Chapter 14. Explorers Association [Bonus Image]
Emerging from n0v@lbin☆, this material harbors clandestine details.
The party dispersed at the port, and each of them went about with their own assigned tasks.
After depositing one million Echo into his bank account, Charles hurried towards the shipyard. His heart raced along the way; he hadn't experienced this feeling in a long time. It was akin to the excitement of confessing to a crush for the first time.
Inside the steel-clad shipyard, Charles was greeted by an old man with two attendants. The man was the owner of the shipyard.
"Good day, sir. What can I assist you with?" the old man asked.
"I need an exploration ship," Charles replied.
Upon hearing that Charles wasn't looking to purchase a cargo or fishing vessel but an exploration ship, a look of astonishment surfaced on the old man's face.
"Sir, are you sure you want an exploration ship? Have you applied at the Explorers Association?" the old man sought confirmation in hesitation.
"Not yet. Do I need to apply before purchasing a ship?"
Picking up on the customer's slight displeasure in his words, Woode quickly explained, "No, no, of course you can. I just wanted to make sure. Adventurous spirits like yours are becoming rarer these days."
Discovering an island meant immense profit, but behind those successful ventures were thousands of failures. The advent of steam engines allowed humans to venture into unknown seas and search for new homes more efficiently. They once believed they could conquer the vast ocean.
Unfortunately, humans were not the protagonists here. The truly exploratorable islands were few and far between, while the majority of those islands consisted of extreme dangers. The enigmatic natives and the depths of the sea delivered mankind a resounding blow.
More and more exploration ships went missing. More and more people lost their husbands and children to the sea. Death cast a chilling pall over humanity and gradually extinguished their fiery spirits. Slowly, people no longer regarded exploration ships as heroes. Instead, they whispered behind closed doors, branding the crew of those on exploration ships as foolish daredevils seeking their own demise.
In Woode's memory, the last time someone bought an exploration ship was five years ago, and that person, as expected, died at sea.
"Sir, what kind of ship do you need? Please tell me," Woode asked.
"Not too large, with a length of up to 70 meters. The propulsion system must be the Radiant Turbine Engine, and the bow chaser cannon should be rifled, with a caliber of 125 millimeters," Charles rattled off his requirements in rapid succession.
He had been preparing for this moment for such a long time that he had engraved the configurations of various exploration ships in his mind. It was all in the pursuit of returning home.
Setting aside her captivating beauty, Charles was more interested in the wooden staff she had by her waist, which seemed to be her weapon. Women venturing out to sea were rare in the first place; those who not only survived but thrived on the ocean were far from being ordinary individuals.
"Do you need something?" Charles retracted his gun.
"It's been a while since I've seen a newcomer. Let's get acquainted. I'm Elizabeth, captain of the Black Rose. And you, my dear, what's your name?" the giantess asked with a mischievous smile. Her voice dripped with a hint of playfulness.
Charles didn't answer her and focused on filling out the application form. The harsh conditions at sea had dampened his interest in socializing with strangers.
However, the woman beside him seemed undeterred and unwilling to leave.
A sweet fragrance wafted through the air as Elizabeth leaned in. She unabashedly stole a glance at Charles' application form.
"Charles? That's a nice name. Ah, the location doesn't matter much. Just write something down," Elizabeth remarked with a nonchalant attitude.
A muscular man seated on the sofa laughed out loud. "Elizabeth, you weren't this enthusiastic when I first came here."
Elizabeth glanced at him disdainfully and rolled her eyes. "You're not like him, and I have no desire to sleep with you. Why should I help you?"
The muscular man wasn't the least offended. He slapped his thigh as he and his companion burst into a hearty laugh.
Pft.
Charles had punched a hole in the application form with his pen. He had suspected that the woman had ulterior motives, but he had never expected it to be that. Indeed, women who could survive on the open sea were...something else.
Ignoring Elizabeth beside him, Charles quickly finished writing and handed over the form.
The staff member received the application and skillfully operated the machine in front of them.
Elizabeth remained unfazed by the man's lack of attention and continued showering him with her words.
"Charles, it's your first time here, so let me give you an introduction. The role of the Explorers Association is quite simple: to assist the Association in finding new islands. Of course, there's no free lunch in the world. Once a captain joins the Association, they must establish an Explorer Association Branch on their island if they become a governor."
Charles interrupted her, "Thank you for the reminder, but I already know all of this. There's no need to remind me."
"Hmm? It seems that our Mr. Charles has done his homework before coming here. Do you have some time later? Would you like to visit my ship?" Elizabeth proposed, undeterred by Charles' response.