Chapter 162: 98. Dream of the Blade
Fisher had a long dream, in which he also lay flat on the bed, wrapped in warm bedclothes and the warmth of a body.
Faintly, he felt the warm, smooth scales of Raphael beside him, as serene as when they were in the Southern Continent, resting peacefully on his shoulder. Her fair, soft skin was fragrant like cream, and her long, flowing red hair spread out like a sea of roses, radiating her intense warmth.
He reached out to touch her back for a moment, gazing at her calm profile, wanting to say something yet holding back. Hence, the atmosphere in the room remained silent, with only Fisher’s hand touching her.
It was only after Raphael comfortably stretched and sat up to look at him, her emerald eyes filled with mirth, that she spoke.
“It’s been a long time. Did you miss me?”
After not seeing her for so long, she seemed to have become much more mischievous. Her dragon claws crept up Fisher’s arm, extending until they reached his chest, where his heart lay. “If you say you missed me, there will be a reward.”
“I miss you.”
Fisher couldn’t help but reach out to stroke her cheek. The crimson twin horns on her forehead still shone brightly. Upon hearing his words, Raphael’s mouth curled up, revealing a bright smile.
But in the next moment, she reached behind her and suddenly pulled out a dagger.
The glinting blade pressed firmly against Fisher’s chest, poised to penetrate him in the very next second. The tip of the blade had already brushed against his raised hair, and the cold sensation transferred into his heart.
His gaze shifted slightly, but he felt the scales pressed against him vanish instantly, leaving only the soft, smooth human skin. When he looked up again, there was no longer the red-haired Raphael. The lingering fragrance at the tip of his nose led to the beautiful woman, Renee, whose smile was like a blooming flower.
In her purple eyes devoid of any warmth, she held the dagger glinting with a cold light, looking at Fisher with a dangerous smile.
“Oh, so you want a reward from another woman, and still dare to say you miss her?”
“Renee—”
“Hah, it’s fine. I’ll take good care of all your parts. Now, go back to sleep.”
Before Fisher could finish his words, a faint golden emptiness erupted in Renee’s eyes, and the cold dagger suddenly twisted and stabbed towards her own body.
But the next moment, he felt no pain. Fisher had awakened from this perilous dream. He sat up abruptly, only to find himself safely lying on the bed in his rented room.
“…”
He took a deep breath, feeling his unharmed chest, realizing he was alone on the bed but still surrounded by Renee’s lingering fragrance.
Fisher dreamed about Raphael on the bed reeking of Renee’s perfume, only to be threatened by Renee with a dagger. That feeling was too real, making him break out in a cold sweat.
The real Renee was certainly not that terrifying; the woman in the dream seemed to combine all the flaws of Renee, Raphael, and Elizabeth, making her appear exceedingly frightening.
He could hardly laugh it off. After coming to a clearer state, he turned to look at Keken, who was still sleeping soundly beside his bed, clutching the leg of the desk next to the floor.
Fisher ignored him, got up to wash up, and had some breakfast. When he returned, Keken had already woken up, sitting dazedly on the bed, staring vacantly at the door.
“Good morning, Mr. Fisher. Sorry, I drank too much last night and dumped a lot of nonsense on you.”
“It’s fine, I wasn’t completely empty-handed either.”
After sharing breakfast with Keken in the rental unit, it seemed like after their conversation last night, Keken appeared to be in better spirits, even though Fisher didn’t say anything to comfort him. It looked like he had lightened up after venting his frustrations.
“By the way, Mr. Fisher, I might have to listen to my father and work at the family company soon. It’s truly the most humiliating end for a Nali gentleman.”
Fisher, still chewing on his breakfast, noticed Keken’s unhappy expression and asked, “What company?”
“Nali Verde Bank. My father said he wants me to manage a fund committee, spending my days just going to work, eating, and waiting to die. He even said I should try to have more children in the next few days. I’m the only son in the family; I feel like they have completely given up on nurturing the next generation.”
Nali Verde Bank?
Isn’t that one of the biggest banks in all of Nali?
Fisher suddenly remembered that Keken’s family seemed to be involved in finance, with half the banks in Nali being part of their family.
Most importantly, the current head of the family was Keken’s father, who was quite loyal, with only Keken’s mother as his wife. In other words, Keken was their only child.
Fisher looked at the gloomy Keken, who was chewing on bread, then glanced at his own rented room, which only had a bed, a desk, and a bookshelf, unsure of what to say.
