Chapter 558: 36. Wanhua Courtyard
Fisher was unaware of the specific situation occurring miles away inside the Saint Nali Golden Palace; he only gathered some clues from the fragmented speech over the phone. If Elizabeth was currently commanding the war, she was likely aware of the presence of the two demons.
Thus, Fisher had to consider whether to continue contacting Elizabeth.
If Elizabeth knew he was at the Red Dragon Court, having not seen each other for four and a half years, and instead of looking for her, he was messing around in a place like the Southern Continent, it would only complicate things further, especially if she learned he was also involved with the High Priestess of the Red Dragon Court.
Even if the reason the two demons had been lying low within the Nali army was to wait for the right moment, the furious Elizabeth could still stealthily have them ambush him and take him away from the Red Dragon Court.
It was better not to stir up trouble; under these circumstances, there was no need to contact her right away.
Fisher altered his appearance using part of the knowledge from the Life Completion Manual and flew high in the sky towards the Southern Branch Mountain.
From a great height, he could see the general offensive of the Northern Pseudo-Court. No wonder the residents of the pseudo-court were so eager to go out and watch the army; from a macroscopic perspective, the scale of this military force was indeed spectacular.
In the wilderness of the Southern Continent, amidst the rolling mountains and dense jungles, there were rows of Nali military uniforms and Green Dragon Court uniforms, various firearms and the gleam of magic shining among them, resembling the gentle tide slowly rolling onto a quiet beach.
Even just this fully armed coalition, comprising various races, was more than enough to pose a threat to the currently resource-strapped Red Dragon Court, not to mention that this army was led by two legendary demon beings.
Their target was Raphael, or rather the “key” to the world’s destruction hidden within her.
As he flew, Fisher couldn’t help but recall the information from Hela’s words that day.
The demons needed that “key” to free their kin trapped in the abyss, but what was so special about Raphael? Could that specialness be detected? Was it a nature, an object, or something as ethereal as fate?
What if that thing could be stripped away from Raphael? Then, the actual target of the two demons would be detached from Raphael.
Though whether to hand it over to the demons to free their kin or face them himself would still be difficult, at least this could ensure the safety of Raphael, Jasmine, and the Red Dragon Court.
Fisher narrowed his eyes; due to the slow movement of the army, they would likely take some time to reach the Southern Branch Mountain. He had no intent to continue observing, and soon spread his wings to quickly cross over them, entering the Southern Branch Mountain first, and then passing through it to arrive at the rear of the Red Dragon Court.
The rear remained busy; even though not every resident of the Red Dragon Court was fully aware of the current situation, most were just doing their own tasks, yet the shadow of war loomed over all, revealing hints of something abnormal in this busyness.
Fisher quietly landed in a corner of the city, not removing his cloak, as he needed to quietly sneak back to the Blessing Tower — revealing himself prematurely would only bring trouble.
Fisher soon left the narrow alley. On one of the lower buildings, seemingly on the top floor, were the figures of two subhuman women, likely residents here.
They were speaking in some subhuman language rather than the Dragon Court language, apparently about their own matters. As Fisher walked by below, one of the subhuman women inadvertently glanced his way and remained in her thoughts until his figure exited the alley and disappeared far away.
“What’s wrong, Doi? Why are you suddenly dazed?”
“Nothing. I just felt that the person who just passed by was wearing something familiar.”
“Clothing? What clothing? By the way, Doi, have you prepared the list for the armor? And hand me the broom.”
“Don’t worry, it’s all ready. My husband already delivered the list to the military camp; there’s still plenty for us to do. Here’s the broom.”
“Thanks, Doi! By the way, have you heard? There was something strange happening on the streets near here last night.”
“Strange things?”
“Yes, they say several families on the next street lost the clothes they had hung out to dry on the rooftop in the middle of the night, and they mysteriously mostly lost women’s clothing!”
