novelraw Chapter 423: Lecherous Fellow
Chapter 423: Lecherous Fellow
"Aiyo aiyo, this is truly a failure to welcome you from afar, a failure to welcome you from afar ah."
Exceeding everyone's expectations, the Upper Minister of the Tsubaki Fiefdom wasn't a Demi-human Race, but rather a white-haired elder dressed in black clothing. He hunched his body, roughly a head shorter than Lu An beside him, yet still swiftly walked into the courtyard. Cupping his hands towards the leading Helaire and the crowd behind her, even Asuka Karasawa, who looked to be the same age as Lu Ming, received a greeting.
Helaire smilingly waved her hand, waving left and waving right, adopting the appearance of a benevolent inspector, but just wouldn't speak. Fisher originally wanted to step forward, but Gou Wen beside him had already stepped forward first to greet him. After exchanging pleasantries, they each introduced the members of both sides.
The elder before their eyes was named Kuin. He was a native of the Tsubaki Fiefdom, having served as the Upper Minister here for many years.
According to Gou Wen's introduction, ordinary Elven fiefdoms wouldn't invite humans to hold important positions, let alone the most crucial position of a nation's Upper Minister. The reason naturally pertained to tier and status, but the most crucial factor was actually lifespan.
Elves could live for a very, very long time. No matter how poor the talents they needed were, they couldn't be Like Morning Dew, fleeting and ephemeral like humans. Therefore, Elves in other fiefdoms generally favored Long-Lived Species. Among them, the most famous was a nation located very close to the World Tree named "Wutong" (Sycamore). The sovereigns there were a pair of twins, "Wu" and "Tong", and their Upper Minister was a "Phoenix Race". This involved an allusion, a story from a long time ago.
When Fisher heard Gou Wen's explanation, he asked a few more sentences. Only then did he learn that the current Phoenix Upper Minister had already been dismissed and replaced by another race to govern. And that allusion went like this:
The two sovereigns Wu and Tong were extremely tyrannical, taking great pleasure in slaughter. The Phoenix Upper Minister at the time had once admonished the two sovereigns, saying "Treating the people with violence is like cutting off one's own thighs; one cannot stand." Resultingly, the two Mythical Species sovereigns Did Not Take It Seriously. Conversely pointing at that Phoenix Upper Minister's wings, they smilingly retorted, "Does a Phoenix with wings who lives so long like you also need thighs to walk?"
Subsequently, they ordered that the Phoenix Upper Minister could solely use wings to fly henceforth, completely forbidden from using both legs to walk, otherwise they would sever his legs. Then, not even a few months passed, unknown whether to prove the correctness of his prophecy or due to the indignation in his heart, the Phoenix Upper Minister Died of Grief. The entire Phoenix Race was consequently driven by Wu and Tong to the border of the fiefdom, living together with slaves.
In the ears of Elves, this was an interesting joke meant for post-drinking amusement; in the ears of other races, this was a tragic and heroic elegy.Unexpectedly, this allusion was widely circulated on the Tree Continent. Merely, it harbored different meanings when heard from the mouths of different people.
After hearing this, Fisher was temporarily rendered speechless. Because, originating from the future, he deeply knew that one day in the future, this great race would suffer enough of such oppression and thus make a bold move: they would follow that giant dragon who stole the most venerated giant tree roots of the Elves, departing their homeland, traveling to a place where snow and wind blanketed the earth to take root and sprout anew, creating an epic belonging to them.
The matters of conversing on the Tree Continent seemed to have been implicitly entrusted entirely to Gou Wen. Helaire chose to be a mascot exclusively capable of sightseeing, solely smiling and waving in greeting, leaving Fisher somewhat baffled. But in summary, ever since she heard he had already turned over a new leaf, she stopped teasing him, largely because he made her feel like she lost her amusement?
Asuka Karasawa invariably gazed in a certain direction. Fisher followed her line of sight, only then discovering that the previously mentioned Deer Species named "Lu Ming" was prettily hiding in the corridor in that direction. The moment she felt herself being simultaneously watched by Fisher and Asuka Karasawa, she abruptly bounced back, disappearing from sight.
