Chapter 419: Arriving at the Royal City
Hearing that things would genuinely improve, tears spilled uncontrollably from Lucy's (Edolas) eyes.
She didn't even realize she was crying until the tears were already streaming down her face. She quickly covered her face with her hands, her voice muffled as she said, "I'm... I'm going back to my room."
Without waiting for a response, she turned and sprinted toward her room.
"I'll go check on her," Earth Land Lucy quickly followed.
"I think I'll go too," Mirajane smiled gently at Noah before hurrying after them. Cana and Lisanna, sharing her concern, trailed closely behind.
A heavy silence fell over the remaining group.
After a while, Ultear broke the quiet. "It seems the pressure they've been under is immense."
"Yeah. Losing so many comrades... it's a miracle they haven't completely broken down yet. Their resilience is incredible," Noah sighed, shaking his head.
"Damn it! The Royal Army is absolutely unforgivable!" Natsu slammed his fist onto the table in fury, sending spiderweb cracks across its surface.
"We have to help them," Laxus said, his expression dead serious.
"Of course we will. They're Fairy Tail, after all," Noah smiled.
"Should we speed up and head straight for the Royal City right now? If you use your magic, we can get there in no time," Gray suggested.
"Not yet. There's no need to rush. I still have some preparations to make," Noah shook his head.
"Oh, right! You sent a Thought Projection with Mystogan earlier. Is that what you're preparing?" Sorano recalled. Laxus and the others had noticed the interaction when Mystogan left.
"Naturally. If we're going to war against an entire kingdom, we need to lay some groundwork. Mystogan has a plan of his own, but it's a bit rough around the edges. I'm going to help him refine it," Noah explained.
"It's good that you've got a plan in motion. Is there anything you need us to do?" Erza asked, ready for action.
"Mhm! We want to help too!" Wendy, Yukino, and Meredy chimed in earnestly.
"Yukino is so cute!" Sorano cooed, pulling the serious-looking Yukino into a tight hug and rubbing their cheeks together.
"For now, I don't need your help with the preparations. But once we arrive at the Royal City and initiate our plan, the Royal Army will undoubtedly deploy their full force to capture us. Your job will be to handle them. They'll have overwhelming numbers, so stay sharp," Noah instructed.
"I'm all fired up!" Natsu cheered, his fighting spirit blazing.
"I won't let any of them interfere with your plans," Laxus promised firmly.
"Heh! Taking on a whole kingdom? Sounds like fun," Gajeel smirked viciously from his corner.
"This is turning into a massive operation," Gray sighed, though a confident smirk played on his lips.
"We'll do our best too!" Meredy declared. Wendy and Yukino nodded vigorously beside her.
"Just make sure you three stay together. Do not separate under any circumstances, understand?" Noah cautioned them seriously.
"Understood!" the three girls chorused.
"We still have a few days before we reach the Royal City. Let's use this time to relax and enjoy the sights of this world," Noah suggested.
Everyone nodded in agreement. Having finalized their plans, and seeing that it was getting late, they all retired to their rooms for the night.
The next morning, the group gathered in the main hall for breakfast. Noah noted that Lucy (Edolas) looked much better; her spirits had lifted, and she was back to her usual boisterous self.
After breakfast, they checked out of the hotel and spent some time exploring the city before hitting the road again.
While walking, Mirajane subtly closed the distance between herself and Noah, whispering, "Edo-Lucy tried to sneak out early this morning. She even left a note. But I caught her and stopped her."
"Oh? Why was she trying to leave?" Noah asked, surprised.
"She feels that, despite our claims, the Royal Army is still too powerful. She's deeply worried about us facing them alone. She wanted to go back and convince the rest of her guild to join the fight and support us. Furthermore, she believes that if we're going to change their world, they shouldn't just sit back and watch. It's their world; they have to fight for it too," Mirajane explained.
She paused before continuing, "I told her not to rush. Walking back would take her two or three days. In that same time, we'll already be at the Royal City. I promised her that once we arrive, you could just teleport her back to the guild instantly. That way, she won't waste time traveling, and she can return with news that we've reached the capital, making her argument much more persuasive."
