### Chapter 319: 94. Suspect List
In Valentina’s eyes, the mist within the crystal seemed to come alive, swirling rapidly, fleeing in seemingly random patterns while forming blurred images in the process. She stared at the scenes within the crystal for a while, lost in thought, not realizing that her eyes were gradually turning red under the crystal’s glow.
“Miss Valentina?”
It wasn’t until the officer from Miya noticed her unusual state and spoke to her that she snapped out of her daze. Surprised, she rubbed her eyes, only to suddenly feel a sharp pain in her eyes and a slight nausea in her stomach.
She turned to the side, noticing that Fisher had been staring at her all along, though he wore an expressionless face. The attention of the others was unrelenting, which quickly helped her recover from her previous state. She explained to them, “I’m fine, I’m just a bit… unwell.”
“Ah, sorry, it’s our oversight. We forgot to inform everyone not to gaze at the crystal for too long. Previously, many researchers experienced severe discomfort while directly observing it. This is inevitable; it is a mineral said to be used by the legendary phoenixes, so we must be cautious when handling it.”
Valentina nodded nonchalantly at the officer’s words, but deep down, she vaguely felt that the sensation of staring at the crystal was not discomfort, but more like some kind of… guidance?
It felt as if the mist within the crystal wanted to show her something, yet just as she was about to see it clearly, she was interrupted by the nearby officer. Once she emerged from that state, the strong discomfort surged forth.
First came the burning sensation in her eyes, nausea in her lower abdomen, and finally, the severe phantom pain began to arise in her long-numb legs. While she endured the discomfort, she increasingly sensed a deep connection between the Frost Parasol Tree or the legendary phoenix and the hereditary disease within her family.
Valentina maintained a calm expression; she was always serene in front of others. She naturally looked at the officers and spoke, “We have other matters to attend to, so let’s get straight to the point regarding the handling of this crystal… The family’s stance is this: either you negotiate privately with the Kingdom of Sardinia on how to share this crystal, but you should know the temperament of the Sardinians; it will be difficult to determine who the crystal truly belongs to at that time; or, you can temporarily hand the crystal over to us for safekeeping. This way, you won’t have to worry about others coveting it, and when the time is ripe, you can retrieve it.”
The two officers exchanged glances, momentarily unsure.
If Miya were not such a traditional small nation, they could boldly bring out the crystal and declare the orthodoxy of the Frost Phoenix faith. However, the problem was that this world does not solely value the orthodoxy and purity of beliefs but also who has the greater might.
The stronger Kingdom of Sardinia retained the power to turn tables at any moment, while Miya clearly did not dare to bet on whether they would act on that.
They could only nod and then simultaneously rise to their feet, addressing Valentina, “We understand, but we can’t decide at this moment. Please allow us to convey the Turan Family’s intentions to our superiors… Please wait here for a moment; we will return shortly.”
“Please,” Valentina said, closing her eyes and nodding slightly. After the officers and maids exited the room, Balzak immediately turned to Valentina and said,
“This crystal is raw, and its quality is remarkable. If it was excavated from the Cangniao tribe’s tomb, it likely indicates that the ancient phoenixes had a habit of rewarding their followers with this crystal… This is peculiar because if the crystal is some kind of mineral, then there shouldn’t be such a long period without discovering other crystals even after the phoenixes have gone silent.”
“Then isn’t such a scarce resource very valuable?”
Balzak shot an irritated glance at the wide-eyed Felis beside him, wanting to ignore her, while Valentina in her wheelchair understood Balzak’s meaning and pondered before continuing,
“Are you suggesting that the crystal was likely produced by the Phoenix Race itself rather than being a naturally occurring mineral?”
Just as Balzak was about to nod his agreement, Fisher gently tapped the table, interjecting,
“There’s another possibility: the crystal is a naturally occurring mineral but not from this world.”
When Fisher’s words were uttered, everyone… aside from Felis and Selti, who had been idly watching, looked surprised at him, seemingly confused by the meaning of his words.
“Wait, what does that mean? A mineral not from this world, what can it be…?”
Balzak was the first to ask in confusion. Even Valentina quietly watched Fisher, seemingly waiting for him to elaborate.
Fisher had his reasons for saying this. Including this time, he had seen the crystal three times. The first two times yielded little, but this time was entirely different because he had gained the spirit vision enhanced by the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans. So that when he first saw the crystal, he realized its extraordinary nature.
In Fisher’s eyes, the mineral exhibited an eerie and jarring quality, as if it constantly produced intense world fluctuations that could only be triggered by magic, making it seem out of place in this world. The mineral itself was also peculiar, resembling a radiant light source, rippling a faint blue divine light through space repeatedly.
That faint blue divine light slowly transmitted through the real world, with everything around it, including the air, table, and surrounding people’s bodies, acting as obstacles, as if everything around it rejected it. But uniquely, when it approached Valentina, the light began to gradually gather around her.
