novelraw Chapter 542: Explosion
Chapter 542: Explosion
Raphaela's expression froze, seemingly completely motionless at this moment. Her body was like rusted machinery, unable to move even an inch, leaving only her breathing to indicate she was still alive.
Seeing her like this, Mill, who had come to pass on the message, became even more uneasy. She knew what this news meant to Raphaela. Furthermore, it seemed that before she arrived, Raphaela had already had some conflicts with Jasmine. She didn't know if saying this right now was inappropriate...
But after all, it was a classified military report, and she didn't dare to delay. Even if it was inappropriate, she had to say it.
I am truly sorry, Lady Raphaela!
Compared to Raphaela, Fisher's reaction was simple—he was completely dumbfounded.
Speaking of marriage, in his memory, there was only one person, Valentiina from the Northern Border. There was absolutely no one else.
So when Mill mentioned that a legal wife had come looking for him, his first thought was: Valentiina is here?
This was indeed news that could cause one to be struck with panic. Especially now, when the situation was already in a state of extreme misery with no signs of improvement, her arrival was nothing more than kicking him when he was down...
Moreover, it seemed logically sound, because Fisher had previously deduced Valentiina's current state.
Before he left the Northern Border, she had fallen into a deep sleep. Although it was unclear how long the Phoenix Race's Nirvana and body reconstruction process would take—after all, Valentiina might be the first Phoenix Race in history to undergo such a transformation.But now, four and a half years had passed since then. No matter what, the possibility that Valentiina had awakened was quite high.
If she had already awakened, then as a Phoenix Race member once surrounded by the six clans, she was bound to inherit her ancestor's radiance and emerge in the Northern Border. This would require a process, which was why Fisher judged that she might need some time before having the leisure to look for him.
However, it was hard to say. If Valentiina was determined to find him first, and with Slimes possessing both teleportation and disguise abilities assisting her, it was highly likely that the moment he stepped into the Red Dragon Court, the news had already been delivered to Valentiina by those Slimes.
Remembering that Fisher had previously given away a favor to obtain the Slimes' Sigil, the Slimes might have accomplished something with this favor during these four and a half years...
Could it really be Valentiina visiting?
Just as Fisher's thoughts reached this point, he discovered a flaw.
If it were Valentiina, it should have been four and a half years since he left, but that so-called "legal wife" only said "four years." Fisher personally thought Valentiina wouldn't ignore the accuracy of time so that Fisher, who was in the Red Dragon Court, could recognize the visitor's identity—even if she was here to catch him cheating.
On the other hand, even if Valentiina wanted to come, there was no need to choose the identity of someone from Schwari, a nation in the West Continent, as her background. Although not comparable to Naris, Schwari was still one of the colonizers in the Southern Continent. Even if she used the name of the Northern Border, it would be better than reporting as Schwari. There was absolutely no need to add such unnecessary trouble...
"Fisher, what... is going on? A legal wife... from Schwari?"
Right at this moment, Raphaela beside him turned her stiff head little by little, making cracking sounds, and looked at Fisher before her. Unlike her previous conflict and forbearance towards Jasmine, the faint green light in her eyes at this moment made her look as terrifying as a malicious ghost. Just that quiet question made his scalp tingle and a chill run down his spine.
It seemed that even with advance preparation, it still couldn't stop the anger she was feeling right now.
Fisher didn't have time to panic, nor did he directly answer Raphaela's question. He just looked at Mill, who was still standing at the door looking even more apprehensive than him, and asked first,
"Mill, are you saying that the person who came is a human?"
"Yes, she looks like a noble young lady from that human nation called Schwari, because there are a lot of treasures on her ship."
"Are you absolutely sure it's a human?"
"I didn't see anything extra on her, I am certain she is a human."
"..."
Hearing Mill say that the person who came was genuinely a human, Fisher couldn't help but heave a heavy sigh of relief for some unknown reason.
Only at this moment, it was unknown if he felt thankful for his preference for ladies that was usually ridiculed by others. Who could have known that this would actually become a standard for judging the incoming person.
After this, Fisher also straightened his back a little and explained to Raphaela,
"There is absolutely no such thing. I don't know any woman from Schwari, let alone a wife..."
Raphaela's expression softened a little, and she then said,
"Heh, the ladies you know are from other places, right?"
"..."
Fisher wisely chose not to reply to this sentence, and Raphaela didn't have the intention of settling the score right now. She just touched her chin and hesitated,
"Could it be a conspiracy by the northern Pseudo-Court? Did Queen Elizabeth find out about Fisher's whereabouts, so... That doesn't feel right either. Would the Queen of Naris use such a tactic? Why do I feel like she specifically came looking for you, Fisher?"
"...Elizabeth shouldn't know my whereabouts yet. I came to the Southern Continent secretly. If she knows, it only means the Demons under her command did it. No matter what, I am still prepared to meet this so-called 'wife.' If she was sent by a Demon, then the methods hidden on her might be beyond your imagination..."
"Hey hey, does that mean the human woman from Schwari is actually a spy?"
