"That's fine. You should go to bed early too. I'll clean these up and head to sleep."
"Alright. I'll turn in first then you'd better rest soon as well."
After Erza spoke, she returned to her room. Noah finished tidying up, thought for a moment, and decided to stay in the living room to sleep. That way, he could be close by in case anything happened.
He gently adjusted Wendy's quilt, which had slipped aside, before settling onto another sofa himself.
The night passed without incident. The next morning, noise stirred Noah awake. Opening his eyes, he saw Wendy was already up and dressed, her sleepiness long gone.
It was obvious she hadn't slept as soundly as usual. She had woken very early and now sat in a chair, staring blankly at the egg on the table.
Startled by Noah's movement, Wendy turned quickly, her cheeks flushed.
"Brother Noah, did I wake you? I'm sorry!"
"It's fine. I usually get up around this time. How about you? Did the egg change at all?"
"Nothing at all."
Wendy's eyes fell back on the incubator. Noah withdrew his thought body and, noticing the determined look on her face, spoke gently.
"Don't worry too much. You saw Natsu's egg, didn't you? Once it's ready, it hatches within a day. Since yours didn't hatch last night, it will almost certainly hatch today."
Relief softened Wendy's expression, and she finally allowed herself to relax a little.
Before long, Erza, Sorano, Yukino, and Simon all woke. After breakfast, more people began arriving at Noah's house: the three Strauss siblings, Natsu with Happy, and Levy.
They had all heard Wendy's egg would hatch today, and no one wanted to miss it.
Noah even made sure to call Laxus and Lidas over. With nearly all the young guild members gathered, it became a real event.
It was rare to see everyone together, so the morning was full of chatter and laughter. Erza kept a watchful eye on Natsu and Gray, and to everyone's relief, Mirajane didn't start anything with Erza at Noah's house, so things stayed peaceful.
Wendy, Yukino, and Kagura sat around the egg, chatting as they watched for any change. Sorano leaned comfortably against her sister Yukino, listening with a smile.
Natsu, Gray, and Lyon were being carefully watched by both Erza and Ultear, which kept them on their best behavior.
Simon and Laxus chatted quietly in a corner. Levy had already tracked down Noah's bookshelves and ran over excitedly to read, accompanied by one of Noah's thought bodies.
Meanwhile, Lisanna led Mirajane and Elfman on a little tour of the house, with Noah himself walking with them.
Not far away, Lidas sat sketching, painting a scene that included everyone.
The morning slipped by in noisy harmony. By noon, Noah entered the kitchen to prepare lunch. Erza, Ultear, and Simon joined him to help. Lisanna and Elfman also stepped in to lend a hand.
When Mirajane put on an apron to cook as well, everyone's shocked expressions irritated her so much she almost started a fight. Luckily, Erza and Ultear quickly pulled her back before things got out of hand.
The others, either too young or too unskilled, could only set the tables and prepare dishes and utensils.
At last, lunch was ready, and everyone sat down together. For Levy, Lidas, and Mirajane who were eating at Noah's house for the first time the meal was a revelation.
To their surprise, the best dishes were Noah's.
Mirajane had been extremely confident in her cooking, especially after seeing the shocked looks on everyone's faces when she'd stepped into the kitchen. Determined to prove herself, she had prepared many dishes with pride.
But after tasting Noah's food, and then comparing it to Erza's, Ultear's, and even Simon's, she fell completely silent.
Noah's cooking was unquestionably the best. Erza and Ultear's dishes surpassed hers by far. And Simon's, though not as refined, was almost equal. The blow to her pride was crushing.
Seeing her mood, Erza gently patted her shoulder and offered comfort.
"Honestly, our cooking used to be terrible too. It only became this good because Noah taught us little by little."
Mirajane's eyes widened.
"Noah taught you?"
Mirajane couldn't help but ask again. She had always known Noah excelled at magic and combat, but she hadn't realized he was so skilled at cooking.
Lisanna and Elfman, who had just finished tasting everyone's dishes, perked up with the same curiosity and looked toward Erza. Erza nodded.
"That's right. Noah is the best cook here. Besides studying magic, he also enjoys cooking. Over the years, his skills have only improved, and those of us who help him in the kitchen have gotten better too."
"Sister Mira, why don't we learn cooking from Noah?"
Lisanna's eyes sparkled as she looked at her sister. She was eager to improve. Mirajane hesitated, her pride wavering.
"Of course, you're welcome. I'd be glad to have someone to study cooking with me," Noah said with a warm smile.
"Noah agreed! Then let's all learn together and Brother Elf should come too," Lisanna said happily, pulling her siblings in with her enthusiasm.
Mirajane paused for a moment, then folded her arms and pretended to be indifferent.
"Since Lisanna insists, I'll join as well."
"Thank you, Noah," Elfman said sincerely, while Lisanna beamed.
"Yes, thank you, Noah!"
"Then come by at around 10:30 in the morning and again at 6 in the evening. We'll practice cooking at those times."
Noah set the schedule, and the Strauss siblings all nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, Natsu and Gray both reached for the same piece of meat at once, neither willing to let go.
"This one's mine I grabbed it first!"
"No way, I got it first!"
"You wanna fight over it?!"
"Come on, try me!"
Just as the two were about to stand up and brawl, Erza's sharp gaze cut across the table. Immediately, both of them froze in place and sat back down, plastering on fake smiles.
"I'll let you have it."
"No, no, you should eat it."
"Good. That's how it should be get along and don't fight."
Erza nodded in satisfaction and turned her attention back to chatting with the others.
The moment she looked away, Natsu and Gray dropped their fake smiles, snorted, and turned their heads away from each other.
When the meal was finally over, those who hadn't helped with the cooking pitched in to wash the dishes. Wendy and Yukino offered to help too, but everyone gently refused since they were still too young. Instead, they were asked to help clear the tables and chairs.
Once everything was cleaned up, the group collapsed into the living room sofas, their stomachs full and their bodies too heavy to move.
...
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