Originally, he wanted to say something, but unfathomable why, he very swiftly retracted his line of sight, uttering not a single sentence.
And precisely at the instant Fisher turned his head away, a fair hand lightly rested on Asuka Karasawa's shoulder. It turned out that, unbeknownst to when, Helaire was already standing by her side, frightening her to the point of nearly jumping up on the spot. But she was steadily pressed firmly in place by Helaire,
"H-Helaire Angel?"
"Mm-hm, looking at that Deer Species? Are you interested in Demi-human Races?"
"No ah, I was looking at the flowers in the basket atop the stick she was holding. That flower, seems to be with Fisher... no, it's very similar to the materials used by Angels when forging Holy Artifacts."
Asuka Karasawa originally wanted to say it resembled the materials Fisher had used previously when forging magic, but recalling Fisher hiding there alone previously, refusing to let others see, she didn't say it out loud.
Helaire smilingly nodded, stating,
"Very sensitive nah, that thing indeed is a forging material, it possesses fragments of the Destiny Rule upon it."
Seeing Asuka Karasawa not entirely comprehending, Helaire didn't continue explaining. Conversely, she smilingly proposed,
"If you're interested in this thing, wouldn't it be fine to go ask Fisher? He previously took a lot of materials like this from Lord Sariel."
"Eh... um, forget it." Asuka Karasawa pursed her lips, ultimately declining.
Unexpectedly, Helaire seemingly saw through her thoughts. Leaning closer slightly, she asked,
"Because Fisher looks like he doesn't want to talk to you?"
"N-no... is it because... okay, indeed it is like this."
Asuka Karasawa still wanted to quibble, but beneath Helaire's smiling expression, she wilted, nodding somewhat embarrassedly.
Just as mentioned previously, Asuka Karasawa acutely perceived Fisher's faint aloofness. This wasn't to say the other party disliked her, but more resembling two different levels of people As It Should Be harboring a barrier. Even in her own world, it was like "reliable adults wouldn't have many topics to discuss with inexperienced high schoolers."
Asuka Karasawa felt a possible reason was her lack of maturity, nor did she possess any special skills like the other people in this team. This naturally couldn't be blamed on her, she didn't have any alternatives either. She could only try her best to not cause any trouble.
"I just feel they are all very amazing. I'm a bit unable to get a word in, therefore..."
Hearing this, Helaire's smile deepened slightly. Surreptitiously glancing at Fisher and Gou Wen conversing with Kuin over there, she spoke to Asuka Karasawa,
"Um, whether they are amazing or not is another matter. You, a Transferred Person, clearly cultivated an interest in this world; going and asking them isn't something impossible nah. It's very easy to close the distance by finding some topics they excel at to converse about; who knows, you might even learn quite a bit. I can disclose a bit of their hobbies to you oh..."
"Mikhail loves manufacturing things, but he isn't too fond of speaking; Gou Wen is highly interested in medical skills, and his personality is relatively amicable; as for Fisher, I'm additionally not entirely clear on what he excels at, but it seems you've already seen it oh... oh, right, he's actually extremely interested in Demi-human Races, the incredibly interested, incredibly interested kind. Chatting with him about these might yield unexpected harvests."
"Interested in Demi-human Races?" Asuka Karasawa's complexion altered. Secretly glancing at the incredibly serious Fisher over there, she seemingly didn't understand what this meant.
"Ah, don't misunderstand, it's interested in an a-ca-dem-ic sense."
Helaire emphasized the word "academic", seemingly this concept was exceedingly important. As she spoke, she simultaneously retrieved a tiny knife tool from her embrace with a relaxed expression, placing that thing in Asuka Karasawa's hand. Looking carefully, that thing was an Engraving Knife identical to the one Fisher previously used to engrave magic. She incidentally added,
"Also this, the tool Fisher held previously. Don't know what it's used for, but I'll give you one too. In short, remember to start from the matters they excel at. Just be a little more proactive, don't be too constrained oh~"
Asuka Karasawa opened her mouth, exceptionally gratefully clenching the Engraving Knife Helaire handed her within her palm. Amidst her feeling moved, she nevertheless additionally lacked some confidence,
"T-thanks... but I've always been unable to do anything well in the past... I'm a bit worried, therefore... But truly thank you for telling me these things, Helaire Angel."
