novelraw Chapter 414: Brothers
Chapter 414: Brothers
"Stolen?"
Hearing Pandora's words, what Fisher subconsciously thought of was the World Tree Teardrop hidden inside the Demi-Human Girl Completion Handbook in his pocket. When he obtained it from the handbook, he basically had zero understanding regarding its properties. Was there a possibility this thing possessed uniqueness; even if it was something brought from the future, only one could exist?
But Fisher quickly repudiated this thought. He had only arrived at the Sanctuary a few days prior, whereas the Jianmu Palace had sealed its doors half a year ago; it shouldn't have anything to do with him.
In other words, someone else had stolen the World Tree Teardrop from the Elves—the only other Mythical Species existing within the world right now?
"Of course, it hasn't been confirmed yet, merely a conjecture indicating thus. Due to the delicate relationship between Angel-kin and Elves, on the surface, we have upheld mutual reverence for a long time, viewing the other party as close relatives of our compatriots. But in reality, our relationship can only be considered 'well water does not interfere with river water', we don't really deal with each other. Any angel stepping into the Tree Continent without cause will be expelled..."
Fisher seemed to have already sniffed out a hint regarding her purpose for summoning his group here from Pandora's words. But he didn't rashly speak up, waiting for the angel before him to completely lay her words bare.
"Speaking in terms of seniority, Lord Chain of Heaven and Dragon God Fafnir are both junctions junior to Lord World Tree. As descendants of Lord Chain of Heaven, we naturally inherited such a relationship as well. In the past, every sixty years we would dispatch an angel bearing gifts to celebrate the Elf King's longevity. It is equally the case this year, but I hope you guys can accompany them this time."
Gou Wen dangerously narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. Even Asuka Karasawa seemed to discern Pandora's intentions, let alone Fisher, who opened his mouth to ask,
"You want us to verify the condition of the World Tree Teardrop within the Jianmu Palace under the guise of celebrating longevity?"
Before Pandora could agree, Gou Wen from behind sighed and said to Pandora,"Lord Archangel, this is a bit too much to ask. The Jianmu Palace is the sole elven palace erected at the foot of the World Tree; its significance to the elves is no less than the Crystalline Heaven where Lord Chain of Heaven resides. Angel envoys are already subjected to unfair treatment to begin with, and now to proactively go probe elven secrets, this is undoubtedly throwing one's life away."
Conversely, Pandora fell silent for a moment before suddenly speaking to Gou Wen,
"Gou Wen... right? Have you forgotten your purpose for undergoing untold hardships to reach the Sanctuary? Raphael's Second Heaven wasn't actually your destination, was it?"
Fisher looked at Gou Wen beside him. The expression on Gou Wen's face completely quieted down bit by bit. Subsequently, he gave Fisher a helpless smile, not offering any further retort.
"Also... Fisher, if you desired, I could prepare one female of every demi-human race in this world for you."
Fisher's face darkened. Before he could voice a response, Asuka Karasawa standing by, wrapped in Fisher's clothing, abruptly spoke up softly, defending him to Pandora,
"Mr. Fisher is absolutely not that kind of person..."
Both Helaire and Pandora laughed. It was only after Pandora's smile faded somewhat that she turned her head back to look at Fisher with her eyeless face concealed by pale golden silk. Casually concluding the joke mentioned just now, she softly appended another word.
"That was just a joke to ease the atmosphere just now, please don't mind it. Because I know what you truly care about right now... Death. As the caretaker of the Holy Grail, though I lack the capability to accumulate wishes to fill the Holy Grail, I can attempt to request an audience with Lord Chain of Heaven for you, beseeching him to help you remove Death."
Fisher's pupils constricted slightly. Subconsciously, he looked toward his chest, where the mark left by Renee—revealed upon the removal of his clothing—resided.
Pandora realized he was being pursued by Death, and the only reason he was still alive right now was entirely due to the mark upon his chest.
