Chapter 299: The Charming Nali Gentleman (Two-in-One)
Fisher’s expression showed a noticeable change as he recognized the “Magical Circuit” on the other party’s arm.
Indeed, he immediately identified that the glowing thing on Haldor was not a human magical circuit at all, but a very rough imitation.
He recalled the time in the Southern Continent when he had a conflict with “Soul Earl” Feilon, where he had borrowed a child’s soul to create a rather clean energy source. As discovered in soul theory, a living being can use “magic” to inscribe magical runes that resonate with the world because a person’s soul contains an abundance of energy.
Feilon had desecrated life by using soul extraction technology, and had fought fiercely with Fisher using this very technique. Therefore, he remembered how it worked, and what appeared in front of him at this moment on Haldor’s hand was such technology.
He was inscribing magic using soul energy; Feilon’s technique was within the mechanism!
“Buzz. What’s wrong, Mr. Fisher?”
Haldor noticed the change in Fisher’s expression. He seemed completely unaware of the principles that allowed him to use magic, thinking that perhaps his soul had been implanted into the machinery, and thus didn’t understand why Fischer was in a daze.
Fisher frowned slightly, the magical circuit in his hand dimming gradually until it returned to a dull state. He then shook his head and asked Haldor,
“Mr. Haldor, may I ask how much magic you have inscribed since changing bodies?”
“Buzz. How much magic?”
A bit of steam puffed from Haldor’s mouth again, and after recalling carefully, he said,
“Since I changed bodies, my magical ability has diminished greatly. Many high-tier magic spells that could originally be inscribed can no longer be. Moreover, my family told me that inscribing a large amount of magic would damage my current body, and I would need to change components again. Therefore, I have rarely inscribed magic during this period. Since the beginning, I’ve inscribed perhaps one or two hundred spells. Why, Mr. Fisher, is there a problem?”
After hearing this, while Fisher’s face showed no special expression, thoughts of “just as I suspected” began to emerge in his mind.
His guess was correct; the Mechanism had not only placed Haldor’s consciousness into the mechanism but, to allow him to still inscribe magic, the Mechanism had also embedded a “soul fuel” within his structure. Compared to Feilon’s application of the technology before, the Mechanism’s technique was even more mature.
When Feilon employed this technology, he aimed for extreme output, consuming energy at a very rapid pace, almost dismantling the Inner City completely, yet now, with Haldor’s body, it could inscribe hundreds of spells.
He shook his head, then glanced at the clock on the wall before saying to Haldor,
“It’s nothing. I just suddenly remembered that tomorrow we are entering the Nebarun Kingdom, right? Miss Valentina worries your body may not allow you to continue traveling with us, and I too will have to stay on the ship. But you actually don’t want that, do you?”
“If we continue inscribing magic tonight, I’m concerned it may increase the risk of you experiencing your old issues. I am also worried about your body; how about we take a break for now?”
Fisher wasn’t sure whether Haldor’s current issues were related to the consumption of the soul fuel in his mechanism, but when he thought about how inscribing magic meant burning someone’s soul, he could no longer allow him to proceed, even if he was oblivious to it.
He had witnessed young children filled with dreams for the future perish under such pain, which led him to contempt for this technology.
The Mechanism.
Fisher should have realized long ago that he should not hold fantasies about the so-called Creative Association; they were cut from the same cloth as Feilon and Erwind. The reason they were currently hunting down Erwind was simply because he leaked the location of the Creation Completion Manual, and not out of any benevolent intentions.
Haldor looked up at Fisher, then nodded, putting down the carving knife and ring in his hand, steam continuously billowing from his mouth like an old man’s white beard, mirroring his current helplessness.
“Buzz. You’re right. I shouldn’t be thinking about these things now, as long as I can accompany Miss Valentina to achieve the family goal, that’s good enough. I should take a break today; tomorrow I need to persuade her not to let me stay on the ship, which would be a hundred times more painful than nailing me in a coffin.”
Then he scanned the surroundings and generously said to Fisher,
“Buzz. My physical condition is limited, but you, Mr. Fisher, are still young. Here are the magic materials provided by the Turan Family for this operation, basically all kinds of materials are available. If you have any specific materials in mind, I can request them from them, so feel free to take any materials you need here. Here’s the key to my workshop; you can come over to inscribe magic at any time.”
Haldor pushed a key from the table that opened the room towards Fisher with a calm tone.
Fisher glanced across the mountain of materials around him, accepted the key without reluctance or hesitation, then stood up to pick up the medicine prepared for Ilos on the table and prepared to leave.
“Then I shall respectfully accept it. I will inscribe suitable magic for this operation.”
“Buzz. Mr. Fisher, wait a moment.”
Just as Fisher was about to leave, Haldor suddenly called out to him again, prompting him to turn to look at his mechanical form.
“What’s the matter?”
