Chapter Text
For the first time in Natsu's life, he found that he wasn't all that hungry.
One mess-up and his body would never be found, much less see the light of day ever again.
Aww, man… he was well and truly screwed, wasn't he?
"What's wrong, Natsu?" Came the terrifyingly sweet voice laced with venom. "Is the tiramisu not to your liking?"
The Dragon Slayer rigidly glanced up from the white porcelain plate containing the untouched slice of the treacherous, deliciously layered dessert. He nodded-hastily in response. It was his only shot at survival.
Brushing up against his side? Lisanna. Nestled in her arms? Happy. Sitting directly across from him? Elfman, now wearing a completely unnecessary crisp white dress shirt and black trousers that made him look super out of place on a beach. And next to her younger brother on the outstretched picnic blanket was the demon who'd come straight out of Natsu's worst nightmares.
Mira was staring at him intently, with fake kindness in those deep blue eyes of hers, studying him. Probably wondering how she was going to tear his guts out, and internally debating whether or not she'd ride him like some sort of meat sled or... whatever that would look like.
Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Where was Erza when you needed her?
"I-it's w-wonderful, Mira," he said with a deep gulp. Could he get away with bluffing her? "I, uh… just had a pretty big breakfast, is all. You know how it is…"
"Excuse me?" The Demon frowned ever so slightly, setting down her plate and fork. It was all feigned, naturally. "Are you implying that I eat too much?" She shook her head, and 'innocently' smoothed her hands down the narrow waistline of her pale blue sundress. "That's not very gentlemanly to say such a thing to a lady, Natsu. One might call it a crude remark, at that."
A lady? That's what she was calling herself?!
Elfman shook his head in disapproval. The big man was watching him like a hawk, and even went so far as to flex and ball up his fist, the knuckles of his index and middle fingers jutting out prominently. "It's not very manly to say something like that to a woman, Natsu. It would be in your best interest to apologize. Now."
Natsu wasn't exactly terrified of Elfman, though the idea of having the middle-born Strauss come after him on the daily didn't sound very fun.
"Well, you know… I didn't mean that, I just meant-"
A much smaller hand rested gently against his right bicep, giving a comforting and very welcoming squeeze. Natsu now glanced to his right, and suddenly remembered that Lisanna was there with him. Wearing a matching dress with her older sister, paired with jade earrings, and cradling a now fast-asleep Happy in her arms.
His… err… girlfriend, beamed up at him with an encouraging smile.
Right… he could do this. He kind of had to if he wanted to stay alive.
Clearing his throat, he summoned up whatever courage he could scrape together on short notice. Natsu managed to direct his gaze to the young woman, only a year his senior, who simply gazed right back at him with a look of what seemed to be mild concern with her sister's choice of a suitor.
Natsu saw through the act, though. Those deep blue eyes twinkled with delight every time he nervously tugged at the scarf wrapped around his neck.
Don't apologize. Don't show weakness. "I… meant that I had a lot to eat this morning."
"Really?" Mira sighed disappointedly, as if he'd narrowly avoided one of her word traps. "That can't be right. I mean, when we're in the guild, you eat just about everything on the menu."
"And all in one go," Elfman added.
The Demon nodded along, "Mmhmm. Exactly."
"Ah, well… guess anything could happen," Natsu said, keeping steady, and somehow still managing eye contact with the Demon herself.
And then she smiled sweetly at him, but her tone told another story altogether. "Is that really the story you're going with?"
"It's the one I'm sticking to."
In an instant, that happy smile morphed into a wicked and sinister grin, and Mira's deep blue eyes flashed red.
"Ahem!" Lisanna forcefully cleared her throat and looked to her older brother now. "So, Elfman… how did the Lionel job go?"
"It went fine," the big man said coldly, not even taking his eyes off Natsu for a moment. "Ever skin an animal, Natsu?"
"Yeah."
"Cause I could give you a demonstra-" Elfman paused and blinked. "Wait, really?"
"Sure, not like it's hard or anything."
Lisanna sat forward slightly, so as not to wake Happy in her arms. "It's true," she said, a little too eager to change the subject. "He caught us a… what was it again?"
"Largemouth bass."
"Right!" His girlfriend nodded. "Natsu caught us a HUGE bass the other day. Killed it clean and gutted it too, then he roasted it over the fire, and we ate it for lunch!"
"You know…" Mira interjected, flashing a smirk at Natsu. "I like gutting things on occasion, too… one of my favorite hobbies, really."
It was then that one of the butter knives from the picnic basket suddenly sprang into the Demon's palm. Natsu was actively trying not to think about her using that knife to cut off certain bits of his anatomy.
Yet Elfman seemed totally ignorant of his older sister's veiled threats. "Going out and feeding your family? Now that's MANLY!" He said, then reaching out across the blanket and giving Natsu a hearty slap on the back. THWAP!
He should've been relieved that he'd actually managed to win over at least one of Lisanna's siblings.
