He had boarded this fishing boat and expended such considerable effort to inspect it not to squander his energy.
His only true purpose was to ascertain which island this vessel hailed from, thereby deducing his own location.
'What a pity... Had the table that should hold the sea charts not been utterly empty, I could have determined my position earlier.' Colin shifted his gaze to the nearby table.
The next second, he suddenly looked up.
Because the two figures had begun to speak.
"Jack, how much longer until we reach the fishing grounds?"
The red-haired youth on the left suddenly asked the old man beside him, not turning his head and continually watching the sea with a slight trace of worry on his face.
"About ten minutes," the old Jack standing beside him replied.
His tone was as meticulous as his neatly combed white hair, and his strong muscles bulged beneath his worn linen shortsleeve.
He appeared to be a Great Knight.
"Mhm," the red-haired youth murmured softly through his nose, and then silence fell between them once again.
Colin patiently waited.
If he was indeed in a Sea Domain controlled by the Divine, then as a Wizard in opposition, the most crucial factor to ensure his own survival was to hide himself, to become like a ghost, leaving no trace whatsoever.
Unwilling to expose himself, he also was not willing to directly overpower the two individuals to ask for directions, choosing instead to quietly wait... After all, it was already afternoon, and after a few more hours at the latest, the fishing boat would have to return, and he could determine the island's location by the direction of the boat.
'It's just a pity that flying too high above the sea is too dangerous, otherwise I could have directly seen the island where this fishing boat belongs... After all, this boat isn't moving fast, so the island should be nearby,' Colin thought disinterestedly.
At this moment, the two figures spoke again.
"Jack..." It was an unconscious murmur from the youth, seemingly wanting to ask something but ultimately remained silent.
"Master Ante, everything will pass. I heard the Priests lament—the frontlines of the battlefield, the Wizards have advanced again.
As long as we keep persevering, liberation of the Pahama Islands will surely come!"
"By then, relying on the renown left behind by Master Basar and the contributions made to the Pahama Islands during the Divine invasion, the Supreme Council will definitely help you restore the glory of the Basa family," the old man beside him solemnly comforted.
"Sigh... It's easier said than done. The vast Basa family is now left with only my sister, you, and myself as survivors. My sister possesses no Wizard Talent, and even with our father's assistance, my own aptitude in the Wizard path is mediocre...
Even if the Wizards manage to reclaim the Pahama Islands, with my meager strength, even with the help of the Supreme Council, it's still uncertain whether I could restore the family to its former glory when my father, who held Second Rank power, presided over it," the youth sighed, maintaining a very clear view of the entire situation.
"Moreover, given the current circumstances, whether we can hold out until then remains unknown... Recently, sister Anna accidentally revealed her true form and now has attracted the pestering of that beast Lian; we still don't know how to deal with him, and behind him stands a Priest..."
The youth continued his dialogue, but Colin had already lost interest in listening further.
"Pahama Islands... liberation from Divine hands..."
The most critical pieces of information had been obtained, and he was now able to deduce his current whereabouts.
"Could it actually be within a region occupied by the Divine faction..."
Colin couldn't help but feel a sinking feeling in his heart. He took a deep breath, recalled the sea charts etched in his mind, and began to carefully search for the Pahama Islands.
A moment later, he found several candidates.
The reason there were several was because these islands were all within territories occupied by the Divine, each known as Pahama...
The vastness of the ocean meant that having several islands with the same name was perfectly normal.
Colin was unsurprised, but thought he might need to examine the contours of the Pahama Islands more closely to pinpoint exactly which one it was.
However, with this thought came hesitation.
Now that he knew he was within a Divine-controlled Sea Domain, and the Pahama Islands were also under their control... it would be unwise to venture forth further.
As he contemplated this, Colin glanced at the seacharts again.
Fortunately, the islands named Pahama were mostly clustered to the left.
After a moment's consideration, Colin finally decided on a rough direction—northeast. He would embark immediately, avoiding all islands, and escape from the Divine-controlled Sea Domain as soon as possible!
The plan was simple, but he knew in his heart... the journey ahead would not be easy.
The place where they were at the moment was deep within the Divine Sea Domain, and their journey up to this point had been relatively calm.
However, when they reached the latter part, especially the areas near the frontline, it went without saying—there would be a substantial number of Divine Believers patrolling the Sea Domain!
Getting through such a blockade and returning to the Wizard's side would likely be as difficult as ascending to heaven!
Ding—!
Just then, a grand bell tolled suddenly from the center of the deck.
Inside the captain's quarters, old Jack and the young Ante immediately halted their conversation.
"It's time for the afternoon prayer again... that was quick," Ante sighed softly, composed himself along with old Jack, and then subconsciously straightened his clothes at the chest before slowly making his way to the deck.
"Prayer to the Divine..." Colin's heart jolted unexpectedly.
Only then did he suddenly realize the true nature of being in a Sea Domain controlled by the Divine.
It wasn't his fault, mainly because the behavior of old Jack and young Ante was too normal, lacking the peculiar devotion displayed by ordinary Divine Believers.
Hm... not even a hint of the appearance of a Divine Believer?
At this thought, Colin's mind stirred, and he faintly sensed something.
He hesitated for a moment, then quietly followed behind the two, planning to observe them more closely.
At this moment, having left the captain's quarters, Ante and old Jack seemed to have passed not just the door but through some kind of "transformation" portal—appearing to have changed into completely different people!
Old Jack's normally stiff back suddenly bent slightly, and the skin on his face sagged, wrinkles piling up like continuous trenches of land.
The essence of a Great Knight and the apparently noble servant's elegant demeanor had vanished without a trace.
On the other hand, young Ante's troubled look also dissipated, leaving behind only a silent and solemn expression—that of devotion.
With his not particularly outstanding features, he now resembled a true, ordinary fisherboy.
'But... this alone is not enough to make a judgment,' Colin continued to watch.
Ante stepped towards the strange statue in the center of the deck with light and slow steps, taking small strides.
The surrounding sailors also gathered towards the statue in the same manner, their pace and devout expressions as uniform as the others.
Then, a tall young girl also emerged from below the deck, her head wrapped in a deep gray scarf, her red hair almost entirely hidden, revealing only traces around the temples.
A voluminous gray-white linen robe enveloped her entire figure, hiding her shape and highlighting her height, which was much taller than that of an average woman.
Her complexion was as devout as the people around her.
Thud.
Thud-thud-thud—
Suddenly, a series of dull thuds reached Colin, who instinctively turned to look.
As the devoted crowd neared the statue, about five meters away, as if following a ritual, they suddenly knelt down.
The dull thuds were the sound of their knees hitting the deck.
But it didn't end there.
These kneeling believers continued to inch forward on their knees until they were close to the statue before stopping.
Then, as everyone had knelt and moved in front of the statue, the prayer started.
Colin's attention was almost entirely on young Ante.
Upon looking, he indeed found a clue!
Young Ante, though he bowed his head and muttered as the ordinary sailor believers beside him, and his expression showed equal devotion,
The shoulders hidden under his linen short sleeves did not escape Superbrain's meticulous observation.
Colin noticed that Ante was tensing up, as if he was enduring something...
Seeing this, the slight idea in his mind gradually became clear—
This young man, who appeared to come from a Wizard Family, might possess a method or an instrument to disguise himself as a Divine Believer!