**Chapter 632: 110. Like the Sun**
“Mr. Fisher, Edina can take you somewhere outside of Saint Nali, but due to the distance, we can’t pinpoint the exact location for the transfer. However, if you encounter any issues, you can seek help from a member of the local Peitre family. This is my proof; just show this to them, and the Peitre family will assist you as much as possible.”
Once on the ship, Keken, who had already sold out all the goods on board, seemed to be in a good mood. While discussing the transfer arrangements with Fisher, he handed over a brooch bearing the Peitre family crest.
Fisher accepted the brooch, feeling its cold weight, and asked, “Aren’t you coming back with us?”
“Ah, you should know that slimes need a cost when transferring people or objects. She can’t send the entire ship back to Nali. If I leave, my several wives and the crew staying here would be in trouble, considering there’s still a war going on.”
“I understand. Thank you.”
Holding the brooch, Fisher smiled and nodded at Keken, who didn’t elaborate further but turned to have the maid summon his slime wife down.
“By the way, Mr. Fisher, regarding the Parasol Tree, I have been in one-way contact with Patriarch Barian for a long time, so I’m not very familiar with the situation there. But I have informed the Parasol Tree about your trip to Nali, and the Phoenix seems worried about your situation. If anything arises, feel free to connect with them, though I’m not sure if the slimes will still be able to enter Saint Nali.”
Upon hearing this, Fisher slightly stiffened, and even Emhart on his shoulder showed a gloating expression.
Previously, Valentina had sent a letter to Empress Elizabeth, and Elizabeth was likely to make a big deal out of Heilson’s situation. Now, with Valentina being told Fisher’s exact location, it was like a blatant announcement of an impending conflict in Nali.
Hey, now Fisher is really in for trouble.
Fisher sighed but could only accept the situation.
As the saying goes, debts do not weigh one down, and he indeed needed to inform Valentina of his situation. He couldn’t just leave her in the dark to reduce risks; that wouldn’t be fair to her.
“Okay, thank you.”
Keken smiled and nodded, then the maid and his wife timidly approached him. Each of the two maids was holding a suitcase, and his wife held the boundary flute that Fisher had seen more than once.
“Well then, Mr. Fisher, this box is the money for your activities in Nali. If you want to keep a low profile, having some cash could help. This other box is the transfer cost. Just let me know when you’re ready, and I’ll have Edina start.”
Keken handed one of the boxes to Fisher, which was filled with Nali currency, while the other was opened on the spot by the maid, revealing a gleam of gold inside—it was filled with gold bars.
“Thank you, I will use it properly. I wonder how much Nali has changed in the years I’ve been away. At least from what I’ve heard from the Southern Continent, it should be quite different from the Nali I used to know?”
“Indeed. There’s a saying among the urban folks of Nali: ‘Yesterday’s Nali is the Nali of my father’s generation; the day before yesterday’s Nali is the Nali of my grandfather’s generation.’ It means that Nali has changed so much that it’s unrecognizable now.”
“Is that so? Then I must go see for myself.”
“Have a good journey. By the way, although I have been away from the Peitre family for some time, please take extra care, Mr. Fisher, to ensure that Her Majesty Elizabeth does not misdirect her anger at us.”
Keken’s point was simple: everyone knew the nature of Elizabeth and Fisher’s relationship. If they got along sweetly, then helping Fisher would be a merit for the Peitre family; but Keken realized with several of the Southern Continent’s beauties and one from the Northern Region, who knew what other beauties might be involved elsewhere?
Moreover, Empress Elizabeth could not tolerate a grain of sand in her eye; contradictions were bound to arise. At that time, Elizabeth’s view of the Peitre family could easily turn into one of censure.
Helping Fisher was Keken’s intention; it was a subtle reminder not to entangle his family into Fisher’s relationship with Elizabeth.
Fisher understood and replied with a smile, “Don’t worry; I’ll be cautious.”
“That’s good,” Keken replied, turning to his wife and saying, “Edina, you can begin.”
“Um.”
The slime named Edina timidly nodded, avoiding looking at Fisher, and just hidden behind Keken, raised the flute in her hand. In the next second, a melodious and soul-stirring melody burst forth.
“Edina, Edina, Edina, Edina, Edina, Edina!!”
As the resounding singing echoed, streams of golden light began to burst forth from Edina’s body. That strange power rapidly melted the gold bars in the box, transforming them into pure value and energy for the transfer, completely enveloping Fisher and Emhart.
The outside music became increasingly triumphant, but Keken, waving goodbye, appeared to become increasingly distorted, soon affecting not only the person in front but the entire scene.
In the next second, Fisher and Emhart completely vanished from their location, heading toward an unknown destination.
“Buzz buzz buzz!”
“Ahhh! Fisher, catch me! I’m going to fly out!!”
“Hold tight!”
