Magnolia, inside the Guild—
Natsu and Lucy's first team mission could be considered both completed and not.
The book Daybreak wasn't burned in the end but transformed into a different book titled DEAR KABY. Consequently, they didn't receive the 2,000,000 Jewel reward because the client, Kaby Melon, had no money.
Natsu ultimately refused the payment on the grounds that they technically hadn't completed the mission as requested.
This left Lucy in a tough spot, as she still had no leads on next month's rent.
Her original savings were nearly depleted, and after moving in and purchasing daily necessities, almost nothing remained.
'Find a magic bracelet, lift the curse from a magical staff, calculate love fortunes through astrology, exorcise the volcano demon...'
Lucy instinctively skipped over the last task.
Although the mission mentioned exorcising a volcano demon, it was likely just some volcanic Magic Beasts.
If it were a genuine demon, the task would undoubtedly be S-Class.
"The work available for Mages is really diverse," Lucy remarked, standing before the quest board with her chin in her hand.
"If you find a job you like, let me know. The Master has already left for the regular meeting," Mirajane said, walking up to her.
"Regular meeting?"
"It's where Guild Masters from various regions gather periodically for reporting sessions. They convey decisions made by the Council and mediate opinions among Guild members."
"Guilds from different regions collaborate?"
"Of course. Dark Guilds still exist—they're a formidable bunch. If official Guilds unite, dealing with Dark Guilds becomes easier. Our Guild, for instance, is on good terms with Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scale."
"Alright, forget about that. Lucy, hurry up and pick a job so we can work together," Natsu chimed in, hands behind his head, completely nonchalant.
"Why would I work with you again?!" Lucy was still upset about being tricked into the Everlue mission.
"Aren't we part of the same team?"
"Don't worry, many people will team up with you. You don't have to force yourself to work with him," Gray interrupted, casually leaning nearby.
"Zip up your clothes before butting in."
"What?! What did you say, you stinky flame?!"
"Whoever identifies with it, you pervert!"
"You rooster-head!"
"You fluffy-haired guy!"
"How about forming a loving duo with me? What about tonight?" Loke seized the moment while Natsu and Gray were arguing to slip over and invite Lucy out.
"I think you're absolutely beautiful, even through glasses..." Loki adjusted his glasses, his lips twitching.
"You're a... Celestial Spirit Mage?!" Loke's face paled.
He took several steps back, putting distance between himself and Lucy.
"She has a bull, a goat, and a crab!" Happy added helpfully, munching on a fish.
"Why does fate toy with me like this? Sorry, I think we should end things here!" Loke cried out before running away.
"Strange...when did we even start...?" Lucy was utterly bewildered.
"Loke is terrified of being around Celestial Spirit Mages. I heard he had some issues with a female Celestial Spirit Mage in the past," Mirajane explained with a sympathetic smile.
...
Eastern Forest—
Raizel, who was meditating, felt the earth tremble slightly.
Opening his eyes, he immediately saw Erza walking over while carrying an enormous Magic Beast horn with one hand.
She was followed by Ultear and Kagura, both wearing somewhat resigned expressions.
Thud, thud, thud!
As Erza approached and tossed the Magic Beast horn onto the ground, the impact nearly shook Raizel off the rock he was sitting on.
"This horn is quite impressive. Planning to add it to your collection again?"
"Mm, it's from the Magic Beast we exterminated in our latest Extermination Quest. The locals insisted on giving it to me as a decoration."
Over the years, as her collection of trophies grew, Erza had rented five entire dormitory rooms in the girls' quarters just to store them—fortunately, the rewards for Extermination Quests were substantial enough to cover the expense.
'Let's be honest, you're the one who took a liking to it and asked for it...' Ultear and Kagura thought, seeing through the excuse but choosing not to comment aloud.
"Is the Master at the Guild?"
"No, he's away attending a regular Council meeting," Raizel shook his head.
Erza sighed in resignation. "Alright. On our way back, we heard about a troublesome matter."
"After completing our mission, while passing through Onibus Town, Kagura and I stopped at a tavern frequented by Mages. We overheard a group of Mages discussing something, and later realized they were from the Dark Guild, 'Eisenwald'. One of them had stolen a magical artifact sealed away by the Council."
"Ultear wasn't with us at the time. It wasn't until I mentioned it to her later that we recalled Eisenwald and their ace member, Erigor. My initial thought was to charge straight in and deal with them, but Ultear suggested that since we still have time, we should first report back to you and the Master for a decision."
"Since the Master isn't here, what should we do now?"
'Eisenwald...' Raizel had some recollection of them.
If he remembered correctly, they had turned into a Dark Guild only a few years ago, driven by greed for money.
As for the stolen artifact—Lullaby, one of Zeref's creations.
Anyone who heard its flute melody would die, making it a devastating weapon against ordinary people. Of course, those with high Magical Power could resist it to some extent.
"Hmm..." After a moment of contemplation, Raizel responded. "Do any of you know where Eisenwald is based?"
Ultear answered promptly. "We can try looking it up when we return. Since Eisenwald was once a legitimate Guild, their base location might be on record—provided they haven't relocated."
Erza added immediately, "Alternatively, we could head to Onibus Town tomorrow and search for clues. That's where we encountered them, and during their conversation, they also mentioned Onibus Station."
"Good. Then we'll set out tomorrow." Raizel nodded.
Though the specific details of the incident had faded from his memory, he understood the objective: their ultimate target was the Guild Masters gathering.
They had little interest in ordinary civilians, so there was no need for excessive worry.
"From what I recall, Eisenwald isn't particularly strong. Their only S-Class Mage is their ace, Erigor, right?"
And even that S-Class ranking was relative to other Guilds—their actual strength was nothing remarkable compared to Fairy Tail's standards.
Erza shook her head with her eyes closed. "We're not sure about their exact capabilities, but Erigor does seem to be the only notable one. If not for his nickname, 'Erigor the Reaper,' we probably wouldn't have remembered them at all."
"We'll set off tomorrow. Take Natsu and Gray with you—they need some training. As I recall, they've never taken on any missions to subjugate Dark Guilds before. Oh, and Lucy has already joined the Guild."
"Lucy? Has she already begun her travels?" Ultear nodded, remembering that Lucy had mentioned her plan to travel after coming of age before eventually joining Fairy Tail.
"That's right. It seems she's been wandering around Fiore for over half a year. She joined our Guild about ten days ago and teamed up with Natsu just a few days ago."
"Oh?" Ultear's eyes lit up, as if she'd discovered something interesting.
'Natsu actually teamed up with someone?'