novelraw Chapter 359: Wedding Date
Chapter 359: Wedding Date
"H-Holy Matrimony?!"
With a completely red face, Valentiina looked at that line of ancient Northern Border text on the scroll. She read it over and over again in disbelief. It was only when her shocked gaze was about to see through the scroll that she finally seemed certain of the information recorded on the scroll and raised her head.
Companion?
Isn't that Fisher?!
Blushing, Valentiina looked at Fisher beside her, only to abruptly realize he was also looking at her at the same time. This frightened her so much she immediately retracted her gaze a bit, and her words also became trembling,
"Wait, why... would Lord Moon Princess issue this kind of command? Did y-you grab the wrong one? The true last will of the Moon Princess absolutely wouldn't..."
Darivuvu innocently shook her head, looking at Valentiina and speaking,
"How is that possible? No matter how low the importance of other items belonging to the Moon Princess are, I might dare to take them out to bask in the sun. But this thing is the Moon Princess's last will. No matter how careless I am, it's impossible for me to get it wrong. Furthermore, besides the Phoenix bloodline, no one else can open this scroll anymore. Anyway, there's no mistake, this is the last will left by the Moon Princess. Her Venerable Self doing this must definitely have her reasons... it's just that we can only obey her orders. We can only give you guys the Troll Sigil after you complete the holy matrimony."
Valentiina was too shocked to speak. She saw Darivuvu before her eyes already helplessly hugging her arms, bearing an appearance of preparing to resolutely execute the Moon Princess's command.
"Then I..."She looked at Fisher beside her quite shyly. He bore no expression, seemingly pondering something. Conversely, Eimhart on his shoulder spoke cheaply,
"Oh my, why are you looking at Fisher? Just ask yourself if you can do it and that's it, right? I understand this person. When it comes to marriage or whatever, he's always been capable... Wu-wu-wu!"
Before Eimhart could finish speaking, Fisher gently reached out to take him down to prevent him from spouting more nonsense. He pondered for a moment, looking at that unrolled True Ice Scroll, and spoke to Valentiina,
"Phoenixes possess the ability to see the future. As a standout amongst them, the Moon Princess clearly possessed even more outstanding abilities in this regard. Even if she could see the future thousands of years later, I wouldn't be surprised... And the most important information here is actually that the Phoenix bloodline the Moon Princess has constantly been waiting for is indeed you, Valentiina. Otherwise, even if she forcefully instructed us to marry, I couldn't ignore your wishes, right?"
"The key lies in the fact that, if you brought more than one person up here, then the 'holy matrimony' the Moon Princess spoke of would be meaningless. Thousands of years ago, she was already certain you would definitely arrive here with me. Then, she must also definitely know the problem you are currently facing. The situation of your human body being unable to accommodate the Phoenix blood needs to be resolved. Is it possible that the so-called 'holy matrimony' actually refers to some sort of ritual unknown to us, which can help you integrate the Phoenix blood within your body?"
Looking at Fisher before her eyes seriously analyzing the possibilities of the command left by the Moon Princess, Valentiina breathed a sigh of relief while simultaneously giving rise to a faint feeling of resentment.
That sigh of relief was for Fisher's respect towards her wishes. This feeling of being valued made her heart warm and sunny; yet that subsequent hint of resentment originated from another possibility, a suspicion that Fisher might not want to marry her at all... This kind of two-sided thinking actually lacked any rationality to speak of. But anyway, it was merely the little thoughts she hid in her heart and never expressed.
In summary, she was extremely conflicted, but generally speaking, she also wanted to perform holy matrimony with Fisher.
If she ultimately couldn't find a method to extend her lifespan from within the Wutong Tree, then at least leaving no regrets for herself and him would be good too.
"Valentiina?"
"Ah, hey, um... I'm listening."
Valentiina, whose thoughts had drifted off to who knows where, was suddenly awakened by Fisher's puzzled calling voice. Her face instantly turned red, covering her gradually heating cheeks as she spoke like this.
Fisher looked at her for a second or two. Subsequently, he turned his head and inquired of Darivuvu whether the Moon Princess's so-called "holy matrimony" was some sort of ritual.
Darivuvu crossed her arms and thought for a second or two. Subsequently, her eyes suddenly lit up, and she clapped her hands together,
"Oh right, I remember now!"
Valentiina covered her face and pursed her lips. Inwardly, she couldn't tell whether she wanted the other party to say the answer that "holy matrimony" was actually some sort of ritual or not.
"W-What is it?"