This was the true reason Fisher had been staring at Valentina. Simultaneously, he suddenly remembered something Emhart had previously mentioned to him.
It was said that the Phoenix Race was forced to gaze at the raw crystal from a young age, and through prolonged observation, they gained the ability to see the future. Although Fisher couldn’t determine the truth of this prophecy yet, one thing was certain: only the Phoenix Race could utilize the crystal, or else the Cangniao tribe wouldn’t have brought such a large crystal into the tomb.
If only the Phoenix Race could use the crystal, could it be that their unique constitution was the cause? Then would Valentina, who could also respond to the crystal, be highly related to the Phoenix Race? Moreover, the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans previously indicated that Valentina was a special subhuman type that was unrecognizable, and her magical circuit wasn’t of human shape…
Upon thinking of this, Fisher’s eyes slightly lit up as he instinctively glanced at Valentina, making her tremble slightly in fear, completely unsure why Fisher was looking at her with a passionate gaze she had never encountered before.
Fortunately, that eager and strange look did not last long, as Fisher had already turned his head, continuing to explain to Balzak,
“Do you remember the curses we encountered on the island? That was in the Southern Ocean. Why could a curse from the Northern Region traverse such a long distance without obstruction to lock onto that scroll, while Ilos only managed to evade the curse’s reckoning by retreating to the southernmost part of the North?”
“This undoubtedly indicates that the curse’s coverage area is limited, at least in the real world. But within the realm of spirits, its coverage area will vastly expand. The crystal serves as a substitute for the functions of the spirit realm, possessing similar capabilities, which is why I believe it is a mineral from the spirit realm rather than from the real world.”
Balzak was not a magician; at least he hadn’t read Fisher’s paper on magic as a source of the soul, so he naturally couldn’t comprehend Fisher’s words. However, Valentina seemed to have grasped the concept and nodded thoughtfully, murmuring,
“Haldor’s conjecture was correct; the spirit realm does exist… So, you mean to say that the Phoenix Race employed some method to obtain this mineral from the spirit realm? Which means those curses we couldn’t see were also closely related to the spirit realm. This is why only you and Haldor could use magic to affect the curses, right?”
Fisher admired Valentina with a glance. She was indeed the young lady of the Turan Family, not only well-informed but also quick to analyze the principles behind newly acquired theories. He nodded and replied,
“Or, not only are those curses related to the spirit realm, but the Phoenix Race and the Frost Parasol Tree’s extinction are also related to the spirit realm. This indicates that the decline of the Phoenix Race is inevitably linked to the curses that attacked us, a problem they could not resolve, even in death…”
The fact that the Phoenix Race had yet to solve their predicament ultimately led to their demise—wasn’t that danger hidden within the Frost Parasol Tree enough to warrant concern?
However, upon hearing Fisher’s warning-like words, Valentina’s subordinates did not seem particularly agitated.
Felis seemed carefree, gazing out the door as if pondering when they could leave; Balzak bit his lip, though his uncertainty and pressure were palpable, he ultimately showed no sign of fear; only Selti, the engineer, suddenly turned pale, hesitating for a long moment to speak up but felt too embarrassed to do so when others remained silent.
As for Valentina, she had long prepared herself psychologically before embarking on the search for the Frost Parasol Tree, so she would not shrink back because of one or two of Fisher’s words.
Just as everyone in the room was lost in thought, footsteps could be heard approaching from outside. Valentina turned her gaze towards the doorway and saw the two officers who had just left returning, having taken off their hats and addressing Valentina.
“Miss Valentina, the General has agreed to your proposal and consented to allow the Turan Family to temporarily store the crystal. We will be responsible for transporting the crystal to your residence in Miya until your family members come to take over.”
Valentina stroked her chin and murmured, “Would they rather entrust it to us than bow to the Kingdom of Sardinia? It seems that during our time away from the Northern Region, things here have not been peaceful… Well then, let’s proceed as such; we have other matters to attend to, and you can take us into the city.”
……
“Line up, this way!”
According to the agreement between Miya and Valentina, they had just exited the warm room and stepped into the frost-laden wind and snow, where a squad of well-ordered soldiers awaited on the port road. The carriages prepared by the Turan Family were also gradually stopping, welcoming Valentina, the empress from the Snowflake Fortress.
Earlier, when they went to find Ilos in the Kingdom of Sardinia, they were in a hurry and took only one carriage, which caused the interior to be quite crowded, so Haldor and Fisher had to squeeze together at the driver’s position.
This time, Valentina had thoughtfully ordered two carriages, each equipped with dedicated drivers, thus avoiding the cramped conditions. In the front were Valentina, Heidi Lin, and Selti; in the back were Fisher, Balzak, and Felis, with the crystal placed in Valentina’s carriage.
“Um, is there a gentleman in the back who can lend a hand?”
