Chapter 5: The Mysterious Maiden

The Simaqi River remained calm, and the massive fleet carrying Mels continued its steady, unhurried journey toward the sea. At Mels's request, the Wind Elder had ordered the fleet to change course, setting sail from the Fijinando United Kingdom and slowly heading north, passing through Bomart Port before proceeding toward the Frank Islands.

The sun rose and the moon set, time flying like an arrow. It had been ten days since the Seven Immortals of Myriad Changes took Mels as their disciple. Though ten days wasn't long, Mels's life had undergone significant changes. Apart from the time spent daily preparing meals for the "young lady," the rest of his hours were occupied by training sessions with the seven elders in rotation.

While they were all teaching Mels, the seven elders' feelings were not uniform. Perhaps due to Mels's natural disinclination toward magic, the two elders skilled in magic—the Angry Thunder Fairy and the Cold Ice Deity—shook their heads in dismay at his comprehension. Even the simplest spells required Mels to spend twice as much time learning them as an ordinary person would!

However, the other five elders were immensely gratified by Mels's martial arts aptitude! Whether it was Qi energy, swordsmanship, whip techniques, blade arts, or spear skills, as long as they demonstrated once and explained once, Mels could mimic them with remarkable accuracy and even spar with them for a while! In the hearts of these five elders, having such a disciple brought them immense satisfaction.

At this moment, Mels was like a dry sponge, absorbing and digesting everything the five elders taught him, eventually transforming it into his own. In just ten short days, Mels's martial prowess was now a world apart from before, as if he were a different person.

Though his days were full and busy, a mystery still lingered in Mels's heart. He kept asking himself: Who could possibly have the Seven Immortals of Myriad Changes acting as bodyguards? Who was enjoying the dishes he prepared daily? What kind of powerful backing was needed to command such a massive fleet? Perhaps driven by youthful curiosity or his own personality, as time passed, his desire to uncover the truth grew stronger and stronger!

Unfortunately, whether it was the fleet members or his own masters, the Seven Immortals, all remained tight-lipped about the mysterious "young lady," which only fueled Mels's curiosity to learn her true identity. However, despite trying countless methods, Mels never managed to see the young lady, not even hearing her voice. In desperation, he had considered sneaking into her quarters at night, but the profound martial skills of the Female Steward, Mont, and other senior figures made him hold back.

Time gradually passed amid Mels's complex mix of curiosity and anxiety, until finally, an opportunity presented itself...

On this day, the night before the fleet was about to exit the Simaqi River and enter the harbor leading to the sea, Mels, having completed his daily chores and training, dragged his weary body slowly toward his quarters. Night had already enveloped the great river, with only a few mischievous stars occasionally peeking through the clouds at the earth below. Though the fleet continued forward, the daytime bustle was gone.

Rubbing his sore shoulders as he walked toward the foredeck, Mels suddenly spotted a black figure darting swiftly past from the other side of the ship's railing! The mysterious figure moved as fast as lightning, and if not for Mels's vastly improved skills, he likely wouldn't have noticed the person's movements at all!

Seeing the mysterious black-clad figure, Mels immediately thought of the group of mysterious individuals who had attacked the fleet ten days ago and fought with the Ice Elder! Driven by loyalty to the Seven Immortals and the fearless spirit of a newborn calf, Mels didn't notify anyone. Instead, he immediately turned and chased in the direction where the black-clad figure had disappeared.

The "enemy's" speed was extraordinary, swiftly traversing the massive ship, forcing Mels to repeatedly channel the Qi energy within his body to increase his own speed. Seemingly sensing Mels's urgency, a flash of light appeared on his left arm, and the green Little One materialized on Mels's shoulder.

"Big brother, what are you..." Seeing Mels sweating profusely and sprinting at full speed, Little One asked in confusion.

"Shh... don't talk!" Worried his voice might alert the enemy ahead, Mels hastily stopped Little One, then slowed his pace to increase the distance from the black-clad figure, avoiding detection.

"Huh? Oh, I get it!" Little One was initially puzzled, then clapped his hands and said, "Hehe, boss, you really are a bandit at heart! Looks like you couldn't stand those old folks anymore, stole a bunch of jewels from the ship's hold, and now you're making a run for it!"

