The sound of the blade scraping against the barnacle shell was grating, yet Feilbaha seemed unfazed, growing more enthusiastic with each scrape.

  “Captain Charles, do you want to give it a try? It’s quite exhilarating!” Feilbaha offered the bloodied turtle to Charles.

  “No thanks. What brings you here?” Charles holstered his revolver. He recognized Feilbaha from the dock; he was indeed one of Kode’s hired captains.

  “Oh, it’s like this: the guy from the Church of the Light told us that our mission is to find the legendary Land of Light.”

  “What’s wrong? Do you suspect he’s deceiving you?”

  “Ha! He really has no reason to lie. Since we’ve taken the payment, we’ll see this mission through, no matter how dangerous it is. Just tell us what our task really is.”

  Charles felt a twinge of frustration for Kode; he had been honest, yet no one believed him.

  “Is this also the opinion of the other captains?”

  “They didn’t say, but I can tell they have their concerns. Since they were reluctant to ask, I stepped up to inquire for everyone.”

  “If there are concerns, why come at all?”

  “That’s because the pay is too good. Once this mission is complete, I could take a long break for several years!” Feilbaha replied with a serious expression.

  “Our mission is to explore two islands. One of them might be a stronghold for the Sodom pirates, which could be dangerous. But don’t worry, we’re not there to conquer; we just need to gather enough supplies before heading to the other island. Once we reach it, your task will be complete.”

  Feilbaha nodded in understanding. “I see. If you had told us what the employer said, we would have felt much more uncertain.”

  As he spoke, Feilbaha tossed the cleaned turtle into the sea, twirled the dagger in his hand, and looked at Charles with curiosity.

  “Mr. Charles, I’ve heard you know Governor Elizabeth. Could you introduce me to her? The lads on my ship are all quite capable; we could easily handle the island capture mission.”

  Charles regarded him with suspicion. It felt as though this question was his true motive, hiding behind the earlier inquiries.

  “Elizabeth is gone. If I’m not mistaken, her island has already been taken.”

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  Upon hearing this, Feilbaha sighed and squatted on the deck. “If I had known, I would have come here sooner. The edge of the archipelago offers more opportunities!”

  Charles glanced at his ears, noticing no signs of obsession. “Aren’t you an explorer from Coral Island?”

  “Exactly! I was originally an explorer from the Island of the Law Ring, but that island is too old. The nearby islands have all been explored, and the remaining ones are far too dangerous. Venturing there to find a living island is tantamount to suicide, so I came to the farthest Coral Island in the Northern Sea to try my luck.”

  Feilbaha seemed quite talkative, spilling out information even without Charles asking.

  “Why not just go back to live on the island if there are no islands left to explore? Why are you so focused on exploring?” Charles leaned against the ship’s railing, gazing into the distant darkness.

  Feilbaha chuckled. “Then why did you become an explorer, Charles?”

  Charles narrowed his eyes slightly, remaining silent. A few years ago, he might have eagerly shared his aspirations, but now, nearing home, he didn’t want to discuss it anymore, especially since no one would believe him.

  Noticing Charles’s silence, Feilbaha continued, “I share your dream; I aspire to become a governor of an entire island one day. Why should others succeed while I cannot? I will succeed! I want those who look down on me to see that I, Feilbaha Claude, will rise above!”

  By the end, Feilbaha clenched his fist, his tone resolute.

  Seeing his enthusiasm, Charles asked, “How many islands have you explored?”

  At this question, a hint of embarrassment crossed Feilbaha’s face. “Only one.”

  Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Feilbaha quickly changed the subject. “Mr. Charles, although this is our first meeting, I’ve heard about you from the Explorers’ Association. They say you’re a madman, but you don’t seem like one.”

  “What do they say? Reckless? Shouldn’t an explorer be fearless?”

  “Not quite. They say your recklessness feels more like you’re deliberately courting death. They’ve never seen an explorer so driven. By the way, Mr. Charles, there are rumors that Governor Elizabeth’s island was a gift from you. Is that true?”

  Charles frowned at the man beside him, sensing a persistent motive to connect him with Elizabeth. What was his aim?

  With no fondness for those with ulterior motives, Charles offered a few vague replies and turned to head back to the cabin.

  With a smile, Feilbaha scratched his deep green hair, stood on the empty deck for a moment, then waved to Krona, who was steering in the cockpit, before jumping straight into the sea.

  Time passed, and the fleet gradually entered unexplored waters. Compared to the usual lonely crew of just a dozen, this time they were much more numerous. The lively atmosphere dispelled much of the oppressive fear that often lingered at sea, even the newly joined crew felt no hint of fear.

  However, the sea was always unforgiving. Soon, subtle changes in the water made the previously jovial crew tense up.

  The sea began to flow in a rhythmic pattern, as if something beneath the ocean was dragging them forward.

  “Notify the other ships to follow the Unicorn and leave this area quickly. Something feels off about this sea,” Charles instructed the first mate beside him.

  A rhythmic horn sounded, and soon all the ships began to accelerate, following the Unicorn.

  Things didn’t worsen; they managed to escape that area as if what had just happened was not dangerous at all.

  After carefully examining the nautical charts, Charles began to turn the helm, aiming to navigate around and avoid unnecessary trouble.

  Just as he was making a wide turn, his keen eyesight caught sight of something approaching the surface. Was that… a fin?