Chapter 301: 76. Grandfather and Granddaughter
When Fisher and Ilos came down to the dining room, Valentina’s other subordinates had already gathered. However, as soon as Fisher pushed open the dining room door, he sensed that the atmosphere in the room was somewhat off; despite the high physical temperature, a rather cold gust seemed to blow through his heart.
He glanced at Miss Valentina, who occupied the main seat at the end of the room and was also the source of its coldness. Her stunningly beautiful face was quite frosty, making her resemble a snow woman adorned with a tear mole. Heidi Lin stood respectfully behind her, softly greeting Fisher and Ilos with a “Good morning.”
In front of Valentina, Haldor, who was seated, silently stared at the steaming hot milk in front of Valentina, exuding an unmistakable sense of determination without saying a word. The other subordinates of Valentina silently lowered their heads to eat breakfast, refraining from discussing Haldor.
It appeared that Valentina was angry, probably because Haldor wanted to disembark with them today.
“Today’s breakfast consists of fried fish and bread, along with a serving of mushroom soup. Please enjoy.”
During a lull, Heidi Lin thoughtfully served breakfast to Fisher and Ilos, momentarily breaking the quiet atmosphere in the dining room.
Ilos quietly declined the mushroom soup and instead poured out the potion that Fisher had given her, preparing to consume it along with her breakfast.
The breakfast was consumed in such an awkward silence that even the usually noisy lion race member, Felis, surprisingly behaved herself and lowered her tail, silently tossing the vegetable leaves from the mushroom soup onto her plate with a fork.
As breakfast was coming to an end, Valentina, who had been elegantly chewing her food while pondering, gently picked up a napkin from the table to wipe her mouth, then cast a quick glance at Fisher, who was seated at the end. She sighed and suddenly instructed everyone,
“We will disembark immediately and prepare to head to the Moon Rabbit Tribe’s shrine to retrieve the hidden mark. As before, Balzak, Felis, and I will go to the site, and Heidi Lin will stay on the ship. Selti, remember to move the ‘Sealing Cage’ to outside the shrine of the Moon Rabbit Tribe. After dark today, once Miss Ilos confirms the location of the mark, she must enter the sealing cage to avoid being attacked by unknown entities like your kin.”
“Yes, boss.”
After assigning everyone their respective tasks, Valentina looked at Haldor beside her, who had no facial features yet clearly exuded a sense of anticipation.
She bit her lip and, after several seconds, spoke to Fisher, who was still eating breakfast,
“Mr. Fisher, please join us at the shrine today. Haldor will work with you and try to prepare defensive magic near the shrine in advance. I’ve heard you’re the proponent of magic soul theory, and you may have some experience regarding attacks from unknown entities. Will this be alright?”
Upon hearing Valentina speak, Haldor seemed to sigh in relief, releasing a swirl of hot steam from his mouth. Before Fisher could reply, he responded first,
“Zzi. I will properly complete the task with Mr. Fisher.”
“Hum.”
Valentina let out a helpless hum, tossing her knife and fork onto the table. She pushed her wheelchair and left the dining room first, her petite figure clearly indicating that she was in a bad mood.
“Everyone, go prepare. We’ll gather at the elevator in half an hour. The weather outside is cold, so remember to wear more clothing.”
Familiar with her early exit, Fisher chewed on his food, and after hearing the door close, Heidi Lin spoke to Haldor,
“Mr. Haldor, even if you want to assist the young lady, you shouldn’t have spoken such words to her. You know, as someone who taught her since childhood, she wouldn’t accept you saying things like that. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have argued with the tribe leader. You shouldn’t speak to her like that again. What does ‘do you want to make me depressed to death’ even mean?”
“Zzi. That is my fault, but Valentina will understand.”
Felis rolled her eyes, her lion tail lifting slightly, and pointed her fork at Haldor, saying,
“When the boss gets angry, she’s truly scary. She won’t hold it against you, but she will surely vent her anger on us. I guarantee it.”
Balzak adjusted his red collared shirt and nonchalantly said,
“As long as we can retrieve the mark smoothly, is your body alright? Last time, you malfunctioned for quite a while, which delayed things.”
“Zzi. Don’t worry, I haven’t had any issues in a long time. That time was just an accident.”
“That’s good to hear.”
As conversations in the room gradually subsided, the others got up to return to their rooms to pack. Throughout it all, Fisher had not expressed his own views, only occasionally glancing at the snowstorm outside the window. Compared to other countries, Nebarun Kingdom was simply too cold, with frost and snow spreading across the land as a chilling mark.
Ilos, who had just finished her potion with a grimace, slightly pouted as she watched Balzak head out with his head held high. She didn’t quite like this cold-hearted person, especially since what he just said struck her as lacking in humanity,
“That human… his words are so unpleasant.”
Her murmured comment was caught by Haldor, who let out a little steam, surprising Ilos as she looked towards the door.
“Zzi. Forgive me, Sister Ilos. Those whom Valentina invited each have their own backgrounds, and Balzak is no exception. I heard his father used to be the official leader of the last Shivali Academy, but the current Empress executed his father once she ascended the throne and expelled him and his brothers from Shivali. If he wants to return to Shivali, he must present a decent academic finding.”