Yet the fact that, out of the corner of his eyes, Mira was making more stabbing motions with the knife in her hand. That kinda put a damper on things…
"I was thinking of teaching Natsu how to dance in a few weeks, once we're back in town and all that," Lisanna piped up again, looking pointedly at her older sister. Natsu watched on, astounded, that his girlfriend now donned a devilish grin of her own. "Y'know… like how you taught me?"
What happened next was a sheer miracle.
Mirajane Strauss, the Demon of Fairy Tail, froze completely. Eyes. Wide. Open.
"W-whatever do you mean, Lisanna?" Mira was a wounded animal, now being pursued by the not-so-terrifying predator that was her younger sister. "I have no idea what you are talking about."
"Oh come on, Mira! Dancing! You showed me how, remember?"
"N-no, I didn't! Don't you dare say another-"
"Now that we're speaking about it, though… Didn't you mention that you wish your future husband knows how to slow dance? So he can hold you like in those-"
"Okay! Okay!" Mira protested hotly, throwing up and hastily waving her hands in the air, her face now an interesting shade of crimson. "I promise, I won't do anything to him! Just stop, Lis, please!"
Whoa…
Satisfied at how she'd successfully cowed her older sister into submission, Lisanna Strauss opted to show mercy and withdrew from her attack. She lazed back and leaned her head on Natsu's right shoulder. "Maybe it would be a good idea to apologize to Natsu, then? I don't think my BOYFRIEND liked being threatened on such a beautiful afternoon. Because if you don't, well… maybe I'll just go and tell everyone about those Lovestruck Illustrated magazines you keep stashed under your bed."
It was Mira's turn to gulp. Her face was still as red as a tomato. Rigidly, she turned to face Natsu again. "Grrgh…" The soft growl that came from her sounded more like something that'd come from a wounded puppy. "Fine. I'm sorry, Natsu. Welcome to the family…" She said, grinding her teeth, probably thinking of some way to preserve her pride, "...I guess."
Lisanna glanced up at him, her head still lying in the crook of her neck. "How does that sound, honey?"
Honey? Where'd a name like that come from? Wasn't like he was covered in bees.
At the same time, Natsu also wasn't entirely sure how to proceed.
On the one hand… finding out that Mira was at least embarrassed about something was kinda refreshing. On the other… Maybe he should let the secret slip to Erza. He could totally see her holding it over Mira's head like that.
But… if he was 'welcome' in the family… or whatever that meant… maybe not.
"Uh," Natsu shrugged, feeling a lot more comfortable now that the tension had been diffused. And noting the lack of any sort of protest from Elfman, he just decided to go with it. "Thanks, Mira."
The Demoness of Fairy Tail gave a mute nod and, without a word, went back to eating her tiramisu.
Lisanna beamed up at him once more, especially as he looped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. "What about it, Natsu? Wanna learn how to dance? It's pretty simple..."
Err… not really, no.
Slow dancing or whatever sounded kinda lame. When would it ever be useful to him? Was he, at some point, gonna get into a dance-off with some monster? Not likely..
Still… those warm, blue eyes stared up at him. The same damn eyes that his chest feel all warm and crap…
Shit.
"Pleeeeease!" If it weren't for Happy snuggling her arms, Lisanna might've cupped her hands together in some sort of prayer or something.
Well… if it was THAT important to her, then…
"Tch…" Despite himself, Natsu dipped his head. "Screw it… I'm probably gonna hate this, but alright."
"Yay!" Lisanna cheered, leaning up and planting a long kiss on his lips.
After a few moments, as they parted, Natsu felt dazed all over again. And all he could do was grin like an idiot.
Across from them, Mira said nothing. She simply watched the pair a moment longer than perhaps she should've…
…and with a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
November 22nd, Magnolia Outskirts
Day 53
He was awoken by a small paw mushing against his cheek.
"Errgh…" Natsu groaned, and a flash of blinding light blared down from above. Instinctively, he brought up his hand to block out the sun. "What the…"
"Yay!"
Groggily, he sat upright, and-THUMP! Something round and pointy-earred pressed into his chest. The familiar sight of blue fur and two white feathery wings told him exactly who woke him up.
"I thought you'd never get up!" Happy cried, breaking away from the hug. "I poked you with a stick, and then I tried lifting that log, but it was pretty heavy, so…" He hit Natsu on the forehead. The impact was little more than a tap. "What'd you do this time, huh? Knock yourself out again? How would you even do that? That's-"
That was a good question…
…What had he been doing again?
Memories flooded back to him one by one. A whole lotta fire, combined with the feeling that he'd been rammed head-on by a train.
The absolute last thing he remembered… he fell into a bed of grass, telling himself he'd take a short break before getting back to…
Natsu rubbed his palm against his forehead.
Right, he'd been attempting the spell again.
Meanwhile, Happy seemed to drone on, completely oblivious to his confusion, "-then I got back from Lucy's last night and found you out here. I mean, you were breathing, but it was kind of like what happened a few months ago after you came back from the mean medicine lady. I was thinking I should take you to see her, but…" the cat looked rather sheepish. "I kinda don't know where she lives."
