Shrouded Seascape

Chapter 60. The Governors

Despite having a scant interest in current affairs, Charles often heard tabloid gossip about the governor, Nico. In conclusion, Nico was a man who held a preference for other men. Of course, there was totally nothing wrong with liking someone of the same gender. However, the atrocity of him wedding not one but six husbands seemed to border the boundaries of propriety.

Fortunately, beyond his scandalous private life, Nico's governance of the Coral Archipelago seemed to be worthy of praise. The locals found him competent in managing their welfare and administrative matters, which added to their satisfaction.

The dazzling gold vehicle pulled up alongside the bustling docks, yet Governor Nico made no move to alight. He seemed to be waiting for something.

Just then, rows of policemen in their black uniforms swarmed into the docks. They numbered around a thousand. They rapidly dispersed the crowd that had gathered. Laborers and fishmongers were forced to scatter, and the bustling pier instantly fell into silence.

When a burst of light illuminated the horizon, where the black sky melded seamlessly with the dark sea, Charles finally figured out who Governor Nico was waiting for.

One. Two. Three. Three behemoth steamships, each rivaling the length of the Titanic, blared their sirens and loomed oppressively toward the shore.

Standing before the window, Margaret instantly recognized the flags upon the ships. She couldn't contain her excitement as she exclaimed, "Mr. Charles, that's my father's ship! He's here to take me home! I can finally go home!"

Nico finally alighted from his vehicle. His flamboyant fluffy white cape was hard to miss. As he watched the approaching ships, the corners of his lips curled up into a faint smile, and he clapped his hands. At his signal, from the side of the pier, ten battleships armed to the teeth raised their cannons to aim at the three menacing titans.

The gigantic steamships were halted just outside the harbor and couldn't approach further. Disregarding the sailors' frantic flag signaling, the battleships remained in place, their silent display of power was an apparent refusal of passage.

Boom!

A distant cannon roared, and a shadow hurtled toward the dock. As the projectile approached, Charles managed to get a closer look, and his eyes narrowed into slits. It was not a cannonball but a man—a burly man with a mustache and a protruding belly.

The forceful impact slammed the man hard onto the ground. However, the man bounced back up almost immediately and stood upright as though nothing had happened.

Indeed, those who can become a governor surely have some tricks up their sleeves. To think he used his body as a cannonball... Charles remarked to himself in awe.

"Let's go," Charles said as he clasped the hand of the girl beside him. They jumped out of the window and landed on the adjacent roof. Stepping across the chimneys and roof tiles, the duo ran toward the docks.

"Nico! What is the meaning of this!" Daniel shouted, fuming with rage as he confronted the Coral Archipelago's governor, Nico. He completely disregarded the myriad of guns pointed at him from every direction.

Hearing the Isle of Whereto's governor's roar of fury, Nico nonchalantly started to file his nails with a glittering golden nail file and retorted, "You arrived at my island with three Royal Titan ships, and you are asking me what this means?"

"I told you in my telegram! I'm here for my daughter!" Daniel's wrath was comparable to that of a provoked lion.

"Hmph~ Didn't you say the same thing to little Arthur six years ago? In the end, his island became your island after that."

A series of warning whistles from the police interrupted the heated argument between the two governors. Both men turned in the direction of the commotion. Darting between rooftops with the agility of a capuchin monkey, a black-haired young man with a jagged scar on his face appeared in their line of sight. A young girl was with him. They managed to reach Nico and Daniel within moments.

As the two suspicious individuals neared the governors, the police in the vicinity were about to draw their guns.

"Father!" Margaret cried out as her emotions overwhelmed her. She wanted to run to her father immediately, but Charles grabbed her back in time.

Nico blinked his eyes smudged with layers of eyeshadow at the newcomers. "Lower your weapons. I think I remember this handsome young lad."

"Bastard! You kidnapped my daughter!" Daniel clenched his fists in fury and was ready to charge at Charles.

