novelraw Chapter 952: Happy Doesn’t Fit In
Chapter 952: Happy Doesn’t Fit In
Makarov agreed to Erza and Lucy’s request almost without hesitation. He was genuinely worried those two blockheads would ruin everything.
Without Erza watching them, they might end up burning down Senior Warrod’s house or flash-freezing the forest he had spent years cultivating.
After accepting the mission, Erza immediately hoisted Cana over her shoulder, refusing to let her face it alone.
Lucy flashed Rhodes a grin, grabbed Happy, and bolted.
Rhodes had been about to object, but at the moment he had no desire to talk to the Master.
Seeing Makarov open his mouth, Rhodes quickly turned to Mira."Did we leave the stove on? I’ll go check."
Mira smiled and said nothing.
Makarov rubbed his temples.
"Fine, fine. I know you’re not in the mood to take over. We’ll talk again after Mira gives birth, all right?"
"Deal. We’ll discuss it then," Rhodes agreed instantly.
By then, he could always come up with another excuse. Looking after the baby, perhaps.
Once the child was a bit older, he could try for a second. Repeat the cycle a few times and he could stall for at least two more years.
Rhodes nearly laughed out loud. Foolish Master. Stay in that seat a little longer.
Makarov could tell the brat was plotting something.
"We escaped!"
A few hundred meters from the guild, Lucy couldn’t help cheering.
Happy asked,
"Why are we running?"
"Team A has to run errands all day," Lucy replied. "Didn’t you hear?"
They would still have to face it when they returned, but delaying it by a day still counted as a win.
"But I’m not on Team A, so I didn’t need to run."
"You disloyal cat."
Happy muttered,
"I still haven’t had a proper talk with Carla since we got back. If she ends up hating me, it’ll be your fault, Lucy."
"I’ll treat you to fish."
"Lucy, you’re the best."
"All right," Erza ordered. "Go pack. Meet at the station in half an hour."
Natsu raised his hand.
"Objection. I’m walking."
Erza turned slowly.
"Oh?"
"Aye. I’ll be on time," Natsu said at once. Today, he really did not dare challenge Erza.
After Erza delivered a powerful sober-up-and-wake-up combo to Cana, Natsu blasted off like a rocket.
Gray hurriedly added,
"I’ll even wear clothes."
Erza nodded in satisfaction.
It took Cana a moment to process what had happened. Then she stared at the puddle she had coughed up in anguish.
"Half of today’s booze. Wasted."
"That’s your concern?" Lucy said flatly.
"Are you okay? That looked painful."
"I’m fine," Cana replied. "Erza holds back. And alcohol dulls the pain."
Lucy sighed.
"You just said the booze was wasted."
Cana accepted her fate, ruffling her hair.
"Fine. I’ll go get ready."
Lucy watched her head back toward the guild, suspecting Cana’s luggage would consist of several bottles.
Half an hour later, Team A set off right on schedule.
For Natsu, the ride felt endless. He was half unconscious by the time Lucy dragged him down from the cart.
Five humans and one cat hired a wagon for Erza’s luggage, crossed a valley, forded a river, and eventually reached a stretch of barren land.
Erza checked the map and pointed to a log cabin standing at the edge of the desert.
Cana stared at the crude hut.
"A Ten Wizard Saint lives here?"
"Where else would he live?" Gray asked.
"I figured he’d have a castle like Rhodes."
Lucy said,
"Doesn’t Mr. Rhodes rarely stay in his castle?"
To them, Rhodes had always lived in Magnolia like everyone else.
"Natsu, look," Happy said, tapping Natsu’s calf. "That place reminds me of our house."
"Yeah," Natsu grinned.
"Our client’s got taste."
"How does that look like your house?" Lucy squinted.
"The three trees on the roof?"
"That’s enough," Erza said.
"The Master told us to behave. Time to knock."
Team A soon met the Wizard Saint who was anything but solemn, and they were forced to endure his uniquely unserious way of speaking.
He could not finish three sentences without slipping in a joke.
The five humans and one cat grew increasingly tense, constantly second-guessing whether each line was meant seriously or as a gag.
After teasing the younger mages to his heart’s content, Warrod finally straightened up.
"Enough messing around. To business," he said.
"While surveying desert regions, I discovered a village of giants."
"Since ancient times, they have worshipped a flame known as the Eternal Flame, regarded as their guardian deity."
"But on my most recent visit, the entire village had been frozen solid. The people, the animals, the buildings, the rivers, and even the Eternal Flame itself were encased in a strange ice."
"Frozen flame?" Natsu blinked.
"A village of giants?" Lucy felt she had heard that somewhere before.
"Strange ice?" Gray frowned. It sounded uncomfortably familiar.
Their thoughts went in different directions, but Warrod asked calmly,
"Any ideas?"
Gray was the first to respond.
"Rhodes once told me about a special kind of ice he and Mira encountered during their travels. Ice that could even freeze demons. He never figured out where it came from."
"Oh!" Lucy exclaimed.
"That reminds me of something related to Mr. Rhodes too. Natsu was there as well. We once visited a Council prison to see a girl named Freya. The crest on her clothes symbolized Sun Village, a place inhabited entirely by giants."
"Aye! I remember!" Happy chimed in.
Everyone turned to Natsu, clearly expecting something about the Eternal Flame.
Natsu tilted his head.
"What?"
Erza asked directly,
"Have you ever heard of the Eternal Flame?"
Cana narrowed her eyes.
"Don’t tell me Rhodes is involved in this too."
Natsu answered cheerfully,
"Nope. I was just wondering whether that flame tastes good."
Everyone nearly collapsed on the spot.
"Ha ha ha. Was that a joke?" Warrod asked, chuckling.
Natsu shook his head.
"Of course not."
"Ha ha ha!" Warrod laughed even harder.
"Fairy Tail mages really are delightful."
When the laughter finally died down, Warrod stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"Perhaps I should have specified Rhodes in the request."
All five voices shouted at once,
"There’s no need!"
Happy timidly raised a paw.
"I think we should go back and ask him for information."
Five pairs of eyes immediately locked onto him.
Happy shrank back, trembling.
...
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