Last night?
"Good buddy?" Natsu asked, "What day is it?"
Happy paused for a moment before answering, "It's the 22nd. Why?"
Oh.
A glance up into the sky told him that, going by the sun's position, it was probably noon, or… early afternoon. After looking away, the Dragon Slayer ran a hand down his face. So, he'd been out cold for like… a day and a half. I'm losing daylight, and this Fire Dragon's Spear thing wasn't gonna make itself.
Slowly, he moved to get to his feet. And not a moment sooner-
"Ergh…" Natsu made an almost animal-like growl as he straightened, which he should've expected, since he might as well have just woken up after doing the worst workout of his life.
His neck, his arms, his abdomen, even his thighs. All of them stung with each twitch. Sure, he'd had mornings like this before, almost always the day after he'd trained too hard. It still wasn't exactly the greatest feeling to wake up to. He cracked his neck-Kch! Though not without wincing, he felt everything out.
Didn't feel like he was out of fumes like he'd been the other night, there was that at least.
It was hard to describe. The pressure he'd felt in his core while training was gone, now replaced with more… space.
He probably filled up on Ethernano while he was out. So what, his Magic Container was… Roomier? That was a word, right? The book said something like that would happen-that the Magic Container was sorta like its own muscle.
Nice. Nice and weird.
An idle flick of his fingers and-WHOOOOMPH! A great burst of reddened flames erupted from his palms, swirling and snaking up his arms like a bonfire. Natsu grinned, more so out of satisfaction than anything else. Never gets old.
Instinctively, Happy had taken several steps back, almost clearing fifteen feet before he felt comfortable enough to stop shielding his eyes.
"Hmmmmph…" Natsu grumbled as something deep within his gut began to ache, like he'd flexed a muscle that was already well into healing. Not a good sign, that.
"Are you okay?" His best buddy asked from the side, evidently having seen his discomfort.
The Dragon Slayer nodded and snuffed out all of the flames by wiggling his fingers. "Yeah, just…" he pursed his lips. "Think I might've overdone it with training… a bit."
"Maybe you should take a break, then?"
He didn't want to. Not now, at least.
Even if it was little more than an unstable rod of fire, it was still progress. If he kept at it, then there might be a chance he could form a complete spear. Today, even. All he had to do was keep going,
The moment he rolled back his shoulders, though…
"Gah!" Natsu snarled, and let himself stumble back onto the log he'd kicked in halves the other night. He was thoroughly reminded of just how sore everything was. The joints and muscles in each of his limbs ground excruciatingly against one another like rusted iron.
Definitely not a good sign.
Happy pressed on, "How about we get something to eat?" He asked in earnest. "I ate some fish already, but just so you know, I had to skip my second breakfast AND lunch just trying to wake you up." He smirked and crossed his arms. "Sounds like you owe me breakfast."
"It's gotta be like, one in the afternoon."
"Yeah? So what?" The cat suddenly clapped his hands together. "Pleeeeeease? Let's just go get something to eat."
Admittedly, it wasn't something he was immediately opposed to. Natsu glanced down at his stomach, which, just on time, responded with a loud, 'Grrrrrrrghl!'
Yeah… maybe a break wouldn't be so bad. And it might give him some ideas on how to proceed with making the spear. What was his next step, actually? Was he doing something wrong?
What did the book say again? It said that spellcraft was a bit simpler for Dragon Slayers, right?
Fleming's outline of spellcraft for normal wizards was pretty extensive, and it seemed like it'd be longer compared to what he'd been doing. All the progress he made was done on instinct, just like Fleming said it'd be, and going from what he remembered of the passage on Slayer Magic, now that he could make a shape out of fire, maybe he just needed to… refine it.
So all he needed to do was figure out what the finished product looked like?
Kinda drawing a blank on that one. The spear he kept tucked by the front door in his house wasn't much to look at. It was more or less a long stick with an old iron spike attached to the end. It was functional, since he'd been using it frequently over the last five years or so, but it wasn't much to look at.
Oddly enough, he found himself thinking back to his time in Crocus, when Laxus had taken him to Darrier & Co., to pick up a more presentable outfit for their meeting with Trast, and he decided to ask for something… regal.
If he was gonna make this thing out of the same magic that Igneel taught him, then it should look super cool, right? Super regal, too. Like an actual, professionally forged spear from a top-notch blacksmith. Dad would appreciate that, for sure.
Okay, yeah, sounded like a plan.
Go into town. Grab something to eat. Check out the local smithy for any nice-looking spears. Then imprint its look onto the Fire Dragon's Spear.
Natsu stood up, grunting as his knees screamed at him. "Alright, buddy," he said. "First, I gotta go take a shower, and then we'll head out. Sound good?"
Happy grinned right back at him and brought his hand against his forehead in a salute. "Aye, sir!"
