Chapter 332. Anna
Charles wasn't just paying lip service; he issued a bounty order. From that moment on, anyone who brought the head of a Fhtagnist to the Governor's Mansion on Hope Island would receive a substantial reward after the staff had verified the distinctive tentacle tattoo on the heads of those cultists.
He wasn't afraid of retaliation. After all, without Swann, the Fhtagn Covenant lacked the means to launch a full-scale war against Hope Island, or they would never succeed in destroying the island. Hope Island was remote, but it was no pushover.
Charles didn't know when it happened, but his words had gained significant weight across the Subterranean Seascape. Also, the Fhtagn Covenant had already burned the bridges when they had enlisted the help of the Deep Dwellers to attack the island. Feigning ignorance would not stop the Covenant from stirring further trouble.
If it hadn't been for Dipp's earlier warning, Hope Island would have faced utter destruction and more casualties. The relationship between the Covenant and Charles had gone beyond the point of no return.
Although Charles didn't provide any concrete evidence that proved the Deep Dwellers were acting under the Fhtagn Covenant's commands, the general sentiment toward the Fhtagnists took a plummet for the worse after his declaration.
The rumors of them notoriously sacrificing the entire Albion Isles for their benefit had already sullied the Covenant's reputation. Now, they couldn't even try to defend themselves anymore.
Even if they were considered to be a heretical religion, the seascape denizens were not necessarily afraid of them. A religion despised by those in power would find its evangelism work exceedingly difficult.
The Fhtagn Covenant was already known for its human sacrificial rituals, and the Covenant had been overlooked in the past since human life was considered cheap in the seascape. And they had only been sacrificing their own followers as well.
However, their latest action of collaborating with another species to harm their own species—humans— was crossing the baseline. Crossing this line meant becoming an enemy of all humanity. In such a scenario, not even their almighty God, Fhtagn, could save their reputation.
Meanwhile, Charles had received a telegram from the Fhtagn Covenant, but he chose to ignore it. They were now sworn enemies; any words or discussion would be futile.
After resolving the foreign political matters, Charles began to honor and reward his men for their contributions. The navy, in particular, had exerted significant effort and received bonuses that were several times their regular salaries.
The survivors of District 3, which had bravely charged alongside Charles in their fierce battle against Swann, reaped substantial rewards. Each of them received enough Echo to easily purchase a large house in the central district. They had also received significant promotions within the Police Department.
Fortunately, Hope Island's finances were in excellent health, and they could disburse the generous promised compensations.
When all official matters had been settled, the island buzzed with preparations for a grand banquet to celebrate their war victory.
The event was graced by the island's most influential individuals, including officials from the Governor's Mansion and several business leaders. There seemed to be a newfound closeness in their relationships.
"Captain! I wasn't hiding at home back then!" Frey, the former Cook of the Narwhale, bragged as he stumbled toward Charles in a drunken state.
"I got on a ship, and I got some of their heads! Look! I've got so much money now, and I bought many relics!" He slurred as his round body swayed unsteadily under the influence of alcohol.
"Is that so?" Clad in a suit, Charles asked as he discreetly steadied Frey with an invisible tentacle for fear of the latter falling over. "You've fought hard."
He had noticed that Frey had put on more weight since their last meeting.
"Charles, who is this? He looks familiar," Anna asked as she approached with a wine glass in her hand. She was dressed in a body-fitting, extravagant white gown.
Before Charles could respond, Frey's face turned ghostly pale as his gaze landed on Anna. Her appearance seemed to have shocked him out of his inebriated state.
Buried fears quickly resurfaced in Frey's mind as he remembered her. His lips parted into an imminent scream, but Charles swiftly covered his mouth with a hand.
"Don't scream. I know who she is. Everything's fine, you can go," Charles reassured Frey with perfunctory words. Frey was evidently not assured; he continuously glanced back with a suspicious gaze as he walked away from the couple.
A mischievous glint twinkled in Anna's eyes as she let out a chuckle. "He's so tall and meaty. How cute. He looks quite delicious, too."
"Don't make jokes like that. I don't appreciate them," Charles remarked with his brows furrowed.
Anna let out a hearty laughter in response and asked, "Why are you so sensitive?" She then draped herself over Charles and wrapped her arms around his neck.
As the Governor, Charles' every word and action was always under scrutiny, and the sudden appearance of a peerless beauty by his side certainly didn't go unnoticed.
This was especially true for the former crew of the Narwhale. They recognized Anna and immediately gathered with solemn expressions as they listened intently to Frey's animated and fearful recount of his encounter with Anna.
Meanwhile, Anna's eyes darted around the hall and teased, "Look at all these women glaring at me with hostility. It seems like you're quite popular here. Tell me, have you been sleeping with someone else behind my back?"
"You are overthinking," Charles said as he removed Anna's arms around his neck.
"Don't think that I don't know. Men always think with their lower halves. Maybe we should talk about that woman, Elizabeth, from before."
As soon as Anna mentioned her, Elizabeth gracefully approached the couple; her platinum white hair had been elegantly curled for the occasion.
"You must be Miss Anna? Hello, I've heard Charles mention you," Elizabeth said as she lifted Anna's hand and planted a gentle kiss on it.
A slight unease stirred in Charles' heart. This was not the typical etiquette women used with each other.
Anna's mouth was slightly agape, and she completely didn't notice anything amiss about Elizabeth's etiquette.
She looked up at the towering two-meter-tall beauty and said in amazement, "My goodness! Gao Zhiming, so this is your Elizabeth? You have quite a unique taste, huh? Going for either someone like me or someone like her."
Charles's gaze alternated between the two women, and a question abruptly entered his mind.
Am I supposed to say something?
Before he could figure out the answer, Anna and Elizabeth were already engaged in lively conversation; they were all smiles and even let out occasional laughs.
"Charles, this Miss Elizabeth is quite an interesting individual. I'll be going upstairs to have a good chat with her," Anna said before walking toward the distant staircase.
Charles was about to pose a question when Elizabeth intercepted him.
She bent down and planted a brief, light kiss on his lips. She then smiled and said, "Darling, your wife is truly a beauty, isn't she?"
"Huh?" Charles watched the two women leaving one after another; something was strangely amiss.
He was about to tail them stealthily and find out what they would do when his crew members from afar rushed over and surrounded him.
"Captain! Why is she here? I thought you shot her dead? What's going on?" James asked with a look of extreme agitation on his face. He had already ordered the guards outside to gather secretly. However, he wasn't quite confident against a creature that could manipulate human thoughts and memories.
"Yeah, Captain, have you forgotten her true form? I heard about you finding a woman earlier and thought you were finally coming to your senses and were going to bear an heir. But it's actually her?!"
"Captain, quick! Think about it. Has she altered your memories? I want you to think of recent events and see if there are any contradictions with reality."
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