“Oh my, that’s… Could it be that a pervert was out at night? It must be someone who has their eyes on that werewolf lady!”
“But I heard that the houses from which the clothes were taken were left with several pieces of purple gemstones, which had some weird symbols on them. The priest from the Climbing Tower said they seemed to be symbols of the Mother Goddess of the Western Continent, and apparently, they even glow! Holding them would bring peace of mind and make one want to recite the name of that goddess. After reciting it, one feels at peace and soon gets so sleepy; I hear it’s good for insomnia.”
“What? Are they crazy? Did they inform the officials at the Blessing Tower?”
“Oh, what’s there to discuss about? They’re just some stones after all. Besides, the people lost their clothes; isn’t that a form of compensation? You know, clothes are precious to us. I heard those stones are beautiful; even if not for their value, they would make beautiful decorations.”
“Thinking about that at a time like this. Speaking of strange things, I just feel the atmosphere of the Dragon Court is getting worse. Earlier on the coast, there was such a loud noise, and we couldn’t hear it. Could it be that the guys from the north are coming, and spies slipped in?”
“Don’t say that; the Southern Branch Mountain isn’t that easy to cross. Just keep sweeping your area. Come with me to take a look in the afternoon; I want to see what those beautiful gemstones look like!”
“…”
Fisher soon managed to sneak into the Blessing Tower. For a mythical being like him, secretly entering such a place was not particularly difficult. Moreover, the resources of the Red Dragon Court were incredibly strained, and in a wartime society, all resources had to tilt towards the war; there couldn’t be many precious magical defenses wasted here.
If this place could be attacked, it indicated that the Red Dragon Court had likely met its end.
He passed through the office area where officials worked and directly arrived at the royal court behind.
The royal court in the morning was even quieter than the previous day; it was not a place for the dragon clan royalty to reside, as there were no guards or attendants; many of its rooms were even requisitioned for dealing with official business.
Even in the recently bright morning, it felt exceptionally quiet; there seemed to be much to do.
It appeared Raphael and Jasmine were not here.
Fisher removed the cloak from his head, letting Emhart fly out.
He scanned the eerily quiet surroundings and then turned back to Fisher and said,
“Well, it’s a good thing they’re all busy; otherwise, if they found out about your little escapades last night, you wouldn’t have good times ahead.”
Fisher waved his long sleeves to fan himself, while his body also wriggled irregularly, causing Emhart to shake in fear and ask,
“Wait, what are you doing?”
“I’m getting rid of the excess scent on me. Using just a fan would take too long; I have to use this method to eliminate the scent from my body.”
Emhart opened his mouth, feeling parched, and said, “After reading all that, your thought process is becoming increasingly strange. If you ever stop liking ladies, I’d really suspect that chaotic knowledge has bewitched you.”
“That day will never come.”
It seemed that since reuniting with Raphael two days ago, he had barely caught his breath; from yesterday until now, one wave had barely ended before another began, keeping his heart on edge. The current quietness in the royal court allowed him to relax little by little.
He stretched and walked towards his room, preparing to rest for a moment. His mind began to recall and organize the information and content he received yesterday, as well as outline his next steps.
“You called Saint Nali just now, but Elizabeth didn’t pick up?”
“Yes, it was an official from the Inner Court who picked up.”
Fisher’s mind recalled the calm, mature voice of a woman, the Inner Court officer named “Diane.”
“So you’re not planning to contact Elizabeth?”
“Not for the time being.”
“But nonetheless, you did call this morning. Elizabeth will definitely know you called; if she finds out about your whereabouts, she will come looking for you.”
“She won’t be able to track where the call came from. Besides, the one who answered the phone wasn’t her. The other operators and officials from the Inner Court have been newly appointed over the past four and a half years and likely haven’t seen me in person. The name Fisher Benavides must still bear weight, after all, our past is known among the Nali people, and many whims may come from that; Elizabeth should be capable of discerning that.”
