Chapter 349: 124. The Scent of Despair (6k)
“Tap, tap, tap!”
“Whoa!”
It takes about three days to reach the Snow Fox Tribe from Miya. The Snow Foxes who came here earlier due to the plague in their clan were already in a hurry. Not only do they need to bring medicine back, but they also have to face the pursuit of the Turan Family behind them. As a result, their traveling speed increased slightly, and they changed horses at several subhuman tribes along the way, finally arriving at the Snow Fox Tribe’s encampment in the late afternoon of the third day.
The Snow Fox Tribe, like the Sheepkin, lives near the Sema Snow Mountain. Fisher looked in awe as the already towering snow-capped mountains seemed to grow even larger before his eyes, reducing the entire caravan to an extremely small size. Although Valentina and the others had explored the area earlier for the ancient tombs of the Cangniao Tribe, it was Fisher’s first time witnessing this massive natural chasm.
In fact, the name “Sema” was given by humans, meaning “troll,” because many people encountered what might be troll-like creatures in this area known as the forbidden zone of life. However, when humans had not yet risen and the Phoenix and the Six Races ruled the Northern Region, the real name of this place was “Sayen Yus,” meaning “shade of trees,” hinting at its true origin.
“Everyone, we are about to reach the tribe. Although saying this now might sound a bit selfish, I earnestly request that you don’t spread the flames of war into our tribe. Our entire clan has already suffered from the curse; we cannot endure any more danger. To the northwest from here is the place to climb the mountain. I will prepare food and supplies for those who will climb the snow mountain, and for those wishing to seek refuge in other tribes, I will also dispatch carriages.”
As Fisher leaned against the window and surveyed the massive snow mountain in front of him, the carriage gradually came to a stop. Tribe Leader Dar also lifted the curtain of the carriage, revealing a somewhat hesitant expression on his brown fox-like face. Considering the tribe, he could not possibly take Fisher and the others back to the tribe, as this would bring disaster to the isolated Snow Fox Tribe.
“It’s no trouble, Tribe Leader Dar. We are already grateful that you could bring us this far; we can make our own way from here. Everyone, let’s go according to the plan; Felis, Fisher, and I will head up the mountain. Heidi Lin, please take good care of these two. This is the entrance to Sema Snow Mountain; we will part ways here for now.”
Felis yawned, jumped off the carriage first, surveyed the surroundings, and asked a nearby Snow Fox,
“Hey, little fox, do you have any weapons to lend me? Mine’s broken. Wait, what’s this? A toothpick or a small stick?”
Felis looked at the small spear of about one meter brought over by the Snow Fox and the short dagger, momentarily speechless. Sighing, she accepted a dagger into her arms, thanking the Snow Fox, and turned to wait for Valentina to get out.
Balzak nodded and said to Valentina, “Boss, you’ve memorized the route, right? There seem to be quite a few makeshift camps left by previous climbers on the mountain. I’ve marked the rough locations; if supplies are insufficient, we can check there. Take care.”
“Take care, Boss.”
Valentina nodded at Balzak and Selti before finally turning her gaze to the maid sitting beside her. She hesitated for a moment before finally deciding to speak.
“Heidi Lin.”
“Miss, I’m very sorry, there are many things I am powerless to assist with, which is why—”
“Heidi Lin, you’ve done enough. You were my mother’s most trusted person, and I trust you too. We’ve relied on you for care before, and now you should do what you want with your life. Don’t be sad; if we fail, I will accept it willingly, and if we succeed, we will meet again one day.”
Heidi Lin’s eyes grew redder as she listened, and her nose tingled. Unable to hold back any longer, she hugged Valentina in the wheelchair, choked with emotion, “Miss, take care; I will miss you.”
“Mm, definitely.”
Valentina reached out and patted the back of Heidi Lin’s head. After a while, she wiped her tears away and turned to Fisher, sniffling, “The wheelchair cannot be used on the snow mountain, so leave it here; let Felis carry Miss. Fisher, I am counting on you to take care of her.”
The more she spoke, the more emotional she became, and the tears that had been held back finally burst forth again, making even Emhart unable to bear to look. Fisher didn’t say anything else but gently patted Heidi Lin on the shoulder, then walked toward Valentina.
“I’ll take care of the rest; whether we succeed or not, I will be with her.”
Valentina watched as Fisher approached her step by step, her face slightly flushed. She gently extended her hand to him, allowing him to wrap his arms around her neck. His hands easily lifted her from the wheelchair, supporting her by her hips and back.
