136 Ch. 136 'Foster Sister'

"You have a tail!?" exclaimed Merylin could hardly believe it.

Niken herself also looked blank because she didn't know that her magic circle could give her a mermaid tail. At first, she thought her magic circle would cover only her face so she could breathe and talk in the water. Who would have thought she even had a tail?

"Niken, who are you, really?"

Niken scratched the nape of her neck that was not itchy awkwardly. She was the Princess from the Nishian kingdom and sole inheritor of Time Master, but she was unsure whether this world had Nishian island.

Merylin swam closer and held her hand cheerfully. "From now on, I will adopt you as my sister."

"Ah?"

"I wonder who is older? How old are you?"

"Seventeen?"

Merylin smiled broadly at that. "From now on, I will be your elder sister. Come on, follow me."

Without waiting for an answer, Merylin immediately pulled Niken to swim quickly to dive into their kingdom. Niken's heartfelt ecstatic that she could match her swimming speed with Merylin. She felt like she had a real tail.

"Have you had your meal? Surely you haven't, right?" Merylin called her attendants and asked them to serve the best meal for her new adoptive sister.

Niken was too astonished at many kinds of delicious meals in front of her eyes. Whatever she had felt before like her worry, her anxious and afraidness, now long gone replaced with these supremptous meals.

Niken, who had not eaten for nearly a week because she was unconscious, immediately devoured all of the delicious food. For the time being, she must satiate her hunger first before starting a long-winded discussion with Merylin.

Merylin giggled at Niken's behavior as if she hadn't eaten for a week. Uh, isn't that girl really had not eating for a week?

Realizing this important fact, Merylin called the servant to get some healthy soups to increase Niken's vitality and stamina.

Miraculously, even though they were in the water, soup or other liquid objects remained in their place and did not blend with the lake water. That way, they could still enjoy the dish without fear of being mixed with the taste of lake water.

After finishing several portions of food, Niken swam up from her chair to lay her body floating in the water while rubbing her stomach.

"I feel so full. It's been a while I ate so many meats. Thank you, Princess, for the food."

Merylin smiled broadly at that. "My pleasure."

Niken was still floating while waiting for the servants to clean all the dirty dishes and leftovers from the table. After making sure there was no one there, Niken sat down again facing Merylin.

"Princess Merylin, I have something to tell you. But this is very secret. Can we talk in a more private place so no one would listen to us?"

"Sure. We can talk in my room."

Well, the room mentioned by the mermaid princess was totally different from what she imagined. Merylin's place was a gigantic pearl oyster. Its height was almost equal to a tree, while its width was nearly as spacious as the Bieger Academy grounds.

The clam stands upright with its mouth tightly closed toward the surface.

"Pilsbry, I'm home."

The clam's mouth opened, and Niken was stunned by what she saw. She did not see pearls as she had thought but were exactly like a royal princess's room. The interior was so grand fitted as a princess's room.

There was a large-sized coral-shape bed with four pillars in each corner of the bed and gold valance attached to each pole like a canopy. There were a dressing table and leaf-shaped bookcase and pearl jewelry cabinets.

Well, Niken was not that surprised as she was once a princess and had a room as extravagant like this. But she was surprised there was a royal princess room inside this gigantic oyster!

Niken was unaware that Merylin had dragged her into her 'room' Then, the clam's mouth closed again. Niken was stunned when she saw surround her. She felt like she was in a cage for not finding the exit; at the same time, Niken imagined she was in a large and luxurious room.

Miraculously, the room's state was still bright even though the clam's mouth was tightly closed. There was yellowish plankton that adorns around the mouth of the oyster, making the room not dark.

"Now, we can talk safely here. What do you think?"

"This... This is amazing. I never imagined I'd would ever go inside a clam's stomach."

Merylin chuckled, hearing that. "It's called Pilsbry."

"What?"

"My room's name is Pilsbry."

"Is this clam alive??"

"Of course. If we migrate to other places in the future, we only need to sit quietly here while Pilsbry and other oysters will swim to other places."

Niken was amazed to hear that explanation. The reality completely covered the information about the evil mermaid or anything wicked about the mermaid she heard.

How can this kind and the friendly creature become an evil spirit? Niken couldn't stop wondering.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" Merylin asked, inviting Niken to sit next to him.

"Princess, listen to me carefully. It looks like I'm not from this world."

"What do you mean?"

"Yesterday I came to the North region with my two friends. Same place as this place, but a little different. In my world, this place is not as beautiful as in this world. Also, mermaid creatures are considered evil mermaid because they are trying to lure humans to come near the lake to be their food."

"What?" Merylin frowned clearly disliked the information she got.

"That's why there is a barrier that surrounds the mermaid lake to deter humans whose minds have been affected by mermaid singing. In addition, humans sell mermaid scales soup in my world. It was very popular with women. The soup can make human skin cleaner and brighter."

"Are you kidding?" Merylin stared in horror at Niken as if what she was hearing was very frightening.

"I know this is hard to believe, but believe me, that's what happened in my world. That's why I acted like this when I first woke up. I thought you guys would eat me, and I thought you would torture me and not let me go. I am really, really sorry about my rude behavior."

"Then, where are your two friends now?"

"I don't know. When I tried to come to our inn, they were not there. The name of the inn is also different. Our place is called Crystal inn, while that place here is called Glass Inn. I... I think I'm alone here."

Niken waited anxiously for Merylin's reaction. She knew he shouldn't give her trust entirely to the mermaid princess. But she did not recognize anyone here. She was truly alone and needed help. Given Merylin's kindness and sincerity in saving her life, Niken had no choice but to trust this mermaid.

"So... you're not from this world?" Merylin was still in a state of shock at this. "That's why you have magic even though you're not a wizard?"

Niken nodded her head.

"And this is your true appearance and not in disguise?"

Once again, Niken nodded her head. "Do you believe me now?"

"Really, your explanation is difficult to believe. But, you don't have a reason to lie, do you?"

Niken shook her head firmly. "I'm not lying at all."

"Then what will you do?"

"I want to find a way back to my world. But... I don't know how. That's why I need your help."

"Me? How so?"

"Yesterday, as I walked toward the mermaid lake, I heard a voice that kept ringing in my mind. I felt that voice that called me to this lake. That voice... was yours. It was the same voice as your voice."

"Mine?" Merylin pointed her index finger right in front of her nose.

"So, I guess you called me here, and you also will bring me home."

"Ah? I didn't even call anyone. I have no idea how to bring you back."

"Please, you are my only lead. I don't know where else to look for answers. The only clue I have is your voice."

Merylin let out a long breath feeling unsure that she could help her adopted sister.

"If you find your way back to your world, does that mean you will leave?"

"..." Niken couldn't answer. Considering the mermaid princess had just adopted her as her younger sister, she couldn't bear to provide a direct answer. "Can I ask something? Why do you want me as your sister?"

"Because I am an only child. I have no siblings and alone in this room. My friends did treat me well, but they couldn't possibly be my siblings. I can't likely elevate humans as my younger siblings. Whereas you..."

There was a reason why Merylin could not adopt just anyone to be her adopted sister. She wanted to have a sibling so that she could love them with familial love and accompany her. For Merylin, Niken was a very suitable candidate.