novelraw Chapter 395: A Dilemma Resolves Itself
Chapter 395: A Dilemma Resolves Itself
"Fisher, you didn't go buy things... so you wanted to go look for her just now?"
Hearing the "sincere" question from the Renee before him, Fisher compared the current situation with everything that had happened since Renee and he boarded the island in an extremely brief moment of time. Casting another glance at the messenger from Alagina pinched in Renee's hand, he very quickly gained a rough understanding of the situation here.
The difficulty naturally lay with both Renee and Alagina, but the primary conflict lay with Renee. They had to be separated first before there was any possibility of resolving it. But first, he had to neutralize the offensive of the murderous Renee. Alagina didn't have any initiative in this Scene of Fierce Conflict and was basically being unilaterally slaughtered, so her priority was lower.
Fisher quickly made a decision. Without the slightest change in his facial expression, he walked over to Alagina's side, stopping not far in front of her. Nodding at Renee, he said,
"Mm, don't be afraid. Let me introduce you. This is no ordinary pirate, she is Captain Alagina, a very kindhearted woman from the Sardin Matriarchy who has helped me a lot in the past. Alagina, this is Renee, my friend."
Alagina nodded blankly. Staying by Fisher's side, she temporarily didn't know whether she should mention that they had actually communicated just a moment ago. However, always clumsy with words, she had clearly been dealt such a severe blow by Renee just now that she was almost completely routed and was just short of Breaking Defenses and striking. Now, in front of Fisher, she didn't want to act like that.
Looking at Fisher standing beside her, Alagina's mood was somewhat complex. On one hand, there was the reassurance and joy of reuniting after a long separation; on the other hand, there was unease. She didn't want Fisher to know that she had harbored such unsightly thoughts when she took him in at the Southern Ocean.
Renee, however, placed her gaze on the position Fisher was standing—closer to Alagina—and temporarily refrained from continuing her attack.
Alagina might be an idiot, but Renee was not. Although Fisher's "don't be afraid" seemed on the surface to be directed at Renee, it was actually meant for Alagina. Furthermore, judging from his positioning and introduction, he hadn't evaded the issue and was clearly sheltering the Alagina who was being bullied by Renee. This meant that right now, he was biased towards Alagina...
"Oh, my apologies, my apologies. I misunderstood. I thought this lady was a bad pirate from the island. I didn't expect her to be your friend. Because the first time we met, she boarded to intercept and search our ship, and I was so frightened at the time... However, since she is Fisher's friend, there's no need to sneak off to see her behind my back. Or is there something wrong with going to see her together with me?"Although Fisher was faintly shielding Alagina, his words didn't contain much offensive intent. Renee probed and attacked again, clinging to the fact that Fisher wanted to see Alagina behind her back, expressing her doubts.
"Mm, indeed there would be a bit of a problem..."
To everyone's absolute surprise, Fisher unexpectedly didn't avoid the issue at all and poked back with his words. It was as if he was blatantly telling Renee that her appearing here would ruin his and Alagina's business, treating her as if she were a superfluous third wheel.
Renee blinked her purple eyes with no obvious change in her expression, but the book cover of the Eimhart in her fair fingers was being pinched into wrinkles bit by bit, prompting him to shoot a pitiful look at the Fisher before him, just short of shouting out loud for help.
Clearly, Renee was also momentarily stunned by Fisher's retort, becoming somewhat At A Loss.
Although she didn't say anything and barely moved, the surrounding atmosphere abruptly plummeted several degrees, making Alagina feel even countless times colder than directly touching the Ice Prince with her bare skin. Fisher remained Motionless, only staring at the Renee before him.
In the deathly silence, she murmured and replied,
"Ah, is that so..."
Just before Renee was about to utter a complete sentence, Fisher shook his head again and said to Renee,
"Because I was somewhat worried you would expose my current state of being pursued by Death. Just now at Old Jack's place, he kept pressing about our situation in the Northlands and our subsequent destination. When I couldn't dodge his questions with excuses several times, he wanted to ask you, which is why I had no choice but to pull you away to leave quickly earlier... Otherwise, I wouldn't have wanted to leave so early."
