Chapter 559 – 37. Meeting My Mother-in-law
As Fisher stepped into the Flower Garden with Raphael, an extremely rich floral scent assaulted his nostrils. This building resembled a pristine garden rather than a man-made structure; everywhere he looked was filled with a variety of flowers.
Colorful petals bloomed abundantly, yet to Fisher, it did not appear chaotic. Somewhere, he could hear distant sounds of children playing and laughing; though far off, it was clear there were many children.
After entering this flower-filled domain, Raphael and Fisher did not rush to move around. After Fisher observed for a while, a female white-scaled Dragon approached them, wearing red attire. She seemed to be a servant of the Flower Garden.
“Lord Raphael.”
“Where is my mother? I want to see her now.”
The servant cast a subtle glance at Fisher behind Raphael, showing little surprise, and replied to Raphael,
“Lady Aria is in the Ancestral Home. She has been waiting for you for a long time.”
“…”
Raphael paused slightly upon hearing this, then took a deep breath. After a moment, she turned to Fisher and said,
“Follow me, Fisher.”
“Sure.”
The servant did not follow them but turned to go in another direction after conveying Aria’s message.
“After my father was killed by humans, my mother became the closest person to me. She is a wise and gentle Dragon. Whenever I faced difficulties and helplessness, she supported me. I am her only daughter, and because of that, I trained and hunted alongside my brothers from a young age, learning the softness and kindness of women from her.”
As she watched the servant walk away, Raphael led Fisher through a gap in the flowers, reminiscing about her mother while looking at the surrounding blooms.
In fact, humans have pondered more than once what “partners” truly mean.
To Fisher, the mystery of the union of two lives lies in how they connect points on previously separate and distant trajectories after coming into contact. Beyond that point, their life paths gradually converge, becoming a whole, supporting, trusting, and accompanying each other.
Their previously divided past will be redefined in a third-person manner; when you hear her past, it will also become your past.
In a traditional kingdom like Cardu, the term “marriage” is actually polysemic; it also means “becoming one.”
In Cardu, the parents of a partner will become your parents, and her siblings will become your siblings.
Hearing Raphael talk about her mother at this moment gave Fisher some novel insights.
Although it wasn’t his first marriage, due to Valentina’s family situation, this normal experience felt lacking during the holy wedding. He did not expect that this moment in the Dragon Court would fill that void.
Why call it a “normal experience”?
Because upon careful reflection, aside from Raphael, the families of the other ladies associated with Fisher were either devoid of relatives or had mostly passed away (especially Elizabeth). Others, like Jasmine, were sure that meeting Fisher would definitely lead to him being attacked.
“And what about your brothers?”
“I still have two left; the rest all died in battle. Those who died were quite close to me; they believed in my ideals and were willing to fight for me, but I couldn’t protect them.”
Sighing slightly, Raphael’s tone became a bit subdued as she continued,
“When my father was alive, my mother had a total of thirteen children; after my father passed, I led my kin to migrate to Twilight Valley to establish the Dragon Court. My mother still had eight children left after that; years have gone by, but now she has only three left, including me. I feel very guilty about this, so I didn’t dare to visit her for a long time; I feared she might blame me.
“Now she hardly concerns herself with the affairs of the Dragon Court, focusing on nurturing the next generation and handling various symbolic rituals, basically remaining in the Flower Garden without going out. And I don’t dare to tell her about the difficulties and dangers I face with the Dragon Court; I don’t want her to worry. Fisher, when we meet mother later, don’t mention anything about the impending war, let her rest here, okay?”
Fisher held her hand and apologized,
“I’m so sorry; I shouldn’t have brought that up.”
She shook her head and smiled,
“You wouldn’t know; it’s alright. This is war, and if I fail, I will die. It’s not a big deal.”
Fisher could keenly sense the unease in Raphael’s voice, clearly stemming from the imminent arrival of Barbatos’s army. She had fought against Barbatos and vividly remembered being defeated by him a few times. The fear from failure was a shadow in her heart that she was reluctant to face.
Yet she concealed these emotions well; even if Fisher picked up on it, it was only for a second.
