novelraw Chapter 250: Eve of the Eastern Ocean
Chapter 250: Eve of the Eastern Ocean
Locks of golden hair consequently fell to the floor, making the ground look somewhat messy.
"Once the magic activates, it will cover the area around the head of your bed. It would be best not to move far away from it; you wouldn't want to continue being a pig's head by tomorrow, right?"
"I won't be a pig's head..."
Isabel hastily used the small broom in the room to sweep up the scattered golden hair on the floor, gathering them into a pile.
Fisher, on the other hand, placed that iron plate by her bedside, waiting for her to lie down before he would activate this healing magic.
But seeing her hair—which, although reaching her shoulders at the back, was of uneven lengths—as she swept the floor beside him, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows unintentionally. He then crooked a finger at her and said.
"Come here first."
"Ah?"
Fisher took out the black sword hilt from his hand and summoned the Fluid Sword, which flowed rapidly like mercury. Since the blade of the Fluid Sword was made of rapidly flowing liquid, it was impossible to attach magic materials used for engraving magic onto it, nor could it be used as a magic engraving knife. However, it was quite fitting for trimming a young girl's hair.
Seeing Fisher summon the Fluid Sword, Isabel instantly understood what he meant. She obediently sat down in front of him, letting him help comb and trim the uneven blonde hair on her head, but she still subconsciously asked a question."Is the hair I cut very ugly?"
She thought Fisher would be polite and offer a pleasantry, but to her surprise, he nodded very decisively and replied,
"Mhm, very ugly."
Where he couldn't see, Isabel secretly puffed up her cheeks, truly not understanding why her older sister Elizabeth could like such a romantically insensitive Teacher Fisher. It was bad enough that he rarely showed a pleasant expression on a regular basis, but the things he said always hurt a girl's heart, just like back during the Gothrin Festival.
"However, just like your sister, you have perfectly inherited the signature blonde hair of the Gedrin family. Your hair quality is very good, making this awkward coiffure passably presentable... Don't move, this blade is very sharp and might cut your scalp."
"...Okay."
Isabel pursed her lips, feeling Fisher's fingers gliding through her hair, bringing a slightly crisp and numb sensation that made her comfortably narrow her eyes a bit, beginning to enjoy this service akin to a massage.
Although Teacher Fisher always sported a displeasing expression, the more he was like that, the more it made his gentleness at this moment seem exceptionally precious. So, was this why her sister was moved by him?
As Isabel enjoyed it, she suddenly realized that Fisher's movements seemed entirely too adroit. Could it be because he had done the exact same thing for her sister?
Thus, she opened her eyes and asked Fisher behind her.
"Teacher Fisher, have you combed my sister's hair before too?"
"Little kids sure like to ask about these things. I'm starting to doubt whether your sister sending you to university was a good thing... Alright, it's combed out nicely. Have a look at how it appears."
"Oh, it actually looks really nice like this..."
Fisher didn't answer her question; instead, he stood the Fluid Sword in his hand upright and turned it into a smooth mirror surface, reflecting her current appearance. It was her first time seeing herself with short hair, and looking at it like this, she felt it carried quite a valiant spirit, a completely different style from before.
Seeing her instinctively begin to stick out her chest and preen herself, Fisher retracted the Fluid Sword back into his clothes, then lightly snapped his fingers, activating the healing magic at the head of the bed.
In reality, Fisher hadn't just combed Elizabeth's hair; he had also kissed the corners of her lips and her fingers. Basically, they had done everything except the final step, but naturally, it was inappropriate to tell Isabel about such matters.
According to tradition, the ladies of the Gedrin family were strictly forbidden from coming into contact with such content prior to marriage. In ancient times, princesses were as pure and holy as the Holy Maidens of the Church. But ever since princesses had begun entering universities to study alongside others, they had inevitably learned something about these matters.
Elizabeth's knowledge regarding romance was learned entirely through practical experience with Fisher, while Isabel had acquired hers through theoretical study with Milika, that "storybook princess."
"The magic has been fully activated. The healing magic will accelerate the flow of congested blood in your body, so there might be a slight sensation of pain at times. Just bear with it, and you'll be fine."
"Mhm..."
Fisher didn't linger any longer, and the sound of rain outside had lessened considerably. He walked to the door, preparing to leave. Just as he was about to push the door open, Isabel's voice came from behind him.
"Good night, Teacher Fisher."
"Good night."
Fisher waved at her, then left her room, leaving only the short-haired Isabel gazing somewhat reservedly at the closed door, experiencing the rising warmth brought by the healing magic.
No wonder my sister likes Teacher Fisher so much...
Looking at the healing magic placed by the bedside, then touching the neatly trimmed short hair on her head, she suddenly had this thought.
