Chapter 4: Three Rules
“Creek”
With the opening of the door, the staircase leading to the underground space became visible. This space was much larger than it appeared from the outside because Fisher had carved an expansion spell at the entrance. This was a magic that was costly and time-consuming, and the expansion price for the four rooms was likely much more expensive than purchasing a house on the central streets of Saint Nali.
However, the benefits were also obvious; now Fisher could carry a small house with the carriage, saving him from having to camp under the stars with five dragon people while crossing the Southern Continent.
He entered the space below with his staff and upon seeing five dragon people squatting in the living room like little chicks, he almost laughed, but upon seeing Raphael’s bright green eyes, that smile faded.
If it was true, and the girl before him was indeed the Crimson Dragon Queen who would destroy the human world in the future, how was he supposed to stop her?
For example, killing her directly now might work. But Fisher was unsure if the young dragon person named Raphael was indeed the one from the prophecy—was he to exterminate all red dragon people?
He suddenly thought of those interesting comedies from the Saint Nali Theater; for instance, the national master prophesizing that a golden-haired man would kill the king and take the throne, leading him to murder all the golden-haired men in the country. Who could have known that because of this, the queen hid her golden-haired child to prevent the king from killing him? Even though the king may not have done so, it ultimately led to him being killed by his own son, fulfilling the prophecy.
This was the existence of fatalism; no matter what choice one made, it felt wrong. Fisher could not possibly kill all the red subhumans, even if they were rare.
What if the so-called “Crimson Dragon Queen” in the prophecy was just a blue dragon person who liked to wear red clothing?
Thinking of these trivial matters, Fisher’s expression remained unchanged as he lightly tapped the small living room’s wall with his staff. The wooden wall opened, revealing bedding inside. Then, he spoke in the dragon court language,
“Take the bedding and move it to the room with the door; you will stay there for a time.”
As soon as he spoke, all the dragon people’s gazes towards him changed. Since being captured by humans and wandering around the Southern Continent, they had not encountered any human who could speak the dragon court language.
Partially due to the short time humans had been expanding the Southern Continent, but also because of human arrogance.
How could they learn their language if they saw subhumans as livestock?
Fisher’s gaze swept over, and several dragon girls shyly looked away, only Raphael silently gazed at him. In fact, she felt shocked to a degree that was not inferior to the other dragon people, perhaps even more.
No matter how much the previous slave trader whipped or tormented her, she had never submitted or been afraid; those people merely exploited their slave seal. But with this human who spoke the dragon language, she felt a hint of fear and wariness for the first time.
If it was this kind of human, could she still escape with them?
She unconsciously touched her chest where the slave seal slightly glowed, and a cold chill seemed to pour into her heart.
“Wait a minute, you four go clean up… you, come with me.”
He pointed directly at Raphael, then opened the first door on the left with his staff.
Raphael glanced at Ral beside her, sensing her friends’ worried looks; she shook her head and followed Fisher into the separate room.
It turned out the space inside was very spacious, roughly equivalent to the size of the outer living room plus their resting room. There was not only a wardrobe but also a whole wall of books, although all of it was in human script, which Raphael could not understand.
In addition, there was a clean bed, a coat rack, and a large desk.
It seemed to be the living space of this male human.
“Bang!”
Fisher flicked his staff, and the door behind Raphael suddenly closed. She did not move, her tail slightly raised, indicating her vigilance.
“Your name, and those others’ names.”
The tall Fisher set his staff beside the desk, hung his hat and suit jacket on the nearby coat rack; under his coat was a luxurious yet understated dark gray vest. Raphael had seen a fat human at the circus wearing such clothing, but his appearance lowered her perception of such clothing until now she finally understood what it should look like when worn, designed from the start.
“Raphael. Ral, Fashir, Keshil, and Mill.”
Fisher poured a glass of cold coffee, then pulled out the slave scrolls Colin had handed him earlier, which bore the seals of magic. He carefully examined the dragon people’s blood inscribed on them, then extracted the brightest and most vibrant one. As that scroll moved, the slave seal on Raphael’s chest glowed with a faint light.
