"Ah, before we know it, the time is up again. Baron, we'll meet again tomorrow!

The knowledge of the 'Black Spirit School' is something I haven't used personally, but even Simpson, now reduced to a soul, has lost most of his casting ability.

However, I believe that someone as righteous as you will surely make proper use of it.

Every exchange with you is extremely pleasant, and I can't wait for tomorrow to come..."

After learning that Aiven holds the title of Baron, this noble and artist has always addressed Aiven with the formal social term of "Baron," elevating his attitude by at least two or three levels compared to the beginning.

Aiven did not correct the perception that his current title differs from the past.

Hundreds of years ago, the value of noble titles was not the same as today; back then, titles were tied to land, and no country would issue titles recklessly.

Now, many countries' merchants, and even pirates, can obtain honorary titles by presenting a large gift to the royal family, and those willing to spend money can even buy a Count's title.

"Sir! I will make good use of the witchcraft knowledge you gave me; thank you for your generosity!

In return, I have prepared the human nautical history for you tomorrow, whose grandeur is no less spectacular than the 'Renaissance.'"

"Hahaha, I am looking forward to it!"

Leaving with a final statement, Katalov's image gradually faded away as Aiven carefully put away the parchment for recording and then re-sealed this oil painting.

Through these days of exchanges, Aiven's assessment of the potential value of this painting has continuously risen.

Aside from its value as an antique and a "cursed object," the various "personas" from different eras within it alone constitute a massive fortune, although most are quirky, there are some, like Katalov, with whom normal communication is possible.

As a true noble and artist, Aiven effortlessly acquired a large amount of valuable intelligence and knowledge by leveraging identity recognition and some worthless information.

And from the perspective of those who maintain their habits from life, this is just a normal part of social interaction and there is no sense of loss.

"Mr. Katalov is really a good person!"

Therefore, Aiven decided to properly preserve this painting as a lasting treasure trove, which might yield unexpected surprises at some point.

Of course, there are risks.

But the fact is, as Katalov said, the soul Simpson has weakened to the extreme. Apart from the power of the "cursed object" itself, he now is hardly stronger than an Intermediate Apprentice.

If it were an ordinary person, they might still fear its own terrible curse, but in the combination of Aiven, Milan, and Kaka, there's no chance for it to overturn.

Especially since Kaka can be considered its nemesis, coming and going freely, ready to raid at any time.

Additionally, Katalov shared many secrets about the "Black Spirit School" with Aiven during the exchanges, including the ultimate creation that someone was rumored to have achieved within the school.

[False Mirror Image]: Create a false world almost indistinguishable from the real world, even capable of pulling an entire city from the real world into the Shadow Realm, becoming an impregnable lair.

Given that the mysterious source involves space, even without Katalov saying it, Aiven could guess that Simpson likely possesses a storage space similar to Kaka Shadow Secret Vault.

This could explain why, apart from a pile of ordinary items, there are hardly any witchcraft tools or spellcasting materials on the ship.

"Someday, I'll come up with a way to extract all the treasures he's hidden who knows where.

After all, for someone who has only a soul left, it's of no use to him, so it might as well contribute to the Vitalist School.

Hmm, it's too difficult to start directly with that insane old man; I need to find a fool among these 'personas' who can help locate the treasure vault."

Muttering to himself, Aiven stood up and covered the painting with a thick, opaque cloth to prevent any bewildered crew member from accidentally seeing it and causing an accident.

Then he stepped out of his captain's cabin.

Thump, thump, thump...

Climbing up the wooden steps to the open deck.

The luxurious captain's cabin, originally located in the tall aft castle, had been dismantled by him, with all the functions of the new "Venus" serving military purposes, so comfort had inevitably taken a hit compared to the past.

Now, the rudimentary captain's cabin of this heavy cruiser is located just below the rear deck, with 24-pound cannons overhead, making it unimaginable for anyone to endure the environment during combat.

The captain is like this, and others even more so.

Even though it used to be a Level 3 Battleship, from the living environment standpoint, it couldn't compare to even the "Storm Horn" now.

The cold wind howled on the deck, and the crew in their cotton coats were busy.

This is to meet the personnel requirements of the ship; all remaining crew from the "Storm Horn" and "Endeavor" were pieced together, totaling 477 people, just enough to implement a less tiring three-shift system.

Rustling...

At this time, the "Venus" was sailing near full sail, with the bow slightly lifting to cut through the waves, and a misty witchcraft spiritual light enveloped the entire ship, with a swift ocean current beneath it providing continuous power.

Compared to the former Level 3 Battleship, the current battlecruiser is practically flying.

