The afternoon sun was strong. Alani, Beth, and Liseli sat in the carriage with Rhode and Mira.
Outside the carriage, wild creatures diligently carried the Petlyura Gang members, who followed behind the carriage.
Except for the driver, who was a bit scared of the monsters, the bandits had no complaints.
Mira was having a great conversation with the three girls, and the topics gradually transitioned from the formal getting-to-know-you phase to interests, fashion, and makeup.
Every now and then, Rhode could catch some exciting snippets of conversation about swimwear choices.
The group gradually started discussing Rhode and Mira's travel plans.
"Are you heading to Antilu Leina Mu?" Liseli asked enthusiastically, "Please be sure to visit our guild!"
"We were planning to visit anyway," Rhode replied.
Rhode really wanted to see what other people's guilds were like. Could they be as chaotic as his own guild?
Probably not.
Due to some delays on the road, they arrived in Antilu Leina Mu later than scheduled.
As if receiving a great pardon, the driver departed to find new business.
The couple, along with the wild creatures, assisted Alani and the others in escorting the gang to the enforcement squad. The three girls helped the couple find an inn.
After putting away their luggage, they were taken directly to the guild.
Mermaid's Heel was established by the seaside, with the main building resembling a mushroom. The entrance was paved with wooden planks that extended out to the sea.
Round tables and parasols were set up on the wooden decking, serving as an open-air restaurant.
Being not far from the best beach for some fun, the restaurant usually did good business, though at the moment, there were only a few guests enjoying cold drinks and resting.
Rhode and Mira followed the three into Mermaid's Heel, and were surprised to find that the interior of such a highly ranked guild was quite simple, even plain.
Inside, the decor was rather vintage—a wooden floor, wooden furniture, and even the lights were fashioned to look like oil lamps.
At first glance, one might think their guild was older than Fairy Tail's—of course, ignoring the fact that Fairy Tail frequently needed renovations.
Alani said, "Sorry, our guild is quite basic inside."
Beth added, "But we are already in the process of building a new guild."
Mira queried, "A new guild?"
Liseli explained, "We need to keep up with the times. Everyone thinks the current style is too outdated, and anyway, the guild has plenty of funds."
"That's great," Rhode remarked, enviously noting how well-funded they seemed to be.
"Liseli, Alani, Beth, you're back!" a little girl with a black bob at the reception greeted the three.
Although she seemed just a bit taller than the table, she spoke to the three with an elder sister's tone: "Did everything go smoothly? Any injuries?"
"Of course it went smoothly, don't underestimate the well-endowed..." Liseli started to reply habitually, then suddenly paused and admitted honestly, "Actually, we almost didn't make it."
"What~~~" the little girl quickly asked for details.
Liseli recounted the unexpected weapons and tactics they encountered, which scared the little girl into exclamations of surprise.
Alani said, "We were too careless. If it weren't for Mr. Rhode and Miss Mirajane passing by, we would've been in danger."
"I see," the little girl looked at Rhode and Mira, "So you are Mr. Rhode and Miss Mirajane? Thank you for saving our guild's children."
Rhode and Mira were taken aback: "Children?"
Alani introduced, "This is our guild president, Molumei."
Mira clapped her hand over her mouth: "How can this be..."
"I remember Ms. Molumei being a..." Rhode raised his hand to gesture at a certain height and figure, but feeling it was inappropriate, awkwardly put his hand down.
He recalled Molumei as a middle-aged beauty who could make Macao have a nosebleed just by looking at her—a super sexy mature woman. How did she become a loli?
"This is the president's..." Beth hesitated for a few seconds before finally squeezing out the word 'hobby'.
She continued in a slightly embarrassed whisper, "The president's transformation technique is impressive. She likes to transform into a different appearance every day, sometimes an old lady, sometimes a little girl...
"Outside, some people call her the 'Chameleon Siren' because she sings beautifully. Some bored folks even place bets on what type of woman the president will turn into the next day."
"And, and..." Beth stammered for a while but ultimately didn't say anything more.
Molumei had already warmly grabbed Mira's hands and shook them vigorously:
"Miss Mirajane, finally meeting you in person—you're even more beautiful than the magazines, and such a fantastic figure. Can I call you sister? How about joining us at Mermaid's Heel?"
"President Molumei..." Mira felt like she had never encountered such a challenging woman before.
Her manners and gestures were entirely like a genuine little girl, except her gaze towards Mira wasn't quite proper.
Looking at the oddly gazing little girl, Rhode suddenly felt an itch in his hand and directly asked, "Can I hit her?"
Beth awkwardly chuckled and said, "No need."
It wasn't necessary for Rhode to make a move because Alani's fist had already landed on Molumei's head.
Rhode distinctly heard a thud.
Molumei squatted on the ground, holding her head, tears in her eyes as she looked at Alani, "Why did you hit me?"
Alani said sternly, "These are the people who saved our lives. Show some respect!"
Molumei stood up, apologizing tearfully, "Sorry~"
Perhaps fearing that Rhode and Mira might mind, Liseli explained:
"Whenever the president transforms into a new form, she fully adopts that character's personality, but no matter the personality, she loves to 'sexually harass'.
"Fortunately, this is the type that can be bullied easily, so if she annoys you, feel free to hit her."
"..." Jesters are really everywhere, not just in Fairy Tail. It turns out the president of Mermaid's Heel is like this too.
If judged by this standard, Rhode realized he was far too normal to be qualified as a president!
He definitely had to go back and reason with the old man, telling him that someone as normal as him couldn't lead Fairy Tail!
A person really should get out more, see more of the world.
After some playful banter with the group, Molumei was finally called away by someone about to undertake a task.
Mira curiously asked, "If she changes every day, how do you distinguish her?"
"By intuition," Alani said bluntly, "Among the girls, the one with the most perverted gaze is definitely her, there's no mistake."
Beth said, "Alani, that's too harsh on the president."
Alani looked at her, "Am I wrong?"
"..." Beth thought hard but eventually conceded, "No."
Liseli came over with several drinks, inviting them to a round table, "Come sit here, and later, please try Mermaid's Heel special deep-sea fish dishes."