Chapter 565: 43. Whose Husband
“Knock knock.”
“Miss, are you feeling better?”
With a crisp knock, the door slowly opened, revealing Heidi Lin with a worried expression outside.
At this moment, she was pushing a silver-white dining cart with some food on it, mostly thick traditional soups from the Northern Region, specially prepared by Heidi Lin for Valentina, whose body had not yet fully recovered.
However, she did not expect that abruptly opening the door would startle Valentina inside. Valentina quickly spread her wings to wrap herself up. Through the slightly trembling blue fur, Heidi Lin could only see her sparkling eyes.
When Valentina saw that the person who entered was Heidi Lin and not some terrifying chaotic creature, she sighed in relief and slowly lowered her guarded wings.
“I’m feeling a bit better.”
Heidi Lin tilted her head, seeming a bit confused, but still pushed the dining cart inside.
“Did I scare you, Miss?”
Valentina smiled and shook her head, then said,
“How could that be? Heidi Lin, you are the person I trust the most, and you’re not some frightening monster; how could you scare me? I was just thinking about some things.”
Heidi Lin cupped her cheek with her hand, her emerald crown binding her black hair slightly askew as she looked at Valentina with curiosity.
“Miss, about Fisher…”
“I don’t believe Fisher is dead. He’s so strong; he must still be alive; I just don’t know where he is. Heidi Lin, I want to find him; can you help me?”
Heidi Lin quietly looked at her, observing the determined look in Valentina’s eyes. After a moment of silence, she smiled bitterly and said,
“When have I ever gone against your wishes, Miss? I will help you, Miss. But before that, let’s eat something first. I’ve also brought some clothes for you, specially prepared for our Phoenix lord.”
Heidi Lin cheerfully pulled out a noble-looking piece of clothing from beneath the dining cart. Its style was strange; Valentina had never seen anything like it and thought it resembled the Phoenix attire she had seen in her dream magic.
At this moment, the Duke of Peach in her mind yawned and spoke,
“You did a good job; it’s a style that Wu and Tong like. It should also be part of your Phoenix attire.”
Heidi Lin didn’t hear the Duke of Peach’s voice in her mind. She showed the magnificent clothing to Valentina, explaining while Valentina sipped the soup,
“There are many Phoenix garments in the Frost Parasol Tree, but they’ve been there for a long time and can’t be worn anymore. So I tried to imitate the style. Miss, why don’t you try it on later?”
Valentina took a sip of the mushroom soup made by Heidi Lin and nodded with a smile. Heidi Lin’s food was as delicious as ever; one bite warmed her all over, as if awakening every part of her body that had been in a deep sleep for four and a half years.
Just then, she suddenly remembered something and turned to Heidi Lin, saying,
“By the way, Heidi Lin, you mentioned that the Ice Mountain Queen rescued me from beside the World Tree’s roots? That Captain Alagina? How did she come to the Parasol Tree?”
“Ah, her…”
Heidi Lin briefly told Valentina about Alagina’s current situation, especially how she had been betrayed by her ally Black Chieftain, hunted by Nali, and unsettled since arriving in the Northern Region, even being schemed against by the Turan Family to be offered to Nali.
It was the Slime King that eventually found them and extended an olive branch, leading them to the snowy mountains.
As they continued talking, Heidi Lin had another thought, tapping her chin, and said to Valentina,
“Also, um… they brought many very interesting mechanisms that emit blue light. I don’t know if it’s an illusion, but I feel like… they resemble the snowflake knights in our family. But comparing them, those pirates have even more mechanisms, and they seem to be able to talk, it’s just that we don’t understand what they’re saying.”
“Mechanisms?”
Valentina swallowed the soup completely, pondered for a moment, then placed her bowl down, picking up the clothing beside her to try it on.
“I want to meet her, Heidi Lin. How do I wear this? How do I fit my wings in?”
“Do you want to go see her now, Miss? They are probably discussing matters with the leaders of the six tribes. Although it’s necessary to meet them, I think it’s best if you rest first.”