“Let me introduce myself; I am Fisher Benavides, a scholar studying subhuman races. You can call me Fisher, or you can call me teacher or professor.”
As he spoke, he suddenly reached out his hand and tore her scroll in half. Even Raphael couldn’t react in time; however, as the magic seal that bound her soul shattered, she quickly realized what had happened.
In the next millisecond, the girl’s pupils suddenly narrowed into a fine line, and her tail swished as if a burst of wind trailed behind her, launching her at the man ahead.
As long as she killed him, the slave seal would vanish. Raphael did not understand the composition of the slave seal, but she recognized the functioning of magic and thus knew how to break it.
Her claws opened five fingers, like five sharp blades targeting his heart; in the next second, she could gut this annoying human and feast.
The past tortures and pains, along with her desire to bring her companions home…
But in that instant, the man slightly turned to the side, and his right hand, like an iron claw, fiercely grasped Raphael’s neck, spinning her entire body in mid-air before smashing her heavily to the ground.
“Bang!”
The wooden floor cracked slightly, and a hint of magical fluorescence was revealed among the wood chips. Raphael’s body felt like it was dislocated, causing her great pain. She wanted to resist, her claws aimed to slice the man’s body, but the pressure of his grip gradually tightened, making it impossible for her to breathe.
Is this human a monster?
Why is he so strong?
Her bright green eyes fixed on the human gripping her neck, and under his expressionless face was as if a demon resided, the lack of oxygen and pain leading to a ringing in her ears, causing her tail to tremble uncontrollably.
The sounds of bedding being moved outside stopped instantly, but the door did not open; Fisher had not locked it.
“I dislike being interrupted when I speak, and had to resort to this method; I hope your impression will be more profound.”
Fisher still held her neck but softened the grip a little, allowing some oxygen to flow.
“I bought you to conduct research.”
Fisher paused, then continued, “The research cannot be interfered with by magical factors, so I removed your slave seal. Of course, I also won’t mind playing some interesting games during the long journey, such as a researcher being attempted to be killed by the subject to earn their freedom. But the prerequisite for playing is that you must comply with my research content; if you escape or resist, I will kill your companions.”
“Cough cough cough”
Raphael’s saliva uncontrollably flowed out, trickling down her cheek and dripping onto Fisher’s fingertips. The ringing in her ears from lack of oxygen was loud; she fiercely stared at the human man’s face, and the removal of the slave seal released her long-repressed ferocity and hatred, which she could not fully contain at this moment.
She wanted to kill this human before her; even if he killed and ate her, it wouldn’t matter!
“And the rules of the game are quite simple.”
“First, you cannot assassinate me inside the carriage. Outside, no matter what methods you use, sneak attacks, poisoning, dueling, as long as you kill me, you will gain freedom and can take your companions with you. After all, the things here are very expensive.”
Fisher glanced at the magic floor that had cracked beneath her, his eyelids barely twitching.
“Second, you have four assassination opportunities in total, precisely corresponding to the number of your companions. So, plan your strategy carefully. Each failed assassination will result in punishment; my research content is generally normal, but since it’s research, there will be some unpresentable things, and you must cooperate with me to complete these studies.”
“Third, the content of this game is completely confidential from your companions. Once leaked, the game will end immediately.”
The man’s voice, combined with the ringing in her ears, imprinted deeply in Raphael’s mind like a demon’s whisper. She gritted her teeth, glaring at him; if looks could kill, Fisher would have died countless times already.
“If you agree, the game starts now.”
Her crimson tail swayed slightly, after pondering for a second or two, her eyes filled with hatred moved slightly to indicate her agreement.
She had to agree, for in his hands was her companions’ slave seal. It was her fault that they had been captured, and she must bring them back.
“Heh,” a slight smile finally appeared on Fisher’s stern face as he gently released her neck, then returned to the desk to enjoy the previously poured iced coffee. “Our journey will last about thirty days, and during this time, the game will continue.”
Raphael, trembling, stood up; her bright green eyes seemed to be ablaze, but she only rubbed her reddened neck, her expression gradually calming down.
Outside, the horses neighed, the stars in the sky twinkled, and the winds of the Southern Continent resumed, as if signaling the start of some game.
(This chapter ends)
