Chapter 537: 15. Rear
Raphael and Fisher set off alone towards the southern part of the Southern Branch Mountain. According to Fisher’s estimates, they would likely enter the depths of the Red Dragon Court by tomorrow afternoon.
After all, the Southern Branch Mountain is the most magnificent natural landscape in the Southern Continent, its square-shaped structure at the southern end makes it difficult for enemies to attack while also creating a considerable distance between the front lines and the rear. To be honest, if it weren’t for Raphael and Fisher’s higher ranks, an ordinary team would likely take half a month to a full month to cross this mountain range.
Even with Fisher’s mythical rank, he did not feel the need to push himself to travel at full speed.
“By the way, Fisher, you should have heard of our ancestors’ establishment of the ‘Feimabaha Dragon Court,’ right? When we traveled here before, you even gave me a relic from the Dragon Court, that grimoire.”
At this moment, Emhart was once again nestled in Fisher’s arms. Dressed in pale gray Dragon Court attire, if he still had his long hair tied up and wore some unique accessories from the Southern Continent, he would indeed resemble a wild prince among the indigenous humans of the Southern Continent.
Unfortunately, his fair skin and suitable gentlemanly demeanor were not concealed by his clothing, making him appear somewhat odd.
Hearing Raphael’s voice beside him, Fisher and Emhart both looked at her. Fisher replied,
“I have indeed heard of it, but it disappeared long ago with the fall of the Feimabaha Deity, eventually evolving into today’s Four Branch Tribe.”
“That’s right.”
Raphael nodded, paused for a moment, then continued,
“In fact, I once saw the Feimabaha Deity with my own eyes.”
Fisher suddenly stopped, looking at Raphael beside him in astonishment. He saw her turn her head with certainty and smile,
“Did you forget? The scroll you gave me when you were leaving claimed it could open the gates of the Dragon Court. I originally thought I could find some relics of the Dragon Court inside, but when I got there, I actually saw the Feimabaha Deity resting inside. He seemed to have stayed there since the fall of the Dragon Court. I asked him to help us, but he told me that the Dragon Court was not established by him, but by his descendants, the Dragon Race, and had nothing to do with him.”
“Are you saying Feimabaha is still alive?”
“Yes, surprising, isn’t it? It was my first time seeing him; there really is such a being in this world.”
“Is he still lying in that ruin?”
“Probably, I don’t really know.”
“You haven’t tried to find him again in recent years?”
“Of course not. Since he said that the Dragon Court is actually established by the Dragon Race and not by him, it’s only natural that the war of the Dragon Court is theirs, not the Feimabaha Deity’s. Moreover, he even gifted me a divine weapon.”
As Raphael spoke, she extended her hand, and under the curious gaze of Fisher and Emhart, a long spear suddenly emerged from her hand, seemingly engulfed in blazing flames.
At the moment the spear appeared, Fisher felt that the horns on Raphael’s head and the scales on her body became extremely bright. Moreover, whether it was an illusion or not, he felt something was glowing within Raphael’s soul.
But because that thing was hidden in Raphael’s soul, he couldn’t see it clearly for a moment; he only felt that it seemed to resonate with the spear in Raphael’s hand, possibly also a blessing from the Dragon God.
“This weapon is very magical; when thrown, it is not only powerful but can also cause violent explosions. Many wars in the past were aided by it. It’s a pity you weren’t there; you wouldn’t believe how magnificent Feimabaha’s form was, very similar to the descriptions in our Dragon Court legends. When I return, I’ll take you to see our Blessing Tower; there is a portrait of the Dragon God.”
Fisher thought to himself that he had seen the Dragon God twice, once in the Holy Realm, where he popped his head out from a crevice; the other during the incident on Dragon Tail Island, when he descended along with the World Tree to handle the outbreak of chaos.
Yet, Fisher felt that since Feimabaha is one of the three demigods, the gift he gave to his offspring shouldn’t just be a weapon comparable to an angelic artifact. But this weapon was indeed given to Raphael by Feimabaha, or perhaps it hides other secrets not discovered by Raphael.
By the way, if Hela is Baemon and the chaos in the Ideal Nation birthed the Demons, then Dragon Tail Island might be the Southern Continent, which is now divided by the Mother God, and the Ideal Nation’s location is the Demon Dynasty’s location.
