That is to say, Valentina, even if she wasn’t a demi-human, still had deep connections with the demi-human race.
He scrutinized Valentina with a thoughtful flash in his eyes, but didn’t make it obvious. Only Emhardt, perched on his shoulder, noticed something amiss and glanced at him wordlessly.
The vessel owned by the Turand Family was called the SS Unicorn, and the way aboard was much gentler compared to Alagina’s Iceberg Queen, at least now Mr. Fisher and the heavily pregnant Ilois didn’t have to cling to a chain to get onto the deck anymore because this ship was equipped with a mechanical elevator.
"Boss, since we’ve already got the Cloud Cat Species Seal and now we’ve also located the Moon Rabbit Orphan, who has the Moon Rabbit Species Seal, shouldn’t we try to make contact with the Snow Fox Species tribe to search for their Seal?"
On the elevator, Philis leaned against the wall flipping a Gold Coin, while Balzac’s words woke the resting Valentina. She glanced silently at Mr. Fisher beside her, who was hugging his chest and deep in thought about something, and then she rubbed her temples, feeling a bit of a headache.
Helldor, who was behind her, noticed Valentina’s gesture and spoke up,
"Sss... The Snow Fox race is an extremely xenophobic race. Even though sightings of them in the northern part of the Northern Realm are common, they are very... unfriendly towards other races. According to information from the family, the Seal is still in their possession, but it’s usually very difficult to even communicate with them, let alone persuade them to hand over the Seal..."
"Tch, they’re just a bunch of stinking demi-humans. We could even go steal it if we have to..."
Balzac muttered quietly, but Iris immediately clenched the Gold Coin in her hand, making a crisp sound, and the lion-like ears beneath her fluffy hair turned unfriendly, stopping his words abruptly.
He almost forgot, he was currently accompanied by two demi-humans.
Balzac silently retracted his statement and, pursing his lips, leaned back against the wall.
"I’ll find a way to deal with the Snow Fox Species Seal later. For now, we already have the Cloud Cat Species Seal, and we have clues to the Grey Bird Species and Moon Rabbit Species Seals..."
Valentina suddenly spoke up, and when she mentioned "Grey Bird Species" and "Moon Rabbit Species" Seals, she glanced at Mr. Fisher and Ilois beside her before continuing to address Balzac,
"You can start looking for the seals of the remaining two demi-human species. The Troll Species has been missing for too long, and it will likely be quite hard to locate them. Begin with the search for the Slime Species Seal first."
"... No problem, boss, I’ll start preparing for that later."
Valentina nodded, and suddenly the elevator shuddered to a halt. Accompanied by the squeaking of mechanical parts rubbing against each other, the large door in front of them swung open, revealing the space inside the ship.
The wide corridor, carpeted and filled with soft Magic light, was a stark contrast to the chilly temperatures of the Northern Realm. It was a warm breeze, as if bathed in sunlight, that mixed with a faint scent of a woman, revealing the figure of a lady in traditional northern attire who had been waiting at the elevator’s entrance for some time.
"Miss Valentina, and esteemed guests, good evening. Hot water and dinner are ready; welcome back."
Her mature face bore a gentle smile, her embracing aura in no way inferior even compared to Sister Theresa from his memories, her pure black hair tied up in a bun, adorned with a shiny diadem, which was noticeable due to the bright green gemstone set within it.
This lady, he had seen her the last time on the island, seemed to be called "Ms. Heidlin," only at that time, he didn’t remember her wearing that diadem.
"Ssss... Mr. Fisher, this is Ms. Heidlin, the ship’s supervisor. She usually takes care of Valentina’s daily needs as well. Ms. Heidlin, this is Fisher Benavides; we met last time on the island. Now, he’ll be cooperating with us to search for the Seal."
"Hello, Ms. Heidlin."
"Mr. Fisher, hello. We’ve met once before. I’m very pleased to see you again here... Ah, and who is this adorable Moon Rabbit... nun?"
"Eh? That... may the Mother Goddess bless... No, that’s not right, I’m... I’m very pleased to meet you."
Heidlin cupped her cheeks with her hands and greeted Fisher and Ilois, then she took a particularly detailed look at Emhardt on Fisher’s shoulder, as if she was marveling at his ugliness, making Emhardt so uncomfortable he almost hid back in Fisher’s pocket.
The warmth in her emerald eyes was gentle, glittering like the emeralds set in her tiara, and she was as enthusiastic as the temperature inside the room.
"Alright, Heidlin, please assign each of them a room and then take them to the dining hall... I need to go change my clothes."
Valentina wheeled herself out of the elevator toward the depths of the corridor. Balzac and Iris had been frequent visitors to the ship for a while and, upon seeing Valentina, in her wheelchair, moving away, Philis’s smile immediately grew dangerous as she looked at Balzac beside her,
"Heh, you dead dog, you were quite the smooth talker just now... Next time you’re in trouble, pray this stinking demi-human doesn’t save you, or it would be too good for the words you just said."
Balzac twisted his mouth and glanced at Ilois still in the elevator... and Fisher, who was looking at him from in front. Beside him, the grinning Heidlin was also watching.
He opened his mouth but said nothing, just snorted coldly at Philis, whose expression was unfriendly,
Just as Balzac shook his red robe and was about to walk away, the depths of the corridor suddenly shook, followed by a series of loud noises, like countless metal parts frantically trembling and rubbing together, startling him,
"Fuck, what the hell is Celti up to again? She’s gonna take the ship apart one day... not a reliable one among them, and now there’s another one..."
Philis, looking disdainful, spat on the nearby carpet and chuckled before preparing to leave triumphantly. Her ears atop her head quivered uneasily, and then, somewhat embarrassed, she reached up to touch her hair and turned back to Heidlin with a sheepish grin,
"Ha... totally forgot you can’t just spit anywhere on the ship... hahaha, sorry."
"If you could remember to flush the toilet once in a while, I might be happier, Miss Philis."
Heidlin’s sarcastic remarks deflated Philis’s previously buoyant demeanor. She silently stepped back and swept the stain on the floor clean with her lion-like tail, all the while stealthily moving backwards,
"Definitely next time... definitely next time..."
As Heidlin clearly had no interest in her, Philis’s steps swiftly lightened, and she ran happily toward the rooms deep in the corridor, leaving behind her back a sight of disinterest to her kin. At the elevator entrance, only Fisher and his company remained.
Heidlin sighed and turned back to Fisher, who seemed pensive,
"Although these guys are skilled at their work, their private lives leave much to be desired, like children... But perhaps it’s precisely their lack of attention to the trivial that allows them to focus on the task at hand. Alright, alright, Mr. Fisher, let me take you to your rooms; dinner is about to start, and we don’t have much time to delay."
She touched her lips, and the maturity of her demeanor was evident from the unpainted corners of her mouth, complementing the tiara on her forehead.