"And going to see Captain Alagina behind your back later was roughly for the same reason. If it were just me alone, it would be easy to explain my movements. I don't know if I've been infected by you, but after being separated from you for so long and searching for you for so long, now I'm also slightly unaccustomed to and dislike saying goodbye... I'm sorry for making you misunderstand, Renee."
"When I left Naris taking Old Jack and the others with me, I had no one I could rely on. I was almost imprisoned in the Golden Palace by Elizabeth for the rest of my life. It was thanks to Alagina's help that I could successfully escape the encirclement of the Nari Royal Navy. She treated me very well on the ship and even arranged a place for Old Jack and the others to settle down, therefore no matter what, I am exceedingly grateful to her... She has already helped me a lot before. This time I came again, not only did I not bring any repayment for her, but if I had to trouble her again, I would really feel bad about it."
Following this speech, Renee's grip on Eimhart relaxed slightly. The chilling atmosphere present also incrementally recovered until it returned to its original temperature. She shifted her gaze back to the Fisher before her. Sitting on the stone curb, her slender, beautiful legs wrapped in black stockings silently switched position to cross the other one over.
Of course, both ladies present could hear this speech from Fisher, but the information each gleaned was somewhat different.
Renee knew the conversation between Fisher and Old Jack in the tavern earlier like the back of her hand. Naturally, she knew Old Jack hadn't pressed him about his subsequent destination. But this was only superficial logic; it was enough that it made sense. What she truly cared about were Fisher's later words; that was where the true underlying meaning of his speech lay.
First of all, Renee and Fisher had been separated for a long time. Back in Naris, when he suffered severe trauma, became enemies with the whole world, and was forced to flee, it was Alagina who helped him. Even if Alagina might have had her own petty thoughts and minor motives concerning this, it was impossible for Fisher to forget her kindness of providing help in his hour of need.
He was telling Renee that he had to give Alagina an explanation; that was the true reason he gave Alagina that messenger.
If Renee truly knew absolutely nothing about Fisher's affairs, these words from Fisher would have absolutely no effect on her, and on the contrary, wouldn't be able to dispel her suspicions regarding the relationship between Alagina and Fisher. But if Renee was completely clear about the entire process of Fisher's journey and understood Alagina and Fisher's relationship like the back of her hand, then why did she refuse to show herself all this time, refusing to see Fisher, even when he was at his most helpless? Instead choosing to question the Alagina who reached out a helping hand to him right now?
But this didn't mean Fisher was blaming or complaining about Renee who Leave Without Saying Goodbye for a long time. He wasn't that petty.
He understood that there had to be an inevitable reason for Renee's departure. He had always been tolerant and extremely patient toward Renee, even willing to travel thousands of miles to the Northlands to search for her because of it, wanting to know the truth behind her departure even if there was only a strand of hair as a clue. He had never forgotten Renee, constantly keeping her in his mind. Knowing she disliked partings the most, he patiently refrained from questioning her about the things she hid from him, only hoping she would never leave again in the future...
Alagina, on the other hand, had a simpler mind and basically couldn't understand any of the other deep underlying meanings in Fisher's words. All she heard was "Fisher is being pursued by Death."
"Fisher, what are you saying? What do you mean by being pursued by... Death? In the Northlands, what exactly did you..."
But Fisher didn't answer the words of the Alagina behind him first. He merely looked at the Renee before him. Her intoxicating eyes, like fine wine, continuously reflected Fisher's silhouette. It was only after several seconds passed that she smiled and stood up. Reaching her hand out towards Fisher, she said,
"Is that so? It seems I really misunderstood... In that case, Fisher, give me the money. I'll go prepare our subsequent supplies and the Magic Materials, and buy a gift for Eimhart while I'm at it. You catch up with Captain Alagina, as well as Old Jack and those three children. The journey ahead will be arduous; just staying for this short while probably isn't enough to satisfy you, right?"
Hearing her words, Eimhart in her hand trembled in fear, causing Renee to laugh. She patted Eimhart's book cover and comforted him by saying,
"Relax, I'm really going to buy you a gift this time~"
"..."
Eimhart didn't dare to disobey, merely rolling his eyeballs around at Renee.