"Cut it out! Do I look like that kind of person? Let me tell you, my foster father said: 'Those who steal and run are lowly Little Thieves. Us proper bandits, we use force!' Got it?" Mels hid in a corner, observing the black-clad figure who had now stopped at the stern, while explaining to Little One.

"Huh? And that counts as 'proper'? Big brother, I really admire how you can say that without blushing!" Little One shook his head. Mels, however, had no mind to argue with Little One now. He crouched lower, hiding completely among a pile of debris at the stern, peering through gaps to carefully observe the black-clad figure.

By the dim starlight, Mels clearly saw the mysterious person standing by the stern railing. Though the person's loose cloak made it hard to tell if they were male or female, the protruding object at their waist told Mels this person carried a weapon!

Mels quietly hid, observing the mysterious figure. It was unclear what the person was looking at or waiting for, but they kept scanning the open river surface without moving. Just as Mels was about to lose patience and prepare to attack, he suddenly noticed the person starting to shed her cloak!

The black cloak danced lightly in the river breeze, purple hair faintly reflecting starlight, and the graceful figure made Mels realize with a start from afar: The "enemy" was actually a woman. Though Mels could only see the back of the woman in black tight-fitting clothes, he was still awed by her beautiful curves.

The woman seemed unaware of Mels's "peeping." She slowly raised her hands to tidy her wind-tousled hair, and with a soft incantation, black light emanated from her left hand. In less than a second, a dark-type demonic Summoned Beast appeared beside her—about one and a half meters tall, entirely black, with bat-like wings on its back, a slender black tail at its hips, a petite build, and holding a trident.

"Gina, let's go play!" At the girl's soft call, the summoned beast named Gina nodded slightly. Then, both the girl and the beast leaped into the air, leaving the ship and gliding over the river surface.

"What are they doing?" Watching the girl and her summoned beast, Mels couldn't determine if they intended to attack the fleet, so he unconsciously asked Little One.

"Big brother, what's wrong? This human clearly looks like she sneaked out to play in the middle of the night. What are you worried about?" Little One, nestled in Mels's arms, suddenly spoke up.

"Right! She's not an enemy! Maybe she's the young lady I've been serving all along!" From Little One's words, Mels suddenly realized the girl's identity. His gaze shifted, and he prepared to step out from his hiding spot, as if intending to do something. Just then, the girl floating over the river suddenly descended, plummeting toward the great river like a weight. As Mels was about to rush to her rescue in shock, he saw the girl step onto the spray, enjoying nature's comfort on the river like a dragon palace fairy alongside her demonic summoned beast.

Spray churned, clothes fluttered, and under the moonlight, the enchanting figure was reflected in the river's waves. A scene like a painting from a fairyland unfolded before Mels's eyes, leaving the mountain-born youth dumbfounded.

"Clang!" A soft dragon-like hum sounded as the longsword at the girl's waist leaped into the air as if gaining life, while the enchanting figure simultaneously rose like a dancing butterfly. Beauty and sword, moonlight and spray—the mesmerizing scene deeply captivated Mels once more.

"Water, gather by my side; wind, lift my body. Let the power of heaven and earth pass through me, open the gate to another dimension, and bestow the Creator's power upon my sword!" In the girl's silvery voice, countless blue water droplets surged from the churning river, gathering on the sword in her hand within moments. The originally silver-white longsword took on a profound, mysterious blue hue, as if donning a blue coat.

"Magic Knight!" Seeing this scene, Mels exclaimed! Since childhood, Mels had heard from Sarikat that "Magic Knights" were hailed as the continent's strongest warriors! These warriors, capable of controlling magic and imbuing their weapons with magical power, possessed not only high-level swordsmanship but also the mysterious ability to control magical energy! In battle, a Magic Knight would attach magic to their weapon, granting it extraordinary destructive power! However, though Magic Knights were renowned, they rarely appeared on the continent, so people knew little about them. Humans like Mels who had seen one with their own eyes were few and far between!

Mels's exclamation startled the girl freely enjoying herself over the river. Two chilling glints filled with killing intent instantly shot toward where Mels stood! Only when those eyes met his body did Mels realize he had been discovered. The awkwardness of being caught peeping left him flustered, unsure what to do.

