"Welcome! Have you decided on your order yet?" Lucy asked, holding a pen and a ledger as she stood before two customers.
"Um, I'll have the Azure Meat Sauce Pasta and a Holly Soda."
"I'll have the Beastman Curry." The two customers had faint, unnatural blushes on their faces.
"Thank you very much for your patronage. Would you like some dessert after your meal?"
"I'll have a Ruby Sundae, then."
"Same for me."
"Understood!" Lucy finished writing and turned to leave.
"I'm ready to order over here too!" a guest at the opposite table called out.
"Coming, coming..." Lucy started to reply, then suddenly froze. She slammed her ledger onto the floor in a fit of realization. "What on earth am I even doing...?"
"Lucy!" Natsu shouted from the side.
"What?" Lucy turned her head to see Natsu dressed in a waiter's outfit, carrying a tray of food.
"This is all part of the job!" Natsu declared.
"This is completely different from a Wizard's job!" Lucy pointed at her own maid outfit and then at Chen Fan, who was sitting in the best seat by the window, feasting and drinking to his heart's content. "Look at that guywhy is he just eating and drinking while we're working? We're all Wizards, so why is there such a huge gap between us?"
As if he had heard Lucy's words, Chen Fan turned his head. "Do you even have to ask? It's obviously because 'I have money.'" He pulled a thick stack of bills from his pocket and tossed them onto the table, looking every bit the nouveau riche.
"Damn you! Accursed materialism! Miser! Cheapskate!" Lucy turned away, clenching her fists and cursing under her breath.
"Hey, hey, missy, I heard that. Careful, or I'll dock your pay. After all, I'm technically half-owner of this restaurant."
Swish! Lucy spun back around, her face instantly shifting into a radiant, professional smile. "Please enjoy your meal, guest!" She then turned back around and resumed clenching her fists in silent fury.
"Stop complaining," Happy added, also dressed as a waiter as he walked toward her. "If he hears you, he really will cut your pay."
Suddenly, Gray cut in. He was wearing a bowtie around his neck but was otherwise entirely naked except for his boxers. With a perfectly natural expression, he said, "Well, it's not bad to dress up as a waiter once in a while."
THWACK!
A flying kick from Lucy sent him soaring. "Put some clothes on before you talk to me!!"
"Hey, hey, whose rent are we doing this for anyway?" Gray grumbled from the floor.
Lucy suddenly felt a pang of guilt. "Ah, sorry."
"And... just look over there," Gray said, pointing at Erza, who was passing by.
Lucy turned and watched as Erza walked with elegant, measured steps in a maid outfit. Lucy's jaw practically hit the floor. "What even is that!?" she cried out, scratching her head in frustration.
Erza suddenly sat down on the edge of a table and addressed a group of guests. "Tell me your order. What is it you desire? Come, speak up." Her voice was dangerously seductive.
"Uh... what we want... of course is... BRING US EVERY DISH ON THE MENU!"
"Is that so? That is a huge help. Thank you very much!" Erza replied.
"NO, THANK YOU!!" the guests roared back.
Erza's performance left Gray and Lucy completely speechless. "Well, at least some people are having a great time. Let's work hard too."
"Aye..."
And so, the day passed quickly. Unlike the original story, Chen Fan had eaten his fill and had a bulging stomach, while Natsu could only watch from the side, drooling. Now, Natsu lay exhausted across a nearby stool.
"Ah... thank you for your hard work. Kids these days are truly capable. You're welcome back anytime," said a short old man in a chef's coat, addressing the group.
"Ah... no problem, it's what we should do... Burp..." Before anyone else could speak, Chen Fan let out a loud belch.
"What did you even do? You were just sitting over there eating the whole time!" Lucy shouted at Chen Fan. Only Lucy still bothered to nag him; Natsu and the others had long since grown accustomed to Chen Fan's extreme laziness.
Ignoring the bickering between Chen Fan and Lucy, Erza spoke to Yajima. "Thank you for taking care of us today." Then, as if remembering something, she added, "By the way, Grandpa Yajima, how are things with the Council?"
"Hmm... I've already retired," Yajima said, scratching the back of his head.
"The Council?" Natsu's lethargic body suddenly jolted with energy. He and Gray shouted in surprise together.
"Ah! Didn't you know? Grandpa Yajima was originally one of the Council members," Lucy explained to them.
"Eh!?" Natsu and Gray were stunned.
"Zekeno, Jellal."
"It's Jellal."
"Oh, right, Jellal. Because of the betrayal by Jellal and Ultear, our reputation was dragged through the mud. Right now, various parties are working hard to rebuild a new Magic Council. We've caused you all quite a bit of trouble; I am very sorry!"
"No, I heard from Chen Fan. Grandpa Yajima, you opposed the firing of Etherion until the very end. To say you're retiring out of shame is just too..."
"Politics doesn't suit me," Yajima said, suddenly becoming excited and gesturing wildly. "Being a chef is much more enjoyable!"
As soon as he finished his pose, he leaned in close to Natsu and Gray with a grim expression, startling them. "Listen, Natsu, Gray... once the Council is rebuilt, I won't be there anymore. No one will be there to defend Fairy Tail. From now on, you must think very carefully before you act." His voice rose to a shout by the end.
"WE WILL!" Natsu and Gray nodded frantically.
"Good, good," Yajima nodded in satisfaction.
"Then we will take our leave, Grandpa Yajima," Erza said.
"Yes." Yajima nodded. As the others went to pack their things, Chen Fan went to get up, but Yajima stopped him. "Xiao Chen, come here. I have a few words for you."
Chen Fan followed him to a corner by the back door. Yajima looked at him and said, "Xiao Chen, thank you for helping me open this shop. I'm truly happy here, free and easy. But..."
Before he could finish, Chen Fan interrupted. "Don't say another word about it. Grandpa Yajima, as long as you're happy, that's enough."
"But the Council..."
"Don't worry about the Council. I've grown up under your watchful eye all these years. Since when has the Council ever been a match for me? Not to look down on them, but they can't stir up any significant trouble right now. Besides, do you think I spent all those years hanging around the Council for nothing?"
Chen Fan's words turned Yajima's face red. He had been in the Council longer than Chen Fan but hadn't built up nearly as much influence. However, the blush faded quickly. Hearing Chen Fan's confidence, Yajima realized his worries were redundant. Chen Fan was far more capable than he had imagined.
While they spoke, Erza and the others had finished packing and were calling for Chen Fan. Yajima waved him off, and Chen Fan ran toward the carriage.
"Thank you for looking after us today!" Lucy shouted, waving from inside the carriage.
"Give my regards to Makarov!"
"Will do!"
Yajima watched as the carriage gradually vanished from sight. Only his small silhouette remained on the street. A gust of wind blew by, making the scene look somewhat desolate and lonely.
Yajima looked up at the sky and sighed. "I suppose I worried for nothing. These kids have all grown up. Makarov is a lucky man to have such talented children. Speaking of which... Ultear, where are you now?" He turned and walked back into his restaurant.
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