Embark on a quest to the commencement at n0v#lbin★
Chapter 79. Collaboration
Gradually, a savage joy twisted Kord's features. He turned around and stared at Charles' face with an intense gaze.
"Captain Charles, how very kind of you to share the nautical chart so readily. Thank you so much..."
A Divine Light Order follower standing guard in the hallway entered the room with an expressionless face. He had his gaze on Charles.
In the face of the veiled threat, Charles was seemingly unbothered as he looked at Kord with a calm, indifferent face.
"So? You plan to take down all the remaining thirty-three islands all by yourself?"
"As long as I have the nautical chart, I can get other captains to collaborate with me! I must be the first to discover the Land of Light!" Kord declared, and the followers reached into their robes and pulled out firearms.
In response, Charles' left hand suddenly moved on its own and reached for the lightning staff hidden inside his coat.
"Stay down, it's all bluster," Charles said in his mind, effectively halting Richard from retaliating in aggression.
Charles looked at Kord once more and said, "Are you afraid that I would discover the Land of Light first and abduct your Sun God? Don't be so narrow-minded. We share the same goal in this respect."
Charles extended his right hand and looked at the old man before him with a calm gaze.
Kord lunged at Charles, his hands frantically grabbing Charles' collar. With his neck veins bulging under his skin, Kord questioned, "Why should I collaborate with you? To complete the task you requested, I've marshaled all the power I could access! If the Archbishop and his men discover what I did, I will surely be dragged to the Divine Light Grand Cathedral to face judgment!"
"Are you possibly afraid?"
A hint of panic flashed across Kord's eyes, and his expression cracked under Charles' question.
An understanding smirk appeared on Charles' face, and he suddenly changed the topic, "In that case, wouldn't you need an experienced Explorer Captain even more? After all, there's no real bad blood between us, do we? You tricked me once, I tricked you once; we're even."
The wrinkles on Kord's face twitched, and he abruptly released his grip on Charles. His gaze fell back onto the nautical chart drawn on the diary pages.
"I currently have three exploration ships at my disposal. Including your ship, that's four in total. If each ship explored one island every two months, we could locate the stairway to the Land of Light within two years at the quickest!"
Charles ignored the old doctor's assurance that sounded like a curse, "Did you manage to repair the black mirror? Better not to use electricity on it directly. That thing's delicate."
Without even raising his head, Laesto replied, "That thing is mine now, I have my way. You don't have to bother."
"If you manage to turn it on, let me know," Charles said. He was also curious about the contents of the tablet.
Without giving any response, Laesto turned on his heel and left.
Life at sea was as uneventful and dull as ever. They hadn't encountered any anomalies. Yet.
The door to the bridge swung open with a thud. Second Mate Conor was on duty to helm the ship at this time.
"Captain, don't worry. We're still on a safe route. What could possibly happen?" Conor assured.
"Don't let your guard down. Even things can happen on a safe route at times," Charles retorted as he peered at the distant navigational buoy. Fortunately, the buoy was a normal one this time that steadily approached their position as the Narwhale steered ahead.
"Captain, have you ever heard of Volcano Island in the Southern Sea? I was born there," Conor tried to engage his captain in a conversation.
"I see," Charles responded nonchalantly as he examined the nautical chart pinned to the wall. He really found his second mate to be rather chatty.
"Have you heard of the island's specialty? Apart from its iron and copper mines, the place's famous for its leviathan whale oil. Besides its usage as a lubricating oil, it can also be used to manufacture candles and soap. The leftover residual can even be a source of fuel. Perhaps, the fuel we are burning in our turbine chambers now is from my hometown," Conor continued with a hint of pride in his voice.
Charles was aware of the things Conor mentioned. In the early days of Earth's Industrial Revolution, whale oil, especially from the sperm whales in the Pacific Ocean, was an essential industrial material before the discovery of petroleum.
"Then how did you end up in the Northern Sea? It's at least a half-year journey from Volcano Island to the Coral Archipelago, isn't it?" Charles questioned.
A helpless look appeared on Conor's face as he replied, "Actually, my father was the captain of a whaling ship, and he had wanted me to inherit his ship. But I didn't want to. Leviathan whales are at least a hundred meters long. Every year, there would be ships capsizing because of the whales and sailors perishing within these creatures' bellies.
"So you decided to venture out because of the potential dangers? Honestly, coming aboard my ship wasn't the best choice, then," Charles commented wryly.
Conor shook his head. "I'm not afraid of danger, but I fear for my children to have to follow my footsteps in such dangerous work. I wanted to change."
Brimming with hope, Conor continued, "You know, Captain, on my tenth birthday, my father took me to the central island as a birthday treat. That trip changed my life. I realized that the central islanders were really happy. Every one of them owned their land and didn't have to work at all. They merely live on collecting Echo from those who rented their land. They lived in bliss merely because they were sailors on the governor's ship when the governor first settled on the island."
"Don't worry, one day, you'll have your own land," Charles assured Conor.
"When that day comes, I will bring over my entire family and let them become central islanders." Suddenly, Conor seemed to be reminded of something, and a shadow of pain flickered in his eyes.