Meanwhile, Helaire seemingly with immense astonishment covered her mouth, appending a sentence,
"Ah my, after so many years Lord Pandora is actually willing to summon the Holy Grail's true body for you anew to call upon Lord Chain of Heaven... You're in luck, Fisher. When the time comes, you can meet the legendary Holy Grail... and Lord Chain of Heaven."
"..."
Fisher blinked. Lost in thought, he glanced back at the beaming Helaire behind him, but didn't say a single word.
With the explanation from her straight-man Helaire, Pandora had no need to provide further explanation. She merely shifted and pointed her finger toward Asuka Karasawa, stating,
"And you, little girl... The method to return home that you desire the most."
This time it was Asuka Karasawa's turn to freeze. She squeezed Fisher's clothing draped over her body and pursed her lips.
Behind them, Helaire remained totally silent, solely throwing a seemingly unintentional glance at Pandora. Watching her turn her head back again to face towards the furnace anew, she spoke up.
"Heading to the Tree Continent to celebrate longevity, the Sanctuary has always only permitted one single angel to go. However, there are no requirements regarding their entourage... This is a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity. The World Tree Teardrop, as well as the Relic you brought... are of paramount importance to me... to the Sanctuary. If the teardrop hasn't been lost, I will immediately set you free; if the teardrop has been lost, and you are capable of retrieving it, then not merely freedom, I will also immediately honor your desires for the three of you."
Fisher swept a glance over the two beside him. His own, along with both their inner demands, had all been completely laid bare. Sensing the gazes cast by the people beside him, Fisher no longer hesitated. He opened his mouth to ask,
"Alright, then what is the plan?"
"Wait for Archangel Michael to return from the Vortex of Wisdom in the Sixth Heaven after finding the World Tree Teardrop, then I will inform him of the longevity celebration... He definitely cares much more about the World Tree Teardrop than I do, and naturally won't let slip this once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity. Choosing you guys to go is his inevitable decision. The only thing requiring consideration is merely the candidate for the angel leading the team..."
This person had to both secure Michael's trust and simultaneously be capable of covertly accomplishing Pandora's task. There was no need for the angels to deliberate; Fisher had already roughly guessed who this person would be.
Speechless, he turned to look at the beaming Helaire behind him who seemingly heavily anticipated the impending trip to the Tree Continent. A sense of foreboding spread from the bottom of his heart.
As expected, Pandora's following sentence corroborated Fisher's conjecture.
"Serving as an angel modulating the several Heavens for many years within the Sanctuary, Helaire maintains pretty good relations with all the Heavens. Broadly speaking, she also doesn't heed my commands; we merely share the same opinion on this matter... Moreover, she is socially adroit, making her the most fitting candidate for this personnel choice. Her, the three of you, coupled with Remiel will suffice. Even though Remiel cannot enter the Continent of Trees, he will wait outside the continent for you guys."
"If unforeseen circumstances occur, you can seek him out for aid; regardless of everything, you'll still manage to preserve your lives. Aside from this, if you need any other help you can mention it to me as well. I deal with the living beings of the mortal world a lot; I won't be as stingy as Michael..."
Seeing an opportunity arrive, Fisher immediately said to Pandora,
"I have two requests... Firstly, I need some magic... materials Angel Pandora uses to forge Gospel Relics; secondly, could I please ask you to impart to me the forging method of Gospel Relics?"
"You want to forge a Relic?"
"It might prove helpful for this journey, no?"
Pandora pondered for a moment, subsequently waving her hand nonchalantly. Those two large bags of Magic Materials placed at the corner of the high tower directly flew toward Fisher's embrace just like that. He hastily reached out to catch them, feeling the hefty weight of the materials.
"Alright. Helaire, I'll hand the rest of the matters over to you. Sorry for the trouble."
"No problem, Lord Sariel."