“Buzz. It’s nothing; it’s just that, Mr. Fisher, you saw that Miss Valentina doesn’t really have much experience in the outside world. She is still quite naive, as you can tell from the few helpers she has gathered. But there’s no helping it; pursuing the Frost Parasol Tree is a very risky endeavor, especially for the Turan Family.”
Haldor’s calm and monotonous voice couldn’t mask the sincerity in his words, compelling Fisher to fully turn to face him.
“She gambled her life to seek the Frost Parasol Tree, and I hope she doesn’t end up failing and dying. Though it may be a bit rude to say, I can I ask Mr. Fisher to do your utmost to help her? Of course, Valentina is a grateful child; she wouldn’t let you down and will ensure you gain as much in return.”
“Dying? Sounds like a Turan Family secret, related to your motive for seeking the Frost Parasol Tree?”
“Buzz. Yes, that’s all I can reveal to you for now; saying more would overstep the boundaries. But Valentina will surely tell you once you have gained her trust. So, may I kindly ask Mr. Fisher to assist Valentina?”
Helping Valentina, and not the Turan Family, correct?
Fisher fell silent for a moment, then raised the magical materials in his hand and replied,
“I share the same goal as Miss Valentina; I must reach the Frost Parasol Tree as well. Until then, helping her is also helping myself. So, rest assured.”
“Buzz. That’s good to hear. Goodnight, Mr. Fisher.”
“Goodnight.”
Fisher left Haldor’s magic workshop, and the corridor of the ship was eerily quiet. This level was inhabited by members of the Turan Family, including Valentina and Haldor, along with some maids’ quarters; thus, the decoration style was quite different.
Carrying a pile of medicinal herbs back, Emhart on his shoulder started chattering again,
“Phew, finally out of that guy’s room. His bookshelf is basically filled with books about magic, but there’s one myth book I’m quite interested in, and I haven’t read it yet. However, speaking of which, I really find that mysterious person he mentioned, who could help him change bodies, quite intriguing. When did such technology even exist, you know?”
“I don’t know, nor do I want to.”
“Tch, never mind if you don’t want to talk about it. I was just going to share some information I found in those books regarding the Phoenix Race~”
Fisher glanced at the book Sir beside him, who had turned his head away with his eyes darting in another direction. His smug expression almost made Fisher want to give him a punch.
He hesitated slightly in his steps, then sighed and said,
“Our deal means you’ll get a very enticing book’s content from me in the end, right? That technology is related to the knowledge you desire.”
“Really? So you also know that trick? I mean, can you help me install a pair of mechanical arms so I can retaliate when you bully me? Just like that Haldor.”
The book Sir swayed his body in mid-air as if throwing punches to the void, while also subtly distancing himself from Fisher, fearing he might catch him for a bit of torment. Clearly, Fisher was not in the mood to tease him and simply said,
“So, is that all you want to say?”
“Tch, what you said isn’t exactly useful information. But fine, it’s tough for you to say something nice. So, just now, in that myth book on the shelf, I found a little story regarding the youngest daughter of the Phoenix King, the Moon Princess, although I can’t confirm if it’s true.”
“The Moon Princess?”
Fisher suddenly remembered the oddly shaped scimitar Valentina had when he first met her. That weapon was the legendary sword of the Phoenix Moon Princess, but having experienced its power once, Fisher felt it was far inferior to Captain Alagina’s Ice Prince sword.
“Ah, yes, the Moon Princess is the most beloved daughter of the Phoenix King, and she is on good terms with all the races of the Northern Region. It’s said that all six races recognized her as the next Phoenix King. But the story I want to relate doesn’t have such a grand background; it’s a small incident within the Phoenix family.”
“It’s said that after defeating the Chaos Race that invaded the Northern Region, the Phoenix King held a banquet atop the Parasol Tree with the six races, and even the Holy Spawn came to celebrate their victory there. But at the end of the banquet, an unexpected guest showed up uninvited in the hall.”
Emhart’s voice lowered as if the following story surprised him as well.
“The guest was a Demon from the Western Continent, although it did not specify which Demon. It only stated that he came to celebrate the victory of the Phoenix Race but forgot to bring a gift and wanted to make a wager with the Phoenix King. If the Demon lost, he would compensate a hundredfold for the disrespect of forgetting the gift. But if the Phoenix King lost, he would have to forgive this Demon’s mistake and additionally offer him ten humans as sacrifices.”
“Ancient humans were far too weak, at the very bottom of the ranks, so no race cared about them. Only races like the Demons that required desires had a strong relationship with them. Thus, the so-called ten humans were merely an extra sacrifice. And, of course, you can guess the conclusion of the story: there’s no winning against a wager with a Demon.”
“The Phoenix King lost the bet and had to forgive the Demon’s disrespect, giving him ten humans. The Demon accepted those ten humans and even drank wine with the Phoenix King to apologize for his rudeness. However, the Moon Princess, who had always been good to all living beings, became angry and left for her own territory, never returning to the Frost Parasol Tree again. Quite an interesting story, huh?”
