"Uhhh, he looks younger than me, so… around 200 years old? Or maybe 150 years?" Melia guessed and suddenly, the entire room turned silent.
Melia muttered and hearing those words, the entire room turned silent.
"W-What happened?
Why are you guys looking at me like that?"
Melia frowned.
"Is he older than that? He doesn't look like it…"
She muttered.
"24…"
After a long silence, Felberta muttered.
"Hmm? 24? Are you saying he is 24 decades old? That's a strange way of saying it."
Melia commented.
"Not decades, Melia, years.
He is 24 years old."
Felberta revealed and waited for the bomb she dropped to detonate.
"…"
Melia didn't say anything.
The wives glanced at each other and all of them had similar expressions on their faces.
This wasn't the first time they were dealing with a situation like this. Therefore, they knew how things worked. Melia just needed some time to take in what she had heard.
She just learned that the man who defeated her was only a 'child' from her perspective, it would be abnormal if she just accepted it.
"You guys… you should stop with these jokes…" Suddenly, Melia chuckled.
"I know we all are like a family in this clan, but you shouldn't joke like this, I am different but there are people who might actually take you serious-"
"We are not joking, Melia. He is 24 years old. I know it is hard to take in, you are not the only one, we were shocked when we learned about this as well."
Ember spoke with a serious look on her face. Out of everyone in this room, she could relate to Melia's situation the most.
Melia glanced at all the women in front of her, and seeing their expressions, she realized that they were not lying.
In the end, she failed to hold herself back and extended her hand toward Nux.
She needed to confirm it on her own.
She would check his bone age.
However, the moment she was about to grab Nux's arm, Lane grabbed her arm.
"You cannot touch him."
Lane spoke with a serious look on her face.
"What do you mean?" Melia narrowed her eyes.
"You cannot inject your Mana into him right now, he should not be exposed to direct Mana right now." Amaya stepped in and explained.
"…"
Melia turned silent.
"You can confirm it when he wakes up, Melia.
But right now, I apologize, you cannot touch him."
Evane spoke up as well.
Melia glanced at Evane and in the end, she backed down.
"All right, I shall confirm it once he wakes up."
Evane smiled and nodded.
Melia smiled back and then, she stood up.
"Sisters, I think I will take my leave now."
"Mhm, you should rest when you have time. Things wouldn't be easy once we leave." Thyra smiled.
Melia nodded and then, she turned around.
"Melia." Just as Melia was about to leave, Amaya called out.
"What is it?"
Melia stopped and questioned.
"What you heard here,
I hope you can keep it a secret."
"Don't worry, you can trust me.
My lips are sealed."
Melia smiled and then walked away.
"She is shocked…"
Once Melia left, Ember commented.
"Of course she is."
Thyra replied, "There is no way anyone could take this information without being shocked. Even Lady Eisheth acted like her world collapsed the moment she learned the truth. I'd say she is taking it rather well."
"That might be because she still does not believe it," Amaya commented.
"I agree. Even I wouldn't have believed it if it was me." Felberta nodded as well.
"Tsk, what a monster." Ember glanced at Nux and snorted.
"Hehe~ I am just wondering when she would ask about our ages." Suddenly, Skyla chuckled.
The women all glanced at her and seeing that playful smile on her face, they didn't know how to react.
"You are a heartless monster, Skyla."
Edda commented, then, a big smile appeared on her face as she completed,
"And I love that about you."
"I love you as well, Sister Edda." Skyla chuckled.
The women all smiled.
…
On the other hand, Melia who had just walked out of the room still had a dazed look on her face. She continued to walk towards her room, trying to take in what she just learned, then suddenly,
"Melia? What happened? You look worried."
She heard a voice.
Melia turned around and noticed her father walking towards him with his usual, expressionless face.
Melia hid her expression as well.
Orpheus placed his hand on Melia's shoulder, waiting for her to answer.
"Father…"
Melia called out.
"What is it?" Orpheus questioned again.
"It is about Nux."
"Did something happen?"
