A little earlier, on the Sonia Sea.
The Red Haired Woman, carrying a large cargo of local specialties from Toscarter Island, sailed through thick fog. The fog had appeared several days earlier, making it feel as though they were on the Fog Sea, and almost no one was willing to put out to sea—except ships with a Siren scouting for them.
Over waters where visibility was less than a hundred meters, shrill cries rang out from time to time. The sailor at the helm made small adjustments to their course according to the direction of the sounds, keeping them from straying off course and striking submerged reefs in these reef-strewn waters.
Ilian Sauron stood at the bow, no longer using the Madness Ring to disguise her true appearance after advancing to Reaper. Her medium-length crimson hair streamed in the wind, and the damp sea breeze blowing into her face made her narrow her eyes.
After advancing to Sequence 5, her features had acquired a more androgynous handsomeness. If she tied up her hair and wore something loose, people might almost mistake her for one of the cover models replaced every month on Trier's fashion magazines—a male model, of course.
This had left a constant weight in her heart, making her hesitate a little over advancing to Iron-Blooded Knight.
"Anyway, that isn't something I need to consider anytime soon... First, I need to finish the task Miss Angelica gave me and put together a real fleet. Then I still need to digest the potion..."
She muttered to herself, looking into fog as thick as cream. As she marveled at how unusual today's fog was, she also considered who in her crew, besides William, could serve as a captain.
Suddenly, the intermittent Siren cries stopped.
A moment later, a slender figure emerged