In the illusory and distorted tunnel of space, Fisher maintained his balance. Amid Emhart’s screams as he flew around, he suddenly unfurled the Fluid Sword to pull Emhart back to his side. The next moment, he crashed onto the ground, with the surrounding illusion gradually transforming into reality, turning into a small room devoid of any furniture.
He gasped for breath for a moment, retracting the Fluid Sword back into its hilt, while the dazed Emhart fell to the ground, mumbling, “Ugh, my head is spinning.”
As Fisher took a deep breath of the air in the room, the familiar dull scent of burning coal and sea breeze flooded back into his nostrils. He couldn’t help but gaze toward the window covered by curtains and whispered, “We’re here.”
It was noon; even with curtains, faint sunlight trickled in from outside. After a moment of contemplation, he picked up the dazed Emhart, placing him in the crevice of his coat, leaving just his bewildered eyes to observe the outside.
He rubbed his face, and the power of the Life Completion Manual activated almost instantly, slowly reshaping his facial features into a more standard Nali appearance. The earlier mark of his black hair and black-eyed Cardu bloodline vanished in an instant. Only then did he carry the box of money provided by Keken and walk outside.
“Where are we?”
“You’ll know once you go out.”
As Fisher stepped out of the room that looked like it had been abandoned for a long time, he barely opened the door when an elderly Nali man with graying temples came down the stairs from the other side of the corridor, leaning heavily on a cane.
“Who are you? Are you one of those little rascals protected by the new legislation? You little pests have turned my vacant rooms into your secret base, haven’t you?!”
The old man scolded, but upon coming down, he didn’t see any sneaky youths but a strange Nali man dressed entirely in black with blond hair. Instinctively, the old man shrank back slightly, as though the man standing in the corridor was a fearsome beast.
“What are you? Are you a tenant sent by the agency?”
Fisher blinked, quickly realizing that the place he’d been transported to was an empty room for rent. He hesitated for a moment and then suddenly smiled, replying in the Nali language, “I just arrived in Nali from another place and am looking for a place to stay, but I am not very familiar with here.”
“Oh, I thought you were one of those little rascals.”
“Little rascals?”
“Those minors protected by the new juvenile protection law from four years ago, which has become a shield allowing those little lunatics to run rampant. Smoking, drug abuse, vandalism—it’s utterly exasperating! I say, that’s the only thing Her Majesty did wrong, but perhaps she has high hopes for Nali’s youth, even if there are a few bad apples.”
Fisher raised his eyebrows, remembering all of the old man’s words but refraining from interrupting, “So, sir, how far is the Nali Cathedral from here?”
“How far? It’s quick by carriage, especially since the… Mechanism line was opened. It’s about twenty minutes. May the Mother bless you! I never expected someone of your stature to be a devout believer as well.”
Perhaps Fisher’s well-tailored clothing and proper manners eased the old man’s concerns. After thinking for a moment, he said to Fisher, “If you want to rent my room, I can give you a discount. Without the agency fee, that suite behind you is 600 Nali per month. What do you think?”
“No need, I’ll think about it.”
Having roughly understood that he was in the urban area, Fisher smiled and politely declined the old man’s offer, but he couldn’t help but add, “But that price is quite good; it’s even cheaper than what I paid five years ago.”
“That’s right, this is all thanks to the housing subsidy signed by Her Majesty, aimed at encouraging more rural Nali people to enter the city. Sir, you must be one of them, right? But do think carefully; once I close this deal, there won’t be another opportunity. My price is…”
“Thank you, but I need to leave now.”
Yet, before he could finish, Fisher had already turned and moved toward the stairs down, abruptly halting the old man’s sales pitch.
Downstairs was the common area of the entire building and also the living space of the old landlord.
The atmosphere was filled with life, with the usual signs of many Nali people: a lit hearth, bubbling fish soup, and a playing radio.
But compared to the past, there was also a bronze Mother God statue in the room, and a portrait of the Empress hung on the wall.
Fisher paused for a moment, gazing at the portrait of the Empress. It appeared to be a folk workshop imitation; in it, Elizabeth was depicted in luxurious clothing, crowned, with a peaceful expression, eyes closed, one hand holding a scepter and the other grasping a golden cup.
**”Portrait of Elizabeth I on Her Thirtieth Birthday”**
“It seems she is just as she was before, don’t you think?”
Emhart, in Fisher’s arms, also noticed the portrait and said softly. Glancing at the Empress who still looked just like she did before, he couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions.
“Yeah.”
“Sir, are you sure you don’t want to reconsider?”
The old man’s voice came from above. He seemed unable to quickly catch up with the descending Fisher, leaning against the handrail of the staircase as he spoke.
Fisher just shook his head, turned toward the door, and replied, “No, thank you!”
“Click!”
