Chapter 250: Gifts
"It's a huge town," Gray murmured, looking at the massive estate in front of them.
"It feels so peaceful and comfortable here," Erza added, equally impressed.
"The air is so fresh!" Wendy said, taking a deep breath, a look of satisfaction on her face.
"It's so beautiful!" Yukino and Meredy chimed in, their eyes sparkling as they took in the stunning architecture and landscaping.
"It really is," Ultear agreed. Just looking at the scenery made her feel lighter.
Hearing their comments, Noah couldn't help but smile.
"Ah, um... that's not a town," Lucy said, smiling brightly. "That's my family's garden. Everything up to that mountain over there belongs to my family."
She dropped this bombshell with a casual smile that shattered everyone's worldview.
"What? What's wrong with everyone?" Lucy asked, confused by their frozen expressions. Only Noah seemed unaffected.
"A rich young lady..."
"Casually showing off her wealth..."
Gray and Natsu stood stiffly, saluting in sync, their voices flat. Lucy jumped, startled by their weird behavior.
"Natsu and Gray are down! Captain Erza, say something!" Happy saluted as he flew over to Erza.
"Ah... the sky... is so blue..."
"Captain Erza's brain is broken too!! Captain Noah, help!"
"Pretty shocking, isn't it?" Noah laughed.
"It really is," Ultear nodded.
"Is there anything fun to do in a garden this big?" Sorano asked Lucy curiously.
"I... I don't really know," Lucy said, scratching her head.
"But seeing this... I understand why you said Phantom Lord might target her," Mirajane said, looking out over the estate. A property of this scale required immense wealth to maintain. For a guild like Phantom Lord, seeing such riches would easily spark greed and malice.
"Exactly. Lucy, you really need to be careful," Erza said, her expression turning serious as she recovered.
"I know," Lucy nodded. She knew they were only looking out for her.
"Big Sis Lucy is amazing!" Wendy and the younger girls looked at Lucy with pure adoration.
"Haha, it's not me, it's my mom and dad. I haven't really done anything," Lucy said, blushing.
"Alright, let's go in. Uncle and Auntie are waiting," Noah said, pointing to the largest mansion in the distance.
"Right. Let's not keep them waiting," Ultear said, taking the lead.
The group followed, marveling at the sheer size of the estate as they walked. Along the way, they encountered gardeners and staff working on the grounds. When they spotted Lucy in the group, they lit up.
"The Young Miss is back!!"
"What? The Young Miss?!"
"It really is her!"
"Welcome home, Miss!"
"Miss, you've been gone for a month or two! Have you been eating well? Are you dressing warmly?"
"Of course! I wouldn't mistreat myself!"
"Where have you been, Miss?"
"I went lots of places! And I joined Fairy Tail!"
"Miss, the new books from the East have arrived."
"Really? I'll read them later!"
"Have you been keeping up with your magic studies? Celestial Spirit magic is magic of trust and love..."
"I haven't forgotten, don't worry!"
The servants crowded around Lucy, showering her with concern and affection. Lucy responded to each of them with a bright, genuine smile.
"Lucy is really loved by them," Mirajane observed, seeing the genuine care in the servants' eyes.
"Young Master Noah, you're here," a servant said, approaching Noah. "And these are...?"
"Lucy joined Fairy Tail. These are our guildmates. I made an appointment with Uncle Jude to visit today."
"I will go announce you immediately."
"Thank you." The servant hurried off toward the mansion.
"Sorry about that. I'll take you in now," Lucy said, finally extricating herself from the crowd of well-wishers.
"It's fine. They just care about you," Erza said, waving it off.
"Are these the Miss's comrades? My, what a fine-looking group!"
"Everyone looks so spirited and energetic!"
"These young ladies are beautiful, and the little ones are adorable!"
"Really? Thank you!!"
"These two young men are quite strapping, too."
"Oh... uh... not really..."
The servants then turned their attention to Ultear and the others, showering them with compliments until they were blushing.
"Okay, okay, everyone! Let me take them to see Mom and Dad first!" Lucy said, gently shooing them away. The servants dispersed back to their work.
"You're very popular, Lucy," Levy said.
"I love them all, too. Come on, let's go inside," Lucy smiled, leading the way.
After a long walk through the grounds, they finally reached the main house.
"IT'S HUGE!" Wendy and the younger girls gasped, covering their mouths.
"It really is," Ultear agreed, looking up at the towering structure. Even prepared, seeing it up close was impressive.
