Back in the guild, those who had won money were celebrating with loud laughter, while those who had lost gathered around the quest board, looking for suitable missions to recoup their losses.
Amidst the noise, Statiw sat alone at a table, replaying and pondering the battle he had just had with Gray.
Statiw had long understood the strengths and weaknesses of his long-range combat style as a mage, but he hadn't expected his defensive measures to be so easily bypassed. But then again, any mage worth their salt possesses powerful magic, and in such a situation, mere ordinary metal armor was practically useless.
Moreover, Gray wasn't a one-track-minded brawler like Natsu. Compared to Natsu, Gray was a more tactical and versatile mage. By comparing himself to Gray, Statiw understood that in future battles, he would need to guard against not only physical attacks but also a wide variety of magical assaults.
However, a problem arose: with Statiw's current knowledge and magical ability, he couldn't materialize constructs with inherent magical resistance. Thus, his so-called defensive measures had become a complete joke.
Just as Statiw was fretting over this, Erza, holding a strawberry cake, happily sat down opposite him. Noticing his troubled expression, she casually asked, "What's wrong? Is something the matter?"
Statiw, brought back to the present by Erza's words, looked at her and couldn't help but ask, "Erza, if you didn't have your magical armor, how would you defend against an enemy's magical attacks?"
"Dodge," Erza said with a confident smile before taking a bite of cake.
"Dodge, huh?" Statiw scratched his head, finding the method entirely unsuitable for his own capabilities.
"What's wrong?" Seeing no change in his expression, Erza asked more seriously, setting her fork down.
"It's like this…" Seeing her serious expression, Statiw knew he needed to explain. He briefly outlined the defensive problem he was facing.
"Forge armor with magical defense properties to wear on your body. It can defend against both physical and magical attacks," Erza considered for a moment and immediately gave her answer, as if it were the most obvious solution in the world.
"This…" Statiw's brows furrowed slightly as he seriously considered the practicality of it for himself.
Seeing that he had begun to ponder her suggestion, Erza nodded with satisfaction, then focused her attention back on the strawberry cake.
"How is it, Statiw? Haven't you thought of a solution yet?" Just as he was considering whether it was truly feasible to create a set of magically defensive armor as Erza suggested, Elfman, who had just finished a mission and learned the whole story from Mirajane, sat down next to him and asked.
"I just asked Erza," Statiw gestured to Erza, who was engrossed in her cake, then said to Elfman, "Her suggestion is to create a set of armor with magical defense properties, but…"
"But what?" Elfman asked.
"However, specialized magical defense armor usually only defends against one or a few types of magic. To achieve comprehensive protection, I'd need multiple sets. And to truly utilize them effectively, I'd probably need to learn Requip magic to change armor strategically based on the enemy I'm facing," Statiw explained the complications he foresaw, then asked, "By the way, Elfman, if you were in my situation, what would you do?"
"Me?" Elfman thought about how he fought other mages, then said, "If it were me, I'd probably cover my head with my hands." He demonstrated by crossing his massive arms over his head.
"And then?" Statiw asked, waiting for more.
"Then? That's it," Elfman shook his head and explained, "Just cover my head to prevent the enemy from hitting it. Even if other parts get hit, at most it just hurts a bit and won't cause any real damage." He puffed out his chest proudly.
"Uh, alright," Statiw said, looking at Elfman's confident, slightly red face. He remained silent for a long moment before adding, "It seems your method isn't quite suitable for me."
"I'm sorry, Statiw. I can't offer you any good advice," Elfman apologized with a dejected expression. Immediately after, he perked up and said, "Oh right! Since that's the case, why not ask my sister and the others? Maybe they'll have a method that suits you."
"You're right about that," Statiw nodded in agreement.
Anyway, he had already asked Erza. If he didn't consult Mirajane, given her personality, she would definitely be annoyed if she found out. It was better to ask her now. Even if she knew he'd asked Erza first, he could use the excuse of her being closer at the time.
With this thought, Statiw got up and walked towards Mirajane, who was chatting with Cana. Elfman, seeing this, quickly followed him.
As soon as they approached, Mirajane turned around. Seeing it was Statiw and Elfman, she smiled and said, "How is it? Are you done brooding?"
"What do you mean, brooding?" Statiw sat down next to her and explained, "I was just considering how to deal with a mage once they get past my constructs and close in."
"So, what have you come up with?" Mirajane asked with a curious expression.
"I still have no clue," Statiw sighed and replied. "I just asked Erza what she would do in such a situation, and she told me that wearing armor with magical defense properties would suffice. Later, I asked Elfman, and Elfman…"
"And Elfman told you that you just need to protect your head, right?" Mirajane didn't show any displeasure that Statiw had asked Erza first; instead, she finished his sentence with an amused smile.
"Ah, yes, that's right," Statiw nodded. "So, if it were you, what would you do?"
"Me?" Mirajane smiled. "My method isn't suitable for you. Usually, if I encounter such a situation, I dodge if I can, and if I can't, I just take the hit. After using my Take Over magic, my defense and regeneration are very high, so I don't need to worry about such problems at all."
"Is that so?" Statiw scratched his head. "Although I had already expected you to answer that way before asking, hearing it in person still makes me feel a bit disappointed."
After hearing Statiw's words, Cana, who was nearby nursing a mug of beer, also spoke up. "Statiw, your magic doesn't enhance your own body at all. To solve your problem, I think it would be better to go with armor, as Erza said. If you find full armor too heavy or restrictive, you could also commission clothes woven with defensive enchantments, though such gear would be more expensive and probably less durable in a direct fight."