Chapter 416: Treatment
Once everyone was inside, Laxus (Edolas) quickly shut the door behind them.
"It's not time for our scheduled contact yet. Why are you here? And you shouldn't have brought such a large group straight to my door. You'll expose this location! Cough, cough!" Laxus (Edolas) said sternly, walking over to Lucy (Edolas).
"Don't get so worked up. I obviously took precautions. We had a spell covering us; unless someone bumped right into us, we were completely invisible," Lucy (Edolas) quickly reassured him.
"A spell? I know you aren't one to waste precious magic power... Does that mean they cast it? And I assume they're the reason you're here?" Laxus (Edolas) asked, eyeing Noah and the others suspiciously before breaking into another coughing fit.
Once he caught his breath, his gaze landed on Earth Land Laxus, his eyes widening in surprise. Given Laxus's imposing stature, he was hard to miss, and his face was identical to his own. It was impossible to ignore.
Then his eyes drifted to Erza standing nearby, and he visibly recoiled. If it weren't for Lucy (Edolas) acting completely normal, he would have assumed she'd been captured and led the Fairy Hunter right to him.
However, since no one was attacking, he decided to hear them out first.
"How does it feel seeing someone who looks exactly like you standing right in front of you?" Noah whispered to Earth Land Laxus.
"It's... strange. But also fascinating," Laxus whispered back.
The man before him had his exact face, yet he was painfully thin and frail, his complexion deathly pale, and he coughed constantly. One look was enough to tell he was in terrible health. Laxus couldn't help but wonder if this was what he would have become—or if he would have even survived this long—had he not been implanted with the Lightning Dragon Lacrima as a child.
Natsu and the others also stared at Laxus (Edolas) with intense curiosity. They were so used to their own robust, powerhouse Laxus that seeing this sickly version was a completely novel experience.
"You guessed right. We came here specifically for you," Noah stepped forward, addressing Laxus (Edolas).
"Cough, cough... I assume this man who shares my face is the main reason," Laxus (Edolas) said, looking directly at his counterpart.
"I'm also Laxus. But I'm the Laxus from another world, Earth Land," Earth Land Laxus stepped up, meeting his counterpart's gaze.
"Another world? That's an interesting piece of information. Let's hear it. Cough, cough." Laxus (Edolas) pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and pressed it to his mouth as he coughed again.
"If you aren't feeling well, you shouldn't talk so much. Just sit down and listen while we explain," Lucy (Edolas) advised.
Laxus (Edolas) nodded, gesturing for everyone to take a seat. Once they were settled, he looked at Noah's group, waiting for their explanation.
Lucy (Edolas) and Noah then took turns explaining everything that had transpired.
"So, to summarize: you all hail from another world that shares many similarities with ours, including a Fairy Tail guild and people who look just like us. You're here to seek retaliation because our King attacked your world. And upon learning of my poor health, you came specifically to treat me. Is that correct?" Laxus (Edolas) synthesized the information perfectly.
"Exactly! As expected of Laxus, your brain is as sharp as ever," Lucy (Edolas) smiled.
"It seems the 'you' in this world actually relies on his brain to get things done," Noah whispered teasingly to Earth Land Laxus.
"Mhm... Wait a minute, what are you trying to imply? Are you saying I don't use my brain?!" Laxus glared at Noah angrily.
"I never said that. You just said it yourself," Noah grinned, spreading his hands innocently.
Laxus reached out to grab Noah, who quickly threw up his arms to block, and the two engaged in a brief, silent struggle.
"Cough, cough. Are you the one treating me? I accept your offer. Do we need to prepare anything?" Laxus (Edolas) asked Noah, drawing his attention back.
Noah and Laxus instantly stopped grappling. Noah looked at his patient, genuinely surprised. "You're accepting this absurd story without any suspicion?"
"Lucy already mentioned that you helped our guild evade the Royal Army. Furthermore, you gifted us a magic crystal capable of sustaining dozens of teleportations—something far exceeding the value of the food and lodging Lucy promised you. Those actions alone are proof of your goodwill."
Laxus (Edolas) paused for a breath before continuing, "We are a guild constantly on the run. The fact that you were able to analyze our teleportation machinery in minutes and maintain a high-speed travel spell for nearly an hour proves your strength is far beyond our ability to resist. Therefore, I choose to believe your story. No matter how bizarre it sounds, it's the most logical reality."
He finished his lengthy explanation, instantly breaking into a harsh coughing fit. Lucy (Edolas) quickly got up and patted his back to soothe him.
"See? I told you he uses his brain," Noah whispered to Earth Land Laxus again with a smirk.
Laxus glared, clearly displeased, and reached for Noah again. Noah was quicker; he stood up immediately, flashing a brilliant smile at Laxus before stepping over to his patient.
"We can begin the treatment immediately. If you're ready, I'll start with a thorough examination," Noah said.
"Cough... Then I leave myself in your hands," Laxus (Edolas) replied.
Noah began prepping for a full-body scan. Earth Land Laxus, having missed his chance to grab Noah, stayed seated and watched the process with the others.
Noah pulled up his Archive interface and asked Laxus (Edolas) to stand. His fingers flew across the holographic keyboard, and several golden magic circles materialized around Laxus (Edolas), enveloping him completely.
Seeing Noah cast magic so effortlessly, Laxus (Edolas) let out a small, almost imperceptible sigh of relief. He had trusted Lucy's words, but seeing is believing. Witnessing Noah use magic natively, without any tools, completely solidified his belief in their incredible story.
Noah manipulated the magic circles to conduct a deep scan of his patient's body while simultaneously asking him about his symptoms and daily condition. Laxus (Edolas) answered honestly, detailing his struggles.
