nodded. "Then our only option is to try contacting one of the top three families. If we pose as believers of the Church of the Abyss, we should have a decent chance.
"Do you have any connections who could introduce us?"
If they were to approach anyone, it had to be the top three families. The four lower families had already taken sides and were clearly unreliable. Furthermore, the island's formations were undoubtedly under the control of the top three, so seeking out other factions was pointless.
After all, their present goal was simply to leave the open sea as soon as possible and return to 'civilization.'
"I... I'm sorry, I don't." The old captain bowed his head in shame.
"Then do you know which churches these three families hold grudges against?"
"Well, I don't know the specifics of their feuds—I'm not qualified to know that. I only know one thing: a little over three months ago, Romaford organized a sizable expeditionary fleet to expand their territory in nearby waters. But they ran into another expeditionary fleet belonging to Dark Moon Island. The two sides clashed in an encounter far from their respective home bases."
"Oh?" Karen hadn't heard about this. After all, Order Weekly wouldn't report on such a distant and minor skirmish. "And the outcome?"
"The official result was a victory for the Romaford Alliance."
"A victory?"
"Yes, but personally, I don't think it was. Very few ships actually returned, and they never dispatched a second expeditionary fleet afterward. Besides, many core members of the top three families died in battle.
"Over drinks, a close friend of mine who's a first mate in one of their fleets told me that Dark Moon Island's fleet had backing from the Church of Order, with upgraded firepower and defensive formations. Our Romaford Alliance's expeditionary fleet was no match for them.
"So I believe Romaford took a devastating loss in that skirmish. And as for which church they hold a grudge against..."
"All right, I understand."
The old captain picked up a plate, scooped some food onto it, and stood up. "I'll eat outside. Please, take your time."
Once the old captain had left the room, Muri let out a sigh. "So their grudge is with our Church of Order."
Philomena asked, "If we don't go through Fire Island, how long will it take to reach the next place with a teleportation formation?"
Pu'er replied, "At the sea beast's cruising speed, about a month."
"That long?"
"Yeah. We could certainly find places nearby with teleportation formations, but most likely they only teleport to Fire Island. Ultra-long-distance teleportation formations are extremely costly and difficult to construct in the first place."
"What about going to Dark Moon Island?" Philomena asked.
Pu'er shook her head. "Do you think the expeditionary fleet simply sailed all the way there? They must have used formation ships to teleport. If we headed straight for Dark Moon Island, the journey would take even longer."
"Let's head back to the ship for now. First, we need to purchase some supplies."
"Yes, Captain."
Leaving the restaurant, the old captain led the way to a marketplace.
Mars, Memphis, and the others had expended a lot of resources on the journey and needed their formation materials replenished.
Muri took the old captain into a shop to make the purchases, while Karen waited outside with Pu'er in his arms alongside Philomena.
Pu'er reached out a paw and poked Philomena.
Philomena looked at her, and Pu'er pointed to a dessert stall in the distance. "Buy two portions for us to eat?"
"Shouldn't it be three?"
"Karen doesn't eat sweets."
"Okay." Philomena headed toward the dessert shop.
"Oh well. Looks like our voyage will have to continue for a while longer. Still, I think we could wait around here a bit; maybe in a few days their teleportation formation will open back up."
Seeing no response from Karen, Pu'er looked up at him and found him staring at a shop sign ahead. In the lower right corner of the signboard was a decorative patterned emblem.
"We might have a way after all," Karen said.
Pu'er asked in confusion, "A way? Is that pattern a contact code for the Whip of Order?"
"I honestly have no idea what secret contact codes the Whip of Order uses outside our squad."
"Then whose code is it?
"Wait, don't tell me the answer yet. Let me guess first.
"Could it be those who always scurry around the cracks and edges of the orthodox churches' domains,
"who are constantly stirring up trouble yet never manage to pull anything off,
"who have turned their very existence into that of cockroaches—
"our old friends, the Remnants of Light?"
"Spot on."
"Meow it all, I knew it!"
"It's a notice for a secret gathering, and it was just carved on. It was likely organized on short notice in response to the naval clash that broke out at dusk."
"So, you plan to use them to find a way back?"
Karen shook his head,
correcting her:
"No. I've just found my organization."
Chapter 472