Chapter 426: Another Harvest Festival

Chapter 426: Another Harvest Festival

As expected, early the next morning, Lucy, full of energy, rushed to the guild to inquire about the Harvest Festival, especially the Miss Fairy Tail beauty pageant.

"You even know about this? Did Natsu and Happy tell you yesterday?"

Lucy nodded, "Yes! But they only mentioned the prize money, not the details."

In truth, Natsu's stench of sweat made Lucy kick him out of her bed and bathroom.

It was Happy who informed her about the prize money.

"500,000 J, that's seven months' worth of rent!" Lucy's eyes lit up at the mention of the prize, as winning this competition would mean a long period of financial relief.

"Since we're on the topic, I have to introduce you to last year's beauty pageant winner."

Loke extended both his palms and waved them to the side, "Ta-da~"

Mira smiled and waved at Lucy.

"That's right, it's none other than Miss Mirajane Strauss right in front of you!"

"..." Lucy suddenly felt that the 500,000 J wasn't going to be easy to win.

She tried to eliminate a strong competitor, "Is Miss Mira participating again this year?"

"Of course, I'm saving up for my wedding," Mira glanced at Loke, "500,000 J is almost enough for our monthly salaries."

Lucy was astonished, "That's a high salary for a waitress!"

Loke explained, "It's not just any waitress job, and it's been many years..." cough.

"Our work isn't ordinary waitressing, and their salaries are even lower," Loke added.

"That's still impressive," Lucy finally felt a bit inclined to be a waitress, but in the long run, she preferred adventures.

Loke shook his head, "It's nothing compared to the rewards you get from taking on missions. We can earn a month's salary in just a few days."

Given Loke and Mira's capabilities, a fixed salary of a few hundred thousand J was indeed too low for a month's work. With their earnings, they could barely afford Erza's rent.

The only benefit was perhaps the safety and comfort, without the uncertainties of missions or worries about the weather.

Lucy disagreed, "But you might return empty-handed from missions too."

Loke gave her a strange look, "We don't just cause random destruction. If you had teamed up with me on those missions, you'd be a little rich lady by now, and you wouldn't have to worry about a mere 70,000 J rent."

"What little rich lady, Lucy is already..." Mira suddenly stopped, looking apologetically at Lucy.

"It's okay, I know about my family's situation," Lucy had already learned about her family's bankruptcy.

She didn't care about her family's wealth, no matter what.

Ever since she left home last time, she never thought of relying on her family's financial strength; it was fine either way.

As for her father... that man's abilities were beyond doubt. Lucy remembered her mother's admiration and trust in her father's capabilities.

Given some time, he might establish a new business group.

But Lucy didn't care about that either; she planned to visit her mother's grave soon and inquire about her father's whereabouts.

Lucy temporarily put aside her worries and asked about last year's contestants and the magical parade.

Loke and Mira took turns describing last year's events, leaving Lucy filled with anticipation.

Time flew by unnoticed, and in the blink of an eye, it was already October, and the festival atmosphere in Magnolia was growing stronger.

For Loke, the most important thing after entering October was the salary day.

He dragged Mira into a jewelry store, only to be quickly pulled out by her.

"You're not going to change it?"

"No, this is one of a kind. I want to keep it forever."

But upon remembering that Loke had crafted it with magic, Mira glared at him, "It's one of a kind, right?"

"Absolutely!" Loke swore to never make a second ring.

"Then it's settled." Mira stood on her toes and kissed him, "This is your reward."

Loke looked at her, "It's not enough."

"If it's not enough, then forget it."

"Okay, then I'll give you something else."

"Get away from me, I don't want it!"

The two of them playfully chased each other towards the bank, and on the way, they saw Cana passed out drunk on the street.

The girl was casually leaning against the corner, with an open bottle of alcohol by her side and her half-open bag lying on the ground.

Her hair was messy, and she wore only a single jacket, as usual.

Cana was a somewhat famous archmage, and the residents of Magnolia were used to it, but those unfamiliar with her found it thrilling.

Her exquisite features, her tipsy and endearing demeanor, her round face, and her slender waist were all too tempting, easily inciting criminal thoughts.

However, the emblem on her waist served as a deterrent, preventing anyone from acting recklessly.

Rod shook his head, "It's a wonder she can sleep like this without fearing being taken advantage of."

"What do you mean by 'taken advantage of'?" Mira asked, having a vague idea but never hearing the term before.

"It's when someone takes advantage of her while she's drunk and..."

As if on cue, the Harvest Festival always attracted many tourists from afar, including some daring individuals.

Two such people had sneaked up on Kana, one with yellow hair and the other with green.

The yellow-haired one skillfully reached for Kana's shoulder bag, while the green-haired one was itching to make a move.

"Hey, she's a Fairy Tail Archmage. Don't wake her up."

"How could she wake up so easily when she's this drunk?" The green-haired man boldly reached out with his lecherous hand.

Before Rod and Mira could react, Kana had grabbed a bottle from the ground and smashed it over the green-haired man's head, shattering it.

The young man with green hair flipped over, his eyes rolling back, as glass shards flew and the remaining liquor splashed onto his face.

Meanwhile, the yellow-haired man, who had been rifling through Kana's bag, seemed to have touched a card, and a golden electric light enveloped his entire body.

The young man convulsed and fell, his yellow hair instantly turning curly.

Kana acted as if nothing had happened, holding the bottle neck and pouring the contents into her mouth, mumbling, 'No more wine, give me another bottle,' before falling back into a hazy sleep.