The feeling of weightlessness made Valentina instinctively lean a bit closer to Fisher. She suddenly realized his body temperature was quite high, and lying in his embrace was very comfortable. After a moment’s hesitation, she buried her head into his chest, her fragrant breath brushing against it, causing Fisher to feel a wave of heat, making it difficult for him to exhale.
Seeing this, Valentina thought it might be that she was too heavy. She shyly lifted her head slightly from Fisher’s chest, looking at him with a pitiful expression, “Am I too heavy, or…”
Fisher simply glanced down at the petite girl who was wholly embracing him and dared not look again, fearing he might inadvertently trigger an unwanted reaction. With a blank expression, he turned his gaze away and replied, “Um, a bit.”
Valentina pouted, her cheeks puffed up; her small fists began to pound Fisher’s chest, like a playful massage. The force wasn’t great, but Fisher’s breaths became heavier. Emhart, who was in the back, looked at Valentina and called out, “What are you talking about? This guy is built like a bull; he wouldn’t break a sweat lifting a train, let alone you. I think if you keep this up, he’s going to explode! Don’t move, got it? Don’t say Sir Book didn’t warn you.”
“…”
Even Valentina, who could be quite oblivious, realized what Emhart was hinting at. Her face flushed, and she quickly looked away from Fisher, deciding not to strike him again, instead remaining obediently in his embrace.
Though she looked calm on the outside, her heart raced. She felt a tinge of joy. Previously, she thought there was no way Fisher would have any feelings for her, considering she was a disabled person and probably held no allure for a gentleman like him.
Now, knowing that Fisher harbored… that kind of desire because of her left her feeling shy and flustered, yet the affection that blossomed within her could not be hidden.
However, the sweet, warm sensation that arose from Fisher’s glance didn’t last long, for as soon as Fisher exited the carriage, he handed Valentina over to Felis. He then took with him the supplies needed for their ascent up the mountain, preparing to begin climbing Sema Snow Mountain.
“Goodbye, Boss!”
“Farewell, Miss Valentina. I’ll ensure your companions are properly looked after in the other tribes, so don’t worry.”
Tribe Leader Dar waved farewell to Fisher and the others as he sat in the carriage, which then moved further and further away until it disappeared from view.
Taking a deep breath, Fisher began his climb up Sema Snow Mountain, noting the challenges that would soon follow. He looked up at the snow-covered mountain path and turned back to Valentina and Felis, who he was carrying.
“Let’s set off; once we get deeper into Sema Snow Mountain, we won’t have to worry about the Turan Family anymore. The terrain is too treacherous for them, and their numbers won’t do them any good. This stretch of road into the outer Sema Snow Mountain is what we need to be truly concerned about. Stay spirited.”
Ahead, Fisher carried two heavy bags of supplies as if they weighed nothing, striding quickly. Felis nodded in agreement but before they set off, she shot a glance at Valentina, who had been watching Fisher’s back, and teased, “Boss, why not let Fisher carry you? You look like you want to stick to him.”
Valentina’s face flushed, and she playfully avoided Felis’s gaze, whispering, “No need; let’s hurry up and go.”
“Understood. We’ll depart now.”
“Whoa! We’ve arrived!”
After several hours of travel, Tribe Leader Dar’s party soon reached their ancestral tribe, where the Snow Foxes liked to build with stones. You might have a hard time imagining how they manage to move such large stones with their tiny frames, but the Snow Fox Tribe is indeed a very diligent and united race, adhering to the teachings of the Moon Princess by cooperating and despising deceit, resulting in high efficiency.
Although their habitat is remote, normally one could hear the sounds of the Snow Foxes working and chatting nearby, but now, everything was eerily silent, looking quite desolate.
Balzak leaned against the window, gazing out at the quiet Snow Fox Tribe with a sense of melancholy, mumbling softly, “Is this what the Dead Rot Disease is like? So quiet… have they all fallen ill?”
However, Tribe Leader Dar beside him frowned tightly. Looking out at the silent tribe, his expression suddenly changed as he yelled at Junna and Heidi Lin behind him, “No, before I left, I set up a quarantine area. Even if the plague was severe, there should be guards stationed. But there isn’t a single Snow Fox here. Someone else has come.”
“Whoa!”
Just as Tribe Leader Dar finished speaking, the carriage suddenly came to a screeching halt, causing all the passengers inside to lurch forward due to inertia. The whole carriage slid across the snow for a considerable distance before finally coming to a stop.
Without regard for the groaning passengers inside, Tribe Leader Dar steadied himself and leaped out of the carriage, only to see the silent Snow Fox Tribe filled with heavily armored Snowflake Knights. In front of the group of knights stood a middle-aged man dressed in Turan Family attire, and behind him, a few golden-haired Nali were glaring scrutinizingly at the carriage.