Ding, ding…
The mounted brass bell hanging from the door chimed as Natsu stepped into the 'Hammer and Tongs,' the local smithy of Magnolia.
After a good shower, he'd thrown on a white linen shirt, black trousers, and his new knee-high brown leather boots. From there, it'd been a good three and a half hours, with him and Happy eating at 'The White Orchid'.
Fourteen tomahawk steaks and eight bowls of buttered scrambled eggs, drowned in salt and pepper, had gone a long way toward getting him back into fighting shape.
Sorta.
Happy floated alongside him as he entered. "-And then he says," the cat puffed out his chest and deepened his voice, "'Of course, you couldn't buy one with a ruby the size of a testicle. I managed to get my hands on a few, however.'"
The Dragon Slayer threw his head back and barked out a laugh. "No way! Elfman actually said that?"
"Mmhmm, in the middle of the guild, too."
"Did he-"
"Yeah, he heard it after a few seconds."
To the right side of the smithy were all sorts of tools and accessories; buckets full of horseshoes, a wide selection of various types of nails, and open boxes showing off fish hooks. Rows upon rows of axes, pickaxes, hammers, rakes, and hoes hung from several thick wooden beams overhead. Pots and pans were neatly stacked next to a workbench, where a half-finished axe head sat next to some chain links. On the other end of the shop, there was a line-up of armor stands that were placed just in front of the store windows, showing off clean-looking sets of brigandine, chainmail, and even full plate armor. Glass cases with displays of swords, daggers, maces, and even shields mounted up on the walls alongside racks of spears and other polearms.
By the back, there was a long wooden counter with a tall oaken door behind it. Coming from within the next room over, Natsu had easily picked up the scents of oil and burning charcoal, among other things, and heard the metallic ringing of a hammer upon an anvil-CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Picture frames on the wall opposite the counter showed off photos of happy customers, mostly older people, smiling alongside a short, burly man with a bushy and wiry beard.
That's gotta be the Smith, Natsu figured. A buff guy with rough hands like that definitely knew what he was doing.
Natsu walked toward the back counter. More well-carved glass display cases were set into the gray plaster wall. Swords, daggers, pieces of armor, even a full-blown warhammer. All of them had etchings and engravings, each looking clean, too.
Did Erza get her gear here? She never did say where she got her armor from, actually.
"So like," Happy floated up to his side, probably having taken a quick look around, and chose to land on the spot of the wooden countertop in front of him. "You ever wonder why they're called 'blacksmiths'?"
Huh… it hadn't really crossed his mind before.
Natsu figured it was pretty obvious. But now that Happy had brought it up…
He shook his head. "Nah, not really. Why'd you ask?"
"Dunno," Happy shrugged. "Just feels like an odd name, you know? Like, why are they all called 'Smith'? I know not all of them have that as their last name, but did it start out that way? Did the first blacksmiths have the name 'Smith' and then other people started co-opting the profession?" He asked randomly, seemingly deep in thought about this particular range of coincidences. "And what makes them black, anyway?"
Hmmm… another good question.
The Dragon Slayer scratched at his cheek, "Maybe 'cause all the soot they get from the forge," he said off-handedly.
"Maybe," Happy hummed. "Wouldn't they be sootsmiths, then?"
"Eh… sounds pretty lame."
"It'd at least be accurate, wouldn't it?"
The clanging behind the door had stopped. Natsu's ears twitched slightly as he heard heavy footsteps head closer in his direction.
He turned to face Happy. "No, 'cause you can't exactly make things outta soot. And silversmiths are a thing, so if it's not the soot, then it's probably just that they work with darker metals and alloys, like iron or steel. Hence, black-smith."
"Pffft!" His best buddy of close to seven years didn't seem very convinced, though. "It can't be that… Know what I think? I bet it's probably just one of those trademark things."
Natsu blinked and ran that back through his mind again. Trademark? That's not- "Yeah, I don't think that word means what you think it means."
"Hey! I know what I'm talking ab-"
THWAMP!
Just on time, the door behind the counter suddenly swung open, revealing the same short and stockily built man from the photos, though his hair was now peppered with flecks of silver, and his face was slick with sweat and grease.
Really hope his name isn't Smith. Happy would probably have a field day if it were.
The blacksmith picked him out instantly and grinned warmly at him. "Well, if it isn't Master Dragneel!" He chuckled heartily, now wiping his right hand down with a fresh, wet cloth. "I don't believe I've had the honor!"
Huh… that was the second time someone's called him 'Master'.
Should he get that title in writing one of these days? Maybe it'll look good with future clients or something.
Ah, right, remember your manners, Natsu thought to himself, holding out his hand. If there was one lesson Laxus impressed on him, it was to make sure he minded himself when greeting clients, and… other people in general. "Excuse me, but I don't-"
"Darrus Hoffmann, at your service," The older man took the offered paw and squeezed it.
Natsu breathed a sigh of relief, "Good to meet you, Darrus."
"Likewise, now what can I do for you today?"
Well…
Natsu knew what he was looking for. "I need a good spear, something super high-quality if you have any."
