The festive buzz of the Harvest Festival still lingered in everyone's ears, but just like that, half a month had passed. Sunlight streamed through the guild's stained-glass windows, casting colorful patterns on the floor.
Lucy, looking a bit travel-worn, pushed open the guild's doors, her blonde hair swaying with each step. She made a beeline for the request board, but when she saw the empty subjugation section, her shoulders slumped.
"Not even one subjugation request left?"
Disappointed, she plopped down at the bar. "There was half a wall full when I left."
"You're a step too late~," Mirajane said with a smile, sliding a glass of iced juice her way while wiping down a cup. "Just a bit ago, Levy snagged the last subjugation request."
"What a shame," Lucy said, taking the glass. The cold felt so good she squinted in satisfaction.
"I was hoping to grab another subjugation job. I even rushed back for it."
Thinking back on her recent adventures, a grin crept onto her face. "But, you know, this has been my most productive week ever! I completed four subjugation requests! Four!"
She excitedly held up four fingers.
"The magic power I gained this week is almost as much as I got in the last half-month combined. Plus, I scored some pretty cool magic items!"
Happy, dozing nearby, was woken by her voice. He lazily flicked his tail. "You're making a big deal out of nothing, Lucy. Back in the day, we used to take subjugation jobs like that all the time."
"When Erza and the others first partnered with Roger, they'd clear twenty-five subjugation requests in a month, and there'd still be some left on the board."
"No way!" Lucy's eyes widened, brimming with envy. "If I'd joined the guild that early, could I be as strong as Natsu and the others by now?"
She took a big gulp of juice, soothing her parched throat, then asked curiously, "But seriously, why are there so many subjugation requests lately? And most of them are for dark guilds. Is something big about to go down?"
"It's because of the Oración Seis," Roger said, appearing beside her out of nowhere, placing a weekly magazine in front of her. "According to Simon, the Oración Seis is about to make a move. Their affiliated dark guilds are out there plundering to fund them."
"The Oración Seis?" Lucy picked up the magazine, her fingers brushing over the dense reports. When she read "The only surviving merchant guild—Love & Lucky!" she sat up straight, the ice in her glass clinking.
"Wait! Isn't that the merchant guild I visited before?"
Her voice rose unintentionally. "The guys I took down… were they part of the Oración Seis's network?"
Her words drew the attention of those nearby.
Mirajane set down the request forms she was sorting and leaned in slightly. "Why were you at a merchant guild?"
"Well…" Lucy fiddled with her straw, slowly stirring her drink, her gaze drifting to the window. "It was because of my dad. He went bankrupt and came to me for money."
Her voice softened. "We had a bit of a fight, but… we sort of worked things out in the end."
"Your dad?" Happy tilted his head, his ears twitching. "You mean that guy you said was following you?"
"Yeah." Lucy gently swirled her glass, the ice clinking softly. "Not really 'following,' though. His steps were so heavy I spotted him right away—probably thanks to all that training with Mirajane and the others."
Seeing Happy about to press for more, she quickly changed the subject. "Anyway! I'm more curious about the Oración Seis. Those attackers weren't that tough, so how strong are the Oración Seis themselves?"
"They're decently skilled," Roger said, leaning against the bar, his fingers idly tapping the wooden counter. "They're one of the three major Balam Alliance guilds with just six members, so they're not weak. Plus, they've got a bunch of subordinate dark guilds, which makes most regular guilds wary—or even scared—of them."
Lucy's grip tightened on her glass, her knuckles whitening. If Roger called them "decently skilled," were they all Saint-level or even nation-destroying?! Taking out their affiliates—would she get ambushed on a job?!
"C-Compared to our guild, then?" she asked cautiously.
"They're much weaker," Roger said with a shrug. "If we had intel on their magic, Erza alone could wipe out the entire Oración Seis."
Lucy's heart, which had been lodged in her throat, finally settled. "Phew, I thought they were way stronger."
"Everyone," Makarov's voice cut through from the doorway. They turned to see him walking in, his expression grave. "The Council has confirmed that we, along with Cait Shelter and Blue Pegasus, will handle the subjugation of the Oración Seis you're talking about."
"Other guilds?" Lucy blinked. "Do we really need that many guilds? Didn't you say Erza could handle them alone?"
