Shrouded Seascape - Chapter 497: Island

Meanwhile, Sparkle was utterly confused. She couldn’t understand why, after delivering a letter from her father to this giantess, the latter had pulled her into a hug and showered her with kisses.

Is she trying to eat me? Should I make the first move and eat her instead?

As Sparkle pondered over the question, the giantess, Elizabeth, ceased her fervent behavior. With a slight quiver in her voice, she addressed the little girl before her, “Did your father task you to bring anything else apart from this letter?”

“Some banana seeds,” Sparkle answered and pointed toward the bag.

Evidently, Elizabeth was dissatisfied with Sparkle’s response. She gently combed her fingers through Sparkle’s soft hair and asked, “Is he still on the island?”

Sparkle shook her head. “He and Mommy had boarded the airship and ascended to the surface. I’ll head there too once I’ve finished delivering all the seeds.”

At the mention of Anna, Elizabeth’s expression soured with distaste.

“When you go back, tell Charles that once I’ve wrapped up things here, I’ll set out for Hope Island immediately,” Elizabeth instructed.

Sparkle nodded in understanding and vanished on the spot with a flash of light.

Letting out an emotional sigh, Elizabeth stepped out onto the balcony of the Governor’s Mansion and gazed at the bustling construction site below.

A large canopy was being built across Elizarles Shores. Just like Hope Island, the structure was essential to block out the lethal sunlight to ensure the survival of the island’s inhabitants.

Unlike the dire survival rates on other islands, a significant portion of Elizarles Shores’ population was aware of the sunlight’s deadly nature, thanks to their trade cooperation with Hope Island.

Moreover, Elizabeth acted swiftly and commanded her subordinates to alert everyone on the island about the dangers of sunlight through voice amplification magic. Thanks to her swift response, a third of the population survived.

Despite the high death toll, the governor was unharmed, and the administrative system of Elizarles Shores remained in place.

Even when the seal on 1002, the animated flesh chunks, was weakened due to the light calamity, they were able to contain it and prevent it from causing further damage.

Tucking a few strands of white hair behind her ear, Elizabeth muttered to herself, “Charles, it seems like your Hope Island has truly become the last bastion of Hope for the entire seascape.”

Just then, Finn entered with his staff in hand and a grave expression on his countenance.

“Who was that earlier? I sensed a formidable threat from her,” the old mage asked.

“Charles’s daughter, Sparkle. She’s quite adorable, isn’t she?”

Urgency overwhelmed Finn as he blurted out, “He already has a child! But why is there no good news from you yet?”

“Why are you asking me about it? Maybe there’s an issue with your potion?”

“Impossible! There’s no way the problem lies with my concoction! It would work on any adult with normal reproductive capabilities!”

A hint of irritation flickered across Elizabeth’s face as she waved her hand dismissively. “Forget those matters for now. With so many islands out there, isn’t it a simple task to seize a few more? We can just send forces to occupy them.

“Wait… we aren’t lacking islands now; we are lacking manpower.” Elizabeth then turned toward a maid in the distance and snapped her fingers to attract the latter’s attention.

She gestured toward the bag of seeds on the ground and instructed, “Take that outside, then gather everyone at the Governor’s Mansion. We must rebuild Elizarles Shores!”

***

Sparkle rapidly teleported across the Subterranean Seascape, delivering seeds to each island. However, there were some destinations where she had never visited and she ended up overshooting or undershooting her targets and wasted much time.

Clutching a bag of seeds, Sparkle blinked again and appeared at a new island’s dock. The sudden appearance of a little girl immediately captured the attention of the locals.

As soon as they discerned her features and saw the bag in her hands, excitement flickered across their faces. They huddled in groups, eager to approach but yet showed signs of hesitation. However, their hushed whispers didn’t go unheard by Sparkle.

“Is that her? Is that really her?”

“Yes, that’s her! Look at her green eyes! And she can even stand under the death light. It has to be her!”

“Great! The angel of hope has come! The Isle of Whereto is saved!”

Sparkle had already visited numerous islands and encountered a variety of reactions, so she was no longer puzzled by their words. The only thing on her mind was to quickly finish the task her father had assigned her.

“Who’s in charge here? Take me to them. I have seeds that can grow under the death light.”

Sparkle had already grown accustomed to the standard routine: find the leader, hand over the seeds, and recite her father’s instructions from the note he gave her.

Upon hearing Sparkle’s questions, the onlookers at the docks surged forward with palpable excitement as they offered to guide her.

Soon enough, Sparkle was sent before Margaret. The latter’s demeanor was a stark contrast to the crowd’s fervor. Margaret wore an icy, calm expression on her visage as she scrutinized Sparkle standing before her.

The once youthful and naive girl had now grown into a qualified leader. Her mind and spirit remained unshaken in the face of the light disaster that had brought despair to many.

“So, are you the angel of hope in those circulating rumors?” Margaret asked, her voice devoid of emotions.

Indifferent to what Margaret had just said, Sparkle took out the note and recited the text on it.

As soon as she spoke the final word, she dropped the bag of seeds on the ground and was just about to teleport away when Margaret’s question halted her actions.

“How are you related to Charles? Why are you helping him out this much?”

“He’s my father. Do you know him?” Sparkle turned around to face Margaret.

“Father…” Margaret reiterated. Her hands resting on the table clenched subtly. With a dismissive wave, she had the guards usher the islanders out. Soon enough, only she and Sparkle remained in the vast office.

“And your mother is?” Margaret posed another question.

“Her name is Anna.”

The mention of Anna’s name stirred up the memories of the man-eating creature that had deceived her from the deep recesses of Margaret’s mind.

A trace of hatred stirred within Margaret as she stared at Sparkle. A visceral desire to tear the little girl apart blossomed within her.

Margaret rose from her seat and approached Sparkle with a measured, deliberate pace and eyes devoid of warmth.

Sparkle could clearly sense Margaret’s hostility directed at her. Her hair’s ends slightly morphed into tentacles. While carrying out the mission her father had entrusted her, she had met her fair share of ungrateful people.

However, those who dared lay a finger on her had ceased to exist.

Just as Sparkle braced herself to devour the woman before her, the woman unexpectedly knelt and pulled her into a gentle hug.

Sparkle couldn’t see the expression on Margaret’s face. She could only feel Margaret tightening her arms around her as though she wanted to merge Sparkle into her very being.

After a moment of contemplation, Sparkle reciprocated the hug.

“Are you sad?” Sparkle asked. “Why are you sad again? Are you hungry? Why are human emotions so hard to understand?”

Margaret quickly composed herself and forced a calm expression on her visage before releasing Sparkle. “Tell your father that Governor Margaret of Whereto is grateful for the seeds and that she will repay this debt of gratitude.”

Sparkle looked at Margaret and blinked in confusion. Eventually, she nodded and vanished from sight.

Left alone, Margaret stared blankly at the spot Sparkle was standing at as her mind replayed every interaction she’d had with Charles. She walked toward her desk and pulled open one of the drawers to look at the family photo within. There was her, her peaceful mother, her valiant father, and her unruly elder brother.