Shrouded Seascape

Chapter 848: Companions

Linda reached out a hand and dusted a bit of dust off her adopted son's shoulder.

"What's so bad about it? If he leaves school, he'll probably starve out there. Better to just keep him under my care. I mean, what can you really expect from someone raised by island natives?"

"But—" Before James could complete his sentence, Linda cut him off.

"No buts. This is my family business, and you shouldn't meddle in it. Besides, class is about to start. You should hurry up and send your daughter to class."

James glanced at his watch and realized that it was as per Linda's words: Nini was close to being late. He quickly helped Nini out of the car and walked her toward the school gates.

As he watched Nini and the tall figure of Salin walking through the entrance, a warm smile surfaced on James' countenance. "I still remember how she looked when she was born. To think that in a blink of an eye, she's already grown so much."

Clearly, Linda wasn't interested in this conversation topic. She deftly changed the subject, asking, "Where are you headed after this?"

"Where else? Off to the Police Bureau, of course. Don't you have work? I heard that you've been tasked to take over some of Anna's work."

"Work can wait. I think you should stop by the Governor's Mansion and check on Captain first."

"You are closer to him than I do. It's probably better for you to ask him what his plans are. Some of his recent actions have been rather… troubling," Linda replied in a calm tone.

The conversation James had with his wife earlier in the morning flashed past his mind. Decided, he replied, "Alright, I'll go see him. Actually, you should find the First Mate for this. Bandages has always been the closest to Captain."

"I'll notify him as well," Linda said. With that, she swiftly turned around and walked toward the passing tram. With her ability, she phased right through the walls effortlessly and boarded the tram.

James raised his head, his gaze landing on the hazy outline of the Governor's Mansion in the distance.

"Icke, drive the car here," James instructed.

"Where are we going, Chief?"

"To the Governor's Mansion."

Screech!

The rolling tires came to a stop outside the grand Governor's Mansion. James stepped out and closed the door behind him before he strode toward the heavily guarded gates.

Led by the butler to the backyard, he soon spotted his captain, Charles. Charles was hunched slightly as he tossed papers into a small fire. Meanwhile, Lily was radiating a golden hue as she circled around Charles slowly.

"Mr. Charles! Big guy's here!" Lily called out upon spotting James.

The hunched figure slowly turned around.

"What brings you here?" Charles asked.

James approached in big strides and stopping in front of Charles, he lifted a bottle of liquor with a grin. "You're setting sail tomorrow. I specially came by to send you off properly."

"Sit," Charles said as he gestured toward the space beside him. As soon as the words left his mouth, a table and chairs floated gracefully through the nearby window and landed softly in front of them.

The amber liquid swirled in the transparent glasses before the glasses clinked together with a crisp sound.

James took a small sip before his gaze drifted curiously toward the fire. "Captain, what are you burning?"

"Nothing much. Back then when I was still on explorations, I left a few letters under my bed—just in case I die an unexpected death. But now that the days of exploration are behind me, they don't serve any purpose anymore," Charles replied, his eyes fixed on the bubbles on the interior walls of his wine glass.

Lily swooped over, trying to get a sip of the liquor but Charles caught her gently before she could do so.

James took another small sip from his glass before he looked up and stared at Charles with a serious gaze. "So, you're still planning to go without Bandages and the others this time?"

"Yes." Charles' response was firm and decisive. "I'm going back to the place where I lost my arm. You know as well that it's a part of a Divinity's body. There's no reason to let them be at risk in this expedition."

"But Captain, they're your crew," James justified. "Fighting and exploring by your side is their duty. Though none of them said it aloud, they feel like you've been distancing yourself from them."

Seeing Charles' silence, James took it as a signal to press on. "Captain, what is your goal this time? Can you tell us? As your subordinate, I know I shouldn't question your decisions, but lately, your actions have been... odd."

Charles raised his glass and gently tapped it against James'. "First of all, James. You are not my subordinate. You're my friend, my companion."

Charles' words stirred deep emotions within James. They took him back to reminisce about their old days aboard the Narwhale where they risked their lives at sea to make a living.

"And also," Charles continued. "Do you remember when I asked you about your wish?" You told me that Anna was a threat to Hope Island. Well, that threat has been dealt with."

"So you are planning to—"

"I'm planning to arrive at an answer that will satisfy everyone," Charles said. He set his glass down on the table and gently held Lily in his hand, stroking her furry back.

He then continued, "Anna has indeed crossed the line. If it were just me, I wouldn't mind. No matter what she did, I'd follow her to the end. But Hope Island is different. Hope Island has all of you to consider.

"All of you have been by my side through it all. You're my companions, my friends. Enough lives have been lost on the Narwhale. I don't want any more unnecessary deaths."

James sat in silence as he tried to digest Charles' words. He had never heard his captain speak in such a manner before. In fact, during their explorations, Charles had always maintained a strict, commanding demeanor to keep his crew in line and maintain his authority.

"All these years, we've spent more time aboard that ship than we ever have on land," Charles said, his gaze dropping to the smooth, polished floor beneath him. "You all are like family to me.

"So many have died along the way. My heart hurts… every single time. But for the sake of finding the Land of Light, for the sake of saving the Subterranean Sea, for the sake of defeating the Foundation, we had no choice but to endure and push forward.

"But things are different now," Charles concluded. "There's no longer any threat forcing us to move. All of you can live out your lives without being constantly at risk of danger. And I'm really grateful for that. All our years of hardship and struggle haven't been in vain."

It was rare for Charles to share so much of his internal thoughts, and the weight of his words filled the silence as the two men sat there, quietly holding their drinks.

Just then, a familiar voice from behind them broke the silence. "Then…what about you…"

Bandages, accompanied by the other crew members of the Narwhale behind him, appeared from the back entrance of the Governor's Mansion.

He approached Charles and said, "We're all… satisfied now… But what… about you? As the captain… of the Narwhale… have you… gotten… what you want?"

Charles took a deep breath before he let out a deep sigh. His gaze remained fixated on the ground.

Suddenly, Dipp dropped to one knee next to Charles. His webbed hand reached out to clutch Charles' arm. "Captain! Let us go with you this time! Whatever it is that you plan to do, let us help! We know that it's dangerous but death doesn't scare us!"