Fisher glanced speechlessly at Emhart beside him, completely not understanding the significance of him telling this story. Beyond learning that the long-dead Moon Princess was a high-tier subhuman who was kind towards humans, it felt like listening to some trivial gossip.
“So, did you feel triggered by the term ‘Demon’ and want to share your discomfort with me for some comfort?”
Emhart widened his eyes in disbelief and exclaimed,
“Damn it, how is that possible? I mean, the actions of that legendary Demon sound a lot like Baemon, that Demon! And once you get involved with that Demon, nothing good comes of it! I even suspect the decline of the Phoenix Race is related to that Demon. Well, maybe she just got bored and wanted to come play too, but…”
“Demon? What are you two joking about? Can I listen in?”
“Ahhh! Baemon! Fisher, help me!!”
Just as Emhart was frantically explaining to Fisher, a female voice suddenly came from behind him, startling him to leap into Fisher’s arms like a bolt of lightning, instantly turning into an innocuous dead book, motionless.
“…”
Fisher looked up speechlessly at Heidi Lin, who had just descended the stairs, wearing an apologetic smile. Yes, he had seen Heidi Lin coming down the stairs moments earlier, but since Emhart got scared talking about “Baemon”, he hadn’t interrupted him. Unexpectedly, Heidi Lin appeared suddenly and scared him half to death, thinking Baemon had come to collect a debt.
“Sorry, Mr. Fisher, I just heard some conversation from downstairs and came to see. I didn’t expect your friend…”
Heidi Lin, still wearing the emerald green headpiece atop her black hair, looked far from a traditional servant, adding a developed and intellectual beauty to her. At this moment, as she apologized to Fisher, she blinked her right eye, making her seem cute and playful.
This contradictory feeling made Fisher glance at her a bit longer, and then shook his head, raising the medicinal materials in his hand.
“It’s nothing; he was just recounting a story from the myths and legends of the Northern Region. I’m quite interested in the history of the Northern Region and subhumans, so I asked him about a few things. By the way, these are the medicinal materials given to me by Haldor just now, saying they need to be brewed for Sister Ilos. Is there anywhere on the ship where I can do that?”
“Ah, you’re interested in subhumans? That’s quite rare. Although Mr. Balzak on the ship is keen on the history of the Northern Region, he looks down on subhumans a bit, which often leads to arguments with Felis, putting me in quite a bind.”
She wrinkled her brow, touching her cheek with a troubled expression. Her mature fragrance wafted closer to Fisher as she unconsciously brushed against his arm, wanting to take the materials from him.
“As for these materials, I can take you to the kitchen. Just follow me.”
Fisher couldn’t help but feel that this sister was being overly enthusiastic towards him. He had sensed something like this since boarding the ship, only overshadowed by the attention of others at the time.
As Heidi Lin reached for the medicinal materials in his hands, she found Fisher was staring at her and hadn’t released his hold, so she simply smiled and grabbed his sleeve with one hand, gently pulling him upstairs.
“It’s not far, just upstairs. After it’s brewed, you can directly give it to that nun. The other maids are resting now, so it wouldn’t be good to trouble them further. Well, but I assume if a handsome gentleman like Mr. Fisher calls them at night, they wouldn’t refuse.”
She led Fisher upstairs, turning back to wink an eye at him, those long eyelashes glimmering intensely, unabashedly landing on Fisher’s robust muscles.
“Then, I’ll trouble you, Ms. Heidi Lin.”
“Mm-hmm, helping as a guest on the ship is only natural. It’s beneficial for the young lady too, right? To seek out what… um, the Parasol Tree relies on you all. By the way, are you feeling hungry? I have a habit of cooking a midnight snack at night, so if you’re hungry, we can eat together.”
Fisher followed her upstairs somewhat uneasily. He wanted to shake off the hand gripping his sleeve but found her grasp surprisingly firm with just a slight movement, realizing he couldn’t easily break free without drawing attention to himself, which might make her feel bad.
“… Thank you, Ms. Heidi Lin, but I’ll pass. I’m not in the habit of having midnight snacks.”
He had to allow her to tug at his sleeve, casually declining her invitation as he replied.
To his surprise, after he said this, Heidi Lin, who was walking ahead, suddenly slowed her pace. She looked back at Fisher with a somewhat troubled expression, and with her right hand, she conspicuously pinched her little belly in front of him. The loose traditional Northern attire revealed a slight bulge.
She glanced at her stomach, then raised her head in slight disappointment to look at Fisher and said,
“Sure enough, you men all disdain women who eat too much and gain weight, right?”
Fisher glanced at her visibly shaped yet far from overweight soft belly, not wanting to say anything, but still managed to politely respond,
“How could that be? Ms. Heidi Lin, you’re not fat at all. It’s just that I don’t have much of an appetite at night.”
“Mm-hmm, then I’ll take that as sincere, charming Nali gentleman.”
“…”