Looking at Renee's outstretched hand, Fisher didn't hand the money over first. Instead, he said,
"Renee, since we're going to confess our subsequent whereabouts to Alagina now, it would be better if you stayed behind to explain..."
Renee knew what was on Fisher's mind. Only ruthless and greedy people came and went swiftly. A guy like him, who was greedy yet couldn't bear to break anyone's heart, was the one Walking On Thin Ice the most. She didn't plan on adding another fraction of difficulty for him right now.
At this moment, she merely smiled and shook her head. Reaching out and hooking her finger through the air, she snatched the coin pouch back from Fisher's arms, then returned Alagina's messenger to his hand. Subsequently, she turned around and slowly walked in another direction with Eimhart. Her voice only slowly drifted back,
"It's fine, it just so happens I want to take a good stroll nearby. You explain the situation to them. I'll just wait for you at the port. Don't make me wait too long."
"...Alright."
Watching Renee's retreating figure drift further and further away, Fisher breathed a slight sigh of relief. Renee's offensive was temporarily repelled by him, but the problem wasn't resolved yet. Still, Renee yielding and the two separating was already an extremely critical step in resolving the conflict.
If the focus in the first stage, when the two met, was Renee, then after separating, the focus of the breakthrough had to shift to Alagina. This was because Renee had already learned about Alagina's situation early on, whereas Alagina temporarily knew absolutely nothing about Renee.
He exhaled and turned around to look at Alagina beside him. But before he could even open his mouth, the Alagina before him already seemed Unable to Wait as she reached out and hugged Fisher against her chest, holding him so tightly it was as if she wanted to embed him within her own body.
Fortunately, Fisher's Life Rank wasn't low. He only felt that Alagina's body was both cool and soft, making it very comfortable to be hugged by her.
"Fisher..."
A rich fragrance of a woman mixed with sea salt surged into Fisher's nasal cavity, causing him to blankly pat her back and speak,
"I originally intended to look for you, but I didn't expect you to meet Renee first."
"What exactly happened when you went to the Northlands? What do you mean by being pursued by Death?"
Alagina temporarily released Fisher. Without answering Fisher's words, she immediately inquired about his affairs in the Northlands instead.
Fisher sat down in the spot Renee was in just now, gesturing for Alagina to sit beside him, before summarizing what had transpired in the Northlands, omitting some details and emphasizing others. It wasn't until the end, when he spoke of being pierced by the Death Rune, that Alagina raised her head somewhat blankly.
"Previously, I had actually almost given up, intending to come to the Pirate Harbor to see you one last time before going to settle things with Elizabeth. I didn't expect to find Renee again. She said she could help me resolve the problem, which is why I came here with her. But I couldn't bear not seeing you once, because if I ultimately fail and die, this might be the last..."
However, before Fisher could even finish uttering the final word, Alagina had already leaned over and sealed Fisher's mouth with her lips. She embraced Fisher, continuously deepening the kiss. It wasn't until several seconds later that she pulled back slightly and said, panting,
"Sorry, I missed you too much... Don't... don't say things like that."
"...Alright, I won't say it. Just now, did Renee say something to you?"
Alagina pursed her lips. She then sat up straight, taking off the black captain's hat on her head and placing it on her lap. Suddenly, she asked another question,
"Fisher, just now... were you really going to look for me?"
"What else would I do? Besides you, Old Jack and the others, and Isabel, is there anything else I feel nostalgic about here?"
Well, actually, Fisher had also taken the opportunity just now to send a messenger to Naris to relieve Elizabeth's worries, but it basically hadn't taken up much time, so it was mainly to go look for Alagina.
"That's good. I thought... I thought you didn't want to be with me anymore, which was why you had Renee come over to make me back down... I sent the messenger to you just now, but it flew into her hand instead. I thought you tacitly approved of it... Sorry, does thinking like this make me seem not very womanly?"
As Alagina spoke, she suddenly raised her head to look at Fisher and added a sentence, making Fisher somewhat dumbfoundedly chuckle.
"Not very womanly? Do you mean women from the matriarchal country?"
"I don't know either. I've never been romantically involved with a man from the matriarchal country, but you're indeed a bit different from the men in my impression. I'm also a little bit different from how I used to be... So, is Renee courting you?"