It was only a pity that, the next second, Darivuvu's excited expression returned to calm anew. She merely said,
"Holy matrimony is indeed a ritual, the ritual of getting married. After two people tie the knot, share a bed, and consummate the marriage at night, this ritual is completed. Then the two of you can take our Troll Sigil away. I can also prepare a teleportation magic circle to take you to my mother's location, and have her guide your path to the Wutong Tree. It's that simple."
Fisher raised an eyebrow, subsequently turning his head to look at Valentiina lying on the ground, causing her blushing face to turn away. She murmured,
"What are you looking at me for?"
"I am considering whether to act according to the Moon Princess's last will. If it's solely for the sake of entering the so-called Wutong Tree to perform holy matrimony, it would inevitably be too strange. But if it's for you..."
"If it's for me, then what?"
Valentiina turned her head away. Clearly her head wasn't even facing Fisher, but those faintly bright irises constantly glanced over towards Fisher's side, seemingly secretly sizing up his current expression and his gaze upon her...
Such small movements of hers naturally couldn't be hidden from the sharp Fisher. His gaze darkened slightly. While sweeping his eyes over her graceful figure hidden beneath the robe, he spoke,
"If it's for you, for your life, for your cuteness and beauty, I also want to..."
"D-Don't say anymore. These kinds of words are... too... too strange..."
Valentiina was made to almost start smoking by Fisher's few calm words. This made her hastily wave her hands, clearly completely unable to parry such words from Fisher. She didn't lower her waving hands, merely panting a few times. Peeking through the gaps of her extended fingers, she placed her gaze on Fisher's body. After opening her mouth several times, only then did she speak quietly,
"Mhm, then let's perform that... holy matrimony... Don't misunderstand, I, I'm also doing this for Fisher..."
Holding her face, Darivuvu revealed a "hehe" smile. Unsure if she was recalling the past events between her and Kokolia, although the male and female relationship was reversed, this kind of resonance didn't originate from external appearances, but rather from a deeper place.
Eimhart parted his lips. Inwardly he thought it was a good thing this matter wasn't known by his ex-girlfriend, ex-ex-girlfriend, and ex-ex-exes... Otherwise, just the Empress of Naris alone would probably explode on the spot, right?
Fisher was slightly stunned. He gently reached out a hand and grasped the hand she used to cover her shy face into his palm. Seeing this, Darivuvu also stood up with a slight smile and clapped her hands, saying,
"It seems you guys have already decided to obey the Moon Princess's command. This is good too. Holy matrimony is extremely important whether it's for Phoenixes, the Six Tribes, or other races. We need some time to prepare... Coincidentally, while preparing for the holy matrimony, I can also set up the teleportation ritual. These skills were taught to us by those slimes in the past. We haven't used them for a long time and still need to familiarize ourselves with them again."
"Today and tomorrow are needed for preparation. The holy matrimony will officially begin the night after tomorrow. Early morning the day after the day after tomorrow, you will be able to get our Sigil and head to Wutong... Oh right, holy matrimony has strict procedures in the Phoenix ceremonies. I'll show it to you guys later. We still have to follow the steps within."
Fisher raised an eyebrow. He was still somewhat worried that Erwind behind them would catch up. If he arrived during the holy matrimony, then the holy matrimony would turn from a joyful occasion into a funeral. He didn't think this group of Trolls could block Erwind, who was already one step away from the Mythic Rank.
"Procedures? Will that take very long? We must seize the time."
Valentiina knew Fisher might still be facing an extremely powerful enemy. He had told her about this matter that night, merely not specifically revealing who it was. However, she also had no objections to speeding up the procedures. As long as there was witnessing and a bit of ceremony, it would be fine. Because the most important thing was Fisher, not these convoluted formalities.
"Sigh, you guys are just exactly the same as I was back then! Wishing you could consummate the marriage right at the wedding, right? Hehe, kindred spirits, kindred spirits."
With a red face, Valentiina spat at her, saying quietly,
"Who's the same as you..."
However, as she spoke, she also secretly cast a glance at Fisher's sturdy body and muscles, retracting her gaze before the other party discovered it.
Darivuvu didn't joke anymore either. She merely smiled and shook her head, speaking,
"The procedures of the holy matrimony are fixed and cannot be altered. This is the marriage ritual left behind by the Phoenixes. What the Moon Princess wanted you to accomplish is 'holy matrimony' and not a simple human wedding. This might be her habit of vocabulary, or she might have her considerations. Anyway, let's just handle it according to her intentions. You won't be disappointed..."