“…We have arrived, Fisher.”
Soon, they passed through the lush sea of flowers and arrived at a spacious white hall.
At the end of the hall was a wall with neat indentations, each square indentation ablaze with a candle. Upon closer inspection, the flames seemed to be burning pieces of dragon scales of various colors, seemingly each piece representing a specific Dragon, preserved here as memories for future generations.
Before the wall stood a quiet Dragon, gazing intently ahead. She was clad in golden dragon scales, and despite her plain white robe, she appeared radiant.
Her long golden hair framed a regal yet weathered face that showed a hint of sadness.
“Mother.”
“…Raphael, you’ve come.”
Hearing Raphael’s words from behind, the slightly older Dragon turned her head with a smile to look at her. A slender golden horn spiraled atop her head, and when she caught sight of Fisher beside Raphael, a flicker of golden waves passed through her gaze.
“Aunt Aria, hello. I’m Fisher Benavides. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Mother, this is my Suitable Tail Partner that I mentioned earlier.”
Raphael’s scales slightly lowered, and her tail behind her began to lightly sway, characteristics evidencing the truth of her words.
Aunt Aria was momentarily taken aback, but then her smile resurfaced. She glanced at Fisher and said kindly,
“Hello, Fisher.”
She gestured toward the table and chairs beside the candlestand and added,
“Please take a seat; I have already prepared everything.”
Raphael was slightly taken aback but soon understood that Aria had prepared a surprise.
“Already… Wait, is it Keshil and Fashir?”
Aunt Aria chuckled, covering her mouth,
“They were originally sent by me to keep an eye on you. You have no idea how mischievous you were as a child. Everyone you could defeat, except for the ones you couldn’t, you physically beat up. How could I not let them keep an eye on you? Though in the end, they also ended up caught with you. Now they are your subordinates, no longer under my command, but if I were to inquire about them, they would still willingly tell me.”
Raphael’s face turned slightly red, and she sheepishly shook her ears and tail. She elegantly tucked back a lock of her red hair, seemingly trying to restore her image in her mother’s eyes.
Unexpectedly, Fisher nodded in agreement and said to Aunt Aria,
“That’s indeed true; I noticed that a while ago.”
“Ha?”
Raphael was so mad she gritted her teeth; she was about to act arrogantly, but thinking of her mother being right there, she could only glare at Fisher in frustration and then told Aunt Aria,
“Mother, it was Fisher who rescued us after I, Keshil, and Ral were captured by humans. It is thanks to Fisher that I am now back home. Along the way, he taught me a lot and helped me immensely.”
“Is that so? No wonder…”
Aunt Aria glanced at Fisher after hearing this. She then stood up and turned to pour water. Instead of continuing that topic, she asked,
“Have the conflicts in the Dragon Court quieted down a bit recently?”
Raphael was slightly taken aback, then smiled as she replied,
“…Ah, much better, but we still can’t let our guard down.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Aunt Aria placed two cups filled with water brewed from unknown leaves in front of Fisher and Raphael. Raphael took her cup and immediately began to drink, while Fisher thanked her and cautiously took a sip.
Mm, sweet.
Watching Raphael drink, Aunt Aria smiled slightly, then turned her gaze back to the now curious Fisher and suddenly had a bright idea, suggesting with a smile,
“Since we have this time, why not start making a little baby?”
“Puff!”
Raphael suddenly coughed, the tea she had just swallowed choking her throat as she began to pound her chest, steam radiating from her body.
“Cough, cough…”
Even Fisher, who was raising his cup, was momentarily stunned, blinking at the beaming Aunt Aria, clearly shocked by her words.
“Cough, Mother! What are you talking about?! Little… Little baby?”
“Right, a cute half-breed dragon baby. You’re already of age to have children, you know. Your brother had four offspring by the time he was your age, and here you are with none. How can that do?”
“Four…”
Raphael’s face turned crimson. She extended her claw to count on her fingers, suddenly not knowing what to say.
Her tail behind her was both bashful and restless, nudging Fisher’s waist as if urging him to come up with a solution.
Even Fisher found it hard to accept this sudden shift in topic.
