"Gray, even though we'll be working together on this mission, in a certain sense, I won't be giving you too much help," Noel said.
"I believe you're already capable of standing on your own as a mage, so you need to take on the responsibility that comes with that."
Some things were better said outright — if they were going to treat this like playing house, they might as well not take on an S-Class mission at all.
When you're on an S-Class job, one wrong step could mean losing your life.
"You know as well as I do that the reason Natsu took that S-Class request was to prove he's no weaker than an S-Class mage," Noel continued.
"You and Natsu have always been both friends and rivals. You fight all the time, but deep down, you two actually get along pretty well, don't you?"
He smiled as he said it.
"Who gets along with that guy?" Gray scoffed.
"What was that? Say it again," Noel replied with a mischievous grin, as if warning him to think carefully… or else.
A chill ran down Gray's spine, and he quickly corrected himself.
"I mean, Natsu and I get along very well. We're great friends!"
"This mission is going to be a learning experience for you, so do your best," Noel said.
"But in the end, I really hope you and Natsu can work together to complete it."
His voice turned firm.
It sounded almost like the kind of pep talk given before an S-Class Promotion Trial. Noel usually didn't talk this way, but since this was an S-Class mission, there were things that had to be said upfront.
"Got it."
Gray fell silent in thought. After all, a mage who had gone through an S-Class mission was not the same as an ordinary mage — the difference in perspective and experience was huge.
It was a path toward becoming stronger.
And Gray knew how much he wanted that strength. If he'd had it back then, his parents wouldn't have died tragically before his eyes. If he'd had it, his master wouldn't have had to sacrifice her life because of him.
He understood better than anyone the cruel weight of weakness.
"Still, I'll make sure you're all safe," Noel added, his tone softening.
"Getting you back in one piece is my job."
The two of them caught the next train to Hargeon and set out.
When they arrived, they grabbed some food to fill their stomachs — the trip to Galuna Island involved a long sea voyage, and traveling on an empty stomach would be rough.
Meanwhile, at the docks, Natsu and Lucy were asking around to see if any boatmen could take them to Galuna Island. Every one of them shook their heads and refused.
Even when Natsu offered to pay more, not a single person was willing.
"Don't know what you're planning on doing there, but that island's cursed. Even pirates steer clear of it,"
one boatman said in fear.
"So it's no good…" Natsu muttered in disappointment. But then an idea struck him.
"We could swim there!"
"Are you crazy? Do you even know how far away Galuna Island is?" Lucy shot back.
After their meal, Noel and Gray headed straight for the port. They could already guess Natsu and Lucy were out here trying to find a boat.
If Natsu had found a boatman, they'd already be on their way. If not — perfect — they could all go together.
Natsu and Lucy were easy to spot in the crowd, especially with Natsu's distinctive pink hair.
When Gray showed up, both Natsu and Lucy jumped in surprise — and behind him was Noel.
"Noel? Gray? What are you doing here?" Natsu asked curiously.
"The old man's furious," Gray replied.
"He sent Noel and me to drag you back."
"They found out that fast?" Natsu was stunned. From the moment they'd grabbed the request slip, they'd gone straight from Magnolia to Hargeon. That wasn't exactly slow, yet here the two were, already catching up to them. Clearly, their actions had been discovered long ago.
"If you head back now, you won't get expelled from the guild. Come on," Gray said, trying to scare Natsu and Lucy a bit.
"Expelled?!" Lucy gasped. She hadn't realized the consequences could be that severe.
Off to the side, Noel was struggling to hold back his laughter — who knew Gray could be so devious?
"I'm not going back, no matter what," Natsu declared firmly.
"I'm going to complete this S-Class mission."
"Well, since you put it that way, let's do it together," Gray said casually, resting his hands behind his head.
"What?" Natsu blinked, not expecting Gray to give in. He turned to Noel.
Come to think of it… wasn't Noel an S-Class mage? Was he here to drag him back too?
"Actually, I already took the job," Noel said. "So you don't have to worry about getting expelled."
"Yes! Awesome!" Natsu shouted in excitement.
Noel remembered feeling the same way on his very first S-Class job.
"I'm fired up now!" Natsu grinned, practically vibrating with energy.
"There's just one thing," Noel said suddenly, realizing there was still someone in the guild who would absolutely come after them for this.
"You're safe for now — no risk of expulsion. But you might have to deal with Erza's punishment…"
"E–Erza?!" Natsu sucked in a sharp breath.
Even Lucy shivered, recalling the terror of being under Erza's control.
While they were chatting about guild matters, a boat docked nearby.
"A guild? So you're mages, huh? You here to lift the island's curse?"
asked a dark-skinned middle-aged man.
"Yes," Lucy answered naturally.
"Then hop on. I can take you to Galuna Island," the man said, waving them aboard.
"Name's Bobo — I'll be your boatman this time."
"I used to live on Galuna Island myself. I escaped from there… but you'd better be careful. The curse will come for you too."
Bobo kept looking the group over. Four people and a cat — they might be official guild mages, but they were awfully young.
Maybe it was worth scaring them a little, to prepare them for what was ahead.
He pulled his hand out from under his cloak — a pitch-black arm, covered in jagged protrusions.
"Mister… your arm…" Gray said, unnerved. It didn't look like any human limb.
Noel, on the other hand, was intrigued. Alchemists were always interested in strange things, and an arm like this would definitely be a research subject.
"That's… the curse," Lucy whispered in fear.
Bobo didn't answer their questions. Instead, he pointed ahead.
"Galuna Island — we're here."
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