Helaire, who had been pretending to be invisible the entire time at the side, finally moved noticeably. Pointing at the outside of the high tower to the three before her, she spoke up.
"Come with me, you three... Furthermore, gotta get you a change of clothes in passing; you've practically turned into fleeing slaves from the surface."
"Farewell, Angel Pandora."
Fisher cast a final glance at the blindfolded Pandora facing away from them. Gou Wen bid farewell to Angel Pandora. Thereafter they followed Helaire down the high tower together, walking toward the distance.
The forging sounds of angels echoed endlessly in the surroundings. The high-temperature casting scalded the Aether of the Fifth Heaven into restlessness. Sensing the trio growing increasingly distant, Pandora quietly placed her hand above the furnace before her eyes.
"Gu lu lu~"
Along with a bizarre power transmitting from her hand, a pair of circular shadows precipitously flew out from within that odd furnace scorched by solar temperatures...
Looking closely, it appeared to be an eye-shaped Relic. Except, it seemingly suffered a forging failure.
The eyeballs were littered with uneven undulations. It seemingly completely couldn't withstand the terrifying high-temperature baking within that furnace, turning as pitch-black as charred coal. But those eyeballs floating in mid-air constantly twisted, unceasingly capturing surrounding scenery just like a madman. Yet in less than a few seconds, that fragile item completely lost its efficacy, turning into an inanimate object...
Sensing the disappearance of her grasped object, Pandora's expression remained tranquil, seemingly harboring zero hints of disappointment.
She merely murmured in a low voice,
"Failed again..."
"How terrifying... It was clearly very fiery and itchy just a moment ago, but after staying before that angel for too long, it felt so cold, so cold..."
"I thought you'd be very excited finding another clue to return home, Little Karasawa... But this is very normal, Angel Pandora is a Nineteenth-Tier existence. Although there's a discrepancy when compared to Twentieth-Tier demigods, she's already an existence akin to the very peak. Even though she's already restrained herself to the extreme, since the distance was extremely proximate after all, feeling pressure is also within reason."
On their way back, Gou Wen smilingly explained to Asuka Karasawa, whose body was secreting cold sweat beside him. Yet Asuka Karasawa shook her head and said,
"It's not that kind of pressure... Unlike the pure physiological pressure from that Angel Michael, I just felt psychologically uncomfortable. It's like the sensation of having both heart and brain dissected open, yet one's mind remains conscious..."
Hearing this, Fisher cast Asuka Karasawa a glance. Evidently, he too shared that sensation just now.
Moreover, it wasn't his first time experiencing such a feeling. Earlier, in the face of Elizabeth's fully-powered prosthetic eyes, he had also experienced this feeling. Those prosthetic eyes were called 【Pandora's Prosthetic Eyes】, evidently possessing an intimate connection with the Archangel before his eyes. Previously, he had always assumed that capability to see through desires stemmed from the Relic. Now, however, it seemed exactly the opposite; the Relic's capability originated from this Archangel.
However, despite Eimhart mentioning he felt Pandora's Prosthetic Eyes possessed a consciousness, after all, those eyes had never acknowledged him. Fisher also didn't dare be one hundred percent certain those eyes harbored a completely clear intellect like Eimhart, only relegating it to a reserve option.
Yet there was only one single World Tree Teardrop in the world. Include Pandora's Prosthetic Eyes, and that equated to two conscious relics. This was conspicuously abnormal...
Fisher subconsciously touched the Completion Handbook in his pocket. Ever since the clothes left his body, they would automatically teleport into his pocket without needing his physical intervention. Sometimes even when taking a shower completely naked, they would scurry out of his clothes to lie beside him without being discovered or touched by others. Furthermore, residing in there, was precisely the second World Tree Teardrop.