Based on his vague memories, Fisher seemed to be able to deduce the specific location.
Thoughts raced through his mind, and Fisher also noted the unfamiliar terms that appeared in Raphael’s words.
“Blessing Tower? What is that?”
“Ah, this term comes from the former Dragon Court organization. Back then, the Dragon Race who worshipped Feimabaha, the higher their status, the more power and responsibilities they held, the more they could represent the Dragon Court in rituals to Feimabaha. Besides the lord of the Dragon Court, there was also a priestess to assist the lord with various affairs. The current priestess is not a native of the Southern Continent, but she is a dear friend who has shared hardships with me; she was present when I first met Feimabaha.”
As Raphael spoke, Emhart, nestled in Fisher’s arms, seemed to retreat more deeply into his clothing, appearing completely uninterested in the topic. Fisher became intrigued by the priestess Raphael mentioned.
According to Raphael’s description, the Blessing Tower should be a high-ranking power organ within the Dragon Court, and the leader of that organ was surprisingly a foreigner, not from the Southern Continent.
Excluding his “enemy of Nali” aura, it was clear that this priestess had made significant contributions and earned the trust and favor of both Raphael and the Red Dragon Court.
Thus, Fisher asked,
“She?”
“Yes, she is a very capable doctor. When I was about to be defeated by that human general, it was she who risked her life to charge into the battle and save me. Otherwise, I might not be seeing you today.”
“Then I must thank her properly.”
Fisher wore a faint smile, but his eyes revealed a trace of seriousness. He subconsciously touched the few Supplement Handbooks in his arms and held on for a long time.
Compared to Fisher’s seriousness, Raphael only smiled slightly and said to him,
“Moreover, both she and I have our ambitions, waiting for someone to come. In the past, we supported each other through tough times. But today, I reunited with the person I’ve been waiting for a long time, while she doesn’t know how much longer she has to wait.”
By the end of her words, Fisher could hear a hint of sympathy in Raphael’s tone for the priestess she mentioned.
Sometimes, for a truly cherished companion who has struggled alongside you, even if you arrive at your destination first, you will still genuinely worry for your friend who is still on the journey.
Raphael was the same; she didn’t even know how much longer fate would make that gentle, hardworking girl wait until she could reunite with the person she longed to see.
“Don’t worry, since she is close to you, it’s only natural that we will help her, right?”
Hearing the “we” in Fisher’s words, Raphael, who had felt a bit down moments earlier, quickly felt a sweetness in her heart. She stole a glance at Fisher, then turned her head away while hugging herself, chuckling softly,
“Of course, we are the best sisters. If I don’t help her, who will? Anyway, Fisher is such a good person. Over these years, thanks to her help, I’ve been able to keep moving forward. When I was fighting at the front lines, she stabilized the rear for me; in life-and-death situations, she risked her life to save me. She has helped me so much but has never asked for anything in return. I feel a bit guilty; it’s hard to express how great she is in words. When the time comes, you’ll understand when you see her.”
“Well, then it’s up to the queen to make the introduction.”
Raphael shot Fisher a playful glare, but after a moment, she couldn’t help but reach out and squeeze his hand,
“Hmph.”
Then she withdrew the red spear she was holding with her other hand and continued on their way.
Watching her retreating figure, Fisher couldn’t help but reflect that just like him, she had not only encountered new enemies over the years but also new friends. Forming relationships meant that her enemies would become your enemies, and her friends would become your friends.
However, Raphael’s enemies might very well be the Empress Elizabeth, far across the ocean; she might not be Fisher’s enemy, but the secrets and demons hiding around her still worried him.
He didn’t believe those earth-destroying demons would readily help someone like Elizabeth.
But regardless of their motives, Fisher was certain that it would not be good for either Elizabeth or Raphael.
He still had to climb higher.
He had already decided that after reaching the rear of the Dragon Court, he would begin to attempt reading the other two Supplement Handbooks he had obtained according to the hints in the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans, no matter how dangerous it was.
“Fisher, hurry up! We’re almost at the latter half of the mountain!”
Ahead, Raphael’s call came, and Fisher lifted his gaze slightly, preparing to follow her pace.
But before that, Fisher first glanced at Emhart, who had completely buried himself in his clothing, playing dead, and couldn’t help but ask,
“What are you doing? Why did you suddenly hide away while listening?”
“I’m cold.”
