novelraw Chapter 641: Old Woman
Chapter 641: Old Woman
"..."
Within the convoy, Fisher who was wrapped beneath Azanroth's Hidden blessing suddenly stopped his footsteps. No one around noticed his actions, thus the convoy then proceeded forward bit by bit. Exactly watching as it was about to bring that carriage bearing "Valentiina's gift" entering within the Cathedral.
Only the Eimhart within Alicia's embrace seemingly noticed Fisher's actions behind. He hurriedly quietly poked his head out, using a tiny voice querying,
"Fisher, why did you suddenly stop walking?"
The Alicia being led by the servants also noticed Eimhart's voice. Turning her head yet still saw completely nothing.
However, the Fisher before the eyes yet still exactly like not hearing it, blankly turned his head looking towards the Golden Carriage currently entering the outer field not far away, or perhaps the Elizabeth within that carriage.
"Aiyou, I almost forgot beneath that whatever ghost blessing his rank was reverted, normally he ought to be able to hear me speaking."
Eimhart "tze"d feeling a headache. But right now beside were entirely all people, he also couldn't boldly fly out from Alicia's embrace conversing with Fisher, having no choice but to let Alicia do some small movements to attract Fisher's attention.
"... Is it Empress Elizabeth arriving?"
After remaining silent for a moment she abruptly stopped her footsteps, deliberately asking the servants beside like so. She didn't suppress the volume of the sound, then making the Fisher behind who almost crashed or froze regain his senses."Yes ah, Miss Alicia, you met Her Majesty previously."
"... I don't like that big sister."
"Aiyou! These words absolutely must not be spoken recklessly. Moreover Her Majesty treats the Naris people so well ah, even I this Schwalian very much envies. Right now all Naris people very much respect and love her, you later absolutely must not speak recklessly!"
These servants were all hired by Vileli from Schwari. And even in their hometown, the Schwari far away from here they all heard of Elizabeth's reputation. What's more after coming to this impoverished backwater place Chitel, as long as people who returned from St. Naris there wouldn't be a single one not singing praises of Empress Elizabeth, even to the extent beginning to hang her portrait at home.
Right now this childish little fellow actually dared to speak like this. If later raising some trouble it would exactly be over. Therefore right now they only then exhorted repeatedly so.
Alicia blankly nodded her head. And behind Fisher also walked forward. This time Eimhart asking questions in a low voice again he also heard it.
Fisher let out a sigh, stretching out his hand pointing at the gift carriage beside them. Eimhart staying inside Alicia's embrace just now didn't see it, right now via Fisher's pointing, he then let Alicia tilt towards that side a bit. The next moment also saw those words full of aggressiveness.
"Hiss!"
He sucked in a breath of cold air, even the voice almost unable to suppress questioning reflexively,
"Valentiina is here?!"
"Shh, you keep your voice down a bit, others can notice you... although I also don't want to think like this, but judging from the current situation it indeed possibly is like so. Previously Keken just told us, the slimes have already not entered Naris borders for a very long time. Moreover Keken still works for them, Valentiina acting as their nominal leader, impossible not to know I would come to attend the funeral..."
"Ah, with that girl's feelings towards you, accompanied by Elizabeth high-profilely announcing personally coming..."
Eimhart pursed his lips, subsequently somewhat hair-raising terrifyingly squeezed into Alicia's embrace. While squeezing down playing dead, while still muttering speaking,
"Aiya, you just wait for your death ba, Fisher. I still remember at that time in the Northern Border when Valentiina completely hadn't become a phoenix, she and Elizabeth then via that what's-it Nazarene Clandestine Affairs Bureau Communication Magic confronted each other across space. Now it's great, directly face to face about to touch a bit... moreover still at your teacher's funeral!"
"..."
Fisher also felt somewhat helpless. But no matter what he all didn't hope his own matters affected the process of Teacher Helson's funeral.
He didn't want to betray master and ancestors to the point even his teacher's funeral had to become the battlefield of his female confidantes engaging in face-to-face showdown. If it was like that he afraid would feel guilty for an entire lifetime.
Fisher looked towards this gift carriage before the eyes, within his brain approximately possessing a bit of thoughts for resolving. Leveraging that he himself possessed the Hidden blessing he hurriedly arrived behind that gift carriage, saying towards Eimhart,
"You accompany Alicia entering first, I will dispose of this kind of dangerous object then return. Incidentally, if can find Valentiina one step earlier then even better."
These gift carriages were all completely prepared by the guests previously exactly. Only waiting to be transported over by the servants this morning. This kind of thing also extremely rarely would have something akin to a gift list. Therefore when Valentiina directly put this thing into the convoy then let the servants transport it inwards was an extremely easy matter.
