Navigator: I Have a Legendary Exploration Log

"the truth……"

Chalice was silent for a few seconds, then grinned.

"Mr. Jack, what I'm saying is the truth."

"Oh?"

The bald old man stared at Chairis for a moment, then a smile of interest spread across his lips.

"Young man... there are some truths that you should tell me now rather than me asking you myself."

"Didn't that old bastard Sartre tell you what kind of Extraordinary I am?"

Upon hearing this, Cherlis instinctively looked at Sartre.

But then he saw the well-dressed but casually behaving old captain leaning on his desk, raising an eyebrow at him with one hand against his cheek.

What does that mean?

Chalis couldn't figure it out, so he simply stopped thinking about it.

If Sartre wanted to collude with him, he would have rehearsed the journey there beforehand, instead of making suggestive gestures and hints at his intentions upon arrival...

So the truth is to tell the truth.

Chalice was indeed not lying.

He looked again at the old man with a shiny bald head and eyes as sharp as a hawk.

"Director Jack, I am willing to take full responsibility for my statements. Whatever method you wish to use to verify them, I am happy to oblige."

"Great! Very good!"

Jack laughed, "Young man, you chose this yourself!"

The voice just fell.

Jack's pupils suddenly contracted.

Do not!

wrong!

Somewhat suddenly, Chalice realized that Jack's pupils seemed to contract and then dilate, as if trying to encompass his entire being.

In an instant.

Chalice felt himself shrinking, while Jack, sitting behind the table, appeared several times larger without a hint of anger.

Just one change.

The perceived difference in body size put immense psychological pressure on Cherries.

at the same time.

An oppressive feeling, like thorns in one's back, came from all directions, surrounding the shrunken "Cheris".

The sense of urgency and tension made it almost impossible for him to think.

"You killed Finn with your own hands?"

Jack's stern voice descended from above, echoing into an omnipresent sound of interrogation that enveloped the trembling Cheryl.

"Yes."

Only after saying it did Cheryl realize belatedly that he hadn't thought it through at all.

The answer was entirely instinctive.

"Did you kill him intentionally, or did you kill him in a counterattack?"

"I'll take the initiative... I'll strike first..."

Chalice's answer was still given without hesitation.

However, being an extraordinary being, his powerful spirituality allowed him to elaborate on his brief answer.

Although the answer still cannot go against one's conscience.

"Why did you strike first? Did you already know about Finn's malicious intentions?"

"Yes."

"How did you find out?"

"Fan's words are contradictory."

"Where is the conflict located?"

Before we knew it.

The oppressive atmosphere of the suffocating interrogation subsided slightly, allowing Chalice to smoothly clarify his thoughts and organize his words.

"Fan said he had his crew bleed to attract the thorns, but the crew member who ended up falling next to him was already..."

Chalice revealed his thoughts at the time in full, and made no secret of his growing wariness of Finn after realizing something was amiss.

"So you turned your gun on him and blew his head off the moment he charged? Is it possible he didn't intend to attack you, but you mistakenly killed him in a moment of panic?"

Speaking of it.

The question already carried a subtle hint of sarcasm.

Sartre silently observed Jack's skillful interrogation and naturally realized that his old friend was ready to "close the case."

This third-ranking judge in the legal hierarchy, despite his retirement, constantly complains about not being bothered with cases.

But look at all these case files and reports filling the room…

Is it that I'm annoyed, or that I can't let go...?

This is also something he has in common with Sartre.

Two old men, despite their advanced age, can still find common ground.

You can't get along if you don't share some common traits.

Sartre entrusted the Tulip to Chalice and went ashore to start a small business in seclusion.

But when it comes to anything related to going to sea, he sometimes gets even more excited than Chalice, the person directly involved...

……

"Hey! Shouldn't you be awake by now?"

Sartre casually pulled a dossier from his desk, rolled it up, and poked at Cherissa, who stood there dumbfounded, her eyes seemingly lost in thought.

Chalice woke up with a start, shook his head, and looked in surprise at the bald old man behind the desk who was looking at him with a smile, unchanged.

"Young man, you're dishonest."

Jack jokingly said in a serious tone, "You clearly planned to kill that guy a long time ago, but you just wouldn't fire the first shot. You had to wait for the other side to make the first move."

"Your mind is even more profound than this old man's was in his youth."

"What are you saying? What kind of talk is that?!"

Sartre retorted, "Wasn't my shrewdness all for the sake of bringing you idiots back safely? What? Now that you're in a high position, you think the captain back then was too smooth and worldly?"

"Without me, the old captain, protecting you all, it's questionable whether you and those few greenhorns would even survive your internship! Besides! When it comes to depth, can this kid be as deep as me?"

"Old captain... young man..."

The bald old man sighed. "Sartre, you're only two years older than me. And... I swear, if you point at me with my files again, I promise you'll crawl out of here..."

"Oh my!"

Sartre laughed in exasperation, "No wonder you're a senior director of the Navigators' Association! Look at that aura, you really do look the part!"

But that's all talk.

Sartre turned his head and sneered at Cherries, while obediently spreading out the files and placing them back on the desk.

Chalice saw all of this, but didn't agree with anything or dare to laugh at anything.

He simply stood quietly, leaving the stage to these two seemingly serious but actually flamboyant old men.

"Tell me about it!"

After a sigh, Jack asked frankly, "What exactly do you want?"

"It's very simple."

Sartre also smoothly switched to a serious state.

"Besides completing the investigation, he also brought back two ships. Shouldn't the association do something to acknowledge this?"

"You know what a newly appointed captain needs most, whether it's gold coins or points, just don't try to fool him with free commendations and awards."

"I know, how much do you want?"

"If you were in charge, how much would you give?"

Sartre fiddled with his fingers. "Let me do the math for you. According to Article 127, Supplement to the Gran Islands General Navigation Act, 'Anyone who brings back a missing vessel will receive a reward of 30 percent of the vessel's appraised value.'"

"That cargo ship... well, it's an old model and not very well maintained. I estimate it to be worth about 150 gold coins. The bonus of 45 gold coins isn't too much to ask, is it?"

"That bronze ship is even better! It's worth at least five or six hundred gold coins... Of course, we're not here to extort you!"

Sartre said very considerately, "It's a bit of a stretch to call that bronze ship a missing ship, but bringing it back in time saved a ship full of people. Who knows what would have happened if it had stayed there any longer?"

"How about this... we'll take a small loss and not calculate it at 30%, but round it up. Let's say the bronze ship is worth 105 gold coins, which, combined with the merchant ship's prize, will make a total of 150 gold coins. That's not unreasonable, is it?"

"That's outrageous... and fucking outrageous!"

Jack's face instantly turned ugly, and he refused without hesitation: "Two ships for one hundred and fifty gold coins..."

"Old man, have your already limited math skills drowned in barrels of alcohol?"

"Just tell me, are you going to give it to me or not?!"

Sartre, who was clearly the one asking for money, spoke with the air of someone demanding repayment of a debt.

Chalice was prepared to be humiliated.

Unexpectedly, Jack's serious expression suddenly melted away, revealing a smug smile of triumph.

"Of course I'll give it to you! But... you, or this young man, have to do something for me!"