A horn blared as a steamboat, even larger than the Narwhal, pulled alongside. Seeing the white triangle insignia on the ship, Charles knew instantly who had arrived.
Soon enough, a wooden plank was laid between the two ships. An anxious-looking Kede scurried across it. "The sea chart! Have you found the sea chart?"
When he saw Charles nod, wild joy erupted on Kede's face. "Sun God be blessed! After all these years, we've finally found the Land of Light! Quick, show it to me!"
Charles stared silently at the excited old man, with no intention of handing over the sea chart.
"Captain Charles! What are you standing there for? Hurry up and get the sea chart!" Kede grew increasingly anxious.
"What gives you the right to see it? That night, Gerald fell so quickly because your men failed to act. Everything you said was a lie, wasn't it? Your goal was just to have us risk our lives for you. If we succeeded, everyone would be happy; if we failed, you'd lose nothing. A clever scheme, indeed."
Kede's expression flickered rapidly before he let out a helpless sigh. "I really did send people. You have to believe me."
"Do you take me for an idiot? As it happens, I have a Vampire in my crew. That night, I specifically instructed him to turn into a bat and stay over Sodoma until the plan was complete. He never saw a single believer of the Light God emerge!"
Charles's face was filled with scorn. I expected Gerald might cause trouble, but I never thought Kede would be the one to hold back his forces while Gerald fought to the bitter end. Looks can be deceiving.
"Are you going to hand it over or not?!" The amiability on Kede's face vanished, instantly replaced by a menacing glower.
"Heh. Thinking of making a move?" Charles raised a finger. The bandaged man at the helm saw the signal and immediately sounded the horn. The entire crew of the Narwhal rushed onto the deck, weapons in hand.
The atmosphere immediately grew tense. The gunners on both ships swiveled their cannons to point at the other vessel, and the Sun God believers on the adjacent ship also drew their weapons.
"I may be badly wounded, but I can still kill you," Charles said, shrugging off his Captain's Uniform. The Black Blade that had been tucked into his boot was now in his hand, as if it had appeared from nowhere.
Kede's expression changed, and he sighed again in resignation. "My followers were in disguise, of course! If they had revealed themselves openly, how could I have remained in Sodoma? What will it take for you to give me the sea chart?"
"Simple. You will compensate me for my losses. I almost died in Sodoma because of you."
Kede waved his hand, and the cannon opposite them slowly turned away. "What do you want? A relic? Echo? Or a special skill to boost your power?"
"Help me kill Sonni."
"Are you insane?! He's one of our own in the Church! How can you ask me to help with that?"
"Don't act so familiar. You said it yourself—you're from the new church, he's from the old. You two are hardly close. Besides, he tried to hire me to kill you back on Coral Island."
"Fine! I agree! But first, let me see the sea chart!" Kede's face flushed red with excitement.
Charles simply watched him with a knowing smirk. I've been duped once; I won't fall for it a second time.
"If you don't show it to me now, how do I know you're not lying? You probably never even found the sea chart!" Kede roared in frustration.
Charles couldn't be bothered with his nonsense. He turned and headed for his cabin. "Bring me Sonni's head. Otherwise, you can forget about getting the sea chart from me. Of course, you can always try to take it by force. We'll see if you're faster at taking it than I am at destroying it."
As he walked into his cabin, the sound of the waves from the other ship gradually faded. A slight smile played on Charles's lips. Kede had tacitly agreed to the deal.
Charles had never forgotten Sonni's ambush. Since that man dared to set a trap for me, he can't blame me for returning the favor with interest at the first opportunity.
Listening to the voice in his mind, Charles shook his head. No. Sonni has to die. The coming period is critical for finding the entrance to the Earth's surface. If he's left alive, he'll ruin our plans sooner or later.
"Besides," Charles paused, turning to look at the girl who had followed him to the doorway, "as long as her identity is genuine, funding won't be a problem."
With that, Charles began to take off his shirt. The sight startled Margaret, who immediately turned to leave. But the thought of the sailors' eyes outside made her hesitate, her hand gripping the door bolt in a painful dilemma.
"Don't just stand there. Come over and apply the Potion for me."
Hearing this, Margaret trembled as she shuffled over. When she saw the wounds on his broad back, she let out a cry of shock.
The wound, crudely pulled together with metal, was still oozing blood. A gruesome, chaotic web of scars covered nearly his entire body. It was terrifying.
Margaret couldn't imagine how much pain such severe injuries would cause. She felt that even a single one of those scars would be enough to kill her.
"Don't just stand there gawking. First, wipe away the blood, then spread the Potion along the wounds," Charles said, pressing a vial into the girl's hand.
Normally, this was the Doctor's job, but one couldn't expect a gentle touch from his iron hands. Every time he applied medicine, it felt more like torture.
As her hand touched his solid back, Margaret's face grew redder, and her heart began to pound like a startled fawn.
"You're a governor's daughter? How did you get captured by pirates?"
The girl's hand trembled slightly. "I read some novels... They said adventure at sea was fun and exciting, so I snuck out. It was all a lie..."
"You threw away a life that most people can only dream of."
"I know that now. The world at sea is too dangerous. Once I get back, I'm never coming out here again. There isn't a single good person at sea! Sir, I'm not talking about you. You're a good man."
A bitter expression flickered across Charles's face. "You're right. There are no good people at sea. Don't come back. Keep applying the Potion."
「One month later.」
Time at sea passed quickly. By the time Charles and his crew returned to Coral Island, his wounds had mostly healed. At least he could walk around without them seeping blood.
The port district of Coral Island was the same as ever: chaotic and grim. Walking down the muddy, stinking street, Margaret instinctively pressed closer to him.
The soft press of her body against his did nothing to stir Charles. Compared to five million Echo, he still found the latter far more appealing.
Charles had just settled the girl into the room next to his at the inn when he returned to his own room and heard a low knock at the door.
The Doctor was standing outside. His ugly face, for once, was devoid of its usual crazed arrogance. His lips were pressed tightly together, and he seemed a bit nervous. In his hand, he clutched a dead cell phone.