Shrouded Seascape

"Lunatics? Those are our fellow brothers and sisters who have been called upon by our Lord, you ignorant fool!" Octett snapped back, his voice brimming with indignation.

Before their argument could escalate further, Jax interjected, "I have a question, though. The Haikor Tribe doesn't form the core component of the Foundation. To the Foundation, those giants are merely test subjects who worship them as gods.

"They likely wouldn't even know the location of the Foundation's strongholds. I doubt they will be of much help."

Octett seemed to have been poked in a sore spot, as he grew defensive and countered, "But it's still a plan, isn't it? If you think it won't work, do you have a better one?"

"The location of the Foundation strongholds huh…" Charles muttered to himself as he stroked his chin thoughtfully, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

When he had escaped with Sparkle back then, neither of them had paid any attention to their exact location. He also had no idea where Site 6 was located on the map nor how to reach it.

The Sea of Mist was simply too vast.

"I say we send this defector back and have him lie low on the island while secretly searching for others like him. Given time, an opportunity will arise," Octett suggested.

Although it was a slow approach, it was still undoubtedly a plan. And having a plan was better than none. If the meeting had ended there, it would have been considered to be a modestly productive one.

Everyone had been preparing to leave, but they came to a halt.

"Perhaps I might know someone who knows the way," Charles said, causing hints of surprise to cross the gazes of the others.

"You know? How?" Julio asked.

"The recent Haikor giant was not the only one who had managed from the Sea of Mist. One of them knows the exact location of the Foundation," Charles explained.

"And it just so happens that I know of one who does. Hopefully, his mind is clear enough to remember the way. The last time I saw him, he was bedridden."

With that, Charles then passed by the four sand figures and headed toward the door. "That's all for today. Wait for my update."

***

Elizarles Shores was once a barren ruin, but the island was now covered with buildings of varying heights. The underground Project Interaction Laboratory had also been converted into a new Governor's Mansion.

However, Charles didn't head to the Governor's Mansion. According to Elizabeth's wife, who harbored evident hostility toward him, Elizabeth wasn't at the mansion.

Despite being on Elizarles Shores, Charles' identity as the governor of Hope Island still carried weight.

Soon, Charles found Elizabeth. She was cornering a young woman with a ponytail against a wall.

The islanders walking past seemed unfazed. They went on about their business as if this were a daily occurrence. Only a few curious children peeked out from their hiding spots, watching with wide eyes.

"Sweetie, where are you going?" A charming smile was plastered on Elizabeth's visage as she towered over the brown-haired woman.

"Governor, please let me go. I really don't like women," the young woman pleaded in a trembling voice.

"Oh, don't be so certain about it," Elizabeth countered with a soft chuckle. She lifted the woman's chin with an index finger. "How would you know if you haven't tried it? I used to think I didn't like men either, but after I gave it a shot…Ahh~ That feeling was heavenly."

The scent of Elizabeth's perfume overwhelmed the young woman's senses. Elizabeth's presence was so overwhelming that the young woman was on the verge of tears.

"Don't cry, darling. I'm just courting you. You can say no anytime you want," Elizabeth consoled as she wrapped a hand around the brunette's slender waist. She lifted the brunette effortlessly as a doll, turned around, and gently placed her back down on the ground.

The woman bolted away like a frightened deer. Her heart was pounding wildly against her chest. Just as she reached the corner, she hesitated and turned around to steal a glance at Elizabeth.

"Sweetie, no matter how long it takes, I'll wait for you. I'll love only you, forever," Elizabeth called out and blew the brunette a flying kiss.

The young woman immediately sprinted away in panic.

Having witnessed the scene unfold, Charles stepped out from behind Elizabeth with his arms crossed over his chest. "Isn't your love a little too… excessive?"

Elizabeth sharply turned around. Instantly, she had Charles pinned against the wall. Pressing her body against his, she purred into his ear, "I don't think so."

Three minutes later, Elizabeth's cheeks were flushed as she dragged Charles toward a nearby inn.

"Wait, hold on. I came here for a serious matter." Charles had to use all his strength to hold back Elizabeth, who towered over two meters.

Elizabeth playfully flipped her gleaming white locks and practically draped herself over Charles.

"Do you have any idea how long it's been since we last met?" Elizabeth complained, her voice taking on a soft, almost sultry tone. "Do you know how much I've missed you? And you want to talk about serious matters the moment we meet?"

Thinking back to the young brunette who had just escaped earlier, Charles couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "I didn't exactly get the impression that you’ve been missing me all that much."

A hint of mischief flashed across Elizabeth's eyes. She leaned in and nibbled on Charles' ear. "Then let me show you how much I've missed you!"

"Wait," Charles interrupted. "I'm actually here to see your grandfather. He's still alive, isn't he?"

Charles' words were like a cold bucket of water poured over Elizabeth, instantly dousing her fiery passion. She blinked in surprise, saying, "He's still alive, but why are you looking for him?"

Linking her arm through Charles, Elizabeth led him toward a car parked nearby. On their way to the Governor's Mansion, Charles explained his reason for the visit.

"When your grandfather was younger, he witnessed the floating corpse of a Divinity. Though he may not know what it was at that time, I do. That was the true form of Pede," Charles explained.

"He has been to that location and knows the exact coordinates of the Foundation's Site 6," Charles concluded as they stepped out of the car.

"No problem. We must certainly help if it's to fight against the Foundation," Elizabeth replied with a nod. They linked arms as they approached the grand entrance of the Governor's Mansion.

The moment the two of them walked through the doors, they were immediately swarmed by a crowd of women. The overwhelming scent of their perfume assaulted Charles' nostrils and made him feel dizzy.

The array of stunning women was in every style imaginable—long hair, short hair, cute, sexy.

"This is more than the nine I saw previously. How many women do you have now?" Charles asked, his brows furrowed as he pinched his nose to block out the overwhelming scent of perfume.

"I don't know; I didn't count. Probably around thirty or forty? Some come, some go," Elizabeth replied in a casual tone as she led Charles toward her grandfather's bedroom.

"Aren't you worried the islanders might revolt against you for taking so many women?"

Elizabeth regarded the tentacles on Charles' head with curiosity and even gave one a light tug with her finger.

"Why would they? I didn't force any of those women. If they want to leave, I won't stop them either. I'll even send them off with expensive gifts." With a smirk, Elizabeth continued withh er reasoning, "Think about it. I collect taxes from the islanders, and then through these lovely girls, I return the money to them.

"It's a perfectly balanced economic cycle. Compared to those stingy governors who never give anything back, where else can you find a governor as generous as me?"

Elizabeth's twisted logic had Charles at a loss of words.

As they chatted, a sexy woman clad in a black silk gown and a sweet-looking younger woman in a white chiffon dress approached them.

"Governor," they greeted, gracefully crossing their legs and curtsying to Elizabeth with respect.

Elizabeth leaned down and gave each of them a gentle peck on the lips. "Go on ahead; I have some business to take care of. I'll find you girls later."