Chapter 37: FTRJ: Chapter 37

Finn found the whole thing incredibly boring. The meeting, despite its impressive-sounding name, was nothing more than a gathering of guild masters—a bunch of old men sitting around, gossiping and bragging.

What’s more, these old-timers always brought their guilds’ strongest mages, comparing strengths and generally acting incredibly childish. The whole thing was excruciatingly dull.

Finn recalled the last time he’d attended, several years prior. He’d had a sparring match with Jura Neekis from Lamia Scale.

It was a friendly contest, of course, but Finn had won handily. This victory had given Makarov a massive ego boost; for days after the meeting, he strutted around the guild with an air of unparalleled self-importance.

The funniest part, however, was an incident involving Makarov and a seemingly innocuous question about dinner.

Someone asked, “Master Makarov, how did you enjoy tonight’s dinner?”

Makarov replied, beaming, “Oh, how did you know Finn beat Jura?”

That little exchange had thoroughly infuriated Lamia Scale’s guild master, Ooba.

Oh, and later, Jura was named one of the Ten Wizard Saints by the Council. Why wasn’t Finn given the same recognition?

Ever since Finn and Mirajane had caused a major disruption at the Council meeting, the Council members had harbored a deep-seated resentment towards Finn, making any kind of honor or recognition highly unlikely.

Another reason was that Fairy Tail already had a Wizard Saint; adding another might cause friction with other guilds. Finn, however, remained completely unconcerned by this.

In truth, Fairy Tail boasted several mages with the strength to rival the Ten Wizard Saints. Gildarts, for instance, undoubtedly possessed the power to rank among them, possibly even securing a top spot.

Laxus, too, was incredibly close to achieving such a level of power.

Since that incident at the Council, Finn had always found creative ways to avoid attending these tedious meetings. Unfortunately, this time, he’d completely forgotten about it, leading to Makarov catching him off guard.

Finn was hoping to politely decline this time.

However, upon hearing Finn’s hesitation, Makarov let out a long, world-weary sigh. “Sigh, if that’s the case, then it’ll just be this old geezer going alone. I’ll be subjected to all those old codgers’ taunts again.”

He took a sip of his newly poured drink, his face etched with a profound expression of weariness. “Last year was exactly the same. Sigh, oh well, I guess this old geezer’s thick-skinned enough to endure it. Another year won’t kill me.”

Makarov glanced at Finn, noticing that the young man’s expression remained unchanged; he was calmly sipping his milk, seemingly unperturbed by the prospect of the upcoming meeting.

Makarov cleared his throat, feigning a sudden onset of frailty. “Ahem, this old body of mine isn’t what it used to be, you know. I’m riddled with ailments. If I have to endure another year of their mockery…”

He clutched his chest dramatically, his face contorted in a convincing display of discomfort. “My heart might just give out! I might just kick the bucket!” he declared, his voice trembling with feigned distress.

Makarov’s performance was nothing short of Oscar-worthy, his portrayal of a frail, elderly man on the brink of collapse utterly convincing.

Even Mirajane couldn’t help but chuckle, gently nudging Finn to encourage him to agree to Makarov’s request.

Finn, defeated, placed his glass of milk on the table. “Alright, alright, I’ll go with you. Just stop with the theatrics,” he conceded with a sigh.

0 ··Please leave flowers·· 0

“Really?” Makarov asked, clutching his chest dramatically, opening one eye to gauge Finn’s sincerity.

“Really…” Finn confirmed.

Upon receiving Finn’s affirmative response, Makarov instantly reverted to his usual self, his earlier display of frailty disappearing as if it were a mere illusion. He raised his glass high in the air and drained its contents in one swift, decisive gulp.

“Seriously,” Finn muttered under his breath, “he was just faking it.”

“You little brat, are you cursing me?” Makarov grumbled, his good mood slightly soured by Finn’s comment.

