Chapter 12: His Past
The lunch prepared by Keken for Fisher could be described as luxurious. Although this luxury may not fully qualify for a gentleman who has lived in Saint Nali for many years by Southern Continent standards, it still showcased Keken’s enthusiasm.
Two bottles of unopened authentic Nali West Coast wine were brought to the table by a servant. Fisher and Keken sat at opposite ends of the rectangular dining table, symbolizing their importance at this lunch. At one end sat two elegantly dressed young ladies with similar appearances, both having black hair and black eyes, their serene smiles as sweet as lilies blooming by the church.
On the opposite side was the restless Raphael, glancing at the two smiling human women across from her. They sat gracefully, their legs modestly crossed, a posture even dragonfolk found elegant and beautiful. Struggling to conform, she awkwardly let her tail droop and for the first time kept her legs still, maintaining her sitting posture.
However, this position seemed more exhausting than fighting for her; before long, she found it difficult to endure, her tail beginning to sway gently behind her as evidence.
She shouldn’t have followed Fisher here, but…
Suddenly, she recalled the young dragonfolk she had seen confined in a cage earlier, who faced such suffering at the hands of humans despite being so small.
What she was thinking was unknown to the others, but this contemplation allowed her to temporarily forget her discomfort and prevented Fisher and the others from feeling the table was too rude.
According to general rules, a slave like Raphael should never have been allowed to sit at this dining table. However, Keken placed great importance on Fisher; no matter how much Fisher declined, Keken insisted on giving him the main seat and even arranged a position for Raphael.
A master’s slave is not my slave; Keken left no room for error in maintaining appearances.
“To this drink, to our Royal Academy’s legend, Mr. Fisher!”
Fisher instructed the servant not to pour wine for Raphael, as who knew what that guy would turn into after drinking. After the other’s goblets were filled with golden nectar, Keken raised his glass first and said to Fisher.
“Such praise is truly unwarranted.”
Fisher also lifted his glass but dared not agree with the term “legend”; he continued, “If Principal Damien found out what you call me, his beard would twist into a spiral out of rage.”
Keken set down his glass and laughed, “His beard has already spiraled out of control. Ever since… let me think, it should be a couple of years ago, did you know? Since the founding of Saint Nali University under the king’s authorization, he hasn’t attended the annual alumni meetings because the topics of discussion have all shifted to that new school, stealing the spotlight from the Royal Academy.”
“Is that so?”
Fisher knew about the new university established in Saint Nali; it was a comprehensive university run by the king, likely reflecting an acknowledgment that the previously rigid and outdated education of the Royal Academy was unsuitable for current development trends. Thus, many new talents were recruited to open the new university.
Many of the professors were people previously looked down upon as second-rate by the Royal Academy, such as those studying steam engines, chemistry, and the principles of physics.
“Yes… but it’s been a long time since I’ve returned to Saint Nali, so I’m not sure how things are now. I didn’t expect to run into you here. Your speech at the graduation ceremony is still fresh in my memory. How dare you insult the principal and dean as ‘the rotten corpses of a bygone era!’ Hahahaha, our entire freshman class was scared by you.”
Keken’s liquor tolerance was quite poor; after just one drink, his face turned bright red, yet he was still keen to speak. Raphael thought he might breathe fire, and she could no longer maintain her lady-like posture, watching him cautiously.
“Haha… fortunately, they did grant me my degree.”
Fisher suddenly recalled those past events. Six years ago, at the age of twenty-two, he was filled with youthful arrogance. Though he still looked down on those decayed old fossils, he would never attack someone’s character so bluntly now, leaving no room for dignity.
After all, saying many things was useless, only creating more barriers for himself.
Still, it was refreshing to be brought up by Keken as a topic of conversation.
“You were the top of the senior class, the darling of many professors. If they hadn’t given you your degree, I bet they’d drown in complaints the next day.”
The servant refilled Keken’s glass, and he quickly downed it, his face reddening further.
He seemed to think of something, his eyes becoming a bit forlorn. With a sigh, he said, “All the new students that year looked up to you as an idol, but once we began studying, I realized I could never be like you. I’m not just foolish; I’m timid. I can’t do anything well…”
His alcohol tolerance was indeed poor; after just two drinks, his emotions overflowed, and he was nearly in tears. Beside him, his wife, Dora, hurriedly offered him a handkerchief to wipe away his tears.
“You are exceptionally talented and renowned… and what about me? Aside from my family’s million inheritance, the money my family provided to acquire this city, and these two beautiful and kind wives, what have I done that’s worthy of praise?”
The two beautiful women beside him quickly gave him comforting looks, with Dora directly taking his hand, making him smile gently as he held her soft hand in return.
“…”
Fisher’s fingers, which were gripping the wine glass, suddenly stiffened. He pressed his lips together, and even the steak in his mouth lost its flavor.
He couldn’t tell if this guy was being disingenuous or truly heartfelt, but seeing the flicker of sincerity in his eyes, Fisher believed it to be genuine; otherwise, he would have wanted to use his staff to give this irritating junior a proper smack.
“Ah, why am I talking about such unhappy things? I sincerely apologize; I don’t handle alcohol well.”
Keken rubbed his forehead, then declined the servant’s offer to pour him more wine. After waiting until his mind cleared a bit, he finally glanced over at Raphael, who was cutting meat with her claws.
“So, Mr. Fisher, are you currently researching subhuman races? Is it biological research or social research?”
“Both. I’m very interested in the subhuman races of the Southern and Western Continents.”
Fisher mentioned this lightly, but Keken didn’t seem to show a corresponding interest. To humans, subhuman races held too low a status; in his view, even among slaves, humans were far more noble than subhumans—humans could at least communicate, right?
“I see…”
He tapped his ringed fingers on the table, his expression showing a brief contemplation, as if considering something. Fisher continued cutting his steak without looking at him but suddenly said, “Is there something you want to say? If you need help, feel free to ask; I’ll help you with whatever is within my capabilities.”
“Ah, no, you misunderstood.”
Keken, still lost in thought, was interrupted by Fisher’s sudden comment. Hearing what the other party said, he hurriedly explained with a smile, “It’s nothing serious. I just thought this might be something you would find very interesting. At least I’d never seen it before; I invited doctors and scholars from the Western Continent, and they also said they had never seen it.”
“Hmm?”
Fisher paused his steak-cutting momentarily and looked across the table at Keken with interest. Keken cleared his throat and, speaking mysteriously, said to Fisher,
“Mr. Fisher, I wonder if you have heard of the Blue Madness disease?”
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(End of this chapter)
