Chapter 322: 97. The Fisher from the Prophecy
“By the way, the church we found earlier, that of the Moon Rabbit Tribe, seems to be a Healing Rot Church. We can no longer see such places in our Shivali territory; they have all been dismantled.”
In the meeting room, Balzak took a sip of the hot tea from the Northern Region and suddenly remembered something, saying this.
Valentina cradled her face and tapped on the armrest of her wheelchair.
“I heard about the history of Shivali infecting the Dead Rot Disease in Snowflake Castle. It is said that according to incomplete statistics, the number of people who died in that epidemic reached millions, making it the most severe disaster in the history of the Western Continent. Even within the kingdom of Sardinia, there were sparks of the epidemic, but because the weather here is too cold, it did not spread.”
“Boss, actually, the number is not limited to millions. According to our family’s later conservative estimates, at least 15 million people died in that disaster. At that time, the towns in Shivali were filled with mountains of corpses. The nobles and royals also contracted the disease and sealed off their castles and the imperial palace, relying only on doctors and church personnel to manage this disaster on their own.”
Balzak sipped his tea, a hint of sadness in his gaze. Any scholar reading that history would be shocked by its brutality.
“The result of the management was that there was no result at all. The doctors, in protective gear, fought on the front lines against the Dead Rot Disease, but the effect of treatment was minimal. Every day, the number of deaths surpassed the capacity to burn the bodies. You know, when a situation becomes difficult to the point of despair, solving the problem becomes a luxury, and they all placed their hopes on the invisible and intangible Mother.”
“Ha, that was a disaster that, looking back, makes one blush with shame. You already know that people even began to praise the Dead Rot Disease as a punishment given by the Mother, calling the disease that spread across the kingdom the ‘Blade-less Knight.’ They named this imagined punitive knight, reciting his status alongside that of the ‘Apocalypse.'”
Fisher halted his reading and slightly raised his gaze towards Balzak, who was sitting across on the sofa, and suddenly began to recite softly in Shivali.
“‘Under the loving gaze of the Mother, your white shawl is stained by the searing wind.’”
“‘Under the lash of a blade-less whip, witness the cleansing of the soul by death.’”
“‘The punished child is foolish, unable to tell whether you are poison or remedy.’”
“‘Ah, esteemed messenger of the Mother, the pure and immaculate blade-less knight.’”
Valentina tilted her head with interest. She didn’t understand Shivali, so she turned to Fisher, who was crossing his legs, and saw him stroking his chin as he said,
“Is this a hymn from the Healing Rot Church in Shivali praising the Dead Rot Disease? It does sound like something a church person could come up with. I didn’t know there was such a thing in Shivali’s history.”
“Well, every country has a few family scandals they don’t want outsiders to know about. Shivali is like that, and Nali cannot escape this rule either. Because I am a member of the Harn family, I am able to read these hidden books in the royal library. I am different from those useless family members who merely eat and wait to die, which is why the queen modified the permanent expulsion order of the Harn family in my favor.”
Balzak’s gaze was somewhat fiery, and the hand hidden under his red robe tightened slightly, as if indicating some determination; he must find the Frost Parasol Tree and return to Shivali to reclaim his family’s honor.
The conversation in the room paused for a moment. Not long after, Heidi Lin, who had finished dealing with matters below, walked up and briefly reported the situation. Upon hearing that everything, including the books and magic materials, had been arranged properly, Valentina nodded and instructed the maid to prepare dinner for the evening.
As Heidi Lin was about to leave, Valentina secretly glanced at Fisher sitting on the sofa and suddenly added,
“By the way, hurry up and call that girl Felis over. We’ve bought so many things; it’s time for her to come and work… Let her push my wheelchair.”
Heidi Lin turned back and smiled, her green hair crown shining brightly.
“Sure.”
Just as Valentina had instructed, on the first day of arriving in Miya, there was hardly anything busy. The hotel Valentina rented quickly quieted down as everyone went to bed early in preparation for facing the various challenges of the next day.
The Snow Fox Tribe still had some time before they would arrive. The wasteland outside the city of Miya was cold and vast; they seldom came here and did not welcome the Turan family’s caravans to pick them up, leaving them to arrange their own way. They guaranteed to arrive before the designated negotiation time.
As night deepened, the moon, which had just passed its full phase, remained bright in the sky. Under the cold and clear moonlight, the gradually quieting city appeared exceptionally beautiful.
Suddenly, a faint light flickered on the dark second floor of the hotel. It turned out to be the elevator at the end of the corridor descending layer by layer, stopping slowly when it reached the second floor. As the door opened, it also let out a warm glow. Inside the elevator, Valentina, dressed in black, cautiously looked around and raised the small lamp she was holding.
This floor was where she had instructed Heidi Lin to place the essence ice. That area had strict protection measures, but she knew all the precautions well, so they couldn’t stop her from going to see the essence ice.
In the morning, Valentina had felt a faint guidance from the essence ice, and now she had come alone to have another look.
“So dark.”
