Chapter 184: Intermission
In the following days, the environment around Klein Mountain was anything but quiet, primarily due to the fact that the lovely Whale Folk’s training progress exceeded the expectations of Xiatu and Fisher by quite a bit.
It remains unclear what Xiatu and Jasmine talked about during training that day; when Fisher later asked her, she always avoided eye contact, insisting that she hadn’t said anything inappropriate and that it was all for helping Jasmine better grasp the techniques of combat training.
She said that was the case, but whenever Fisher looked at her suspiciously, she would make some excuse to run off somewhere else, claiming she had other things to do, without answering.
Whether it was dealing with the food for dinner or washing her clothes and hunting tools, if it weren’t for Jasmine’s seemingly normal state, Fisher would really start to suspect if she was up to something bad.
However, the effectiveness of the training during this time was evident; at least it was far more effective than when Fisher trained Jasmine.
Ever since that day she created a massive water column in the river, it seemed she had already mastered the techniques of combat—whether it was hunting or engaging in real combat training with Fisher, she no longer fell into the cursed state of before, and she remained in the state of a fully committed humanoid steam engine.
But this also made Fisher quite curious: was Jasmine special enough to have such remarkable power, or were all Whale Folk this impressive?
Fisher asked Jasmine, but she hesitated and couldn’t provide a definite answer.
After all, ordinary Whale Folk lived mostly nestled in the trenches, either sleeping or waiting for other Ocean Subhumans to throw fish down to eat, and she had never really engaged in any competitions, nor had she seen any, so she wasn’t very clear about her own situation.
She only knew that her mother was very powerful; not only did Lord Ramastia like her very much, but the rest of the Whale Folk also respected her greatly, all obeying her commands.
At the same time, Jasmine’s mother had once told her that the volume of the curse within her was quite large, so her accompanying sea beast was much larger than that of other Whale Folk.
Fisher speculated that this should count as Jasmine’s special trait, so it could be inferred that this Jasmine was the “Mysterious Child of the Sea” mentioned in the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans’ Apocalypse Prophecy.
But speaking of the apocalypse…
It was around evening when Fisher, sitting in the campsite he had set up at Klein Mountain, looked at Jasmine beside him, who was happily munching on some fatty meat. Her personality was innocent and simple, quite different from Raphael’s fiery demeanor, and she held no deep grudge against humans, especially since humans still had not truly discovered the Ocean Subhumans.
“Ugh, these past few days have been amazing! It’s so much better to stay outdoors. Being stuck in that dilapidated house was just too stifling; it’s really unfriendly to a centaur like me who loves to run.”
Xiatu, sitting nearby, also bent her hooves and stretched, relaxing a bit.
These past few days, she had truly helped Fisher a lot. If it weren’t for her, Fisher would not have been able to train Jasmine so effectively, and not only Jasmine; Fisher had also learned a lot of useful combat techniques and concepts just by observing.
Fisher was not pretentious; he would ask Xiatu whenever he had questions, and after she answered, he would go back and practice Eil’s combat style. Over the past few days, he had indeed learned quite a bit of the combat techniques left by Eil.
Thinking of this, Fisher glanced at Xiatu, who was looking up at the starry sky with a somewhat complex expression, and said, “Human society is not friendly to Subhumans, at least not so far. Even if you come to the Western Continent, it won’t change much. I believe the New Party is a mistake.”
Hearing this, Xiatu puffed her cheeks in frustration and gently punched Fisher. When he calmly looked back at her, she gave a somewhat proud “hmph.”
“Don’t dismiss my efforts so easily! I made a huge decision to travel all the way from the Southern Continent, okay?”
Fisher silently chuckled and threw another log into the fire. After watching the flames grow stronger, he added, “Sorry, that’s my fault. I was just suggesting. If you’re not comfortable here, you can always contact me, and I’ll find a way to get you back to the Southern Continent.”
A smile appeared on Xiatu’s face, and just as she turned to look at Fisher, she suddenly noticed Jasmine, who was still gnawing on meat but had her gaze fixed on her.
Recalling Jasmine’s earlier feat of creating a water column over ten meters high with a single punch, Xiatu hesitated and decided it was best not to make any dangerous moves.