The girl, however, wasn't as shy as Mels. Once she confirmed Mels's presence, she immediately moved, gliding toward the ship. Her speed now seemed even faster than when Mels had been tracking her earlier, and in an instant, she stood before the dumbfounded Mels.

"Who are you? Why are you hiding here?" The girl glared coldly at Mels. At that moment, Mels finally saw the girl's true face. He no longer knew what he was feeling! Beautiful? How could "beautiful" suffice! Long, light purple hair lay smoothly against her shoulders, and a brilliance surpassing starlight emanated from her icy gaze toward Mels. A straight nose, delicate lips, an oval face—like a perfect work of art presented before the youth. At this moment, gazing at the fairy-like girl, Mels could only marvel at the Creator's wonder, at heaven's unfairness and favoritism!

"She's incredibly beautiful!" Almost unconsciously, Mels uttered heartfelt praise. However, his compliment not only failed to win the girl's favor but instead prompted her icy blue longsword to slice through the air!

"Shameless scoundrel, die!" The cold girl shouted angrily, thrusting her sword straight at Mels's chest.

"Young lady, wait..." The sword whistling through the air finally snapped Mels back to his senses. Unfortunately, before he could explain, the cold blade was already nearing his chest! Left with no choice, Mels had to prioritize self-preservation. He flipped and executed the "Drifting Cloud and Treading Wind Technique" taught by the Cloud Elder, forcibly twisting his body to narrowly evade the girl's attack at the last moment!

"Huh?" Seeing Mels's evasive maneuver, the girl let out a puzzled sound. However, the sword in her hand didn't pause. After missing once, she didn't rush to pursue. Instead, she swiftly executed a series of sword strokes in the now-empty space before her, instantly creating a curtain of sword light in front of herself.

Mels, who had dodged the attack mid-air, was confused by the girl's actions. Before he could understand her intent, the chilling sound of metal cutting through air approached from behind. Without looking back or needing confirmation, Mels knew clearly that another sharp weapon was now closing in on him.

"Ha!" A loud shout, perhaps to bolster his courage or to release the Qi energy condensed throughout his body! With the shout, Mels forcibly halted his backward momentum mid-air and, using the faint river breeze, changed his direction, shooting back toward the girl!

It turned out that while the girl attacked, her demonic summoned beast Gina had circled behind Mels! As Mels was forced into the air by the girl's sword strokes, Gina didn't hesitate to raise her trident and thrust fiercely at the enemy's back! It was precisely Gina's attack that put Mels in a pincer situation, leaving him no choice but to release all his Qi energy and charge back toward the girl, who had already set up a sword curtain in front of her!

How could human flesh compare to the hardness of metal, let alone a divine weapon that could slice through iron like mud! If Mels charged straight at the girl, he would surely be shredded by the sword curtain; if he stopped his advance, the summoned beast behind would pierce three bloody holes in him. Decisions in battle are made in an instant, and that instant determines life or death! Mels was no exception. In just a few seconds, he made his choice and charged directly at the girl without hesitation, as if ready to test the sword's sharpness with his own body!

"Big brother!" On the distant main mast, the Ice Elder and Cloud Elder stood side by side behind the Wind Elder. Seeing Mels about to meet his end in the girl's sword curtain, the Cloud Elder cried out in concern.

"Hehe, that kid is clever. He won't foolishly throw his life away. I think he must have his own plan. Let's wait and see." The Wind Elder smiled slightly, comforting his sworn brother, still not intending to intervene!

In that instant, Mels closed in on the girl. The fairy-like girl had a heart as venomous as a serpent's, showing no mercy even to a youth she'd just met, as if filled with hatred. Sensing her killing intent, genuine anger flared in Mels's heart. Just as he approached the sword curtain, his empty hands suddenly produced a gleaming Soft Sword in his left hand, as if by magic.

Clang! Clang! Two crisp sounds of metal clashing later, Mels let out a muffled grunt, while the girl, who had held the upper hand, screamed simultaneously, staggering back five or six meters! Earlier, before approaching the sword curtain, Mels had thought the girl might show him some leniency, but reality differed from his expectations. Faced with the girl's aggressive attitude, Mels's competitive youthful nature was fully revealed. After drawing his soft sword, he first parried the two sword rays aimed at his chest, then, risking injury to his right hand, thrust the soft sword fiercely at the girl's chest!