The next morning, the Iceberg Queen had already sailed out of last night's continuous drizzle. The weather this morning was great, and Fisher woke up quite early as well. Just as he was about to get some breakfast, Eimhart flew over from beside the squirrel-kin girls who were still asleep and landed on his shoulder.
Fisher cast a glance at Eimhart, whose single eye and mouth were yawning entirely too forcefully, looking exactly as if he hadn't slept well.
"Heh, those three little brats, not only did they grind their teeth in the middle of the night, they even tried to bite me! They simply treated the great Eimhart as a teething stick!"
"Who told you to sleep with them last night?"
"I thought you weren't going back to your room last night and taking a rest in the captain's room instead... How bad would it be if I went there, interrupting your beautiful romantic moment."
Eimhart had left before he went to the kitchen to engrave the magic. He probably assumed that by not returning to his room at night, Fisher had gone out for a secret rendezvous with Alajina. He didn't bother explaining, walking toward the front of the deck together with the chattering Sir Book Artifact. There, quite a few crew members had already begun their training.
At first glance, Fisher spotted Isabel, who, although placed at the very end of the line, was biting her lip and forcefully pushing herself to keep up. Furthermore, whether it was an illusion or not, upon catching sight of him out of the corner of her eye, Isabel actually began running even harder, her face turning quite red from holding her breath, causing the nearby crew members to unavoidably steal glances at her.
Only Eimhart cast a suspicious glance at him, then looked back at Isabel.
Fisher then looked up at the top of the mast. Sure enough, he saw Aoxi, who was still exactly the same as in the past. The morning breeze was gentle, making her short white hair flutter like waves in the light of the rising sun.
"Mr. Fisher, good morning!"
Beside the deck, Pakhz, holding a telescope, greeted him with a smiling face. A small pendant had suddenly appeared around her neck, strung together from an empty casing of a double-barreled shotgun. This discovery made Fisher unavoidably scrutinize Pakhz's smiling expression a bit longer.
If Old Jack hadn't been resting properly in his room last night, Fisher probably wouldn't have been able to stop himself from suspecting whether something had happened between them.
"Good morning, First Mate Pakhz."
"Hey, we'll likely arrive at the junction between the Eastern Ocean and the Southern Ocean in these next few days. There's a well-positioned place called the Patlusion Archipelago there, which sells quite a few interesting trinkets... Not only can we resupply there, but the crew generally goes down to relax a bit too. There are entertainment venues specifically aimed at Northerners there. Of course, I usually don't go."
Looking at how Pakhz was winking at him, Fisher was momentarily not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
As for the matter between Pakhz and Old Jack, Fisher wasn't worried, or rather, it wasn't at the point where he should be concerned. The two of them were a full cycle older than him... It's just that Fisher always felt Old Jack treated Pakhz like a fellow gang brother from his youth, whereas Pakhz harbored some entirely ulterior motives.
"What I mean is, the captain also never goes to those kinds of places. She normally doesn't have any strange hobbies: she doesn't gamble, she isn't lustful, and even with alcohol, she stops after a brief attempt... I heard she wants to buy you some clothes and things on that island. You help me see how much money she has saved up in her little treasury. She is too frugal, she needs someone to help her spend her money, you know?"
Fisher smiled but didn't respond. He subconsciously looked up toward the mast above his head, only to unexpectedly catch Aoxi's silently peeking gaze.
"Stare..."
Upon seeing Fisher suddenly look up at her, she hastily turned her gaze in another direction, reverting back into the entirely unmoving "watchtower" of the Iceberg Queen. But in her arms, that colorful parrot Steel Knife couldn't help but stick its head out, tilting it toward him.
"Idiot... idiot."
Fisher chuckled, then responded to Pakhz's words.
"I know."
"Heheh, that's good, that's good... By the way, go eat quickly, there is still quite a lot of food in the dining hall. As well as those three squirrel-girls, Mr. Jack asked me to come up and call them down for breakfast just now... Oh my, it seems I completely forgot."
Pakhz smacked her forehead in distress with the hand holding the telescope, then ran towards the cabins in the rear in a panic.
Watching her retreating figure, Fisher leaned against the railing in front of him, gazing out at the sea ahead.
As long as the ship entered the Eastern Ocean, it meant they weren't far from their final destination, the Pirate Port. And after that, he would likely set off for the Northern Border to search for the remaining Snow Mountain Familiars or more demi-human girls to research...
He roughly made a little plan in his heart, but then suddenly thought of something. He turned his head and shouted after Pakhz, asking.
"First Mate Pakhz, what's for breakfast this morning?"
Pakhz's figure could no longer be seen; only a muffled response drifted over from far away.
"We're having egg soup!"