Rod now understood why Kana dared to sleep on the street.

However, leaving her unattended wasn't an option, "Let's take her home or to the guild?"

Mira thought for a moment and took out a stack of cash from her bag, "You go deposit the money, I'll take care of Kana."

"Alright," Rod nodded.

Indeed, it was more convenient for Mira to look after Kana, and there was no worry about her being unable to carry her.

Taking money from Mira outside of payday felt a bit awkward, "Hey, my bank book..."

Mira had already picked up Kana and didn't bother searching her bag again, "Just deposit it into your account, it's all the same anyway."

...

In Kana's bathroom.

Mira soaked Kana's clothes in the basin and went outside to boil water for tea.

She also fetched a change of clothes from the wardrobe.

Kana was soaking in the bathtub, appearing much more alert.

"Mira, do you think he'll come back this year?"

"I'm not sure, there's been no news at all."

Mira knew she was referring to Gildarts.

Previously, Kana had confided in Mira about her relationship with Gildarts and asked her to keep it a secret.

Mira was tight-lipped about such important matters, so she hadn't even told Rod.

"Is that so?" Kana hugged her legs, letting her long hair drift leisurely in the water.

Mira was the most well-informed person in the guild, second only to the Guild Master, so if even she didn't know, there was no point in asking anyone else.

Mira comforted her, "I think he'll be back soon. After all, it's been three years already."

"Mhm," Kana replied softly, followed by a long silence.

In her opinion, with Kana's strength and experience, there was a chance for success.

But this year, it would still be challenging.

After all, Rod had also expressed his desire to pass the S-Class Exam and achieve a double celebration.

And Rod's current strength...

On top of that, he had partnered with Kana last year and was thoroughly familiar with her magic and fighting style.

Unless Kana made a significant leap in progress within a short time, there was no way she could beat Rod.

Mira couldn't convince Kana to give up, nor did she want to hinder Rod's progress.

She could only try to persuade Kana later or wait for the exam results this year.

The more she thought about it, the more agitated she became, and Mira decided she might as well wait for Gildarts' return and punch him.

After that, she would ask him why he couldn't recognize his own daughter.

—Even she found it a bit challenging to punch that uncle.

Several solutions kept swirling in her mind, and now Mira really wanted to discuss it with Rod.

After a while, Kana temporarily adjusted her mood, stepping out of the bathtub naked and squatting in front of Mira, staring at her face.

"You're already thinking about your fiance after being apart for a short while?"

Mira immediately denied it, "No, there's nothing to think about him."

"But you were just muttering his name."

Mira threw the towel at Kana's head, "Hurry up and dry yourself, then get dressed. We're going to the guild later."

Kana casually wiped her body with the towel and started drying her wet hair, shaking her head lightly as she did so.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk... The once mighty Demon, now turned into a shy little girl. If it were the old you, you should..."

Kana tried to imitate Mira's previous expressions and demeanor.

She was one of the earliest to join the guild among her peers, and she knew the childhood appearances of people like Gray, Natsu, Erza, and Mira better than anyone.

She had experienced everyone's changes the most, and of course, she also knew the most embarrassing moments.

Mira laughed, "Then I'll show you the power of the Demon right now!"

She extended her 'magic claw' towards Kana.

Kana, who had been standing boldly in front of her, now felt a bit shy.

She tried to dodge, "Why are you so skilled? Could it be that someone..."

Mira's face turned red, and she grabbed Kana and scolded her, "Stop talking nonsense!"

"Ouch..."

Such playful banter was not uncommon.

The busy yet joyful time flew by, and as October arrived, the number of people in the guild who drank, chatted, and fought increased daily.

Every year at this time, everyone would tacitly take a break from accepting missions, eagerly awaiting the festival's arrival.

Gray, who had been teaming up with Juvia recently, hadn't left the guild for several days.

According to him, working with Juvia was troublesome, and after the Harvest Festival, he would return to his original team.

After all, it had been over half a month, and he had taken Juvia on many missions, so she had more or less passed the newbie period.

As one of the Four Elements of Phantom Lord, she didn't require much care.

Juvia became depressed upon learning this and occasionally muttered, 'Don't seduce Gray-sama,' almost saying it to every girl who approached Gray in the guild.

She believed that someone was trying to steal Gray's affections.

The primary targets under her watchful eye were Erza and Lucy from the strongest team.

Erza didn't mind; when she was in a good mood, she would ask what was going on, and when she was in a bad mood, she would respond with a more piercing gaze.

Then Juvia would fill in the blanks in her mind, thinking that Erza was either mocking or provoking her as a rival.

Lucy didn't have such a good attitude.

After all, she was someone who had been subdued by Gray with a single move, and being constantly watched made her shudder.

"What should I do, Miss Mira?" Lucy asked in distress, "Is there a way to stop Juvia from looking at me like that?"

Mira didn't want to help her find a solution; she found it amusing, "Juvia just considers you a rival, has Lucy explained herself to her?"

"I told her I don't have those feelings for Gray..." Lucy scratched her head, "But every time she sees me, she calls me a 'rival.'"

Mira thought for a moment and said with a smile, "Then... maybe Gray has those feelings for you."

"Huh?" Lucy's face turned a little red, "Is that possible?"

Mira enjoyed the spectacle, "Of course, it's possible because Lucy is so cute."

What bad luck, going to the hospital for a procedure and returning with a fever.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end