"If you are worrying about someone possibly chasing after you or the curse within the Wutong Tree, you can rest assured about both. Ever since you arrived, Kokolia has already closed the Phoenix Bridge heading here. And our settlement is a location found personally by my mother. This place is wrapped by spatial turbulence; the curse inside the Wutong Tree cannot sense our existence."
She stood up, preparing to walk towards the door of this stone main hall, yet her voice never ceased.
"Before this, not only can you learn about what the Phoenixes' holy matrimony ritual is like, but there are also many ancient texts within our tribe available for reading... We Trolls are relatively long-lived compared to other races; even that bunch of slimes are inferior to us in terms of average lifespan. Reading the books within our tribe can allow you to know quite a few things impossible to know at the bottom of the mountain. Whether it's about the Phoenixes, the Six Tribes, or that war with the Stars... it might be helpful for your journey entering the Wutong Tree. Oh right, I forgot to say..."
Darivuvu scratched the back of her head, turned her head around, and smilingly said while looking at Fisher and Valentiina,
"Wishing you a happy marriage."
Fisher was slightly stunned. He lowered his head and exchanged a glance with Valentiina, whose face had instantly regained its redness. Her lips trembled. Unsure if she wanted to say something, she ultimately failed to speak a single word in the end. Turning her head away anew, she didn't dare to look at him.
Fisher was amused by her adorable appearance. He gently rubbed Valentiina's head, picking her up in a hug before she could pout her lips, turn her head, and hold him accountable. He was also prepared to follow Darivuvu outside.
Although he didn't believe those spatial turbulences could completely block Erwind outside, it could at least delay him for some days. Since this was the case, he also had to properly grasp this hard-won breathing room to make sufficient preparations for the impending danger.
"Eimhart, let's go."
"Oh."
Eimhart, who had been playing dead hiding amongst the stone handicrafts, reluctantly and slowly flew onto his shoulder. He lowered his head again and cast a glance at Valentiina leaning in his embrace. Subsequently, he curled his lips, and muttered in a voice only he himself could hear,
"Heavens, marriage, marriage! Something that sounds so discordant with Fisher is actually going to happen! This is simply too unbelievable. I think the other people on the list would also think so... Mhm, it must definitely be like this."
The night gradually darkened. The Sema Mountain Range tonight was quite quiet. There was only the slight sound of the chilling breeze brushing past the white snow and buildings. Amidst such a piercing cold wind, a black gentleman wearing leather clothes and a plague doctor mask suddenly appeared, at some unknown point in time, before the ruins Fisher had previously arrived at. His pace in the heavy snow was slow, yet as if constantly blinking, he instantly arrived at the center of that desolate and dilapidated architectural ruin.
His plague doctor mask twitched slightly. In this darkness devoid of light, he slowly moved his footsteps. If you observed carefully, you would discover that every step of his was identical to the footsteps Fisher took in the morning.
Following Fisher's footsteps downwards, he passed through the broken walls and debris of this building, arriving within the pitch-black underground space. Surpassing the ground littered with corpses that had long grown icy, surpassing the slightly protruding stone platform in the center of the main hall, he arrived before Fisher's final trace...
It was just that, before his eyes, there was no deep and serene corridor that Fisher had seen in the morning. Before him was merely a stone wall. Written upon it in ancient Northern Border language was:
[Phoenix Bridge]
Standing before that wall blocking his path, Erwind slowly reached out a hand and placed it on the wall.
"Rumble!"
The next second, accompanied by an enormous rumbling sound, the wall before Erwind's eyes, the underground main hall, together with the broken walls and debris above ground and the massive stone pillar piercing through the mountain peak all shattered in response. The entire mountain peak erupted into a soaring pillar of snow as if directly struck by a thirteen-ring gravity magic. Beneath the blowing of the night sky's chill winds, it remained difficult to dissipate for a long time.
Yet Erwind, standing amidst an expanse of snow dust and devastation, remained motionless, as if it wasn't him who caused that terrifying destruction. His plague doctor mask merely lifted slightly, his gaze piercing through that drifting snow dust all around, looking towards the rear of the wall he had smashed...
Behind the wall there was no road. In the direction of Fisher's original traces advancing forward, only a cliff so deep its bottom couldn't be seen, and the silhouette of mountain ranges undulating amidst the clouds and mist with an invisible end presented themselves within Erwind's eyes.
The chilling winds howled fiercely, complementing his silence at this moment.
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(End of this chapter)