The girl never expected Mels to be so fierce. Though her martial skills surpassed Mels's and she could have dodged, her proud nature wouldn't allow her to yield to a "little thief." Therefore, after Mels broke through the sword curtain, she didn't retreat but instead stepped forward, thrusting three times at Mels before backing away!

Of course, the price for thrusting at Mels three times was having her own right upper arm pierced by Mels's sword!

"Not good! This is trouble!" Seeing both Mels and the girl injured, the Wind Elder finally realized the situation was dire! Muttering to himself, he immediately moved, leaping through the air toward Mels and the girl, who were preparing to fight again, and shouted loudly, "Stop!" Hearing the Wind Elder's call, both Mels and the girl looked up at the sky. Almost as they reacted, the Wind Elder landed between them, preventing further combat.

"Master, she..." Seeing the Wind Elder arrive, Mels immediately prepared to explain what happened.

However, before Mels could continue, the Wind Elder raised a hand to stop him, then turned to face the girl and said, "Hehe, young lady, leaving your room so late at night puts us in a difficult position!"

"Hmph!" The girl lifted her head arrogantly, as if the Wind Elder meant nothing to her.

"You..." Seeing the haughty girl, Mels's anger surged from all sides! Having never feared anything since childhood, Mels didn't care about any "young lady" now and was about to speak up again.

"Mels, say no more. Whatever happened between you two was a misunderstanding! She is the young lady whose meals you prepare daily. You must not disrespect her in the future!" Worried the two might clash again, the Wind Elder hastily used words to stop Mels. Though Mels burned with rage toward the arrogant young lady, facing his master, he could only swallow his anger and step aside for now.

"Hmph! My affairs are none of your concern. Do you think I don't know why you and my father conspired to trick me onto this ship?" The girl roared angrily at the Wind Elder, but he remained smiling, utterly unfazed. Seeing her attempt to provoke the other party's anger had failed, the girl immediately turned to Mels and strode toward him.

"Young lady, let it go. This boy is the new disciple of this old relic. If there's any misunderstanding, please be magnanimous!" Thinking the girl still wouldn't let Mels off, the Wind Elder hurriedly tried to dissuade her.

"Who said I'm going to trouble this shameless little thief? This young lady is injured now and needs to return to her room to treat her wounds. Is that allowed?" Seeing the Wind Elder blocking her path, the girl retorted sharply.

"I see. That's fine, that's fine! I'll have Third Sister tend to you shortly!" Facing the girl's confrontational attitude, the Wind Elder remained amiable. Witnessing this, Mels could hardly believe his eyes and ears. The leader of the Seven Immortals of Myriad Changes could actually "fear" a young girl to such an extent!

The girl paid no heed to Mels's reaction. Once the Wind Elder stepped aside, she walked straight up to Mels and said loudly, "Little thief, you're lucky today, having these Old Fellows back you up! Next time you fall into this young lady's hands, I'll make you regret ever being born into this world!" After saying this, she bumped hard against Mels's injured right arm and strode off toward the foredeck.

Pah! Who does she think she is? We'll see who ends up teasing whom in the future! Mels cursed inwardly.

"Hehe, Silly Boy, you must be wondering why we tolerate her so much." Seeing the indignation in Mels's eyes, the Wind Elder walked over to him and asked.

"Actually, I..." Mels started to explain but found himself at a loss for words.

"Haha... Let's head back to the room first. After treating your injuries, I'll explain everything clearly!" Wind Elder laughed heartily as he walked toward the foredeck, leaving a bewildered Mels standing alone on the spot.

In the opulent cabin, six of the Seven Immortals of Myriad Changes gathered around Mels, while Thunder Elder was away treating the young lady's injuries. Under the care of the elders, the three wounds on Mels' right arm were quickly bandaged.

"Silly Boy, do you know who you attacked today?" Wind Elder sat beside Mels and asked with a smile.

"Just some young lady, right?" Mels still seemed to harbor resentment toward the young lady, his tone tinged with anger.

"Haha, you really are a silly boy. Of course, I know it was the young lady who attacked you. Why would I ask the same question? I'm asking if you know her identity and who owns this fleet," Wind Elder inquired.

