Chapter 727: Versatile Siren
The afternoon sun was blazing, and Araña, Beth, and Risley sat together in the carriage with Rhodes and Mira.
Behind them trailed the battered remnants of the Petryula Gang, dutifully carried by Rhodes’s summoned beasts. Wolves padded silently with prisoners dangling from their jaws, Wraiths dragged bandits by their ankles, and even Blue and Red marched in line with extra captives slung over their backs.
The coachman, pale as a sheet, kept glancing nervously at the monsters, but the bandits didn’t even dare to complain.
Inside the carriage, Mira and the three Mermaid Heel mages quickly warmed up to each other. What started as polite introductions soon turned into cheerful chatter about hobbies, clothing, and makeup. Before long, they were laughing about hairstyles and even drifting into that eternal hot-topic question: swimsuit choices.
Rhodes, sitting nearby, kept his face composed but silently sighed. He had already anticipated where this conversation was heading.
Eventually, the talk circled back to travel plans.
"You’re going to Antilena, right?" Risley leaned forward, her eyes sparkling. "You must come visit our guild!"
Rhodes chuckled. "Even if you hadn’t asked, we were planning to drop by anyway."
Truthfully, he was curious to see how other guilds functioned. Could Mermaid Heel possibly be as chaotic as Fairy Tail? (Unlikely... but he wouldn’t bet on it.)
Because of delays along the way, they arrived in Antilena later than expected.
The coachman practically bolted the moment they stepped off, eager to rid himself of monsters and mages alike. Meanwhile, Rhodes and Mira helped the three Mermaid Heel girls escort the captured bandits to the Magic Council’s enforcement team.
Afterward, Araña, Beth, and Risley led them to a seaside inn to drop off their luggage, then insisted on taking the couple straight to their guild.
Mermaid Heel stood proudly by the coast. The guild’s main building had a rounded, mushroom-like shape, and a wide wooden walkway stretched from the entrance all the way down to the beach. Round tables shaded by parasols lined the planks, serving as an outdoor café where one could eat while overlooking the sea.
At peak hours, the spot was bustling with tourists and locals, but now only a few scattered customers sat sipping cold drinks, cooling off in the salty breeze.
Rhodes and Mira followed the three inside, where they were surprised by the interior. For such a prominent guild, the décor was almost shockingly simple. Wooden floors, sturdy but plain furniture, and lamps fashioned to look like old oil lanterns gave the place a distinctly rustic air.
At first glance, one might even think Mermaid Heel looked older than Fairy Tail, though in Fairy Tail’s case, that had more to do with their guildhall being smashed and rebuilt more often than anyone cared to count.
"I’m sorry," Araña said, embarrassed. "The inside is a little plain."
Beth quickly added, "But don’t worry, a new guildhall is already under construction!"
Mira tilted her head. "A new guildhall?"
Risley puffed her chest proudly. "Of course! We need to keep up with the times. Everyone agreed this style feels too old-fashioned. And besides, the guild’s got plenty of funds!"
"That’s incredible," Rhodes muttered under his breath. ’
Plenty of funds... how enviable.’
"Risley-chan, Araña-chan, Beth-chan, you’re back!"
The cheerful voice came from the reception desk.
A tiny girl with a neat black bob cut peeked up from behind the counter. She was barely taller than the table itself, yet she greeted them with the warmth of an older sister.
"Was the mission successful? Nobody got hurt, right?"
"Of course it was smooth, don’t underestimate plump people." Risley started her usual catchphrase, then froze. She scratched her cheek and admitted honestly, "Actually... we almost lost our lives this time."
"Ohhh~~!" The little girl’s eyes widened as she leaned forward. "Tell me everything!"
Risley animatedly recounted every detail about the surprise weapons and dirty tactics, her gestures growing bigger with each word. Beth, embarrassed but earnest, chimed in now and then, while Araña added sharper commentary about their near-disaster.
