"What did you say?! You've been to that level 4 island?!" The fat man was so shocked his voice cracked, his expression one of utter astonishment.
The other Captains were equally stunned. Just moments ago, they had been warning him not to court death by going to the island, and now he was claiming to have already explored it?
"Why does the island only have a danger rating and not a bounty?" Charles asked his next question.
"Don't change the subject! When did you go to that island? What's on it?!"
Frowning, Charles leaned back slightly to dodge the fat man's spray of saliva. "The Futan Sect tasked me with retrieving something from the island. What's the problem? Isn't that how we all explore islands?"
At this, even Elizabeth lost her composure. A faint blush crept across her pale face, and she seemed rather excited.
"Charles, you've only just arrived, so you may not understand the process of exploring an island. An Explorer's work is broken down into many different types of tasks. First, you explore the sea route. Then, you assess the danger level of the natives. Only after that do you explore and conquer the island itself. Within the Guild, each of these missions comes with a different reward."
"But you, a newcomer, managed to complete several of the initial steps right away. All you have to do is conquer the island, and the whole place will be yours! You'll be the next lucky one—the next Governor!"
So that's how it is. No wonder the islands on the sea chart didn't list any bounties; the exploration process is divided so finely. Charles thought to himself.
"Enough of that. New... Charles, what resources does that island have? Is it dangerous?"
After a few seconds of consideration, Charles decided the island had little value and shared what he knew with them.
As soon as they heard the island had no food, no fresh water, and was filled with monsters that could erase human memory, everyone's face filled with regret.
"Sigh, another dead island. I thought I was about to witness history and see the fastest promotion to Governor ever."
"Yeah, without even fresh water, there's no point in occupying it."
"If it had even a few resources, we could start assembling a fleet for conquest right now."
While the others were engrossed in this topic, Charles pointed to the northernmost level 5 island on the sea chart and spoke to the female recorder beside him. "My ship will be ready for sea in half a month. I need to explore this island."
Elizabeth opened her mouth, as if to dissuade him, but ultimately said nothing. She really couldn't gauge the depths of this man's power; he wasn't any ordinary newcomer.
Once the recorder had registered the mission, Charles glanced at the Captains, who had suddenly fallen somewhat silent. "Excuse me, everyone. Do any of you have any leads on weapons?"
The last expedition had taught him a lesson. Charles had to increase his ship's combat capabilities; relying on his revolver alone wasn't enough.
"If you just mean regular weapons, ask them." The burly man gestured toward the staff behind the counter. "The Guild also deals in weapons. If the price is right, they can get you anything."
The recorder helpfully added, "Please wait a moment. I'll bring over the weapons catalog."
Charles suddenly felt that the Guild's founders were business geniuses. All that talk about serving humanity was a sham; the real business was the obscenely profitable arms trade.
Soon, several catalogs were placed in front of Charles. Beneath each model of firearm, the price of ammunition was thoughtfully listed.
The Abyss-Sea's technology tree was a bit lopsided. Most of the firearms were outdated models from the World War I era. More advanced weapons were either unavailable or simply not listed.
"Charles, this stuff looks nice, but it's not that useful. There are a lot of things on islands that bullets can't handle at all."
The burly man's words cooled Charles's brief excitement. He had a point. Given the strange phenomena on the islands, sheer force wasn't of much use. Charles doubted that swapping his revolver for another gun would have made any real difference on Golden Statue Island. Firearms couldn't stop one's Memory from being altered.
"Then what do you use?" Charles asked.
"Our lives," a hoarse voice cut in, the warm atmosphere in the crowd instantly turning cold. The speaker was a hook-nosed, middle-aged man with a sallow complexion.
He leaned forward, his gray eyes locked on Charles.
"I know what you're asking. You're hoping we have some secret trick to exploration. And you're right, we each have our own unique Abilities." He raised a hand, and a flicker of blue Flames danced across his palm.
"But even with relics and strange powers, the mortality rate for Explorers is still terrifyingly high. Behind every successful Governor is a mountain of corpses. You were just lucky last time. Don't blame me for being blunt; reality is just that cruel."
Hearing this, Charles actually felt more at ease. The Abyss-Sea had never been one to show humanity mercy.
He turned to the Explorer Captains before him and said, "Everyone, let's talk more when we have time. I need to go prepare my supplies for setting sail."
Watching Charles walk out the door, the burly man asked in confusion, "What do you think he's going north for? He isn't really going to search for the Land of Light, is he?"
No one answered him. For a moment, the hall fell quiet.
For the next half a month, Charles didn't stay idle. In addition to preparing supplies, he devoted himself to full-body training and marksmanship practice. The Abyss-Sea was ruthless, but he would not forsake his convictions. The days on shore passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, half a month was gone.
The brand-new Exploration Ship sat quietly in the harbor. Its streamlined hull, the black deck gun gleaming under the lights, its sturdy frame—Charles gazed at it with a hint of fascination in his eyes.
"She's gorgeous, isn't she?" Charles's voice was tinged with excitement and anticipation.
"Captain, what's her name? Don't tell me you're still calling her the Rat?" Deep asked, standing before five other sailors.
Gazing at the 125-caliber giant steel cannon on the foredeck, Charles thought for a moment before replying, "Narwhal. Her name is the Narwhal!"
After naming the new ship, Charles turned to the unfamiliar faces. Unlike the Rat, a freighter that could be run with a flexible number of hands, the Narwhal was an Exploration Ship. Her crew was fully staffed, with not a single position left empty.
The crew totaled thirteen men: a sailor chief, four sailors, a first mate, a second officer, a chief engineer, a first engineer, a second engineer, a chef, an assistant chef, and the captain.
The crew was a mix of old and young, tall and short, all men, including some locals with distinctive, inward-curling ears.
As Charles observed them, the crew members watched him with equal curiosity.
A ship is not like dry land. Once at sea, the entire vessel becomes a closed world, and the Captain is its King. He holds the fate of all in his hands. An unreliable captain could doom everyone on board.
When they saw Charles's face, their worries eased slightly. This black-eyed captain was young, but many recognized him as an experienced captain.
"I trust you all know what we're setting out to do, so I won't lie to you. The current death rate for Exploration Ships at sea is one in five. If any of you want to back out, now is your chance."
Not a single person in the crowd moved. None of them were sailing for the first time. They understood the risks of the voyage, but they also knew the rewards that came with successfully discovering a new island.
If the captain became the new Governor of the Island, even grunts like them would have their fortunes made. Going to sea is a gamble with your life, so why not bet on a bigger prize?
"Good. Everyone, get aboard!"