But the critical point lied in, these gifts originally were exactly gifts given to Helson's relatives. Even if Elizabeth is the Empress obviously also lacks the authority to go in place of their family inspecting these sympathy gifts. Therefore Valentiina necessarily must proactively let this "great gift" given by her be displayed before Elizabeth's eyes. Then she herself or perhaps whoever accompanying together with her then definitely would go to the location where gifts are stored.
Right now what Fisher needed to do was exactly hurriedly take this thing away, then again go to the location storing gifts to find Valentiina one step earlier. At least must wait until the funeral ends before talking about other matters...
The plan already took shape. Under the drive of the desire for survival, even if Fisher's rank right now was recovered to an ordinary person by Hidden yet still appeared exceptionally swift and decisive.
Before the Eimhart within Alicia's embrace even poked his head out to say something, Fisher then already snipped exactly the part connecting that gift carriage with the front. Himself then dragged that Valentiina's gift carriage breaking away from the convoy.
Under the Hidden blessing, whatever things he influenced all would possess an extremely long stretch of delay. On the train he had already experimented doing an experiment taking other people's hats.
Right now wanting to wait until these fellows discover he pushed the gift carriage away afraid all the gifts had already been placed within. At that time how many people still remembered was truly difficult to say. Otherwise how could this kind of extremely aggressive gift towards the Empress worshipped by Naris people possibly be pushed inwards by servants.
Watching Fisher fighting hard for his own life, Eimhart also helplessly let out a sigh, muttering,
"Valentiina that little girl when did she speaking become so... mmn, hateful? Could it be after sleeping for four and a half years inside the ice egg the phoenix bloodline awakening afterwards then possessed the aggressiveness conforming to the rank? Truly strange..."
"Mr. Book, what happened to Big Brother?"
"Oh, nothing, he has a little matter needing to be done, you just get accustomed to it, this kind of matter happens from time to time."
"Eh?"
Alicia didn't know what the "little matter" Eimhart spoke of was. Merely after hearing Fisher distance away, she suddenly felt uneasy towards everything about to be faced inside the Cathedral.
Perhaps this kind of feeling of uneasiness always existed, whether towards the re-confirmation of Grandpa's departure, or facing the disgust of older sister Vileli...
But right now she having already arrived came, still completely not being eaten up right, then also can only bite the bullet continuing downwards.
She held the Eimhart disguised as a book within her embrace slightly tighter. Very quickly then entered the venue inside this Cathedral, taken by the servants to the front of the Cathedral.
After finalizing here acting as the venue for holding Helson's funeral. The engineering personnel of the Golden Palace within half a month made an out-and-out thorough transformation towards the Cathedral. Instantly letting an unknown to the public rural small church possess the specifications conforming to the Bishop Cathedral of St. Naris, at least currently the Prayer Hall inside can very easily accommodate hundreds of people.
Right now, within the vast continuous Prayer Hall of the Cathedral was already packed with people. The neatly placed over ten rows of chairs were fully seated with nobles, scholars and officials arriving from various places across the nation. On the other side were again friends coming from foreign countries, colleagues of the Magic Society, the president of the World Magic Association as well as various branch presidents...
Several Archbishops of the Naris Church and their family members, the Pope's special envoy of Kadu, the royal family's special envoy of Schwari, even the various nations of the Northern Border currently within the storm of the Wutong Tree all dispatched envoys coming amidst their busy schedules...
But even these celebrities whose reputations reverberated completely within their respective domains. Before the eyes of the old man sleeping within the crystal coffin beneath the loving gaze of that Mother Goddess Statue all appeared humble. They silently entered the Cathedral, arranged seats lacking corresponding names by the guards of the Golden Palace. Occasionally converse one or two sentences, the rest all pinned their mourning within silence.
Yet solely sitting at the very front row of all seats, every single position there all possessed a corresponding name. That position ought to be nearest to Helson, the position of the people whose statuses were the most exalted.
Counting sequentially, first is the current president of the Royal Academy Mr. Dami'an, Helson's granddaughter Vileli and her husband, Helson's granddaughter Alicia, the Empress of the Empire Elizabeth Gothrin as well as...
The position of Helson's sole disciple, Fisher Benavides.
"Miss Alicia, we've arrived, quickly please take your seat ba."
"... Okay."
Alicia pursed her lips, holding Eimhart somewhat nervously looking towards the big shots fully securely seated behind her own seat before the eyes. After the servants guided that petite girl entering the venue, they all briefly remained silent for a moment, seemingly curiously sizing up exactly how this granddaughter adopted by Helson five years before his death was.
