Shrouded Seascape

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"Why are you guys watching me?" Charles posed the question to Kord, who was seated at the opposite end of the table. Behind Kord, the Divine Light's cultists stood in a row.

"It's not just you," Kord replied. "We look out for anyone who seeks the Land of Light. It's a sign that these people are being called upon by the Sun God."

Charles could barely hold himself back from making a mocking remark upon hearing the words of the abnormal religious fraud before him.

"Mr. Charles, I earnestly implore you to join us. It is by His will and grace that you have managed to survive your previous adventures. In these dark waters, blessed individuals like you are rare," Kord continued.

Charles let out a chuckle and waved his hand dismissively. "Let's put aside the impossible for now. I happen to have a question for you, a so-called believer of the Sun God."

Kord gestured with his left palm open. "Please ask."

"You should know of the Mirrorboxes in Sottom, don't you?"

"Of course. Some captains of our faith have even requested for me to help them procure a few."

Charles leaned forward to study the old man's expression as he asked, "Don't you think that the light in the Mirrorboxes bears a striking resemblance to the light from your Sun God?"

Kord smacked his hand against the table as he let out a light chuckle. His old visage was brimming with confidence.

"Captain Charles, you might not understand since you have not joined our Order. Our religious texts detail everything about the Sun God. The Sun God's divine light manifests in a spectrum of colors, seven colors to be exact. It can soothe one's heart and also provide warmth. The light in the Mirrorbox has only a singular color and is far too glaring. There is nothing similar to be compared between the two."

"Are you so certain?" Charles leaned forward even more as his eyes narrowed into slits.

"Captain Charles, we admire your intention to seek the Sun God's radiance. However, your lack of understanding leading to the spouting of misconceptions reflects nothing but ignorance. As the Sacred Acolyte of the Divine Light Order, I am far more knowledgeable about the Sun God than you. If His divine light were to appear before me, I would surely recognize it."

Charles burst out laughing, which he rarely did ever since he came to this subterranean world. "Thank you for that joke. It's been a while since I laughed this hard."

A trace of fury appeared on Kord's countenance. He stood up, seemingly wanting to leave, but after a brief moment, he sat down again.

"Mr. Charles, I know you are resistant to the idea of joining our Order. It's alright, we can start with a collaboration first. You have already evidently displayed your talent as the captain of an exploration vessel. I can provide you with the coordinates of the island that has the highest chance of housing the Divine Ladder. Our Order will cover all your expenses incurred for the expedition."

If it were Charles from before, he would have agreed without hesitation. Despite being used as a pawn, the compensation for being one was extremely lucrative. However, now that he had found a clue back to the surface world, there was no way he would agree to Kord's proposition.

Looking at the old man before him, Charles calculated his next move. The way to the surface world was being controlled by "King". Currently, his crew's strength was insufficient, and he needed additional support. The man before him might be of help.

"Mr. Charles, what do you think?"

"What if I told you now that I already have the clues leading to the Land of Light?"

Annoyance crept onto Kord's face as he retorted, "Captain Charles, if you insist on talking about these unrelated topics, that's a clear display of insincerity."

"What's the criterion for determining the divine light again? A spectrum of colors, correct?" Charles snapped his fingers, and a group of mice dragged in a Mirrorbox from outside the room.

He opened the Mirrorbox to reveal just a little slit and placed a prism over the opening. A rainbow light refracted onto Kord's astonished face.

"Ah, seven colors. There you have it." Charles then casually placed the prism in Kord's hand.

Holding the prism in his hand, Kord had an incredulous look. He held the prism to the Mirrorbox and experimented with it himself. With each try, it only served to amplify his astonishment until the sunlight in the box was completely exhausted.

The prism effect was something that even an elementary school student would have learned in later times. However, in this Subterranean Sea, when people had no sunlight to experiment with, no one would know that sunlight was actually composed of various monochrome lights.

"Charles, what...what exactly is this?" Kord asked, his expression agitated with a trace of elation. He felt as though he had come to learn about some forbidden existence.

Seeing Kord baffled, Charles seized the opportunity to strike while the iron was hot. He rose from his seat.

"The light in the Mirrorbox is the divine light that belongs to your Sun God. "King" of Sottom knows the location of the Land of Light. As long as we can get him to hand over the sea chart, we will be able to find the Land of Light!"

Both Charles and Kord discussed for a long time after. But by the end of it, Kord still hadn't given a clear response and left dejectedly.

The Divine Light Order had a large following in the Subterranean Sea. Charles' intention was to get Kord to spread this news to all their believers and draw all of them to Sottom. Even "King" of Sottom wouldn't be able to deal with such a large number of people.

What could a fierce and powerful pirate do compared to these fearless cultists?

Three days later, Kord came knocking on Charles' door again. With a bitter expression, he said, "I'm sorry, Captain Charles. The telegram from the Archbishop has arrived. They find this information nonsensical."

Charles leaned back against his chair and let out a sigh. Indeed, a few words alone wouldn't convince such a large organization. He would need to find some other way.

After a few moments of silence, Charles looked at Kord, who was standing before him. "What about you? Do you believe it?"

"I..." Kord's dilemma was apparent on his face. He could understand the Archbishop's feelings. A stranger suddenly claimed that what they had been seeking for centuries was currently right before them. Anyone would be skeptical.

However, the thought of that spectrum of lights wavered his heart once again. But what if Charles' words were the truth?

"What use would it be even if I believe you? The Archbishop in the Northern Sea wouldn't send any Holy Warriors over. Our mere few hundred cannot defeat 'King'."

"We don't have to defeat him." Charles' words stunned Kord.

Charles didn't continue but rather gestured for the people behind Kord to leave the room.

“Everyone, go out and guard the door. Don't let anyone come close," Kord instructed.

After the other cultists had left the room, Charles continued, "Our goal is not to take over Sottom. We only need to find out where the sunlight from the Mirrorbox originates from. As long as we get hold of this clue, we will be able to find the Land of Light."

"Do you have a plan?" Kord asked in a slightly shaking voice.

"'King' usually resides in the palace in Central Sottom. The sea chart marking the Land of Light must be in there. As long as you can distract the 'King' and his guards, I can sneak in. I don't even need to steal the chart. I only need to take a glance. This way, we can avoid any direct confrontation."

Kord didn't give an immediate positive response. Looking torn, he said he needed more time to consider.

Days flew past, but Charles hadn't heard any words from Kord. He was starting to feel slightly disappointed.

If this plan didn't work, he could only return to being an Explorer captain and methodically occupy islands, become a governor, and expand his power and influence before eventually using his formidable position to force "King" to reveal the location of the Land of Light.

However, that would take too much time, so much so that Charles wasn't even sure if he'd live that long.

"Captain! That old cultist is back again! He brought a big, tall guy with him this time!"