In the next second, as he pushed open the door in front of him, what greeted his eyes was a row of massive tall buildings, which indeed made it hard for him to reconcile with the low two- or three-story houses he remembered. He looked up, quickly spotting more structures under construction, obscured by coverings. Beyond the coverings, many workers were manipulating flashing blue lights as they transported building materials.
Above the street, several Mechanism vehicles flew overhead, buzzing like swarms of bees, seemingly on patrol. The horse-drawn carriages had decreased, replaced by smooth stone-paved roads, while tracks had been dug in the center of the street. However, compared to the slow trains of the past, those driven by the Mechanism were evidently much faster.
The hustle and bustle of the street, the sounds of footsteps, and conversations came in waves. Occasionally, some subhumans passed by, but from their appearances and the languages they spoke, it was clear that most were from the Northern Region, while subhumans from the Southern Continent were scarcely seen.
“Today is Monday; according to the teachings of the **Genesis**, it is a day of worship. Devout believers must face the sun and pray to the Mother under the guidance of the sunlight to receive the Mother’s blessings.”
The patrolling Mechanisms occasionally broadcast messages from reporters, seemingly belonging to the Golden Palace’s police department.
Fisher stood in astonishment with Emhart at the corner of the bustling street, incredulously surveying everything before him until the old man’s voice sounded again from behind.
“Did you leave the door open? Sir? Sir?”
“….”
Fisher silently turned back to close the door behind him, then walked along the street that still bore some resemblance to what he remembered, observing the drastically changed infrastructure. It felt as though he had not been away for just five years but for a hundred.
“It looks quite good—full of vitality. What do you think?”
Emhart’s voice came from his chest. His faint voice was drowned out by the surrounding clamor, and of course, no one recognized that it was the book in the blond gentleman’s arms speaking.
“Not just quite good. I hardly recognize this place as Nali.”
“Ha, how can I put it? The techniques of the Holy Spawn aren’t much use to them, but they certainly make life easier for humans. Do you think this place will become a second Holy Realm in a hundred years?”
Fisher merely surveyed his surroundings, observing many local Nali people. Their dialectical Nali language and distinct appearances confirmed that the Golden Palace’s policies encouraged population movement, leading many talents from rural areas to enter the city.
It was noon; the sky above, where the fiery crevice had yet to expand over the sea, remained clear and bright. Under the azure sky, brilliant sunlight spilled down, illuminating this lively seaside city.
The eight-story buildings still under construction were surrounded by coverings, with Mechanisms and workers operating within them; while many completed tall buildings displayed giant canvases depicting the portrait of Empress Elizabeth on one side.
The passing Nali people moved rapidly, yet even so, most would turn their heads to face the portrait of the Empress as they passed here, their admiration and fervor evident, to the point where some would even pray, saying,
“Mother bless, Empress bless.”
The sun in the sky gradually tilted to the west until it broke through the cover of distant buildings, casting pure golden light that coincided with the portrait of Elizabeth, who stood alone.
At least in Nali, here, she existed like the sun.
Fisher quickly realized that Nali had developed an inexplicable personal cult around her during the years she had been Empress. The Nali people of Saint Nali began to place trust and hope in that Empress as their lives transformed and the society flourished.
He gazed at the portrait bathed in sunlight, unable to see her closed eyes, and after waiting for a while, he followed the earlier urgent crowd of Nali people, stepped into the waiting station for the Mechanism train, and began examining the stations inside.
Taking two stops in this direction would bring him near the heart of Saint Nali, where not only the Golden Palace stood but also the cathedral of Saint Nali.
The ashes of Teresa were kept there.
Moreover, not just Teresa’s ashes; the map that the Subhuman Girl Enthusiast entrusted to Cidi also indicated that there was something left for him in that area. Thus, Fisher’s first plan upon returning was to visit Sister Teresa, followed by retrieving the items left for him by the Subhuman Girl Enthusiast.
After that, everything else would inevitably connect with Elizabeth. He hadn’t decided whether to confront Elizabeth directly at the Golden Palace or attend Professor Heilson’s funeral quietly first, as he wasn’t sure of Elizabeth’s current situation, especially after her correspondence with Valentina.
Certainly, it wouldn’t be as friendly and accommodating as he imagined; did he expect Elizabeth to say to Fisher, “Dear, I’m so glad you’re back. It’s perfectly fine that you have one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, or eight women outside, just as long as you return”?
Fisher shivered; even thinking of it felt particularly awkward.
But he didn’t want to go in only to find it unworkable, leading to conflicts and then being pushed out of the Golden Palace by ranks. Especially after seeing the changes in Nali now, he was curious about the long-missed Elizabeth.
But once again, caution was never a bad thing; he needed to understand more about current Saint Nali and Elizabeth first.
**Please vote, tip, and support! It means a lot to me!**
**Thank you very much for your support!**
**(End of Chapter)**
