Chapter 90. A Letter
The same sight welcomed them at the harbor area of Coral Archipelago—a bustling chaos. After parting ways with the rest of the crew, Charles and Lily made their way to their usual place of lodging, the Bat Tavern.
Even though Charles had accumulated enough money to buy a house in the harbor district, he always felt that he wouldn't be staying in this Subterranean Sea for long. As such, squandering money on something permanent—like a house—was not necessary in his eyes.
Upon stepping into the tavern, Charles immediately noticed something amiss. The usual scruffy fellow behind the reception desk was gone. He had been replaced by a middle-aged man whose appearance seemed entirely out of place with the surroundings.
Wearing a neatly pressed white shirt, complemented by a black overvest, and with a meticulously groomed haircut, the man did not at all appear like someone who would be working in the harbor district.
"Mr. Charles, did the Bat Tavern have a change of ownership?" Perched on Charles' shoulder, Lily regarded the new face with curiosity.
Charles pondered briefly before approaching the man. "I'm staying for a month this time. Room 303 on the third floor. And bring two servings of food to my room."
"Certainly, sir. Your room has already been prepared for you."
As Charles was on the verge of handing over a pile of Echo bills, the man gestured with a wave of his hands, indicating that it wasn't necessary. With a respectful smile, the man explained, "Mr. Charles, you don't have to pay. The tavern belongs to you now."
"It belongs to me?" Charles asked as he studied the face of the man before him but was unable to draw any useful information. "Who are you? Who sent you?"
"My boss has left a letter for you in your room. All will become clear once you've read it."
Accepting the keys from the man, Charles headed to his usual room with a look of confusion. He unlocked the door and realized that the interior had changed completely.
The peeling walls had been re-plastered and adorned with classical carvings and wallpaper. The old furniture had also been replaced with new, vintage-style pieces. Thick pure wool carpets covered the floors while artistic paintings adorned the walls.
Charles found everything to be extremely unfamiliar. The most startling change in the room was the addition of a fireplace. Not only did the burning fire illuminate the entire room, but it also drove away the room's damp chill.
Charles exited the room to take a double look at the door number. He hadn't entered the wrong room; this was indeed the room that he had been staying in all along. However, the current décor and furnishings made him feel as though he had entered a Governor's room.
"Woah!!" An excited Lily jumped off Charles' shoulder and crawled onto the bed. Rolling about on the bed, she exclaimed, "Mr. Charles, come join me! This bed is so soft and comfortable!"
Charles ignored Lily's thrilled cries. He recalled the man's words earlier, and his gaze fell on the table. A square envelope lay right smack in the center of the desk.
Who would write me a letter in this place?
A faint silhouette entered Charles' mind, and his heart raced. He rushed forward and tore the envelope open. A folded drawing fell out. It was a portrait of Anna making a silly expression.
Charles stared at the drawing for a few seconds before flipping it over. As expected, he found Chinese characters written on the back.
Gao Zhiming, have you managed to find the exit? Any clues yet? I've some happy news for you. I've gotten married. But don't worry; I didn't cheat on you. That man is rather delicious.
I dropped by recently because I have matters to attend to. It's clear how rugged you men must be to endure staying in such a room. I took the liberty of cleaning up a bit. No need to thank me, and don't read too much into it; it doesn't mean anything.
Charles read the message several times over. Time stretched for a long while before he finally placed the drawing down. His thoughts were chaotic. Why did Anna do all of this?
"Tie up the guy downstairs, and we might get a clue on Anna’s whereabouts. Are we going to go find her?"
Richard was unusually serious for once and didn't make his usual sarcastic remarks.
"You want to go?"
"Hey, don't try to put this on me. You surely echo my thoughts. You want to find her, yet you don't want to."
"So what if we find her? Don't forget what she is. If she sticks around us, can you endure watching her eat humans daily?"
"Hey, you're Gao Zhiming. I'm Gao Zhiming, too. If you can accept it, I certainly can as well."
Charles let out a sigh as his brows furrowed slightly. He placed the drawing on the desk and sank slowly into the soft leather couch near the fireplace.
He subconsciously rubbed his temples with his right hand. The soft leather sofa and the warmth from the fireplace could ease his physical fatigue, but they did nothing to alleviate the turmoil in his heart.
Anna lingered in his memories as his childhood sweetheart. Despite understanding that those cherished recollections were nothing but fabrications, he still regarded them with great value.
Yet, even the profound connection they shared could not negate the horrifying truth: Anna was a human-eating monster.
Charles stared at the flickering flames in the fireplace for a while before he finally spoke, "Since the Subterranean Sea doesn't conform to usual logic, do you think there might be a way—"
Richard immediately cut him off.
“A way to turn Anna into a human being? Bro, that idea is surely wild. Let's not even consider whether that tentacle monster will consent to the idea. If we change our goal to helping it, what becomes of our search for the exit home? What's more important, the girl or going home?"
Charles fell into silence. Just as his mind was in a war of emotion and reason, a small box on the ground caught his attention. There seemed to be something within. He bent down and pieced the two halves together.
Sender: Margaret Jane Cavendish
Recipient: Mr. Charles
Margaret? Charles was reminded of the innocent young girl who was as timid as a rabbit. Charles glanced at Anna's silly expression on the table and back at the torn letter in his hand. Doubt appeared on his face.
Since Anna has torn this letter apart, why did she throw it here for me to find it?
After a moment of contemplation, Charles put the two halves of the letter together and gripped one end with his teeth.
With a forceful pull of his right hand, he tore the damaged letter into four pieces.
With a resolute flick of his wrist, he cast the fragments into the trash bin before making his way towards the washroom.
Remembering how Margaret had secretly provided food for the slaves, Charles recognized her innate kindness.
However, no matter what she had written in the letter, he was determined to avoid any further involvement with her.
His life in this world was already fraught with complex relationships, and he had no desire to add another one to the mix.
Charles' mundane life on the island was short-lived. Just half a month after he had resumed his painting hobby to purify his mind from the sea's corruption, he spotted the weather-beaten exploration vessel of the Divine Light Order arriving at the harbor.
Inside Room 303 of the Bat Tavern.
"How did it go? Did you manage to find a resupply island?" Charles questioned Kord, who sat opposite him with an extremely dark expression.
Charles didn't bother to ask Kord about finding the stairway to the Land of Light. Knowing Kord's fanatical devotion to the Sun God, Charles knew that his expression would have been entirely different if he had truly discovered the island.
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