Chapter 226. Banquet
As Charles watched the hunchbacked Haikor carefully pack the statue, a ludicrous thought emerged in his mind.
The death of one Divinity leading to the birth of other existences and different Divinities? Why does this background story sound eerily similar to that of Pan Gu?
Charles pondered for a brief moment before he posed the hunchbacked Haikor another question. "What's the name of your current god?"
"Paiper," the hunchbacked Haikor answered. It was yet another unfamiliar name to Charles.
"Do you have a statue of it here?"
The old man lifted his finger and pointed it at one corner of the shop. Following the hunchbacked Haikor's finger, Charles' gaze landed on a sinister worm-like statue that was twisted into a donut twist. Charles had expected its eerie and bizarre appearance. However, there was one thing that caught Charles off guard.
The statue was split into two colors—half of it was jet black, and the other half was transparent; it looked like a fusion of glass and obsidian.
Charles clarified his doubts with the hunchbacked Haikor, and the latter explained, "God Paiper's existence is unique. His physical body cannot fully reside in this world. When He's not around, the other Divinities had to assist Him."
"Ah... a polytheistic system,” Charles mused. He was slightly confused about how religion worked here, but he decided not to delve deeper. No matter how bizarre the Haikor Tribe's religious practices were, it didn't really matter to him. After all, he probably wouldn't be interacting with these giants again.
"You are from beyond the Sea of Mist; there's no need for you to understand our god. Previously, a group of outsiders secretly ventured into the depths of the Sea of Mist, and our god had them remain there for eternity."
As the hunchbacked Haikor finished his word of advice, he finished wrapping the red coral statue and secured it in a wooden box. He turned around to collect payment from his customer but realized that the bald young man was nowhere to be seen.
In less than three seconds, vulgarities unique to the Haikor Tribe filled the shop.
Meanwhile, Charles strolled leisurely toward the inn. He felt quite satisfied with today's adventures.
He had no intention of buying the statue in the first place. After all, he ought to heed his own advice against recklessly acquiring such artifacts to avoid inviting trouble.
Lily looked exceptionally excited. It had been a while since she had so much fun. Leading her mouse friends behind her, she scampered ahead of Charles and excitedly snapped photos with the cell phone in her hand.
It has already been three years. By human age, I think Lily is fifteen now. Despite that, she’s still as playful as a child. Charles mused to himself; the corners of his lips raised into a warm smile as he watched over his boisterous gunner in the distance.
Just as the two of them reached the street their inn was on, Lily scurried toward Charles with a look of alarm. "Mr. Charles! Look! There are so many people at the inn's entrance."
Charles' brows slightly furrowed. He had also noticed several individuals clad in black uniforms standing at the door of the building. Observing the reverence and envy in the eyes of the other islanders, Charles discerned that these individuals held high positions on Shattered Heart Isles.
"What's the matter? Did our crew stir up trouble at the brothel?"
Contrary to his assumption, as soon as they confirmed Charles' identity, the officials respectfully presented him with a hefty, gold-embossed invitation.
"Captain Charles, as a token of gratitude for your assistance to our people, King Caesar would like to invite you to attend tomorrow's morning banquet," the envoy conveyed. They hadn't been here to cause trouble; rather, they were here to deliver an invitation.
Charles was slightly taken aback. He didn't expect his good deeds would be rewarded in this place. Initially, he was inclined to turn down the invitation to avoid further entanglements. However, he hesitated upon the thought that the Haikors were natives of the Sea of Mist, and they might have insights about the Deep Dwellers.
"I accept the invitation," Charles said.
"Thank you. I'll send a carriage for you tomorrow morning, Captain," the giant envoy said with a slight bow before he left.
The next morning, Charles woke up punctually and wore his old captain’s uniform for the banquet. The moment he stepped out of the room, he felt a weight on his coat pocket. He reached his hand in and pulled Lily out.
"What are you doing coming along?" Charles asked.
"Mr. Charles, let me go with you. I want to have a look, too. The giant's banquet must be really fun. I promise not to make a noise," Lily pleaded with her eyes glimmering innocently.
Amused by her behavior, Charles couldn't bear to turn her down and tucked her back into his coat pocket. Instantly, he could hear her cheer of happiness from within the pocket.
Stepping outside, Charles saw a carriage already waiting by the door.
The horses pulling the Haikors' carriage were tall and robust. They were unlike any breed he knew, and he wondered how this particular species was bred.
Charles had initially thought that the horses would head toward the island's heart. But to his surprise, they pulled the carriage toward the docks.
With a thunderous splash, the carriage entered the waters and transformed into a boat.
Seated within the spacious carriage, Charles looked out of the window and admired the waterline; he felt like he was on a cruise.
The Shattered Heart Isles' royal palace wasn’t far. The carriage weaved through several smaller isles before climbing ashore to a resplendent island.
The carriage Charles was on wasn't the only one on the island. Soon, more carriages emerged from the water with other guests.
As Charles walked down the green carpet, he saw the servants busy with the banquet preparations. Some guests were already seated, and among them, he was surprised to spot a familiar face—Aguino.
The man who had been on the brink of death due to thirst was now clad in a blue robe. If not for Charles' keen observation, he wouldn't have recognized the giant he had saved.
Aguino noticed Charles as well. He pointed at the adjacent seat as a gesture of invitation.
"I thought you wouldn't come. I hadn't expected to see you here," Aguino remarked. His tone clearly sounded different now that he was freed from his previous predicament.
"It's just a banquet. What would I have to fear?" Charles replied, unfazed by Aguino's remarks.
"Though you had hesitated along the way, Captain Charles, you did help us after all. For that, His Majesty the King has prepared a gift for you," Aguino said.
"Thank you; I'm looking forward to it."
As the guests slowly took their seats and filled up the hall, King Caesar of Shattered Heart Isles assumed his place. His appearance bore the same distinctive features of the Haikors—a unibrow and a slightly protruding chin.
As King Caesar began his toast, Charles realized that the banquet wasn’t solely held in his honor. Today was the commemoration of the death of their god, Pede, and he was just an incidental guest.
Seizing the moment while the King was speaking, Charles scanned the room. The various colored robes of the Haikor seemed to be an indication of their specific ranking, but he couldn't discern the order of the color ranking.
However, a few figures among the guests caught his attention. It wasn't their faces that he remembered, but their familiar attire: white robes topped with triangular hats. They wore the same outfit as the giants who had come with Anna to break him out of the world in his subconscious.
"Who are they?" Charles asked Aguino in a hushed whisper.
"They are servants of the temple. They have met our God and have received a portion of His miraculous powers."
"Met your God?! Are they not afraid of going mad?" Charles asked, his eyes staring wide in disbelief.
"Why would they go mad? Anyone who receives a divine oracle is graced with an audience with God," Aguino explained.
"Then won't—" Charles stopped midway in his sentence. He realized that he might have misunderstood something. Perhaps the god that the Haikor Tribe worshiped was different from God Fhtagn.
"How tall is your god?"
"About seven meters. I've had the honor of seeing Him once from a distance," Aguino replied.
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