“Mr. Charles, will our island sink too?”

  Upon hearing Lily's question, Charles remained silent. He gently patted her fluffy head and pushed open the door to the Bat Hotel, heading toward his room.

  Clearly, he couldn’t answer that question. This place defied logic; even if humans wanted to survive, it seemed impossible. To live with dignity, they had to find the entrance to the surface. Once that was found, all problems could be solved.

  Charles sank into the soft sofa, his tense mind finally relaxing. As the warmth of the fireplace enveloped him, he drifted into sleep.

  Time passed, and he was jolted awake by a nightmare.

  He noticed Linda standing quietly beside him, her presence unexpected. Glancing at his pocket watch, he realized four hours had gone by.

  “Mr. Charles, this lady arrived two hours ago. I wanted to wake you, but she wouldn’t let me,” Lily said, gazing out the window.

  Charles put away his watch and asked the woman beside him, “So, how is it? Has Kede returned?”

  Linda shook her head. “The saintly one hasn’t returned to the chapel.”

  A flicker of disappointment crossed Charles's face, though he had anticipated it. It seemed they would have to endure yet another round of excruciating waiting, a task he despised.

  “Does Salin have any family?” Charles inquired again, hoping to help if he could.

  “Yes, I am his wife,” Linda replied calmly, surprising him.

  “You’re his wife? Then why do you seem so unaffected by his death?” Charles questioned, skepticism in his voice.

  Linda’s tone was eerily detached. “Why should I be sad? The partners of the followers of the Light are paired by fate. My feelings for him are quite shallow, and his for me are the same.”

  Charles studied the bald woman before him and said, “Then you should go back. If Kede returns, let me know immediately.”

  Linda nodded silently and turned to leave.

  In the remaining time, Charles anxiously waited, feeling as if the hours stretched into years. He attempted to alleviate his anxiety through drawing, but it didn’t work well.

  He already had the sea charts in hand but was forced to wait for others, a tormenting situation. If not for the doctor advising him that he needed to relieve his mental strain on land, he might have set sail himself, abandoning Kede entirely.

  Soon, however, the arrival of someone eased his anxiety slightly.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Bare and relaxed, Charles lay back on the bed and exhaled slowly. “Aren’t you supposed to be gathering a fleet to attack? Why are you back?”

  Blushing, Elizabeth emerged from the covers, crawling onto Charles's chest, her smile radiating as she listened to his racing heartbeat.

  “There are some issues on that island.”

  “Is 1002 still unresolved?”

  Elizabeth’s long hair swayed as she shook her head.

  “Yes, that thing is incredibly difficult to deal with. Explosives, strong acids, freezing—it can heal rapidly, even if reduced to the size of a fingernail. My men are starting to question if it’s even a living creature.”

  Charles recalled the creature that could revitalize anything; it was indeed a formidable opponent. However, he hadn’t expected it to remain unresolved after months.

  “So, does that mean the island is useless?”

  “No, the Gante family from the Western Seas contacted me recently. They claim they can deal with it.”

  “The Western Seas? Those magic users can handle 1002?”

  “Yes, the Gante family is a well-known wizard family from the Western Seas. I’ve heard their patriarch can easily alter a person’s soul, modifying memory, consciousness, and perception.”

  “That might not work. No matter how powerful they are, if they can’t even approach 1002, how can they modify it? Plus, it’s debatable whether that thing even has a soul.”

  “I don’t know the specifics, but they assured me they could handle 1002. However, they want twenty percent of the island’s land as payment. What do you think?”

  “Why are you asking me? It’s your island; you can decide for yourself.”

  Elizabeth gazed deeply into his eyes with her sapphire-blue pupils. “Did you forget? I said the island is half yours. Such a significant matter, of course, I need to discuss it with you.”

  “I don’t mind; it’s all up to you.” To Charles, the island held no value.

  “Good, then I’ll agree to it shortly.”

  Just then, Charles suddenly sat up, alert, looking at Elizabeth. “You haven’t had your memory altered by them, have you?”

  Since Anna had modified his memory, he had become exceptionally wary of such things.

  “Don’t worry, I haven’t. Although they did control a few governors before, once those people regained their senses, the Gante family faced severe retaliation. They wouldn’t want to repeat that experience in the Northern Seas, especially with so many eyes on them.”

  Elizabeth’s delicate fingers traced the scar on Charles’s chest, and she murmured, “Darling, you have more scars now.”

  “Just some minor injuries; I accidentally got touched by something in the water.” Charles began to dress.

  Two slender white arms slid over his shoulders, gently wrapping around his neck.

  “Charles, can’t you reconsider? If the Gante family deals with 1002, then the island will be ours. Our new home can be built soon, and the entire island will belong to us.”

  Charles gently pushed her arms away as he continued to put on his shirt. “I have my own matters to attend to. Once I’m done, if you still wish to follow me then, you can come along.”

  Watching his broad back, Elizabeth’s eyes shimmered with a hint of sadness. Was the legendary Land of Light truly more important than the Living Island?

  Charles stood by the window, watching Elizabeth leave, accompanied by a group of people.

  Though Elizabeth had not yet become a governor, her aura of authority had already begun to manifest.

  Gone was her earlier gentleness; her delicate features were now filled with confidence and determination. The captain of the *Black Rose* had returned.

  “Click!” The door behind Charles opened on its own, and Lily rushed in with a swarm of mice.

  Charles quickly scanned the room for anything unusual. Finding nothing, he approached his gunner. “Why are you back so soon? Didn’t you go out to play?”

  Lily climbed up his pant leg to his shoulder. The expression on the white mouse’s face was hesitant. “Mr. Charles, can I discuss something with you?”

  “What is it?” Charles gently grabbed the fluffy white mouse in his hand.

  “Other crew members received their wages, right? As the gunner, shouldn’t I get mine too?”