"Whatever for, if you don't mind my asking? Miss Scarlet comes in on occasion for repairs, naturally, but for the life of me, I can't imagine why a Wizard such as yourself would need any sort of weapon," Darrus barked out a laugh. "Well, outside your two hands, of course."
"It's for a personal project… Plus, I do a lot of hunting when I'm at home, and the spear I've got there is kinda… wearing out."
That was putting it lightly.
Darrus hummed, "I see…" he clapped his hands together. "Well, I do have a few pieces that you might be interested in. I know my way around the forge, but if you're looking for something you can use with your… Magic or whatnot, my partner Riordan is a specialist with heavy gear like that. He's the one who handles most of Miss Scarlet's requisitions, actually… I don't suppose you'd also be looking for anything fancy from him?"
Fancy? Seemed like an odd task just to gussy up a pointy stick. Could be that super-rich people went in for that sort of thing.
Guess I am super rich, though… he thought to himself. In addition to all the cash he kept buried in his backyard, he still hadn't figured out what he was gonna do with the ten million Jewel he'd gotten from the Darshel job.
So pricing wouldn't be much of a problem, then.
At the same time, Natsu really didn't feel like waiting a few days just to pick up a spear. It felt like a massive inconvenience, and he wanted to get back to work now.
Yet…
None of the pieces on display was really doing it for him. They were good, and Natsu didn't doubt the quality of Darrus' craftsmanship. It was really more of a matter of having something that looked good, but also functional and practical at the same time. The stuff in the shop definitely fit the latter bill.
If Erza trusted this guy, Riordan, that was good enough for him. And if Riordan made Erza's gear, then he could probably make something worthy of the magic that Natsu learned from Igneel. "Alright, yeah. Do you have anything from him that I can take a look at?"
Darrus shook his head, "Not any polearms, unfortunately. He sends me some gear to sell in the shop every now and then, but he mostly handles custom orders. If you like, I can take your order and have it out to him tonight."
Tonight?! Now that was some quality service.
"How long would it take him to make a good spear?"
"Oh, maybe… Three? Four days tops?" The older man seemed satisfied with his estimation. "If he's not buried in commissions, that is. He's good, though. Probably the best in the whole kingdom, if you ask me."
Four days?
Potentially longer than that, too? Damn.
Upfront, he felt pretty silly about it all. On the one hand, Natsu felt in his bones that he could get this spell finished within the week. Yet on the other… he needed a weapon of the highest possible quality he could get, all so he could use it to give shape to the Fire Dragon's Spear like Fleming's book said. Agh…
If he was going to wait around for his order to be finished, then he'd definitely have time to kill. Maybe he could keep himself busy? Finally get around to asking Levy about any books on Dragons she knew about? And he'd be able to get some rest from training, too.
Fine. Yeah.
"Sure," Natsu said. "Let's do it."
"Excellent!" Darrus beamed, now reaching for something under the counter, coming up with a notepad and a pencil. "Gimme some details on what you'd like, and I'll send it off to him."
Right… What did he want on this thing?
Good steel… Maybe a sort of leaf-shaped head… Definitely balanced for throwing… With some wings, too? And it had to have engravings and stuff, both on the spearhead and the haft. After he nailed down the Fire Dragon's Spear, he'd be using this thing for when he went hunting.
"Okay," Natsu planted both hands on the countertop, a grin slowly spreading across his face. "Get this down..."
RETURNING SPECTRE IN ARKTALYNN HALL
GRAYHAVEN CITY, KINGDOM OF SEVEN
To the prominent Wizarding Guild of Fairy Tail,
My name is Hoster Yulkan, Head of the Museum of Local Antiquities & Historical Relics here in Greyhaven City, of the Illustrious Kingdom of Seven.
I am writing to you in the hopes that you may be able to get to the bottom of an enigma which has been plaguing one of our most important regional landmarks for the last two months.
The monument pertaining to my request is that of Arktalynn Hall, the longtime sanctuary and seat of the Arktalynn Family, who once ruled over Greyhaven and the surrounding region since the very founding of our kingdom. The last owner of the estate was Lady Selene Arktalynn. She passed away a little over one-hundred-and-fifty years ago, and as she left no heirs, she gave the estate to the city on the condition that it remain open to the public. Since then, the house has served as a most beloved reminder of our city's history, and is quite popular with both our citizens and tourists alike.
Why is this relevant? Well, just over two months ago, a spectre appeared within the boundaries of the estate, having taken the form of the aforementioned Lady Selene, as she bears the likeness of the lady in the many paintings throughout the house itself.
Initially, she seemed completely harmless to visitors during all hours of the day. Very soon, however, she began attacking guests and citizens both. Thirteen were killed, and those who were left injured seemed to have fallen into a comatose-like state, from which we have been unsuccessful in waking them. The estate has since been quarantined off altogether by Greyhaven's administrative board and will remain so for the foreseeable future.
