novelraw Chapter 150: The True Meaning of the Link
Chapter 150: The True Meaning of the Link
"Recently, there are two matters that make me feel regret. The first matter is that today, when dining together with His Majesty the King, I learned that his physical health has further deteriorated. That once heroic and valiant His Majesty Godlin has now been crushed by the passing years and the affairs of the entire nation into a dispirited state. As subjects and people of Nari, this rightfully ought to make us feel regret."
"And the other matter that makes one feel regret... no, it should be a matter that makes one feel ashamed, is that the Pioneer Party, which was placed with high hopes by the people and obtained the people's support, actually had a lapse in defense during the critical occasion of Schwalie visiting Nari! This led to forty-two people, including Prince Lausanne, Chancellor Kaine, and Professor Fisher, being forced to face a life threat caused by the Witch Research Society evil cult!"
"I would like to ask, where has His Excellency Matilon of the New Party placed Nari's face and the people's safety? If even such an important occasion can be infiltrated by a foreign evil cult, then what about the Nari where ordinary commoners live? Could it be that our Nari people are constantly in danger of having their lives taken away for no reason every single moment?"
"Your Highness Dexter, I possess records of consumption at the Pink Pavilion by New Party officials here, including His Excellency Closy, the New Party Whip. The sheer magnitude of their spending is simply hair-raising. I implore the Royal Family to take the lead and strictly investigate whether there are severe corruption phenomena among New Party personnel in various Nari organizations, in order to defend the Godlin reputation among the masses! This is my opinion; please consider it, Your Highness."
"Strictly investigate the New Party!"
"Strictly investigate the New Party!"
Through the radio, the members of the Gryphon Party and the small opposition parties were filled with mass indignation. This was an emergency temporary parliamentary agenda convened today. The main topic was exactly how to respond to the sudden attack on the Schwalian delegation yesterday.
After the Nari police investigated and conducted on-site surveys round the clock, they ultimately firmly determined that the mastermind behind this attack was the Witch Research Society from Kadu. The Nari authorities had already issued a statement that they would launch the most severe crackdown in history against the Witch Research Society nationwide.
Fisher changed into a suit and sat in his office, rubbing his chin as he listened to the live broadcast on the radio, his hand writing god knows what.
By the window outside the office, a brown-haired Centaur girl leaned on her side profile. Listening to the voice on the radio, she tilted her head slightly and asked Fisher,"Fisher, is the New Party about to be finished? If so, can I go home immediately then?"
Her naive words made Fisher smile. He looked at Xi Yate by the window and shook his head, saying,
"The New Party won't fall so easily. It doesn't just represent itself; it also represents the most deeply rooted and powerful class in Nari. That group of people won't let the New Party fall for the sake of their own interests. However, this incident will indeed have an impact on them..."
Xi Yate nodded in half-understanding. She seemed to sigh after hearing that the New Party wouldn't fall. It was unknown whether she was worried that she would be dragged away by them to give propagandizing speeches again later.
"Silence! Silence!"
"Bang! Bang!"
The sound of the parliamentary gavel rang out. Prince Dexter's voice sounded extremely steady through the radio. The situation this time was severe, so Prince Dexter Godlin served as the President of the Review Committee, incidentally discussing the matter of apologizing to the Queen of Schwari.
Previously, it was also Prince Dexter who had fully delegated this responsibility to the New Party. Now that an incident had occurred, presumably he couldn't even maintain his face. Therefore, after hearing the words of the Gryphon Party Leader, he fell silent for a second or two. Without even giving the New Party a chance to defend themselves, he then said,
"I will go back and discuss this matter with His Majesty the King... But the New Party has indeed disappointed me immensely this time. In the name of Godlin, I order the New Party members to conduct disciplinary self-examinations before the midterm elections, and halt all propagandizing activities directed at the masses! Otherwise, I will initiate a new round of no-confidence votes against the New Party..."
"Alright, this meeting is adjourned for now!"
Upon hearing that New Party personnel were prohibited from conducting any propagandizing activities, Xi Yate's ears perked up, and even a smile appeared on her face. At first glance, one could tell she was delighted because she could slack off.
Fisher reached out and turned off the radio, incidentally putting down the pen in his hand.
He was currently writing a reply letter to Elizabeth. Yesterday, after learning that he had been in an incident, she wrote a letter back to console him that very night.
She was currently inspecting the Royal Navy Fleet stationed at Selikang Port. She was fully responsible for the royal military forces, and would only return in a few days.
Originally, the royal military was personally managed by the King. But because Godolin IX's health was truly too poor, and Prince Dexter had no military talent, combined with frequent friction with Schwari at the time, the King was forced by circumstances to temporarily appoint Elizabeth to take charge of military affairs for the sake of the kingdom's safety.
