Charles walked alone to the Explorers Association, having left Lily in the inn where the little girl's spirits were still somewhat low, hoping time would take everything away.
As soon as he entered the Explorers Association, Charles instinctively glanced towards the corner sofa.
This time, there were fewer captains, just four, and the towering beauty Elizabeth was among them.
"My dear Charles, I'm over here," Elizabeth waved continuously.
Charles didn't approach her, instead he gestured towards the counter and headed there first.
"This is the intelligence on that island." Charles handed over his compiled report to the staff behind the counter.
"You... you really went there?" The woman behind the counter looked incredulous.
"Hurry up, I don't have time to waste," Charles said impatiently to the unfamiliar face.
"S-sorry, it's my first day on the job, please wait a moment while I ask my supervisor."
Soon, a middle-aged man wearing a suit and round glasses came over, smiled at Charles, took the paper, and began reading it in detail, also taking out several books, seemingly to compare something.
After a long while, he exhaled and spoke with respect, "Thank you for your significant contribution to the Association; we've lifted a part of the mystery shrouding the Earth Sea."
"How much did I earn this time?"
"For exploring a level five island and the detailed intelligence, your total remuneration is 1.6 million Echoes, after deducting the Governor's tax, you finally receive 1.45 million Echo Coins."
Honestly, Charles was quite surprised by the number; he hadn't expected exploring an island to be so lucrative - with this amount, he could buy a two-story house with a front yard on Coral Island.
But then recalling the several life-and-death crises he encountered on the island, Charles felt it was only fair since these were the rewards he had earned with his own life.
"Mr. Charles, you listed a bank account on the previous application form; we will transfer the payment directly there, is that all right?"
"Let's do it that way," Charles turned and walked towards the sofa, as he had other matters to attend to today.
"What happened to your eye?" Charles pointed at the pirate-style black eye patch over Elizabeth's left eye.
"Lost an eye, whew, that island was too dangerous; lucky to come back alive, really frightening," Elizabeth snuggled up close, showing no sign of being scared.
"Why are there so few people today?" Charles observed the three unfamiliar faces.
"Captains who return to harbor on Saturday afternoons usually assemble all at once; in typical circumstances, this place is as sparse as just two or three kittens. Hm? Why are you wearing a ring on your ring finger? Are you married? My heart is about to break," Elizabeth ran her finger over Charles' ring.
Charles lifted his left hand and shook it, "It's just a relic, Elizabeth, how are relics traded between explorers?"
Hearing Charles' question, the other three immediately cast curious glances at him.
"Normally, we trade on the same Saturday afternoon, but you can show it now. If it's very useful, I can offer a fair price."
The one speaking was a young man holding a bottle of alcohol with a dejected expression, his clothes stained and dirty with liquor; even from two meters away, Charles could smell his sour stench.
Charles took out the remaining two relics and laid them on the table.
Elizabeth and the four of them scrutinized them carefully; after a while, the drunken young man spoke up.
"Unidentified relics usually don't have a set price, but let's make friends, *hiccup* 300,000 each, I'll take both."
This was a form of high-stakes gambling; after all, no one knew the actual use of these relics, and if the side effects were significant, it'd be like spending money to buy trouble.
"The price is fair," Elizabeth's lips brushed Charles' ear as she spoke and exhaled breath.
"Deal," Charles shifted aside.
"I'm William; if you have other relics in the future, we can continue to do business." The young man took out a packet of red powder, poured it into the bottle, and guzzled it down.
Watching the convulsing William, Charles looked at Elizabeth with a questioning expression.
"It's fine, it's just Joy Fruit powder, that guy's been eating it for half a year."
Some kind of addictive substance? As he watched William's tears and snot flow, Charles speculated.
Charles didn't care much about the matters of the other captains, turning instead to the massive beauty beside him.
"Do you still have some of that jelly that eliminates hallucinations? I need to buy some."
Although the hallucinations weren't too frequent, they were annoying when they did occur.
"I still have some, that stuff is truly addictive, and in the end, if you don't eat it, you'll die terribly."
"Do you have another way to get rid of this trouble?"
"Yes," Elizabeth answered quickly, "As soon as you land, the problem will be solved quickly."
Charles immediately dismissed this solution; under no circumstances would he go ashore.
After chatting with the other captains for a while, Charles glanced at the clock and stood up. "Miss Elizabeth, please bring some over on Saturday, I will buy from you; it's getting late, we'll talk next time."
No sooner had Charles left than Elizabeth stood up, her face wearing a faint smile, and followed him out.
Standing at the dock and looking at the bustling laborers carrying cargo in the distance, Charles was at a loss for what to do.
"Right, I should buy a pocket watch."
By the time Charles returned to his own door, his coat's inner pocket had gained a shining gold pocket watch.
Upon opening the door to his residence, Charles saw the room teeming with rats scurrying everywhere.
"Mr. Charles, you're back..." said Lily, once sunny and cheerful, now lying on the bed utterly listless.
After patting her head, Charles went to his desk and began writing in his journal.
Lily curiously came over to look but soon lost interest and left. She couldn't understand the scribbles and rings of the square characters.
"Bang bang bang," the sound of knocking echoed in the small room.
With a look to Lily, the rats in the room swiftly scurried into various corners; within seconds, Charles was the only living being visible in the room.
Charles opened the door to be greeted by a voluptuous bust. As he looked up, he saw the towering beauty, Elizabeth.
"My dear, why are you staying here? The soundproofing is not very good."