Charles walked alone toward the Explorer Association, having left Lily at the inn. The little girl was still feeling down, and he hoped time would heal everything.
Just as he stepped into the Explorer Association, Charles instinctively glanced toward the sofa in the corner. This time, there were fewer captains—only four—and the giant beauty, Elizabeth, was among them.
"Darling Charles, I'm over here!" Elizabeth was waving her hand.
Charles didn't go over. He pointed toward the counter and made his way there first.
"Here's the intel on that island," Charles said, handing the written report to the staff member behind the counter.
"You... you actually went there?" The woman behind the counter looked incredulous.
"Hurry up. I don't have time to waste," Charles said impatiently to the new face before him.
"S-sorry, it's my first day. Please wait a moment while I ask my supervisor."
A short while later, a middle-aged man in a suit and round spectacles walked over. He smiled at Charles, then picked up the paper and began to read it carefully. He even took out several books, seeming to cross-reference something.
After a long while, he exhaled and said respectfully, "Thank you for your remarkable contribution to the Association. Another part of the Abyss-Sea's unknown fog has been cleared away thanks to you."
"How much is my payout this time?"
"Exploration of a level-five island, plus your detailed intel—your total reward is 1,600,000 Echo. After the Governor's tax, your final payout is 1,450,000 Echo Coins."
To be honest, Charles was shocked by that number. He never imagined exploring an island would be so lucrative—he could buy a two-story house with a front yard on Coral Island for that amount.
But then he remembered his several near-death experiences on the island, and it felt justified. After all, he had risked his life for this.
"Mr. Charles, you provided your bank account on the application form. We can transfer the payment directly into it, if that's acceptable?"
"Go ahead." Charles turned toward the sofa; he still had other matters to attend to today.
"What happened to your eye?" Charles asked, nodding toward the pirate-style black eyepatch on Elizabeth's left eye.
"Lost an eyeball! Whew, that island was way too dangerous. I'm lucky I came back alive. It was terrifying." Elizabeth naturally sidled up to him, not looking scared in the slightest.
"Why's it so empty today?" Charles asked, eyeing the other three unfamiliar faces.
"The captains who return to port all gather on Saturday afternoons. Usually, there are only a few stragglers around," she said. "Hmm? Why's there a ring on your ring finger? Don't tell me you're married? You'll break my heart!" Elizabeth traced her finger over Charles's ring.
Charles lifted his left hand and shook it. "It's just a relic, Elizabeth. By the way, how do explorers trade relics with each other?"
The moment Charles spoke, the other three captains turned their curious eyes on him.
"Usually, trades are done together on Saturday afternoons. But you can show us what you have now. If it's useful, I can offer a fair price."
The speaker was a listless young man holding a liquor bottle. His clothes were filthy with booze stains, and Charles could smell the sour stench from two meters away.
Charles pulled out his two remaining relics and laid them on the table.
All four of them, including Elizabeth, examined them closely. After a long pause, the drunken youth spoke up.
"Unidentified relics don't have a fixed price, but to start a friendship"—hic—"how about 300,000 each? I'll take both."
It was a huge gamble. After all, no one knew what these relics did. If the side effects were severe, it would be like paying for trouble.
"Seems a fair offer," Elizabeth breathed, her red lips brushing against Charles's ear.
"Deal," Charles said, shifting slightly to the side.
"I'm William. If you get more relics, we can continue to work together," the young man said before pulling out a packet of red powder, dumping it into his liquor bottle, and chugging it down.
Watching William start to twitch, Charles shot a puzzled look at Elizabeth.
"Don't worry, it's just Joy Fruit powder. He's been hooked on that stuff for half a year."
Some kind of addictive substance? Charles wondered as he watched William's nose and eyes begin to run.
Charles didn't concern himself with the other captains' affairs and turned to the giant beauty beside him.
"Do you have any more of that jelly that stops the auditory hallucinations? I need to buy some."
Although the auditory hallucinations weren't frequent, they were still a nuisance when they occurred.
"There's a bit left. But this stuff is seriously addictive. If you try to quit, you'll die horribly."
"Is there any other way to get rid of this problem?"
"Of course," Elizabeth replied instantly. "Just go ashore. The problem will resolve itself quickly."
Charles immediately dismissed that option. He would never set foot on land.
After chatting with the other captains for a while, Charles checked the clock and stood up. "Miss Elizabeth, could you please bring some on Saturday? I'd like to buy it from you. It's getting late, so we'll talk next time."
The moment Charles left, Elizabeth also stood up, a faint, unreadable smile on her face as she followed him.
Standing on the docks, Charles watched the laborers in the distance working feverishly to move cargo, and for a moment, he didn't know what to do next.
Oh, right. I should buy a pocket watch.
By the time Charles got back to his door, a shiny golden pocket watch had found its way into his jacket's inner pocket.
Pushing open the door to his room, Charles saw it was filled with mice scurrying everywhere.
Lily, who was once so sunny and cheerful, now lay listlessly on the bed. "Mr. Charles, you're back…" she said, her voice lifeless.
After giving her head a gentle pat, Charles sat at his desk to start writing in his diary.
Curious, Lily wandered over to watch, but she quickly lost interest. She couldn't understand the strange, boxy characters at all.
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK. The sound echoed through the small room.
Charles gave Lily a look, and the swarm of mice instantly darted into every corner. A few seconds later, Charles was the only living being left in the room.
When Charles opened the door, a generous chest bounced into view. He looked up and saw the giant beauty, Elizabeth, standing there.
"Darling, why are you living here? The soundproofing is terrible!"