From the moment Natsu showed up, Erza never intended to chase him away.
It wasn't that she didn't want to.
It was just that she knew Natsu all too well, expecting him to leave voluntarily and not join in on the excitement.
Yeah, that simply wasn't happening.
So Erza changed tactics, trading a "well-intentioned lie" for an extra "helper."
Even if that helper wasn't exactly reliable.
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Ur staggered forward with unsteady steps. Behind him, two people and one cat followed stealthily, sneaking along like thieves.
Along the way, their behavior attracted quite a bit of attention. Ur himself probably never imagined that one day, something as idiotic as "covering one's ears while stealing a bell" would happen right behind him, and that he wouldn't notice a thing.
With his head pounding and mind foggy, Ur hired a carriage and soon returned to Granny Isse's house.
Erza, Natsu, and Happy followed closely, hiding outside the courtyard and peeking in.
Ur had come back mainly to retrieve the two doors. Unfortunately, Granny Isse had just finished cooking lunch, so Ur had no choice but to deal with the meal first.
Granny Isse's cooking skills were amazing.
Not only were the portions generous, but the aroma alone was enough to make one's mouth water.
At the very least, after catching a whiff of it, Natsu, outside the courtyard, was already drooling all over the ground.
"Hey! Happy, are you hungry?" Natsu asked.
"Huh?"
"Happy?"
Having called out several times without getting a response, the starving Natsu turned around in confusion. With that one glance, he froze. Because somehow, without him noticing, Happy had disappeared.
Just as Natsu was wondering what was going on, the next second, when he turned back around, he saw a scene so shocking his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
At some point, that little glutton Happy had already flown onto Ur's dining table, staring straight at a big fish dish. His mouth hung open in a daze, drool dripping nonstop.
Natsu: [Σ(°△°)︴]
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At the dining table.
Both Ur and Granny Isse were momentarily stunned by Happy's sudden appearance. Ur was surprised that Happy was here at all, while Granny Isse was shocked that a cat could fly.
But Ur quickly recovered and asked, "Happy, why are you here? Where's Natsu?"
"Natsu is over th—uh, Natsu went out on a mission!" Happy blurted out instinctively while staring at the fish, then hurriedly corrected himself.
"Is that so?" Ur found it a bit strange, but didn't think too deeply about it. Mainly because every extra thought sent another wave of pain through his head, and he really didn't feel like using his brain right now.
Hearing Happy speak, Granny Isse was startled as well!
Fortunately, she knew Ur was a wizard and understood that strange things were common in a wizard's world. Otherwise, who knew how she might have reacted?
"Ur, this is…?" Granny Isse asked.
"Oh, right. Grandma, let me introduce him. This is Happy, also a member of Fairy Tail," Ur said.
"Aye! Nice to meet you, Grandma," Happy greeted politely, and then went right back to drooling, staring unblinkingly at the fish dish.
Granny Isse seemed amused by Happy's silly, adorable demeanor. Smiling kindly, she asked, "Happy, have you eaten yet?"
Happy shook his head mechanically, eyes never leaving the fish.
"Then eat here," Granny Isse said.
The moment she spoke, Happy's eyes lit up instantly, sparkling as he exclaimed excitedly, "Really? Thank you, Grandma!"
Clearly, this was the sentence Happy had been waiting for all along.
As soon as Granny Isse gave permission, he immediately grabbed the fish dish in front of him and took a huge bite, a blissful smile spreading across his young feline face.
Ur: "..."
This little cat was full of tricks.
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At the table, both Ur and Happy ate with great relish! Outside the courtyard, however, someone was on the verge of losing his mind.
Originally, Natsu had barely managed to suppress his hunger thanks to his burning desire to grow stronger. But after Happy pulled this stunt, Natsu felt like he was about to snap!
If Erza hadn't been holding him back with all her strength, the two of them would've been exposed already.
"That idiot…" Erza muttered under her breath.
It was hard to tell whether she was cursing Natsu or Happy.
She'd long suspected that bringing Natsu along would eventually cause trouble, but she never imagined it would happen this fast. Just one lunch, and her entire plan had nearly been blown.
Feeling Natsu's struggles grow more intense, Erza finally lost patience and punched him squarely on the head.
"You idiot, snap out of it!" Erza snapped, swallowing hard.
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Next Chapter: The Blacksmith's Shop
Next Next Chapter: Does a Weapon Have a Soul?
Next Next Next Chapter: Who Are You, Really?