novelraw Chapter 448: Gui
Chapter 448: Gui
Amidst the coming and going current of people, Fisher kept his eyes fixed on the woman with long black hair walking ahead in the crowd, closely following the lingering faint scent she left behind.
After following her for a while, Fisher became increasingly certain that she was real, and she resembled that Witch so much that Fisher began to doubt the information he had received previously.
In this era, the moon in the sky was still dim, and magic had not yet appeared. This basically meant that the Mother Goddess had not yet manifested in Reality, or perhaps hadn't even been born within the Spirit World yet. So, who was this person in front of him whose back was practically identical to Renee's?
The more he thought about it, the stronger Fisher's desire to uncover her true identity became.
Watching the figure walking slowly along the edge of the street ahead, Fisher, moving at full speed, quickly closed the distance between them. It wasn't until a corner of the street, where a patch of woods mingled with the buildings, that Fisher was finally less than two people's distance away from her, and he could finally see every detail of the woman clearly.
She seemed to be wearing a cyan waist-high ruqun unique to the Tree Continent. Her hair wasn't tied into any buns; instead, her waterfall-like long black hair hung down freely, gracefully draped behind her slender waist.
The more Fisher looked, the more he felt that the woman before him was exactly the same as Renee in terms of height, body type, and aura. He could no longer control his urge to find out the truth.
So, he slowly reached out his hand toward the woman in front of him...
But unexpectedly, in the next second, the woman seemed to have sensed something. She abruptly turned her head to look at Fisher behind her. Her right hand, like a gust of wind, tightly pressed against Fisher's extended wrist, locking down his next movement like a shackle.
At the instant the woman turned her head to meet Fisher's gaze, an extremely terrifying pressure was transmitted through where her wrist touched Fisher's, causing a layer of fine cold sweat to break out all over his body.The tier of the woman before him was very high!
But that terrifying pressure only existed for an instant. It seemed this woman was consciously withdrawing her aura to maintain as low a presence as possible. It felt like she wouldn't even have exposed herself if it weren't for Fisher.
Fisher's attention, however, wasn't focused on the tier of the woman before him for the time being. He merely looked at her with slightly contracted pupils. To his surprise, this woman looked almost exactly like Renee. The only difference was that her pupils weren't a profound purple, but a diffuse light golden color.
"Renee?"
Fisher was instantly stunned in place, muttering the woman's name in disbelief, because he truly couldn't figure out why Renee would appear here...
Could it be that she, as the Mother Goddess, had already descended upon this world at this time?
Hearing the call from the man before her, the woman whose appearance was identical to Renee raised an eyebrow. First, she revealed an extremely obvious look of confusion, followed by a trace of nervousness with an unknown cause.
However, sensing the gazes slowly drawn toward them from the surroundings, the woman immediately reacted.
Suddenly, she counter-grabbed Fisher's wrist. Immediately after, Fisher felt himself dragged by a massive force, falling into a narrow, deserted alleyway between the buildings nearby.
Fisher's Constitution, which was close to the Fourteenth-Tier, was completely insufficient before the woman. Before he could even react, they had already appeared deep within the alley. Then, the woman's hand gripping Fisher's wrist suddenly loosened, sending him moving outward, letting him stumble backward a few steps until he leaned against the wall of the building.
"You..."
The cast-off Fisher hurriedly followed her with his eyes, afraid she would leave.
Fortunately, the woman didn't leave, and because of this, Fisher saw a scene that astonished him once again.
The woman before him clapped her hands, then turned her head to glance at the entrance of the alley. After confirming no one else was looking, her face slowly turned back toward Fisher. During this process, a pair of long, slender ears gradually lifted up from beneath the black hair covering her cheeks. A few circular earrings hung from them, jingling faintly. Compared to the earrings on Earl Tsubaki's ears, there were considerably fewer, but the style was very similar.
All of the above without a doubt proved the identity of the woman before him...
She was an Elf!
"Who is Renee?"
The woman looked at Fisher and suddenly shot out a question that caught him slightly off guard. Even this Elf's voice was exactly the same as Renee's, which made Fisher even more amazed at her identity.
He suddenly felt that even if the person before him wasn't Renee, she had countless ties to the future Renee.
"Aren't you going to ask who I am first?"
Hearing Fisher's words, the Elf in front of him paused slightly. Then, as if she suddenly remembered something, she coughed lightly and asked gently.
"Aren't you an official of the Royal Capital? Because I left my designated residence without permission, violating Li, so you came to invite me back?"
"..."
Was this Elf here in the Royal Capital to offer tribute to the Elf King?
And she violated Li by running out of her assigned residence?
"No, I'm not an official of the Royal Capital, and I didn't know you were an Elf previously..."
Fisher originally wanted to immediately and rationally enter problem-solving mode. Since the other party was an Elf and not Renee, he should be fully focused and prepare for the ensuing tasks...
But looking at the Elf whose face was exactly the same as Renee's, even Fisher's mind was in turmoil for a moment.
