Chapter 442: Paying Respects


    "Is something the matter?" Charles asked as he eyed the so-called border guard by the name of Norton Wright before him.


    The navy soldier seemed to be in histe teens, but his bulging muscles seemed to be on the cusp of breaking free from his tight-fitting uniform.


    "I have three years of maritimebat experience and a robust physique! I request to join your exploration vessel, sir!" Norton''s voice boomed across the shipyard, attracting everyone''s attention.


    Charles was taken aback by the unexpected deration. However, someone beat him at responding.


    "Soldier! What is your assignment today? Deserting from your post is a dereliction of duty!" James hollered with a scowl.


    "Reporting to Chief! It''s my day off today. I havemitted no dereliction. In addition, even if I had, I''m not under the police department, and you have no jurisdiction over me, sir! Governor, please let me join your exploration ship!"


    Upon reiterating his request the second time, Norton Wright''s eyes were aze with a fervent zeal.


    Seeing how James couldn''t retort to the young man''s words, Charles was somewhat amused. He stared at Norton and asked, "Why do you wish to join my crew? Haven''t rumors been circting on the ind that my ship is cursed by the sea? She never sinks but she will keep sending the people aboard into the deep abyss. Are you not afraid?"


    "No, sir!" Norton Wright dered with unwavering resolve.


    A smile appeared on Charles''s countenance. He turned to James and instructed, "Buddy, help me run a background check on him."


    "Captain, are you really going to let him join the crew?"


    "Just run a check first. After all, we did lose two sailors on ourst voyage," Charles said before he bade goodbye to the Narwhale with a wave and turned to leave the shipyard.


    Hearing Charles'' words, Norton clenched his fists tightly in excitement.


    After leaving the shipyard, Charles returned to the Governor''s Mansion. He settled into his office chair and studied the nautical charts in front of him.


    ording to the memory he devoured, the ind holding the key was the furthest of the five in the ind chain. He grabbed a ruler and pen and swiftly started charting the uing voyage.


    As captain, it was his duty to determine the most time and resource-efficient course and calcte the supplies at various checkpoints of their trip.


    <em>If we hasten the repairs, the ship could be ready to sail again in two months. In the meantime, I need to fill the crew vacancies. There''s the Second Mate who suffered heavy injuries. As for the deceased Third Engineer Audric can probably take over that position.</em>


    <em>Then, I would have to recruit a Fourth Engineer. Why is the turnover rate so high for the turbine team</em>


    As Charles deliberated over his crew matters, he felt a sudden weight on hisp. He looked down and saw that a ck cat had leaped onto hisp and had settledfortably.


    It was ckie, one of the two pet cats Lily used to care for. After Lily''s departure, the two cats had been brought over to reside in the Governor''s Mansion permanently.


    Well-fed and well-rested, the kitten from then had grown into a chubby, ck cat.


    Charles ran his hand over the soft fur. It suddenly urred to him how simr it felt to mouse fur. The next moment, all other thoughts vanished from Charles'' mind. He was left with only one thoughthe missed that chirpy and talkative mouse.


    He took a nce at the nautical charts once more before he rose from his chair. Cradling the ck cat in his arms, he left the mansion.


    By the time he arrived before Lily''s grave, in addition to the ck cat, he had a bunch of white flowers in his arms as well.


    Remnants of candles and bunches of withered flowersy before Lily''s gravestone. Clearly, others apart from Charles hade to pay their respects to Lily.


    Charles ced the flowers down on Lily''s gravestone. His gaze lingered on the st he had personally inscribed. His lips quivered so slightly as though he wanted to say something, but yet, no words came out.


    ckie jumped down from Charles'' arms and approached Lily''s grave. She wandered around as she sniffed the ground, seemingly catching a scent of something.


    After a while, ckie suddenly stopped at a spot and dug with her paws.


    Charles looked on but didn''t intervene. After all, the soil was at least three meters thick above the coffin; there was no way ckie could reach even the edge of it.


    He stepped forward and gently brushed off ayer of dust from Lily''s gravestone.


    "They say ck cats have a connection with the spirit world. And if they came into contact with a corpse, the corpse would rise again. Lily will you wake up?" Charles muttered to himself.


    He waited quietly but was ultimately disappointed. There was no knocking sound from beneath the earth.


    He turned his gaze to Laesto''s grave beside Lily''s, which basked in the warm glow of the sun. Memories of Lily''s final words flickered through his thoughts.


    He pondered for a moment before he pulled out his revolver and fired upward at the overhead canopy.


    <em>Bang! Bang! Bang!</em>


    The bullets punctured arge hole through the canopy, allowing warm sunlight to cascade over Lily''s grave and Charles himself. Charles could feel a hint of warmth from the sun''s rays.


    "Lily, how are you doing over there? Did the Light God really snatch your soul from Fhtagn?" Charles'' voice was tinged with sorrow.


    "Sometimes, I would dream of you. However, you''re no longer as talkative as before, and you''d just look at me quietly."


    "Recently, we lost a few men at sea again. Did you encounter them? Is Tobba''s soul with you?


    "I recently got into an argument with Anna over the search for the surface. To be honest, I have been thinking about it, too.


    "What if, when I first arrived here from the surface, I never thought about going back and decided to just settle down and have a peaceful life on one of the subterranean inds? Would things turn out better than it is right now?


    "I thought for a long, long while now, but I doubt it. My dangerous adventures have taken away so much from me, my right eye, my left arm, you, and the lives of the other fallen crew members


    "Yet, it was because of my quest for the surface that I encountered Anna, you, Bandages, Dipp, James, and now, Sparkle."


    At the mention of Sparkle, Charles'' lips curved upward into a slight smile.


    "My daughter Sparkle is really adorable. I''ve told her stories about you, and she hopes to meet you one day. I hope for such a day as well."


    As Charles poured out his thoughts to Lily, he felt a warmth slowly seeping into his body. He stood up, turned around, and gently caressed Lily''s gravestone with his hand.


    "Lily, I don''t believe in any of those bullshit Divinities, but if you can hear me now, please watch over me. Bless my uing voyage so that I can sessfully find the key to the surface world.


    "Bless that in the surface world, there are no Divinities wandering between heaven and earth, no corpses littering the fields, no presence of anything that shouldn''t exist there.


    "Bless that the Light God can keep His promise and bring you back to life.


    "I know that this world is filled with despair, and every single time, it shatters my hopes mercilessly, but still one should always hold hope.


    "I have to go now, Lily. I feel much better now that I''ve talked to you. I''lle to visit again."


    Charles then turned to leave. But before he could take a few steps, a thought entered his mind. He pivoted on his heel and walked up to Laesto''s grave before pulling out a bottle of alcohol from within his coat.


    <em>Glug, glug, glug</em>


    He poured the strong alcohol over Laesto''s gravestone in a silent tribute.