Valentina pressed her lips together, hesitating as she stared at the pitch-black corridor while staying in the elevator. But after taking a few deep breaths, she resolutely hung the small lamp on the armrest of her wheelchair and, with some difficulty, placed her hands on the wheels of the wheelchair, slowly moving forward.
“Hahaha.”
Her body was very weak. Without the propulsion of the mechanism, the wheelchair became extremely heavy under her, making it quite difficult for her to push it herself. After moving out ten meters, she found herself gasping for breath, and beads of sweat began to appear on her forehead. She had no choice but to take a few steps and pause, heading toward another direction on the second floor.
“Whew.”
The cold night wind in Miya ruthlessly beat against the window, causing Valentina to glance in fright behind her. This glance startled her; she saw a tall figure who had quietly followed her from behind and was now standing not far behind her wheelchair.
“…”
Valentina’s face turned pale from fright, but she did not scream. She simply pressed her lips tightly and suddenly pulled something from her bosom, pointing it at the silhouette in the distance. It was an exquisitely carved firearm. However, faster than Valentina’s movement was the speed of the figure approaching.
The figure seemed to have noticed Valentina’s action and, at the moment she pulled the gun, darted over like lightning. Before she could raise the firearm, a hot hand suddenly pressed on her wrist, preventing her from raising her hand at all.
“Miss Valentina?”
Hearing the voice of the figure in front of her, the rings on Valentina’s fingers flickered one by one and then slowly extinguished. She looked at the figure in disbelief and, aided by the scattered moonlight outside, finally recognized that it was Fisher, the Nali magician she had hired, who was wearing a white shirt.
“Fisher, what are you doing here? Are you here to steal the essence ice?”
“Are you in a daze from being scared by me?”
Fisher lightly released Valentina’s hand gripping the firearm. Only at that moment did Valentina remember that he had discovered the mark of the Cangniao tribe in the box containing the essence ice on Pat Sulshen Island, and if he wanted the essence ice, he should have stolen it back then.
In the darkness, Valentina secretly stuck out her tongue, thinking no one would notice her small action. Little did she know that the ninth rank Fisher had complete night vision and observed her cute appearance. Unconsciously, Fisher rubbed the fingers that had held her delicate wrist, tasting the warmth left there dissipate, and then spoke.
“This morning, you found something when you saw the essence ice, right?”
“You know? Wait, so that’s why you kept staring at me back then?”
“Yeah, otherwise, do you think I would keep looking at you?”
“I thought…”
Valentina’s face turned red for a moment, but then she placed her hands on her black skirt and looked up at Fisher.
“So that’s your reason for following me down so late, knowing I would definitely come to see the essence ice at night?”
“Not exactly. I just sensed something unusual about your state earlier this morning. When you were looking at the essence ice, you didn’t seem quite right. At first, I thought you were having an episode, but later I felt you had some lingering thoughts. Just right tonight, I was awake because of magic carving, and accidentally heard you pushing the wheelchair, gasping for breath, so I came to check.”
In reality, Fisher had already guessed she would come down alone to see the essence ice, and he had been waiting for her to go downstairs. However, the way Fisher said it successfully lowered Valentina’s vigilance. She sighed and rubbed her temples, a bit of a headache.
“I really didn’t expect you to pay so much attention to me; even Heidi Lin didn’t notice my abnormality.”
“You are my boss. So, do you mind if I join your midnight essence ice operation? It seems you could use someone to push the wheelchair.”
Valentina shot a glance at the expressionless Fisher; any help was just an excuse. It was clear this guy was interested in why she could resonate with the essence ice, wasn’t it?
“Suit yourself. But I have to say in advance, when resonating with the essence ice, I felt my family’s hereditary illness might worsen; this is not a good sign. It could be dangerous and might expose my shame in front of you. You have to promise me not to tell Balzak and the other staff. That’s the precondition for us to set off together.”
“Doesn’t everyone know you have a hereditary illness?”
“…Of course, they don’t.”
“Well, as one of the few who knows the truth about Miss Valentina, I must say I’m quite lucky.”
Fisher had already reached behind her wheelchair, looking at her helplessly turning to face him. Under the moonlight, her white hair was soft and beautiful. She wasn’t wearing the small hat she had carried around in the morning, making her appear serene and homey. Hmm, Fisher was a bit curious about how it would feel to pat her head, but after thinking it over, he didn’t make a move.
The side effects of reproductive abilities had started to show again; in every way, he had to restrain himself.
“It’s still because of Haldor. That night, you happened to crash in when you were so unlucky, I… I just say more when I’m in a bad mood; you shouldn’t have told others, right?”
She was livelier at night than in the morning, especially when alone with Fisher. It was the same whether she cried that night or now.
Valentina pointed in a direction, and Fisher pushed her in that direction, naturally moving faster than when she was struggling to push it herself. As they walked, Fisher spoke.
“Of course not. But Heidi Lin serves you day and night; she should be well aware of your family’s hereditary disease. If you want to see the essence ice, just have her bring it to you. There’s no need to sneak down so late; after all, the essence ice is now under your Turan family’s care.”