Fisher’s expression was calm; he understood both Elizabeth and the Nali people well:
“She only trusts her own judgment and will not easily believe others’ words, even if that judgment is wrong. Only through direct conversation with me will she confirm my whereabouts and existence, so there’s no need to worry about my exposure.”
“How could I worry about your exposure? I would actually prefer for you to be exposed. Tsk, tsk, adding another Empress Elizabeth into the mix — I don’t even dare to imagine that situation.”
“I dare to imagine.”
Emhart stared at Fisher, who had relaxed and looked like an ordinary human again, his dead fish eyes wide open. He couldn’t help but wonder if it was because of the Life Completion Manual’s knowledge; although he couldn’t fully read the knowledge yet, exploring and applying what he had read was essential.
Fisher and Emhart walked a distance longer, passing through the quiet corridors until they reached the door of Fisher’s room.
He yawned and pushed open his door, and the next moment, he saw Raphael, sitting coldly on the bed.
“Ugh, being out all night, I should…”
Emhart, who had rushed in first and was about to relax and yawn, froze when he saw Raphael sitting there. His expression instantly turned awkward, and he greeted her with an awkward smile, saying, “Hi, Raphael.”
“This is none of your business; you should leave.”
Raphael’s expression wasn’t good. She was wearing a black outfit, her arms crossed and legs crossed, surrounded by a wisp of hot steam. Her tail behind her also unruly curled up on the bed like a poisonous snake.
Emhart innocently nodded, then turned to look at Fisher by the door, giving him a sympathetic glance.
In silence, he seemed to be saying, “Take care of yourself.”
Then he flew out of the room, heading to another quiet corner, who knows where to rest.
Fisher raised an eyebrow and then helplessly walked into the room, closing the door behind him.
“Raphael, when did you come back?”
Raphael’s long ears near her cheeks twitched several times, her emerald green eyes circled around him, not responding to Fisher’s question but rather asking, “Did you rest at Jasmine’s last night?”
Fisher shook his head, denying, “How could that be? Didn’t we agree on this?”
Well, he indeed didn’t last night; it was yesterday afternoon.
But it was Jasmine who came secretly; it had little to do with him, right?
Hearing Fisher’s response, Raphael’s expression finally eased a bit, but it was still not at the “warm” level.
She stood up, crossed her arms, and walked in front of Fisher.
Fisher thought he had passed the test and was about to reach out for an embrace, but Raphael stopped him, saying, “Stand still, don’t move!”
“Huh?”
Fisher could only stay put, watching her cautiously approach him, almost like a small cat sniffing around his clothes.
“Sniff sniff.”
She frowned, exploring back and forth several times, then raised her eyebrows and looked up; her cautious expression gradually turned into suspicion.
Thank the Mother Goddess for the inspiration; even though no one had seen him return, Fisher was still very careful to eliminate the scent from his body. That’s why Raphael hadn’t discovered anything.
Fisher looked at her innocently, and Raphael’s expression softened a bit as she sized him up and questioned:
“Where did you go last night, and why are you wearing different clothes? You aren’t in the one I gave you.”
“… I thought you had things to do, so I left the Dragon Court for the north for a bit to investigate what happened with those demons yesterday. There was a little incident along the way that ruined my clothes, so when I returned, I just grabbed a spare from the Dragon Chamber. I couldn’t return bare, could I?”
Fisher glanced at his clothes and then questioned Raphael, “When did you come back? If you suspect I went to Jasmine, couldn’t you just ask her yourself?”
“…”
Raphael’s expression slightly froze, and her gaze began to shift away.
To be honest, ever since the previous incident, she hadn’t gone to see Jasmine in person again. Even when she returned late last night to find Fisher absent from the room, she had her suspicions but didn’t confront Jasmine about it.
Perhaps she didn’t want to engage in a confrontation or argument with Jasmine, nor did she want to easily give up her lover.