And at the very front, Empress Elizabeth still hadn't arrived. The completely white-haired and white-bearded Dami'an wearing glasses, finely sized up the little girl before his eyes a bit. Ultimately squeezing out a smile,
"Little Alicia, still remember Grandpa Dami'an? When you were little we met before."
"Remembering exactly, thank you for coming to visit Grandpa, seeing his last face."
How could Alicia possibly still remember matters when little, but she remembered Grandpa frequently exchanged letters with the grandpa before her eyes. Knowing he was Grandpa's close friend, therefore speaking like so.
"... Yes ah, the last face. Quickly sit ba, your position is beside your older sister. Still learning Helson's magic previously right, coming here still hugging a book."
"Eh..." Alicia deeply feared Eimhart would be discovered. Then held him slightly tighter. Her articulation also slightly pausing saying, "Mmn, because... because very much missing Grandpa... therefore..."
Her technique of lying still wasn't too proficient. But obviously, Dami'an didn't distinguish whether this was a lie or not. Because Alicia's missing towards Helson absolutely wasn't fake.
And advancing past Dami'an, what entered the eyes was exactly the older sister leaning within the husband's embrace, being pregnant, Vileli.
Her eyes which themselves became thoroughly red because of crying when looking towards her carrying unconcealed complaint and hatred. Because she deeply knew exactly this child picked back by Grandpa before the eyes harmed Grandpa to death. Although over a hundred years old for humans ought to already be considered a happy funeral. But she actually remembers exactly how this little demon draped in human skin committed such evil deeds at night.
She was exactly like a lunatic, utilizing knives attacking animals, attacking humans. That expression swallowing fresh blood into the abdomen finally tasting and analyzing Vileli wouldn't forget for an entire lifetime. Grandpa in order to stop her couldn't bear to use magic, then personally stretched out his hand going to block, yet was cut and injured by her using a knife...
Exactly ever since then, Grandpa's body only then began becoming one day entirely not as good as the previous day. Clearly previously still having that much energy, yet within a short one year...
This all blames this monster before the eyes!!
But right now after all was a funeral, even if possessing thousands of resentments within the inner heart. Vileli entirely didn't display it out. She usually had already vented sufficiently enough.
She merely after resentfully glancing at Alicia once then leaned within her husband's embrace closing both eyes. Even the seat originally sitting beside Alicia was also swapped, letting her husband separate herself and her.
Alicia pursed her lips, feeling the pure malice of the older sister. Just five years old her appeared exceptionally at a loss.
But she didn't say anything, merely silent and quiet walking towards the position belonging to herself. After sitting upright and still, she again sized up the two positions beside her a bit. Respectively the position of Empress Elizabeth and Big Brother...
However, didn't Grandpa say Big Brother afraid wouldn't openly return anymore? Why would here still have his position?
Not only was little Alicia wondering, the sitting Dami'an beside when entering obviously also noticed this point. Then wrinkling his brows asking towards Vileli's husband like so,
"Why is Fisher's position also here, did he return?"
"Eh, you are saying... oh, this we also don't know. It was Her Majesty letting us do so... also absolutely didn't interfere with the process of the funeral... therefore only then..."
"Her Majesty?"
Dami'an was slightly startled. Hearing it was Elizabeth's arrangement, within the inner heart then increased a few points of uneasy feeling.
Towards Fisher he possessed a bit of guilt. At that time it was them exactly assisting Elizabeth snatching authority, yet completely didn't expect to force Helson's sole beloved disciple to the end of the rope fleeing out of Naris. This entire five years he all entirely didn't return once. Even Helson passing away also completely failed to meet.
Then, Her Majesty doing so right now is for the sake of...
Dami'an couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva. He yet could only silently pray to the Mother Goddess, praying to let Elizabeth absolutely not commit any out of bounds acts at Helson's funeral. Otherwise...
"Her Majesty!!"
"Her Majesty the Empress is arriving!"
Right at this moment, behind from the overwhelming cheers like tsunami transmitted over identical voices whether surprised or admiring. After the people sitting at the front row realizing after the fact turned their heads back, what was seen actually was entirely the appearance of the nobles of the back rows successively standing up.
"Her Majesty!"
Thus, even without seeing the main person herself, everyone all subconsciously stood up. Above the floor of the early morning Cathedral, exactly like sunlight like majestic prestige poured in fully. Very quickly making people possess a kind of breathless feeling.
Only five years old Alicia's height was very short. Her this kind of feeling was exceptionally intense. Even blankly standing her body up could only see the backs of the adults of the second row turning their heads. Where was she able to see that "big sister" not seen for a long time.