“I don’t want to tell her about this.”
“Why not?”
Valentina pinched the ring on her finger, hesitated for several seconds, and when it seemed like Fisher thought she wouldn’t respond, she suddenly spoke.
“…Previously, I told you that anyone from the family who seeks the Frost Parasol Tree would face a grim fate. The stronger the resonance with the hereditary illness, the more evident that is. If she knows that I can resonate with the essence ice, the family would surely find out. The family members are used to pointing fingers in the Northern Region; despite being too scared to even step out of Snowflake Fortress, they often criticize me.”
“I’m quite tired of following their orders now. At least for this secret about the essence ice, I don’t want to share it with them. If there’s any value in it, that group of fools will only slow down the process of searching for the Frost Parasol Tree because of it.”
“I see.”
Fisher soon pushed her to a complex mechanism door, a password lock intertwined within. But for Valentina, who knew the password, it was no problem. She just reached out and fumbled in the dark for a moment, quickly entering the correct password.
“Bang!”
The large door opened, revealing a very spacious room. In the center of the entire room was a small pedestal on which rested the essence ice they had seen that morning. When Fisher saw the essence ice, he keenly noticed the dark, crack-like marks on her back beginning to writhe slowly, a sight that could send chills down anyone’s spine.
Thus, Fisher instinctively asked her,
“How does it feel? Any sensations?”
“None. I need to go closer to take a look. This morning I could feel the essence ice wanting to guide me towards some images, likely clues related to my hereditary illness or the Frost Parasol Tree.”
As Fisher pushed her wheelchair closer to the essence ice, she took out a small medicine box from her bosom and handed it to Fisher.
“I’m not sure what consequences staring directly at the essence ice will bring; although my intuition tells me it’s not dangerous, it’s always best to prepare for the worst. If anything happens to me, there’s no need to call Heidi Lin; this is for you.”
“What is this?”
Fisher took it, quickly observing and noticing that he could hear the sound of tiny granules rolling inside with a slight tilt.
“It’s my usual painkiller for alleviating hereditary illness. Sometimes my legs experience phantom pain, or my back aches, so I need to take this to relieve the pain. Normally, I take one pill, but if the direct look at the essence ice exacerbates my hereditary illness, just give me three.”
When talking about her hereditary illness, Valentina slightly lowered her head to look at her stiff legs, the silver hue of her eyes holding an indistinguishable sense of desolation. However, that meaning, after all, faded quickly in the moonlight, her response lacking the meticulous observation, revealing only a calm agreement.
“No problem, but I hope it won’t come to that.”
“I hope so too, then I’ll begin now. Regardless of your true intentions, I still want to believe in your goodwill. Thank you for joining me here tonight.”
Fisher released the armrest of her wheelchair, and upon facing her thankful smile, he merely nodded.
Trust, huh?
He suddenly recalled what Heidi Lin had previously told him. It was at this moment that, once more, Valentina spoke, and he realized a bit of the trust that had extended from the night after Haldor’s death towards himself.
“Then I’ll begin.”
Valentina no longer hesitated, gripping the icy, crystalline mineral tightly. As Valentina focused on it, the boundless mist within instantly became extraordinarily vibrant, as if cheering and repeating the process from that morning when Valentina had gazed at it—just this time, Fisher did not interrupt her like that officer had.
The gray mist continuously rendered towards the void, illustrating vibrant crystalline colors in Valentina’s vision, but visibly, her eye sockets were growing redder.
In Valentina’s perspective, the mist within the essence ice seemed to break free from the object’s constraints, violating the laws of physics as it rose towards her. She forced herself to endure the fear and anxiety, allowing the boundless mist to slowly envelop her eyes until it completely surrounded her vision.
Her sight grew increasingly murky, but the images she wanted to see grew clearer. She squinted her eyes to see clearly, completely disregarding the pain in her eyes.
Under such persistence, the gray mist gradually dispersed, finally revealing a very clear scene.
This scene was still primarily from her perspective; she seemed to hear the howling wind and snow outside, yet she felt extraordinarily warm. She struggled to lift her head and caught sight of Fisher, bare to the waist, with one hand around her waist, completely holding her in his embrace. He also ambiguously bit down on a strand of her long hair.
And she seemed to be gasping?
She appeared to have placed her hand on him, leaning against his shoulder to breathe with a rather heated appearance.
No, no, no! What is this scene?
“Shall we continue, Miss Valentina?”
In the image, his voice sounding as he bit her white hair was deep and sexy, echoing against her soft earlobe.
“I suppose my legs can’t move anyway, just as you said…”
She seemed to have muttered something shameful, but before Valentina could fully comprehend, the scene rapidly receded from her, soon being covered by layer upon layer of gray mist without an end.
In this room where they observed the essence ice, Valentina’s fair face suddenly lifted, instantly covered by flushed embarrassment as if she had been transported from the cold northern night’s chill to the sweltering summer days in Shivali, making her feel unbearably hot.
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(End of this chapter)