Since Trish, the original helmsman of the "Storm Horn," was unexpectedly killed, the steering is now handled by Robert, the helmsman of the "Endeavor."

Seeing Aiven walk up from the hatch not far from the helm, he couldn't contain his excitement and saluted Aiven:

"It's truly unbelievable, Captain!

The results from the speed rope just showed that our current speed has reached twelve knots, even while towing another ship.

This is truly remarkable, I've never piloted such a fast ship before!"

"Hahaha, no need to be surprised, the ships will only get faster."

Aiven wasn't surprised at all. Of course, this speed is related to the modified ship type, but the "Ship's Figurehead: Seasonal Wind Goddess" and the "Ocean Treasure: Ocean Current Horn" also played significant roles.

Even though there's a small temporary modified merchant ship being towed behind, it still achieved a speed that sailors couldn't even imagine.

Moreover.

As the speed spiked, the volley firing quality of the "Venus" shipborne artillery only decreased by 144 pounds compared to the original Level 3 Battleship. Imagine how exhilarating it would be to operate such a ship in combat.

Of course, the current heavy cruiser isn't without flaws, the biggest problem at the moment is that the hull is too low, which becomes a disadvantage during boarding engagements.

However, once Aiven equips the crew fully, and prepares "Activated Beast Hide" for each of them.

By then, the crew with at least Late-Stage Apprentice strength wouldn't care about such minor flaws; a single step would be enough to directly jump onto the opponent's ship.

Even towering Level 1 Battleships like a castle would be no exception!

Standing shoulder to shoulder with Milan, who had been standing at the bow for who knows how long, Aiven's captain's cloak fluttered in the sharp sea wind.

Looking at the relatively calm sea in the distance, he asked Milan:

"Has Major General Brand's order not come back yet?"

At this time, they were traveling at full speed towards the Northern Sea on the recently modified "Venus," which had undergone only two short trial voyages.

They had temporarily fallen under the command of the Major General since receiving the order.

And upon learning they had finished modifying "Stendeburg" and it was ready for combat deployment, the first order the Major General issued was to disguise and covertly head to the outer sea range of Giant Horn Cape and await orders.

They were about to reach the destination now and had sent a message to Major General Brand.

"I've been guarding the deck all this time, the Seagull hasn't returned.

What do you think will be the outcome of this battle? Could it evolve into a full-scale colonial war?

The silver mine is supposedly three nearly open-floor silver mountains, incredibly rich in silver.

It's a crucial leverage that directly impacts the national strength, especially since even 'Quasi-Legendary' ships have been deployed!"

Before their departure, it was revealed that Major General Brand had personally piloted Phaletis' Quasi-Legendary Battleship 'Brilliance' into the battle zone between Hilus and Atlant, Sak.

Under the pretext of Hilus moving the "Nether River Jellyfish" and "Guard Commander" two Quasi-Legendary Battleships without permission and casually passing through Phaletis territorial waters.

Obviously, the Kingdom Navy had detected Hilus' dispatch of two "Quasi-Legendary" ships.

The higher-ups sensed the key moment was approaching, no longer caring about Hilus' potential suspicions; neglecting to support an ally now might mean missing out on the spoils later.

But "Brilliance" was indeed not known for its speed, arriving at the scene a bit late after all.

It's no surprise it's called "Silver Flash."

The "Guard Commander," equipped with the [Extraordinary Armament: Reverse Cross Halberd] in the reef area around Potosi, costlessly blasted a passage sufficient for large battleships to navigate, then dispatched a large group of combat personnel to break through the two countries' blockade and forcibly land.

They had already effectively seized the largest two silver mountains.

The "Quasi-Legendary" of the two nations arrived late; in the face-off with the "Nether River Jellyfish," "Guard Commander."

Even with regional factors, caught off guard without expecting "Quasi-Legendary" flash attack, Sak and Atlant could only dispatch small boats to barely seize the last one.

When "Brilliance" arrived, the dust had actually settled.

But the 3:2 situation increased the pressure on Hilus after all; despite tough words, even Hilus' commander didn't have the authority to initiate a massive battle between "Quasi-Legendary Battleships."

When hesitating about action, the battle returned to conventional forces.

Just like modern wars where plane missiles bombard, ultimately ground troops are needed for actual control.

"Rest assured, since we're ordered to come, obviously the situation hasn't expanded beyond control, our mission... hmm? It's here!"

Flap flap——

Before the words were finished, a Seagull had already landed, flapping its wings.

And transmitted the order from the Major General.

"Join the elite forces of the two nations to conduct commerce warfare, forcing Hilus' regular troops to retreat! Target——Forward Island!"

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