…

That day, Lucy, fresh from completing a mission, was anxiously reviewing the available jobs on the guild’s mission board.

Mirajane approached her. “Lucy, if you see a job you like, just let me know. The Master and Finn have already left for the regular meeting.”

“Regular meeting?” Lucy had never heard of such a thing before. Mirajane patiently explained the nature of these inter-guild gatherings.

Just then, Natsu, ever the impulsive one, came bursting into the guild hall, colliding with Lucy.

“A fight walked right up to us; we can’t not fight,” Gray declared, his shirtless torso on full display.

…

“So, where are your clothes again?” Cana deadpanned, her voice laced with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

Lucy facepalmed, a large well character appearing above her head in her mind. “You two, seriously, enough already!” she exclaimed, her patience wearing thin. During her short time at Fairy Tail, she had already come to realize that these two had a tendency to engage in spontaneous brawls whenever they encountered each other.

Natsu, rising to his feet, fixed his gaze intensely upon Gray. “You started it, you droopy-eyed bastard!” he accused, his voice filled with righteous indignation.

Gray, equally indignant, retorted, “When exactly did I start it, you squinty-eyed bastard?!”

“Chatty underwear man!”

“You’re the snotty general!”

The two mages continued their heated exchange, their insults becoming increasingly childish and vulgar, much to the amusement of the other guild members who watched their antics unfold.

Just then, Loke abruptly flung open the guild doors, his expression grim and serious.

“Not good! Erza’s back!!” A wave of fear instantly swept through the guild hall, causing most of the members to freeze in place, their faces etched with apprehension.

Lucy, however, remained utterly perplexed by the sudden change in atmosphere, while Mirajane maintained her usual calm and composed demeanor, a subtle smile playing on her lips.

“Is Erza the one Natsu was talking about?” Lucy whispered, recalling the exaggerated tales Natsu and Gray had spun about Erza’s incredible strength, tales that spoke of her ability to level a mountain with a single kick.

“Erza is currently Fairy Tail’s strongest female mage,” Mirajane replied, her voice soft yet confident.

Outside, a colossal shadow began to slowly approach the guild hall.

Heavy footsteps echoed, growing steadily louder with each passing moment.

“Erza’s back,” Macao muttered, his voice barely a whisper, his face pale with apprehension.

“Those are definitely Erza’s footsteps,” Wakaba added, beads of sweat trickling down his forehead.

Observing the reactions of the other guild members, Lucy began to understand the true extent of Erza’s power. “Judging by their reactions,” she thought to herself, “Erza really is an incredibly powerful mage.” A vivid image of a gigantic woman, adorned with fearsome devil horns, wreaking havoc across the city, flashed through her mind. “So scary!”

The footsteps drew ever closer.

Suddenly, a figure appeared in the doorway, carrying a massive horn on his shoulder.

Thump… Erza unceremoniously deposited the horn onto the guild hall’s floor, the sheer size of the trophy causing the very ground to tremble beneath its weight.

Lucy finally had a clear view of Erza’s face.

Her crimson hair cascaded down her shoulders, framing her delicate yet resolute features. Clad in her signature armor, she exuded an aura of strength and unwavering determination.

“I’m back,” Erza announced, her voice clear and commanding. “Is the Master here?”

“Welcome back, Erza,” Mirajane replied with a warm smile. “The Master’s already left for the regular meeting.”

“So…so beautiful!” Lucy exclaimed, completely taken aback by Erza’s appearance, which was far different from the exaggerated descriptions she’d received from Natsu and Gray.

Erza nodded slightly. “I see.”

“Miss Erza, what exactly is that enormous…thing?” someone ventured to ask, mustering their courage to inquire about the massive horn.

Erza’s gaze shifted towards the colossal horn. “This is the horn of a monster I defeated recently,” she explained calmly, “The locals added some decorative touches to it before presenting it to me as a gift.”

“Did you cause any trouble?” Erza asked the person who had dared to question her, her tone unwavering and her gaze piercing.