Thus, this way of not meeting or directly communicating had become the unspoken rule.
A cold war.
That would indeed be the term to describe it.
Fisher noticed the hidden meaning in her response. He wanted to say something to ease their relationship, but before he could speak, Raphael regained her composure from the dodging emotions.
She turned to look at Fisher, reaching out to tug at his robe, and sure enough, beneath his robe, he was completely bare.
She wasn’t shy; having done this many times, she was already well acquainted with their bodies, and she wouldn’t act like Renee, who would be bashful.
Like an old married couple, she glanced at the door and said to Fisher, “Seriously, what happened last night? How did you end up without your other clothes too?”
“It was my own doing, you know; to me, the material of the clothes is a bit… fragile.”
“Well, I was just thinking about where to get you clothes, especially underwear in your size.”
“…”
Fisher went silent in innocence while Raphael seemed to think of something and said, “I’ve got it; I’ll bring you something in a bit. You also need a proper set of formal clothes; this won’t do.”
As soon as she finished speaking, she prepared to act and head out. Fisher behind her grasped her arm and questioned, “Wait, formal clothes? Is there something you need me for today?”
Raphael turned back, her face showing a hint of pink, she pouted and said, “You forgot? I’m taking you to Wanhua Courtyard. There’s a lot to do after this; this morning is a fitting time to start.”
“Wanhua Courtyard?”
Fisher paused for a second, quickly recalling the concept Raphael had mentioned yesterday.
He suddenly realized where they were about to go next.
Just as Keshil and Fashir had explained to Fisher, Wanhua Courtyard was actually a place of great significance for the dragon clan.
This concept originated from the ancient Dragon Court, where male dragon beings would court by seeking out a flower that their instincts determined was the right one. Apart from beauty, all other characteristics were designated by the courting dragon.
Once successfully paired, that symbolic courtship flower would also appear at their wedding ceremony, accompanied by wine and song, symbolizing the union of life and the acknowledgment of souls.
Generally, a dragon clan wedding also required a consciousness of witness; the witness was typically an elder from both sides or someone respected within the Dragon Court.
Thus, female members of the royal family within the Dragon Court would naturally undertake comparatively more witness ceremonies, which was a mutual honor. For those being witnessed, the honor of the Dragon Court would bless their souls and marriage; for the witnessing royals, it represented the continuation of their race and future.
Over time, as courtship ceremonies were held repeatedly, the flowers left behind at the wedding venues increased, hence the name “Wanhua Courtyard” and its associated special meaning persisted to this day.
Apart from weddings, Wanhua Courtyard had also been assigned other related duties through the long passage of time.
Names of descendants, family records, ritual regulations, historical records, education of youth…
All these extremely important responsibilities for the dragon clan originated here; understandably, the choice of dragons responsible for managing this very important place was also meticulous.
Because of its close relation to the concept of reproduction, the responsible persons were generally female — perhaps the partners, sisters, or elders of the Dragon Court leaders.
At this moment, the dragon responsible for managing the Wanhua Courtyard of the Red Dragon Court was none other than the biological mother of the Dragon Queen, Aria.
Wanhua Courtyard was located at the edge of the Dragon Court, amidst a very quiet thicket.
From a distance, a very ancient, pale oval-shaped building emerged under the morning sunlight, coming into view for Fisher.
Only he and Raphael had arrived here, with no one else accompanying them.
He had changed into formal attire of Western Continent style; he didn’t know where she had obtained it.
Raphael made him wear her own Western Continent Nali attire, rather than the Dragon Court or Southern Continent attire, as she never preferred to hide in those aspects.
Unlike the Blessing Tower, this place was equipped with relatively strict guards, all of whom were trained dragon beings.
“We’re here, Fisher.”
Raphael, leading the way, also spotted the distant building, and she finally slowed her pace, turning back to Fisher and saying, “My mother is inside.”