At this moment, Mill, who had been uneasily disconnected from the conversation, finally managed to speak and caught up with the current situation.
"Ah..."
"Bang!"
"Raphaela, just now..."
Just as Raphaela nodded and was about to say something, the door was opened again, revealing Jasmine, who looked slightly nervous outside.
It was only at this moment that Fisher suddenly noticed her original sky-blue long hair had a tendency to turn black again. He didn't know if it was a manifestation of the power of her Curse,
"There was news from the Coastal Defense Line just now, saying... saying that Teacher Fisher's wif—"
Right when Jasmine was about to say that word, Raphaela spoke through gritted teeth, interrupting the unfinished words in Jasmine's mouth,
"Yes, we already know. Mill happened to be outside earlier..."
Jasmine pursed her lips, then frowned and looked at Fisher beside her. The black color in her hair grew increasingly intense. Seeing this, Fisher had no choice but to explain,
"I don't have a wife from Schwari. I don't know her at all."
"Really?"
For some reason, even though Fisher gave such a certain and sincere explanation, the two ladies were unwilling to let him off no matter what. They both felt that the likelihood of this "visitor" being a romantic debt of Fisher's was greater than acting as a spy in a conspiracy.
Regarding this, Raphaela sneered and just looked outside, saying,
"Since that's the case, let's go outside and see what this 'legal wife' who traveled from afar has to teach us..."
Jasmine also nodded, obviously agreeing deeply,
"I'll go with you, Raphaela. Teacher Fisher will go with us too!"
"..."
Fisher nodded helplessly, unable to refuse.
Mill, beside them, obviously felt the same as Fisher—experiencing their full-firepower mode after breaking away from each other.
However, she didn't possess Fisher's psychological endurance. She only felt that this place was extremely terrifying and didn't want to stay a second longer.
Thus, she could only force a smile and say,
"I... I won't be going then..."
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Right now, it was a time when the sun was shining brightly in the Southern Continent. Whether in the sky, on land, or at sea, the wind was moving, rustling the Red Dragon Court's Military Flag not far from the coast. It fluttered wildly, undulating like waves, displaying the clamor of the coast at this moment.
Today was indeed noisy enough for the Red Dragon Court, which had not yet faced a state of war.
Fisher followed Raphaela and Jasmine to the coast where the incident took place. The Schwalian ship that baffled even Fisher hadn't docked on the southern coast of the continent, but rather to the northeast of the Red Dragon Court, closer to the northern coastline.
From this, Fisher suspected that his theory about the ship coming from the north wasn't entirely unreasonable.
Traveling from the Prayer and Blessing Tower to here would take nearly two hours even by carriage, so it was right for Mill not to come. Fisher and the others were at a relatively high Rank and could quickly rush to the location.
The maritime defense line of the Dragon Court mainly relied on artillery. Fisher didn't know where they got them from, but he felt it was highly likely they were captured from previous battles with human city lords. As for the strictness of the remaining defenses, according to Jasmine, because this place was further north and close to the Dragon Court's Army, not many defensive facilities were arranged to conserve resources. The defenses in Sunset Valley to the south were much more complete.
"Queen."
"High Priestess."
When Raphaela and Jasmine arrived, the soldiers who were previously in charge of this matter and reported the news to the Prayer and Blessing Tower had been waiting here for a long time. After saluting them, their gazes couldn't help but shoot a glance at the figure following behind them, wrapped in a thick cloak that concealed his figure and appearance.
They didn't ask much, and Raphaela instead asked,
"Where are the humans from that ship?"
"In the tent ahead. The few of them have been temporarily detained by us."
"Good, you may leave. Leave this place to us."
"Yes, Queen."
As the Demi-human soldiers left the area, Raphaela couldn't help but look at a small red boat on the distant sea surface that had already been tied with ropes. It seemed that this was the transport the guests in the tent had ridden here.
Then she exchanged a glance with Jasmine, stepped forward first, and lifted the flap of the tent standing on the shore.
"Clatter~"
The first thing to enter their eyes was the bright luster reflected off the various treasures inside, illuminated by the sunlight streaming in. Raphaela narrowed her eyes and looked at the jewelry with obvious Schwalian craftsmanship that had been transferred into the tent.
These pieces of jewelry showed no traces of magic and appeared to be nothing more than pure wealth.
A massive amount of valuable wealth was the first impression Raphaela and Jasmine had of the person they were about to meet. But after all, they hadn't seen the main person yet, so they both raised their heads to look ahead simultaneously.
Soon, amidst that pile of treasures, they saw a graceful, charming, and elegantly seated figure from behind. Standing in front of that figure were two women almost the same height, wearing traditional black and white maid outfits. They showed no expression, only slightly placing their hands on their lower abdomens when they saw Raphaela and Jasmine at the tent entrance, appearing quite polite.
The young lady they were protecting wore a pure white gauze dress and a miniature Schwalian lady's hat on her head. A lifelike small snake was engraved on the brim of the hat, giving it quite a spirited appearance.
Hearing the sound of the tent flap being opened, the young lady's body trembled slightly. Then, under Raphaela and Jasmine's scrutinizing gazes, the lady turned her head little by little to look at them.
