Shrouded Seascape

Chapter 884: Parting

Lily woke up in a daze. She looked around and realized that she was inside one of the Narwhale's cabins.

Pulling open the curtains and looking outside, she saw sunny Hope Island in the distance. They were back, and the waves were gently pushing the ship toward Hope Island.

Just then, scenes flashed in Lily's mind—the bizarre, living island, the unrecognizable Charles, and his parting words to her.

Lily revealed a look of anguish, and tears slid down her face. Their bond, which they had built over the years, seemed to have shattered on that island, and she felt a sense of foreboding that told her that she might never see Mr. Charles again.

When Lily clapped her eyes on Hope Island, Hope Island's observation tower spotted the Narwhale as well. In response, the navy was mobilized, and they slowly surrounded the ship armed with relics and a variety of weapons.

Bandages was extremely nervous upon seeing the Narwhale. He thought that they had gotten into some kind of accident out at sea.

Upon boarding the ship, Bandages rushed into the cabin with some navy troops, and they were surprised to find the crew covering their heads with agonized expressions while desperately trying to stand up.

The crew members were sent back to Hope Island. Soon, they all gathered in the Governor's Mansion of Hope Island, including the crew who hadn't joined the expedition.

Everyone present sat before a long table.

Dipp proceeded with his recount, telling everyone about what they had encountered on that bizarre island.

"So... the captain didn't... go back to his world...?" Bandages asked.

"Yeah, he didn't go back to his world," Dipp replied with a wry smile. "He became a Divinity of the seascape. No wonder he said that we can no longer get involved in his affairs."

The other crew members nodded. Indeed, mere mortals had no business getting involved in a Divinity's affairs.

"But what exactly does the captain want to do? Why did he do that?" James asked with a solemn expression. He found it really hard to imagine that the captain he was familiar with would make that choice.

James didn't even know if that island, which was larger than Hope Island, could still be considered their captain. The answer eluded James, and the others could not answer him as well.

The only thing they knew was that their recent encounter with Charles would probably be the last time they'd ever see him. After all, Charles had embarked on a completely different path from them.

Lily stood up and gave Bandages a gentle hug. Then, she turned and walked outside, leaving Bandages alone left in the Governor's Mansion of Hope Island.

Bandages sat down and froze, becoming as motionless as a statue. Charles' announcement of decommissioning the Narwhale at the time did not count, but this was a different story. The Narwhale was now truly decommissioned.

After an unknown amount of time, Bandages stood up in the empty conference hall. He stood ramrod straight and faced the empty chairs before him.

"Weister, Position:... First Mate. Duty: To assist the Captain in organizing work plans... and responsible for compiling... the cargo loading schedule. Helmsman covering the... 01200 to 2400 shift!"

Only a few people were aware of Lily's departure, as she knew that she was emotionally weak and was afraid of getting persuaded to stay on Hope Island.

The only people seeing her off were Linda, Nico, and Grace—two girls and an honorary girl. These three were pretty close with Lily and would often hang out together whenever they were off duty.

"Lil' Lily, can you just stay? I'm almost fifty years old, and it's honestly not that easy to make a close friend who doesn't mind the age difference," Nico said, staring at the young woman before him with a regretful gaze.

"I'm sorry, but I really have to go back. Perhaps I should have left a long time ago. This day has been postponed for such a long time as well. Don't worry; I'll have the mice deliver letters to you from time to time."

Just then, Grace rushed over and hugged Lily. Grace did not cry even when Charles ordered her to become a human bomb, but tears were now flowing down her cheeks, falling along the fissures all over her face.

"Lily, you're my best and only friend. I will never forget you!"

Lily's eyes reddened. "Mmhm, you're my best friend, too! Don't worry about your scars and your injury. There must be a way to fix them."

Linda walked over just then. She reached into the pocket of her white coat and took out a red potion in a bottle that was only as big as her index finger. There was a string around the neck of the bottle.

"Take it," Linda said.

"What is this?" Lily asked, wiping away her tears before accepting the bottle.

"It's a little parting gift. If you start missing us, drink it. It will take you to the deepest recesses of your memories."

"Thank you," Lily responded. Then, she tied the string around her neck, and the tiny bottle of red potion swayed back and forth before her chest.