Chapter 4. Fhtagn Covenant
Holding the stacks of Echo bills in his hand, Old John was visibly elated. He turned and headed for the door. However, just when he pushed the room door open and was about to step out, he pondered for a moment before turning around again, seemingly experiencing emotional distress.
Staring at the man standing before him, who was only partially illuminated by the dim light in the room, Old John hesitated but eventually spoke.
"Capt'n, I be leavin'. To be honest, why don't ye come ashore too? Ye've scraped enough money to buy yerself an explorin' ship, but what good will it do ye? The Land of Light... it doesn't exist."
"It does," Charles retorted in a calm tone, but his eyes were shining with resolute faith.
"There be somethin' hangin' in the sky, bigger than any bloomin' island. It gives us light and warmth just like that, drives the darkness away. How in blazes is that possible, eh? It's all made up by them Divine Light Order to fool folks like us."
Charles' silence prompted Old John to let out a sigh. "Back when I first laid me eyes on ye, even though ye couldn't speak a word, ye had such spirit, such confidence. I thought to meself, what a fine young lad ye be! If I had a granddaughter, I'd surely introduce ye to 'er.
"No need to keep it a secret from me, Capt'n. I know ye been hearin' the voice of the divine for days now. Carry on like this, and ye'll be drivin' yerself mad, I tell ye. Give it up."
Charles remained expressionless as he walked to the door. He gently pushed Old John out and closed the door on the latter with a "thud".
"Boy, yer too obsessed." Old John grumbled. His footsteps gradually faded away down the corridor, and silence returned.
"Am I too obsessed?" Charles leaned against the room door and mumbled to himself. His expression slowly distorted.
"What's wrong with wanting to go back?" Charles suddenly shouted with a pained expression.
"I haven't done anything wicked or unlawful! Why do I have to deal with all this shit! Why!!"
"Eight years! It's been a whole eight years!! Why do I have to endure this kind of torment?! I just want to go home, is that too much to ask?!" Charles roared loudly. Emerging from n0v@lbin☆, this material harbors clandestine details.
"glui mglw...na..." The murmurs in his ear rang again, adding to his annoyance.
"Fuck you!!" In a burst of rage, Charles whipped out his revolver and pressed it against his temple.
Just as he was about to pull the trigger with his trembling fingers, a muffled protest from the guest living in the room next to him interrupted.
"What's with that noise! Keep it down!"
The agitated Charles suddenly calmed down. He holstered the revolver back at his waist and carefully wrapped up the blade in a piece of cloth.
After a few seconds of contemplation, Charles opened the door and followed Hook out onto the streets.
The two men walked through the fishy-smelling port, leaving the port district and heading further inland to the residential area of the island.
The residential area was slightly less chaotic, with an added sense of vibrancy. If not for the grayish-white coral rock buildings, Charles felt as if he was walking on the streets of mid-19th century London.
Banks, hospitals, clothing stores, theaters, and various modern facilities—the island had it all. If not for the locals' deformed ears and ghastly white skin, everything would have appeared perfectly normal.
The island was like a city itself, and the street was bustling with activities. There was a mix of both the rich and the poor, as evidently seen from their clothing. Though, everyone seemed busy with their own affairs.
"Grilled spider crab leg! 4 Echo!
"Daddy, I'm so tired. I can't walk anymore...."
"Extra! Extra! Major news! Governor Nico is set to marry his sixth husband in six days!"
"Excuse me, sir. Could I have a moment of your time? Let me introduce you to our Heavenly Father and Savior, the All-knowing and All-powerful Great One, Fhtagn Sawito."
The serenity and peace did not sit well with Charles. No matter how peaceful everything appeared, they were just as fragile as a bubble. Though extremely rare, there had been instances of an island inhabited by millions of people simply sinking into the depths one day.
The duo maneuvered through the gray-white buildings until they eventually arrived before a massive cathedral. As they entered the cathedral, the bustling sounds from the streets instantly quietened down.
A colossal stone sculpture that could be vaguely considered a humanoid stood upright in the middle of the hall.
Rather than a human, mutated or otherwise, its features resembled more of a decaying octopus standing upright. Its flared scales and the countless eyeballs covering its entire body sent creeps and discomfort to those who lay their eyes on it.
Devotees clad in black robes stood in neat lines as they softly recited in a language devoid of consonants. Charles found the chants oddly familiar; they reminded him of the auditory hallucinations he had experienced.
"The high priest is in the confessional. Please follow me."
Hook then led Charles through the crowd and further inside.
The security behind the main hall got increasingly stricter. At every corridor turn and doorway, there would be a black-robed follower standing guard. Even though none of them spoke a word, Charles could clearly sense their gazes on him.
They arrived at a dimly lit room, and Charles finally got to meet the high priest of the Fhtagn Covenant. The figure donned in a crimson robe was in prostration.
Hook performed a religious gesture before he took a step back and left the room.
The high priest slowly stood up. Without turning back to look at Charles, he spoke, "Captain Charles. Our covenant needs you to find something. It's a sacred artifact that belongs to our Lord."