"Courting? It naturally doesn't count as that... I don't want to lie to you, Alagina. To be honest, my relationship with Renee is indeed a bit subtle, especially considering you know I met her a very long time ago."
"I know I am the latecomer, but none of that matters. I just want to confirm your relationship with her right now, that's all..."
Alagina turned to look at the Fisher before her. She scanned his body up and down. Through the suit Renee had bought for him, she vaguelly glimpsed a deep, purple symbol. She continued,
"Actually, Fisher, back when you left Naris taking Old Jack with you, I... I was actually a little bit happy. Because I knew I wasn't worthy of you. I'm just an outlaw pirate; everything I have is actually nothing in your eyes. If you hadn't left Naris, I'm afraid I wouldn't have had a chance to be with you in this lifetime... Therefore, although it's very despicable, I indeed thought like that for a moment back then..."
"Elizabeth can bestow upon you dazzling glory and a social status revered by tens of thousands, while I am still a stray dog chased all over the world by my own homeland; Renee can effortlessly help you escape Death's pursuit, while I don't even know what that is... In comparison, I am truly not a good choice. But I really cherish this opportunity, and I don't want to give up..."
Fisher blanked slightly. Looking at the Alagina before him, whose mood was somewhat low, he gently reached out and flicked her forehead.
"From a utilitarian perspective, there are indeed more optimal solutions for us. You always look at me from the perspective of the matriarchal country; it seems the troll bloodline is indeed deeply rooted in your body. This has both advantages and disadvantages. But I am not that kind of person, nor am I a heartless beast. I keep the kindness you've shown me close to my heart, but I've never quantified it. I only remember that deep within the Eastern Ocean, there is a woman named Alagina waiting for me; that's all."
Alagina rubbed her forehead, her earlobes turning pink bit by bit. It seemed that kind of pain generated an unspeakable sense of pleasure within her. If she wasn't feeling somewhat shy, she even wanted to have Fisher do it again... But the most crucial thing was that she didn't sense him letting go of her in his words. This was what she wanted.
Things fell temporarily quiet between the two of them again, and they didn't bring up the matter regarding Renee anymore. Alagina knew in her heart that now wasn't the time; Fisher still had matters to handle, and she wasn't outstanding enough yet... She merely enjoyed the time spent with Fisher, nothing more.
They conversed about some other topics as well, such as Isabel, and what she was doing right now: searching for the Stormsea.
"Isabel is working as a sailor on the ship right now. She improves very quickly and gets along great with the crew members. She handles matters meticulously, and training has made her much stronger... Last time we encountered a Kraken at sea, she even saved the lives of several crew members and shot down one of the sea monster's teeth with her gun. Now she asks Pakhz every day to carve that tooth into a Dagger."
Fisher simply had a bit of trouble imagining how the graceful Isabel from Saint-Nazareth University in the past had turned into this image described by Alagina. Anyway, based on Old Jack and Alagina's descriptions, inside his brain right now, Isabel was almost turning into the image of a native from the Southern Continent who was Brave and Skilled in Battle, or a soldier from the Sardin Woman's Country.
Exactly the kind of woman with dark skin and well-developed biceps...
"Kraken? I think Pakhz mentioned it last time we encountered a Siren in the Southern Ocean... I heard from Old Jack that you're searching for the Stormsea now. Are there any leads yet?"
Alagina shook her head and said,
"There is a lot of Spatial Turbulence deep within the Eastern Ocean. Not a single nautical chart or compass we've crafted works; we can only rely on the experience of navigators. The Black Chieftain has explored that region many times, but he still hasn't figured out the patterns of that turbulence. However, we deduce that the end of the turbulence is the Stormsea. Oh, right, regarding the upcoming matters, is there anything I can help with? I can order the Iceberg Queen Ship to return right now..."
Fisher politely declined Alagina's offer. After all, he also didn't know what method Renee was using to help him escape Death, so he temporarily couldn't say how Alagina could help.
"Alright, I won't go see Old Jack and the others then. Remember to help me keep my situation a secret. Coming and going in a hurry this time, I didn't bring anything for you either..."