"Welcome to my home!" Lucy said, standing at the door with a smile. She turned and pushed the doors open. Inside the grand foyer stood Jude in a suit and Layla in an elegant dress.
"Mom! Dad!" Lucy ran forward and threw herself into Layla's arms.
"Welcome home, Lucy. How was your journey?" Layla asked, stroking Lucy's back. Jude watched her closely, checking for any signs of hardship. He knew where she had been, but seeing her safe with his own eyes was a relief.
"It was great! I saw so many things I'd only read about! And Mom... I joined Fairy Tail!" Lucy beamed, holding up her right hand to show off her pink guild mark.
"That's wonderful. I'm glad you're happy. But aren't you going to introduce your friends?" Jude asked with a smile.
Lucy blinked, realizing she'd completely forgotten about the group standing behind her in her excitement. Blushing, she pulled away from Layla. "These are my comrades from Fairy Tail," she said, gesturing to the group. "And these are my parents."
"Hello, Uncle! Hello, Auntie!" Ultear and the others chorused.
"Hello, everyone. Thank you for taking care of Lucy," Layla said warmly. Her gentle eyes and kind demeanor immediately won them over.
"Lucy has helped us a lot, too. We help each other," Erza said earnestly.
Layla smiled. "This isn't the place to talk. Please, follow me."
She led them, along with Jude and Lucy, into the drawing room. Coffee and pastries were already laid out. After everyone was seated, Layla turned to Lucy.
"Since you've joined Fairy Tail, your father and I have a gift for you. A congratulatory present for becoming a guild wizard." She picked up a gift box and handed it to Lucy.
"For me? Thank you!" Lucy took the box, surprised.
"Go on, open it," Layla encouraged.
Lucy opened the box and gasped. Inside, neatly arranged, were four golden keys.
"Zodiac Keys!! And four of them!!"
Levy leaned over. "Aren't those super rare? There are only twelve in the world, right?"
"Yeah! They're ultra-rare! I can't believe there are four here!" Lucy exclaimed. The keys were Sagittarius, Gemini, Aries, and Scorpio.
"Ever since you decided to become a Celestial Spirit wizard, your father and I have been looking for Zodiac keys," Layla explained with a smile. "It took us a few years to find these four. This is our way of supporting you. Don't think we expect you to achieve any specific greatness... we just want you to do what you love. Because you love being a Celestial Spirit wizard, we found these keys for you."
Lucy's eyes filled with tears. She hugged Layla tightly. "Thank you, Dad! Thank you, Mom!"
"There, there. The most important thing is that you're happy," Layla soothed, patting her back. Jude watched them with a gentle smile.
Across from them, Ultear and the others watched the scene with envy in their eyes. For a group of people who, between them, could barely scrape together a single pair of normal parents, seeing Lucy's loving family touched a nerve.
Natsu and Wendy thought of Igneel and Grandeeney, their eyes filling with longing. Wendy began to tear up. Ultear thought of her mother, Ur, who was away. The others recalled their own missing or lost parents.
Yukino and Meredy's eyes also welled up. Sorano quickly hugged her sister, and Mirajane and Ultear moved to comfort Wendy and Meredy.
Layla noticed the tears and asked what was wrong. Mirajane and Ultear explained their situations. Hearing their stories, Layla's heart broke. She gently let go of Lucy, walked over to Wendy and the younger girls, and knelt down, pulling them into a hug.
Her motherly warmth broke the dam, and the girls burst into tears, letting out all the emotions they had been holding back.
Noah, Ultear, and the others watched with heavy hearts. They could give the girls the love of siblings, but they couldn't replace a mother. Ur was a mother, but her style was... unconventional. Being able to release their feelings with Layla was good for them.
After a while, the girls cried themselves out. They wiped their eyes, blushing and looking down, embarrassed by their outburst. Layla understood completely. She patted their heads affectionately and returned to her seat.
"Noah," she said, changing the subject to give the girls time to recover, "you said you had something to discuss with us?"
Noah nodded. This was one of the main reasons they had come. He explained their concerns about Phantom Lord targeting Lucy.
"Hmm..." Jude mused. "I've looked into Phantom Lord before. They are the other top guild in Fiore, alongside Fairy Tail. But the information I have suggests their conduct is indeed poor. There have been rumors of them threatening clients and other illegal activities, but without evidence, the Council hasn't acted. If that's how they operate... then what you're worried about is a very real possibility."
As the head of a massive conglomerate, Jude knew all about underhanded tactics. Based on what he knew, Noah's fears were well-founded.
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