"Father! It's not what you think! Mr. Charles is a good man! He saved me!" Margaret was quick in resolving the misunderstanding. She hastily explained the events that transpired to her father, who was brimming with rage.

After hearing Margaret's account, Daniel cast an icy glance at Charles, "Since it's a misunderstanding, release my daughter immediately!"

Before Charles could open his mouth to speak, Margaret reminded him, "Father, did you forget? You agreed to give Mr. Charles a reward of five million Echo for saving me."

Daniels' thick lips quivered at his own daughter's "thoughtful" reminder. Eventually, he chose not to speak a single word and fished out a cheque from his pocket. He scribbled a few words on it before throwing it to the ground.

Just before the cheque landed on the ground, Charles lifted his hand, and the cheque flew toward him instead.

"Father!" Margaret cried out as she dashed into Daniel's embrace. Her tiny arms wrapped around his pot belly; the size juxtaposition was a comical sight to see.

"Are you alright? Did anyone treat you badly? Tell Father! I'll avenge you!" Daniel asked anxiously as he turned his daughter around and inspected her for any signs of injuries.

"I'm okay. It's all thanks to Mr. Charles. He saved me."

Daniel briefly glanced at Charles. He didn't even try to mask the hostility in his glare. Grabbing his daughter by the hand, he walked toward the sea.

"Let's go home. Your mother has been crying her eyes out over you."

"Wait! I want to say a few words to Mr. Charles."

"What's there to say to someone like him? Let's go. Now."

Before Margaret could say another word, Daniel hoisted her up and walked away.

Under the gazes of everyone, the governor of Whereto strode across the water surface toward the titan ships in the distance.

Perched on her father's shoulder, Margaret looked with apparent longing at the young man standing at the dock. She was expecting him to say something, but he didn't even speak a single word.

Observing his calm expression, memories of their time together flashed across her mind. She felt a sudden urge to persuade her father to stay at the Coral Archipelago for a little longer. But in the end, she didn't do so.

"Mr. Charles! Goodbye! I'll send you a telegram!" Margaret cried out as tears slid from the corners of her eyes.

Hearing her words, Daniel's face turned a shade darker, and he hastened his pace.

"You sure have got brains to be able to swindle money out of Daniel. But you aren't ruthless enough. If it were me, I'd have demanded a way higher price." Nico slid up to Charles, the strong smell of his perfume assaulting the latter's nostrils.

Charles silently retreated two steps back. "Governor Nico, you must be joking. For a small fry like me, five million is more than enough."

Asking for five million was just Charles' way of giving a light slap on Governor Daniel's pride. If he had really tried to blackmail a larger sum, he might have ended up with the money but with his life in exchange.

Nico regarded the young man before him with apparent interest. "So it was you who stirred up a storm in Sottom? Even 'King' had to eat a humble pie?"

Charles's heart skipped a beat. The governor sure had his information-gathering channel to know about the incident so quickly.

"Yes, I killed 'King'."

However, Nico's next words stunned Charles.

"No, you didn't kill him. If he could be killed that easily, he wouldn't be the 'King' of Sottom. As far as I know, no one in the entire Subterranean Sea can kill him."

The image of the sinking corpse resurfaced in Charles' mind. He isn't dead even with half of his head cut off? Is he even human?

"Young lad, you are impressive. Come to my place for tea when you have time. We can get to know each other deeper."

Nico then turned and headed toward his dazzling gold vehicle.

Charles instantly turned down the offer in his mind. He had no intention of becoming the man's seventh husband.

Staring at the five million Echo cheque in his hand, Charles let out a breath of relief. This series of events had finally come to an end. With these Echo in hand, he wouldn't have to worry about funds for a while.

Charles chucked the cheque into his pockets and glanced around. Spotting a white mouse in the curious crowd, he instructed, "Lily, gather the crew. Vacation's over. Time to set out again."