Chapter 174: Mamon's Younger Brother! Long Time No See

"Stand up first, let me think properly."

Mamon sized May and Yuxu up and down; a woman standing before him saying things like "I will do anything" was quite something.

To be honest, Mamon had misunderstood.

But he was not entirely without bottom lines; making a deal was no problem, but at least he had to ensure the deal could proceed perfectly.

"Yes."

May straightened up with some unease, and Yuxu also looked at Mamon nervously.

"I will ask a few questions; you must answer me truthfully." Mamon took the transparent bell from May's hand.

On the outside, it was an ancient golden bell, old and mysterious; strangely, when Mamon played with it, it made no sound.

Only when shaken gently in the correct posture would it emit a clear, pleasant chime.

The Phoenix King's Transparent Bell and Lugia's Sea God Bell (Sea Sound Bell) were both special items in the game.

The effects of these two bells were similar to the Rainbow Feather and the Silver Feather; both were items used to summon the Phoenix King and Lugia.

"Please ask." May pressed her red lips tight, her expression very solemn.

"No need to be so nervous; it is just two simple questions. First, where did you get these two bells?"

Mamon asked the two of May curiously.

This was also one of the unsolved mysteries in the game; in the game, the five sisters of Ecruteak City were very special characters.

When the protagonist defeated them, they would gift the Transparent Bell (Sea Sound Bell); moreover, when the protagonist went to the top of the Bell Tower and the depths of the Whirl Islands, they would perform the Dance of Inheritance to help the protagonist summon the Phoenix King (Lugia).

The significance of their characters was actually similar to the Celestial People of the Hoenn region, as the Celestial People could also summon Rayquaza through prayer.

But unlike the Celestial People, the origins of the Celestial People were fully explained, whereas these five sisters had none.

"They were passed down through generations of our ancestors." May's tone was very sorrowful.

"Seven hundred years ago, the Bell Tower and the Burned Tower were completed, attracting the Phoenix King and Lugia to dwell there; at that time, our ancestors were favored by the Phoenix King and others, and were bestowed the Transparent Bell and the Sea God Bell."

Yuxu continued introducing in her slightly cold voice.

"A position similar to shrine maidens and divine attendants?" Mamon pondered thoughtfully.

"Yes, at that time, all the sacrificial activities in Ecruteak City were handled by our ancestors." May sighed lightly.

"But five hundred and fifty years later, people's reverence for the Phoenix King and Lugia grew increasingly lacking, until that day, when lightning struck the Burned Tower from the sky."

"The Burned Tower was ignited and a great fire broke out; that night, people finally disappointed the Phoenix King and Lugia completely and left us."

"Until now, they have never returned."

Yuxu's voice was very dim.

"This is retribution for one's own sins; disrespecting the gods, and the gods will naturally abandon you."

Cynthia bit into an apple and replied with great disdain.

The Celestial People, who held devout faith in Rayquaza, would never have such a situation occur.

Isn't that funny?

The Burned Tower was Lugia's dwelling place, yet when a great fire broke out in the Burned Tower, no one in the entire Ecruteak City wanted to extinguish the fire; instead, they let the Burned Tower burn to ashes.

Had it not been for a sudden downpour of rain, the Burned Tower would probably not have left even ruins behind.

And to be honest, this heavy rain might have been stirred up by Lugia in extreme disappointment.

If the Sky Pillar and the Seafloor Cavern had caught fire, Cynthia believed her people would absolutely rush forward without hesitation to extinguish the flames; this was the difference.

"Yes, this was our ancestors' mistake; we have understood the mistake, and we also wish to do everything in our power to earn the forgiveness of the Phoenix King and Lugia, and to ask them to trust us again."

May said softly.

"If you want the Phoenix King and Lugia to return to Ecruteak City, I advise you to give up as soon as possible; this is impossible."

Mamon shook his head; the Phoenix King and Lugia would not return to dwell in Ecruteak City; this was absolute.

Lugia was already completely disappointed in Ecruteak City because of that fire, and the Phoenix King was also extremely disappointed because it had witnessed everything happening, and because of Ecruteak City people's attitude toward the resurrected Suicune and others.

These two legendary Pokémon would not return to Ecruteak City.

