Chapter 342: It's Simple, Just Like This
"You lot, hurry up and clean this mess," Makarov ordered Noah and the others, pointing a stubby finger at the debris scattered across the guild hall.
Having delivered his punishment, Makarov's body gradually shrank back to its normal size. He hopped onto the bar counter, poured himself a strong drink, and began to sulk.
"Alright, everyone, let's get to cleaning," Noah called out, organizing the cleanup crew to handle the aftermath of the brawl.
Mirajane walked over to Makarov's side, pouring him another drink and gently comforting the despondent Guild Master.
By the time the guild hall was mostly restored to its usual state, Makarov's anger had dissipated.
He had been through this countless times. His temper flared quickly but cooled just as fast. He was thoroughly used to the fact that every time he tried to do something to improve Fairy Tail's public image, Natsu and the others inevitably found a way to ruin it spectacularly. It was just a fact of life at this point.
With the cleanup finished, the guild returned to its normal, everyday routine. Those with requests went out to work, while those staying behind continued to chat and drink.
"Gray, Juvia, come here for a moment," Makarov called out that afternoon to the pair, who were sitting across from each other at a table.
"What is it, Gramps?" Gray asked, walking over.
"I plan to have you temporarily team up with Juvia. Show her the ropes, introduce her to how things work around the guild, and walk her through the request process. How does that sound?" Makarov asked, looking at the Ice-Make mage.
"I see..." Gray fell into thought, considering the proposition.
Hearing Makarov's words, Juvia's face lit up with absolute, unadulterated joy. Internally, she was screaming like an excited marmot: Say yes, Gray-sama! Say yes, Gray-sama!
Gray didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked over at Noah, who was working behind the counter.
Seeing Gray's look, Noah knew exactly what he was concerned about. "Are you worried about the rest of our team? I'm fine with it. Erza went off to the Heart Kreuz company headquarters to file a formal complaint because her new armor isn't fitting correctly. As for Lucy, Natsu and Happy can take her on a request; they've teamed up a few times before and work well together. You taking Juvia under your wing to help her get accustomed to the guild won't take too long anyway."
"Then I agree, Gramps," Gray said, nodding since the rest of his usual team was occupied or sorted out.
"This is wonderful, Gray-sama!" Juvia beamed, practically vibrating with happiness.
Observing Juvia's reaction, Makarov nodded in satisfaction.
He had noticed Juvia's intense affection for Gray, and he had also noticed that Gray, despite his complaints, didn't genuinely push her away. That was why he had specifically chosen Gray to be her guide.
When two people are close and share a mutual bond, the process of teaching and learning goes much smoother and faster.
"Wait," Juvia suddenly blinked, snapping out of her ecstatic daze as she realized an inconsistency in what Noah had just said. "Based on what Noah just said... Gray-sama is usually in a team with Noah, Erza, Natsu, and Lucy, right? But isn't Noah currently working here at the counter? How can he go out on jobs if he's doing the guild's paperwork?"
"Oh, that's simple. Just like this," Noah smiled upon hearing her question.
He took a single step to the side. As he moved, a slightly blurred, translucent afterimage was left standing in his original position.
In the blink of an eye, the blurred image solidified, becoming entirely opaque and corporeal. The newly formed figure picked up the pen and resumed processing the documents on the desk without missing a beat.
"A-A Thought Projection?! And one that can actually interact with physical objects?!" Juvia was stunned. She hadn't expected such an incredibly advanced magical solution to a scheduling conflict.
"Exactly. This way, there are no issues handling the guild's administrative work while simultaneously going out on requests with Gray and the others," Noah explained with a smile.
"But doing that requires splitting your magic power... wouldn't that cause a massive drop in your combat strength...?" Juvia started to ask.
She knew how the Thought Projection magic worked. Creating a solid projection required dividing one's magic power, which inevitably resulted in the main body suffering a significant decrease in overall strength. She was worried that such a handicap would be fatal during dangerous missions.
However, mid-sentence, she remembered the brutal, one-sided beatdown Noah had delivered to Master Jose. Anyone capable of treating one of the Ten Wizard Saints like a punching bag wouldn't be threatened by average enemies, even with their power halved.
Realizing she was worrying over nothing, she quickly trailed off. "Ah, I wasn't thinking clearly. Never mind."
"It's fine. Being cautious is an excellent habit," Noah praised her. Considering how many guild members, like Natsu, simply charged headfirst into danger without a single thought, Juvia's analytical approach was refreshing.
"Since you've agreed to team up temporarily, go pick out a request. Get a feel for how Fairy Tail operates out in the field," Noah gestured toward the request board.
"Mhm! Gray-sama, let's go pick a request!" Juvia said eagerly.
"Alright," Gray nodded.
Juvia practically skipped ahead, with Gray following closely behind, as they made their way to the board.