"Mhm. I did promise I'd teleport her back once we reached the capital. Since she's determined to have her guild join the fight, I'll send her back as soon as we arrive. We can pick up our pace a bit to get there sooner," Noah agreed.
"Mhm," Mirajane nodded, satisfied that the matter was settled. She then returned to chatting with the other girls.
The group spent their time in the city purchasing various local specialties and unique items to bring back as souvenirs for the guild. Noah and Lucy focused heavily on books; Noah wanted to expand his Archive's database with otherworldly knowledge, while Lucy was simply an avid reader who wanted to immerse herself in Edolas literature.
With their shopping complete, they left the city and resumed their journey. To compensate for the time spent shopping, Noah reapplied the speed enchantment. He didn't push it to ten times their normal speed like before, settling for a comfortable five or six times boost.
They reached the next city in record time and repeated their routine: checking into a hotel, exploring the city, buying souvenirs and books, and enjoying the local cuisine.
Throughout the journey, Lucy (Edolas) didn't mention her desire to leave. Instead, she happily played tour guide, introducing them to hidden culinary gems and scenic spots only locals knew about.
The journey was incredibly fulfilling for everyone. Thanks to Noah's speed enchantments, they arrived at the outskirts of the Royal City well within their expected timeframe.
Standing at the edge of a high cliff, they looked down at the sprawling, magnificent metropolis below.
"So this is the Royal City. It's spectacular," Sorano marveled.
The city was built in perfectly concentric circles, meticulously divided into distinct districts, with a towering, monolithic castle piercing the sky at its very center.
"It's incredibly prosperous. Truly fitting for a royal capital," Cana observed seriously.
Everyone voiced their awe at the breathtaking view. Noah pulled out his magical camera, snapping several panoramic shots of the city and plenty of group photos with the Royal City as the backdrop.
"Well, we've reached the Royal City. I suppose it's time for me to go," Lucy (Edolas) announced after Noah finished taking photos.
"You're leaving already? Don't you want to come into the city and explore a bit with us?" Earth Land Lucy asked.
"No, I have urgent matters to attend to back at the guild. Oh, and you all need to make sure your faces stay hidden when you go in," Lucy (Edolas) reminded them.
"Ah! I had so much fun these past few days I almost forgot we were public enemies!" Earth Land Lucy gasped, suddenly remembering their fugitive status. Thanks to Noah's constant illusion magic, they hadn't encountered a single issue on the road.
"Seeing you like this makes me really worry about your chances," Lucy (Edolas) sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. Earth Land Lucy's carefree attitude was the complete opposite of someone about to wage war against a kingdom.
"Haha, don't worry. Relaxing during downtime is fine. When it's time to fight, everyone here is incredibly reliable," Noah assured her with a smile.
"Exactly! What he said!" Earth Land Lucy quickly agreed, trying to salvage her image.
Lucy (Edolas) didn't press the issue further. She turned to Noah. Knowing exactly what she wanted, Noah nodded.
"No problem. I said I'd send you back using Teleportation Magic. Are you ready to go now?"
"Yes. I need to get back immediately," Lucy (Edolas) replied firmly, a wave of relief washing over her.
"Alright, let's get you on your way," Noah stepped up beside her.
Just as he was about to place his hand on her shoulder, the distant roar of an engine interrupted them. The sound was approaching rapidly.
"Wait! I know that sound!" Lucy (Edolas) held up a hand, stopping Noah. She stared intently in the direction of the noise.
The rest of the group followed her gaze.
Soon, a bright red, four-wheeled vehicle tore into view, speeding recklessly toward them. It executed a sharp, dramatic drift, skidding to a halt right in front of the group.
"Cough, cough!" Everyone jumped back, waving away the thick cloud of dust kicked up by the aggressive stop.
Before the dust even settled, Lucy (Edolas) stormed forward, her face twisted in pure rage. She reached into the driver's seat and violently yanked out a young man with spiky pink hair wearing a heavy leather coat and goggles.
"Natsu! Where the hell have you been?! I was worried sick about you!"
Despite claiming she was worried, Lucy (Edolas) immediately locked him in a painful joint submission hold.
"OW OW OW! I'm sorry! I was wrong! Forgive me! Please!" the man screamed in agony.
