Chapter 510. Soften
Before Aliya could continue her words, Charles heard footsteps coming from the doorway. He turned around to see Bandages' mother approaching them with a basket in her hands.
"Governor, are you here to see Weister, too?" Elena greeted Charles with a nod and a gentle smile.
"Do you not hate me for what happened to your son?" Charles asked, puzzled by her attitude.
Elena looked like she had aged a little since the last time Charles saw her, but she remained resilient as she shook her head and said, "Please don't mind me for being honest. At first, I did resent you. But now, I've come to accept the situation as a blessing in disguise.
"Though Weister no longer recognizes me, he no longer has to venture out to sea and put his life on the line. Neither do I have to worry whether my child will come home or not."
"Also, he seems to be doing much better now. He's now willing to chat with me and even calls me 'ma'am.' Look, I even brought his favorite food," Elena added with a smile before moving past Charles and toward Bandages' ward.
With Elena's arrival, Aliya decided to leave. "Sorry, Governor. I have to get back to my duties. If you find a way to cure Dipp, please let me know immediately."
Aliya turned around and made her way toward the exit of the sanatorium.
The corridor of the sanatorium was soon empty, and Charles was left all alone with his thoughts. Reflecting on the contrasting attitudes of the two women, he was reminded of his dilemma with the Fhtagn Covenant and found himself troubled once again.
He wanted to restore his crew's sanity, but at the same time, he didn't want to incur massive casualties of thousands or even millions of people.
The death toll of the Subterranean Sea from the recent calamity was staggering in itself, and there couldn't be any more deaths.
Perhaps like what Anna suggested, I should wait until Hope Island's technology has advanced enough before I take action.
But... What if we can pressure the Fhtagn Covenant with our military strength without entering an actual conflict?
As Charles mulled over the strategies in his mind on how to minimize the cost and damage to the minimum to still fulfill his goal, the seawater in the glass tank before him churned all of a sudden.
The anomaly startled Dipp, and he darted frantically within his aquatic confines.
Soon, a pair of familiar octopus eyes appeared in the water. The Fhtagn Covenant was making contact again.
"Charles, we agree to the terms of our previous discussion." A voice sounded from the tank. "And to show our goodwill, we will cure one of your crew members first."
Charles was just about to retort when he restrained himself. Regardless of whether their words were true or not, the message was undeniably tempting to him.
If he accepted it, one of his crew could regain their sanity sooner rather than later!
"Really? Are you guys that nice?" Charles asked, his voice laced with skepticism.
"You were the one who set the terms, so why are you doubting it now?" the voice responded. "Indeed, we hold deep animosity for each other. If it were up to me, I would extract your soul and torment it in every conceivable way.
"But before the Great One, all grievances can be set aside. He is unique and above all else, including our feud."
Staring at the pair of horizontal pupils before him, Charles' brows were furrowed as he considered if there could be some other ulterior motives behind the Fhtagnist's words.
Eventually, he decided to accept the offer. Even if this deal was a trojan horse, he'd let it in the city for the meantime.
"All right, how shall we proceed with the deal?" Charles asked as he stared at the eyes in the tank.
"My men are already there. They're approaching Hope Island's docks as we speak. As per our previous conversation, we will fulfill our side of the deal first to show our sincerity.
"Just to be clear, we can continue with our deal. But there's another condition that we wish to add: you must tell us what the Pope did and where the Light God has gone."
Charles sneered inwardly, realizing that these folks were unwilling to be at a disadvantage, and sought to reclaim some intelligence as part of the deal.
"No problem. As long as you can salvage the sanity of all my crew members, we can talk about anything," Charles agreed readily.
Woosh!
The eyes in the water dispersed. The deranged Dipp rushed to the spot where the eyes had been and scratched frantically at the glass using his sharp claws.
Giving a reassuring tap on the glass, Charles swiftly left the sanatorium and instructed his people to bring the Fhtagnists from the docks.
Now, he had only one dilemma on his mind: with only one opportunity to restore sanity and a dozen crew members to consider, who should he give this chance to?
After much deliberation, he ultimately decided to grant the spot to Bandages, not only because of their close relationship but also because of his deep understanding of the Fhtagn Covenant.
If they really had to confront the Covenant in the future, having Bandages would be advantageous. Also, it would be a bonus if they managed to find a way to save the others through him.
Protesting loudly, Bandages' face was flushed with anger and fury as he was forcibly carried into the reception hall of the Governor's Mansion.
"Quiet. You'll recover soon enough. Why are you so annoying now that you've become capable of speaking 'properly'?" Charles said, his voice tinged with a hint of irritation.
Hearing this, fear surfaced in Bandages' gaze. During his long confinement, he had come to understand certain knowledge. Regardless of whether this was "his" body or Bandages' body, to be "cured" meant that Bandages would return to this body, and his current self would cease to exist.
"You... What are you trying to do?! I'm not Bandages! I'm not!!"
"Gag him," Charles commanded, his patience running thin.
A swath of silk was thrust into Bandages' mouth and muffled his protests. Amidst Bandages' muffled cries, Charles' gaze shifted to the entrance as the emissaries from the Fhtagn Covenant arrived.
Three figures cloaked in red robes led a procession of seven or eight followers, each marked with octopus tattoos on their faces, into the hall.
They were flanked by a squad of guards armed with guns and relics. Even James himself was present; he appeared to hold the same distrust toward these Fhtagnists.
Water droplets dripped from the Fhtagnists' clothes, and the unmistakable briny scent of the sea followed them. They seemed to have just surfaced from beneath the waters.
"Remove your cloaks; there's no need to hide. I've already seen your distorted forms before," Charles remarked.
At Charles' words, the red robes slowly fell away to reveal three monstrous octopus heads, inducing a scream of horror from the maid standing nearby.
"Governor Charles, it's been a long while," the leader of the group addressed Charles. "Do you remember me? I was the one who sought your help in locating the sacred relic of our Lord."
"Cut to the chase and get to work. He's the one," Charles replied and gestured toward Bandages, who was thrashing more violently against his restraints with every passing moment.
Seeing Charles' reluctance to engage in exchanging pleasantries, the octopus-headed leader wasted no further time. He instructed the followers with octopus tattoos on their faces to clear the area and prepare for the ritual.
Within moments, the tables, chairs, and even the carpet were removed from the room.
Under the watchful gazes of everyone present, the octopus-headed figures brandished golden daggers and swiftly dissected one of the male Fhtagnists. Using his bones, organs, and flesh, they began crafting a formation on the floor, and the air thickened with the pungent scent of blood.
Everyone, except the Fhtagnists, furrowed instinctively at the unfolding event. Soon, a grotesque spell array crafted from human remains appeared on the ground.
Two Fhtagnists approached Bandages, took him from the soldiers, and placed him in the center of the array.
The black candles surrounding the perimeter of the spell array began to light up one after another. However, their flames were an unsettling sight, casting an eerie black glow.
Just as Charles thought that Bandages was on the verge of regaining his sanity, one of the octopus heads did a meticulous inspection of the man and turned to Charles, saying, "Governor Charles, our time is valuable, so please do not waste our time. This man isn't under the influence of our Great One."
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