The sweet taste of cake still lingered in their mouths when the train came to a steady stop with a loud clunk at Oshibana Station.
The group stepped off the platform, blending into the bustling crowd as they strolled through the lively streets.
Roger's voice echoed in their minds:
"The dark guild members will reach Kunugi Station in about half an hour. I learned from one of them that their original plan was to head straight to the guild masters' regular meeting and play Lullaby. But because of my attack, they think their plan's been compromised. Now they're planning to hijack the train carrying the wizard with Lullaby and come straight to Oshibana Station."
"After that, other guild members will hold off any attackers while Eisenwald's leader, Erigor, goes to play Lullaby."
Erza spoke up: "Eisenwald? I remember they're a dark guild tied to the Oración Seis. They were kicked out of the official guilds by the Magic Council for only taking assassination jobs, which turned them into a dark guild."
Roger: "Exactly. That's why they're out for revenge against the Council and the guild masters who voted to expel them."
"Erigor's not weak. If he plays Lullaby without anyone suspecting, it could kill about 80% of the guild masters present."
"Your job is to wander around town and meet up when the time comes. Leave the rest to me."
They turned into a quiet, empty alley. With a casual wave of Roger's hand, two middle-aged women with plump figures and entirely different appearances appeared out of thin air.
Lucy blinked curiously. "Illusions again? They're here to spread the word about Lullaby, right? But… wouldn't middle-aged guys fit better for gossiping in a tavern?"
Roger chuckled softly. "Taverns are great for gathering wizard intel, sure. But for spreading everyday gossip through the streets, nothing beats these two."
Happy flew over, tilting his head. "Just two people? Wouldn't more spread the news faster?"
"Nope, you're underestimating humanity's knack for gossip." Roger flipped his hand, producing a large handful of sunflower seeds like a magic trick. "Add this 'divine tool,' and I guarantee the whole town will know Eisenwald's up to something within two hours!"
"Seriously?" Lucy eyed the ordinary-looking seeds skeptically. "Is this some kind of magic item? I've never heard of a magic tool that spreads rumors."
"Oh?" Roger raised an eyebrow. "Wanna test it, Lucy?"
Her recent experiences made her instantly wary, and she took two steps back. "T-Test it how?!"
One of the kind-faced, chubby illusion women suddenly turned serious, leaning toward the other and whispering (just loud enough for everyone in the alley to hear):
"Hey, did you hear? Fairy Tail recruited some crazy new talent!"
The other woman leaned in, matching her hushed tone. "Oh yeah, I heard! A blonde girl, real pretty, right?"
Crack! Both women pulled out sunflower seeds and started munching expertly.
"I heard she's got some… unique hobbies," the chubby woman said mysteriously. "Loves whipping people! Even ties them up! There were pictures in the weekly magazine!"
Gasp! The other woman sucked in a breath. "For real?! I thought it was fake! My second aunt's cousin was telling us about it, and we didn't believe her! She said this newbie doesn't just whip—she loves hearing people scream! Puts chili oil on her whip! The louder they scream, the happier she gets!"
"My gosh! Is that true? Doesn't Fairy Tail do something about her?"
"Do something? Who'd dare?! She's the 'strongest newcomer' now! Word is, she can take down a gorilla mercenary twice her size with one finger! She's basically running the guild! Soon, even the 'Titania' and 'Demon' will be under her boot!"
"For real?! So she's got both power and authority?"
"Authority? Get this!" The woman lowered her voice further. "I heard from a reliable source that the guy she tied up in the magazine? A duke! After she 'played' with him, he got thrown straight into prison!"
"No way! A duke?! One of those big shots who can strip us citizens of our rights? And some young girl just 'played' with him? That's insane!! Though… I remember that duke looked, uh, unique. Didn't expect someone that strong to have such… peculiar tastes."
Lucy's body tensed, her fists clenching tighter with every word. When she heard "peculiar tastes," she couldn't take it anymore. Her face flushed red, and she jumped up, shouting, "What do you mean 'played with'?! That was an interrogation! An interrogation, got it?! That ugly jerk got locked up because I caught him doing shady stuff, and the Council threw him in jail!"
"And most importantly—I do not have a fetish for hearing people scream!!!"
Erza's eyes lit up with realization. She strode over and clapped Lucy's shoulder so hard she nearly collapsed. "I get it now! Your magic might be weak, but your physical strength is that impressive?"
Her eyes sparkled with the glee of spotting new talent. "In that case, you can take on Erigor! He's decently strong—perfect for sharpening your combat skills!"
Mira chimed in with a sugary-sweet smile. "Just a heads-up, Lucy~ Erigor's called the 'Reaper.' Every target he's ever taken on for an assassination job? They all ended up as a pile of mush~."
"N-No! No thanks!" Lucy yelped, her shoulder aching from Erza's slap.
Her inner self was screaming: How does Erza believe such an obvious lie?!
And sorry for having weak magic, okay?! QAQ
Too scared to snap at Erza (who might crush her skull), Lucy turned to the source of all this chaos and shouted, "This is slander!! Defamation!!"
"I don't have any weird hobbies! The weekly magazine is full of lies, and I definitely don't put chili oil on my whip—my whip doesn't have anything on it!!"
Panting from her outburst, Lucy noticed the two women smirking oddly, saying nothing, just staring at her.
She froze, then clutched her head, letting out a wail of despair. "Argh!! Those are Roger's illusions!! I forgot!! Damn it!!!"
It felt like punching a pile of cotton. Lucy puffed out her cheeks like an inflated pufferfish, sulking.
Roger's lips curved into a slight grin. "Now do you get what gossip is?"
"People love juicy, thrilling stories, true or not."
"If you spin it well, countless people will believe it. Spread it enough, and even if you're pure as snow, the world might see you as pitch black."