Shrouded Seascape

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.

The transaction proceeded swiftly, and an hour later, Charles laid eyes on his new ship's exterior.

The streamlined white hull was adorned with neatly aligned rivets, its body several times thicker than that of S.S. Mouse. The broader smokestacks testified to the formidable power of the turbine.

At first glance, one could even mistake it for an upgraded version of S.S. Mouse. However, the presence of the aesthetically pleasing large cannon on the foredeck immediately set it apart from the realm of second-hand cargo ships.

With a length of 65 meters, a width of 10 meters, and a draft of 5.5 meters, it appeared larger at the front and smaller at the back.

"This ship was originally reserved for the Governor's Navy, but they're in no hurry. If you need it urgently, I can let you have it first," Woode explained.

"This one will do. When will it be ready?" Charles asked.

"Some of the facilities you need inside the cabin are not yet complete. If we expedite the process, it will still take about two weeks. The total price is 3.5 million Echo," Woode stated.

Charles silently calculated the amount. I have just enough in my account. If I sell S.S. Mouse, it will cover the expenses for the next exploration.

"Alright. Get it ready as soon as you can. I'll come to claim the ship in two weeks," Charles instructed.

After leaving the shipyard, Charles headed straight for the Explorers Association. Now that his new exploration vessel was on the way, joining the association was the next logical step. The Explorers Association was a loose organization present on every human-inhabited island, consisting of ship captains of exploration vessels.

Joining the association wasn't mandatory, but Charles saw the benefits the Association offered and found no reason not to be part of them. As an Explorer, he would gain access to a vast collection of sea charts provided by the association free of charge. These charts were typically expensive to obtain elsewhere. Besides the charts, there were additional perks Charles had thoroughly researched and knew about.

Of course, being an Explorer had its responsibilities as well. Each year, Explorers were required to explore at least one island. Failure to meet the exploration quota would result in the revocation of their Explorer status. However, for Charles, this downside was virtually nonexistent since his goal was to explore islands to begin with.

The Explorers Association was not far from the pier. The white stone building was eye-catching. Charles glanced at the ship emblem displayed at the top of the structure and stepped inside.

The interior was spacious and echoed with each step Charles took. Apart from a few counters in the distance, there were only scattered men and women sitting on sofas to the left. The triangular caps resting on the tables indicated that they held the same status as Charles.

As Charles observed them, they curiously assessed the unfamiliar face that had just entered the premises. Charles quickly identified the words above the counters and made his way toward the leftmost one. As he filled out the application form with a feather pen, a pale arm wrapped around his neck.

Whoosh.

Charles instinctively reached for his waist. The next moment, the barrel of his revolver was already pressed against the abdomen of the person behind him.

A slightly husky female voice whispered in his ear, "Relax, newcomer. This is not the open sea. There's no danger here."

The person released Charles' neck, pulled up a chair, and sat down beside him. She crossed one leg over another and exuded an air of confidence. She was a seductive woman with bright white hair, long and straight legs, and a revealing top that did nothing to hide her alluring curves. If one disregarded her imposing height of nearly two meters, any man would desire to be close to her.

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?" 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

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.