I hold a seat on the board, and my associates and I are anxious to discover both how and why Lady Selene, or whichever entity has taken her form, has suddenly chosen to appear at this time. Even in the last two months, not one of our researchers has conjured up a suitable answer. Dozens of other wizards and mercenaries have attempted to dispatch Lady Selene. Though some of them were capable enough to banish her for a time, she soon reappeared in the following hours.
I am keenly aware that Fiore borders our kingdom to the South. Nonetheless, it is known to us that you are the best of the best within your kingdom's borders, and I am desperate to resolve this matter as soon as humanly possible.
Please aid our citizens in finding out how Lady Selene has returned from the dead, and in dispatching her once and for all.
Come and see me in the Museum of Antiquities here in Greyhaven City for more information. Opening hours are 8:30 AM to 7 PM.
Reward: The administrative board of Greyhaven is prepared to pay the fee of 9,200,000 Sevenian Laurels, which should equal a payment of 9,774,000 Fioran Jewel. In addition, you will also be given free lodging and any resources you require.
Thank you for your time,
Hoster Yulkan
"Hm…" Odd that all of the surviving victims were left comatose… There was definitely something fishy with that. And that the spectre kept reappearing, too.
A curse, maybe? Definitely sounded like one, that's for sure.
In all of Laxus' experience, he'd gone through a few old-fashioned hauntings. Ghosts were nothing new in the more archaic parts of the kingdom, and even in those outside it. That said, victims being left comatose was never a detail that had popped up.
And that it was happening in the largest city in Eastern Seven… and that nobody else there had figured out what in the hell was going on up there…
…It was definitely looking like something he could take seriously.
At least compared to the last few requests that showed up on the S-Class request board a few weeks ago.
It wasn't the first S-Class job that came their way from another kingdom, though few as they were at times. But Greyhaven was still a long way off. The journey up to Dahlia Town through Northern Fiore would take a week and a half alone, even if he and the Thunder God Tribe took the main roads. And if they went to Seven by ship, then it would still take another week before they got to Grayhaven. The trip back would be more or less the same, not including, however long it took them to solve the problem of Lady Selene's spectre.
Laxus still wasn't clear on the date the S-Class Trials were going to take place. The team made it unanimously clear that they wanted to go on another job with him, but he knew it'd have to be done promptly. Something local would have to do, for now.
Not to mention, he still hated boats. Regardless of whether or not he could tolerate them now.
Boats. Were. Shit.
"Hmph," the blond huffed irritably. He pushed down his dissatisfaction and forced himself to read the next request on the board.
The logistics of which didn't fare much better…
STRANGE LIGHTS OUT IN SUUNIAL BAY
To Gildarts Clive, Laxus Dreyar, Or Whomever Answers This Request,
I will be brief. Three weeks ago, an aberrant mist formed off the northern coast by Therrabar Town in the Kingdom of Minstrel. In the following days, the mist has completely enshrouded the waters of Suunial Bay.
As you may know, Suunial Bay remains our most direct maritime trade route with various other kingdoms in Ishgar; our trade partners specifically being Minstrel, Bosco, Stella, and Joya. With the bay branching out into the Calm Sea, it's quite important to say the least.
The mist has so far proven extremely toilsome and distressing. Many, many vessels from both my company and our competitors across the bay have gone missing, never arriving on schedule as they should. Within the mist itself, however, there seem to be strange lights glowing at all hours of the day. According to reports from our captains who have yet to traverse the bay, one of these lights resembles that of any other lighthouse.
There are only nine lighthouses in Suunial Bay, however. And it seems that they are indistinguishable from whatever lies within the mist.
While Fiore is well over several hundred miles from Suunial Bay itself, we still use it frequently when conducting business. It is my belief that whatever lies out there in the mist has taken them, though for what purpose, I do not know.
You can find myself and my associates at the Golden Sickle Tradehouse, within the Silvergate District of Crocus. Hopefully, together, we can find a way to resolve this matter.
Reward: 9,950,000 Jewel. Any personal necessities or resources required until the aforementioned task is complete.
Yours sincerely,
Fel Vanius,
Chairman, Golden Sickle Trading Company
The top line of the notice hadn't escaped him.
Another trade route fiasco by the look of it, though Fiore didn't seem to be that much worse off compared to Joya, Stella, or even Bosco.
It probably sucked to be a bit further inland right now.
Laxus could see it now; he and the Thunder God Tribe would end up having to take a ship from Hargeon just to head out and investigate, and without a doubt, they'd be getting into plenty of dick-measuring contests with teams of Wizards from the other kingdoms involved in the whole affair. The mish-mash of monarchies and authorities stepping in would be an inevitable pain in the ass, too. Paperwork, paperwork, and a whole lot of bullshit.
The missing ships and accompanying sailors, with the added fact that the request was asking for him specifically, certainly put things into perspective. All the trouble would be worth it, at least.
Laxus tore the request off the board, folding it and slipping it into his coat pocket. He and the team probably only have time for the job between Thursday and whenever Grandpa decided to announce the date of the S-Class Trials in the next few weeks.