“Long time no see, Tribe Leader Dar. The Turan Family expresses its most sincere wishes to you. I’d like to ask if our young lady Valentina Turan is on that carriage?”
Tribe Leader Dar opened his mouth, momentarily stunned, as he stood there for a long time without words, simply staring blankly at the open houses behind the Snowflake Knights. The middle-aged man, wearing Turan Family attire, sighed impatiently, and with a slight tremor of his finger, the knights swiftly advanced towards the carriage.
The sound of their armor clanking against the ground jolted Tribe Leader Dar back to reality. He, along with several miniature Snow Foxes behind him, quickly huddled together and rushed to say, “Miss Valentina is not on our carriage. She—”
“Bang!”
Before Tribe Leader Dar could finish, the knights seemed to ignore him entirely, striding past him and reaching for the wooden carriage, ripping it apart to reveal several members inside.
The middle-aged man eyed those pulled from the carriage, and when he saw Heidi Lin, his brow furrowed slightly.
“Heidi Lin, you traitor of this family, unworthy of the tribe leader’s trust.”
His finger twitched slightly, and the knight beside him swiftly slapped Heidi Lin, knocking her to the ground. She coughed a few times in the snow, sprawling on the ground, unable to rise, quietly cursing, “Gaderi, you scoundrel.”
Gaderi Turan, a servant granted the Turan family surname, served as the steward in charge of the family’s internal affairs. Heidi Lin was an orphan he brought back and trained from outside the fortress.
Their group’s speed was already quick enough; at least the members of the Turan Family from Miya couldn’t catch up. But they could not withstand reporting to the family, bringing in more Snowflake Knights, who, with their ability to move quickly over distances, knew Valentina had left in a carriage with the Snow Fox Tribe; thus, they came directly to the Snow Fox Tribe’s nest to wait for them.
Upon hearing Heidi Lin’s voice, Gaderi was about to motion to have the Snowflake Knights continue beating Heidi Lin when the leader of the Nali behind him suddenly interjected, “Mr. Gaderi, now is not the time to deal with your family’s traitor. Finding your young lady is the top priority, isn’t it?”
Gaderi’s finger paused for a moment, and he turned to glance at the golden-haired Nali behind him, silent for a moment before finally nodding.
Heidi Lin immediately recognized that the Nali standing behind Gaderi were the agents who had previously tried to find Fisher for Valentina. Now they were looking for both Fisher and Valentina, so it was no surprise they were collaborating.
However, what Heidi Lin didn’t know was that Gaderi, in charge of recovering Valentina, was very wary of this group of Nali. Had it not been for their claim that they could handle the man Valentina had hired, Fisher Benavides, he would not cooperate with them at all. The reason was simple; he felt they were too creepy, as if they knew exactly what he was thinking.
Even though he had never told them what he was looking for Valentina for, a man named “Corian” could always guess it almost accurately, making him feel very controlled.
Gaderi didn’t know that Corian had an “Elizabeth” assisting him from afar. He only remained vigilant against them while casually waving his finger, signaling a few Snowflake Knights to bring the miniature Tribe Leader Dar before him.
“Tribe Leader Dar, think carefully; the Turan Family and the Snow Fox Tribe typically do not interfere with each other. What’s more, your tribe has suffered from such a serious Dead Rot Disease; we were also quite surprised when we arrived. No wonder you collaborated with us, and haven’t you already found the Decay Antidote to bring back?”
Gaderi glanced behind Tribe Leader Dar, where a Snowflake Knight was carrying a bundle of Decay Antidotes and Fisher’s engraved injection magic back to their side.
Tribe Leader Dar shot a glance at Gaderi standing before him, feeling overwhelmed by a visceral crimson aura that made his eyes hurt. He merely said, “While in Miya, Miss Valentina bid us farewell; these several injured ones were only entrusted to us for care, and she left with that Lion Race and that Nali.”
Gaderi sighed and replied, “I heard that the Snow Fox Tribe can read the thoughts of others and determine whether someone is lying; therefore, they are known as the ancient judges. If that is the case, why would you need to fabricate lies to deceive me? Let me tell you the truth, Tribe Leader; you set up a quarantine area behind the tribe to prevent the spread of Dead Rot Disease, right? It’s only unfortunate that we faced resistance from you when we entered this area to search for the young lady.”
Tribe Leader Dar’s eyelids twitched slightly. He opened his eyes in disbelief, the crimson aura emanating from Gaderi growing heavier.
