Gold Leaf City
Of course, back then, Meralda hadn't believed that Ryu was a true blood member of the Tatsuya Clan. Even now, she still didn't. Rather, she thought him to be a lucky young man who ran into one of the Tatsuya Clan's legacies.
For a powerful Clan like the Tatsuya's, it was impossible that they wouldn't have counter measures left behind to let their name be remembered and maybe even allow them to recover some time in the future. The best way to do this was to choose talented youths who could take up the Tatsuya name in their absence. Meralda believed that Ryu was one of them.
After so many years, Meralda still had no idea why she had protected Ryu all those years ago. Maybe she felt bad for him. Maybe it was because he was a little handsome. Or, maybe it was because he was so talented in the field she loved the most: Herbology.