novelraw Chapter 240: Trade
Chapter 240: Trade
"Frostwood... Sycamore Tree?"
Upon hearing Valentiina's words, Alajina chewed over this somewhat familiar term. She finally found the corresponding noun in the Northern Border myths and legends regarding the worship of the Frost Phoenix.
However, everyone in the Northern Border believed that the legendary Sycamore Tree was not real. Humans had ventured deep into the snowy mountains countless times, yet had never found any trace of the Phoenix Sycamore Tree.
"Ah, that's right. They are real... at least they used to be real."
Sitting in the wheelchair, Valentiina with her hands crossed didn't respond. She just glanced at the man in red beside her. The Schwalian named Balthazar coughed softly, then began answering Alajina's doubts, saying,
"Ahem... It's like this. according to existing research, the available tomes rarely describe how the glorious Phoenixes met their end. Even today, you people of the Northern Border still revere them as immortal gods... But the truth is, they were mysterious beings that truly lived and ultimately vanished.
"The relics my boss and I hold are proof of their true existence. They were once the weapons of the two Children of the Phoenix."
Alajina looked at Valentiina in the wheelchair with a hint of realization. She saw her gently push open the small wooden box in her hand, revealing the black weapon shaped like a half-crescent moon inside.
Unlike Alajina's Ice Prince, this weapon showed no abnormalities even when stored in the wooden box. However, if one observed carefully, they would discover a soft radiance akin to moonlight occasionally flowing across the blade. The cold air seeping out from that radiance was in no way inferior to the Ice Prince, but was entirely concealed within the weapon, making it difficult to detect.
When the [Moon Princess] relic revealed its true form, the tattoo on Alajina's back grew increasingly hot. An imposing cold air subconsciously radiated outward, seemingly demonstrating to the weapon in Valentiina's embrace.In contrast, the weapon in Valentiina's hand appeared incredibly gentle. It had no reaction at all, simply lying quietly in that small wooden box, as if it couldn't see the Ice Prince in the distance.
"Over these years, I have been researching these legends. According to unverified rumors in the Northern Border, the relationship between the three Children of the Phoenix didn't seem to be good. They frequently had disputes.
"Even the six demi-human Snow Mountain Familiars that followed them were drawn into this fierce conflict. Thus, for a period of time, the atmosphere in the Northern Border was somewhat tense."
"The demise of the Phoenixes might be related to such conflicts. However, this cannot explain what role the Phoenix King, who steadily resided on the Sycamore Tree, played in the story of the Phoenix Race's demise.
"It cannot explain why all the Phoenixes seemed to evaporate overnight, leaving no traces behind. Nor can it explain where the legendary Sycamore Tree has gone now..."
This man in red from Schwari seemed to be a scholar like Fisher, specifically one specializing in Northern Border history. No wonder Fisher felt he was basically of no threat when he stood beside the Lion-kin Filis earlier...
Or rather, most normal scholars were like this. Fisher was considered a rather unique one among them, whether in his field of research or his combat ability.
The Balthazar before them became increasingly excited as he spoke about his field of research; even his speaking speed sped up noticeably,
"Until a few years ago, when I was researching in the Sema Mountains, I unexpectedly discovered a Cangniao-zhong tomb under the ice. The ancestors of the tomb owner were once among the countless Cangniao-zhong that followed the eldest Child of the Phoenix, the Ice Prince.
"Long after the Phoenixes and the Sycamore Tree disappeared, he and many Cangniao-zhong compatriots returned to the vicinity of the snowy mountains. And there, they obtained a clue about the Sycamore Tree."
"Regarding it as a hope to return home, they dispatched their tribesmen to pursue it..."
"Heh, according to the tomb records, before all the Phoenixes disappeared, one of the Children of the Phoenix secretly dispatched a scroll sent from the Sycamore Tree out of the Northern Border continent via loyal subordinates. That scroll is the True Ice Scroll currently placed within the gold box. No one knows what is recorded inside, but most likely it contains direct clues closely related to the Sycamore Tree."
"But unfortunately, although the Cangniao-zhong had dispatched countless tribesmen far overseas attempting to retrieve this item, ultimately, without exception, they all ended in failure.
"They even paid a bitter price for this, so much so that completely today, their tribesmen have either died and vanished or been reduced to vassals... The Cangniao-zhong buried in that Cangniao-zhong tomb was one of the few survivors of their tribe. It was also him who finally decided to give up the search for this clue, and brought it into the tomb with him."
When he reached this point, Balthazar threw a pointed look at Aoxi standing next to Alajina. Earlier when she had stretched out her wings, he had recognized that she was a member of the Cangniao-zhong.