The Society of Hours

Arena's words left Edmond Tide silent.

The Darkness Path's Beyonder sequence, also known as the Swordsman Sequence, was mainly held by the old nobility of the Old Continent.

The Church of Night had a group centered around Swordsmen, known as the "Ghosts Under the Moonlit Night." They were active along the Grand Route and in the New Continent.

He thought carefully for a while about the materials related to the Church of Night, then suddenly spoke. "I have a few leads."

"Beyond the Grand Route, in the Mist Sea, there's a Moonlight Island. I know the exact route."

"If you're interested, I can trade you the route."

A route beyond the Grand Route. It seemed Mr. Red Grail was a pirate who explored the Mist Sea.

A pirate capable of venturing into the Mist Sea wouldn't have a low Beyonder sequence. He was most likely Sequence 8 or Sequence 7.

"May I ask what you'd like in exchange, Mr. Red Grail?"

After intercepting the Bone of the Moon Hand, Arena was confident that the Moonlight Island in the Mist Sea could help her make great strides along the Darkness Path.

After taking Arthur's advice, she had decided to focus on improving her own sequence rather than building up her personal forces.

Given the Stuart Family's current situation, reaching Sequence 7 would allow her to gain a preliminary say in family affairs!

If she could reach Sequence 6, the family would have to take her opinions seriously. It was a good path for Arena, who had no support from her mother's family.

Edmond Tide looked at the [Research] in the center of the table. After deciphering the Mermaid Book, he would trace his bloodline back to its source.

He would inevitably have to venture deep into the Mist Sea, chart new routes, and explore the depths of the ocean.

Gold coins weren't much use to him. What he needed instead was plenty of fresh water, rum, and enough... Sun Stones.

"If possible, I need a large quantity of Sun Stones, or supernatural items capable of dispelling the mist.

I could also use suitable contraband. If the values don't match, I can make up the difference with gold coins or other materials."

Sun Stones were special stones produced by the Church of Light. They could dispel the mist of the Mist Sea over a small area.

Most importantly, they allowed sextants to function normally, making it possible to determine one's location.

Without Sun Stones, the mist would interfere with the sextant and send ships off toward the unknown.

Arena furrowed her brows. The Stuart Family was close to the Church of Night, but the Tudor Dynasty was one of the Church of Light's headquarters.

The Church of Light was hostile to her family, so getting Sun Stones to dispel the mist would be even harder for her than for an ordinary pirate.

"I'll find a suitable supernatural item and trade it to you. Let's set the exchange for our next gathering."

"Sounds good. I'll bring the route to Moonlight Island."

The two reached a preliminary agreement, then turned their attention to the table before Mr. Mansus.

When would the next gathering be?

Arthur tapped the tabletop lightly and said, "The next gathering will be in a week."

Today was Sunday, October 8.

The Sunday a week later would be October 15.

They waited quietly, with no further conversation between them. The meeting was drawing to a close.

Arthur announced the end of the meeting.

Mist shrouded the long table. Arena and Edmond were sent away, and Arthur lingered for a while before leaving too.

The Piranha.

Edmond Tide got up from the floor, panting heavily. The backlash from his bloodline had passed.

The signs all over his body showed that this hadn't been a dream, but a real journey.

Mr. Mansus, Miss Moth, and the Society of Hours—a mysterious gathering.

He stroked the Mermaid Book and murmured, "The ancient Mermaid Book records the secrets of the merfolk from an ancient era."

"In the endless ocean shrouded in mist, where are the merfolk's scales buried~"

Edmond put away the Mermaid Book, left the captain's cabin, and went out onto the deck. He leaned against the railing and gazed into the distance.

"Ah~~ ah~"

A melodious song echoed across the sea, the waves rising and falling with its tune.

In the hold of the Piranha, Scarface yawned and suddenly stumbled, nearly falling over.

A sailor tumbled from his hammock and hit the hard wooden floor with a thud. He got up in pain and cursed, "Damn this weather!"

"The captain's power has grown again. He can affect the sea around him now."

Hearing Scarface's words, the sailor quickly changed his tune. "The captain's so powerful! Looks like it won't be long before we rule the Mist Sea!"

"Hahahaha!"

For once, there was a harmonious atmosphere aboard the Piranha.

Blue Bay Island.

Arthur had slept well. The morning sunshine and soft, fluffy little rolls put him in a good mood for the day.

He thought back to the Society of Hours meeting the night before.

The new Mr. Red Grail was clearly a great pirate who sailed the Mist Sea, charting new routes.

The pained wailing had come from inside Mr. Red Grail. It was caused by his own bloodline.

"His unusual bloodline is affecting his body and making him suffer. It seems to have something to do with a kind of fish."

He recalled the legends he'd heard about the mysterious races of the sea: merfolk, sea demons, giant demons, snake-people...

The scales alone weren't enough to identify the bloodline.

"Mr. Red Grail happens to be deciphering an ancient text. It must have something to do with his bloodline."

There wasn't much about Arena that needed his attention. She had to digest the Bone of the Moon Hand and deal with pressure from her family.

The only thing worth keeping an eye on was the Scholar Potion.

But with a value as high as ten thousand gold coins, even he, a pirate captain, couldn't afford it. How much wealth would he have to plunder?

"Captain!"

Kaia's voice came from the deck. Arthur went outside and saw him grinning proudly, along with the pirates, all of them beaming.

"How many gold coins did we get?"

"Heh! Captain, we met a sucker. He seemed to be a merchant from... Gaul, I think.

"But he didn't look much like a merchant. More like a well-bred nobleman.

"We sold our cargo for a full 200 gold coins!"

Two hundred gold coins was a handsome sum. As captain, Arthur would get twenty percent, or forty gold coins.

Arthur's mouth twitched slightly. It was still a long way from ten thousand gold coins.

"Hey! Captain, you don't look too happy. Who made you mad? I'll take the lads and hack him to pieces!"

"Let's hack him up and help the captain cool off!"

"Go enjoy yourselves. Kaia and Thorn, find some new pirates to recruit."

"Yes, sir!"

Arthur took the money pouch from Kaia and counted out the 200 gold coins. He divided them among the crew, giving each man his share.

Of the remaining 140 gold coins, 40 belonged to him, while the other 100 belonged to the Great White Shark. They were kept in the captain's possession.

Suddenly!

A wave of unease rose in Arthur's mind, as if someone were watching him maliciously, standing behind him with a dagger and waiting for an opening.

He turned in a circle and looked around, but saw nothing unusual.

"Guess I'm just too tense. I've been on edge this whole time. I should treat myself to something nice."

Arthur's gaze settled on the heart of Blue Bay Island, the nearby sea's pirate haven for spending money—the Blue Bay Private Tavern.