The high priest's voice was old and sticky, as if he had phlegm lodged in his throat, making Charles uncomfortable to listen to.

  “Where is it?”

  “Not far, on a newly discovered island to the left of Coral Islands.”

  Charles continued to ask, “Why do you need me? There are many who are stronger than I, both in terms of men and ships.”

  “Ha ha ha, that place is a bit dangerous. We need a cautious captain.”

  Charles didn’t believe his words about “a bit dangerous.” “A bit dangerous” wasn’t worth a million Echo Coins.

  “You’ve probably said that to others before me, haven’t you? What happened to them?”

  The high priest spoke with a tone of disdain, “Isn’t Captain Charles the one who claims he wants to buy an exploration ship? If you’re afraid of such minor dangers, you don’t seem like a hero who can expand our human territory.”

  Seeing that the red-robed figure hadn’t directly answered his question, Charles realized that the fates of his predecessors must not have been good; that place was definitely very dangerous.

  After a moment’s thought, he decided to take on the task. Fortune favors the bold, and he didn’t want to delay any longer.

  As for danger? How safe could any voyage be these days? There was no place on the Sea of Mysteries that was truly safe.

  “Fine, but how can I be sure you’ll keep your word?”

  The high priest of Futan seemed reasonable. “I can deposit the reward in the British Bank and have them as witnesses.”

  After a brief pause, he continued, “I have a small question: Captain Charles, why are you so eager to buy an exploration ship? For power? Echo Coins? Or for honor?”

  Charles had no intention of hiding the truth. “To seek the Land of Light.”

  Upon hearing this, the red robe trembled, and the aged voice carried a hint of panic. “Seeking the Land of Light? You’re not one of those followers of the Church of Light, are you?”

  “No.”

  Hearing Charles’s answer, the high priest finally breathed a sigh of relief. “Good, because if you were one of those heretics, we would have to reconsider our deal. Don’t get involved with them; those heretics are completely insane—they are a cult!”

  Hearing a Futan follower, who enjoyed sacrificing the living, say this made Charles want to laugh. By the standards of the surface world, every religion in the Sea of Mysteries was a cult, with various rituals that were as inhumane as could be.

  As Charles stepped out of the confession room, the bald man named Hook entered, holding a cup of blood-red liquid, which he respectfully placed behind the high priest.

  “Go sign the contract now, and let him set sail as soon as possible.”

  Hook nodded and, after a moment of hesitation, cautiously asked, “High Priest, do you think this will succeed?”

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  A black octopus tentacle emerged from beneath the red robe, curling around the cup and pulling it back inside. “Take your time; this is only the ninth. Don’t rush… The Lord’s treasures can only belong to us.”

  Without wasting any time, Charles followed Hook to the largest bank on Coral Island.

  Seeing Hook write the name of the Futan Church on the contract eased Charles’s mind. The legality of this contract was now backed by the governor of Coral Island. The Futan Church wouldn’t dare break their promise, as the price they would pay for doing so would far exceed a million Echo Coins.

  “Captain Charles, I heard your first mate has disembarked, is that right?”

  “What does that have to do with this matter?” Charles tucked the contract into a pocket of his clothing.

  “Of course, it doesn’t. Just to ensure you complete your task quickly, the Futan Church has specially chosen a first mate for you. He has rich sailing experience, so please don’t refuse.”

  Looking at the bald man before him, Charles frowned. “To monitor me?”

  “No, he’s just here to guide you. That island is quite remote, and we’re afraid you might not find it.”

  Charles didn’t mind; currently, their interests aligned. These people wouldn’t send someone over to hinder him at this moment.

  “I’ll set sail three days from now at six o’clock.”

  Three days later at the port, it was starting to get lively, with teams of laborers moving cargo like ants.

  Charles stood at the bow of the ship, waiting, while the other crew members chatted idly on the deck. Among them were two unfamiliar faces—new sailors—while the previous sailor, Deep, had already been promoted to first mate.

  The suddenly promoted young man looked excited, with his hands clasped behind his back, acting as if he were an experienced mentor to the new sailors, even though many of them were older than he was.

  However, the chief engineer and the cook were not so carefree; they knew this mission wouldn’t be simple.

  “James, I thought you would disembark like John?” the thin, bamboo-like cook, Frey, said.

  “The captain saved my life. Wherever he goes, I go. Besides, the captain said this mission has generous rewards. Once I get the payment, I can propose to Mosika,” he said, seemingly picturing the wedding scene, with a happy expression on his face.

  “What if you die? This isn’t a delivery mission; exploring islands is the job of explorers.”

  “I’m not afraid. It’s not bad to go along with you.”

  The chief engineer thought of something and turned to his companion. “Frey, what about you? Why did you come along?”

  “You know my personality; I’m too lazy to move around,” Frey said, casting his gaze toward the captain’s back, his eyes filled with calm.

  In truth, he stayed because he had seen the captain secretly take out a rectangular object a few years ago. This object not only played music like a record player but also had ghostly performances of plays.

  Though he didn’t know what it was, he felt it was some powerful relic, and he suspected that this relic required tears as a price. The usually rational captain had cried like a child that day.

  From that moment on, he felt he was bound to this captain. With such a powerful relic at his side, safety was assured.

  The high rewards at sea didn’t matter; the workload didn’t matter; living was the most important thing.

  It turned out his choice was correct; those who set sail at the same time as him had mostly died, while he remained perfectly fine.

  Suddenly, Charles squinted as he saw a row of black-robed Futan followers walking through the laborers toward the dock, led by the bald man named Hook.

  “Where are they? Hurry up, I’m in a rush,” Charles said, his expression slightly impatient.

  Hook smiled and gently clapped his hands, prompting one of the figures behind him to step forward.

  When Charles saw the person’s attire, he thought he was looking at a mummy. The beige bandages tightly wrapped around the person, leaving no skin visible.

  “You can call him Bandage or whatever else. He used to be a first mate and knows the location of that island. He will be a great help on this journey.”

  “Is what’s inside alive?” Charles asked, his tone cautious.

  “Ha ha, don’t worry. He’s a human, a flesh-and-blood person.”

  Hook pulled out a dagger and made a deep cut across the bandaged man’s face, revealing black skin beneath the loosened bandages, with crimson blood oozing from the wound.

  “A black man? Are there still black people in this world?” Charles looked again and realized he had misjudged. The man’s skin wasn’t black; it was covered in dense letters and tattoos, giving the illusion of being black at first glance.