“Don’t look at me like that, Tribe Leader Dar. I said before, the Turan Family and the Snow Fox Tribe have always been at arm’s length; how could I harm the lives of those tribesmen? But for the sake of doing my job, I had no choice but to drive all your tribespeople to the quarantine area. This treatment is not excessive, is it? Oh, and let’s take these Snow Foxes except for Tribe Leader Dar to the quarantine area as well.”
“You!”
Tribe Leader Dar’s pupils constricted, and as he was grabbed by the Snowflake Knights, he desperately wanted to strike Gaderi in the face. However, he stepped back a bit before Dar could make his move, dodging the futile attack.
“Father!”
“Tribe Leader!”
Gaderi crossed his arms, remaining silent as he watched the Snowflake Knights take the remaining Snow Foxes away toward the quarantine area behind the village. Tribe Leader Dar, in a panic, saw Junna being taken away. His heart wrestled with despair, but as he watched Junna grow more distant, he finally bowed his head and shouted, “They… they left in a carriage from the southeast foot of Sema Snow Mountain just a few hours ago. I’m releasing my tribesmen and my daughter; I’ve already told you.”
Upon hearing this, Gaderi’s finger twitched slightly, and the Snowflake Knights who were taking away the Snow Foxes paused.
The golden-haired Nali behind Gaderi then spoke up, “The route will be quick with Fisher. With him carrying Miss Valentina, they will soon leave the outer reaches of Sema Snow Mountain and enter deeper. The terrain is too treacherous to pursue them, so we must hurry.”
Gaderi hesitated for a second, nodded, and instructed the armed members of the Turan Family standing behind the Snowflake Knights, “I’ll take the Snowflake Knights to intercept the young lady. You stay here and keep a close watch on these fellows, especially that traitor Heidi Lin. When I return, I’ll make sure she thoroughly experiences the consequences of betraying her family.”
“Understood!”
The armed members of the Turan Family nodded. Upon closer inspection, there were indeed dozens of them, but the main force for capturing Valentina was not them, but the dozen Snowflake Knights brought out from the family.
“Mr. Gaderi, since you already know Miss Valentina’s whereabouts, please allow me to administer the Decay Antidote to our people first. Many of them are already gravely ill, and if they aren’t treated soon…”
Gaderi looked at Tribe Leader Dar, who lowered his head and spoke with pleading words, then smiled and said, “Look, I almost forgot about that. Since you helped us, we are friends, right? Quickly take the Decay Antidote to treat them.”
Tribe Leader Dar cast a guilty glance at the figures of Heidi Lin sprawled in the snow, grasping the frozen ground, and the trapped Balzak and Selti. Then he turned to the Snowflake Knight holding the Decay Antidote, but the next moment, Gaderi’s finger twitched slightly, and the Snowflake Knight’s arm suddenly exerted force, crushing the entire bundle of Decay Antidotes.
The vials of Decay Antidote suddenly exploded before Tribe Leader Dar, spluttering bits of medicine everywhere. A few drops splattered onto the dazed Tribe Leader Dar’s face. He blankly touched his furry face, the medicine’s scent filling his nostrils, followed by an outburst of pitch-black aura surging from him and several of his tribesmen.
“No, the medicine…”
Gaderi walked over to Tribe Leader Dar with an “apologetic” look and lamented, “Oh no, how unfortunate! These Snowflake Knights are top-of-the-line goods from my family; I haven’t really used them much, and they just accidentally…”
“Afterwards, I will personally go to Miya to buy even more Decay Antidote to replace it. I mean, after retrieving the young lady, what do you think?”
Tribe Leader Dar stared blankly as several Snowflake Knights took Gaderi and the Nali up into the air, as they stretched out their shimmering blue-light jet devices from their armor.
“No, you can’t leave! My tribesmen don’t have any time left!”
“Watch over them; we’ll be back soon.”
“Understood, Mr. Gaderi.”
In the face of the aging Tribe Leader rushing towards him, Gaderi casually addressed the armed members of the Turan Family still standing idly behind him, not needing anyone else to intervene. The next moment, the tremendous force erupting from the Snowflake Knights propelled Tribe Leader Dar away.
Dozens of Snowflake Knights quickly flew off with Gaderi and several Nali, heading straight for the outer regions of Sema Snow Mountain, while the other members of the Turan Family remaining in the tribe slowly walked towards the Heidi Lin and Tribe Leader Dar sprawled in the snow.
The entire Snow Fox Tribe was slowly engulfed in the black aura representing “despair.”
