Chapter 106: Oracion Seis
"Dino and Erza are back!"
"Welcome back!"
Natsu rushed forward and shouted at Dino: "Dino, you jerk! You didn't take me with you on an S-Class mission! Just wait—when I take an S-Class quest, I'm not bringing you either!"
Happy fluttered beside him with a sweatdrop. "Aye~! Dino doesn't need you to babysit him anyway!"
Lucy approached Erza, tilting her head curiously. "That's strange… Erza, did you get even more beautiful? Your skin is practically glowing! Am I imagining things?"
Erza felt her cheeks warm under Lucy's scrutiny. She had noticed it too—ever since that night with Dino, she'd felt refreshed and radiant, both physically and mentally.
"It's probably just good skincare, Lucy. Oh, I brought you back a gift!" Erza quickly changed the subject, pulling out an elegant cosmetics box.
Lucy's eyes went wide as saucers. "Whoa! This is that premium brand they only sell in Crocus! It costs a fortune! I can't accept something this expensive!"
"Please, take it. We made plenty of money on this mission, so I wanted to get you something nice."
"That's right! Erza, you and Dino went on an S-Class quest together. The reward must've been huge!"
Erza smiled modestly. "I didn't contribute much, honestly. Dino handled most of it. The total reward was 60 million Jewels."
"SIXTY MILLION JEWELS?!"
The entire guild erupted in shock before falling into stunned silence, every member staring at Erza and Dino with their jaws practically on the floor.
Lucy's face went pale as she frantically calculated on her fingers. "A normal subjugation quest pays around 200,000 Jewels… ten times that is 2 million… a hundred times is 20 million… that's THREE HUNDRED normal missions worth of pay!"
"You made 60 million in one week?! Is this the earning power of Fairy Tail's S-Class mages?! That's faster than robbing a bank!"
Lucy sidled up to Dino with stars in her eyes, pressing her hands together. "Dino, please take me on your next mission! I promise I'll be useful!"
Happy immediately flew over with a smirk. "Lucy's such a gold-digger!"
Then he landed in Dino's outstretched hand, purring smugly. "Dino, take me next time instead! I can fly you around without getting tired at all!"
Lucy's eye twitched. "Happy, you hypocrite! You're just as money-hungry as I am!"
Gray strolled over shirtless, somehow having lost his clothes again. "Actually, I think I'd be the better choice for backup."
Natsu scoffed. "Gray! You're just after the money too!"
Gray ran a hand through his hair with an embarrassed grin. "Can you blame me? I just finished paying off the damages from my last few jobs! I'm completely broke! I can barely afford food at this point!"
"Dammit! I'm definitely becoming an S-Class mage!"
Dino held up his hands with a chuckle. "Don't get too excited. I'm not that lucky every time. This mission just happened to involve a difficult problem and a wealthy client, so the reward was higher than usual."
"Plus, we had to cover the cathedral repairs out of pocket, so after expenses, there wasn't as much left over as you'd think. Still, I can spring for everyone's drinks today. Order whatever you want—it's on me!"
"YEAH! Dino's the best!"
The guild erupted in cheers.
Suddenly, Makarov's voice cut through the celebration. "Dino! You're back, you brat?"
"Master!"
"Welcome back, Dino!"
Dino rummaged through his bag and pulled out an official-looking document, handing it to Makarov. "Here, old man. I got the guild deed back, and I paid off all the bank debts too. Try not to use this as collateral anymore, alright? I'll take responsibility for whatever I break from now on."
Makarov's hands trembled as he accepted the deed. Tears suddenly streamed down his face like waterfalls as he clutched it to his chest. Handing over Fairy Tail's deed had been one of the hardest decisions of his life—the guild was his heart and soul.
But a parent doesn't abandon their children when they're in trouble. Even if it meant selling everything he owned, he'd help his guild family.
"You little punk… you've caused so much trouble over the years, and now you finally do something this good!"
Dino scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Hey, I do good things all the time. It's not my fault the collateral damage is usually spectacular."
Makarov carefully tucked the deed into his jacket like it was the most precious treasure in the world, guarding it protectively.
Then his expression shifted, becoming deadly serious. "Dino, Erza—your timing is perfect. There's a very difficult matter that requires your attention."
Both Dino and Erza recognized that look. When Master got that serious, something big was happening.
"What is it, Master?"
Makarov's tone was grave. "Have you heard of the Oración Seis?"
"Oración Seis?!" Several guild members gasped at the name.
Dino frowned, the name tickling something in his memory. "Oración Seis? Can't say it rings a bell. What is it?"
Mirajane stepped forward, conjuring an illustration with her magic. "The Oración Seis is one of the most dangerous Dark Guilds in Ishgar. There are three particularly powerful Dark Guilds that dominate the underworld: Oración Seis, Grimoire Heart, and Tartaros. Together, they form the Balam Alliance, and each controls numerous smaller Dark Guilds beneath them."
Lucy's eyes widened in recognition. "Wait! Wasn't Eisenwald—the guild that attacked the Guild Masters' meeting—affiliated with the Oración Seis?"
"That's right!"
Dino turned to Makarov. "So what's the problem, old man? What's the Oración Seis up to?"
Makarov nodded grimly. "At the recent Guild Masters' conference, dealing with the Oración Seis was listed as a top priority issue."
"As one of the most dangerous guilds in existence, we can't ignore their activities. If they're planning something catastrophic and we sit on our hands, every legal guild in Fiore could be caught off-guard. We need to take action before that happens."
Gray crossed his arms, already seeing where this was going. "Don't tell me… we drew the short straw again?"
Juvia clasped her hands together nervously. "Is Fairy Tail taking on this mission?"
Dino's expression darkened, and he cracked his knuckles with a dangerous grin. "I get it. Where is the Oración Seis operating right now? I'll just crush them all."
Lucy face-palmed with an exasperated sigh. "Dino! You really do say the most terrifying things with the calmest expression!"