But at the same time, the King didn't allow her to touch any Nari political affairs, evidently preparing to pass the throne to Dexter later on.
Elizabeth already knew about this incident. The letter inquired about whether Fisher was injured and the like, and also said she would come visit him again after she returned.
Fisher then roughly wrote down that he was fine, incidentally describing the situation at the time.
Hesitating for a moment, he also wrote down his suspicion that the mastermind behind the scenes wasn't the Witch Research Society. After all, once Elizabeth returned, he would begin setting about investigating the matters concerning the Pink Pavilion. It was impossible for Elizabeth to be affiliated with the Pink Pavilion, so she was trustworthy. When the time came, her help would be indispensable.
Having written to the end, Fisher's pen tip paused slightly. He seemed to have recalled her sorrowful gaze in front of the carriage previously. Pausing for several seconds, Fisher still wrote an extra line of consolation as a conclusion,
"The nights in Selikang Port are quite cold. Take care to stay warm. There is no need to worry about Nari; matters have already settled."
"—Fisher"
Subsequently, he wrapped the letter in a work envelope, preparing to mail it out after packing it.
"Wu, I won't have to go give propagandizing speeches anymore, and there won't be any New Party people managing me either. This is truly too wonderful. Do you want to go running with me? I am in a very good mood right now."
"...Alright."
Fisher glanced at Xi Yate beside him. Thinking that there was nothing else going on, just as he was about to agree, the office door was knocked.
"Please come in."
The door opened but didn't fully open, only cracking open a sliver. A large, watery eye was revealed from within. Fisher and Xi Yate, who poked her head in, looked toward the door. Afterwards, the face of the eye's owner turned ruddy.
"Jasmine?"
"Professor Fisher..."
It still required Fisher to speak first before the girl at the doorway dared to open the door a bit more, revealing her proud body wearing a dress.
Once the door opened, Xi Yate, who suddenly saw some massive objects, opened her mouth slightly. Subsequently, she subconsciously looked down at herself, resulting in only seeing two horse hooves beneath small hills.
Just one glance and one would know she absolutely wasn't a match, alright?
Jasmine's gaze, on the other hand, was attracted by Xi Yate's lower-half equine body. It seemed this was also her first time seeing a Centaur demi-human.
However, Xi Yate probably still thought Jasmine was a human. She carefully scrutinized the Jasmine who entered the room, then shook her head and said to Fisher,
"Forget it. If you have matters, get busy first. I'm leaving."
"Alright, I'll come find you next time."
"Hmph, hmph, I'll wait for you to come."
It seemed Xi Yate was still somewhat unnatural in front of other humans. Only when she was with Fisher, who possessed a gentle and egalitarian gaze, could Xi Yate converse freely.
Fisher smiled and bid her farewell, watching her raise her horse hooves and gallop back toward the Southern Continent Demi-Human Protection Association.
He would go research that Centaur girl later on. Incidentally, Fisher briefly explained Xi Yate's identity to Jasmine,
"That one was a Demi-human Race from the Southern Continent. She works in the Nari New Party. Have a seat."
"Mn..."
Fisher poured a cup of coffee for Jasmine. Looking at Fisher's back, Jasmine pinched her own small skirt. She was unclear whether Fisher had spoken out about her being a Demi-Human. However, besides the Nari police calling her in to record what happened inside the magic, no one else had sought her out.
"Are you worrying about whether I spoke out about you being a Demi-Human?"
"Ah! N-No..." Jasmine shook her head, but when Fisher sat opposite her, she nodded again and said in a small voice,
"Because... because Professor Fisher also has no necessity to help me conceal this matter... I... I also snuck in to study; it doesn't conform to the university's rules."
"What you say makes sense. Humans have never seen a Demi-Human from the ocean prior to this. Yet you unknowingly blended into human society. Whether publicly or privately, I doubt whether you carry malicious intentions toward us..."
"No! I have no malice toward humans. I really like humans. Whether it's Milika, Isabelle, or... or Professor Fisher, you are all very friendly. I also really cherish the time spent with you all. So... so that's why I want to continue this kind of lifestyle."
Fisher looked straight at her. For a time, there were no other words. It wasn't until Jasmine became even more tense that he finally said,
"I am willing to believe you hold no malice toward us, and I am also willing to help you conceal your identity..."
"Really?"
"But this is not without a price."
If Jasmine hadn't been blessed by Ramastia right now, her two long ears would definitely be flapping about, exactly like a stranded whale.
"Eh?"
Jasmine blanked out for a moment. Following this, she didn't know what she thought of, but her fingers gripped her dress even tighter. Her face was once again dyed a layer of cherry color, and her eyes also slowly moistened.