“It’s fine; I’ve slept for so long that if I sleep any longer, my body will rust.”
“…Okay.”
Heidi Lin smiled helplessly and helped Valentina put on the clothes, from the inner garments to the outer skirt, dressing her properly.
Outside the door was the typical towering tunnel of the Phoenixes. Normally, Heidi Lin would slowly walk down the stairs, but as a Phoenix, Valentina could easily fly up.
She had no flight experience, but because she had tried it in the dream magic before, she quickly got the hang of it, fanning her giant wings as a warm-up.
“I’m off, Heidi Lin.”
“Be careful, Miss; you just grew your wings.”
“Alright.”
“Boom!”
But the next moment, Valentina suddenly spread her wings wide, the wind swirling like an ice storm accompanied by the sound of bursting air as she shot upward, making Heidi Lin’s reminder utterly unnecessary.
She merely stood in place, covering her head with her emerald crown, letting the elegant clothing get blown wildly by the wind. For some reason, her expression remained unchanged, still wearing that warm smile as gentle and kind as a caring elder.
Only after Valentina had flown far away into the Parasol Tree toward the assembly hall indicated to her earlier did Heidi Lin let out a sigh and return to the room where Valentina had rested.
She stepped forward, carefully tidying up the used dishes, meticulously like a dedicated maid.
Next, she arranged the bedding, making sure even the scattered blankets on the bed were smooth.
At that moment, while sorting the bedding, Heidi Lin caught a glimpse of a faint pink color between the pillow and the blanket’s folds.
She paused for a moment, then reached out her slender finger to lightly pinch it, and the pink object was lifted.
It was a peach blossom, tinged with a peculiar scarlet aura.
“Kononinnihamugasmujin s, mu shuj smu hisashi mono s gaarimasu.”
As soon as she picked it up, terrifying whispers and murmurs suddenly exploded in her ears, as if calling from some ethereal place, threatening to engulf and erase everything.
But Heidi Lin seemed completely unperturbed; she just smiled and looked at the peach blossom in her hand, raising her finger gently to her lips,
“Shh.”
In response to her gentle reminder, the horrifying murmurs around her instantly ceased, and the colored peach blossom gradually lost its hue, turning to ash, fading away into nothingness.
Everything became quiet as Heidi Lin elegantly adjusted her crown, then leisurely hummed an unknown tune while pushing the dining cart out of the room, leaving behind an orderly and serene space.
“By the way, Duke of Peach, how can I nurture you back to your prime?”
It was during her flight that Valentina suddenly remembered this and asked the Duke of Peach in her mind.
“What else can I be nurtured with? Just let me bask in the sun and give me some water.”
“Is that all?”
“That’s all.”
“Pfft.”
“What are you laughing at, trashy Phoenix?”
“Nothing… it’s just that it feels like I’m really nurturing a tree.”
“Hehe, trashy Phoenix, do you believe I could turn you into a tree to nurture you right now?”
“I’m sorry.”
Valentina stuck her tongue out in embarrassment. As she flew, many of the snow mountain’s six tribes noticed the frosty silhouette rising majestically.
Though they had never met her, the figure seemed carved into their bloodline, causing them to gasp in surprise, with some kneeling down in worship.
“But where is your body? Is it at the roots of the tree? Do I need to bring the World Tree roots out to bask in the sun and water?”
“…I see you are tired of living. There’s no need to go through so much trouble; I can send out a part of my essence, just let it touch the sun and get watered.”
“Send out a part?”
In the next moment, on the top of Valentina’s silver hair, “poof,” a crooked peach bud suddenly sprouted, swaying in the wind like a doe-eyed tuft, causing Valentina to quickly cover her head in shock as she exclaimed in her mind,
“Y-you’re in my head?!”
“Where else could I be?”
“How did you do that?”
“It’s related to the chaotic powers of life. I fought against it head-on, and while I survived, a part of me got tainted; however, I inadvertently gained some of its nature.”
“Is that so? No wonder I only need to bask in the sun to nurture you.”
