"Ceremonialism is the simple act of performing ceremonies in order to gain power. Think rituals and the like. Of course, this is not a power accessible through the Sailor System, but rather the Supreme System, if one swears fealty to Yazu, the greatest god who ever lived."

"However, these ceremonies can be used to strengthen a ship, increasing the ship’s rank in the ship management section of your system. As the son of Redeye, I’m sure you’ve long since awakened all three systems? Never mind, we will worry about that later. First, let me show you what I can do."

Roseus swiftly realised that the woman, Zaliah, was incredibly talkative. Perhaps it was the reason why Redeye could not fall in love with her...

Waiting for no one to even show any signs that they had acknowledged what she said, she removed the pot of boiling tea from her stove, allowing the flame to roar into the air.

As it did, Roseus noticed that he felt something spreading through his body. It was more than just the warmth of the flame. Instead, it felt as though, for some reason, he was safe and no longer fearful of the unknown.

"This is the most simple of ceremonies, The Hearth. It is a fire that makes others feel safe and comfortable, as long as the heat is created under certain circumstances. This is just one of the many ceremonies that I have set up in my house," Zaliah explained proudly.

Suddenly, all of the symbols etched onto the walls, floors, and ceilings started to make sense.

"And you use these to help the dockyard town too, then?" Roseus asked curiously.

"Yes," Zaliah nodded, making the charms in her hair ring. "After all, I am the only one with access to this power. Yazu isn’t present in the Translucent Sea."

So this is why innkeeper Marcuss mentioned that everybody knows Zaliah. She is an important figure in the city.

Blodwen, with his arms folded, started nodding his head.

"So this is why Redeye left you behind. He knew that your ceremonies could be used to strengthen the ship. This is probably one of the most useful powers to have," he then said.

Zaliah blushed ever so slightly.

"Yes, that and a few other reasons that we do not need to worry about. Now then, when will we be setting sail? I’ve been here for five years, and I must say I am tired of this place. Any other questions you have, we can ask whilst at sea. Actually, I should check your ship first and make sure it’s up to standard."

...

Following this, the group, now with Zaliah by their side, travelled back down the mountain. Over her shoulder, the woman carried a giant sack filled with the contents that had previously been in her chest.

They had only made it halfway down the mountain path when Roseus spotted another group approaching them from ahead.

His first instinct was to reach for his weapons. Although they had the high ground, the approaching group outnumbered them. Roseus counted eight men.

From their appearance, it was immediately clear that they were pirates. They all wore green headbands, long black shirts, and black pantaloons. On their backs were a variety of weapons, and the man leading the group stood out due to the fact that his sword was spectral, made from green magic. This captain also wore a black jacket.

The two groups paused roughly ten metres away from each other. Roseus looked down at the men with a hard look on his face.

"Just passing through," he announced calmly, trying to avoid any issues, despite the fact that, from the looks on these pirates’ faces, he assumed they wanted otherwise.

The man at the head of the group, who looked to be in his twenties, sighed and placed his hands on his hips.

"That’s the problem, Captain," he laughed. "You can’t just pass through. Not with a bounty that high."

Immediately, Roseus grasped the situation. This young man was likely a captain, and behind him was his crew. They had docked at the island and read The Fresh Bounty Weekly, seeing that there was a new pirate with a bounty likely a few times higher than his own.

As for how he knew that the Redflowers were currently located on the island, it was as easy as threatening one of the locals who had seen them enter.

Roseus didn’t even need to look at Blodwen, Silius, and Petyr. They should have been able to sense what was about to happen next.

So, Roseus drew his gun, lifted his hand, and aimed it at the captain.

Bang!

A bullet fired from the gun, but before it could reach the captain, the man’s body swapped places with one of his weaker crew members in an instant.

The bullet crashed into the crew member, striking him in the chest. The flesh around the wound spiralled grotesquely, easily collapsing and destroying his heart. He gripped at his chest in agony as he fell to the ground.

The Monochrome .38 Special’s first effect!

Just like that, one of the eight men had been taken down, instantly lessening the odds.

Still, Roseus wasn’t done. He knew where the Monochrome bullet was currently placed in the chamber, so he would not accidentally fire it.

After cocking back the hammer, he adjusted his aim and fired again. This time, the captain took off his jacket and threw it in front of him with rapid speed. The jacket expanded, and the bullet crashed into it. Instead of piercing the material, it rang against the jacket as though it were metallic and fell to the floor.

A treasure!

Roseus cursed before drawing the Greycloud Longsword. From his right, Blodwen was already charging with two daggers in his hands, whilst Petyr was charging from the left.

Silius remained further back, defending Zaliah, who seemed incapable of fighting.

As the jacket fell, Roseus saw the smiles on the remaining seven pirates’ faces. Three charged for Petyr, and the other three for Blodwen.

And the captain smiled a sick smile as he drew his green spectral shortsword and charged for Roseus.

Their first pirate battle was about to commence...