Before entering, all he had been thinking was about how to get accepted by his mother-in-law, and they hadn’t even gotten half a foot into such discussions. With a sudden “It’s time for you both to have a baby,” it slammed into Fisher’s face.
What does this mean?
Has he already passed the test? Is the mother-in-law accepting him just like that?
For a moment, a myriad of chaotic thoughts flooded Fisher’s mind, but he couldn’t spit out any suitable responses.
“Why are you so shy? Come on, haven’t you two already done it before?”
“Did it with… Mother?”
“So what about the time Fisher has been back? Given our Dragon’s enthusiasm, you must be together every day, right? Are you using any contraception?”
“…”
Raphael was utterly speechless. Though she had previously claimed to be much more defensive than Renee, the issue was that Renee was someone who had no defenses at all. In comparison, Raphael was indeed stronger.
But she was certainly not so composed as her mother, who seemed to have seen it all. There was absolutely no way she could say such things bluntly.
“So, you see, it doesn’t really take long for dragons to have children; we can have them in just a few months. Then I can help take care of them… Moreover, Fisher is human; I’ve heard mixed-race children are quite rare. How can we not give it a try? I’d be afraid it might not even be possible when you eventually want it.”
Aunt Aria’s concerns were needless, as Fisher’s reproductive rank was already unfathomably high.
If one were to calculate seriously, without the reproductive restrictions of mythical beings, he would have already skyrocketed under the “tortures” in the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans, almost to the point of having everyone around him exclaim, “Who is he?!”
In theory, the objective conditions were perfectly acceptable. But if it really came to having a child, Fisher felt it was up for debate.
Rationally speaking, if Elizabeth were to find out that he had a child with another, or if Renee were to know, or if Hela were to learn that he had a child…
The imagery was too beautiful, like fireworks that could explode into the sky. Fisher simply couldn’t bear to think about it.
Thus, ever since Fisher’s reproductive rank rose to a certain level, he had been cautious about contraception unless absolutely necessary.
As for Raphael, she too had other matters to attend to and was not overly concerned about this issue. During those times, she and the other women were generally out of their wits (save for one), leaving Fisher to worry about these things.
Digressing, Fisher glanced at Aunt Aria, who looked expectantly at him. He initially thought to use the current tense situation as an excuse to dodge this topic, but recalling Raphael’s earlier advice, he changed his wording.
He smiled and nodded, saying,
“Okay, I will try my best.”
“Zzzz!!”
In an instant, the sound of a boiling kettle echoed beside Fisher, and Raphael’s face had turned beet red, with steam enveloping her entire body.
Faced with Aunt Aria’s hopeful gaze, Raphael slightly bowed her head, gently punched Fisher’s shoulder, and whispered,
“I-I will try too.”
Actually, behind Fisher, her tail had been sneakily thrusting at Fisher’s back, utterly mortified.
Yet Fisher’s body, like a wall of bronze, was impervious to her nudges.
“Well, that’s good. No rush; why don’t you both try first? I still have some ancestral secret medicine I can bring back to Fisher later.”
Before she could finish her sentence, Raphael hastily shook her head and waved her hands, repeatedly saying,
“Ah, for Fisher? No, Mother… that’s not necessary; really not! He’s already enough; more is…”
Aunt Aria was slightly taken aback, then smiled and cradled her chin, nodding as she said,
“Alright, if you don’t want it, that’s fine. As long as you’re satisfied.”
“The lady is satisfied! Rather, it’s slightly better if… not so much at once.”
The atmosphere here was unexpectedly harmonious, and even Fisher hadn’t anticipated that they would go straight into casual chatting.
Was Raphael’s mother too open-minded, or was Gouwen notably too stingy? Fisher couldn’t help but wonder.
He of course thought Gouwen was right and wouldn’t shamelessly learn from Aria; otherwise, uttering such words would have him feeling a thousand cuts.
But honestly, the current atmosphere was really nice. The gentle and understanding Aunt Aria swiftly eased Fisher’s defenses and previous preparations, and he, along with Raphael, immersed in the warmth stemming from their family connection.
“Tap, tap, tap!”