“Hehe, trashy fish, maybe one day I can grow directly from your head?”
Valentina bit her lip cautiously, gently touching the flower that had bloomed atop her head, but in the next moment, it “whooshed” back and vanished without a trace, likely retreating.
She quickly arrived at the assembly hall, the place where the Phoenix base had once been.
The enormous doors were wide open, and two simple-minded trolls at the entrance rubbed their heads, staring at Valentina, seemingly unsure how to greet her, curiously looking at this beautiful subhuman they had never seen before, as if silently asking,
“Where did you come from? I’ve never seen you before!”
Valentina smiled helplessly and bypassed them as she entered the corridor of the assembly hall. In the vast space within, she could see the grand throne and the exquisitely crafted divine weapon reclining upon it.
That was the sword of the Phoenix King.
Along with it, there were several voices in conversation.
“So, what you are saying is, in the ruins of Storm Sea, you and Black Chieftain mined a lot of such items? They’re called… mechanisms?”
“I’ve seen this thing before in the Turan Family. But the energy they used is different from what you use; they wanted moonstone, while your energy doesn’t seem to be that.”
“Yes, since we got these things a few years ago, we have never charged them, yet they can still be used… perhaps the energy comes from the sun?”
Valentina quickly stepped into the assembly hall. In an instant, everyone felt a chill akin to the winter winds howling down from the snowy mountains of the Northern Region. Their gazes turned in disbelief toward the doorway, fixated on the tall, stunning, and divine subhuman.
“Vroom vroom vroom!”
The sword that had been dormant for a millennium on the throne began to tremble uncontrollably. Even Alagina, who was sitting at the right side of the table, felt a glow emanating from the back of her neck as if being attracted by the presence before her.
The few individuals present were first the Slime King, Barleon, sitting not far from the left of the table, too large to sit on it, sucking on a pacifier and rubbing his large belly while listening to others speak.
Next were the Snow Fox Tribe leader Dar, the Cangniao Tribe leader Hamliya, and the elder of the Troll Tribe, Daliwu.
On the right side sat Alagina and her crew, including Alagina with her right hand heavily bandaged, the first mate Paz, the second mate Aoxi from the Cangniao Tribe, and, um, a rather wild yet beautiful person from Nali?
Several peculiar yet harmoniously shaped mechanisms that they had just been studying were placed on the table.
When Valentina entered, the leaders on the left all stood up, having briefly assessed her before respectfully bowing. Even the immobile Barleon removed the Slime crown wrapped around his head with his tentacles and lowered his head slightly toward her,
“Phoenix lord.”
Hearing this, all those on the right turned to look at Valentina, eager to see the true form of this legendary race.
“Eh, isn’t this the one from the Turan Family?”
Even though Valentina’s appearance had dramatically changed, the alterations to her face were still limited, making her recognizable.
Paz immediately recognized Valentina’s identity since they had met before in the Southern Ocean, where she had robbed a scroll from her along with her hired crew.
However, as she was halfway through her sentence, Alagina extended her right hand, wrapped in bandages, to interrupt her.
She simply gazed at this Phoenix, feeling an inexplicable special sentiment towards her; perhaps it wasn’t a pleasant feeling? Alagina couldn’t quite tell.
She stood up alongside her companions, just like the tribe leaders, politely bowing to Valentina.
“Miss Valentina, it is truly an honor to see you today.”
At this moment, Valentina was almost as tall as Alagina, even slightly taller than Fisher, allowing her to look Alagina directly in the eye, no longer the upward gaze from her wheelchair.
After all, Alagina had a special feeling about Valentina, and Valentina certainly had a clearer understanding of her.
It was notable that when she first got to know Fisher, Valentina even suspected he was Alagina’s lover; otherwise, it wouldn’t explain how a man could so properly stay aboard a ship filled entirely with Sardinia people.
Although Fisher later married her, Alagina, the Ice Mountain Queen, and that golden empress of Nali still made her feel like a fishbone stuck in her throat. Now facing her again, she wasn’t sure what to say.