"They plan to register their clan in the United Continent."
Orpheus thought about it for a while, and then, he nodded,
"That is a logical decision."
He then glanced at his daughter and questioned,
"You do not wish to leave?"
"That's not it…"
Melia shook her head.
"Melia, don't play around, tell me what is bothering you."
"…you watched my duel, right?"
Suddenly, Melia questioned.
"I did."
Melia hesitated for a while, and then, she questioned,
"Father… I lost that battle… didn't I?"
"What kind of question is that?"
"I meant, even if there was no time limit, I still would have lost that battle, right?"
Melia questioned and this time, Orpheus turned silent.
"Answer me honestly, Father."
"That is correct. You would have lost."
Orpheus nodded.
"And… what if I hadn't held back? What if I had fought with my full strength of Peak Great Sage Cultivator?"
Melia looked into her father's eyes and questioned.
"…" Orpheus turned silent again.
Melia continued to observe her father, waiting for his reply.
"That is a difficult question, Melia."
"You watched out fight, Father. You know how strong we two are."
"I know how strong you are." Orpheus corrected Melia.
"What do you mean?" Melia narrowed her eyes.
"That human has many secrets, Melia. I do not know how strong he actually is. If I go by how much he showed in that fight, I can say you would have defeated him within 5 minutes if you had fought using your full strength, however,
I don't think that human showed all his cards in that fight."
"…" Melia didn't say anything and continued to listen.
"There were many variables,
His ability to hide, that Mist which allows him to devour life, his spells that are stronger than normal, however, in the entire battle, he only used basic 8 Star spells, he didn't use any 10 Star or higher level spells. Then there is also that ability he used where the ground under him had turned purple, that ability should be connected to those purple pillars he created, I feel that he was trying to do something with that as well.
And all of this is what he has shown us, I am sure he is hiding many other things."
"So you are saying he could have defeated me even if I had fought him using my full strength."
"No, I said I am not sure,
However, I do believe that winning against him even after using your full strength wouldn't be as easy as you think."
"Uhhh, he looks younger than me, so… around 200 years old? Or maybe 150 years?" Melia guessed and suddenly, the entire room turned silent.
Melia muttered and hearing those words, the entire room turned silent.
"W-What happened?
Why are you guys looking at me like that?"
Melia frowned.
"Is he older than that? He doesn't look like it…"
She muttered.
"24…"
After a long silence, Felberta muttered.
"Hmm? 24? Are you saying he is 24 decades old? That's a strange way of saying it."
Melia commented.
"Not decades, Melia, years.
He is 24 years old."
Felberta revealed and waited for the bomb she dropped to detonate.
"…"
Melia didn't say anything.
The wives glanced at each other and all of them had similar expressions on their faces.
This wasn't the first time they were dealing with a situation like this. Therefore, they knew how things worked. Melia just needed some time to take in what she had heard.
She just learned that the man who defeated her was only a 'child' from her perspective, it would be abnormal if she just accepted it.
"You guys… you should stop with these jokes…" Suddenly, Melia chuckled.
"I know we all are like a family in this clan, but you shouldn't joke like this, I am different but there are people who might actually take you serious-"
"We are not joking, Melia. He is 24 years old. I know it is hard to take in, you are not the only one, we were shocked when we learned about this as well."
Ember spoke with a serious look on her face. Out of everyone in this room, she could relate to Melia's situation the most.
Melia glanced at all the women in front of her, and seeing their expressions, she realized that they were not lying.
In the end, she failed to hold herself back and extended her hand toward Nux.
She needed to confirm it on her own.
She would check his bone age.
However, the moment she was about to grab Nux's arm, Lane grabbed her arm.
"You cannot touch him."
Lane spoke with a serious look on her face.
"What do you mean?" Melia narrowed her eyes.
"You cannot inject your Mana into him right now, he should not be exposed to direct Mana right now." Amaya stepped in and explained.
"…"
Melia turned silent.
"You can confirm it when he wakes up, Melia.
But right now, I apologize, you cannot touch him."
