Noel managed to push through the crowd far more easily, reaching the front. However, something felt off—the people around him were far too fanatical.
As he continued to squeeze forward, the girls all ignored him, their eyes glued to the mage at the center of the crowd. That alone was suspicious enough. And the "fire dragon" they were surrounding wasn't even a fire dragon, but rather an unimpressive-looking mage.
He was calling himself a fire dragon, and the women around him were squealing "Lord Fire Dragon" while crowding around him.
This is ridiculous… Noel thought, questioning modern girls' taste and standards.
Suddenly, Noel spotted the blonde girl he'd met in the mage supply shop—Lucy, if he remembered correctly.
What's she doing here? Must be fate, Noel thought, deciding to wait and observe before acting.
Lucy glanced at Noel, then quickly looked away.
Am I really that unnoticeable? Does that unimpressive mage really have that much appeal?
He glanced over at Natsu, who was still struggling through the crowd, then back at the so-called fire dragon, shaking his head in resignation.
After fighting his way through the throng, Natsu finally reached the front, perhaps driven by his sensitivity toward Igneel's presence, shouting repeatedly, "Igneel! Igneel!"
But when he saw it was just an ordinary-looking mage, he instantly lost interest and turned to leave.
The mage, who had been prepared to show off, froze in shock when Natsu just walked away.
Immediately, the girls, furious at Natsu's rudeness, swarmed him and started beating him up. They were hitting hard, but Noel knew it probably felt like nothing more than tickles to Natsu.
Meanwhile, the fake fire dragon realized that someone had disrupted his charm magic, jeopardizing his plan. He quickly stepped in to calm the chaos before it spiraled out of control.
"This is my autograph, for you." The fake fire dragon said with a gentlemanly smile, handing out signed cards, sending the fangirls into another frenzy.
Noel could only watch, completely uninterested.
Because of his dismissive attitude, Natsu was once again pummeled by the furious girls, this time worse than before, and was eventually tossed next to a trash can like discarded garbage.
Happy, on the other hand, was spared, likely thanks to his cuteness, avoiding the wrath of the crazed girls.
Lucy, however, noticed something odd: a ring on the fake fire dragon's hand. She recognized it as a magic item, one that likely had charm properties, and knew that such items were strictly forbidden.
If it weren't for someone breaking the spell, I would've fallen for it too… She realized that her mind had gone blank earlier, a sign of the charm taking effect.
She then spotted Noel in the crowd. Wow, it's really Noel! To be honest, I've been wanting his autograph for his novel…
But why is he here? Could he have noticed something strange too? As expected of a top-class alchemist.
"Noel, what are you doing here?" Lucy called out, switching into fangirl mode.
"I was originally in Hargeon to pick up a batch of alchemy supplies. But someone claimed there was someone important for him to find in the city, so I'm helping him look…" Noel replied helplessly.
"Oh, so you're looking for someone," Lucy said, understanding.
But her eyes remained fixed on the ring on the fake fire dragon's hand.
"What is it? What are you looking at?" Noel asked.
"I just noticed something interesting," Lucy replied, hesitant.
"Oh, so you figured it out too. That ring is a magic item. Be careful; he's a con artist." Noel warned.
"I know, but there's something I need to do. Don't worry, I can handle it." Lucy's tone shifted slightly. She understood Noel's warning, but she had her own plans.
"Alright, do as you like, but be careful." Noel sighed. What a stubborn girl…
Seeing that things were progressing as planned, the fake fire dragon decided it was time to wrap up.
"I must leave now," he announced, as the charmed girls pleaded, "So soon?"
"Red Carpet." A pillar of purple flames shot up under his feet as he struck a flashy pose. "Tonight, I will be hosting a banquet at the port. I hope you will all attend."
With that, a streak of flame arced across the sky as he disappeared into the distance.
Noel's assessment of the magic was that it was flashy but impractical, useless in actual combat.
But now wasn't the time to evaluate magic. He suddenly remembered—Natsu was still in the trash can.
Noel walked over and saw Natsu, beaten up and dumped like a piece of trash, leaving him unsure whether to laugh or cry. He came looking for a fire dragon, but instead got turned into a punching bag…
Lucy also approached. "Are you all together?" she asked.
"You could say we're companions," Noel replied.
Companions… what a warm and comforting word, Lucy thought. They seem so close. Is this what it's like to have comrades?
"I just wanted to thank you," Lucy said, bowing deeply. "I was caught in that charm spell too, but your sudden interference snapped me out of it."
Noel noted how polite her bow was, her posture reminiscent of noble young ladies, though Lucy seemed more like the girl-next-door type.
"It's fine, don't worry about it," Happy said in his usual friendly tone.
"But regardless, it's a fact that you helped me. That won't change," Lucy insisted firmly.
"How about you treat us to a meal, then?" Natsu suggested, his stomach audibly growling.
Noel's eyes locked onto Natsu, fully aware of his monstrous appetite. If someone offered to treat him, Natsu would eat without restraint, and the bill would be anything but small. And wasn't I supposed to be the one treating them?
"Sure!" Lucy agreed without hesitation. After all, meeting Noel had saved her 10,000J, so using that to treat him and his friends felt perfectly reasonable.
"Maybe we should skip the meal… I'm worried—" Noel started to object.
"No need. I've already decided, and I won't change my mind."
Seeing her resolve, Noel couldn't think of any more excuses. He had tried to warn her, but now the amount spent would depend entirely on Natsu's appetite.
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