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Chapter 171: The Mountain... Collapsed
Chapter 171: The Mountain... Collapsed
Erza’s face was etched with worry. "Master, Laxus..."
"It’s fine. I’ll have a talk with him later," Makarov shook his head gently, then smiled at Cana and Rod. "First, congratulations on passing the second trial!"
"Master, what’s the next trial?"
Cana’s initial excitement had faded, and now she was worried. If the next trial was as difficult as the last, she and Rod might struggle to handle it in their current state.
Makarov chuckled. "No need to worry. Let’s rest at the camp first before we talk about the next trial."
Taking a break before the third trial was certainly a good thing. The two followed the master’s lead, heading toward the camp. Cana was still able to walk on her own, but Rod was mostly supported by Erza.
"By the way, what about the others?"
BOOM!
Just as Rod was about to ask about the other teams, a loud noise echoed behind them. The ground began to tremble. Before Rod could turn around, Erza had already hoisted him up and dragged Cana along, following the master to a safe spot.
When Erza set Rod down, he saw the mountain face he had cracked earlier collapsing in a massive landslide. The cracks spread from the mountain to the ground, connecting to the large crater Laxus had created, and continued all the way to the opposite mountain.
Thus, the two peaks that had formed a natural pass were now reduced to a pile of rubble.
Makarov’s mouth hung open, and he looked like he was about to turn to stone. "I remember this exam site was specifically reinforced with earth magic before the exam..."
Erza thought for a moment before speaking. "It’s likely because Rod’s summon was tunneling through the mountain and underground. Using the floating cannons also extracted rocks from the mountain, and the impact of his punch on the mountain, combined with the aftermath of the fight with Laxus... All these factors probably caused a chain reaction that nullified the earth magic reinforcing the mountain."
"Do I have to pay for this?" Rod blushed, realizing he had caused quite a stir. But his punch wasn’t out of spite; it was a tactical move to shield Cana’s position.
Makarov sighed. "You probably won’t have to pay, but with the noise near the railway... you’ll probably have to write a report."
He was thankful he had moved the exam site a few kilometers north. At least the railway wasn’t affected. Thank goodness, thank goodness.
Next year, they should hold the S-Class exam on their own turf. Even if it gets destroyed, at least they won’t have to write a report. Plus, the kids might be more restrained on their own ground, and Rod, being so sensible, would certainly...
Makarov rubbed his temples, hoping Rod wouldn’t be corrupted by the others in the coming year.
Rod watched the master’s actions and wondered if the old man’s receding hairline was from all the rubbing. Being the master of a bunch of troublemakers... no, being the master, was truly no easy task.
The temporary camp set up for the exam was a short distance from the site, in a slightly open area. In the center, a simple tent was pitched, where Warren and Marcus were lying down. Fire pits were set up in front and back of the tent for warmth.
Mira, Juvia, and Wang Qiangji were setting up pots to cook. The bandages on Mira and Juvia’s arms and the band-aids on their foreheads suggested Warren and Marcus had been quite rough.
A simple cutting board was already set up, and the master had brought quite a few supplies. Or, as Rod remembered seeing Erza’s luggage cart in the guild, he suspected she had brought most of these.
Kana counted the heads and asked, "Where are Mystogan and Mest?"
"He had some business to attend to and left early," Makarov explained. "Mest said he wanted to explore a bit and would head back on his own later."
Makarov knew the foolish boy was likely trying to gather some dirt on Fairy Tail, but as long as he didn't interfere with the exam, he could let him be.
"I'm going to help with the cooking!" Erza suddenly perked up, pushing Rod towards Kana. "Change of outfit!"
Will and Marcus, who were lying in their tent, immediately sat up and shouted in terror, "No outfit change! No outfit change! We surrender!"
Kana helped Rod sit down and asked, "You... encountered Erza?"
Will let out a sigh of relief when he saw Erza had only changed into a cook's outfit. "Yeah, it was terrifying."
Marcus pointed to the bandages on his and Will's bodies. "We really lost to her. She taught us a harsh lesson."
"Looks like it," Rod said, lying back down. "So, did Mest and Wang run into Mystogan? Did they pass?"
Speaking of the other unlucky ones, Marcus was wide awake now. "Their performance was even worse. They apparently fell asleep right at the start of the exam and were brought back to the camp by Mystogan."
With his teleportation magic, how did they not pass in a flag-grabbing test?
Rod suspected Mystogan wasn't playing fair, probably casting a mass sleep spell right after explaining the rules. Or maybe he used an illusion to create a fake flag.
Kana and Rod exchanged a glance. They were lucky not to have run into Mystogan; otherwise, they might not even know how they lost.
"Ha ha, looks like we weren't that bad," Will said cheerfully. "We at least fought Erza for a few rounds."
Getting beaten was part of the fight, after all.
Rod couldn't help but add, "But Mest and the others didn't get hurt."
Will was furious. "Damn it, how can you say that with a straight face! You got thrashed by Laxus even worse!"
"But we passed."
"Ugh..." Will clutched his head in frustration. He thought Laxus might have gone easy on them. "Why did we have to face a knight who doesn't know how to hold back!"
Erza, who seemed to have heard someone talking about her, turned around and saw Will. She raised her thumb, still holding the chef's knife. "You still have a long way to go!"
Will lay back down, too tired to continue. He wouldn't come back next year unless he improved.
Rod laughed and chatted with them, feeling less fatigued.
After a while, Kana suddenly said, "Thank you, Rod."
"Huh?" Rod gave a wry smile. "Don't thank me yet. I might not be much help in the third round. Sorry."
The three wolves and six birds, which were highly functional monsters, had been defeated and hadn't respawned yet.
His own condition was also poor, and it was uncertain how much he would recover before the exam.
If there was a search task, he could try to summon a Shadow Wolf to help track scents.
But if there was combat, he might not be able to provide much assistance.
"Don't say that," Kana shook her head gently. "No one could have done better than you. For the next round, I'll do my best."
The aroma of food wafted over, and Erza waved her spoon. "Everyone, it's time to eat!"
May your journey be pleasant and your return safe.
(End of Chapter)
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