The image-recording crystal spun lightly on the table, projecting a palm-sized light-and-shadow image.
In the image, Dylan sat on the left with a smiling face, while on the right was a middle-aged woman she did not know, her face gentle, brows relaxed, looking at the center of the image with a kind smile.
At the center was a little girl.
Between the three of them lay a large cake; the little girl divided the bright red mushroom on top into three parts, giving them to Dylan and the middle-aged woman, which made Old Dylan's smile grow even wider.
"Father?!"
Suddenly hearing news of her father, Bella could hardly keep from feeling delighted; she had originally planned to ask Duke Lorenzo for help in finding her father before leaving, but she never expected the news to come to her on its own.
However, looking at the harmonious scene in the image, countless questions popped into her mind.
Had her father built a new family?
Did he even have a new child?
For a moment, Bella didn't know whether to be happy or worried, so she could only ask: "Do you know my father?"
Inanna nodded.
Bella took a deep breath, pointed at the woman and child in the image, her voice tight: "That—"
"who are they?"
Unexpectedly, Inanna tilted her head, a hint of confusion appearing on her face.
"Aren't you my sister?"
Bella felt as if struck by a heavy blow.
Her expression froze on her face, and after a while she managed to squeeze out a few words: "Possibly—is—"
In response, Inanna truly didn't know; compared to the retired Dylan, she was more familiar with Edin.
She normally didn't pay attention to anything besides the pujis, so how would she know Dylan's family situation?
"By the way, Dylan is also in the City of Oaths now."
"Really?" Bella snapped her head up.
"Really. She should arrive soon."
Hardly had her words fallen when the door was pushed open a crack.
Bella almost jumped up and turned around!
"Father!"
Then she saw a puji, its round body squeezing through the gap in the door.
puji—puji—
Number Four walked in, circling the strange woman who, upon meeting, called herself "father"
Bella sat back down, somewhat embarrassed, turning her face away as much as possible to avoid looking at the writhing chaos in Inanna's arms.
Behind her, the door was pushed open again.
This time Bella had learned; she didn't rush to stand but first turned her head to confirm.
Then she saw that familiar silhouette—Dylan.
Bella's vision blurred for an instant.
Compared to a few years ago, had her father become—had he become more spirited?
After being parasitized by mycelium, his old injuries healed.
Under the boss, he had no worries about food or drink, and no pressure.
Especially after Nuo Lisi came to the Mushroom Garden, the boss no longer bothered to tease him.
Life in Puji Home's retirement was warm and comfortable, indeed making Dylan grow younger with age.
However, Bella thought of the previous image-recording.
Obviously, this was proof that her father was living well after starting a new family, making her nose sour and feeling a bit lost.
But the next moment, Dylan grabbed her in a hug!
The hug came too suddenly and with too much force; Bella was pulled into Dylan's embrace, her face buried in his shoulder, her nose bumping and hurting a little.
"Bella—Bella—"
Dylan's voice trembled.
Dylan had wanted to say many things, but at that moment his choked throat could only repeatedly whisper her daughter's name, unable to say anything else.
Although the boss had told him that Bella had escaped the war at sea, he still worried about her in his heart.
Although he had known in advance that Bella would return safely, seeing her healthy and standing before him still made Dylan's tears flow uncontrollably, wetting her hair.
"Father—"
Her voice also hoarsened.
Hearing her daughter's response, Dylan held her tighter.
Feeling her slightly thin body in his arms, he couldn't help feeling heartbroken: "How did you get so thin—"
At the same time, Dylan felt grateful once again for his meeting with the boss.
After all, without the boss, he and Bella would probably only meet in heaven.
Watching this father-daughter reunion, Inanna also felt moved and couldn't help wiping her eyes.
Number Four sat on her lap, its mushroom cap askew, its tentacles clasped together, completely baffled as to why these two humans were crying O
If it wanted to speak, it could communicate remotely through the fungal network, or if that failed, it could request visual communication with the Fungal Lord!
But it still remembered the task assigned by the boss.
Number Four slid down from Inanna's lap, thrust its tentacles into its own belly, fished around, pulled out a palm-sized single-use item, and squeezed it hard!
A wave of magic power spread out.
As it swept over Inanna, a flame-like outer garment flickered and vanished, leaving the Pink Puji unharmed.
But when the wave of magic power swept over Dylan, it instantly shattered the [Mimicry] on his body.
That originally ordinary human face blurred for a moment, revealing Dylan's true appearance.
Green skin, his face covered in mycelium.
Bella, noticing something wrong, froze instantly. She stared with her mouth open at the familiar yet strange father before her, at the mycelium and green skin, and her mind exploded with a boom.
The thing she had feared most after coming ashore happened.
Her father had also turned into a lump.
Not only that, but he also had a distinctive green skin?!
"Ugh—!" She quickly vomited the little breakfast she had eaten into Dylan's arms.
Meanwhile, Number Four held up the image-recording crystal, also recording this touching reunion scene.
In the end, Dylan explained everything by saying he had gained certain skills through parasitic mutation.
Bella had no choice but to accept it.
Although they had reunited, Bella bore a mission and could not stay long.
At parting, she stood at the city gate, her face still slightly pale.
She suppressed her discomfort, tightly gripping Dylan's hand: "Father, when I return, I will surely find a way to remove the mycelium from you!"
Dylan had already changed into a new outfit; hearing this, the corner of his eye twitched slightly: "No—also not needed—"
But Bella had already let go of his hand and swung onto her horse.
She looked back at Dylan once, waving her hand vigorously.
"Father, wait for me to return! Also, give my sister my regards!"
The sound of hooves faded away, kicking up a trail of dust.
Dylan stood where he was, watching that gradually shrinking silhouette, and only after a while did he come back to his senses.
"What sister?"
Although they had met for less than half a day before parting again, it untangled a knot that had troubled Dylan for years.
After saying goodbye to Bella, that faint smile on Dylan's face never faded again.
The only thing that left him with a slight regret was that Bella seemed to hold some prejudice against mycelium and puji.
He was thinking that, when Bella returned next time, he would properly explain the benefits of mycelium symbiosis to her.
If Bella could also symbios with mycelium, that would be even better; he believed that, under the boss's protection, no matter how chaotic the world became, she could live happily and safely under the boss's protection.
——
Seeing Dylan still immersed in the joy of reunion, Lin Jun decided not to tell him any bad news.
Bella's voyage back to the archipelago this time was unlikely to be peaceful—the Chi'si that had been hiding from the puji had become active again.