“Rustle, rustle.”
At that moment, under the flickering candlelight, a hurried sound of footsteps and the rustling of branches abruptly came from beyond the Ancestral Home’s flower sea.
Aunt Aria got up to refill the water for Fisher and Raphael. Fisher attempted to help but was gently declined by Aunt Aria.
Raphael turned her head and saw Keshil anxiously approaching the Ancestral Home.
“Lord Raphael, there is…”
But in her peripheral vision, when Keshil saw Aunt Aria pouring water, her originally anxious tone noticeably softened a bit, becoming more composed,
“Raphael, there’s something in the Blessing Tower that requires your attention.”
Fisher glanced at Keshil, noticing her travel-worn appearance. If he guessed correctly, this urgent report actually came from the army camp outside the Dragon Court, not from the Blessing Tower at all.
But it seemed Raphael didn’t want to worry Aunt Aria with this instruction, and Keshil kept that in mind.
“I—”
Upon hearing this, Raphael was slightly taken aback. She glanced at Fisher beside her and at Aunt Aria, who had returned with water and looked puzzled, momentarily hesitating.
“What’s the matter, Raphael? Has something important occurred again?”
“Not… really. Just some matters within the Dragon Court. Though it’s not serious, I have to go. I can’t leave everything to Jasmine, can I?”
“That’s true. Over the years, Jasmine has worked hard for our Dragon Court. She was initially uninvolved, yet she selflessly dedicated herself to us with kindness; remember that.”
“Ah, I certainly remember.”
Raphael opened her mouth, her expression slightly awkward. But soon she adjusted her expression, stood up, and addressed Aunt Aria,
“Then, Mother, I’ll take Fisher and leave for now. We have things to attend to and will visit you another day.”
“Why are you taking Fisher away? Is he going to help you manage things? And I just met my son-in-law for the first time; you haven’t even told me your stories yet.”
“This…”
Raphael glanced at Fisher, seemingly seeking his opinion.
Fisher took a look at Aunt Aria, then smiled and said,
“In that case, let me chat with Aunt Aria here; it’s fine, Raphael.”
Aunt Aria beamed at Fisher, clearly pleased with his words.
Raphael looked from Aunt Aria to Fisher. Seeing such a harmonious scene eased her worries a bit. Ultimately, she nodded and said to Aunt Aria,
“Then Mother, please allow Fisher to stay and accompany you. He is knowledgeable and understands many things; he will certainly not disappoint you. I have some things to do and will return after I am done.”
“Alright, you go ahead, Raphael.”
Aunt Aria nodded with a smile, then watched as Raphael followed Keshil out of the Ancestral Home, gradually leaving the Flower Garden.
Fisher watched as Raphael slowly receded, leaving the Flower Garden a bit quieter, accompanied only by the scent of flowers.
Fortunately, the gentle and understanding mother-in-law Aunt Aria was not adept at creating awkwardness or pressure. She shifted her gaze from her daughter disappearing into the distance back to the still-present Fisher.
Gently, she pushed a teacup filled with fragrant leaf-infused water before Fisher, then softly drew his attention back,
“Fisher, have some tea.”
“Ah, thank you.”
Fisher turned to face Aunt Aria, humbly accepting the tea she offered, savoring her hospitality with gentlemanly grace.
Aunt Aria had a cup in front of her as well, but she only took a sip before putting it down, resting her hands on her lap, quietly watching Fisher enjoy his tea.
After observing Fisher for a while, as his cup neared empty, she suddenly spoke up,
“Fisher, I’d like to ask for your opinion.”
“Please don’t be shy, Aunt Aria. What’s on your mind?”
“Your close relationship with our priestess, Jasmine—how do you intend to handle that?”
All the candlelight behind Aunt Aria flickered as if trying to ignite the delicate floral fragrance altogether.
Fisher’s gesture of placing the teacup down momentarily froze, his expression dazed as he looked at his mother-in-law’s diminishing smile, now staring directly at him.
At that moment, Fisher only thought of one thing: if, and only if
If he now said he wanted to leave with Raphael, would his mother-in-law allow it?
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(End of this chapter)