That kind of disappointment from the bottom of the heart could not be easily erased.

"We do not pray for them to return; we only wish to beg for their forgiveness." May shook her head.

"Our ancestors have always been in pain and regret over this matter; they lived their whole lives in self-blame for their departure and died in depression."

Yuxu's voice was low; thus, generation after generation, their goal was only to obtain the forgiveness of the Phoenix King and Lugia.

"I see." Mamon understood.

"Mr., if you can contact the Phoenix King, please be sure to convey our apology to it; is that possible?"

May looked at Mamon expectantly; she had always been waiting for someone who could contact the Phoenix King and Lugia.

This was also the reason why the five sisters often went out.

"As long as you are willing to help us, we can agree to anything."

"Really anything?"

Mamon's corners of the mouth rose slightly, looking at May with a smile that was not quite a smile.

Noticing Mamon's gaze and the wickedness at the corners of his mouth, May immediately understood Mamon's meaning.

Pressing her lips together, May revealed a determined look in her eyes.

"Yes, no matter what you want, even if it is to serve you for a lifetime, I am willing."

May stopped Yuxu, who wanted to speak, and said seriously to Mamon.

This matter had truly "tortured" them for too long; what was passed down by the ancestors was not only history, but also the "shackles" contained within that history.

Since childhood, their elders had been instilling this guilt in them, causing the current generation to live within these same "shackles."

May not only wanted to make herself "free"; as the eldest sister, she wanted her four younger sisters to be "liberated" even more, rather than living in the "shadow of history" for a lifetime like their ancestors because of this shackle.

Yuxu looked at the determined May, and her eyes could not help but dim.

"Truly admirable resolve; I must say, I have a new respect for you."

Mamen couldn't help but applaud May, offering a word of praise.

"However, I cannot guarantee anything. After all, what you seek is the forgiveness of the Phoenix King and its kin, but that is merely your own assumption."

"The Phoenix King and its kin may have long ceased to care about this matter. Of course, I understand your thoughts; what you want is nothing more than to seek peace of mind."

Seeing that May wanted to say something, Mamen simply changed the subject.

"I can find a way to let you meet the Phoenix King and Lugia, but whether you can obtain that 'peace of mind' is up to you."

Mamen pondered for a moment and spoke to May this way.

"Thank you! Thank you very much! That is enough!"

May was extremely excited and hurriedly prepared tea for Mamen and the others.

How many years had passed? Finally, there was a glimmer of hope; for May and her sisters, this was already a ray of dawn.

"As for the time, I cannot confirm it at present, but I can assure you that it will absolutely be within a year; of course, if it goes quickly, it might only take a few days."

Mamen took a sip of the tea; it was very fragrant, obviously the skill of these sisters in brewing tea was quite excellent.

If he wished, he could use the Phoenix King's feather to summon the Phoenix King right now.

But Mamen was not someone who let the tail wag the dog; the five Yuenzhu sisters were indeed rare beauties, but their value was clearly not equivalent to the cost of using the Phoenix King's assistance once.

Mamen was not that stupid.

"Remember your words; once this matter is concluded, you will be my person for the rest of your life."

Mamen showed no courtesy at all, grinning as he stared at May.

He felt no guilt about seeking repayment for a favor; this was a fair trade, and besides, May had said it herself, hadn't she?

As long as he helped her, she would serve Mamen for the rest of her life.

"Yes, as long as you fulfill this agreement, this humble woman will entrust her life to you."

May's tone was very gentle; she felt this trade was very worthwhile.

Caitlin's eyebrows furrowed slightly as she scrutinized May with a subtle gaze; emotionally, she still admired this woman's resolve, after all, she was using her own lifelong happiness to secure a future for her younger sisters.

But the key point was... the person she had to serve was Mamen!

Caitlin felt May was simply looking for trouble; what era was this? Was there still such a scene as 'this humble woman has nothing to repay your kindness but to serve you like an ox or a horse'?

Damn, you idiot! The ancient architectural style of Yuenzhu City is a feature, but it's not for you to revive this kind of 'offering oneself in marriage' nonsense, you jerk!