It turned out to be a lady with long red hair. Her face was exquisitely beautiful, lightly powdered but not heavily made up. Her expression right now was somewhat panicked, as well as a bit aggrieved and at a loss. The corners of her eyes were slightly red, and her gaze was gentle and watery. When she saw that the newcomers were two Demi-humans, she was even so frightened that she hurriedly withdrew her gaze...
That delicate, ladylike appearance genuinely looked like a noble miss who had suffered grievances. Just seeing that face full of stories, Raphaela and Jasmine could imagine countless corresponding tales.
The expressions of the two of them simultaneously turned hostile. A terrifying aura that made one plus one far greater than two scared the delicate Schwalian wife so much that she mumbled, retracting the gaze she had carefully peeked out.
"Fisher, come look at your good wife."
"Yes, Teacher Fisher."
"?"
Raphaela and Jasmine turned their heads expressionlessly at the same time to look at Fisher, who had walked at the very back outside. Fisher was also completely baffled, but curiosity conquered his desire for survival. He still bit the bullet and walked into the tent, wanting to see clearly exactly who had come.
Upon his entry, the noble miss who had just withdrawn her gaze couldn't help but look over again. And with this look, she met the eyes of Fisher, who was taking off his cloak.
Fisher's expression changed, and he couldn't help but exclaim in shock,
"Ingrid?! Why are you here?"
Yes, who else could this youthful and beautiful Schwalian lady be but the young female reporter from the Giant Snake Newspaper, Ingrid, whom he had just parted with a few days ago? Oh, wait, she was an intern reporter.
It was just that compared to her appearance and temperament back then, the Ingrid before him had changed so suddenly and drastically that Fisher couldn't even connect her with her former self for a moment.
And the beautiful lady before him, wearing a white gauze dress, with an aggrieved face, drifting like duckweed in the wind, looked even more miserable after seeing Fisher. The pink around her eyes even deepened a few shades.
She pursed her lips in grievance and stood up amidst Fisher's stunned gaze. Then, while shedding tears, she recklessly lunged towards Fisher,
"Hubby!! How could you... how could you just abandon me like this? Why are you so heartless?!"
"?????"
Being violently crashed into by a soft, crying body, Fisher felt as if he had experienced an absolutely unprecedented impact. The impact was so terrifying that it almost pierced through his Mythical Rank's 'Body and Soul Unity' Trait.
This kind of impact shouldn't even be called an impact; it could even be called a great change unseen in ten thousand years!
Once upon a time, a greedy gentleman like him who didn't know restraint might have also harbored such fantasies, dreaming of a beautiful girl like the Ingrid before him falling from the sky as his wife, willing to throw herself into his arms. And if this wife from the sky happened to have "quite a bit of family wealth," being a wealthy woman, then that would be absolutely perfect.
Now in front of Fisher, the "wife" falling from the sky was here, and her "quite a bit of family wealth" beside her was also here. They were clearly two such joyful things, but why couldn't Fisher feel happy at all when they appeared before him now?
It was only because at this moment, Raphaela and Jasmine, who were standing somewhat close with already unpleasant expressions, watching everything coldly, were also subjected to a considerable direct impact. They helplessly watched this "legal wife" of unknown origin rush into Fisher's embrace, crying and pounding his chest, as if she were venting all the grievances accumulated from not seeing her husband for many years.
Raphaela's eyes instantly turned red, and worldly-incinerating flames genuinely seemed ready to erupt from her mouth like a real dragon. She interrogated Fisher,
"Didn't you say you didn't know her? Ingrid... Ingrid, heh, you call that name quite familiarly, don't you?!"
Jasmine's hair completely turned black as well. She pursed her lips and looked bloodthirstily at Ingrid, who was staying in Fisher's embrace, and muttered in a low voice,
"As expected... She really is a spy from the Pseudo-Court, isn't she... Spies are born to be killed..."
Facing the fury of the two, Ingrid became even more terrified. She only dared to hug Fisher before her tightly and sobbed,
"Hubby, don't run away from home anymore, okay? Okay? I've brought all the money from home. From now on, wherever you go, I'll go, okay? Hubby... boo-hoo, please don't leave me behind again, I beg you..."
Given how experienced in the battlefield a gentleman like Fisher was, facing such a situation now, his vision couldn't help but start turning black.
One must know, before returning to the present time from the Sanctuary, he had prepared extremely adequately in his own mind, both psychologically and objectively.
Perhaps at that time, he harbored exactly this thought when he wanted to enter the Mythical Rank, which was why he risked being corrupted by Chaos to ascend to the Mythical Rank—so he could deal with various situations that might occur in the future.
He did reach the Mythical Rank, but why was the situation so unexpected, and even completely unreasonable?
He couldn't help but ask himself this question...
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Outside the tent, during the hottest time of the early afternoon, gale winds bounded wildly between heaven and earth on the shore and over the ocean, swirling the long flags and producing almost deafening noises...
Yes, today's Red Dragon Court was indeed...
Extraordinarily lively.