"This... I don't know," Mels replied awkwardly, shaking his head.

"Have you heard of the Magic Family?" Wind Elder suddenly turned serious as he spoke to Mels.

"The Magic Family? Could it be... No... It can't be!" At first, Mels didn't understand what Wind Elder was referring to, but when he recalled the fleet's extravagant display and the respect it commanded along the way, an unbelievable idea flashed through his mind.

"That's right! The owner of this fleet is the Magic Family—the wealthiest family on the entire continent, rulers of nearly all commercial guilds, secret controllers of the economic lifelines of the Fijinando United Kingdom and the Karanth Empire, and the force that has maintained a century-long truce between the two nations. They are known as the 'Rulers of the Southern Continent'!" Wind Elder spoke solemnly, word by word.

After hearing Wind Elder's words, Mels' mind went blank. He could hardly believe his ears, unable to accept that he had become entangled with the Magic Family! After a long pause, Mels finally stammered, "Then... then the young lady must be..."

"Correct. The young lady you fought is the granddaughter of the current head of the Magic Family, the daughter of the president of the Magic United Chamber of Commerce, and the sole heir of the Magic Family—Lannis Magic!" Wind Elder declared loudly.

Mels, you're done for! Mels screamed inwardly upon hearing Wind Elder's words.

Although the Blue-Clad Tower Wolves were formidable, as long as his adoptive fathers intervened, the outcome would still be uncertain. But... but provoking the Magic Family, especially the girl rumored to be the most beloved by three generations of Magic Family leaders... In Mels' mind, a terrifying scene unfolded: tens of thousands of mercenaries swarming Skull Ridge, slaughtering the Blue Whirlwind until rivers of blood flowed.

"Silly Boy, now you understand what it means to provoke someone you shouldn't have! Sigh, it wouldn't have been a big deal if you had just fought the young lady, but you actually pierced her right arm! Because of this, even we can hardly guarantee your safety! If any member of the Magic Family learns about today's incident, more than half the warriors on the continent will become your enemies! By then, even if we seven old fools risk our lives to protect you, I'm afraid you'll have no choice but to flee to the mountains and live as a wild man!" Wind Elder said with a sorrowful expression.

"How... how could this be? I... can I go apologize? Or maybe if I alone take responsibility, that should be enough, right?" Mels was utterly panicked, speaking in a flustered manner.

"Hahaha..." After hearing Mels' words, the six elders burst into laughter simultaneously. Seeing their strange smiles, Mels felt as if he were lost in a fog, unsure how to respond.

"Big Brother, you always enjoy teasing the younger generation! Haha..." Cloud Elder, who was cheerful by nature, laughed heartily.

"Silly Boy, Big Brother was just scaring you. The head of the Magic Family is Big Brother's good friend, and you are our disciple. As long as you don't harm the young lady's life, the Magic Family will definitely not give us any trouble. Don't worry!" Lightning Elder, who had treated Mels, gently stroked his hair and smiled at him.

"Hmph! At least you know to take responsibility for your own actions. Otherwise, I'd have chopped off your spineless head right now!" Frost Elder, with a cold expression, glared at Mels and spoke in a tone that was neither praise nor blame.

"Ah, Master, you... you scared me to death!" Mels, after all, was still a seventeen-year-old boy. Seeing that the crisis had passed, he couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief, patting his chest. Watching Mels' nervous expression, the elders couldn't help but burst into laughter again.

"Haha, alright, enough joking. Since Mels is our disciple, it's time we told him the truth," Wind Elder said to the other five.

After everyone nodded in agreement, Wind Elder began, "Mels, the reason we are here is actually to protect the young lady on her journey to Frank Island. Although our goals differ, our purpose for seeking the Summoned Beast mentor is exactly the same. Your adoptive fathers want you to meet the Summoned Beast mentor to enhance your abilities, while we are going to meet that sage for the young lady's sake.

Lannis was originally a gentle, lovely, and exceptionally intelligent girl. I remember when she was born, the Magic Family celebrated her arrival with great joy! However, when Lannis turned four, after we performed the Summoned Beast initiation ceremony for her, problems began to arise.

