Shrouded Seascape

Chapter 255. Laestos Choice

Chapter 255. Laesto's Choice

After jotting down the recent events in his diary, Charles set down his fountain pen and waited for the ink to dry before closing the book.

He then pulled out his revolver from the pot of calcified water nearby and tucked it into his holster. It was time for his first round of patrol of the day aboard the Narwhale. This was part of his duty as a captain, one that didn't cease as long as they were still at sea.

The first top was always the deck. The moment he emerged from the cabins, Charles spotted the sailors busily cleaning the deck. Meanwhile, Feuberbach was seated at the bow and meticulously scraping barnacles off a turtle with a knife.

"Do you have so much affection for sea creatures?" Charles asked.

The Second Mate stopped his work and turned to Charles with a look of surprise. "Captain, why do you ask that?"

Charles pointed at the turtle in Feuerbach's hands, and that action elicited a chuckle from the latter's lips.

"There's no affection here; I don't even know it. I just enjoy the feeling of peeling barnacles that have burrowed into flesh. Besides, it's bleeding so much that the moment I toss it back into the sea, the scent of blood will immediately attract predators."

With that, Feuerbach threw the turtle overboard into the dark waters.

Plop!

The turtle landed in the sea. The next moment, two red shadows darted right underneath the water's surface and instantly tore the turtle to shreds.

Charles let out a light laugh. He had misunderstood his Second Mate all along. Giving Feuerbach an encouraging pat on the back, he then turned and walked back toward the cabins.

As he passed by cabin after cabin, he saw his first mate manning the helm at the bridge, the cook and his assistant cooking in the galley, and the chief engineer with his team fueling the turbines. Everyone aboard the Narwhale was diligently performing their tasks.

The waves were slightly rough today, but the crew only swayed slightly with the rhythm of the waves. After all, they had well-adapted to life on the ship.

After swiftly completing his patrol, Charles arrived at the crew's resting cabin. This was supposedly the sailors' quarters, but now there was a new occupant.

In the corner, Laesto was intently working on something at a table. Beside him, Tobba and Lily, perched on Tobba's head, watched with great interest.

The unknown entity that came out of Door 3 had devoured most of the medical room, and it was no longer habitable. As such, Laesto had to stay in the sailors' quarters for the remainder of the return journey.

Charles approached the group of three to see Laesto examining the tablet on the table with a serious expression on his countenance. It was one of the three tablets he had retrieved from the Foundation's main island.

Watching Laesto's indecisive actions, picking up and then putting the tablet back down, Charles walked up to him and commented, "Why? Are you planning to open it up and retrieve the parts needed to fix your tablet all by yourself?

Laesto didn't even turn around to spare Charles a glance. His eyes remained fixated on the tablet. "I've touched this bulky thing for my whole life. I can feel it's just missing a certain part. Just need to fit it back in place."

"Fixing people is different from fixing machines. Machines require maximum precision. If you’re not absolutely sure, I’d advise against tampering with it."

Charles was well aware that usually, a tablet contained similar main components to computers: a motherboard, memory, CPU, and power supply. If any of the components failed, one simply needed to replace it with a new one.

However, having knowledge was one thing. Offering to help Laesto fix his tablet was beyond his capability. No one knew if the technology used by the Foundation would be different. Even if the tablet was structurally similar to those that he knew of from the modern world, he still lacked the technical skills necessary to fix it.

And a part of Charles was worried for Laesto. The tablet is centuries old. Is the hard drive still intact? If it's corrupted, can the old man handle such a blow?

Charles stood next to silence as he watched Laesto deliberating for a long time. But ultimately, Laesto didn't proceed with dismantling it.

The elderly man slammed his fist against the table in apparent frustration. He turned to Charles and reached out an open palm. "Give me your phone. Let me disassemble it for practice."

"No damn way. Absolutely not," Charles rejected flatly.

Laesto let out a scoff. "You don't even use it for anything useful. You just let the mouse play with it all day long. Such a sophisticated piece of machinery is reduced to a mere toy in your hands. What a waste," Laesto grumbled before turning back to tinker with the tablet on the table.

"I'd suggest you just leave it. Whoever charged my phone, find them to do it. That's what professionals are for," Charles suggested.

"I have the same thoughts. Just that I couldn't help but want to try it myself before seeing him," Laesto replied as he packed away the tablet.

Intrigued, Charles asked, "And who are they?"

"Cocci from the Albion Isles. He's an associate professor at the University of Steam Engineering. He's the one who created the charging device for your phone."

Charles gently lifted Lily from Tobba's head and placed her in his palm while he stroked her smooth fur with his other hand.

"Albion Isles again? No wonder Swann managed to develop his island so fast; those universities must have played a significant role."

"Have you been to the Albion Isles? When was that?"

"Of course, I've been there. Don't forget. I used to captain cargo ships before becoming the captain of an exploration vessel. My last visit there was about five years ago. I remember their customs duties were twice as high as other islands."

Laesto pulled a metal flask from his grimy white robe.

"Five years ago? Well, you might as well find some time to visit again. That island is changing every moment, and especially so ever since their governor built Ronker. There are many new inventions popping up on the island as we speak."

Ronker... The name conjured the image of the massive weapon of destruction in his mind. Suddenly, his eyes lit up with an idea. He might have found a way to enter that deep-sea abyss.

"Do you think other governors can commission required mechanical constructs from the Albion Isles?"

Laesto put down his flask and raised a brow in surprise. "What? You want a new ship? You treasure this animated ship even more than a wife, and you're planning on replacing it?"

"No, I want to commission a submarine."

"What's a sub...mering?"

"A submarine. A method of transport that travels underwater."

Laesto let out a snort. "Isn't that still a ship? I see that you are not content with exploring the sea's surface and are now trying to court death beneath it. Out of the entire seascape, you are probably the only lunatic here."

"If they can build Ronker, they can surely construct a submarine. The Albion Isles is probably the only island that can do it."

"Whatever. But I'm not joining you in this. Once my business is done, I'm leaving the crew," Laesto replied dismissively as he stood up from his chair and walked toward the bunk bed next to him.

Charles was taken aback. "You're leaving the Narwhale?"

"Don't forget why I boarded your ship in the first place. I'll leave once I achieve my goals. And I have no intention to die alongside you on some wild quest. I don't have many years left; I’d rather die on land than be thrown into the sea from your ship and drown."

Hearing Laesto's words, a pang of regret hit Charles. Even since meeting Laesto in Sottom, the doctor had been of great help to him. He knew Laesto wouldn't stay much longer, but he hadn’t expected their parting to come so soon.