She feared that her flirtation and smiles with Fisher might be misinterpreted by Jasmine as something romantic, and she worried that Jasmine might sneak up on her at night and do something unspeakable.
God, that’s too scary!
Xiatu thought to herself, light coughing to interrupt her previous intention of teasing Fisher.
But in actuality, Jasmine didn’t think that way at all; she was just a little curious about their conversation, which was why she looked towards Xiatu.
After all, Jasmine wasn’t like Princess Elizabeth; no, it seemed that even Elizabeth had improved a lot in her terrifying demeanor recently.
“Well, that said, what can I do if I go back to the Southern Continent? There are still plenty of humans there, and unlike here, they actually hold firearms and cannons in their hands. While my clan can hide for a time, we ultimately can’t hide forever. Even if there’s a sliver of hope, I want to give it a try.”
By the end of her speech, a hint of a bittersweet smile appeared on Xiatu’s face, and under the glow of the fire, soft shadows began to emerge.
“Like this.”
Fisher actually held a lot of respect for this brave centaur lady.
As a Subhuman woman, her courage to travel across the sea to the unfamiliar Western Continent to contribute her meager strength for her clan or the entire Subhuman community was truly admirable.
So in this moment, Fisher’s gentle suggestion stemmed from a place of compassion; he felt a sense of regret that she had not achieved results that matched her bravery.
“Don’t sigh like that. If I hadn’t come to the Western Continent, I wouldn’t have met you and Jasmine. Moreover, not only did I meet you, but I was also able to help out quite a bit, and that already makes me very happy.”
Xiatu smiled optimistically, reached for a piece of roasted meat from the fire and took a hearty bite, then sighed contentedly as she released a puff of hot breath. The meat had just been taken from the fire and was a little hot for her.
“Hot, hot, hot!”
She opened her mouth wide, waving her hands towards her mouth to cool the heat.
Fisher laughed at her antics and handed her a cup of water, probably because he saw Jasmine eating immediately after taking the meat, so she decided to try it too. However, the bodies of Subhumans were different from one another, especially since Jasmine was also a bold eater.
The reason he mentioned this to Xiatu was because tomorrow was the time for the charity dinner. They were set to leave in the morning via carriage to do some small preparations in Saint Nali City, so tonight was the last bit of calm before the storm.
However, seeing that Xiatu was still optimistic, Fisher said no more; he thought it would be nice to help her again if an opportunity arose in the future.
“Alright, I’m full! Time to go back and sleep; goodnight.”
After finishing her meal, Xiatu rubbed her eyes, stood up, and walked towards her tent, waving to Fisher and the others to say goodnight.
Centaurs sleep lying down. Even though their lower body is like a horse, there are still significant differences.
First of all, they are much smaller than ordinary horses, and secondly, the structure of their hooves is somewhat different; otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to support their humanoid running actions.
However, Fisher’s understanding of horses did not compare to Trandal’s, so he couldn’t explain it in detail.
When Xiatu slept during the day, she either stood and dozed off for a while or, like now, lay on her side to sleep. Just after she said this, she had already lain down in the small tent Fisher had built for her, leaving the outer space for Jasmine and Fisher.
Fisher also stopped adding more firewood and gathered some of the debris scattered beside the burning fire, then asked Jasmine, “We’re leaving Klein Mountain tomorrow, and the combat training will also come to an end. Jasmine, do you feel confident about combat?”
“Mm!”
Jasmine had truly achieved some level of skill during these days; she could handle various wild beasts in the mountains without any trouble, and even when sparring with Fisher, she could feel the power in her strikes, though she worried about potential mistakes when it came to real combat.
“I will work hard! But, Fisher—”
As she spoke her spirited words, she suddenly paused, lowering her voice a bit, and looked over at Fisher.
“If it were an ordinary classroom, wouldn’t excellent students get some kind of reward? Ah, I mean, it’s not that I want a reward, just that… it would definitely help with combat.”
Hmm, help with combat?
Fisher looked at Jasmine, momentarily not understanding the meaning behind her words.