Fisher stood up, looking at the setting sun gradually sinking in the west over the distant sea surface. Then, he suddenly lowered his head, pinched Alagina's chin, and kissed her lips fiercely. Bathed in the sunset rays that were being diluted little by little by the distant sky and sea waves, the wound on Alagina that had been viciously stabbed by Renee today healed bit by bit, drowning in the warmth Fisher provided at this moment.
She grew increasingly resolute. For Fisher, she should continue to fight against Renee. She didn't want to just give up like this.
When their lips parted a long while later, Alagina's gaze was somewhat blurred. Before Fisher could speak, she touched his lips again and clutched his shirt.
"I'm leaving, Alagina."
"I'll wait for you to come back, Fisher."
"Mm."
Fisher got up, smoothed his shirt, and prepared to leave. Alagina, however, merely sat where she was with no intention of moving her body. Following such a simple dialogue, the atmosphere of "intense combat" from earlier eased up completely, covered by the scent of the ocean, just as lovely as the currently quiet Alagina.
Under her watchful eyes, Fisher's retreating figure continuously walked further away. That figure illuminated by the sunset was like a flame, slowly igniting the ambition within her heart that hadn't surfaced for a long time. Even if Fisher had no utilitarian thoughts, that woman—Renee—made her feel an Absolutely Unprecedented pressure, as if she could effortlessly snatch Fisher away...
Alagina disliked this feeling of uncertainty. In order to break free from this terrifying shadow, she wouldn't hesitate to do everything in her power to pursue strength.
Alagina sitting in the night breeze could no longer be perceived by Fisher. He retraced the route he and Renee used to arrive this afternoon, heading straight down until he reached the port.
The night breeze blew away the stifling atmosphere within the Pirate Harbor, yet an enormous terror that Fisher needed to resolve was still brewing within the port. That was the finale of this hardship.
The port at dusk was very quiet. It was dinnertime, so there weren't many people on the docks. Fisher slowly arrived at the corner where Renee had moored the small boat earlier. He saw her sitting there, dressed in a black, elegant Carduan gauze dress, seemingly having waited for a long time.
A lot of food and Magic Materials were placed within the small boat. At the stern, Eimhart had his butt sticking up into the air as he read a book. That seemed to be the new gift Renee had just bought for him. It wasn't until Fisher approached the small boat that he turned his head and looked at Fisher.
"I'm back, Renee."
"Mmhmm?"
Renee still sat at the bow, seemingly admiring the beautiful scenery of the setting sun. Seeing Fisher arrive, she turned her beautiful face around, then pointed at the boat and said,
"Finished taking care of it? Then let's set off. Row the boat out of the port first, I'll take us straight to our destination shortly."
"Alright."
Fisher didn't speak first, merely following her instructions to get onto the boat and grasping the wooden oars. Slowly pushing the tiny leaf of a boat backward out of the port, he continuously rowed a great distance toward the direction of the setting sun.
"Splash, splash~"
Reading his book, Eimhart occasionally cast a glance at the silent pair in the boat. Seeming to feel that there were some changes in the atmosphere again, he trembled and temporarily ceased his reading, only watching the distant setting sun gradually submerge beneath the horizon.
The sea surface was exceptionally tranquil, lacking any overly vigorous surging waves. Other than the sound of Fisher rowing, there were no other noises. It was only when they rowed a great distance away, until the Pirate Harbor far away could only be seen by its lights in the night sky, that Fisher put down the wooden oars and stopped in the middle of the sea.
He didn't row anymore, instead lifting his eyes to look at the beautiful woman at the bow who had remained quiet the entire time, admiring the maritime scenery like an oil painting.
Her black hair was cascading down, a faint crescent of a smile playing about the corners of her lips, making it impossible for one to discern her emotions at this moment, only adding a touch of embellishment to her beauty.
The silent atmosphere was like a cocoon about to spread its wings; waiting only for the breeze to blow before it broke open. The setting sun in the distance completely submerged. Beneath the boundless, dark starry sky, from the opposite direction where the light source had faded, a massive and bright moon rose up, reflecting its incomparably cold moonlight upon the water's surface, until the ripples stirred up by the small boat completely broke it apart...
"Renee..."
Upon the boundless ocean, Fisher suddenly spoke.
And at this moment, the night moon was shedding its bright light.