Makarov stroked his beard, shaking his head. "The target is one of the Balam Alliance's three major guilds. If just one guild acts, it could become a target for retaliation from the other two dark guilds."
"A multi-guild alliance spreads their focus."
"However," he added, his gaze sweeping over the group, "while it's a joint operation, we're the main force. The other two guilds are mostly there to draw the dark guilds' attention."
He sighed, his eyes lingering on them. "The team for this mission will be Erza, Mirajane, Roger, Natsu, and Lucy."
"You've been tackling incidents together lately, so to avoid any surprises, you'll go as a group."
"And—" Makarov looked at Roger. "The Cait Shelter guild master specifically sent a letter requesting Roger's participation. They'll explain the details in person."
"A guild member from Cait Shelter will guide you to their location."
"Cait Shelter," Erza mused, her armor clinking faintly as she crossed her arms. "I've never heard of them. Are they a regular guild?"
"Yes," Makarov nodded. "They joined the guild alliance decades ago, but they rarely take requests, so they're not well-known. They're just registered with the Council."
Roger thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. When do we leave?"
"Be at the Worth Woodsea meeting point by 9 a.m. tomorrow. Arrange the details yourselves."
"Got it!" the five replied in unison.
The next morning, just as dawn broke, the group was packed and boarded a carriage headed for Worth Woodsea.
The carriage rattled along the bumpy road. After casting an illusion to ease Natsu's motion sickness, Roger looked at Lucy, who was engrossed in a book. "Lucy, can a Celestial Spirit Mage send their spirits far away to fight?"
"Huh?" Lucy closed her book, her finger marking the page. She thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Usually not. There's a distance limit—about 500 meters max—unless the spirit crosses the gate on their own power. Then they're not bound by the mage's magic and can act freely."
"But most Celestial Spirit Mages don't let their spirits go too far. If something unexpected happens and you can't close the gate, maintaining two spirits with low magic can be life-threatening."
Roger nodded. "Got it."
He fell silent, lost in thought.
Though his question seemed odd, Lucy just shrugged at his focused expression and went back to her book.
The carriage rumbled on noisily until a luxurious villa came into view.
Before getting off, Roger subtly flicked his finger upward. A faint purple glint flashed in the nearby forest, and a corner of black cloth vanished into the trees.
"Roger, what's up? Enemies?" Mirajane asked quietly, noticing his movement.
"Not yet. Just taking precautions," Roger said with a small smile, walking toward the villa with her.
Creak. The villa's door swung open, and a handsome young man with short yellow hair stepped out, smiling. "Fairy Tail, my teacher and I have been waiting for you."
Lucy's eyes widened. "W-Wait, isn't that Hibiki Lates, from the 'Most Wanted Boyfriend' list?!"
"You have a teacher?"
"Of course," Hibiki said proudly. "My teacher is the most charming man in the world."
"Hibiki, let's keep it low-key," a magnetic voice called from the second floor. "Especially with Mr. Roger here."
"That voice!" Lucy gasped. "It's so rich, like a cello—"
Her words stopped short as a short, chubby man shaped like a gourd descended the stairs. Dressed in a pristine white suit, he struck a pose he clearly thought was dashing and winked his left eye.
"I am Ichiya, born for you!"
"Welcome to my villa."
Lucy froze, unable to believe her eyes. This guy? With that voice? He was so… unappealing!
Feeling his gaze, Lucy's scalp tingled, and she instinctively stepped back to avoid it.
Roger stepped forward with a grin. "Long time no see, Ichiya. Didn't expect just you and Hibiki for this fight."
Ichiya visibly flinched, stepping back, his voice wavering. "W-Well, Hibiki's Archive Magic has data on the Oración Seis, and I'm here for strategic guidance, so the guild sent us to assist you, man."
Lucy leaned toward Happy, whispering, "Why does Ichiya seem scared of Roger?"
"Aye!" Happy raised a paw. "Ichiya's got a bad habit of sniffing women's scents. Once, when Roger and Erza went with the master to a meeting, Ichiya was there. He tried to sniff Erza, and they pinned him down and beat him up."
"Plus, Roger cast some illusion magic that gave him nightmares for a month. Now he trembles whenever Roger's around."
Lucy's mouth twitched. He totally deserved it.