Could it be that she and Fisher still had lingering feelings?
But she was his wife, how could that be too much to bear?
As if sensing her contemplation, the Duke of Peach in her mind peeked at the current situation, speculating,
“Did you meet your deadbeat husband’s lover so soon? Not to mention, things are progressing rather fast.”
“She’s not Fisher’s lover.”
“You say that because you’re his wife, and you have a voice.”
“….”
Valentina took a deep breath. She still didn’t know the situation from these four years and was unaware of the specific emotional state between Alagina and Fisher. Moreover, it seemed she had just rescued her from beside the roots of the World Tree, and her heavily bandaged arm was proof.
Recalling the Duke of Peach’s reminder, while it didn’t seem applicable at the moment, she indeed couldn’t act hastily.
Valentina suppressed the turmoil within her heart and reluctantly shifted her gaze from Alagina to the several tribe leaders beside her.
Except for Dar and Daliwu, who smiled at her, the other tribes introduced themselves.
“Phoenix Lord, I am Hamliya from the Cangniao Tribe of Sardinia. Under the brilliance of the Phoenix, I am determined to take my remaining kin back to our homeland, the Parasol Tree. Today, finally seeing your true form fills me with gratitude and excitement; I am willing to serve the Phoenix Lord.”
“Hello, little Phoenix. I am Barleon, the current leader of the Slime Tribe. While we have not met before, we have a connection; that Slime emblem was taken from my territory by the esteemed Mr. Fisher for you.”
Barleon’s cherubic face lit up, smacking his lips and chewing on the pacifier, as if every word concealed some deeper meaning.
Upon hearing the name “Fisher,” Valentina and Alagina’s gazes almost simultaneously focused on Barleon, but the follow-up “for you” made Alagina’s eyes flicker with an indescribable nuance.
She couldn’t help but glance at the radiant Phoenix, momentarily sensing a shadow behind her gaze.
“Hello, Leader Barleon. My husband Fisher and I both thank you for your help.”
Alagina was momentarily taken aback; the hand wrapped in bandages tightened suddenly, followed by a gaze filled with disbelief as she abruptly turned to Valentina, seemingly to confirm.
Beside them, Paz smacked the table in shock, looking at Valentina, then at Alagina, exclaiming,
“Wait, Captain, how did saving a Phoenix lead to your man being gone?! What kind of logic is that?”
“Hold on, Paz.”
Alagina trembled as she raised her hand to stop Paz from speaking, but she didn’t halt there; her eyes remained fixed on Valentina, questioning again,
“Miss Valentina, what did you just say?”
Valentina, appearing equally confused, looked at her, but a strong and undeniable light resided in her eyes.
She glanced at Daliwu and the various leaders beside her, then addressed Alagina, saying,
“I said, Fisher is my husband. We got married under the witness of Elder Daliwu, and we have all the rights of a couple, right, Elder Daliwu?”
Alagina quickly looked at the slightly dumbfounded Daliwu, who seemed still to process what had happened, as though they were merely discussing some matters related to the world situation and mechanisms with a captain seeking refuge at the Parasol Tree; how had they suddenly jumped to this topic?
“Uh, this… that…”
Anyone could see that the relationship between the Phoenix and Captain Alagina was somewhat delicate, hinging on the man named “Fisher” introduced by Barleon.
Heaven help; she was merely a female troll with a husband. Although both Valentina and Alagina were of the same gender, trolls were a race of flipped yin and yang, so in terms of perspective, Daliwu and Alagina’s views were the closest.
In other words, from Daliwu’s standpoint, what she was about to say could be very harsh on Alagina.
She looked at the side of the Phoenix and then back at the stunned Alagina, ultimately deciding to stick to the facts and say everything she knew.
Thus, Daliwu nodded and said,
“Uh, following the wishes of the Moon Princess, Valentina indeed entered into a holy marriage with that Fisher and has the rights of a spouse.”
“Boom!”
These words struck like a thunderbolt from the heavens, piercing through Alagina’s very soul.