Caitlin felt very helpless; May was such a beautiful, talented, delicate, and soft dancer; who knew how long Mamen would be 'captivated' by her?

Forget it; just consider it letting Mamen adapt to this style, so he doesn't get blinded by this kind of flirtatious hussy after getting married.

Caitlin could only comfort herself this way.

They left the private room.

"Eldest sister..."

Tamaki was gently biting her lip, her gaze towards May extremely complex, her tone equally complex.

"Actually, you didn't have to do this; if Second Sister and the younger sisters knew, they wouldn't agree either."

"Third sister, it has been too long," May sighed.

"Regardless, this is an opportunity, and besides..."

May turned to face Tamaki directly, her hand gently brushing across her younger sister's cheek, breaking into a radiant smile.

"Don't you think Mr. Mamen is very handsome? Being chosen by the Phoenix King my lord also proves he must be very outstanding; I actually think that if I could spend my life with a man like that, I would be very lucky too."

"..."

Tamaki remained silent in response; she knew May had a point, but the key was, this wasn't love, was it?

After resting for quite a while in the Yuenzhu Dance Hall, May and Tamaki provided very attentive care.

There were too many girls inside the dance hall, making it very inconvenient, so they prepared an empty house for Mamen and the others.

At four-thirty in the afternoon, after Mamen and Caitlin finished dinner, they strolled leisurely.

However, as they walked, the two of them eventually arrived outside the Burned Tower.

After thinking it over, Mamen decided to go in and take a look; after all, this was the place where Lugia had once dwelt.

But just as they reached the entrance of the Burned Tower, the sounds of a battle drifted into their ears.

Mamen and Caitlin stepped inside, but upon clearly seeing the two sides of the battle, the corners of Mamen's mouth couldn't help but curl upward.

One of them wore a red long-sleeved shirt, with black capri pants on the lower body, a hat on his head, and a lock of bangs exposed on his forehead.

It was Ethan!

Opposing Ethan was a youth with a rather gloomy complexion, sporting a head of striking red hair, wearing a fitted shirt and purple trousers.

"Oh my, oh my~ Look who I see."

Mamen's grin stretched wide as he looked at the red-haired youth, feeling quite emotional at that moment.

Silver! His biological younger brother!

At this moment, the battle between Silver and Ethan had reached its conclusion; with a powerful Water Tail strike from Croconaw hitting Typhlosion, Typhlosion finally lost the ability to fight.

"Damn it! It was just that little bit short!"

Seeing his ace fall, Ethan felt extremely unwilling to accept it.

"Hmph! Just a little bit short? A person with no self-awareness."

Silver sneered, recalled Croconaw, taunted him, put one hand in his pocket, and turned to leave.

"You! Explain yourself, what do you mean?" Ethan jogged forward; he was very angry.

"I don't speak to weaklings without strength; you are truly annoying." Little Silver's tone remained very cold.

"Damn it! What are you being so arrogant about!! You thief of other people's Pokémon!" Ethan was so angry he wanted to stomp his feet; he found this red-haired guy's mouth was disgustingly foul!

And what exactly was he so arrogant about? His Pokémon were even stolen from the Ecruteak Research Institute!

"So what?" Little Silver gave a cold glance at Ah Xiang, this "shadow."

"As long as I grow stronger, the means don't matter." Little Silver's eyes were gloomy; yes, this was his current mindset.

Grow stronger by any means necessary!

"That's not it at all!" Ah Xiang felt this person's mind was truly flawed; what kind of values were these??

"Hmph." Little Silver was already too lazy to say more to this fellow and turned to leave.

He still had to continue his trials to grow stronger! Moreover, he needed to find Big Sister Little Blue.

But the moment he turned, Little Silver discovered two people standing at the entrance of the Scorched Tower.

And...

Little Silver's brows knitted tightly as he stared fixedly at the black-haired youth, his gaze gradually becoming dazed.

Why... did he feel a sense of familiarity? And an inexplicable sense of closeness and a throb in his heart.

Did he know him? But clearly there was no memory; no, wait, he did seem to know him after all.

"It's truly been a long, long time... Silver."

Mammon slowly stepped forward, looking at this red-haired youth with a gentle, kind smile.

"My dear little brother~"

(End of this chapter)