Chapter 151. Shining And Shimmery
Golden sunlight bathed Hope Island. In a shed erected above a gentle rise, a topless Charles studied a detailed map of the island in his hands.
"This plot of land can be designated as a residential area, this section for the harbor district, and this fairly flat terrain can be used for cultivation," Charles pondered as his hands added quick sketches on the map. "However, the ryegrass of this subterranean space will surely wither under such intense sunlight. We'll need to find more suitable crops to cultivate."
Drawing maps was of no challenge to Charles. Soon enough, he had completed the blueprint of the entire island. While island planning was typically a task for experts, unfortunately, they lacked someone like that on the island, so the responsibility was naturally thrust upon Charles.
It had been a month since they had sent the photos out. With ample time on his hands, Charles started working on his duties as the governor of Hope Island.
However, his actions weren't solely because of his new title. He had another intention. If he did find his family and the surface world was not habitable, then he would be able to bring them down to Hope Island as a Plan B.
With the structured map in his hands, Charles emerged from the shed.
Surveying the expanse before him, the island was peppered with makeshift shelters erected by the crew members. From an aerial view, the arrangement resembled a sprawling, chunky centipede nestled within the forest.
On such a picturesque island, the crew was no longer content to stay under the shelters. Many could be seen running around with large leaves acting as makeshift sun umbrellas. They sampled an array of fruits found on the island, and despite having been poisoned several times, they remained undeterred.
Their adventurous spirits led them to explore every nook and cranny of the island, and at the same time, they also gathered essential information for Charles.
Hope Island was vast, its area stretching slightly beyond Charles' expectations. Measuring 63 kilometers in length and 42 kilometers in width, the island's shape resembled an irregularly shaped polygon.
Forests and shrubs covered most of the terrain, and the land was predominantly flat without any significant peaks. The most ideal construction site was the Foundation's ruins. Charles planned to establish that area as the central island district.
Just as Charles was admiring his territory, he noticed the sailors chopping down trees once again in the far distance. His brows furrowed in disapproval, and he sprinted toward them.
Arriving at the scene, he found a topless Dipp with an oversized leaf umbrella overhead. The young man was enthusiastically shouting orders.
"Stop! Did I not explicitly say no more logging?" Charles barked.
Dipp turned with a grin plastered on his face and said, "Captain, we plan to build a governor's office for you! The Waverazor's carpenters are really amazing! We'll definitely construct the most magnificent mansion in the entire world just for you!"
"The mansion can wait. No more cutting down of trees. I'm not joking about it. This is an order," Charles stated firmly.
Felling trees was simple, but replanting them proved to be much more challenging. Charles didn't want his island to turn barren in such a short span of time.
As Dipp trudged back dejectedly toward the makeshift shelter, Charles called out to him. He knew he had to find something productive for the restless young man to do to occupy his time.
"Dipp, gather a team and log every plant species on the island. And make a detailed note on the edible ones."
Trading coal was clearly not an option. Beyond its radiant sunlight, the true treasure of Hope Island lay in its distinctive fruits. This could very well be the island's golden business opportunity.
"Sir, reporting to request an additional two hours of activity time," Richard's playful voice suddenly sounded in Charles' head.
"What's your purpose this time?" Charles asked.
"I have to prepare gifts for our sister. We've been out for so long; we can't possibly return empty-handed, right? We ought to bring back some local specialties," Richard tried to justify himself.
"So your trip to the shore last night was to gather these local specialties as well?" Charles retorted, and Richard fell silent instantly.
Charles didn't press on. He already knew what his other persona was thinking, and asking any more questions would be a waste of time. Both of them were bound to have a showdown someday, but that day wasn't today.
Just when Charles turned back and was about to return to the shed and add more details to his island's blueprint, a sudden cacophony of ship horns caught his attention.
Not just one, but dozens of ship horns blared in perfect unison. According to the common code, that meant to be on the highest alert.
Why would the guarding ships sound the highest alert? In an instant, the oppressive shadow of dread, Sottom, emerged in Charles' mind.
Moments ago, the crew members had been basking in joy. But now, they raced frenziedly under the shelter toward the coast.
However, when they arrived at the sandy beach, they froze in their spots. What seemed like another sun was rising from the southern horizon.
Snatching the telescope from a nearby sailor, Charles glimpsed into it and discerned the true identity of the sun.
The colossal ship gleamed a shimmery gold and spanned a staggering four hundred meters. The dazzling beams of light bounced off the mirrors on the ship and pierced through the surrounding darkness.
A surge of relief flooded Charles as he noticed the distinctive white triangle emblem on the ship's hull. They weren't pirates of Sottom but disciples of the Divine Light Order.
Ships of various sizes surrounded the gigantic ship belonging to the Divine Light Order.
The armada sailing toward Hope Island was a spectacular sight. Charles felt as though he was witnessing a grand naval parade.
If Charles was overwhelmed by the spectacle before him, those onboard the ships were even more so. Their reactions were similar to how Charles and his fleet had been when they first arrived. They either stood motionless in awe or continuously slapped themselves to confirm their reality.
As the fleet drew nearer and was close to running aground, Charles hurriedly gestured to the Narwhale to blast the horn as a warning.
Immediately resting, the shining and shimmery golden ship rapidly released small landing boats, which darted toward the shore. Some impatient souls who couldn't get onto the boats jumped overboard and swam frantically toward the beach.
Witnessing their crazed behaviors from the beach, Charles gathered his men and shouted in urgency, "Stay out of the sunlight! It's deadly! Walk under the shelter!"
Even though Charles had reacted timely, a dozen or so individuals fell face-down onto the sand. Serene smiles graced their visages as though they had returned to their mother's embrace.
The multitude disembarking from the ship in batches soon crowded the makeshift shelter constructed by Charles and his men. They were in a state of fervent excitement as they scanned their surroundings while their voices merged into a continuous hum.
The overlapping of voices made it hard for Charles to even single out someone for conversation.
Just as Charles was on the verge of a headache from the surrounding din, an eagerly-looking man with a monocle and a neat mustache approached him.
"Mr. Charles, I'm George, the branch manager of the Coral Archipelago Explorers Association. Please sign here, and your ownership of this island will be registered with the Association."
Taking the paper in his hand, Charles replied, "I don't recall notifying the Association."
He had noticed earlier that apart from the glimmering golden ship, the passengers from the other smaller ships were not disciples of the Divine Light Order. So, he couldn't understand their unbridled excitement in rushing over.
Clearly distracted by the wondrous nature around him, the bearded man responded absentmindedly, "We've collaborated with the Divine Light Order in the past. When they told us that they had found the Land of Light, we found it ridiculous. Yet here it is; it really exists."
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