“So he is intent on finding the Frost Parasol Tree, hoping to achieve results as astonishing as Mr. Fisher’s, simply to return to Shivali under his family’s name.”
Fisher had heard about this previously. It was mentioned that the last emperor of Shivali was quite incompetent, causing a number of his subordinates and officials to indulge in sycophancy and pleasure, and their official academic institution, Shivali Academy, was just as bad.
The family with the surname “Hahn” had been passing down the position of academic leader at Shivali Academy for generations, with many exceptionally brilliant scholars in history. However, during the previous Shivali emperor’s reign, they colluded, accomplishing nothing. Consequently, after the new Empress ascended, in a fit of anger, she executed the “Hahn” family members or exiled them.
The Empress had stated to the exiled “Hahn” bloodline that the honor of the Hahn bloodline was a part of Shivali’s history, and thus would forever be preserved for their family until he or they could regain their intellect and achieve results.
“Members of the Hahn family, huh?”
“Zzi. It’s good that Mr. Fisher is aware.”
Haldor nodded, turning to look at the snowstorm outside, his tone rising unconsciously.
“However, since Valentina agreed to let me accompany her, time is short, and we should hurry to prepare for departure. The shrine of the Moon Rabbit Tribe is far from the city, and we need to transport heavy relics, so the journey will be relatively urgent.”
Fisher gently set down his knife and fork, nodding in agreement.
In fact, Fisher had nothing much to pack. He was already dressed in a simple shirt, and all he needed to do was put on a warm garment that Heidi Lin had prepared for him.
However, he didn’t know what animal’s fur his clothing was made from, but it felt very warm when put on. In fact, there was even an unusually warm feeling on the Unicorn Whale, making him inch a bit closer to the elevator.
Before long, the group heading to the Moon Rabbit Tribe shrine was gathered, with Fisher and Ilos being the only additions.
Valentina had already changed into a black rabbit-fur coat and was seated in her wheelchair. The rabbit fur that fluttered slightly in the wind made Ilos shiver her ears and step a little closer to Fisher.
Haldor brought over two small bags of powdered magic materials, which also contained items like engraving knives. After handing one bag to Fisher, he instinctively wanted to help push Valentina’s wheelchair, but she maintained a cold expression, pushing the wheelchair into the elevator herself.
“Let’s get ready to depart.”
Haldor stopped in his tracks, looking back at Fisher, and for once, the typically monotonous mechanical voice contained a hint of smile and helplessness as he said,
“Zzi. She’s throwing another little tantrum.”
“Pfff.” Ilos, who was hiding behind Fisher, burst into laughter, and when Haldor and Fisher looked at her, she made a prayer gesture for the Mother and said while suppressing her laughter,
“Ah, Mother bless. I just thought that Miss Valentina looked very mature before, and hearing Mr. Haldor’s words made it a little hard to hold back, so I laughed.”
“Zzi. Valentina has just come of age; that’s very normal. By the way, I gave Fisher a potion this morning. How do you feel after taking it?”
“Eh, I feel… very bitter?”
Emhart on Fisher’s shoulder peeked at the not-so-bright Moon Rabbit Tribe member. He was really glad that this guy fell asleep last night and didn’t let Fisher give her medicine. Otherwise, with Fisher’s methods, she would have gone from pseudopregnancy to real pregnancy in no time.
“Zzi. Hahaha, just keep taking it, and you’ll recover soon.”
Fisher sighed, following Haldor into the spacious elevator. With the creaking sounds of steam and machinery in the ship, they slowly descended towards the silver-clad ground below.
In the distance at the ship’s stern outside the elevator, another steam machine was slowly lowering a heavy object from the deck. It was a round, egg-like strange object covered in engravings filled with meanings that Fisher could not decipher.
Looking at the relic in the distance, Valentina calmly began to explain to Fisher and Ilos,
“The ‘Sealing Cage’, an important relic we specially asked to be brought from home, is also the crucial element of this mission. It can create a completely enclosed safe space inside, where even magic cannot work, as the world’s echoes cannot be unleashed.”
Fisher vaguely felt that the engravings on that cage looked somewhat familiar, but it was too far away for him to see clearly, even with his enhanced vision. He could only let it go, as he would still see it when they arrived at the Moon Rabbit shrine.
“There, I remember my home used to be over there, very close to the port. Every time my father and I returned from the sea, it would be late, and I would be very sleepy. But not long after disembarking, we could reach home. There were many of my kin at the port back then.”
Ilos leaned against the edge of the elevator, watching the bustling crowd of passengers and workers at the port below, but she could no longer see any Moon Rabbit Tribe members with long ears and soft fur on their cheeks.
The same snow and the same winter brought back a strange feeling in Ilos’s heart.
Ilos’s mood appeared somewhat downcast, and no one responded. Just as Valentina was about to speak, Fisher gently patted Ilos’s shoulder from behind, saying to her,
“Long ago in Nali, I heard that the ports of Nebarun Kingdom are run by subhumans. During a time of financial scarcity in Nebarun, the subhuman trading ships managed to find a way to sell specialty marine fish to other countries over the sea. Therefore, the people of Nebarun, who had always adhered to the teachings of the Phoenix, treat the Moon Rabbit Tribe as equals.”