After a thorough examination, Noah concluded his scan. Lucy (Edolas) immediately asked, "Is Laxus going to be okay?"
"His condition isn't too dire. He'll recover fully after my treatment," Noah replied while typing notes into Archive. "However, if you want a physique like that," Noah pointed a finger at Earth Land Laxus, "you'll have to put in the hard work and train for it yourself."
Seeing Noah point at him, a spark of lightning flashed across Earth Land Laxus's forehead, and a tiny bolt shot straight at Noah.
Noah casually flicked a finger, dispersing the lightning bolt instantly, and went back to his work as if nothing happened.
"That's wonderful!" Lucy (Edolas) cheered happily.
"Cough, cough... Just having a normal, healthy body is more than enough for me. I wouldn't dare dream of anything more," Laxus (Edolas) smiled gently. Hearing that he could be cured was the best news he had received in years. He had sought out numerous remedies in the past, but none had ever truly worked.
Noah retrieved various medicinal herbs and equipment from his spatial inventory, set them up in a clear space, and began concocting the necessary potion right then and there.
After a while, the concoction was ready. Noah packed away his equipment and handed a vial to Laxus (Edolas).
"I'm going to cast a few support spells on you to drastically improve your body's absorption rate. Once the spells take effect, drink this," Noah instructed.
Laxus (Edolas) nodded, holding the vial carefully.
Confirming his patient was ready, Noah clapped his hands. Magic circles appeared simultaneously beneath both of their feet.
"Enchantment: Full Body Attribute Boost!"
"Enchantment: Accelerated Healing!"
"Enchantment: Mental Fortitude!"
Several enchantments layered onto Laxus (Edolas). He gasped in surprise, clenching his fists.
"I... I don't think I've ever felt this healthy in my entire life!" he exclaimed, throwing a few experimental punches at the air, his face glowing with excitement.
"You only feel this good right now because my magic is artificially supporting your system. If you want to be truly cured, you still need to drink the potion," Noah reminded him.
Laxus (Edolas) nodded fervently and downed the potion in one gulp.
"How do you feel?" Lucy (Edolas) asked anxiously.
"I feel a cooling sensation spreading from my throat down into my stomach, and now it's slowly radiating through my entire body," Laxus (Edolas) described.
"Sit down and rest while the medicine works. I'll maintain the enchantments until your body has fully absorbed it," Noah told him.
Laxus (Edolas) sat back down. The group fell into a comfortable conversation. Laxus (Edolas) was incredibly curious about Earth Land, and Noah's group was equally curious about Edolas, so they spent the time exchanging stories and information.
As they chatted, Lucy (Edolas) noticed a significant change. She looked at Laxus (Edolas) with delight. "You're hardly coughing anymore! Is your body already better?"
"Not quite. His condition seems better because my magic is currently suppressing his symptoms," Noah clarified. "However, the potion is definitely taking effect, and the root cause of his illness is being actively repaired."
Noah stood up and conducted another quick scan to verify his progress. Satisfied, he pulled out a few more vials of potion and handed them over.
"This is a seven-day course. Take one vial a day. After seven days, your body will be completely back to normal."
"I can't thank you enough for this. If you ever need my help with anything, please don't hesitate to ask. I'll do everything in my power to assist you," Laxus (Edolas) said, accepting the vials with profound gratitude.
"Will he need your magic to help absorb the medicine for the remaining doses?" Lucy (Edolas) asked.
"No. The first dose required magical assistance because we were aggressively attacking an illness that had accumulated over a decade. The subsequent doses are designed to slowly and steadily repair his body until he's fully recovered. He won't need magical support for those," Noah explained.
Lucy (Edolas) nodded in understanding.
"As long as you take the medicine on time, you'll be perfectly healthy. Since the treatment is finished, we'll be taking our leave," Noah said to Laxus (Edolas).
"There's no need to rush off! It's almost noon. Please, stay for lunch before you go," Laxus (Edolas) offered warmly.
Noah checked the time; it was indeed getting late. He nodded and accepted the invitation.
Laxus (Edolas) happily headed to the kitchen to prepare the meal. Instead of just sitting around, Noah and the others pitched in to help.
After the delicious meal, Noah leaned in and whispered teasingly to Earth Land Laxus, "Look at how good his cooking is! You're both Laxus, so why is your cooking so terrible?"
Laxus rolled his eyes and whispered back, "I'm so sorry my cooking offends you. I guess you just won't be eating any of my food the next time you come over."
"Oh no you don't. Even if it tastes awful, I'm still eating it. After all, you made it," Noah quickly shook his head, instantly backtracking.
Laxus's cooking wasn't actually bad; it just wasn't as phenomenal as Laxus (Edolas)'s. Laxus rolled his eyes again, having fully anticipated Noah's response.
"Well, lunch was fantastic, but it's time we hit the road," Noah announced, standing up.
"Is there anything at all I can do to help you?" Laxus (Edolas) asked earnestly.
"Not right now. Having Lucy and Lisanna with us is more than enough," Noah shook his head. "You just finished your first major treatment. What you need right now is rest."
"He's right. I'll take care of things on this end. You just focus on getting better," Lucy (Edolas) agreed, patting his shoulder. Lisanna nodded in agreement beside her.
"Alright. But remember, if you need me, just say the word. Have a safe journey, everyone," Laxus (Edolas) said seriously.
"Leave it to me! You can rest easy!" Lucy (Edolas) thumped her chest confidently.
Noah and the others nodded their farewells. They left the house and set off toward the nearest city to gather information and supplies for the rest of their journey.
~~~
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