People’s joys and sorrows are often not shared, and even more so between Fisher and Keken.
After finishing breakfast, it was only nine in the morning. Fisher decided it was time to go take care of business, first helping Jasmine find her aunt.
After all, he was still unsure if Jasmine was the world-ender he was looking for; compared to Raphael, Jasmine seemed more like an inexperienced little girl.
But either way, Fisher had nothing to lose. The research on the Whale Folk was progressing quite rapidly, and even if he wasn’t the one, he might still rely on his “Deep Diving” ability to enter the deep sea in search of the real world-ender.
“I’m recently busy with matters concerning the Nali Children’s Charity Fund. Many companies across Nali are donating to us. I heard that Prince Lunsis from the Golden Palace will also offer royal treasures to reward wealthy merchants who donate frequently.”
“Alright, I’ll see if I can donate something as it’s within my means to help.”
Fisher and Keken walked out onto the street, casually chatting about trivial matters while heading towards the carriage station.
Keken was indeed a young man with ambitions. He didn’t want to lead the affluent life arranged by his parents; he preferred to do something meaningful, or he wouldn’t have traveled all the way to the Southern Continent before.
According to him, running a charity foundation was “the maximum extent of action under parental control.” Fisher admired him for this; it might also be why he could marry two beautiful wives.
“Well then, Mr. Fisher, thank you for listening to me. Let’s part here; I need to go wash up before heading to the bank.”
“Sure, let’s have a drink at the Black Mamba Palace sometime.”
Fisher got Keken’s contact number, then took a carriage to Saint Nali University. Today, Prince Losang was supposed to leave Saint Nali, and he should be there to see him off. Today, the person sent from the Golden Palace would still be Elizabeth, so he could also talk to her about Trandal.
He glanced at Keken’s business card that read “Nali Children’s Relief Charity Foundation.” Then, he carefully tucked it away in his pocket.
Last night’s banquet at the Golden Palace had seen representatives from both countries exchanging opinions, and there had been a “casual” mention of the two countries restoring trade, even determining tax rates and other issues on the spot.
However, it seemed the final agreed tax rate was two percentage points lower than what Fisher had initially learned, clearly a result of previous compromises due to the attack on Shivali, which made sense.
When Fisher arrived at Saint Nali University, it was just in time. Prince Losang was about to leave Saint Nali and return to his home country.
Saint Nali University was under the garrison of the royal army; Fisher took a long time to get inside.
Then he saw Princess Elizabeth standing at the university’s main entrance, dressed in a royal, light golden gown, wearing a calm smile.
She wasn’t wearing a foreign hat; her golden long hair was styled into a vigorous updo. A royal slender sword was at her waist, making her appear less like a princess and more like a prince.
There were farewell ceremonies taking place for Prince Losang in front, and she keenly noticed Fisher, who had been brought to the back by the staff.
In the next moment, she slightly tilted her head and whispered something to the attendant beside her. That attendant walked straight toward Fisher, bringing him to the front of the farewell group, beside Elizabeth.
“Princess Elizabeth.”
“No need for formalities, Mr. Benavides.”
Fisher was somewhat speechless. Being brought before her like this felt like a performance of an audience with the princess, and the newspapers would probably publish a photo of the two of them standing together tomorrow.
However, since it was a formal occasion, they didn’t exchange many words. She placed her gloved hand on the hilt of her sword, waiting for Prince Losang, who was also dressed formally, to emerge from the university.
One red carriage after another from Shivali, just as they had arrived, stopped at the school entrance. The scholars waved to the nearby crowd and officials before boarding the carriages. Only Losang remained standing still. He first bowed to Princess Elizabeth, then suddenly turned to Fisher and said,
“I’m glad to have had a pleasant conversation with Mr. Fisher. This journey has left a strong impression on me.”
Losang winked at Fisher, looking cheerful, and then walked toward the carriage behind him. The carriage’s curtain was drawn back, revealing a lady in a beautiful long dress sitting beside him. He gently sat beside her, and then the curtain fell.
Fisher understood his meaning; perhaps he had agreed to meet Carolina with his aunt, so he felt quite pleased.
However, Elizabeth beside him shot a strange glance at Prince Losang and gently pinched the hilt of her sword with her gloved hand.
The carriage headed towards the place where Shivali’s airship was docked outside the city. It seemed that this academic conference had concluded satisfactorily.
Please vote, tip, and support; it means a lot to me.
Thank you very much for your support!
(End of chapter)
