Chapter 95: Will That Guy Come Back?
Chapter 95: Will That Guy Come Back?
October 4, X783 - Clear
The sun was still intense, but not as scorching as it had been in the past few days. The sky was a clear, deep blue, with not a single cloud in sight, making it seem especially vast and serene.
A gentle breeze frequently blew through, fluttering the colorful flags and balloons on the streets and bringing a refreshing sense of comfort.
Autumn's crisp and pleasant weather was truly something to be cherished.
Today, the guild was unusually full of people.
Eriga, Natsu, Gray, and others who had returned from their last mission and hadn't ventured far since were all present.
Eriga's close friend Bisca and her admirer Alzack were also around, keeping a discreet eye on each other.
Macao and Wakaba, who had families and weren't particularly fond of distant missions, were there as well.
Nab and Marcus, who were content with a simple life and rarely took on missions, were lounging around like lazy fish.
Reby's "Lane Engine" team, Mirajane's "Young Million Dead" team, and even Loki, who usually avoided Rod, were all present.
Familiar faces like Warren, Laxus, and Bisca were also in the guild.
With so many people, Rod was starting to worry if the guild building might actually collapse under the weight of everyone's presence.
To make matters worse, the Master had left early in the morning to discuss something with the mayor.
It was unsettling to have the Master absent in such a crowded guild.
"Finally made it back!" Cana plopped down at the counter, "Mira! Quick, give me a drink!"
"Welcome back, Cana," Mira said as she poured a drink for her.
Cana downed it in one go, "Ah! That's great. I was so thirsty! Another one, please!"
"Oh, so you're not controlling your drinking today?" Mira smiled and refilled her glass.
Cana hesitated for a moment before saying, "Well, it's almost time for the Harvest Festival. You can't not drink during the festival, right?"
After finishing another drink, she finally pulled out her mission report to hand it in.
"Cana, you're back?" Rod, who had just finished serving someone, asked, "You went pretty far this time, didn't you?"
"Hey, Rod. You look more energetic," Cana said casually, "I realized the Harvest Festival was coming up after I left, so I finished the mission as quickly as possible and rushed back."
"As quickly as possible?" Rod thought for a moment and asked, "You didn't get the client drunk and trick him into signing, did you?"
Mira's hand trembled as she wrote, thinking that it was exactly the kind of thing Cana might do.
"How could I do that!" Cana was annoyed by Rod's suspicion but quickly laughed, "But it's a good idea. I'll have to try it next time, hahaha!"
"Mira, Mira, Mira..." Mira didn't know what to say. She felt that Rod's mischievous ideas combined with the guild's troublemakers might lead to even bigger trouble.
Fortunately, Rod was generally reliable.
Cana waved her hand, "Just kidding. It's only natural to rush back for the festival. I saw the Thunder Palace guys on the street. Even Laxus came back."
"Is that so? The Master will be happy to see Laxus back," Mira said. She knew the relationship between the Master and Laxus was a bit strained and thought the festival might be a good opportunity for them to mend their relationship.
Hearing about Laxus, Rod thought of someone else, "Will Mystogan show up for the festival parade?"
"Of course not," Cana said, "He'll probably sneak back and blend in with the crowd to watch our performances."
Mira added, "He might be asked by the Master to cast a few spells to liven up the atmosphere, but he can do that from hiding, without showing his face."
Hiding behind the scenes to cast spells and set the mood... Is Mystogan a special effects artist?
An S-Class Mage working as a special effects artist—Fairy Tail sure is extravagant. But then again...
"What a troublesome person," Rod mused, wondering if Mystogan might be even more composed than himself, rather than just having some hidden troubles as the Master suggested.
Kana played with an empty glass in her hand, seemingly offhandedly saying, "Now all of the S-Class mages in the guild are back."
"I remember Laki mentioning we have another incredibly strong guy in the guild?" Rod recalled, "Will we get to see him this time?"
Kana inwardly cheered, secretly giving Rod a thumbs-up, then held her breath as she waited for Mira's answer.
Mira thought for a moment and replied, "Gildarts? I'm not sure about him. I haven't heard any news at all."
Kana's grip on the empty glass tightened, her head lowered so her expression was hard to read. "It's been two years, that guy. What kind of mission could he be on?"
Mira shook her head. "All I know is that it's more difficult than the average S-Class mission, and the details are confidential. Even I don't know. And the mission location is on another continent, which might explain why we haven't heard from him."
Rod asked, "Do people on other continents know about our guild?"
"Maybe," Mira responded, "Are you interested in other continents, Rod?"
Rod nodded. "A little. I'd like to see them someday, but it's too early to talk about that. I haven't even left the Kingdom of Fiore yet."
"Mirajane, another drink, no, make it a whole barrel!" Kana lifted her head, a smile on her face. "I'm going to drink to my heart's content today!"
"Sure~" Mira took it as Kana being excited about the upcoming festival. Actually, it was strange that Kana had suddenly started moderating her drinking recently.
Rod sensed something was off here. He decided to keep an eye on it but focused on how to help Mira with her problem.
Kana hugged the barrel and drank heartily, occasionally chatting and drinking with others who approached her.
Rod returned to his own work.
Before long, the guild's doors were pushed open forcefully.
Laxus was back.
Behind him followed the Thunder Palace Trio.
The tavern fell slightly quiet. Some looked at Laxus with admiration, others glanced and went back to their business, and a few wanted to greet him but couldn't find the words.
But the most proactive was Natsu, who immediately jumped up, rubbing his hands together, "You're finally back, Laxus! I've been waiting for you. Let's have a duel!"
Fried, with his long green hair, pulled out his sword a bit. "If you want to challenge Laxus, you'll have to get past us, the Thunder Palace Trio first!"
"Challenging Laxus? What a reckless fool," Bickslow said, unfolding a velvet fan, adopting a ladylike demeanor.
"Reckless, reckless..." Bickslow's floating dolls echoed, creating a cacophony of voices.
Natsu ignored them, focusing on his target. "What do you say, Laxus? Are you afraid of losing to me?"
Laxus didn't seem bothered by the provocation. He casually replied, "It's Natsu, huh? If you want to fight, let's go."
The Thunder Palace Trio looked puzzled.
"I have nothing to do, and it might be fun to pass the time before that boring festival starts."
Laxus's nonchalant attitude came off as somewhat arrogant. "Come on, Natsu. I'll show you just how big the gap between us is."
(End of Chapter)
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