"Idiot!"
After punching Makarov in the face, Romeo ran out of the Guild in tears.
A week had already passed since Romeo's father, Macao, left for Mount Hakobe to complete the mission of subjugating the Vulcan.
He still hadn't returned.
Considering the distance and the time needed for the mission, it should have only taken three or four days at most.
Natsu suddenly punched the Request Board, then silently set off with his luggage.
"Natsu, wait for me!" Happy trotted after Natsu on his little feet.
"What's wrong with Natsu?" Lucy asked, puzzled as she watched him walk away without a word.
Raizel, watching Natsu and Happy's retreating backs, said, "He's probably thinking about his father—the dragon Igneel he often mentions—who also disappeared suddenly. Lucy, why don't you go with them? It'll be a good chance to learn how missions are done."
"Okay!" Lucy nodded excitedly.
She really did want to see how a job was done, and Raizel's suggestion was exactly what she had in mind.
...
"For Miss Lucy! Take this axe!"
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
Without much danger, Lucy managed to assist Natsu effectively.
Since she started meditating and training with Capricorn, her Magic Power had improved, and the Celestial Spirits she summoned had become stronger.
In the end, the two successfully rescued Macao, who had been Taken Over by the Vulcan.
...
Magnolia—
After returning with Natsu, Lucy carefully selected a two-story house with a monthly rent of 70,000 Jewels after browsing through listings with a real estate agent.
Raizel had mentioned the girls' dormitory to her, but Lucy balked when she heard the rent was 100,000 Jewels per month.
Her funds were nearly depleted from her travels, and she didn't want to ask her family for money now that she'd joined a Guild.
Since she was part of Fairy Tail, she ought to be self-reliant!
Besides, she thought living alone would be nice—it would allow her to focus on writing her novel in peace.
"What are you two doing in my house?!"
Lucy, having just finished her bath and wrapped in a towel, was about to relax comfortably on her sofa when she walked into the living room and found two unexpected guests.
"We heard from Mira that you'd moved, so we came specifically to visit."
"Visiting without the owner's permission doesn't count as 'specifically'!"
"I just moved in, there's nothing fun here. Finish your tea and head back." Lucy rested her chin on her hand and spoke listlessly.
"By the way, let me see the guys in your keys!" Natsu asked.
"What 'guys in the keys'? They're Celestial Spirits."
"How many Celestial Spirits has Lucy formed contracts with?" Happy asked, hands on his hips.
"Five. The Silver Keys are Horologium of the Clock, Crux of the Southern Cross, and Lyra of the Harp."
"And—ta-da!—the super rare Gold Keys, which open the gates to the Zodiac: Taurus, Aquarius, Cancer, Sagittarius, and Capricorn."
Natsu and Happy were only really interested in Cancer, simply because it's a crab...
If Natsu's memory were a bit better, he might have recalled Sagittarius.
Unfortunately, he only remembers Guild members and food...
"By the way, I haven't contracted the Silver Key I bought in Hargeon yet."
"Human self-interest is really showing here, Natsu," Happy teased.
"Louise really is terrifying after all."
Amidst Natsu and Happy's constant teasing, Lucy finally completed her contract with the Canis Minor constellation and even gave it a name—Plue.
"What are you doing?" Lucy asked, blushing as Natsu kept staring at her intently.
"Alright, I've decided! Let's just form a team!" Natsu looked excitedly at Lucy.
"Aye!"
"Form a team?"
"Aye! Although all members in the Guild are our companions, those who are particularly close will gather together and form teams. This way they can complete quests that would be difficult to accomplish alone."
"Like Raizel and Ultear's group?"
Lucy recalled how Raizel always brought Ultear and Erza when visiting her place, and later Kagura joined them too, though eventually, it was just Erza and the others.
Thinking about it, they must be a team.
"Right!"
"Then why can't I go on quests with Ultear and the others? Why do I have to be with you?"
"Their quests... Lucy.... you would just hold them back..." Happy shrugged and shook his head.
"What kind of quests are they taking anyway?" Lucy felt indignant.
She had been working hard, okay?
"S-Class Quests. Only Mages certified as S-Class by the Guild can undertake them. They're missions where you could easily lose your life..."
"Uh... Okay! I'll team up with you guys!"
Upon hearing that S-Class Quests were life-threatening, Lucy chose to follow her heart (and her survival instinct).
"Great! It's settled then!"
"The contract is sealed!" The two high-fived.
"Aye!"
"Then let's get to work right away! I've already picked a job!"
Lucy snatched the request form.
"200,000 Jewels for obtaining a book! Beware: this person is extremely lecherous and perverted, currently recruiting blonde maids..."
"Lucy happens to be blonde."
"I've been set up!" Lucy crouched in the corner, full of resentment.
"Don't forget that Celestial Spirit Mages always value contracts!"
"You actually dared to trick me!"
...
On the Carriage to Shirotsume Town—
"Excuse me... is the carriage ride comfortable, my dear master?"
"I think I see hell..." Natsu groaned, turning green.
"Please! I should be the one playing the master!" Happy waved his hands in protest.
...
"I am the client, Kaby Melon."
'I feel like I've heard that name before.' Lucy frowned slightly.
"Enough small talk, let's get straight to the point. What I'm requesting is to destroy or burn the book 'Daybreak' owned by Duke Everlue."
"Burn it? Then let's just burn down the entire mansion?" A small flame appeared on Natsu's index finger.
"That won't do! We'd definitely get arrested by the Council for that!" Lucy strongly protested.
"And I want to hear the reason. Why burn it?"
"Just burn it, why do we need a reason? We get 200,000 Jewels for burning it, how simple was that," Natsu answered indifferently.
"No, the reward is 2,000,000 Jewels."
"T... Two million Jewels!!!" The three of them were stunned.
"So you came here without knowing anything at all."
"But why exactly?"
"No reason. I won't allow that book to exist in this world!"
"No problem, I'm fired up now! Leave it to me! Let's go, Lucy!"
With that, Natsu dragged Lucy as they rushed toward Duke Everlue's mansion.
...
Duke Everlue's Mansion—
"I'm here specifically to apply for the maid position! Is anyone there?" Lucy stood alone in the grand foyer of Everlue's mansion and shouted.
All I need to do is make that lecherous old man fall for me, then burn that book, and I'll get 2 million Jewels. So simple!
"Do your best!" Natsu and Happy whispered, hiding in the bushes outside.
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Speedrunning lucy and natsu quest, hope you're all fine with it.