He'd probably have to clear with the old man during their next meeting, just to line up their timing…
Fine.
The trip to Crocus and then down to Hargeon would be peas. Once they were out on the Calm Sea, it'd get a little more… interesting.
But he had a few days to figure out logistics. Laxus reached into his coat and found that his usual leather-bound pouch was…
…empty.
A trip to the cigar shop was long overdue then. He turned away from the S-Class board and made for the stairs, heading down to the first floor. Just as soon as he'd made his third step down, however, a sharp tingling sensation antlered out along the back of his neck. Something from the left was coming towards him, and fast.
Knowing well in advance, Laxus casually ducked as a chair flew overhead, soaring high through the air before curving downwards and crashing into a pillar on the other side of the guild hall.
THWAAAARCK! A shower of splinters and pegs exploded out of the mess, yet the few people sitting nearby had only shielded their mugs before nonchalantly resuming their mutual conversations.
Laxus straightened and sharply readjusted his coat. He then glanced to his left, from where the chair had been thrown. His eyes immediately landed…
…on a now paralyzed Nab.
Evidently, while quarreling pointlessly with… what's his name? Warnen? Warren? Sure. While going back and forth, it looked like Nab had ended up throwing the chair, given the fact that he was facing Laxus now, and was likely doing so at the time. Nab was shaking where he was standing. Sweating profusely. Holding his breath, too. He'd probably noticed where the chair had gone… and who he'd almost hit with it.
Laxus stared down at him. Coldly.
Grandpa might've left well enough alone. Maybe scolded the kid, or told him to go home if he was in a bad enough mood. Yet for some reason, Laxus couldn't quite figure out, all of the feelings of irritation and dissatisfaction he'd been having as of late had seemingly boiled to the surface right then and there.
And all the times he'd seen this fucking dumbass standing in front of that request board, saying he'll do this, saying he'll do that, yet still doing jack-shit with his life?
That was just the icing on the cake.
The surrounding chatter and background noise had died down, and Laxus knew that many, many sets of eyes were looking back and forth between him and the buffoon in question, likely out of morbid curiosity.
The silence didn't last long.
Instantly, Nab shot up his hands and clambered back, literally letting out an audible gulp. "I-I'm so s-sorry, Laxus! P-please I didn't mean to-"
The blond snapped his fingers, and a jagged bolt of yellow-gold lightning sprouted from the high ceiling beams above Nab, snapping downwards at the fool and completely enveloping him in a haze of white.
All that could be heard was a quick yelp, and just as soon as it started, it was over.
As the haze evaporated, the stench of ozone permeated the hall. Nab reappeared, his legs giving out with him, then falling on his ass. Face mashing directly into the wooden floorboards. Totally unconscious, twitching with his hair standing on end, and small wisps of smoke rising from each of his limbs.
Warren, or whatever his name was, made his way over to the unconscious Nab along with a few others. They tried to get him to lift him and wake him up, but no doubt he'd be out for a while. Perhaps even a day or so. Who knows?
Who cares, Laxus thought to himself, continuing down the stairs. He had better shit to do.
As he stepped foot on the first floor, however, the whisper mill kept running on.
"Man… I'd rather get yelled at by Master Makarov."
"Yeah, me too."
"How hard do you think he hit him?"
"Poor Nab…"
"Well, he did kinda almost hit Laxus with a chair… and you know how Laxus is…"
On and on they went, but Laxus quickly tuned them out. He headed straight for the main doors, neatly folding the S-Class notice in his palm twice before tucking it into his coat pocket.
Get out of here. Head to the cigar shop further down Central Path. He'd debrief the Thunder God Tribe later as-
"Oh, Laxus!"
The Lightning Wizard came to an abrupt halt upon hearing an oh-so-familiar voice, the owner of which hadn't sounded very delighted with him the last time they spoke.
Laxus slowly faced the bar.
On the other side of the counter, Mira was standing there, holding a tray full of dirty, empty mugs with one hand and waving him over with the other. What was more strange was the eerily cheery smile she was wearing.
That's got to be fake. He'd smoked another member of their guild in front of just about everyone. Sure, she was polite, but when it came to him, it was usually forced.
"Got a minute?" Mira asked, oblivious to his inner deductions. "Something came for you in the mail."
Mail? As in guild mail? Pass.
Stuff came in all the time from rabid fans who singled out various names from a Sorcerer Weekly magazine or something. Not totally unlike the fan love letters that Mira herself got on a near-daily basis by now. Though those sorts of letters got filtered most of the time, it still wouldn't be worth the amount of effort it would take him to cross over to the bar and back.
"No," he said, turning back to the doors. "Got an appointment."
"You sure? 'Cause it's specifically for you. From someone named Illivia Ulson, from Crocus."
Illivia Ulson?
For all of the tarts he'd been with over the years, Laxus couldn't quite recall any of them being named Illivia. Quite a few of them had been from Crocus, though…
Ulson… Ulson… Ulson…
He'd heard that name before. Where had he-
Ah.
