Chapter 47. Anchor Bar
Conor took out the few books that he had prepared earlier. Their red covers had worn down to an indistinguishable blur, while their yellow pages bore testament to their age.
Taking the books in his hands, Charles flipped through the pages to find them filled with an array of unfamiliar characters written in a bold, crimson ink. They resembled cuneiform writing, but the strokes clung together as well, resembling a cohesive script. Crude drawing of arcane circles and monsters accompanied the text.
Charles couldn't comprehend the contents on the pages, but judging from their systematic arrangement, the books seemed to be a chronicle of something.
Could this be the arcane book that the tiny creature used to summon those paper figures? The thought emerged in Charles' mind and refused to leave.
If his suspicion was spot on then these books would be worth more than gold. If they managed to learn the ability within these books, it could significantly bolster the fighting strength of the Narwhale.
After contemplating for a few moments, Charles passed the books back to Conor.
"Hold on to these for now, and find out more clues about them in Sottom. If we can find someone to translate the text, then we can get one of our crew to learn it."
"Aye!"
"Well then, that's all." Charles sat up from his bed, reached for his coat by the side, and draped it on himself.
James' eyes widened in astonishment as he asked in a nervous voice, "Captain, what are you doing?"
"Did we come to Sottom for a vacation? I have very important matters to attend to."
Alarmed, James immediately spread his arms apart to block Charles' path.
"That won't do, your wounds are not fully healed. You shouldn't be up and around," James retorted.
Lily squeaked and the mice rallied forward, trying to pin Charles back onto the bed. The others also joined in on the persuasion.
Despite Charles repeatedly assuring them that his body was fine, and he didn't feel any pain, his words fell onto deaf ears.
The crew's voices of concern fueled the annoyance in him. The murmurs in his ears sounded again as the familiar faces of his crew began to morph into various monsters.
"Enough!" Charles' growl silenced everyone. The mice on him retreated as well and trembled.
Fishing out a piece of spare gooey jelly from his coat, Charles stuffed it into his mouth and swallowed it. Everything began to revert to its former state.
"First Mate, procure fresh water, food, and fuel. Second Mate and Audric, follow me. The rest, get back onboard!"
No one dared to defy the orders of the captain and went off with their tasks obediently.
Charles let out a sigh as he watched their departing figures. He knew his crew members had his best interest at heart, however they wouldn't be able to understand his current feelings.
The clues to return home were so tantalizingly close that every passing second felt like a torture. He really didn't want to wait any longer.
Upon leaving the doctor's chaotic room, Charles found himself on a bustling street.
Humans' creativity was limitless. Even though everything around was fashioned from ships, the hulls and decks were pieced together into continuous paths. An assortment of gas and oil lamps illuminated the place like a ghastly ghost market.
Dressed in all kinds of outfits, pirates paced the streets. Their gaze was sharp and their guard was up. A hint of tension could be felt in the air.
Charles moved forward, and threw a question to Conor, who was trailing after him.
"Where did you find that doctor?"
"When we arrived at Sottom, you were barely breathing. A guy at the port mentioned a skilled doctor here, so we brought you over."
Charles pondered over Conor's words briefly before he turned to look at the latter.
"Go and gather information about him. I want to know if his background is clean."
"Aye. Leave it to me," Conor said and disappeared into the crowd.
"Captain, what about me?" Audric asked from the side.
"Haven't you been here before? Do you know the way to Anchor Pub? Bring me there," Charles instructed.
Audric nodded in response. The cloak on his back unfurled as he morphed into a bat and soared into the air.
The bat briefly assessed the surroundings before it flew eastward. Charles followed after in a hurried pace, so as not to lose sight of it.
Beyond the current street he was walking on, an expanse of ships of all sizes stretched out into a scrapyard. There was no suitable footing for him to continue ahead.
Watching Audric disappear into the distance, Charles slapped on the Clown Mask without hesitation. With the nimbleness of a gymnast, he leaped between the rusty husks of ships.
Keeping pace with Audric, Charles got a glimpse of the vicissitudes of life on Sottom. Sottom truly lived up to its notorious reputation as the city of sin. Illicit goods were aplenty, and even shabbily clothed men and women were openly traded on the streets.
In the darkened alleys where light didn't reach, abhorrent acts happened from time to time. The infamous port district seemed saintly in comparison.
After traversing close to half of Sottom, the bat finally descended and landed before a pub with neon lights gracing its exteriors.
Slick with perspiration, Charles slipped a hand under his clothing the moment he came to a stop. Indeed, blood was seeping from his wound again.
With the leads back home right before him, Charles ignored his bleeding wound and entered the pub with Audric right behind him.
Upon entering the pub, the dim environment gave way to unexpected brightness. The pub was illuminated by electric lights that were not even technically adopted in the Coral Archipelago.
Several women dressed in garments that did not leave a lot to the imagination danced on the platforms, swaying to the rhythm of the music. The dance floor was a cacophony of music and chatter. Charles felt that this place looked more like a nightclub than the traditional pub that he was used to.
Weaving through the dance crowd, Charles reached the edge of the bar counter. A female bartender with a skull tattooed on her face caked with makeup leaned forward toward him. "What do you want, handsome?"
"Seadog referred me here. I have some things to ask," Charles answered as he rested his elbows on the bar counter.
The bartender's hand movements didn't halt as she skillfully juggled and flipped bottles, concocting cocktails.
"Even if you are Seadog's referral, you still have to pay like everyone else. 5000 Echo per question."
"Alright. Do you know where I can find sunlight in Sottom?" Charles' heart raced in anticipation after he popped the question.
"Sunlight? What's that? I've never heard of it."
Charles' heart sank. Suddenly a thought appeared in his head. He turned to Audric and instructed, "Draw the box that contains sunlight."
Audric nodded and pulled out a piece of parchment and a charcoal pencil. His hands made swift movement and before long, a lifelike image of a six-sided mirror box sat on the parchment.
Just as Audric was about to add additional details to the sketch, the female bartender pulled the paper over and scanned it.
"Ah. So you are looking for it. I know about this. It's a weapon that can deal with creatures of the dark. However, we don't call it sunlight around here, we call it a Mirrorbox. Sunlight? Really? Who came up with such a stupid name?
"Where can I buy one?" Charles asked. His anticipation rising up once more.
"The Mirrorbox business belongs to 'King'. Every fortnight, he will release a batch from his hoard. You can try your luck but prepare enough Echo. After all, it's in high demand. Selling them on the other islands could make you a fortune."
"I don't need that many. I just need one."
"Just one? Do you think you are buying a child's toy?" The skull tattoo bartender stared at Charles with a hint of suspicion in her eyes.
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