Helaire smilingly shook her head, responding politely,
"You're welcome. After all, we're currently grasshoppers tied to the same rope. A slightly more harmonious atmosphere within the team is precisely what I hope to see. Alright, go ahead. Remember oh, Demi-human Races, he will be very interested."
"Yes, I'll remember it. Thank you."
Asuka Karasawa hid that Engraving Knife and walked back. While Helaire stood invariably in place without moving her body, merely the smile upon her face blossomed increasingly radiant, her mood seemingly additionally improving considerably.
From her peripheral vision, she caught sight of Lu Ming, who had hidden behind the corner and run back to peek. Distinct from the secretly peeking Asuka Karasawa, she boldly blew a whistle towards Lu Ming,
"Ji!"
Frightening the little girl Lu Ming into bouncing away and disappearing again.
"Marquis Hiiragi came here?"
Fisher and Gou Wen weren't standing by idly either. The reason they chatted for so long was that they had precisely just learned a piece of news: the adjoining Hiiragi Fiefdom's Marquis Hiiragi had come here as a guest. Right, precisely that Marquis Hiiragi who had just Reincarnated not long ago.
"Ah, indeed. Marquis Hiiragi arrived this morning. According to convention, right after Elves Reincarnate, they must visit surrounding compatriots to announce this matter; this time is no exception. But it's fine. Guests from the Sanctuary celebrating the King's longevity is a matter for all Elves. Wait a moment, you can accompany me to meet the Tsubaki Earl; it can also be considered resolving the predicament for him."
After Kuin finished speaking, he heaved a sigh. The Lu An outside had already prepared horse-drawn carriages for them. Thus, Kuin invited them to proceed together to the Tsubaki Earl's palace to meet the two Lords.
Seeing Helaire invariably displaying zero indications, adopting an AFK appearance, Gou Wen had no alternative but to overstep his authority and agree, preparing to lead the crowd to the Tsubaki Earl Palace. Fortunately, Fisher interjected a question after boarding the carriage,
"What did you mean by 'resolving the predicament' just now? Did the Tsubaki Earl encounter some trouble?"
Kuin boarded the carriage. Hearing Fisher's words, he sighed, speaking softly,
"To tell you the truth, in the past, Marquis Hiiragi was identical to the vast majority of other Elven Lords, incredibly tyrannical. Following his Reincarnation this time, he underwent a Drastic Change in Temperament. I heard he's far inferior to the past, and the various races below can finally catch a breath of air... but only recently did I learn that he corrected many of his bad habits, yet exclusively retained one..."
Asuka Karasawa ran back, boarding the carriage behind Mikhail. Upon boarding, she shot a few extra glances at Fisher, attracting his attention. But when he looked back, she had already obediently taken her seat. The smiling Helaire quietly boarded the carriage, devoid of any airs, continuing to admire the scenery outside the window.
Gou Wen leaned forward slightly, identically speaking softly,
"What habit?"
Fisher additionally leaned closer. The three of them huddled together, secretly conspiring, listening as Kuin solemnly stated,
"Lechery, and not ordinary lechery. Aiya, it's bizarre beyond measure ah. You'll know when you go there later. Anyway, starting from this morning, the Tsubaki Earl has been busy entertaining him. Now it's fine; with you guys arriving, he can also catch a breath of air."
Lechery?
Fisher and Gou Wen exchanged a glance, seemingly still not completely comprehending what this elder meant. But very swiftly, they would find out.
Just as previously mentioned, the Tsubaki Earl's palace lay precisely at the base of that massive tree. It wasn't remarkably distinct from the remaining wooden houses, but in terms of specifications and format, it differed considerably. Here, the number of stairs, how many steps each staircase should possess, how many pillars each house should possess, all adhered to stringent requirements.