You should know that a person, regardless of whether they possess a combat-type Summoned Beast, can only have one Summoned Beast in their lifetime. Yet, Lannis manifested two Summoned Beasts simultaneously! You might not believe it, but we saw it with our own eyes. A black demon and a white angel appeared together on four-year-old Lannis' shoulders! Witnessing that eerie scene, anyone who saw it would never forget it!

Perhaps the strain of activating two Summoned Beasts at once overwhelmed Lannis. Before the Summoned Beast ceremony could conclude, she fainted right in front of us. At the time, we were terrified and immediately conducted a full-body examination on Lannis. However, her body showed none of the dangerous conditions we had anticipated and was as healthy as any normal person's!

On the third day, when Lannis awoke after two days of unconsciousness, we discovered that she was just like before—when using her Summoned Beast, she could only summon the white auxiliary-type angel Summoned Beast. Because of this, everyone, including us, assumed that the earlier incident was just a rare anomaly. Relieved, we didn't pay it much further attention.

However, problems gradually emerged in the following years. As Lannis' martial arts and magic instructors, we noticed that sometimes she was very obedient, while other times she was extremely defiant! At first, we thought this was just a phase of personality change common in young girls. But it wasn't until we discovered that she could summon an attack-type demon Summoned Beast that we realized she suffered from a very rare condition—split personality!" Wind Elder said sorrowfully.

"Split personality? What kind of illness is that?" Mels had never heard of such a disease and pressed for an explanation.

"A typical split personality means that a single person possesses two distinct personalities! However, Lannis' condition is different from most. In her mental world, she is completely unaware of her illness and even mistakes her other self for her sister. Even if ordinary people suffer from this rare condition, they wouldn't possess two Summoned Beasts simultaneously. Yet, Lannis can!

She... no, they! The gentle personality is called Lannis, while the violent one is called Bagina! The girl you fought today was Bagina, the one with the demon Summoned Beast!" Wind Elder explained again.

"Hasn't the Magic Family tried to treat her illness?" Mels asked curiously.

"How could they not! When we informed the head of the Magic Family about Lannis' condition, he immediately recruited the best doctors across the continent to treat his precious daughter. However, Lannis' case is extremely rare, and the doctors were at a loss, unable to provide effective treatment! Originally, split personality disorders could potentially heal over time with prolonged psychological therapy, but Lannis' condition changed again last year, right after her fifteenth birthday!

Initially, when Lannis transformed into Bagina, aside from differences in preferred colors and clothing, her appearance remained unchanged. But since last year, every time she transforms, her appearance also changes! Although her facial features stay the same, her hair color becomes different! Lannis originally had beautiful rose-colored long hair, like her mother's, but after transforming into Bagina, her hair turns purple!

Currently, her personality shifts have reached their most frequent stage. During the day, she appears as Lannis, while at night, she immediately transforms into Bagina. Strangest of all, even the Summoned Beast gem on the back of her hand changes from the light-aligned prismatic stone to the dark-aligned obsidian gem! Because of this, we suspect that the Summoned Beasts might be related to Lannis' strange transformations! That's why we are escorting Lannis to Frank Island to seek the Summoned Beast mentor!" Wind Elder explained slowly.

"I understand! Because she is a descendant of the Magic Family, that's why those men in black attempted to kidnap her last time! Kidnapping her would be like seizing a gold mine—no matter what conditions they demanded, the Magic Family would do everything to fulfill them!" Mels finally understood why the Seven Immortals of Myriad Changes, despite their status, were acting as bodyguards, and why Wind Elder was so indulgent toward Lannis... no, Bagina.

"You finally understand. To be honest, although Lannis hasn't formally become our disciple, we seven have been the closest to her since she was a child! Watching her grow up and learn our martial arts brings us, old folks, the greatest joy. However, she suffers from such a strange illness, and I suspect it might be closely related to the Summoned Beast ceremony we performed for her years ago. That's why we are escorting her to Frank Island to find a way to cure her illness! Mels, from now on, you must be extra tolerant when you encounter the young lady. Don't provoke her again," Wind Elder said.

"Mm, I understand." Just as Mels nodded in agreement, a knock sounded from outside the cabin.

"Huh? It's already dawn. Who's here so early in the morning?" Cloud Elder muttered to himself as he moved toward the door.