Just as Fisher was about to board the carriage, a voice suddenly called out for assistance from beside the front carriage. Turning his head to look, he saw Selti and Heidi Lin standing beside Valentina’s wheelchair, looking helplessly at the carriage behind.
Fisher paused before moving to board the carriage and saw that Balzak and Felis had already climbed in. Felis was hiding behind the carriage curtain, winking at him and nodding her head toward her boss.
“…”
Reluctantly, Fisher turned back towards the front carriage and asked Heidi Lin, “What’s the matter?”
“The young lady’s wheelchair is just too heavy. Haldor had always helped lift it onto the carriage before, but who would have thought it would be this heavy? The two of us, along with the driver, simply don’t have enough strength. We can only call for another gentleman to help… Ah, but I just knew that you, Mr. Fisher, would be the kindest to come and help. Good, good.”
Heidi Lin winked at Fisher, but he ignored her, focusing on Valentina, who at that moment sat in her complicatedly mechanized wheelchair, slightly tilting her head with her lips pressed together, seemingly a bit embarrassed but also exhibiting an oddly misplaced stubbornness.
Fisher crouched down gently to grip her wheelchair, recalling the strange expression she had when seeing the crystal.
“Excuse me, Miss Valentina.”
“This gentleman, I’ll lend a hand…”
The nearby carriage driver wiped his sweat, watching Fisher grip the wheelchair beneath the young lady, feeling the need to assist and prevent him from misjudging the weight and dropping her. To his surprise, Fisher effortlessly lifted Valentina completely. The swift motion gave Valentina a jarring sensation of losing weight, causing her to blush and cover her black skirt.
“Wait, wait, slower.”
Just as Fisher was about to raise his head, he felt a cold finger resting on his forehead, seemingly stopping him from looking up. The gentle action halted him, even tilting his head slightly.
The sight of him hoisting Valentina’s wheelchair while being pointed at by a finger, combined with his slightly impatient deadpan expression, amused even Heidi Lin enough to cover her mouth and chuckle quietly.
“Alright, alright, quickly put the young lady in the carriage before she gets afraid of heights.”
“HEIDI LIN!”
Amidst the astonished gaze of the carriage driver, Fisher easily walked to the front of the carriage and placed Valentina inside. It was only then that he noticed Valentina’s hands tightly clutching her black skirt in an embarrassed manner. Clearly, his earlier actions had been a bit rough, causing her some discomfort.
However, Valentina was an incredibly reserved person, and no matter how angry she felt, the most she could do was shoot Fisher a fierce glare before quickly maneuvering her wheelchair back into the carriage.
“Alright, thank you, Mr. Fisher! But unfortunately, there’s no reward… By the way, you’re really strong. This muscle of yours is no show; do you work out often?”
Shivering a little, Selti climbed onto the carriage, while Heidi Lin, smiling, walked over to express her gratitude for her mistress. However, it was a bit puzzling as she simultaneously reached out a finger to lightly stroke Fisher’s chest.
Fisher recalled how he had decisively and morally rejected her back on the Unicorn Whale, but after the enhanced reproductive capabilities of the Sheepkin, he found himself taking a second glance at her figure hidden beneath thick clothing, intensifying Heidi Lin’s smile.
As a result, she pinched Fisher’s muscle hard, and after making her point, waved her hand and boarded the carriage, neatly adjusting her cyan headdress while addressing Fisher, “Go back to the rear carriage now; it’s cold outside~”
“This woman…”
Fisher exhaled a puff of warm air in the cold, clenching his teeth as he made his way back to the rear carriage. To his surprise, his words seemed to trigger something, waking Emhart, who had been dozing in his arms.
“A woman? What woman? Who are you trying to flirt with now?”
“…No woman. I just suddenly realized something. That Valentina, she can resonate with the crystal; she either has something related to the Phoenix Race about her, or she is a half-blood with Phoenix Race blood.”
As he spoke the last sentence, his voice became difficult to suppress in excitement.
The Phoenix Race could symbolize a lot within the Northern Region—potentially the legendary master of the Frost Parasol Tree, the leader of the six races, the owner of the Supplement Handbook “Royal Family’s Choice,” or a high probability identity of the God of the Sky, the World Destroyer…
“Mm-hmm, keep spinning your story… Argh, so sleepy! I thought there was something unusual. Alright, I got it; I’ll add Valentina’s name to the list.”
Fisher paused momentarily in his action of boarding the carriage, suddenly curious about Emhart’s words, which he hadn’t cared about before, and asked,
“What list? What list?”
“The suspect list of those who caused Fisher’s death.”
Emhart yawned, having often been found in Fisher’s embrace napping since being injured by the Soul Supplement Handbook. He barely woke up this time as well.
Although his results still hadn’t turned negative, he had at least passed the most difficult days, and he wasn’t suffering head-spinning pain anymore, merely experiencing a cough and food having little taste.
It was good to avoid illness if possible, though staying home and not working was also pretty nice, ha-ha.
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(The End)