The person who had posed the question visibly flinched, stammering in response, “N-no, no trouble at all, Miss Erza!”

“I heard some rumors on my way back,” Erza announced, her gaze sweeping across the guild hall, her voice taking on a noticeably sharper edge.

“Fairy Tail’s been causing trouble again,” she stated, her tone laced with a hint of icy displeasure. “Even if the Master forgives you, I won’t.” A wave of apprehension swept through the guild hall as the members realized the gravity of Erza’s words.

“Oh no, she’s not going to kill us, is she?” The thoughts of those responsible for the recent incidents were filled with a deep sense of dread.

“Cana, what’s with that drinking posture?” Erza’s sharp gaze fell upon Cana, who instantly froze, hastily setting down her wine barrel and assuming a posture of demure obedience.

“Bickslow, if you’re going to dance, do it outside!” Bickslow, his face a mask of guilt, quickly retreated from the guild hall.

“Wakaba, your cigarette ash is about to fall on the floor!” Wakaba, startled by Erza’s observation, quickly removed the cigarette from his mouth and extinguished it.

“Elfman, still just loitering around the mission board? Get to work!”

“Macao,” Erza’s gaze finally fell upon Macao, causing him to visibly flinch.

Erza stared at Macao for a long moment, then let out a heavy sigh.

“Say something,” she urged, her tone conveying a mixture of exasperation and concern. Macao, unnerved by Erza’s prolonged silence, felt his anxiety levels skyrocket.

Erza rubbed her temples wearily. “You’re all such a handful,” she sighed, “I’ll let it slide this time.”

Lucy facepalmed. “She’s already said a lot. Is she the guild’s morality police?” she muttered to herself.

“Speaking of which,” Erza turned to Mirajane, “Finn should be back by now, shouldn’t he?”

“Yes, but he and the Master left for the regular meeting yesterday,” Mirajane replied.

Erza nodded, a hint of annoyance creeping into her voice. “That guy…he’s been gone for so long! Seriously,” she muttered.

Mirajane offered a weak explanation. “Perhaps the mission was more difficult than expected, heh heh…”

“Forget him for now,” Erza declared, shaking her head. “There’s something more important I need to address. Natsu and Gray, are you two around?”

As if summoned by her words, Natsu and Gray appeared side-by-side, their arms draped casually around each other’s shoulders. Gray stammered nervously, “E…Erza, we…we got along really well today.”

“Aye!” Natsu chimed in, his voice brimming with enthusiasm.

“Natsu’s become just like Happy,” Lucy whispered, her worldview irrevocably altered by the sight before her.

Erza smiled warmly. “It’s inevitable that friends will have disagreements, but I still prefer seeing you two getting along.”

“No, we’re not friends,” Gray mumbled under his breath.

“Aye,” Natsu echoed, seemingly oblivious to Gray’s statement.

Erza’s expression turned serious. “Natsu, Gray, I have a matter of some urgency that requires your assistance.”

“Huh? Erza actually asking for help?” The guild members exchanged puzzled glances.

Erza continued, “I received some rather disturbing news during my mission. I had hoped to seek the Master’s counsel on this matter, but since he’s currently away at the meeting, I believe it’s best to address this situation without delay.”

“Moreover, with Finn also absent, I require your assistance in resolving this issue. Will you help me?” she asked, her gaze fixed upon Natsu and Gray.

“This is unbelievable! What kind of problem would even make Erza ask for help?” A murmur of shock and disbelief rippled through the guild hall.

“We’ll be leaving tomorrow,” Erza announced, her tone unwavering, “so please prepare yourselves tonight.”

“Erza, Natsu, and Gray? I never would have imagined this,” Mirajane mused, stroking her chin thoughtfully. “That’s probably the strongest team in the guild right now.”

__________________

for more advance Chapters visit patreon.com/bars45.

For 10$- All advance Chapters.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep