Chapter 283. Events
"We will be living here from now on," Weister said as he led his family into a modest three-bedroom apartment. "It's small now, but don't worry. We'll move to a bigger one in no more than two years."
Their new home was a basement unit nestled next to the bustling port area. Due to it being in the basement, the unit was slightly damp but affordable.
Seeing the space that was at least five times larger than their previous home, Elena's eyes lit up with emotions. She excitedly explored each room—the bedrooms, the living room, the washroom and the kitchen. A sense of nostalgia hit her; it reminded her of the days when her husband was still alive.
Typical of a man living alone, the place was not exactly the tidiest. As such, Elena immediately started tidying up the somewhat cluttered space.
"Mother, don't worry about cleaning for now. All of you must be hungry. Let's go out to eat first," Weister said and placed down their belongings before leading his family members to the door.
"Weister, there's a kitchen here. Why don't we just buy some ingredients home to cook? It'll be cheaper than eating out." The past few years of being in poverty had made Elena ever so mindful of their finances.
"It's alright, Mother. Let's eat out today, just for once," Weister insisted as he led them out of the basement.
The family of four entered a well-decorated restaurant. Being dressed in patched clothes made Elena and her two other children overly aware of themselves, and instinctively, they hesitated in their stride. However, Weister was unfazed by the curious glances from all around them. He led his mother and siblings to a table and sat down. He had the money now.
When the waiter brought the menu over, he boldly ordered the most expensive items, even though he had not tried many of them before.
Soon, the first dish was served, and their uneasiness dissipated.
It was raw lobster tail sashimi adorned with black ants and drizzled with Hope Island's unique lemon juice. The appetizing presentation made their mouths water. The combination of formic acid from the ants and the lemon's tartness perfectly complemented the subtly twitching fresh lobster meat.
Yet this was only the first course. One after another, unfamiliar but exquisite dishes were continuously brought out.
Most of them were culinary innovations of Hope Island. The chefs were no longer satisfied with just experimenting with fruits and were now creating dishes with various insects native to the island.
Despite the unconventional ingredients, each dish at the restaurant was a delight to the taste buds.
Their lunch finally came to an end with their last course being served—a translucent green pudding.
"Brother, look! A spider is moving inside the pudding! It's so cool!" Weister's sister exclaimed in wonder.
Weister affectionately ruffled her hair and called for the bill. However, he was informed that someone had already settled it.
Following the waiter's gesture, Weister looked toward a distant table. Planck, the portly cook on the Narwhale, was waving at him with a fork in his hand.
"The food here is excellent. I hope to open a restaurant like this someday," Planck commented with a grin as Weister approached him.
"Thank you. I'll treat you to a drink another day. My family has just arrived and I need to spend some quality time with them," Weister replied and was about to return to the table when Planck stopped him.
"Do you know that the captain's back?"
"Yes, I saw him just now at the docks."
"Our next mission will probably be much harder than those before," Planck remarked. "I'd suggest you use your previous salary to buy a relic for protection. They might be dangerous, but they can save your life at critical moments."
A troubled expression surfaced on Weister's face. He had spent all his money on the house. Where would he have the money to get a relic?
"Then did you buy one?" Weister asked.
"Yeah. I bought a statue. I've been feeding it with my blood every day.
"Alright, I'll think about it," Weister said before taking his leave with his family.
***
In Hope Island's Governor's Mansion, Charles leaned back in his black leather armchair. Seated before him were two men; the one on the left represented the Divine Light Order, and the right, the Explorers Association.
The Divine Light Order's representative was Cardinal Bishop Hunn, and the representative of the Explorers Association was the head of the Hope Island branch, George.
"That's the whole story," Charles concluded. "I know it's hard to believe, but that's the whole truth."
The atmosphere in the room grew tense, as though even the air itself had been startled by Charles' recount.
"So...you are saying that His Holiness was killed by the evil god that Swann summoned from the depths?" Hunn asked with apparent disbelief.
Charles merely looked at Hunn without giving a response. His silence spoke volumes. If the Pope had yet to return now, it was highly possible that he had died.
"Absolutely impossible! His Holiness is a Chosen One and is the sole bearer of the Light God! There's no way some mere evil god from the waters could harm him!" Hunn's face contorted with anger and a hint of terror. It felt as though his faith was on the brink of collapse.
Even Charles had no idea if the Light God or the so-called Feaster was more formidable.
However, the Feaster had appeared in the flesh while the Pope was merely a Chosen One of the Light God. If one were to compare it this way, it made the Pope's demise seem all the more plausible. But Charles still couldn't understand why the Pope hadn't tried to escape then.
"Governor," George interjected and stood up with a grave expression. "If what you say is true, this is a matter of life and death for all humanity in the seascape! I must report this to the Chairman immediately. I'll take my leave first."
With that, George hastily exited the room.
Seeing that George had left, Hunn stood up to leave as well. While walking out of the room, Charles overheard him muttering under his breath about visiting the Holy Sanctuary and seeking an answer from the Light God himself.
But Charles couldn't be the least bothered. That stupid ball of flames hung in the sky all day long and would definitely not be able to provide them with any answers.
Charles rose from his chair and headed toward the bedroom. The moment he got off the ship, he had been intercepted by these two men. He was really overwhelmed with exhaustion and just wanted a good nap.
But before he could reach the comfort of his own bedroom, Feuerbach appeared with an elderly man and blocked his path.
The second mate of Narwhale had a look of resignation on his countenance as he spoke, "Captain, please don't look at me like that. I didn't want to do this either. But those shipbuilders are causing a commotion again."
Charles recognized the old man next to Feuerbach. He was one of the designers had encountered when he first arrived at Albion Isles, the one with the rimless glasses.
He turned his gaze to the old man and asked, "Are you not able to even build a single submarine with so many of you here? There were even blueprints that you had shown me back at the Albion Isles."
The old man stepped forward and replied, "The blueprints don't matter; I can redraw them if needed. The main issue is that the circumstances in Albion Isles are totally different from your island.
"We have an established and mature industrial chain on the Albion Isles. What do you even have here? Some components in your shipyard are still imported from our island!"
Charles massaged his throbbing forehead.
"What do you need to build the submarine then?" he asked.
The designer started to list his requirements. "I need a hundred specialized workers and forty supply manufacturers, including special steel plates, propellers, anechoic tiles, and sonar systems. I also need..."
"Stop, stop, stop." Charles interrupted him and pointed toward the docks. "I don't have any of those things you are asking for. Those materials at the docks are all we've got. Find a way to build me that submarine. As I've said before, you may return once you finish building the submarine. Otherwise, be prepared to stay here forever."
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