Until seemingly the person entering from the front raised her hand. All greeting sounds all began to converge up. Thus, within the silent atmosphere uniquely those unhurried footsteps clearly entered the ears...
Accompanying those footsteps approaching bit by bit. A blonde lady wearing a pure black long dress, the hair ornament upon the head tied neatly and low-key carrying a faint smile slowly arrived at the front. For the sake of expressing solemnity, upon her head she wore a black veil, just exactly draped upon her hair bundle tied into a bunch.
Behind her, were the priest gripping the Scripture of Creation and the praying personnel. After she slowly arrived beside Alicia and then took her seat. A smear of rich fragrance then surged into Alicia's nasal cavity. The big shots behind successively took their seats. The priest and praying personnel originally following behind her yet heavily advanced straight up, arriving before Helson's crystal coffin, doing preparations for hosting the impending funeral.
"Her Majesty."
"Respectful Her Majesty."
"Empress..."
"Condolences, please be seated ba."
The Vileli couple beside, Dami'an all greeted her. Alicia also aped them greeting. Elizabeth yet seemingly completely didn't look at her. Expressed sympathy towards all relatives and friends of Helson. Subsequently only then taking her seat quietly gazing ahead.
It seems this big sister has already completely forgotten herself. At that time she clearly still met with herself before.
Alicia reasoned like so. Merely treating it as Elizabeth forgetting her. Thus then continuing to climb onto the seat beside Elizabeth, quietly awaiting the start of the funeral.
Who knew right in the next moment, the Elizabeth beside yet suddenly softly opened her mouth,
"Little Alicia, we meet again."
"Ah, Her Majesty, I..."
"I have a little question wanting to ask you."
"Eh, what question?"
"That book within your embrace, is it exactly originating from a man named Fisher Benavides?"
"Eh?"
Alicia was slightly startled. The Eimhart playing dead within her embrace also instantly trembled entirely. Seemingly plunging into the coldest ice cave in the world that kind of cold.
Alicia then somewhat fearfully turned her head looking towards the Elizabeth beside. Yet seeing her still maintaining a smile facing towards the front. But that pupil flashing with bizarre golden colors within her eye sockets actually already slightly swaying looking towards Alicia's direction over here. Visibly appearing exceptionally vivid and lifelike, yet still carrying a rich empty meaning. Towards her demanding an answer perhaps known long ago.
"..."
Within the slice of white silence of Alicia's brain. The priest before the eyes slowly unfurled the Scripture of Creation, preparing to begin hosting the ceremony of Helson's funeral.
And at the rear of the Cathedral, the Fisher who just completely hid away that dangerous object to a location unknown exactly again under the wrapping of the Hidden blessing stealthily sneaked back to the rear of the Cathedral, the location storing gifts, which was also approximately within over 10 meters behind the Mother Goddess Statue.
Here properly could approximately hear the faintly transmitted over sounds from the front, the conversation sounds of those big shots. Merely due to structural problems, Fisher lacked the method to directly see the scenes of the front. However the Cathedral in the front seemed to be rushed completely making it out, ought to have some position able to find this kind of position exactly.
Also Valentiina...
"Yi, I put it behind the convoy of this family last night exactly ah, why right now then disappeared? Could it be it was discovered ma... Tze, I originally even thought waiting until the funeral ends letting that foolish Ex completely break defenses a bit exactly."
"..."
"I absolutely am not stupid okay, how could they possibly discover it. I investigated completely previously, transporting these things are exactly all servants of the Golden Palace. Sending it in the morning all won't be in time, where would they inspect the prayers upon these gifts. Those gifting nobles then even more wouldn't exactly. They themselves perhaps have only just hurried over completely..."
"..."
"If truly failing I then presently write another copy exactly. Anyway I absolutely must let that fellow see... actually dared to threaten me in letters, still speaking what she and Fisher kissed passing the night when I was still exactly playing with toy cars within the Turan home! Acting exactly as if Fisher right now is her husband! That old woman... that's right, I'll exactly write like this, previously why didn't I think of it, she this year is already completely over thirty..."
Fisher blankly paused in place. Obviously recognized this voice he couldn't be more familiar with. Merely for a moment he actually didn't dare to open his mouth speaking.
He right now merely hadn't figured out completely, why Valentiina would bizarrely be talking to herself here.
He hurriedly carefully bit by bit felt towards the source region of that fine sound. After swallowing a mouthful of saliva, very quickly then saw a figure draped in black gauze dress, wearing a large black hat upon the head currently squatting between a pile of gifts sneaky and suspicious feeling for something. While checking while still whispering...
And this figure before the eyes obviously isn't a phoenix, but a... human?
Fisher blinked his eyes, concluding within like so.