After the three finished lunch on the shore,

Ronald, along with Costate and Il, returned to the steamship, just as the negotiators from [Nicols] had already left.

Casually chatted with the crew on deck for a bit.

After confirming that nothing new had happened since he left, Ronald continued to lead them back to the cabin.

"Mr. Ronald, you're back."

Walking along the corridor inside the ship, the on-duty investigator saw the three returning and promptly greeted them, also pointing towards Ronald's cabin:

"Someone left a notice here at noon. Seeing you were not around, it was rolled up and placed on the doorknob."

"Thanks for the heads-up," Ronald politely replied.

He then retrieved the notice from the doorknob and led the three into the cabin.

Back in the cabin, the first thing Ronald did was naturally to check its contents.

The result was just as Nicole had informed.

Claudia had ordered the casters capable of flying to set off ahead of time. In the evening, someone from [Nicols] would come to guide them. This team's composition and action style maintained a flexible scale while allowing [Nicols] to continue blocking information.

Moreover, if possible, Claudia hoped that the first group to land on the island could solve the relic problem for [Nicols] in the shortest time possible, as that is what they currently need the most.

But if the first wave fails...

Five days later, the three steamships that were supposed to leave [Nicols]' port would depart according to plan, but actually, their routes would be slightly altered.

Before continuing south,

the three steamships would first head towards the location of the [Rachmont] relics.

By then, the entire fleet would use its power to resolve the relic problems, and then proceed to sail south.

Considering the specific needs of [Nicols],

this was the negotiated support plan formed.

Though it might be a bit troublesome for the fleet, since [Nicols] had conceded considerable interests, Claudia didn't mind the fleet having a bit of inconvenience.

"..."

"So, that roughly sums it up, huh..."

After reading the main content, Ronald muttered quietly to himself.

The notice was clearly mass-produced by a typewriter, with fonts and ink looking exceptionally standard. However, upon closer inspection, the paper seemed to have some secret differences.

Whoosh—

At that moment, words that hadn't appeared before began to surface.

Ronald clearly saw that the words appeared where he had gripped the paper.

"Haha—"

Upon realizing this, Ronald chuckled.

The gloves he wore were made by Claudia for him originally, and he always wore them. By utilizing this detail known only between the two of them, Claudia conveyed some even more secret information.

With a hint of a smile, Ronald continued to read further down.

The text appearing now was visibly different from before, obviously handwritten by Claudia with bold strokes.

And the contents... were roughly divided into two sections.

The first was a reminder—according to Claudia's trusted sources, this island expedition was highly likely to encounter danger. Therefore, she hoped Ronald wouldn't shirk participation in the first wave of those landing.

Given his capabilities,

even if danger arose on the island, he could easily manage and also help look after others on the island.

As compensation, Claudia was not stingy at all.

She promised that once this incident was over, throughout the voyage, Ronald could learn spells from her. With the abilities of the mobile library in the "Britannica Encyclopedia," Claudia could impart a lot of skills to Ronald.

"It's as if she thinks I won't help without compensation..."

Seeing Claudia so earnestly entrusting him, Ronald felt a bit emotional. Though he understood that Claudia's attitude was indeed correct, given their friendship, Ronald couldn't possibly refuse to help her.

But by the time Ronald read the second half of the notice,

that little bit of emotion disappeared completely.

Claudia's second message was actually about the [Nine Commandments Covenant]!

Based on the investigator's intelligence network, the headquarters of the [Nine Commandments Covenant] remnants in the south somehow learned about this expedition fleet, and they seemed to plan an attack.

It's crucial to mention here,

even though the [Nine Commandments Covenant] is now as despised as a rat, with everyone eager to eliminate it,

its accumulated strength is still undeniable; it is, after all, a mysterious side organization once sprawling worldwide.

Currently in [Nicols], Claudia suspected that remnants of the [Nine Commandments Covenant] were active. The critical importance of the canal near Nicoland, even if those guys previously hid themselves, would still necessitate leaving some personnel behind.

So after departure,

Claudia hoped Ronald would stay cautious and not fall victim to an ambush by the [Ultimate Covenant].

"..."

"This situation is really quite complex."

After reading the contents on the paper, Ronald waved his hand, and in a flash of firelight, the paper burned to ashes.

Hearing his exclamation, Costate promptly asked:

"Sir, is something wrong?"

"It's the [Nine Commandments Covenant] people," Ronald straightforwardly explained, "Claudia suspects we might face an attack, hence she informed me in advance."

"The fleet of [Grenad], the current state of [Nicols], the mysteriously appearing [Rachmont], and the possibly lurking [Nine Commandments Covenant]—the situation we're facing might be more troublesome than expected."

Recognizing Ronald's statement, Costate nodded in agreement.

But immediately, the maid added her own perspective:

"However, sir, I don't think there's much need to worry. With your current abilities, even an artificial deity wouldn't be hard to overcome. Handling those remnants of the [Nine Commandments Covenant] is no problem."

"Never underestimate the enemy, Costate." Ronald seriously shook his head at Costate's opinion, "You know, my abilities essentially derive from various archetypes. This advantage, with the [Nine Commandments Covenant] possessing the [Book of Interpretation], isn't impossible to match."

With Ronald's reminder, Costate immediately nodded and admitted:

"Sir, I was arrogant." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"..."

Seeing both of them start such an earnest discussion, Il couldn't resist her curiosity and asked:

"Boss, I've heard that our voyage aims to destroy the remnants of the [Nine Commandments Covenant], but what exactly are this organization, and what's the story behind the [Book of Interpretation]?"

This voyage would definitely involve Il in battles against the [Nine Commandments Covenant]. So once she asked, Ronald began explaining to her:

"Il, let me tell you about it."

"The [Nine Commandments Covenant] is an ancient organization, they..."