Captain

The so-called "Oceanic Secret Treasures" were not creations of humanity!

They were miraculous treasures naturally formed when certain objects were influenced by this world's mysterious factors and nurtured under special conditions.

The reasons for their formation varied wildly. They might arise from unique Geographical Environments, far-reaching historical events, mass deaths of living beings, and countless other causes.

Their Main Bodies came in all manner of forms. They might be a sculpture like "Shipwreck Lament," or a shell, a stone, a pocket watch—anything that could exist in the Material World.

Yet they shared one trait: they were extraordinarily difficult to destroy.

Every Oceanic Secret Treasure possessed its own miraculous ability, powerful and enigmatic.

And since their names bore the prefix "oceanic," most of those abilities were naturally related to the sea. Especially on the ocean, these treasures could grant unparalleled aid to the ships that possessed them, making them prizes that everyone at sea desperately pursued.

Oceanic Secret Treasures were practically synonymous with power and wealth!

Of course, not every Oceanic Secret Treasure was like "Shipwreck Lament," housing an ill-intentioned evil spirit. It had deliberately revealed information about the treasure and a unique Extraordinary path, tempting others to use its Evil Power in pursuit of unspeakable ends.

Most Oceanic Secret Treasures concealed their true nature. Unless someone was a professional, they would not be able to tell one apart even if they held it in their hands.

It had to be said that the uncle and nephew had struck incredible luck this time. They had taken One-Eyed Beck's head and picked up an Oceanic Secret Treasure for free!

Although it was a pity that, due to its hostility toward the side of order, they could not use it as navy men unless they intended to defect from the kingdom and become pirates. Still, there would be no problem trading it with nobles who had special needs.

"If we deal with the evil spirit hidden inside, it should fetch a good price," Gell concluded.

As for exchanging it for a treasure they could use themselves, neither of them held out hope. The odds were too slim; such opportunities could only be stumbled upon, never sought. It was better to turn it into tangible wealth and resources they could use right now.

"By the way, Uncle Gell, what do you plan to do with the Extraordinary path on it?" Evan asked curiously. Even after listening to the end, he had not heard Gell mention the "Shipwreck Wailer" path again.

At the mention of Extraordinary Power that concerned his own future, Gell immediately grew much more serious. He asked Evan instead, "Evan, there are many Extraordinary paths in this world. Why do you think the Knight's Path came to dominate the Human World?"

Though Evan possessed knowledge beyond his era, he had never considered that question. After thinking it over and recalling Grandpa Leo's teachings from his childhood, he tentatively answered, "Because it's stable?"

"Correct! But not entirely. Stability is only one aspect of it."

"In truth, both internal and external factors determined the current Extraordinary state of the civilized world.

"The internal factor is that although the Knight's Path is Extraordinary, the power it involves targets only the human body. It is relatively basic and pure, carries the lowest risk of losing control, and is the most stable. Even if someone ultimately loses control, they will not cause much destruction."

Gell paused to give Evan time to digest that, then continued explaining:

"The external factor is the contribution of the True God Churches, the highest Extraordinary Powers in the nations of our continent.

"Knights may be powerful, but our path has been firmly fixed in place. We are like swords in people's hands. Even a Level Four Titled Knight is merely a divine weapon, fundamentally incapable of threatening their position."

As an old-school kingdom officer, Gell's words carried a faint dissatisfaction with the church. Saying such things in public would have caused serious trouble, but Evan pretended not to hear.

"As for Extraordinary paths that easily lose control and cause mass casualties, or those that are highly creative and hold great promise, the seven True God Churches—including the Black Iron Cross Church that rules our Tulip Alliance, the Dawn Church of the Sark Empire, and the Eternal Fire of the sea-dominating Sirius Kingdom—all take the same stance: suppression and eradication!"

"Unpopular Extraordinary paths like 'Shipwreck Wailer' mostly have flaws. And for the reasons I mentioned earlier, the farther one gets from the civilized world, the more Extraordinary people like this there are. Their paths are incomplete or filled with fatal defects, and the chances of losing control are frighteningly high."

Such knowledge could never be recorded in any book. It was entirely Gell's own accumulated experience.

As an Extraordinary captain who had sailed the seas for many years, Gell's profound knowledge and unique perspective instantly enlightened Evan.

He could not help feeling fortunate to have such a guide.

"Keep it to trick people, kid!" Gell finally said, patting Evan on the shoulder and stuffing the repacked sculpture into his hands.

"Take it back to your room and guard it throughout the return voyage. Whether the two of us eat well or go hungry over the next few years will depend entirely on it."

The two then returned to the main deck and summoned some sailors to repair the heavily damaged pirate ship as best they could, barely getting it moving again.

The Silver Wing towed it ahead with cables and slowly returned to the original battlefield around Chaotic Rock Island.

"The Silver Wing is back!"

"We're saved!"

By then, the burned wreckage of the Warrior had long since sunk to the seafloor. A few lifeboats floated on the sea, sparsely occupied by dejected former crewmen of the Warrior. Only when they saw the Silver Wing return did life return to them.