"Not only can Archangel Pandora see through the desires of many living beings, she also holds formidable control capabilities. I heard previously that she penalized a naive mortal creature who provoked the Sanctuary to stand in a corner for fully a hundred years... subjecting him to the afflictions of starvation, thirst, and beasts gnawing his flesh, yet unable to move a single inch, nor able to die... Overall, the few Archangels are exceedingly terrifying existences, absolutely don't provoke them under any circumstances."
Helaire walked in front with her hands behind her back, orchestrating to take them to change clothes. Fisher looked at her back, temporarily not understanding why she seemingly possessed an exceedingly immense comprehension of him, and furthermore, why she assisted him as such ever since arriving at the Sanctuary.
Fisher wasn't an idiot who would choose to believe the empty promises issued by Pandora. If the promise she offered proved true, if she genuinely knew how to send Transferred Persons back to their hometown, then Asuka Karasawa a thousand years later wouldn't have established the Creator's Society; yet beneath the circumstances of being in a dilemma with the options available back then, Helaire intentionally or unintentionally alerted him to the opportunity of meeting the Holy Grail...
Fisher silently walked beside Helaire. Sweeping a glance at her beaming, relaxed expression, he had no idea what amusement she thought of again that could make her so happy. He didn't remain silent for too long, opening his mouth to ask her,
"You and Pandora are in the same camp. Why did you alert me regarding the Holy Grail just now?"
"I already told you prior, I don't belong to any camp... If you have to push the narrative, I should belong to your camp, right."
"...You know I'm looking for the Holy Grail."
"As long as one has a sliver of comprehension regarding Rules, then roughly anyone could guess it. Okay, you are a human currently being pursued by Death. The only ones capable of helping you shake off Death are three Lords. Securing a direct audience with Lord Chain of Heaven is extraordinarily arduous even for us angels. Seeking out the Holy Grail is a pretty good choice... But probably the thing Lord Pandora is most curious about is: how are you maintaining your Tier despite being pursued by Death? And, how do you intend to use the Holy Grail to shake off Death when you haven't accumulated any wishes?"
Fisher halted his footsteps upon hearing this. Subconsciously, he turned his head to look at the high tower behind him. However, before he completely leaned over, he precipitously felt an ice-cold palm gently tug his lower jaw from below, hauling his averted cheek back over.
Subsequently entering Fisher's line of sight, was exactly Helaire's peerless face nearing slightly.
She retracted the hand grasping Fisher's lower jaw and raised an index finger to place it before her ruby lips. Smiling, she stated softly,
"Shush, don't look. Be good."
"..."
Fisher stared blankly. In an unprecedented occurrence, he somewhat unnaturally retracted his gaze, his body also stiffening slightly from embarrassment. But he still followed the instruction unswervingly, ceasing to look at the high tower over yonder.
"Let's go, let's go. Come this way. Hm, what kind of clothes should I find for you guys to wear... Truly anticipating it..."
Fisher touched the position of his Adam's apple swept by her ice-cold fingers. In his heart, he silently recited Renee's name, suppressing the reproduction desires incited by that simple action back down...
Furthermore, wasn't this fellow's gender supposedly unconfirmed yet?
Exactly at this moment, seemingly sensing something, he abruptly turned his head to look behind him, giving Asuka Karasawa—who was constantly peeking at the two of them—quite a fright. She hastily dodged Fisher's scrutinizing gaze, burying half her face behind his clothes' collar. With her head lowered, she walked past him, following the Helaire ahead.
Whereas, sensing Fisher's scrutinization, the other Whale-kin innocence smiled innocently. Raising his hands, he surrendered.
"Alright, alright, I admit, I indeed lied about my purpose when we first met back then... But we had only just gotten acquainted right at that time. I view you as a brother right now. Go change your clothes first, I'll explain to you later when you come out."
"..."
"Good brother, go quickly, go quickly."
Under Gou Wen's innocent, pitiful volley, Fisher finally stopped wrestling with it, trailing Helaire's footsteps into the room to change his clothing.
He also made zero indication to reject Gou Wen's remarks about treating him as a brother.