He touched the symbol Renee left on his chest, but it didn't react at all to the Elf in front of him. Moreover, if the person before him was the Mother Goddess of this era, she should have been able to recognize the symbol left on his heart.
"I just thought you looked a lot like someone I know."
Amidst his mind being twisted into a tangled mess of thoughts, Fisher couldn't find the correct answer no matter how he pondered. Even his speech slipped up, exposing his true thoughts about coming to seek out this Elf.
The Elf before him was slightly taken aback, then stroked her chin, seemingly lost in thought. But it was unknown whether she figured out the answer, because very quickly, her expression became lively again.
She smiled bitterly, without a hint of the arrogant, disdainful look typical of other Elves. Instead, she shook her head regretfully and said.
"Regrettably, I am not the person you know. My name is [Gui], an Elf who came here to offer tribute. Is that person very important to you?"
The Elf leaned against the wall. Although the terrifying aura she released for a split second when she took action earlier was at least far more terrifying than that fellow Helaire's, it was still inferior to Lord Tao's. Therefore, Fisher deduced her tier should be around the Eighteenth Tier.
Listening to her voice, which was almost identical to Renee's yet used a different intonation, Fisher felt somewhat dazed. While chewing over the name she gave, he nodded in response.
"Yes."
"Is that so..."
The Elf before him exuded a gentle aura from head to toe, seeming far different from Renee in personality, though physically identical in appearance.
Gui carefully scrutinized the expression on Fisher's face. After hesitating for a moment, she looked at the scenery outside the alley and asked in distress.
"...However, because you suddenly made a move on me earlier, it forced me to expose a bit of my aura. I wonder if the Royal Capital officials noticed it. As compensation, could you do me a small favor and take me somewhere? If you help me, I can treat you to some food once we get there."
"A small favor... Where do you want me to take you?"
Perhaps because her appearance, identical to Renee's, was too distracting, Fisher remained silent for a moment and didn't refuse her, instead accepting her gentle invitation.
Seeing that this gentleman, who seemed to be worrying about personal gains and losses, accepted her request, the Elf named "Gui" twitched her long ears and smiled, pointing in a certain direction in the distance. She then asked with a slightly mischievous smile.
"Um, have you ever heard of a place called the 'Entertainment Theater'?"
"...What did you say?"
The so-called "Entertainment Theater" Gui mentioned was actually a type of entertainment venue in the Tree Continent that served the residents. It used various demi-humans or humans as actors to perform stories through song and dance on stage, presenting brilliant performances for the guests.
Of course, according to Fisher's judgment based on experience, such places generally also offered other services, such as meals, drinks, and...
Fisher initially didn't know what this thing was either. It was just that the gentle-natured Elf with an identical face to Renee made such a request. Whether it was out of guilt for his infidelity just yesterday or out of his longing for Renee, in short, Fisher didn't refuse, but brought her safely all the way to the entertainment venue.
Besides, Fisher had intended to stay outside until evening before returning anyway. Even if he hadn't come here with her, he would have wandered around the city aimlessly to eliminate suspicion.
Furthermore, Fisher was very interested in her background. He always felt that the person in front of him might have some potential underlying connection to Renee.
"Two of you, please take a seat."
With Gui paying, Fisher used his identity to temporarily rent a small private room on the second floor of the theater. It was private enough and offered a view where they could see everything at a glance of the performance on the first floor. Gui seemed to really like this place. She didn't want the Royal Capital officials to discover her departure, so she had made many preparations.
Along the way, Gui had not only concealed her tier to an extent almost identical to an ordinary person's but also covered her signature double ears beneath her black hair, just like when Fisher bumped into her earlier.
And it wasn't until they finally took their seats that Fisher regretfully confirmed that the person before him was not only not Renee but seemed completely unrelated to Renee as well.
She was a purebred Elf.
This wasn't Fisher's subjective conjecture, but an outcome he arrived at after using the Demi-Human Completion Handbook to confirm. He was surprised to find that an entity within Lord Tao's barrier could actually be displayed by the Demi-Human Completion Handbook with a bindable entry. And it was exactly this familiar entry that proved her identity.
[Gui, Adult Female Elf Species]
[Contributor's Reminder: Researching higher-tier demi-human species will simultaneously bring higher risks and rewards. The owner is advised to choose appropriately.]
Hmm, the prompt was basically identical to the one that popped up before he bound Eliog in Naris. Now, Fisher roughly knew that this prompt only appeared when binding Mythical Rank existences.
Looking at the illusory subtitles before him, Fisher finally accepted the fact that the other party wasn't Renee. Thus, he had no choice but to lay down his messy thoughts and look with a complex gaze at Gui, who was expectantly watching the performance offstage. At the same time, he couldn't help but ask.
"Lord Gui, actually it would be fine if you came here by yourself, right? Moreover, you didn't even ask who I was before getting me to help you, not even knowing my name. Aren't you afraid I'll tell the Royal Capital officials about you leaving your tribute residence?"
Gui didn't turn her head, but she couldn't help but smile, replying gently to Fisher.
