Lily woke up in a daze. She opened her eyes and looked around, and found herself lying in the cabin of the Narwhal.
Pulling open the curtains and looking outside, the sunny Hope Island was not far away. The waves gently pushed the boat slowly towards the island. They were back.
All the things that had disappeared before gradually reappeared in her mind, that strange island, that unrecognizable Mr. Charles, and the last words he said to her.
Lily's expression became very aggrieved, tears slowly slid down her face. She had a vague premonition in her heart that she might never see Mr. Charles again. Their contact over the years was suddenly severed at this moment.
When Lily saw Hope Island, the observation tower on Hope Island also noticed her, and the navy of Hope Island slowly surrounded her fully armed.
Seeing that it was the Narwhal, Bandage was undoubtedly the most nervous. He thought that they had encountered some accident in the deep sea.
When he rushed into the cabin with other navy officers, he was surprised to see others crawling up from the ground with their hands covering their heads and expressions of pain.
Soon, the crew members who were gradually waking up were quickly sent back to Hope Island. In the Governor's Palace on Hope Island, the crew members who were on board and those who were not on board regrouped in front of a long table.
Dipper's deep voice echoed in the hall, describing everything he had experienced on the island.
"So, the captain really didn't go back?" Bandage said.
Dipper smiled bitterly and said, "Well, he didn't return to his world. He became a god of Earthsea. No wonder he said before that he didn't need our participation at all."
Hearing this, the other crew members nodded in unison, indicating that it was indeed true.
"But what is the captain going to do? Why is he doing this?" James asked solemnly.
It was really hard for him to imagine that the captain would become what he is today. He didn't even know whether the island that was bigger than Hope Island was still his captain.
He didn't know the answer to this question, and neither could the others. The only thing they knew was that the previous scene was probably the last time they saw the captain.
He should be completely different from them now.
"Dangdang!" The bandaged man raised his five fingers and tapped lightly on the table. "Since the captain told us not to contact him, there must be a reason for that."
"No matter what he wants to do, it's his own choice. What we need to do now is not to cause trouble for him."
"We've been out at sea for so long. Everyone, take a good rest."
The crew looked at each other for a few seconds, then quietly pushed their chairs away and walked outside. The first mate was right. Now they seemed to have no reason to go out to sea anymore.
The crew members left one by one, until only Dipper and Lily were left with the bandages. Dipper stood up suddenly, a forced smile on his fish face.
"Actually, I'm really happy that the captain is fine. This is really great. I feel relieved now."
After saying that, he turned and walked towards the gate of the Governor's Mansion. Just as he was about to walk out, he turned back suddenly and shouted excitedly: "I thought I was already his family! But why didn't he even inform me before he made any decision! "
Neither Lily nor Bandage responded to Dipper's shouting. Bandage looked straight ahead, while Lily kept her head down.
After a long while, Dipper calmed down and turned around and walked out of the Governor's Mansion.
She hopes that her home on the island doesn’t require a boat ride, and the home she’s talking about obviously refers to another dimension.
Bandage didn't agree immediately, "Are you coming back?"
As Lily shook her head, the tears in her eyes flew around.
"Stay. Here. Everyone is here. The captain is gone. We will take care of you."
"Thank you, I'm not a child and I don't need care. Staying here always reminds me of the past." Lily lowered her head.
Bandage seemed to realize what was happening. He stopped trying to persuade him and just nodded silently.
Lily stood up, walked over to Bandage, hugged him gently, then turned and walked outside. Now Bandage was the only one left in the Governor's Mansion on Hope Island.
He sat there motionless, like a sculpture. Bandage knew that what the captain said the other day about the disbanding of the Narwhal was not the final word. This was the moment when all the crew members of the Narwhal were disbanding.
Bandage stood up in the empty conference room and stood straight facing the empty chairs.
"West, position... First mate, assist the captain and organize various... work plans, responsible for compiling cargo stowage... plans, 12~24 helmsman!!"
Lily did not tell too many people about her departure because she was afraid that she was too soft-hearted and would be easily persuaded by others to stay.
The only people who saw them off were Linda, Nico, and Grace. They were the girls on the boat. Normally they had a close relationship, and if they had time after getting off the boat, they would play together.
"Little Lily, can you not leave? To be honest, I'm almost fifty years old, and it's not easy to make a close friend regardless of age," Nico looked at the girl in front of him with regret.
"I'm sorry, I really have to go back. Maybe I should have left a long time ago. This day has dragged on for too long. Don't worry, I will let the mouse bring you a letter."
Grace suddenly rushed over and hugged Lily tightly. Even though she had never cried when Charles used her as a human bomb, she now shed tears. The tears slowly fell along the cracked scars on her face.
"Lily, you are my best and only friend. I will always remember you!"
Hearing this, Lily's eyes began to redden again, "Well, you are my best friend too! Don't worry about the scars on your face or body, there must be a way to solve it."
Just as she finished speaking, Linda came over and reached into the pocket of her white coat to take out a red potion in a glass bottle the length of her index finger. There was a string tied around the neck of the bottle. "Here."
"What is this?" Lily took it while wiping her tears.
"A parting gift. If you miss us, you can drink it. It can take you to the deepest part of your memory."
"Thank you." After taking a look, Lily passed the rope over her head, and the small bottle of potion swung back and forth on her chest.
(End of this chapter)