From his arms came a muffled voice, seemingly suppressing something, causing Fisher to raise an eyebrow.
“Cold?”
He glanced around at the comfortably warm surroundings and couldn’t help but feel puzzled.
“Are you really feeling cold?”
“I don’t know, maybe it’s just an illusion, hahahaha.”
Well, it seemed this guy was likely dazed from spending all night outside last night.
Fisher shook his head and had no choice but to follow Raphael’s footsteps and continue towards the Dragon Court’s rear.
Their movements were stealthy, and they acted quickly. After having breakfast and setting off, by that evening, they had already reached the latter half of the Southern Branch Mountain, which was also the highest point of the entire Southern Branch Mountain.
Raphael’s route was special; whether it was a traditionally secret path of the Red Dragon Court or not, it made the journey smooth. With Raphael navigating them back to the rear, they not only had an easier path but also encountered none of the earlier obstacles, such as those faced with Ral, making their travels particularly smooth.
They spent another night in an outdoor cave. It must be said that what Fisher initially thought was a joke regarding the Dragon Race’s need for suitable tail partners now seemed far more serious.
Everything was normal and warm until tonight when preparing to sleep, Raphael once again had a slight blush on her face as she quietly wrapped her tail around Fisher’s hand, changing the atmosphere once more.
Raphael’s expression, which seemed to convey unspoken feelings, led Fisher to roughly guess what she was thinking.
Fisher fell into silence for a while. After all, throughout their past journey, he had endured because of the curse placed on him by the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans. Never had he received such unrestrained, such a significant difference, making it quite uncomfortable for him.
It was hard to imagine what the new married life of those Dragon Race couples was like.
Fisher initially wanted to refuse, not out of any lack of taste or not having regained his energy, but mainly because he had just sent Emhart away—or rather, he had let Emhart voluntarily go on an adventure, and to do this again tonight felt somewhat unfair to him.
After all, he didn’t even want to stay long near the Archangel Gabriel, who might have created him; wanting to return with him when he treated him like this, even Fisher felt he had indeed done wrong.
Just when Fisher was caught in a dilemma, Emhart willingly wanted to run away to stay out again!
Yes, this time he was indeed willing; Fisher was sure that he was even reluctant to stay despite being repeatedly persuaded.
“Tomorrow we’ll reach the Dragon Court, so make sure to rest well, Fisher!”
He cheerfully spoke like a genuinely caring friend, earnestly reminding Fisher before he left.
Then, he cheerfully hummed a tune and flew away, faster than Fisher could imagine, leaving time and space for Fisher and Raphael, who would want to be together every moment.
But regardless, another night passed like this.
The next day when they set off again, Emhart returned very thoughtfully, obediently hiding in Fisher’s arms without a single complaint.
It seemed that besides Renee, the one with the mildest attitude towards Fisher was Raphael.
Jasmine was comparatively mild, and her relationship with Emhart could be described as neither good nor bad. Elizabeth chased Fisher around the world and perhaps thought she was terrifying. Valentina often bickered with him and loved to bully him, so he probably needed to avoid Valentina.
Yes, it should be like this.
The following morning, after climbing over the highest peak of the latter half of the Southern Branch Mountain, the next journey was completely downhill.
As they descended the mountain, the familiar plains resembling those in the North appeared before Fisher.
On those plains, he saw wide fields of crops. Many subhuman races that originally lived in the North had migrated here to engage in productive work. Moreover, due to the relatively small territory of the Red Dragon Court and its high population, the density here surprisingly exceeded that of the northern Pseudo Dragon Court.
“Woo! Woo! Woo!”
In the distant city, traces of military training and preparations could be seen everywhere; yet, the order of war and production was well-organized and did not seem chaotic, demonstrating the vigorous vitality of this place amid rapid operation.
It seemed that the people managing here were not to be underestimated.
The priestess that Raphael mentioned…
“Fisher, let’s go. We should first head to the command center outside; I need to give some orders. Then, we’ll go to the administrative office, where Mill is. She can also temporarily provide you with a status; by the way, her third child was just born. I haven’t seen her yet.”
After descending, Raphael had already arranged the matters for their return in advance. Finally, she turned back and smiled at Fisher,
“After that, we’ll go to the Blessing Tower. Fashir and Keshil are there, and we will be living there for quite a while afterwards.”
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(End of this chapter)