"Because your expression earlier was very pitiful. It seemed that the person you said looked like me is very important to you, and you miss her very much. Since you looked like you didn't want to leave at all, I just decided to bring you along. I was going to sneak out and have some fun for a while anyway. Besides, even if you wanted to do something bad, you wouldn't succeed. The crime of leaving without permission isn't too severe. Even if you reported me, it wouldn't be a big deal for me, while you would be fiercely punished by me. It's completely not worth it."
"Furthermore, not asking your name is actually protecting you. This way, you don't have to worry about me secretly disposing of you as someone who knows the truth later on."
True enough, for an Eighteenth-Tier Elf, existences below the Mythical Rank were basically all the same thing, so naturally, she wouldn't take them to heart. Furthermore, the Gui in front of him was different from other Elves; she was very gentle and understanding and considerate.
Fisher sighed, his gaze involuntarily resting on her side profile. If it wasn't for the fact that her tone and demeanor when talking weren't like Renee's at all, he would really have thought the person before him wasn't Gui, but rather Renee from the future.
He didn't know why there would be such coincidences in the world, for there to be an Elf who looked exactly identical to the future Mother Goddess... Fisher would rather believe this was a warning sent by the future Renee who discovered his infidelity in this era than believe that this Elf just purely by coincidence shared the same appearance as Renee.
But as he thought about it, Fisher suddenly remembered two very important things from his memories.
He remembered that before Fisher carried Valentiina into the Wutong Tree in the Northern Territory, they had once obtained a painting given to the Moon Princess by Paimon, "Gift to the Moon Princess". According to the Giant Troll elder Darivuvu, that painting was drawn by Paimon, depicting an Elf who had lent a helping hand to the Moon Princess during her childhood and was her beloved teacher.
At the time, when Fisher saw the back of the person in that painting, he felt it was very similar to Renee, even mistaking the person in the painting for Renee for a moment, until Darivuvu spoke up to correct him.
Then, could it be that the Elf who later saved the young Moon Princess in the Northern Territory was the Gui right in front of him?
If it really was Gui, after the Phoenix clan fled the Tree Continent while Fafnir stole the World Tree's root, why would Gui appear there at that time?
And immediately after, Fisher suddenly realized another problem.
According to the intelligence from Gou Wen and the angels, the World Tree was the only one among the three Demigods born from Lamashtia to possess the god-given item "Loom of Fate." Therefore, it possessed unparalleled power and authority among the three Demigods. Even now, Fafnir only dared to quarrel with the World Tree, with both sides keeping to a state where well water does not interfere with river water.
Previously, the murals on the Phoenix Bridge on the Sema Mountains in the Northern Territory also showed that Fafnir couldn't defeat the World Tree, but later, he bizarrely bit off its root. Wasn't this contradictory?
"Hmm, although I was full of enthusiasm when coming here, after watching for a while, it feels very boring... However, experiencing how others entertain themselves can be considered a decent experience."
This seemed to be Gui's first time here too. After watching for a short while, she found it a bit dull, but she didn't show any intention of leaving yet, merely expressing a comment or two about her views.
Gui seemed slightly different from other Elves. If one had to say, she might be similar to Earl Tsubaki, acting very gently instead of being arrogant towards people of other races.
Her sudden words interrupted Fisher's thoughts. He didn't get the answers he should have, but perhaps, he could obtain more information from this Gui before him, whether it was regarding the future or concerning the theft of the World Tree Teardrop from Jianmu Palace this time...
It was just that the existence before his eyes was at the Eighteenth Tier, so he should be much more careful when dealing with her.
Fisher didn't speak rashly, deciding to play it safe for the moment. He opened the illusory binding panel of the Demi-Human Completion Handbook in his eyes.
That's right, he was going to bind the Gui in front of him.
Actually, Fisher had originally planned to bind Lord Tao, but his good deed was ruined by that fellow Helaire. Now that he finally encountered another female Elf, he decided to bind Gui to complete the tag [Gift of Fate].
Seeing that Gui before him was still acting like she was watching the show, Fisher decisively made his move, selecting the [Bind] option in his mind.
As a familiar golden radiance burst forth before Fisher's eyes, the Demi-Human Completion Handbook in his embrace also gradually grew warm. Fisher deeply knew he had successfully bound the Elf in front of him.
But at the exact moment the binding was successful, an unexpected change abruptly occurred.
The body of Gui, who was focused on watching the show in front of him, suddenly went rigid, seemingly sensing Fisher's act of binding her.
Her aura climbed bit by bit, as if she were inspecting her body for abnormalities. Soon, she discovered what was wrong.
Immediately, Gui looked at her body in astonishment, then abruptly turned her head toward Fisher beside her and questioned him in confusion.
"What did you do to me?"
This question almost brought Fisher's breathing to a full halt.
And it was at this exact instant that he suddenly realized what the "higher risks" displayed by the Demi-Human Completion Handbook earlier meant.
It turned out that binding high-tier demi-human species with the Demi-Human Completion Handbook would be discovered by them!