He had been preparing for his return home for far too long; he had already memorized every configuration of the various exploration ships.

The transaction proceeded quickly. An hour later, Charles saw the exterior of his new ship.

The streamlined white hull was neatly lined with rivets, and the body was several times thicker than that of the Mouse.

The thicker smokestack attested to the powerful turbine engine.

At first glance, it looked like a larger, refurbished Mouse. But the industrially beautiful cannon on the foredeck immediately set it apart from a second-hand cargo ship.

Length: 65 meters, width: 10 meters, draft: 5.5 meters—large at the front, smaller at the back.

“This was originally a warship ordered by the Governor’s Navy, but they’re not in a hurry. If you need it urgently, I can prioritize it for you.”

“This one, then. When can it be launched?”

“Some of the facilities you need inside the cabin aren’t ready yet. Even if we rush it, it’ll take at least half a month to launch.”

“Because part of the cost is subsidized by the Explorer’s Association, you only need to pay 3.5 million Echo coins.”

Charles silently calculated the amount. “I have just enough in my account. If I sell the Mouse, I’ll have enough for supplies for the next expedition.”

“Alright, get it done as soon as possible. I’ll come to pick up the ship in half a month.”

After leaving the shipyard, Charles headed straight for the Explorer’s Association.

Once you have an exploration ship, you join the Explorer’s Association—a loose organization found on every human island. Its members are all captains of exploration ships.

Of course, it’s not mandatory to join, but if something is beneficial to him, Charles won’t refuse.

As long as you become an explorer, the association’s vast collection of nautical charts will be freely available. These things cost money outside, and besides charts, there are other benefits. He had already done his homework on this organization.

Of course, becoming an explorer isn’t all benefits and no drawbacks. After joining, you must land on at least one island every year. If you fail to meet the exploration quota, your explorer qualification will be revoked.

But for Charles, this downside was basically nonexistent—he was here to explore islands anyway.

The Explorer’s Association wasn’t far from the docks; its white stone building was very eye-catching.

Charles glanced at the ship emblem hanging at the top of the building and stepped inside.

It was large and empty inside; he could hear the echo of his own footsteps as he walked in.

Apart from a few counters in the distance, there were only a handful of men and women scattered on the sofas to the left. The tricorn hats on the tables proved they shared the same identity as Charles.

As Charles looked at them, they were also curiously sizing up the unfamiliar face at the door.

After quickly identifying the words above the counters, Charles walked to the far-left counter. Just as he was filling out the application form with a quill, a fair arm wrapped around his neck.

“Swish.” Charles reached for his waist with his right hand, and the muzzle of his revolver was already pressed against the stomach of the person behind him.

A slightly husky female voice sounded in his ear, “Relax, newbie, this isn’t the sea—there’s no danger here.”

The person let go of Charles’s neck, pulled over a chair, crossed her legs, and sat down beside him.

The newcomer was a sexy woman, with bright white hair, long straight legs, and an alluring curve deliberately exposed at her chest.

If you ignored her nearly two-meter imposing height, any man would want to get close to her.

Compared to her beauty, Charles was more concerned about the wooden staff at her waist—it seemed to be her weapon. Few women went to sea, but those who did and survived were never ordinary.

“Do you need something?” Charles put his gun away.

“Haven’t seen a newbie in a long time, just wanted to say hi. I’m Elizabeth, captain of the Black Rose. Darling, what’s your name?” The giant beauty asked with a hint of a smile.

Charles didn’t answer, burying his head in the application form. The harsh environment at sea had left him with no interest in dealing with strangers.

But the woman beside him didn’t seem to take the hint and leave.

A faint fragrance drifted over as Elizabeth leaned in, blatantly peeking at Charles’s application form.

“Charles? That’s a great name. Ah, that part isn’t important, just write whatever.”

A burly man on the distant sofa laughed and said, “Elizabeth, when I first came here, you weren’t this enthusiastic.”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes at him disdainfully. “You’re not the same as him. I don’t want to sleep with you, so why should I help you?”

The burly man wasn’t offended, slapping his thigh and laughing along with his companions.

With a tearing sound, Charles poked a hole in the application form.

He had suspected the woman’s motives weren’t pure, but he hadn’t expected this particular motive. Women who could make a living at sea truly were something else.

Ignoring Elizabeth beside him, Charles quickly finished writing and handed the form over.

The staff member took the application, placed it into a machine made of various gears, and operated it skillfully.

Elizabeth didn’t care at all that the man in front of her was ignoring her, and continued talking to herself.