<h4>Chapter 184. Banquet</h4>


    Men and women convened inside the grand banquet hall of the Governor''s Mansion on Hope Ind. d in extravagant garments and essories, they sipped from their wine-filled sses as they engaged in conversations.


    Amongst them, there were nobles who held authoritative positions on Hope Ind, visiting rich merchants for fruit procurement, and also socialites. They had all gathered for one singr purpose tonight—to celebrate the return of the ind''s governor.


    Dressed in a crisp ck and white suit, Conor raised his ss to take a sip. A smile then surfaced on his countenance as he turned to the friend standing before him.


    "This wine is delectable; it''s smooth and low in acidity, yet rich in both fruity notes and a luxurious texture. I''m guessing that it''s a blend of Shadow Ind''s rare porcini mushroom wine and our ind''s signature banana liqueur," Conormented.


    "Mr. Conor, you are truly a master wine connoisseur for being able to discern this much from a single sip."


    Conor chuckled softly at the ttering remarks. "It''s merely a simple passion of mine. Anything that you dedicate yourself to will surely bear fruits."


    Just as the two were engrossed in their jovial conversation, a young woman in an exquisite, off-shoulder gown approached them. She whispered an apology to the guest before gently pulling Conor away to the side.


    "Misha, what''s the matter?" Conor asked.


    "Since the banquet today is held in honor of the governor, should we go and offer him a toast?" Misha asked as she gestured toward Charles, who was standing alone in silence by the balcony with his gaze fixated on the scenery outside.


    Conor gently tugged his wife''s arm as his expression turned slightly tensed. "Don''t go. He''s not suited for asions like this."


    "Why? Isn''t he the Governor of this ind?" A look of confusion appeared on Misha''s face.


    "Don''t probe too much. Let''s go to the other side," Conor replied and led Misha away and further from Charles.


    Misha wasn''t the only one who felt the weight of Charles'' presence. In fact, many guests were casting furtive nces toward the real Governor of Hope Ind. As the true wielder of power, every action that Charles took sparked spections among those observing him.


    "This Governor seems even more aloof than Governor Bandages. I hope he''s easier to deal with."


    "Look at that scar on this face. But knowing that he''s the Governor, I can''t help but think that adds to his alluring charm. Should I approach him to strike up a conversation, or would that be unfitting for a youngdy?"


    "Why isn''t Governor Charles speaking to anyone? Could it mean that there will be a great haul in the power dynamics of Hope Ind?"


    Meanwhile, Charles was oblivious to the undercurrents of gossip and nces from around him. His mind was reying yesterday''s conversation that took ce between him and the Pope.


    "My men are currently sorting through the nautical charts we found in Newbound City. I will send the information about the surface world that you''ve requested as soon as possible. In return, my request is very simple. I want a detailed ount of the various urrences you encounter during your expedition."


    The Pope then continued, "And please refrain from spreading information about Dawn One. Our Order needs a divine miracle at the moment. Its existence has allowed us to rapidly expand our influence. If you ruin the n, I''ll be in a difficult position."


    Charles mulled over the conversation and the various clues he had gathered.


    Firstly, since the Pope already possessed the nautical charts, why was he giving them to Charles when the Order had so many disciples? He could easily employ a swarm strategy and upy every ind on the charts.


    Secondly, why did this <i>Light God</i> need to locate the exit to the surface? The Pope said that the Light God would be freed once they found the exit. However, Charles remained skeptical of the old man''s words.


    Lastly, and most importantly, it was the identity of the <i>Light God.</i> Charles remained deeply unconvinced. Even after the Pope had shown him a divine sign, his doubts persisted.


    The being imed to be the all-knowing almighty Light God, but yet the statement was a facy in itself. If He was all-knowing, how would He not know that He would end up imprisoned? If He was almighty, why couldn''t He escape?


    Charles had encountered his fair share of underwater Divinities. This Light God seemed almost trivial inparison. He instinctively felt that the Light God was no match for those bizarre entities.


    Harboring such skepticism toward the Light God, Charles inevitably found it hard to trust the Pope, too. If He were in the Pope''s position, he would never share the full n with an outsider. His instincts were gnawing at him that the Pope was hiding things from him.


    Perhaps the Pope really couldn''t lie, but he could deliberately withhold some truth to mask his actual motives.


    Despite fulfilling his goal of finding the clues for the surface''s exit, a slight heaviness weighed down on his heart.


    While Charles'' brows were pressed together as he was deep in thought, a young man with vibrant green hair approached him. He was d in a naval uniform and held a wine ss in his hand.


    "Governor, this banquet is held in your honor. Yet, you have been standing here for an hour. That''s hardly appropriate, don''t you think?" the young man said.


    Charles gathered his thoughts together and turned his gaze onto the face that he hadn''t seen for a long while.


    "Feuerbach, It''s alright. They’ve already seen me."


    Feuerbach shed a cheeky smile before performing a yful salute. "You are the Governor, your word is thew."


    Noticing his naval uniform, Charles pondered for a second before he asked, "What is your role on Hope Ind?"


    Feigning a heartbroken look, Feuerbach replied, "<i>Ah,</i> you don''t even know... It seems like I have no ce in your heart. Currently, I serve as the Deputy Admiral of Hope Ind''s Navy. I oversee the warships that protect us from foreign threats. Of course, I report to the Grand Admiral Bandages."


    Charles'' gaze dropped onto his wine as a thought rapidly flickered through his mind. "How many ships do we have now?"


    "Apart from the thirteen exploration steamships that we''d used to upy this ind, I acquired another twenty to thirty exploration ships. We also purchased two 40,000-ton Sea Lion-ss battleships from the Albion Isles.


    ”We have been testing them for over six months. They are essentially battle-ready," Feuerbach reported with a hint of pride in his tone.


    Charles pondered for a brief moment before he instructed, "Keep on expanding our fleet. We are not strong enough."


    Feuerbach seemed to be caught off guard by Charles'' response. "Governor, who is our potential enemy? We''re too far away from other inds. Anyone who wants to reach us will have to resupply at Skywater Ind, which is currently upied by the Divine Light Order. Given our current rtionship with them...."


    Feuerbach''s words trailed off as a realization sank in. His expression changed instantly. "Captain, are we trying to defend ourselves from the Divine Light Order? If that''s the case, I don''t think it would be necessary. Our coboration is too close-knit. They would incur significant losses as well if they were to attack us."


    "Just do as I say. There''s no harm in umting military strength."


    Feuerbach ran a hand through his seaweed-green hair and answered, "Understood, dear Governor. I''ll get to it immediately. Actually, if you are worried about the security of the ind, you should consider forming an alliance with other ind governors. The weaker ones survive using that method."


    "An alliance..." Charles muttered to himself. Suddenly, the visage of Elizabeth crossed his mind.


    "How''s Elizabeth''s ind doing?"


    "Elizabeth? Who? Who is she?" Feuerbach was confused.


    After Charles rified the coordinates of the ind, Feuerbach nodded in understanding and said, "<i>Ah...</i>So you are referring to that new up-and-rising governor. I''m aware of her. She''s quickly bing a key yer in the Northern Seas. I''ve heard that she possesses some kind of skill that could animate ships to autonomously defend against enemies."