Chapter 424: Gajiru's Beating
Chapter 424: Gajiru's Beating
In the early morning, the sun was partially obscured by a few clouds, leaving only a gentle, non-blinding point of light visible.
By now, the sun was already high in the sky, and its warm yet gentle rays illuminated the cemetery, casting a glow upon the three figures within.
The cemetery was located behind the Cathedral of Cardia, and Lisanna's grave was relatively inconspicuous among the others.
Recent showers had fallen, but Lisanna's grave appeared clean and untouched by dirt.
"Lisanna, we've come to visit you," Mira whispered as she crouched before the grave, "You probably don't know yet, but the guild was rebuilt not long ago. It's as lively as ever, and everyone is doing well... Of course, Elfman and I are too."
Mira shared all the recent news, big and small, even telling Lisanna about the sleepover they had in the girls' dormitory a few days ago.
When she reached the funnier parts, Mira couldn't help but chuckle softly, as if she were truly chatting with Lisanna.
Smiling at a loved one's grave was not disrespectful.
Compared to a sorrowful expression, Lisanna, who was in another world, would probably want to see her sister and brother happy.
Mira believed that Lisanna could see and hear her.
"And... there's something important I want to tell you."
A lovely blush graced Mira's face as she stood up and took Rod's arm, "This is Rod, he visited you before. He... proposed to me last week."
The two exchanged a glance and bent down together to place flowers on the grave.
Without Rod needing to say a word, Mira proceeded to explain their wedding plans in detail.
After saying all she had to say, Mira gazed at the tombstone in silence for a while.
Finally, she reached out and caressed the name on the tombstone, a smile on her face, "I'll strive to be happy, and I'll take good care of Elfman, so... you should also work hard over there and don't worry about us."
"Well... that's all for today, we'll come to visit you again next time."
It was time to leave, and Mira took Rod's hand as he waved goodbye to Lisanna. Then, he held Mira's small hand in both of his.
Mira smiled at him, conveying with her eyes that she no longer needed further comfort.
"Let's go, Elfman."
Elfman remained standing, unmoving, "You two go ahead, sister. I want to spend some time alone with Lisanna."
Mira looked at Elfman, recalling that he hadn't spoken much earlier. Had he grown so old that even his sister couldn't share certain things with him?
"Alright, remember to come back early."
"I will."
Elfman watched as the two left the cemetery, and only when they were out of sight did he quietly crouch down, brushing away non-existent dust with his hand.
"Hey, Lisanna, I wasn't lying just now. Sister is really getting married. The one we were all worried about finding a husband for..."
He glanced back nervously before continuing, "And it's not forced, nor did he hide anything from the past... Although sister has changed a lot, it's still hard to believe..."
"And that Rod... what a man!"
Elfman sat cross-legged in front of the grave, chatting away with his sister, sharing many thoughts.
...
Rod and Mira didn't wait for him, as it was already the end of the month, and there were guild matters awaiting their attention.
On their way back, Mira bought a newspaper and handed it to Rod, "Here, I forgot to buy one earlier."
Rod had developed a habit of keeping up with the news, a habit formed while catching up on the world's common knowledge.
Action: In the headlines, he casually glanced at the day's news, only to find the shocking revelation: 'Heartfilia Group Bankrupt, Patriarch Jude Missing.'
"Lucy's family?" Rod exclaimed in disbelief.
The last time he saw news of the Heartfilia Group's financial troubles was a week ago, and he never imagined they would go bankrupt so quickly.
How could such a large railway group suddenly declare bankruptcy, and with the patriarch's whereabouts unknown?
"What's going on?" Mira hadn't paid much attention to the news.
"Lucy's family is in trouble," Rod said, pausing to show her the newspaper.
"How is that possible?" Mira quickly skimmed through the article, her worry evident. "Lucy might not know yet. Let's go back and tell her."
Although Lucy had said she had cut ties with her family, this was still her father, and if he was missing, they had to go look for him.
But before they even made it back to the guild, they encountered a familiar figure staggering towards them.
"Gajuru?"
"What happened to you?"
Gajuru's hair was disheveled, his clothes were torn and covered in dust, and there were traces of blood on his forehead and the corner of his mouth. His arm also showed signs of bruising.
It seemed like he had been in a fierce battle.
Rod's first thought was that Natsu had come to the guild and fought with Gajuru. But even with Natsu's unpredictable behavior, he wouldn't have caused such severe injuries, not to the point of drawing blood.
Gajuru glanced at them and continued walking, not bothering to explain.
Rod still wanted to clarify, "What happened? Are you in trouble?"
Even if it was a personal matter, Gajuru was now officially recognized as a member of the guild by the Master, so they couldn't just ignore it.
But Gajuru seemed reluctant to involve them, and without turning back, he said, "Nothing happened. It's not your concern!"
The two exchanged glances, unsure of what to do, and decided to return to the guild for answers.
...
The atmosphere in the guild was no different from usual, except for the absence of the most boisterous members.
Even Lucy wasn't around.
The others were as lively as ever, some drinking, some chatting, and the moment the Master saw them return, he jumped off the counter and scurried upstairs, looking suspicious.
It was clear he had stolen some alcohol.
This slightly relieved Rod, as it seemed no major incident had occurred.
He went to check the mission records.
"'Seeking a Magic Teacher for Children's Guidance Class', Requester... Gajuru?"
Rod carefully read the requester's name several times, Gajuru as a teacher? It felt out of character.
Gajuru had just set off, and it couldn't be that he was beaten by a child's parent for being unreliable.
Rod showed the record to Mira, but she was equally puzzled.
Reby hesitantly approached them, "Mira, Rod, we just met Laxus."
Reby looked troubled, her emotions seemingly low.
Mira asked, "Laxus? Did he say something harsh again?"
Reby whispered, "Laxus hit Gajuru, and it was quite severe."
So it was him! Rod and Mira finally understood how Gajuru had gotten those injuries.
But didn't Gajuru say he didn't care about the guild? Why suddenly attack Gajuru?
Rod frowned, "What's going on?"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
