Chapter 259. Surging Undercurrents
Gaia embraced half a loaf of stale bread as he rushed home from the docks of the Isle of Whereto. Gaia's eyes were filled with deep-seated resentment as he swept his gaze across the blue-uniformed men on the streets.
These disgusting beasts deserve nothing but to become shark food! As soon as the Governor died, they rushed to switch sides like dogs desperate to lick the boots of those bastards as if those bastards hadn't massacred our loved ones!
Although Gaia thought so, he didn't dare to express his sentiment out loud as he retreated into a corner. He had no choice but to stay silent. His father's death alongside Governor Daniel meant that he was no longer one of the island's upper echelons and had become nothing but a fugitive.
Gaia and his mother had narrowly escaped death by using the hidden tunnel in their home.
Gaia's ancestor was a crew member of the Cavendish Family's exploration vessel, and they had discovered the Isle of Whereto together. Gaia's life used to be the subject of envy, but now, he was at the bottom of society.
The Isle of Whereto had changed owners, and Gaia had become a rat that everyone wanted to chase away. No one wanted him, but it wasn't like Gaia himself didn't want to leave this depraved island.
He simply lacked the funds to buy a ticket. In fact, the money he had used to buy bread was from a kind woman near the harbor.
Gaia soon reached the place he called home, but he came to a halt upon noticing something. He pressed his back against the wall and tensed up—a figure clad in a gray robe was talking to his mother.
Gaia pulled out a dagger from his waist and put it inside his sleeve before asking carefully, "Mother, who might this be?"
The gray-robed figure turned around, and the dagger in Gaia's hand fell to the ground with a loud clang.
"Miss Margaret! You're still alive?!" Gaia exclaimed.
The gray-robed figure was none other than Margaret. A hideous scar had marred her beautiful visage, and the former princess of Whereto seemed covered in dust.
However, her eyes still shone like gems despite her bedraggled appearance.
"Gaia, Your father, Uncle Claude, has sworn allegiance to my father. Are you willing to do the same and swear allegiance to me? Are you willing to join me in my quest to reclaim the Isle of Whereto?" Margaret asked. Her voice no longer sounded melodious; she sounded hoarse, evidently from fatigue.
Gaia's mouth fluttered open in excitement, but he caught himself in time and made a sidelong glance at his mother. His eyes shone worriedly, and he decided to close his mouth.
After a moment of pondering, Gaia said with difficulty, "Miss Margaret, I'm willing to die for you, but I'm the most useless son of my father. I can't help you at all."
"No, you can help me," Margaret refuted and explained, "You just have to be willing to help me. Do you not want to avenge your elder brother and father?"
Margaret took out a black stone. The stone was tiny, but Gaia's breathing quickened upon seeing it. He had heard the legend of the Cavendish Family, and he had heard the story of why the Governors of Whereto were always mighty figures during their own generations.
"I-I'm willing! I, Gaia Joseph, do solemnly swear to serve the Cavendish Family forever, just like my father!" Gaia exclaimed and immediately knelt down on one knee.
"Great. Come with me, then. We need to find enough of our men, and we have to leave here before they notice us," Margaret said.
"Where are we going, Miss Margaret?" Gaia asked, "Shouldn't we round up everyone and retake the island?"
Margaret shook her head and replied, "It's going to be futile. We have to go to the Albion Isles and tackle the root of the problem."
Gaia stood up in surprise and exclaimed, "Are you perhaps planning on assassinating Swann? You're only going to be seeking your own death if you were to do that, Miss Margaret! It's suicide!"
Governor Swann was the strongest Governor in the Northern Seas at the moment, so attempting to assassinate him was indeed tantamount to suicide.
"Do you really think that you and I are the only ones dissatisfied with Swann?" Margaret asked, stunning Gaia speechless. A flash of hatred fleeted across Margaret's eyes as she said, "He killed my entire family, and until he dies, I live not for my own sake."
***
Charles found himself on a bed as he woke up. The unfamiliar ceiling made him frown, but the light swaying gave him enough hint to realize that he was on a battleship heading to Albion Isles.
"Big ships really are great. The cabins even have electricity," Charles said. He tugged on a thread, and the light bulb on the ceiling lit up. He turned to look beside him and saw Lily curled up in a ball underneath a quilt.
Today's color was white; Charles grabbed the white Lily and headed for the bathroom.
"Good morning, Mr. Charles," Lily said while rubbing her sleepy eyes.
Charles rubbed her head before picking up a toothbrush and brushing his teeth.
Lily didn't remain idle while Charles was busy brushing his teeth. She dipped her paws into some water and did her hair. The two freshened up before heading to the dining hall of the ship.
The captain of the ship had insisted on sending meals over to Charles' cabin, but the latter had refused the offer. Life on the ship was dull, and aside from the occasional fights against sea creatures, most sailors often had nothing to do.
If even meals were delivered to Charles, he believed that it would be tantamount to living like a pig.
Today's breakfast consisted of bread, fried fish, and oyster soup. Charles ignored the occasional glances of the crew members and proceeded to eat with great relish.
Soon, the limping Laesto appeared in the dining hall and staggered over to Charles. He turned to the kitchen and yelled, "Get me some liquor here!"
The cook didn't dare to ignore Laesto's request, and he ran over with an unopened bottle of rum.
"Are you really going to drink when it's still so early in the morning? Friendly advice: if you want to live a few more years, you'd best stop drinking."
"What's the point of living without liquor?" Laesto took a swig of the rum straight from the bottle.
Charles no longer tried to persuade Laesto. He continued eating while thinking about what he would do today. In the end, he decided to patrol the ship. He would feel uneasy without patrolling the ship even once every day.
Laesto let out a mighty burp and made a sidelong glance at Charles before saying, "Professor Cocci said that since there are three identical tablets to retrieve the parts from, it shouldn't be too difficult to fix mine using those parts."
"I should congratulate you, then. You would finally know what's recorded inside that family heirloom of yours." Charles said, "Once you've seen what's in that tablet, you should tell me about it. I'm also curious about what's inside of it."
Laesto grunted in approval before asking, "Are you really going back to that wretched place?"
Charles nodded while chewing on his food, and the sight made Laesto feel annoyed.
"Without me there, you're most likely going to die, so you shouldn't go back. I've been keeping you alive for so long, and if it weren't for me, you would have died long ago," Laesto warned.
Charles shook his head. "Looking at how you treasured that tablet of yours so much, I thought you would understand my determination."
"How are both things the same? I'm dying soon! I'm just going all out before that!"
"You're a doctor, right? How long do you think I'll live?" Charles asked while staring calmly at Laesto.
Laesto's lips twitched. With great difficulty, he opened his mouth and said, "I said before that you wouldn't live past forty, but that was just a rough estimate. I'm sure there are better doctors out there capable of prolonging your life."
Charles was moved to hear such words from Laesto's mouth, considering the old man would hardly admit others to be better than him.
"Thank you, but don't worry. I can take care of myself," Charles replied.
"Hmph! Why would I worry about you? It's not like you're my grandson or something," Laesto said with a cold snort before limping away with a bottle of rum in hand.
Charles turned to his plate and was about to continue eating when the battleship let out a low bellow. They had arrived at Elizabeth's island—Elizarles Shores.
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