Fisher glanced at the tall rabbit ear sculpture hanging on the building before the port. That rabbit ear bore a crescent-shaped notch, symbolizing the importance of the Moon Rabbit Tribe to this port and country.
Beneath that rabbit ear sculpture, there were many offerings of food and drink that had not yet been covered by frost and snow, clearly indicating that they could not have been offerings from the almost extinct Moon Rabbit Tribe.
Living harmoniously, humans and subhumans coexisting under the protection of the Frost Phoenix—perhaps this was only visible in the ice and snow-covered northern region?
“The Moon Rabbit Tribe is a part of Nebarun Kingdom. Your arrival will once again prove their past existence. Everyone will see in you every Moon Rabbit Tribe member they once knew or heard of. For Nebarun Kingdom, you are not an orphan but the only one.”
As the elevator slowly descended, the loud sounds of steam and machinery attracted the attention of many passengers and workers at the port. When their eyes inadvertently fell upon her, they found it hard to look away—of course, because of Ilos, who was slowly being pushed to the elevator doors by Fisher.
Her golden hair shimmered in the heavy robe as she swayed with the wind, and the white rabbit ears atop her head occasionally caught falling snowflakes.
“Moon Rabbit Tribe?”
“Are there still Moon Rabbit Tribe members alive overseas in Nebarun?”
“The Frost Phoenix shows its spirit, the Frost Phoenix shows its spirit!”
Ilos opened her mouth slightly, and the surrounding humans’ gazes constantly turned toward her, slowly covering the earlier unfamiliar and desolate feelings that arose in the elevator, also gradually solidifying her determination to find and eliminate those who harmed her Moon Rabbit Tribe kin.
She exhaled a breath that instantly formed a shape in the cold weather. She glanced back at Fisher and smiled, saying, “Thank you.”
Fisher nodded and followed her out of the elevator, stepping into the frosty snow of the middle northern region. Soon, the robe on his body and the black hair on his forehead were dusted with white snow.
“Tch, this guy really knows how to fool little girls.”
“Shut up, you get a kick!”
Balzak rolled his eyes and followed up, likely mimicking something Emhart would say, but was suddenly kicked in the butt by Felis behind him, causing him to nearly stumble. He managed to steady himself and frowned, turning back to react when he saw Valentina still expressionless in her wheelchair inside the elevator.
Balzak could only swallow his anger and glare at Felis fiercely, and then he adjusted his robe and exited as well, making Felis almost burst out in delight.
In the elevator, Valentina rubbed her ring, her pale silver eyes fixated on the tall Nali man in the distance, who had a book resting on his shoulder. A moment of contemplation flickered through her eyes until Haldor’s voice snapped her back to reality,
“Zzi. Valentina, what are you thinking about?”
“Nothing. I’m just aware of the relationship between the Moon Rabbit Tribe and Nebarun Kingdom. If I had been able to explain that to Ilos earlier, it might have been more beneficial to the mission. But since he said that, it did help me. What did you talk about with him last night that made him intentionally assist me like this?”
Haldor lowered his head to look at Valentina in the wheelchair and shook his head as he replied,
“Zzi. I’ve told you before, since Fisher is Heilson’s student, he must be a good person. What he said was simply to comfort Sister Ilos, and he probably didn’t have any intention of helping you. Last night, I indeed spoke with him, but his response was lackadaisical and indifferent, clearly not intending to help you.”
“Who knows, perhaps he comforted Sister Ilos because he’s charmed by her beauty? And he also might want to show off in front of me, making me fall for him.”
Valentina joked, and Haldor couldn’t help but let out a laugh as he released steam, diffusing their earlier argument quietly.
In reality, their relationship was similar to that of a grandfather and granddaughter. Since he had taken on the task of teaching Valentina in his old age, he had regarded her as family from the moment she first called him teacher.
“Zzi. He doesn’t have those thoughts, but being cautious is indeed correct; he isn’t suitable as a partner and will hurt your heart sooner or later. I’ve heard that during his schooling, the current Empress of Nali promised him a ‘universal request’ for marriage, despite potential backlash. This shows how much she cherished him. Now, however, she has placed a high bounty for his capture, and it’s unclear what happened between them. Therefore, it’s best to be methodical with him, acting in the businesslike manner of the Turan family.”
Valentina’s silver eyes flickered slightly as she looked up at Haldor behind her, speechless,
“I was just joking; I wanted you to crack a few jokes too, yet you said all these serious things as if I’m not aware.”
Haldor continued to exhale steam, adding to his previous jest,
“Zzi. Then please, Valentina, watch fewer romance stories from Nali.”
This statement caused Valentina to laugh; she covered her mouth with one hand while playfully tapping Haldor’s mechanical body with the other, looking outside as she said,
“Push me out, let’s reach the Moon Rabbit shrine quicker so we can prepare early. We must obtain the Moon Rabbit Tribe mark tonight.”
“Zzi. Yes, Valentina.”
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