Otilia Griffiths

Lia turned her head and met Beatrice's scarlet eyes. An uncontrollable shiver of dread ran through her heart.

"When Milta comes up, don't forget to tell him too. Beatrice will help stand guard," Ian didn't explain much, only reminding them not to treat it as an enemy.

With a flap, Beatrice spread its wings and soared into the sky, its speed incredibly fast.

Ian narrowed his eyes. From his "perspective," the Leviathan and Swordfish below were rapidly shrinking, and the distant scenery came into view.

As Beatrice ascended, the field of vision broadened. The night and distance did not affect Beatrice's sight; night vision and long-distance vision were its basic abilities.

Ian felt as if he had truly become a crow, the whistling sea breeze, the damp, cold air, and the pervasive smell of the sea filling his senses. Although he couldn't fly, he experienced the feeling of soaring freely in advance.

This feeling was truly wonderful.

After Beatrice flew for over ten kilometers, the sensory sharing was interrupted. Ian could only obtain information transmitted by Beatrice through their mental link.

Beatrice was born from Ian's Spirituality and naturally possessed the common knowledge that Ian knew. Mental links were accurate and timely, unlike spoken words. Beatrice was like a very curious child, constantly transmitting information about the novelties it saw to Ian.

Hmm... not much was useful. It seemed he had another person to teach.

Beatrice continued to fly outwards, the mental link still stable, far from its limit.

Ian gave Beatrice a command to be vigilant and not to fly too far, then closed the mental link. If there was any important intelligence, it would "knock" on the mental link to alert him.

Ian turned around and met Lia and Milta's curious gazes.

Having participated in a sea battle for the first time today and achieved a great victory, Milta's excitement could not be calmed. Hearing the commotion outside, he couldn't help but run out.

"That's my new magic pet. It's one now, but there might be a group later," Ian explained to them proactively.

Milta patted his chest. "It seemed to look at me just now. It was a bit scary."

Beatrice's appearance was indeed striking. While it intimidated others, it also sacrificed its stealth.

"Don't worry, it won't attack people randomly," Ian's words reassured them. The Evil Crow's deterrence towards living souls was indeed strong, giving people the feeling of being targeted by a natural predator.

Milta was already accustomed to the "surprises" Ian constantly brought and didn't think about investigating further.

Lia, on the other hand, had no time to ponder these things. Her emotions had been in turmoil since she boarded the ship today, with constant shocks.

Everything she had experienced today made her feel that the Sea of Miracles was somewhat unfamiliar, and it completely subverted her perception of Ian. Of course, it was more likely that she truly lacked understanding of this enigmatic man.

"Captain, today's battle was so exhilarating," Milta said gleefully, as if anticipating more battles.

Ian looked at him with amusement. The usual Milta was more reserved, but in battle, he was like a different person – extremely excited, high-spirited, and very focused.

Lia leaned against a cannon mount, her gaze distant. "Today's battle was indeed unbelievable. A single ship with three people easily defeated two armed merchant ships larger than itself, and without taking any damage. I've never heard of anything like it before."

She gently touched the base of the cannon. "What a magical ship--"

It wasn't uncommon to mount Alchemy Cannons on ships, but their recoil was too strong for ordinary wooden sailing ships to withstand.

The most terrifying aspect of the Leviathan was its speed and maneuverability, which was a dimensional advantage over other sailing warships. Perhaps only the newest Steamships could contend with it.

Speaking of the Leviathan, Milta's face was full of admiration. "The Leviathan is truly amazing. I can't imagine what it will look like when it grows up."

Lia's heart skipped a beat. "It's still growing?"

Ian pursed his lips and smiled. "Don't celebrate too early. We have too few people and too few cannons. The key is that as the Leviathan grows, the thick anchor chains can no longer precisely control the cannons."

"We need to expand. If you know any suitable personnel, you can recommend them. Of course, they must first gain my approval."

Ian turned to Milta. "Milta, as the Gunner, from now on, you can use gunpowder and cannonballs on the ship without limit. You must practice your marksmanship as quickly as possible. The Sea of Miracles will soon become more chaotic, and there will be many naval battles in the future."

Whether it was the strength of the extraordinary profession Musketeer or Milta's own talent, Ian found that Milta's marksmanship had a very high ceiling. The Musketeer extraordinary profession was extremely specialized, with all attribute points invested in shooting. Combined with Milta's talent in this area, he would be the most accurate cannon shooter on the Leviathan in the future.

Ian's Alchemist profession ability, Precision, focused more on controlling the fineness of material quantities and energy. For long-range attacks, Milta's Precision Intuition had a higher ceiling.

Milta's spirit was greatly uplifted. "Yes, Captain." He had found true enjoyment today.

Ian's gaze was intense as he looked at Lia, probing, "Lia's marksmanship is very good. I thought you were a 'landlubber' and rarely came on ships."

Under the faint light of the stern lamp, Lia looked directly into Ian's eyes without any evasion. She had no intention of hiding her past.

"My real name is Otilia Griffith. My father was an exploration ship captain. He and a group of explorers were the first to discover the Rainbow Archipelago. The Rainbow Archipelago has dozens of small islands, located southwest of the Lucia Archipelago.

My father and his friends landed on one of the small islands. Because the island was covered with blue flowers that looked like flames, they named it Blue Flame Island. From then on, my father stopped exploring and spent years establishing a small village, building relationships with the local indigenous tribes.

It was also at that time that my father met my mother, and then I was born."

Lia turned her head, hugged her arms, and looked out at the distant sea, her gaze melancholic.

"When I was 14, a group of unknown armed forces attacked Blue Flame Island. They weren't there to occupy, but to plunder destructively.

My parents died before my eyes. An uncle took me away by boat in a hurry from Blue Flame Island. A year later, he also died in a storm.

During that upheaval, I spontaneously awakened my Spirituality and, by chance, was not corrupted. I took up my father's extraordinary profession, Navigator."

Ian listened quietly. The sea breeze ruffled Lia's long hair. It seemed she had never shared her experiences with anyone, her voice fluctuating like the waves.

"Like my father, I became a captain. For the next few years, I investigated the group of raiders relentlessly, but to no avail.

Until I was 19, I learned from a pirate that the great pirate Avery had once plundered the Rainbow Archipelago. I knew I couldn't defeat him at sea. After careful preparation, I attacked him with a large amount of Alchemy Gunpowder when he docked at the pirate city of Umbar.

Unfortunately, I only managed to blow up his ship. He wasn't seriously injured, and I could only flee by ship. Avery was a Curse warlock. I was cursed by him and couldn't escape his detection, and he pursued me intermittently at sea.

Finally, he caught up to my ship. Before the ship was sunk, I secretly jumped into the sea to escape. Later, when the curse acted up, I was rescued by Commander Abigail."

Lia looked up at Ian and smiled gently. "The curse I contracted is called the Sea Devil Curse. I cannot board a ship, nor can I enter seawater. Once I appear in a sea area, I will be detected by spiritual sea demons, and my Spirituality world will be corrupted.

Without your help, I might have lived out my days on Paradise Island, or one day, I might have been unable to resist going to sea for revenge, ultimately transforming and dying."