Creak. The villa door opened again, and a timid voice spoke up. "H-Hello, everyone. I'm Wendy Marvell from Cait Shelter."
They turned to see a shy girl with long blue hair standing at the door, fidgeting nervously under their gazes.
She wore a blue-and-yellow dress with wing-like accessories on her wrists and ankles.
Lucy blinked. "A little girl?"
Ichiya, still posing, asked, "Cait Shelter only sent a kid?"
"Oh, she's not alone!" a haughty voice piped up from behind Wendy, accompanied by the soft pat pat of paw pads.
A white cat in a little dress with a pink bow on its tail strutted out elegantly.
The moment Happy saw her, his heart raced so loud it seemed everyone could hear it. He floated over to Lucy, shyly tapping her leg, his tail swishing nervously.
"Um, Lucy, could you give her this fish for me?"
Lucy grinned slyly. "Oh? Love at first sight, Happy? But you've gotta give gifts yourself to show you mean it~."
Happy rubbed his face with a paw, drawing circles on the ground with his foot. "B-But what if she likes something else?"
Seizing her chance for payback, Lucy covered her mouth, mimicking his usual teasing tone with an exaggerated roll. "They're in looove~!"
Happy's eyes widened in shock. "You stole my line! And your tongue roll was three times stronger!"
Wendy's face lit up as she saw the cat. "Carla! You came too?"
"Of course," Carla said, crossing her arms, paws tucked into her sleeves. "I'm not letting you go out alone, kid."
With a familiar friend by her side, Wendy's tense shoulders relaxed a bit. She looked up at the group, her gaze still shy. "U-Um, hello. I'm not great at fighting, b-but I can use helpful support magic."
"Please don't think I'm useless."
"Wendy!" Carla snapped, exasperated. "Don't start with that! Be confident! You use Lost Magic!"
Wendy shrank back. "S-Sorry—"
"And stop apologizing!" Carla sighed.
"No one's going to think less of you," Erza said, stepping forward with a smile. "In fact, we need you. We've got enough fighters, but we could use a support mage. You're perfect for this, Wendy."
Wendy's eyes widened, then she turned excitedly to Carla. "Did you hear that, Carla? Snow White—er, Miss Erza says they need me!"
"Hmph," Carla tilted her head up. "This woman's as reliable as the rumors say."
"What about me?" Happy zipped over eagerly. "I'm King Happy! Have you seen me in the projection crystals?"
Carla gave him a side-eye and huffed. "Just a puppet king controlled by a wicked woman."
"Oh my~," Mirajane said, stepping forward with a playful smile. "Calling me a wicked woman? That hurts my feelings~."
She bent down, holding out a fist to Wendy. "Here, Wendy, open your hand."
Wendy hesitated but obeyed, feeling something cool in her palm. When Mirajane moved her hand, Wendy saw a few beautifully wrapped candies.
"I made these myself," Mirajane said, winking. "Lots of guild members love them. I bet you will too."
"T-Thank you," Wendy said, her earlier tension melting into a sweet smile as the group's kindness warmed her.
[Ding! Gained 400,000 magic power. Obtained Healing Hammer.]
[Healing Hammer: A warhammer that heals teammates by smacking them. The harder you hit, the faster they recover. Smash your care right into their hearts!]
Hearing the system's prompt in his mind, Roger's lips curved slightly.
"Your turn."
Everyone froze. Happy tilted his head curiously. "Who're you talking to, Roger?"
"Angel, one of the Oración Seis—a Celestial Spirit Mage," a voice said from the doorway, making everyone turn.
In front of Roger's illusion stood a woman with a feathered shawl, a single tuft of hair curled like a pig's tail atop her head.
"What?! No way!" Shocked gasps filled the air.
Lucy clapped a hand over her mouth. "One of the Oración Seis? Taken down already? That was way too fast!"
"Exactly, man," Ichiya said, striking another pose. "We haven't even gone over our strategy or their intel, and Roger's already taken out an enemy. Impressive."
Snap. A crisp sound rang in everyone's ears. Hibiki and Ichiya's eyes glazed over, losing focus as they slipped into a daze.
"Illusion magic?" Lucy asked, puzzled, looking at Roger. "Why use it on them?"
"Because next," Roger said, "I'm about to cast a little spell to turn enemies into friends."
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