Chapter 230: Lucy's Arrival
After leaving Roubaul, Noah didn't immediately rejoin the girls. He stood alone for a while, calming his emotions. When he felt ready, he went to find them.
He heard their laughter long before he saw them. They were at one of the Nirvit Tribe aunt's houses, happily eating.
"Brother Noah, you're back!" Wendy called out when she saw him at the door, waving him over. "The auntie's food is delicious! You have to try some!"
"Yes, yes, come in and eat, Noah!" the woman bustled over, welcoming him warmly. "I made plenty!"
Noah accepted her hospitality and sat down with the girls. The table was covered in unique Nirvit dishes, and he realized he was hungry. The girls all pointed out their favorite dishes, and Noah tried a bit of everything. It was all excellent, and clearly new recipes he'd never had before.
Surrounded by their cheerful laughter, Noah's heavy mood finally lifted.
The girls decided to stay at the village for a few more days. Noah told them to let his Thought Projection know when they were ready to return, and he would come and get them.
With that, Noah left and went to Nirvana's seal. He carefully undid his own barriers, allowing the faintest trace of its power to begin leaking out. He knew a cautious man like Brain wouldn't just charge in. He would investigate and test the rumors first. Noah had planted the seed; now, he just had to wait for it to sprout.
He returned to the guild, his main body resuming his training while his Thought Projection handled guild affairs.
The projection had become the guild's primary receptionist, handling all the job registrations. But it also meant he was the first to hear the guild's problems. Lately, he'd been hearing about increased friction between Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord.
The two guilds had been rivals for years, but recently, the conflicts had become more serious. Thanks to Noah's training and upgrades, Fairy Tail's members were stronger and hadn't been on the losing end. This meant the change had to be on Phantom Lord's side. It was likely their master, Jose, was planning something. Noah made a mental note of it and warned all the members to be careful.
Makarov, wanting to maintain order, was trying to avoid an all-out guild war. Noah agreed with his approach. If you're going to strike a snake, you have to do it in one blow. A failed attempt would only invite a venomous counter-attack. They would wait for the right opportunity.
Another month or two passed. Noah's Thought Projection was sitting at the bar, sifting through the usual mountain of guild paperwork. His main job had become processing the fines, compensation invoices, and writing the apology letters for all the property damage the members caused on their jobs.
One report caught his eye. It was about Natsu. This was no surprise; Natsu generated more compensation invoices than the rest of the guild combined. His mission pay almost never covered the damages, and Noah or the guild often had to pay the difference, which Natsu would then have to work off.
But this report was... specific. It detailed the destruction of half the port of Hargeon, all in an attempt to capture a criminal named Bora.
"Hargeon Port, huh?"
If Noah remembered correctly, this was where Natsu was supposed to meet Lucy. The destruction of the port was also part of the original story. He wondered if they had met. He would find out soon enough.
The projection notified Noah's main body, which stopped its training, cleaned up, and teleported to the guild, taking the projection's place.
Not long after, the guild doors swung open, and two figures walked in. One was Natsu, stomping in with a furious look on his face. The other... was Lucy. She stood in the doorway, her eyes wide with a mixture of shock and excitement as she took in the chaotic scene.
Seeing them together, Noah felt a strange sense of... dislocation.
'So,' he thought, 'the main story is beginning. I wonder how much my presence has already changed things?'
His thoughts were interrupted by a loud crash. Natsu had just drop-kicked a guild member across the room.
"You bastard!" Natsu roared. "That Salamander info was a total fake!"
"Someone stop him!"
"Aargh!"
"Natsu, you—"
"Ow!"
The guild instantly erupted into a full-scale brawl. Lucy, however, just stood in the doorway, a massive smile on her face.
"This is amazing... I'm really here... in Fairy Tail."
"My, my, they're at it again already," Mirajane, wearing a wine-red dress, giggled from the bar. "So full of energy." She looked like she was itching to join in.
"Big Sis Mira, don't you dare!" Lisanna warned, seeing the look in her sister's eyes.
"Natsu's back?! You bastard!" Gray yelled, suddenly jumping to his feet. "We still haven't settled our last fight!"
He was, of course, stripped down to his boxers. Lucy's jaw dropped.
"Why are you dressed like that again?" Sorano sighed, covering Wendy's, Yukino's, and Meredy's eyes. "Don't look, it'll rot your brain."
"Oh! Crap!" At the mention of Ultear's name, Gray visibly flinched and began frantically looking for his clothes.
~~~
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