The "Li" worshipped by Elves seemingly solely left traces here within this fiefdom.
The horse-drawn carriages halted in front of an extremely spacious plaza. There weren't a few guards before the grand hall. One side held Tsubaki wood weapons, while the other side substituted them with other metal objects, symbolizing the situation of two fiefdoms.
Kuin led Gou Wen's group, swiftly hastening toward the palace. From afar, Fisher seemingly heard a bizarre kind of music sounding. The instruments seemingly pertained to some kind of metallic objects, triggered to sound via striking. The overall sound was both ethereal and elegant. Accompanied by that melodious music, Kuin led Fisher's group before the grand hall. He then knelt on the ground, shouting loudly into the hall,
"Marquis Hiiragi, Tsubaki Earl, emissaries from the Sanctuary have come to celebrate the King's longevity!"
The music within the hall came to an Abrupt End. Fisher raised his eyes and gazed into the hall, merely seeing two tables placed at the far end of the extraordinarily expansive hall, one high and one low. Before the slightly lower table sat an Elf-kin male dressed in black clothing.
He appeared quite young. Possessing a pair of extremely elongated ears on both sides of his cheeks, the ears sported quite a few metallic ornaments. When he turned his head, those metallic ornaments jingled crisply. A head of black long hair was intricately coiled atop his head, bound by some sort of crown. His facial expression was incredibly indifferent, his eyes were pale purple, and the rest wasn't vastly distinct from a human.
His aura, however, was exceptionally evident, around the Sixteenth-Tier. Upon hearing Kuin's words, he turned his head. First, he shot a glance at Fisher standing by Gou Wen's side, subsequently looking at everyone sequentially, his gaze finally resting on Helaire standing behind everyone for a glance.
With just one glance, Fisher recognized that this seemingly young Elf was precisely the "Tsubaki Earl" Kuin spoke of.
Then, the one seated at the main seat must be...
Fisher's gaze shifted away from Tsubaki, inching forward to look at the male Elf seated at the main seat. That Elf appeared quite young; externally, he might even be roughly around the age of a human's twelve or thirteen. Endearing and handsome, sporting a head of black hair tied with a luxurious crown exceedingly similar to Tsubaki's. Merely, his complexion was slightly flushed, seemingly having consumed some alcohol.
That was the adjoining fiefdom's Marquis Hiiragi.
He merely saw his long ears twitch. They bore no hanging ornaments, hence not emitting the crisp sounds like Tsubaki's. He took a sip of the beverage in his cup. A maturity incredibly incongruous with common sense surfaced on his youthful face. He let out a burp, subsequently standing up while holding his cup, speaking to Kuin and Fisher's group before his eyes,
"Come in... hic, but no stopping. You guys..." He turned to look at the musicians seated within the hall beside him, opening his mouth, "Continue playing music, continue dancing."
Beside him, Tsubaki Earl sighed, waving a hand at the people below. Seeing this, they immediately nodded, responding,
"Yes."
Kuin, old and hunched, stood up and wiped his sweat, inviting the people behind him to enter. Helaire walked forward, the rest subconsciously slowing their pace and following behind her. By the time she Realized After the Fact and recovered her wits, she discovered she had already walked to the forefront.
And following Tsubaki's instruction, the sound of music within the palace echoed once more. Simultaneously, the large doors on both sides of the palace slowly opened. Escorted by a waft of fragrant wind, it revealed countless Demi-human Races within: some furry, some slimy, some soft and squishy...
Those female Demi-human Races, either squirming, bouncing, or pacing, slowly stepped into the center of the grand hall, one after another undulating their bodies to the accompanying music.
Their clothing, races, and ages vastly differed, but perhaps there was one particular commonality: that was "extremely intense non-human traits."
Tapir-kin women swung their trunks, Mantis-kin women swayed their twin scythes and antennae, Moth-kin women flapped their wings covered in moth dust, twirling in mid-air...
"Good! Good! Well danced!"
Accompanied by Marquis Hiiragi's drunken cheers, the entire interior of the grand hall resembled a Hellish Scene.
(End of this chapter)