Albeit reluctantly, Laxus found himself walking straight to the bar.
Mira was waiting, as patient as ever. That smile she wore was somehow both sinister and warm at the same time, and Laxus was firmly reminded of the poorly thought-out threat she'd made the last time they spoke to one another.
"Hand it over," he said.
A few minutes later, after taking her tray back into the kitchens and likely heading back to the guild's mail room, Mira came back holding a plain-looking envelope in her right hand and naught else. She said nothing as she held it out to him, and he snatched it out of her palm.
On the front… Mr. Laxus Dreyar. 17 Scilliora Overlook. Magnolia, Fiore.
And in the top left corner… Mrs. Ilivia Ulson. 67 Marigold Rd. Crocus, Fiore.
His intuition scored top marks. Again.
Laxus flicked open the envelope with his thumb, easily breaking through the seal flap and retrieving the letter itself. He carefully unfolded it… and read it.
Mr. Laxus Dreyar,
My name is Ilivia. You don't know me, but my husband was one of the workmen who died within the mine just outside Darshel.
Mr. Trast gave me your guild's contact information, so I hope this letter finds you well.
He's been very kind in helping us with our finances, and he's even offered to get my son into a good trade school when he's old enough. It's nice of him to do so, but I'm just trying to keep myself going one day at a time.
Deak didn't deserve what happened to him; he was the best man I ever knew.
My son isn't taking his loss well, either. He's trying to save face for his sisters, but his father was his hero. I don't even know how I'll be able to move on without him, but I know my Deak would've wanted me to be strong for our children.
Gosh, I'm so sorry for dropping all of this on you. It's not your problem, after all.
I just wanted to thank you.
I'm afraid the rumor mill here in Crocus has gotten a bit out of control. Quite a few of my son's friends can't stop talking about you and Mr. Dragneel, though I think they've only heard about the more heroic bits of what happened.
The boys spend half their time pretending they can breathe fire or throw lightning bolts out of their hands.
It might not mean much, but I think you've really made quite the impression on them.
Sincerely, thank you and Mr. Dragneel a thousand times over for what you did for both my husband and the other men who perished with him.
It brings me some comfort to know that nobody else has to suffer like they did.
Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart.
Best wishes,
Ilivia Ulson
...
...
...
He should've felt something. Anything.
So why did he feel so… hollow?
It's not your problem, after all.
That lone, damned phrase. Drawing him back to something he'd said to Grandpa during their last meeting. Something which, as of late, he'd been trying very hard to forget about.
He should put this away. Hand it back to Mira and pretend he never read it. Pretend it never even existed in the first place.
Yet despite himself, Laxus just kept reading.
Going over that same line over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over…
It's not your problem, after all.
It's not your problem.
Not your problem.
Not your problem.
"Laxus?"
Laxus blinked and jolted awake.
All of a sudden, he was right back in the guild hall. Surrounded by a cacophony of various noises and voices, all colliding with one another. Ale sloshing in tankards. Benches were scraped against wood. Grunts and heavy breathing as more than a few members started throwing hands.
And on the other side of the bar, Mira was staring up at him with a deep-set frown. "Are you… okay-okay?"
Laxus felt a wave of cold wash over him.
He didn't even look at her as he flattened the letter against the wooden countertop. "Whiskey," he said. "Double."
"But-"
"Now."
A moment later, a half-full glass with the familiar golden-brown ichor appeared in front of him.
Laxus picked up the glass and downed all of it in one swift gulp. The warm burn of the alcohol was mixed with hints of oak and honey.
He set the glass down onto the counter and reached for his wallet, taking out a wad of Jewel notes, probably a lot more than he owed, and sliding over to Mira. "Thanks," he said with a low grunt.
"Ummm… you're welcome?" The barmaid was as dumbfounded as ever. "Laxus, what's-"
"Don't worry about it," he cut her off, carefully folding the letter back into the envelope and stuffing it into his jacket pocket alongside the notice from earlier. "I gotta go."
"But Laxus, you-"
The Lightning Wizard didn't bother. He turned around and tuned her just as he had everyone else.
As he headed for the front doors to the guild, with each step he took…
It's not your problem, after all.
Laxus shook his head.
He needed another drink. But from somewhere else in town. Didn't matter where.
So long as it was anywhere but here.
Author's Note
We dropped quite a few references in today's chapter. Curious to see if you can spot them all
Today's chapter was a bit heavy. It's been in development for some time, since some life stuff caught up with me as of late. As that's been resolved, Chapter 25 SHOULD be released a lot sooner, since it was already being worked on alongside Chapter 24.
Maybe. A slight delay could occur. Regardless, it should be somewhat sweeter…
…and there may or may not be some more NatZa stuff incoming.
Lastly - I will be replying to reviews at the end of next chapter. We've got some banger comments and stellar questions to answer already, so if you have anything you'd like to ask-feel free.
Cheers!