But her figure, turned to the side, always carried a fragrance reminiscent of a flower blooming in water, just like her beautiful appearance that was rather enticing.
So, what kind of reward did she want?
“C-Can I hug you, Fisher?”
Fisher blinked in surprise, looking at Jasmine, who cautiously made the request. Her tentative, animal-like gaze was always accompanied by a shyness that sparked a desire that was hard to resist.
But to be honest, for Jasmine, this might be a reward, but for Fisher, it was solid torment.
It’s already dry and hot, and now wanting to light a fire?
However, unlike his situation with Raphael, Fisher could clearly sense that Jasmine was not fully prepared, and he had no intention of going against her wishes.
In the dim light, Jasmine’s adorable face was reflected in the flickering flames, and perhaps because it took too long to think, her expression slightly changed, and she began to doubt if she was being too forward, thus she hesitantly smiled and waved her hand, shaking her head, “I-it’s okay if you’re not willing… I-I was just saying it… hahahaha.”
Sighing, Fisher decided to compromise with himself once more; he opened his arms towards Jasmine and said, “Come here.”
Upon hearing Fisher’s words, Jasmine’s expression immediately shifted from sadness to shyness, but after pausing for a second, she slowly reached out, gently placing her hand on him, and then gradually wrapped her arms around Fisher.
In that instant, a faint, delicate fragrance enveloped him, and the intense impact made Fisher’s muscles tense up, while his breathing mildly quickened as she settled in.
The nearby fire suddenly felt as hot as a volcano, and the sound of the night wind in the woods echoed like a cheer and encouragement, tempting Fisher to indulge in this enticing little fish.
“Fisher…”
But nestled in his embrace, the whale girl, resting her shy little face against his chest, suddenly spoke. The vibration from her throat transmitted through Fisher’s body, causing a tingling sensation in the areas where they made contact and momentarily interrupting his growing desires.
“What is it?”
His voice was a bit hoarse but still clear.
“I’ve always wanted to say thank you to you, Fisher.”
“…”
Fisher opened his mouth, looking up at the slowly cooling fire and the trees that had grown quiet around them. After pausing for a moment, Jasmine continued,
“Actually… it was I who took the initiative to seek out my aunt. The trench is about to reach its peak period; by the time my mother comes out to look for her, it will be a long time from now. I was worried about my aunt’s safety, so I came ashore to deliver the message. My mother and the other tribe members are actually quite worried about me and don’t believe I can do it, or even I myself doubt I can succeed.”
“But thankfully, with your, Isabel’s, and Milica’s help, I’m grateful for your trust in me and your assistance. I-I don’t know how to express my gratitude to you; I just feel my heart racing and want to stay by your side, wanting to hear your praise.”
As she spoke, Jasmine, inhaling Fisher’s scent, displayed a slight drunkenness as if being in Fisher’s embrace had clouded her senses, prompting her to say such nonsensical things.
“It’s a lot like the adventures in Milica’s novels, yet so different. I don’t really understand how to describe how I feel towards you, Fisher, so I can only say thank you once… once for now, hehe.”
Her gaze was so clear, as if it only contained Fisher within the expanse of a blue ocean, the pure and sincere feelings flowing into Fisher’s body through the points of contact, causing a slight warmth in the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans in his chest, yet his desires began to fade.
His shadowy gaze gradually softened, and his heartbeat quickened just a bit.
Speaking of which, throughout this journey of seeking the doomsayer, he had always thought it would be a story of fighting against the doomsayers, but now it seemed that the pain and setbacks experienced could silently dissolve into the purest feelings within them.
Indescribable and confusing, Fisher couldn’t quite discern what fate would lead to.
In this moment, he gently held Jasmine tighter to him, bringing her face back into the embrace of his chest, expressing his own feelings, saying simply, “I should also be thanking you.”
With that, the words hung in the air as the flames flickered slightly, hiding the embrace of the two from view.
The surroundings fell into utter silence, with only Xiatu lying in a nearby tent, quietly covering her mouth, contentedly snacking on melon seeds.
Please support the vote, tips, and encouragement, as they are very important to me.
Thank you so much for your support!
(End of Chapter)
