"What did you say?! ... You've been to a level 4 island?!" The startled fat man's voice changed in tone, his expression incredibly vivid.
The other captains were equally astonished, as they had just been warning him not to seek death on the islands, and now he claimed to have already explored it?
"Why does the island only have a danger level, but no bounty listed?" Charles asked the next question.
"Don't change the subject! When did you go to that island? What's on it?"
Charles frowned slightly and leaned back to dodge the fat man's flying spittle. "The Futan Sect entrusted me to retrieve something from the island. What's the problem with that? Isn't that how everyone explores islands?"
At this moment, Elizabeth was no longer composed; her fair face flushed slightly, looking somewhat excited,
"Charles, you're new here, so you might not understand the steps of exploring islands. An explorer's tasks are quite detailed. First, is exploring the navigation routes, then assessing the indigenous danger level, and finally, exploring and seizing the islands. In the association, each type of task has different rewards."
"And you, a newcomer, have already completed several preliminary steps. Now you just need to finish seizing the island! The entire island could be yours! You could be the next lucky one, the next Governor!"
That's how it was; no wonder the island wasn't listed with a reward on the sea chart. It turned out the exploration was so meticulously divided, Charles thought to himself.
"Let's not talk about that now, new... Charles, what resources are on that island? Is it dangerous?"
After thinking for a few seconds, Charles felt the island was of little value, so he shared the details of the island with them all.
When they heard the island had no food or fresh water and was full of monsters that could erase human memories, everyone's faces showed pity.
"Ah, another dead island. I thought we were about to witness history, seeing the fastest Governor ever."
"Yes, and without even fresh water, it's useless to seize."
"If there were just a little resources, we could start to assemble a fleet to conquer it."
While the others were discussing this, Charles pointed at the northernmost level 5 island on the sea chart and said to a female recorder beside him, "In half a month, my ship will set sail, and I need to explore that island."
Elizabeth opened her mouth as if to dissuade him, but ultimately, she didn't speak out. The fellow in front of her was not just any newcomer; his abilities were indecipherable.
After the recorder finished registering the task, Charles looked around at the suddenly silent captains. "May I ask if there is any advice regarding weapons?"
Last exploration had taught him a lesson; Charles knew he had to enhance the combat capability of the entire ship, as relying solely on a revolver was insufficient.
"If it is just ordinary weapons, ask them." The burly man pointed toward the personnel behind the counter. "The association also deals in weapon trade, and as long as the price is right, they can get anything."
The recorder beside him helpfully said, "Please wait a moment, I'll bring over the weapon catalog."
Charles suddenly realized the founder of the association was a real business genius. The talk about serving mankind was just a front; the true goal was profiting from a booming arms trade.
Soon, several books were placed in front of Charles, listing various models of firearms with bullets prices conveniently indicated below.
The technology in Earth Sea was a bit outdated; most firearms were obsolete weapons from World War I, and whether more advanced weapons existed or weren't listed was unclear.
"Charles, these items actually look good, but they are not very useful. Moreover, many things on the islands can't be handled with bullets."
The burly man's words brought the excited Charles back to reality. Confirmed, the many mysterious elements on the islands made such pure violence not very useful.
Charles didn't think that swapping his revolver for another firearm would make any real difference when he went to Golden Statue Island; firearms couldn't stop the alteration of memories.
"What will you use then?" Charles asked.
"We fill it with human lives." A hoarse voice from the crowd spoke up, causing the previously enthusiastic atmosphere to cool down.
The speaker was a middle-aged man with a sallow complexion and a hooked nose.
He leaned forward, his gray pupils fixating on Charles.
"I know what you want to ask. You are expecting us to have some exploring tips, and indeed, we each have our unique abilities," he raised a hand, and a flash of blue flames briefly illuminated it.
"But even if we have relics with strange powers, the mortality rate of explorers is frightfully high. Behind a successful Governor stand thousands of deaths. Your last incident-free adventure was just good luck; don't blame me for speaking the truth—reality is this cruel."
Hearing this, Charles felt somewhat reassured; Earth Sea was never merciful to mankind.
He addressed the captains of exploration ships before him, "Gentlemen, let's talk another time; I need to prepare for the sea voyage now."
Watching Charles walk towards the door, the burly man puzzledly asked, "What do you think he's going up north for? He couldn't really be searching for the Land of Light, could he?"
No one answered his question, and for a moment, the hall fell quiet.
For the following half-month, Charles kept busy, not just gathering supplies but also engaging in full-body workouts and firearms training.
Earth Sea is cruel, but he would not give up his belief.
Time ashore passed quickly, and, in the blink of an eye, it was half a month later.
The brand-new exploration ship lay quietly in the harbor; its streamlined silhouette, the black deck guns reflecting the lights, and its robust hull filled Charles's eyes with fascination.
"She's quite beautiful. Don't you think?" Charles's words carried excitement and anticipation.
"Captain, what's her name? It won't still be called Rat, will it?" Deep, standing before five sailors, asked.
Looking at the 125-caliber cannon on the foredeck, Charles thought for a moment before replying, "Unicorne; she is called the Unicorne."
Having named the new ship, Charles turned to face the new faces. Unicorne was not a cargo ship like the Rat that could sail regardless of crew size. As an exploration ship, it was equipped with all the necessary crew members.
One sailor chief, four sailors, one first mate, one second officer, one Chief Engineer, one Chief Engineer, one Second Chief Engineer, one chef, one assistant chef, and one Captain—altogether 13 crew members.
The crew varied in age, height, and were all male, some with the curled ears native to these parts.
As Charles observed them, the crew also curiously examined their new captain.
A ship is different from the land; once at sea, the vessel is an enclosed environment, and the Captain is the king of this space, controlling the fate of everyone aboard. Should a captain prove unreliable, he could doom everyone on the ship.
When they saw Charles's face, their concerns were somewhat alleviated. Although this black-eyed captain was young, many recognized him as an experienced one.
"I believe everyone knows what we are up to this time. I won't deceive you—currently, the mortality rate for an exploration ship is one in five. If anyone wants to opt-out, now is the time."
No one in the crowd moved; all standing here were seasoned at sea; they understood the risks of the journey, as well as the benefits of successfully discovering a new island.
If the captain became the Governor of the new island, these underlings would rise markedly. Venturing out to sea is a gamble with life; why not gamble for something greater?
"Very well, everyone, on board!"