Opening the cabin door, they saw a beautiful young lady standing at the entrance, accompanied by Thunder Elder! Her rose-colored long hair and delicate face were just as beautiful as when Mels first saw her, but the aloofness was gone, replaced by a sense of purity.

Seeing the young lady standing timidly at the door, Mels couldn't help but feel nervous. Although her demeanor was completely different from the girl he had encountered earlier, her identical appearance and illustrious background still made Mels' palms sweat.

"I'm sorry!" Just as Mels was fidgeting and at a loss, the young lady suddenly bowed deeply to Mels and apologized loudly.

"Ah? No, please don't do that!" Seeing the young lady still bowing, Mels reflexively stood up and spoke.

"I know you've been preparing my meals and catering to my sister's picky tastes. But my sister still hurt you, so I apologize! I hope you won't blame my sister!" The young lady bent at the waist, speaking loudly as if using all her strength.

"No, no! I should be the one apologizing! I hurt your sister too!" Mels followed her example, bowing and apologizing.

"No, no, it was my sister's fault, so you don't need to apologize!" the young lady insisted.

"No, it was my fault. I should be the one apologizing!" Mels replied, equally flustered.

"Haha... If you keep apologizing like this, I doubt you'll reach a conclusion even by nightfall!" Wind Elder teased from the side. His words immediately drew laughter from everyone. Amid the laughter, Mels and the young lady awkwardly stood up and looked at each other. The handsome youth and the pure young lady were both captivated by each other's appearance in that brief moment of eye contact. At that instant, both their faces flushed with a rosy hue.

"Alright, Lannis, you've seen this silly boy now. Come with me obediently," Thunder Elder, standing beside Lannis, said gently to the young lady.

"Mm, okay. Goodbye, uncles and aunties." The young lady politely bid farewell to the six elders in the cabin. As she turned to leave, she glanced at Mels once more before quickly disappearing from his sight.

"Silly Boy, do you believe what I said now?" Wind Elder pulled the still-dazed Mels back to his seat.

"It's hard to believe they're the same person!" Mels said as if waking from a dream.

"Mm, that's exactly what worries us the most! Bagina is lively by nature, but she appears at night, which is supposed to be time for rest and sleep. To protect her health, we can only ask the obedient Lannis to make up for lost sleep during the day. We even lied to her, saying she has a strange illness and can't move around freely during the day!

Fortunately, Lannis is completely unaware of her split personality. She firmly believes she has an older sister who refuses to meet her, which is how we've managed to keep it hidden until now. Mels, you must remember: under no circumstances can you reveal the truth to either of them. Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable!" Wind Elder said sternly to Mels.

"Mm, I understand!" Mels nodded.

Although Mels found Lannis delicate and lovely, he genuinely didn't want to have much contact with her. After all, she was a member of the all-powerful Magic Family, and associating with someone of such illustrious background was not something Mels desired.

However, things in the world often go against one's wishes. Just then, Lightning Elder suddenly spoke up, "Big Brother, did you notice the young lady's expression just now? Speaking of which, the young lady is already sixteen but has no friends her own age. When she spoke with Mels earlier, she said more than usual. Why don't we let Mels take care of the young lady? It might even help her condition!"

"Mm, that makes a lot of sense!" Wind Elder nodded slightly, then turned to Mels and said, "Silly Boy, what do you think?"

"What? Me, take care of her? No, no, I can't even take care of myself. How could I take care of her? What if she turns into that fierce woman again? Wouldn't I be..." As he spoke, Mels made a gesture of having his head chopped off.

"Haha... What are you afraid of? We only want you to take care of Miss Lannis during the day. As for nighttime, Third Sister and Fourth Sister will take turns. Besides, being able to care for such a beauty is a blessing you've earned over lifetimes! And here you are, making excuses. Do you have any complaints?" Cloud Elder walked over to Mels and nudged him.

"This... Can I object?" Mels asked with a bitter expression.

"No!" the six elders said in unison. Seeing the elders' teasing expressions, Mels knew there was no escaping today.

Mels slowly looked up at the cabin ceiling, thinking to himself, "Heaven, if you give me a chance to live, I swear I'll be a good person! I just beg you to protect me and keep that fierce woman from appearing before me again!"