This young girl with little experience in the world was always prone to blushing, looking as enticing as a defenseless flower waiting for anyone to pluck.
She somewhat wanted to cry, because she felt the sensation of being threatened for the first time. What Professor Fisher mentioned...
Is it that kind of matter?
Too excessive... too excessive...
"Tell me your purpose for coming ashore. Incidentally, allow me to research your type of Demi-Human. I am very interested in Demi-Humans from the ocean. I will not reveal these matters to outsiders."
"..."
Jasmine kept her mouth open. It wasn't until Fisher spoke the contents of his conditions that she realized it after the fact. Then, she suddenly had an impulse to finding a ditch to drill into and never emerge for the rest of her life.
She had actually just been thinking that Professor Fisher wanted to do bad deeds to her, so she felt somewhat ashamed and indignant, as well as an indescribable sensation.
Therefore, once Fisher stated his true objective, her, who overthought everything, was so ashamed she had nowhere to hide.
However, only now did Jasmine recall that Fisher was one of the few humans... no, it should be said he was the only scholar who researched Demi-Humans. Previously, when the term started, she had even wanted to select the Demi-Human Research class he offered. But it seemed that in the entire school, only she had selected this class, so it wasn't successfully established.
Moreover, Reinar had also mentioned before that Professor Fisher was very amiable. If she wanted to find someone, she could seek his help.
Having thought about it, Jasmine, blushing, covered her own chest and earnestly raised her head to respond,
"I trust Professor Fisher, so I won't hide anything from you. If you want to research, there is no problem either. But can Professor Fisher also tell me more about humans? After all... after all, I am your student teaching assistant. We must mutually... mutually be frank, right?"
This sentence was what Fisher had said to her inside the magic earlier. He didn't expect her to remember it so deeply.
"There is no need to be so formal... Research is mutual. If there is anything you want to ask, you can ask me at any time."
Fisher smiled. Waiting until she took a sip of coffee, he brought out the Demi-Human Completion Handbook in front of her.
Of course, she couldn't see it. Only before Fisher's own eyes did lines of illusory text emerge.
[Researchable Subjects: 0/2]
[Jasmine, Juvenile Whale-kin]
That's right, Fisher precisely wanted to bind Jasmine right now, so that he would gain rewards from researching later on. However, Fisher was still rather doubtful as to whether she was the [Mysterious Son of the Sea] or not. He would wait and see if he could discover any differences between her and other Whale-kin later.
Fisher had already discovered a pattern; these apocalyptic figures were all the most special ones within their respective populations.
It could be their thoughts were special, or their Traits were special, or their physical strength was special...
It was just that because the Son of the Sea didn't have defining modifiers in front like the [Crimson Dragon Queen] or the [Undying Witch]; the Son of the Sea's modifier was [Mysterious]. Fisher still hadn't figured out what this meant.
However, researching Whale-kin allowed for two chances. This gave Fisher the cost for trial and error. Only after he first understood the societal and physiological structure of the Whale-kin, and knew the ecology of the Ocean Demi-Humans, would it perhaps be easier to look for the specific identity of the apocalyptic figure.
Using his consciousness, he touched [Bind]. That familiar pain instantly swept through Fisher's body. But this time, it should be due to the fact that his Soul underwent Soul Ascension; he clearly saw exactly how the Demi-Human Completion Handbook bound a Demi-human Race.
He saw the Whale-kin text abruptly glow on the pages of the Completion Handbook. Countless illusory golden threads poured out from within, linking firmly onto Fisher's soul from the void. That connecting method was clearly gentle, yet his soul felt pain exactly like being electrocuted. Even with his soul having ascended once, the pain didn't diminish in the slightest.
It turned out this kind of intense pain originated from his own soul instead of his body. No wonder it could hurt this much.
Fisher did his utmost to guarantee his facial expression revealed no flaws, and thus sat in the office chair. Countless complex connections seemed to be born between himself and the Demi-Human Completion Handbook, but they had not the slightest correlation with Jasmine. That was why only he felt pain during bonding. This Completion Handbook only tormented him relentlessly.
"Professor Fisher?"
"I'm fine, just thinking about some matters."
Jasmine still discovered something was slightly amiss. Just as she was about to step forward, Fisher had already shaken his head and returned to tranquility, indicating he was only thinking about a problem.
He had already bound successfully. Before his eyes, a new line of text reappeared:
[Whale-kin Biology Research Progress: 2%]
[Whale-kin Society Research Progress: 0%]
The Demi-Human Completion Handbook heated up slightly. Following this, that golden radiance sluggishly vanished. It once again changed into a very ordinary book similar to a fairy tale book.