It didn't take them long to select a job and return to the counter.
Gray handed the flyer to Noah. Noah looked it over. "[Deep Sea Treasure Hunt]? This is indeed a perfect request for the two of you. I'll get you registered."
"Thanks."
Once Noah had recorded the details, Gray took the flyer and headed for the door. Juvia followed right on his heels, a massive, irrepressible smile plastered across her face.
"Noah! Register this request for us!"
Natsu's excited voice rang out shortly after, and a flyer was slapped down hard onto the counter.
"[Demon Hunting]? Are you doing this with Lucy and Happy?" Noah picked up the flyer, looking at the fiery Dragon Slayer, the celestial mage, and the blue cat.
"Yeah, we're taking it! Hurry up and register us!" Natsu urged impatiently.
"Your combined strength is more than enough for this. I'll get it sorted," Noah began filling out the logbook.
"Wait a second," Lucy interrupted, looking at Natsu. "Why don't we ask Noah to come with us? Wouldn't we finish the job way faster if he came?"
"No way! If Noah comes, it completely defeats the purpose of training! I still need to get strong enough to beat him!" Natsu shook his head vigorously, refusing the idea without a second thought.
"Aye! If Noah comes, the request gets finished too easily," Happy explained to Lucy, hovering in the air. "Even if he doesn't fight, if we get stuck or don't know what to do, we just ask him and he gives us the answer. There's zero pressure. That's why Natsu doesn't want to team up with him for this."
"Isn't finishing a request easily a good thing?" Lucy looked utterly perplexed by their logic.
By this time, Noah had finished the registration and handed the flyer back.
Natsu snatched the paper, grabbed Lucy's wrist, and yanked her forward. "Didn't you say you still haven't earned enough for rent?! Let's go do the job!"
"Wait—"
Before Lucy could protest, Natsu was already sprinting toward the exit, dragging her behind him.
Lucy flailed wildly in the air behind Natsu, her feet barely touching the ground. "Don't... run... so... fast...!" Her voice faded rapidly into the distance.
"Happy, I'm leaving those two in your care. Keep an eye on them and make sure they stay safe," Noah said to the blue cat still lingering by the counter.
"Aye! Leave it to me!" Happy saluted with a paw, spun around, and flew off to catch up with his wildly sprinting partners.
Watching Happy fly out the doors, Noah returned his attention to the guild's paperwork.
Not long after, Mirajane, Elfman, and Lisanna approached the counter, another request flyer in hand.
"Are you three heading out as well?" Noah asked, noting the [Monster Subjugation] request. It was a standard job that would pose absolutely no problem for the Strauss siblings. He began logging the details.
"Mhm. My brother, sister, and I haven't gone on a mission together in a while, so we wanted to take this opportunity to do one," Mirajane smiled warmly.
"There's still over a week until the Harvest Festival, so you have plenty of time. Just make sure you're back before the festival starts," Noah reminded them as he handed the flyer back to Mirajane.
"Of course. We will definitely be back in time," Mirajane said, accepting the paper and tucking it away.
"Obviously! Big sis Mira bought a brand-new, super cute outfit specifically to wear for you during the Miss Fairy Tail Contest, Brother-in-law! There's no way she'd miss it!" Lisanna chimed in with a wide, teasing grin.
"Lisanna!" Mirajane's face turned bright red, and she reached out to cover her little sister's mouth.
Lisanna giggled, dodging Mirajane's hands, and bolted toward the guild entrance. Mirajane chased after her, her face burning.
"Remember, don't do anything reckless. If you run into trouble you can't handle, send a distress signal immediately, understand?" Noah said to Elfman, suppressing the warm flutter in his chest caused by Lisanna's words.
"Understood. I will," Elfman nodded seriously. He then turned and jogged toward the doors to catch up with his sisters.
"Noah, register this request for us," Ultear said, approaching the counter shortly afterward. Sorano, Wendy-kun, Yukino-kun, Meredy-kun, and Carla were with her. Ultear handed him a flyer.
"You guys are taking a request too?"
"Mhm. Since there's over a week until the festival, we figured we'd take a job to pass the time. From the sounds of it, did the others already head out?"
"Yeah. Natsu and Lucy, Gray and Juvia, and the Strauss siblings all took jobs and left," Noah nodded, looking down at the flyer Ultear had handed him.
It read: [Wanted: Magic Instructors for Children's Magic Class]. He began logging the information.
"You guys took this job to teach kids?"
"Of course. Don't I look like a teacher?" Sorano asked, tilting her head up proudly.
"Not really," Noah shook his head honestly. To him, Sorano often acted more like a mischievous child herself than a responsible adult.
"Hmph. Well, it doesn't matter anyway. With my sister and the others helping, teaching a bunch of kids will be a piece of cake!" Sorano declared, scooping Yukino-kun into a hug and rubbing her cheek against hers.
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