Evane spoke up as well.
Melia glanced at Evane and in the end, she backed down.
"All right, I shall confirm it once he wakes up."
Evane smiled and nodded.
Melia smiled back and then, she stood up.
"Sisters, I think I will take my leave now."
"Mhm, you should rest when you have time. Things wouldn't be easy once we leave." Thyra smiled.
Melia nodded and then, she turned around.
"Melia." Just as Melia was about to leave, Amaya called out.
"What is it?"
Melia stopped and questioned.
"What you heard here,
I hope you can keep it a secret."
"Don't worry, you can trust me.
My lips are sealed."
Melia smiled and then walked away.
"She is shocked…"
Once Melia left, Ember commented.
"Of course she is."
Thyra replied, "There is no way anyone could take this information without being shocked. Even Lady Eisheth acted like her world collapsed the moment she learned the truth. I'd say she is taking it rather well."
"That might be because she still does not believe it," Amaya commented.
"I agree. Even I wouldn't have believed it if it was me." Felberta nodded as well.
"Tsk, what a monster." Ember glanced at Nux and snorted.
"Hehe~ I am just wondering when she would ask about our ages." Suddenly, Skyla chuckled.
The women all glanced at her and seeing that playful smile on her face, they didn't know how to react.
"You are a heartless monster, Skyla."
Edda commented, then, a big smile appeared on her face as she completed,
"And I love that about you."
"I love you as well, Sister Edda." Skyla chuckled.
The women all smiled.
…
On the other hand, Melia who had just walked out of the room still had a dazed look on her face. She continued to walk towards her room, trying to take in what she just learned, then suddenly,
"Melia? What happened? You look worried."
She heard a voice.
Melia turned around and noticed her father walking towards him with his usual, expressionless face.
Melia hid her expression as well.
Orpheus placed his hand on Melia's shoulder, waiting for her to answer.
"Father…"
Melia called out.
"What is it?" Orpheus questioned again.
"It is about Nux."
"Did something happen?"
"They plan to register their clan in the United Continent."
Orpheus thought about it for a while, and then, he nodded,
"That is a logical decision."
He then glanced at his daughter and questioned,
"You do not wish to leave?"
"That's not it…"
Melia shook her head.
"Melia, don't play around, tell me what is bothering you."
"…you watched my duel, right?"
Suddenly, Melia questioned.
"I did."
Melia hesitated for a while, and then, she questioned,
"Father… I lost that battle… didn't I?"
"What kind of question is that?"
"I meant, even if there was no time limit, I still would have lost that battle, right?"
Melia questioned and this time, Orpheus turned silent.
"Answer me honestly, Father."
"That is correct. You would have lost."
Orpheus nodded.
"And… what if I hadn't held back? What if I had fought with my full strength of Peak Great Sage Cultivator?"
Melia looked into her father's eyes and questioned.
"…" Orpheus turned silent again.
Melia continued to observe her father, waiting for his reply.
"That is a difficult question, Melia."
"You watched out fight, Father. You know how strong we two are."
"I know how strong you are." Orpheus corrected Melia.
"What do you mean?" Melia narrowed her eyes.
"That human has many secrets, Melia. I do not know how strong he actually is. If I go by how much he showed in that fight, I can say you would have defeated him within 5 minutes if you had fought using your full strength, however,
I don't think that human showed all his cards in that fight."
"…" Melia didn't say anything and continued to listen.
"There were many variables,
His ability to hide, that Mist which allows him to devour life, his spells that are stronger than normal, however, in the entire battle, he only used basic 8 Star spells, he didn't use any 10 Star or higher level spells. Then there is also that ability he used where the ground under him had turned purple, that ability should be connected to those purple pillars he created, I feel that he was trying to do something with that as well.
And all of this is what he has shown us, I am sure he is hiding many other things."
"So you are saying he could have defeated me even if I had fought him using my full strength."
"No, I said I am not sure,
However, I do believe that winning against him even after using your full strength wouldn't be as easy as you think."
