"Hmm..." Charles frowned slightly as he looked at the relic in his hand.
This type of relic exchanged intelligence for size, and it was hard to say if that was good or bad. If one were to lose even basic cognition, then no matter how strong one became, it would be of no use.
Moreover, after the body enlarged, he would no longer be able to use his three relics. Balancing this out, his strength might actually decline.
Charles quickly realized the greatest use for this relic, "Although I can't use it, I can give it to my crew."
The upcoming adventures would only grow more dangerous, and it wasn't possible to rely on the strength of just one person.
The strength of the crew aboard the Unicorne also had to be comprehensively enhanced, so they wouldn't hold the rest back.
His thoughts flashed to the solid muscles of someone, and Charles immediately found a new owner for the relic,
Disregarding his slightly aching body, Charles threw off the covers and walked out with the relic in hand.
Thirty minutes later, Charles stood on the deck, shouting at the four-meter-tall Chief Engineer, "James, put the relic down on the floor! On the ground!"
The other crew members who had no pressing tasks gathered around, excitedly watching the spectacle.
The enlarged James sat down on the deck with a thump, causing the entire Unicorne to shake. It took a full three seconds before his wooden grip loosened, letting 434 fall to the deck.
"The intelligence decrease is greater than I expected," Charles muttered to himself, watching the Purple Pyramid in his hand.
After testing, the increase in size gave extraordinary physical strength, but the decrease in intelligence was fatal. There had to be someone to issue commands at all times, or the befuddled James would only stand in place, playing with his fingers.
"Captain, can I have a go with this?" Deep asked, curious, with a group of sailors coming up close.
Charles thought for a moment and tossed 434 over, "All of you try it, see who's more suited to it."
For a while, the deck was full of enthusiastic crew members, both young and old. Watching them laugh and treat 434 like a toy, Charles didn't stop them.
After all, people weren't machines, and on Earth Sea, opportunities to relax like this were few.
After giving a few instructions, Charles headed back to his room, feeling his wounds begin to hurt again.
Time at sea flew by, and the corroding wounds on Charles's body were also rapidly healing. Along the way, the occasional minor mishap was perfectly handled by the crew. For once, Charles enjoyed the privileges of being a captain.
When they sighted the lighthouse of Coral Island, the entire Unicorne nearly flipped from the crew's cheering. They had once again returned alive.
As soon as the ship docked, everyone collected their rewards from Charles's side and dashed out to release the pressure in their hearts.
Charles, carrying the remaining two relics, intended to head towards the Explorer Association. He wanted to see if other captains had any clues about these objects, as he was unaware of their uses and potential downsides.
Just as he was about to disembark, Charles saw Lily surrounded by brown rats standing on the pier.
Walking over, Charles realized with her ears drooping that she hadn't left.
"Why didn't you leave?"
His question startled Lily, and she turned around flustered. "Mr. Charles."
"What are you doing standing here? Why not go home? Haven't you always wanted to go home?" Charles grabbed her tail and lifted her up.
"But now that I've become a rat, will my mom recognize me? Will she chase me away with a broom?" Lily asked pitifully.
Charles realized it then—the fear of such a drastic change in one's body must be terrifying for a child.
"Don't worry, no parent would ever stop worrying about their daughter, even if she turned into a mouse, they wouldn't despise her," Charles comforted.
"Really??" Lily's ears perked up.
"Really, truly," Charles said, suddenly reminded of his own sister when he looked at the mouse before him.
Lily shook with excitement. "Mr. Charles, you're right, my mom won't forget about me. I've been away for so long, she must miss me a lot."
Just as Charles was about to walk out, Lily clutching his finger said, "Mr. Charles, can you take me back home?"
Charles was about to refuse when he saw the pitiful look on the little mouse's face.
With a slight sigh, Charles relented. "Alright, I'll take you home."
The little girl had for some reason turned into a mouse, and it was uncertain if she could ever change back; they were all deserving of pity, and he would help if he could.
Soon enough, a peculiar sight presented itself at dock 3 of Coral Island: a man with black pupils leading a large group of mice through the streets.
After Charles had paid four times the usual fare and promised that the mice would not bite the seats, a steam car driver finally agreed to transport them.
Lily's home was nearly an hour's drive from the harbor, and the closer they got, the more excited Lily became.
She must be delighted now, right? Will I ever have a day like this? Watching the white mouse scamper around on his own thigh, a hint of envy appeared in Charles's eyes.
"Sir, we've arrived. If you take a left at the corner up ahead, you'll reach Dr. Oliver's home. There's a sweet little girl living there; you best not bring these mice, they might scare them."
Unable to wait any longer, Lily did not wait for the car to stop and jumped out, leading the mice at full speed towards the corner ahead.
When Lily got to the corner, her tiny body stiffened as if electrocuted.
"Hm?" Sensing something was amiss, Charles walked over.
Around the left corner stood an elegantly styled two-story cottage, where a gentle mother was sipping tea and chatting with her daughter in the front yard.
Although the daughter seemed to be only around eleven or twelve, resembling Hermione from the first Harry Potter movie, her expressive eyes hinted that she was destined to be an even more enchanting beauty than her mother.
"Lily, do you have another sister or a sister at home?" Charles hesitated to ask, as the mother in the distance didn't seem to be grieving the loss of a daughter.
Charles's words snapped Lily out of her paralysis, and she began to scream in despair.
"Aaah! That Lily is fake, I am my mother's daughter! She must be the Witch from the stories! She turned me into a mouse and stole my mother's love, I'll bite her to death!!"
After saying this, Lily, with the mice now baring their teeth and claws, charged towards the figure in the distance.
Charles raised his left hand, adorned with a ring, and caught Lily mid-air. "Calm down!"
Seeing the white mouse trapped, the mice swiftly turned around, baring their sharp teeth at Charles with a fierce glint in their eyes.
Just as Charles's other hand touched the clown mask, Lily stopped the mice's attack and, floating in the air, began to cry loudly.
"Wuwuwu, Mr. Charles, I can't go home, my mom doesn't want me... what should I do??"