After bringing them aboard, everyone learned that after they had abandoned ship, the officers of the former Warrior had been singled out and slaughtered under concentrated fire. Not even the captain had escaped. The Navigator, who had once freeloaded meals aboard the Silver Wing, was now the highest-ranking officer among the survivors.

Gell did offer them a few comforting words. After all, no matter what, their early engagement with the pirates had inflicted heavy losses on them and counted as assistance for the Silver Wing.

But there was no need for them to think about the spoils of war.

In the blink of an eye, it was the third day after their return to Gabreid.

After the brief bustle of returning from their mission, everything appeared to have returned to normal.

Over the past few days, carrying the honor of having slain the mad pirate One-Eyed Beck, Gell had frequently socialized with Gabreid's nobles and merchants. It appeared to be ordinary networking meant to expand his connections. But only Evan knew that Uncle Gell was searching for a buyer for their "spoils."

Evan could not help with that for the time being, but he had an important task of his own.

Third Fleet garrison.

Large oil paintings hung on the blue-toned walls of the garrison corridors—landscapes, portraits, and scenes of war. Every painting represented an important moment in the Third Fleet's history. For the Third Fleet, this was a genuine wall of merit.

Walking here felt like walking through a corridor of history, and a weighty sense of honor at being part of it naturally arose within him. Even Evan, who somewhat lacked a sense of belonging in this other world, could not help lightening his steps.

Evan stopped before a room with a brass nameplate. After straightening his navy uniform once more, he gently knocked on the door.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Neither too hard nor too soft—three perfectly timed knocks, a habit carried over from his previous life's workplace.

"Come in!" A steady elderly male voice sounded.

Pushing open the door, Evan found that the simply decorated room had its curtains drawn against the sunlight outside, yet an oil lamp was lit within, creating a quiet and solemn atmosphere.

Three elderly men in field-grade officer uniforms sat behind a long table covered with a green velvet cloth. An open notebook lay before each of them.

Evan walked to the empty chair before the table, stood at attention, and saluted. "Greetings, officers! Acting Ensign Evan Garratt of the Silver Wing reporting for examination!"

"Don't be nervous, young people. Please, sit." The white-haired officer in the middle wore a monocle and appeared very friendly. Smiling, he invited Evan to sit and indicated that the assessment was beginning.

"Before we begin officially, I hope you will take this assessment seriously.

"Although your merits have fully met the requirements, which is no easy feat for a young person who has served for only a few months, every officer bears the honor and lives of all his subordinates in a crisis. If your assessment does not satisfy us, we cannot entrust that responsibility to you!"

The gray-haired officer seated to the right of the long table spoke with a stern expression.

"I understand completely! Please begin!" Evan indicated that he understood and was not intimidated. He guessed this was probably part of the assessment as well, to prevent anyone from treating it as a mere formality and acting carelessly, only for things to become difficult for everyone in the end.

"Name three types of rigging on a warship and their functions."

"To control the yards, you need halyards, lifts, and braces..."

"In a Line-of-battle engagement, if your warship comes under concentrated enemy fire, would you order the anchor raised to evade?"

"..."

"With wind speeds of thirty to forty knots and waves at least one meter high, can a warship sail under full canvas?"

"No. At that time, the topsails on the foremast and main mast can only be set to half sail. This raises the bow, reduces plunging, and prevents the ship from capsizing!" From beginning to end, no matter how the three examiners questioned him, Evan answered smoothly and calmly.

After learning the format of the examination from Gell, he had begun preparing. For Evan, who had fought his way through mountains of books and seas of test questions in his previous life, an assessment that was extremely difficult for many Cadet Officers was a piece of cake.

After all, any Cadet Officer who could reach this point had already spent enough time aboard warships and had no problem with practical ability. That was why they used this format, where experienced old officers posed questions and Cadet Officers answered them.

The assessment lasted twenty minutes. Each examiner asked several questions, broad in scope but not deliberately tricky.

After Evan answered the final question, the examiners exchanged glances and reached a unanimous decision. A stamp indicating approval was pressed onto Evan's file.

"Congratulations, Evan of the Silver Wing. From today onward, you are a Navy Captain!" The friendly old man in the middle announced the news on behalf of the three examiners.

"Thank you, examiners! It is my honor!"

A smile appeared on Evan's face. He rose to shake hands and embrace each examiner, then saluted again before slowly backing toward the door. Only then did he turn and leave.

"I like that young man. I hope we'll see more and more young people like him in the navy—energetic and well-mannered."

"Heh heh, you've spent your whole life doing clerical work and you're about to retire, yet you still worry about so much..."

"What business is it of yours...?"

Having passed the first turning point of his military career and truly completed the leap from Cadet Officer to formal officer, Evan felt as though his heart had broadened. Even the faint chatter of the old officers behind him now seemed utterly endearing.

With a faint smile, he found that the corridor was still the same corridor etched with history, but his steps had unexpectedly become much lighter.