"Is that a Magic Four-Wheeler?" Sorano asked, curiously examining the vehicle.
"Looks like it. It seems to be built for high speed," Erza noted after a brief inspection.
"Which means the guy getting tortured is this world's Natsu," Ultear deduced, watching Lucy (Edolas) effortlessly manhandle the pink-haired driver.
"So this is the 'me' from this world? Did he just drive that thing all the way here?! And at that speed?! That's so cool! How are you so good with vehicles?!"
Natsu practically bounded over. He quickly inspected the car, and finding it empty, ran up to his counterpart, squatting down to stare in awe at the man currently trapped in a painful joint lock.
Natsu (Edolas), however, was far too busy screaming in pain to answer any of his questions.
After a few more moments of punishing him, Lucy (Edolas) finally vented her frustrations and released her grip.
The moment he was free, Natsu (Edolas) scrambled backward on his hands and knees, diving behind a large boulder. He peeked out nervously, revealing only half his face to the group.
"You idiot..." Lucy (Edolas) felt her anger flaring up again upon seeing his cowardly display, fully prepared to dive back in for another round of submissions.
Mirajane quickly grabbed her arm. "Calm down. Let's hear why he came all the way out here first."
Lucy (Edolas) stopped, though she still shot Natsu (Edolas) a venomous glare.
Natsu (Edolas) flinched, shrinking further behind the rock. Only when he was sure she wasn't coming closer did he tentatively peek out again.
"I... I am Natsu the Fireball... the fastest man in Fairy Tail! I heard Lucy came to the Royal City... I couldn't stop worrying, so I rushed over as fast as I could," Natsu (Edolas) stammered, trembling visibly.
"Oho! Not bad. Caring for your comrades is a good trait," Laxus praised approvingly.
"Hmph." Lucy (Edolas) scoffed, though the anger had clearly left her face, replaced by a grudging fondness.
Hearing her scoff, Natsu (Edolas) immediately shrank back behind the rock again.
"You should really be nicer to me," Earth Land Natsu whispered to Earth Land Lucy, drawing a comparison.
Lucy rolled her eyes. What does this have to do with us?!
"Whenever he gets behind the wheel of a vehicle, his personality completely flips. He becomes aggressive, confident, and domineering. But the moment he steps out of the car, he turns back into... this," Lucy (Edolas) explained, seeing the group's confused expressions.
"It really is like playing the mirror game!" Earth Land Lucy grinned triumphantly at Earth Land Natsu, who stared at his cowardly counterpart in pure disbelief.
"Their personalities truly are polar opposites," Sorano marveled.
"It's a consistent pattern," Ultear nodded. "We've seen multiple examples now. The counterparts often have drastically different, sometimes entirely opposite, personalities and behaviors. Natsu's case is just the most extreme example so far: one gets violently motion sick on any transport, while the other is an ace driver whose entire personality revolves around vehicles."
"Alright, since you're already here, come out and meet everyone. They can catch you up on what's going on," Lucy (Edolas) ordered the cowering Natsu (Edolas).
Natsu (Edolas) hesitated, too scared to move.
"GET OUT HERE RIGHT NOW!" Lucy (Edolas) roared, her temper flaring again.
"I'M SORRY!" Natsu (Edolas) shrieked, instantly scrambling out from behind the rock and standing at attention before the group.
"Relax. We're just going to introduce ourselves. We're all friends here," Noah smiled warmly.
Natsu (Edolas) visibly relaxed at Noah's gentle tone. He hesitantly stepped forward, greeting everyone as they explained the situation.
"Whoa! Are you Miss Wendy?! Uwaah! You're so small and cute!"
"Are you the Mr. Me from Earth Land?! You look so strong!"
"Are you Miss Cana?! Your fashion sense is completely different!"
"Mr. Laxus is so muscular!"
Natsu (Edolas) was a constant stream of exclamations as he met the Earth Land members.
When he reached Lucy and Erza, however, his reactions were drastically different. Upon seeing Earth Land Lucy, he flinched out of pure reflex. But when he saw Erza, he literally leaped into the air in terror, scrambling desperately back behind his rock.
It took several minutes of intense reassurance and promises that she wasn't the Fairy Hunter before he finally dared to creep back out.
~~~
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