The little black-haired girl at the desk gasped at all the right moments, covering her mouth dramatically.
Araña finally concluded with a sigh. "We were too careless. If Mr. Rhodes and Miss Mirajane hadn’t shown up, we would’ve been in serious trouble."
"I see..." The little girl looked up at Rhodes and Mira with wide eyes. "So you’re Mr. Rhodes and Miss Mirajane? Thank you for saving the children of our guild."
"Children?" Rhodes and Mira blinked in unison.
Araña quickly introduced, "This is our Guild Master, Mélomee."
"Eh?!" Mira covered her mouth, stunned.
"I remember Guild Master Mélomee being more like..." Rhodes raised a hand to indicate curves and height, then realized how awkward it looked. He coughed and dropped it, trying not to meet Mira’s stare.
He distinctly remembered Mélomee as a sultry middle-aged beauty, one whose glamour could give Macao a nosebleed from across the guildhall. So... how had she turned into a little girl?!
"This is the master’s..." Beth hesitated, then finally muttered, "quirk."
In a quieter voice, she explained, "Her Transformation Magic is extremely advanced. She likes changing into a different form every day. Sometimes she’s an old woman, sometimes a little girl... Outside, people call her the ’Shapeshifting Siren’ because she also has an amazing singing voice. Some people even gamble on what she’ll look like tomorrow."
Beth’s cheeks turned red as she fumbled. "And... also, um..."
But before she could finish, Mélomee had already bounded over, seizing Mira’s hands in both of hers with the enthusiasm of a hyperactive child.
"Miss Mirajane! I can’t believe I finally get to meet you in person! You’re even more beautiful than in the magazines! Your figure’s incredible! Can I call you big sister? Do you want to join Mermaid Heel?"
"Eh...M-Master Mélomee..." Mira flustered, feeling this was perhaps the first time she had met such a difficult woman.
The way Mélomee looked at her was not quite proper. Despite the childlike body, her starry eyes sparkled with mischief like a true flirt.
Rhodes, watching the little girl’s suspiciously hungry gaze, suddenly felt his fists itch. He asked flatly, "Can I punch her?"
Beth gave a nervous smile. "Th-there’s no need..."
But there was no need for Rhodes to lift a hand, because Araña’s fist had already cracked down on Mélomee’s head with a clean thwack.
"Thud."
"Ow ow ow!!" Mélomee squatted, rubbing her head, teary-eyed. "Araña, why did you hit me?"
Araña scowled. "These people just saved our lives. Be serious, Master."
"I’m sorryyy~" Mélomee whined, bowing with watery eyes.
Risley sighed and explained to Rhodes and Mira. "No matter what form the master takes, she always acts out that personality fully. But... no matter the personality, she always ends up being kind of a pervert. Luckily, today she picked a form we can bully freely. If you don’t like her, just... hit her."
"..."
Rhodes could only stare blankly. ’So clowns aren’t unique to Fairy Tail after all. Even Mermaid Heel has one leading them.’
He suddenly felt an odd crisis of confidence. Compared to this, he realized... he was way too normal to be considered Guild Master material! He absolutely had to go back and reason with Master Makarov: a boringly normal man like himself couldn’t possibly lead Fairy Tail!
People really did need to go out and broaden their horizons.
After Mélomee’s antics ran their course and she was dragged away by a member needing approval for a quest, Mira finally asked curiously, "If she changes every day, how do you even recognize her?"
"By instinct," Araña answered bluntly. "Just look for the girl with the most perverted eyes, that’s always the master."
Beth flailed her hands. "A-Araña, isn’t that too harsh to say about the master?"
Araña turned, deadpan. "Am I wrong?"
Beth opened her mouth, hesitated... then slumped. "No."
Risley returned carrying a tray of drinks, gesturing to a round table by the window. "Come sit over here! Later, we’ll treat you to Mermaid Heel’s special deep-sea fish dishes."