— — — — — —
"You actually had a chance to live," Erza said coldly. "But you shouldn't have even thought about laying a finger on our guild master."
"There are some things—some lines—you just don't cross."
Without another word, Erza tightened her grip and snapped Erigor's neck. A man like him didn't deserve to keep breathing.
"He's dead. Problem solved. And mission complete."
Kazuma waved his hand, and the shadow soldiers silently dragged Erigor's body into the darkness. Even in death, Erigor never knew the truth—that the cursed flute he'd pinned all his hopes on had already been destroyed by Kazuma, that every last one of his subordinates had already been wiped out.
He would never know.
"An entire dark guild—dozens, maybe over a hundred people—just gone like that!"
Lucy stared at Kazuma and Erza, feeling dazed. 'That was over a hundred mages,' and yet… they were all gone in the blink of an eye. One man had crushed a whole guild as easily as stepping on an ant.
"So, um… what do we do now? How do we report this to Master? And what about the Magic Council—"
"Report what?" Kazuma interrupted, sounding genuinely puzzled. "I just came out to do a job and take a little trip. What exactly am I supposed to report?"
"The Eisenwald Guild…" Lucy murmured uncertainly.
"Eisenwald Guild? Never heard of them," Kazuma said, turning to Erza. "You know who they are?"
"No."
Erza's tone was utterly serious. She really didn't. She'd only seen Erigor himself—no guild, no members, nothing that could prove their existence.
"This… this is allowed?"
Lucy glanced around the empty train station. There wasn't a trace left—no bodies, no blood. Who could possibly prove Eisenwald had ever been here? Even if someone did come asking questions, as long as Kazuma didn't admit anything, what evidence could they show?
"Lucy, you've still got a lot to learn."
Kazuma patted her on the shoulder, then summoned his magic motorbike.
"So, you two want to hang out in town, or ride back to the guild with me?"
"Let's go back together."
Erza swung herself onto the seat behind him, naturally holding onto his waist for balance.
"Wait for me! Don't leave me here alone!" Lucy scrambled after them, muttering in her head, 'Ugh… all this work for just a month of free food. Totally not worth it.'
They hadn't faced real danger, but mentally she felt exhausted. Next time? No way. Even if someone paid her double, she'd never do a mission with these two again.
"Erza, switch seats with Lucy."
Kazuma stopped the bike suddenly and looked back.
"Huh? Why?" Erza asked, scanning the area warily. "Are there still Eisenwald survivors nearby?"
"No," Kazuma said, deadpan. "It's just that your armor's killing my back. Lucy's a lot softer."
His gaze flicked briefly to Erza's chestplate—solid metal, hard and pointy. Definitely uncomfortable. Lucy, on the other hand, would make for a much more forgiving cushion.
"Oh."
Erza didn't argue. She could've just removed her armor, but she never felt safe without it. So she simply switched places with Lucy.
"Kazuma-san," Lucy teased as she wrapped her arms around his waist, "you know that's basically harassment, right? I see right through you."
"Sure," Kazuma said with a grin. "Just don't start crying later, begging to switch back. Good Luck with Erza behind you."
He revved the bike, and the engine roared to life—in an instant, they were speeding down the road, faster than a train.The only downside: it drained Kazuma's magic fast.
Before long, Lucy's cheerful mood turned into a wail.
"Ahhh! It hurts—it hurts—it hurts! Waaaah!"
"I don't wanna sit here anymore! Erza, your armor is so sharp—it's stabbing me everywhere!"
Lucy's eyes watered. She'd thought Kazuma was just trying to cop a feel, but no—he'd been telling the truth. It really was painful.
---
In the end, they switched back. Kazuma drove, Erza—now in a lighter outfit—sat behind him, and Lucy brought up the rear.
"I've been meaning to ask," Lucy said after a while. "Since you already have this magic bike, and it's way faster than a train… why didn't we just use it from the start? Would've saved us the train fare!"
She hugged Erza's slim waist and couldn't help comparing—Erza was all lean muscle and perfect proportions, while she felt a bit… squishy in comparison. 'Ugh, maybe I should go on a diet.'
"That's actually a good question," Kazuma replied. "But let me ask you something—can you cook?"
"Of course I can!" Lucy puffed up her cheeks. "I'm not amazing, but I can handle basic dishes. Don't underestimate me!"
"Then why do you always eat at the guild instead of cooking at home?" Kazuma shot back casually.
"Because it's a pain," Lucy said without thinking. "You have to shop, prep, cook, clean up—too much trouble. It's easier to just eat at the guild." Then it hit her. "Wait a minute… you're making fun of me, aren't you?"
"Exactly," Kazuma said, amused. "Same logic. Why drive when I can just take the train? It's easier, saves effort, and doesn't waste magic. Sure, I can fly this thing anytime, but unless I have to, why bother?"
Lucy blinked, then let out a sheepish laugh. "Huh. When you put it that way… yeah, that makes sense."
And just like that, the conversation died. The three rode on in silence for a while, the air slightly awkward—until Lucy, desperate to break it, blurted out:
"So, uh… Kazuma, I heard about your magic back at the guild. I'm really curious—how many things do you actually have stored in your vault?"
She'd heard from Mirajane that his magic was called The Gate of Babylon: Treasury of the King—a collection of countless weapons he could summon at will to unleash devastating attacks.
"I honestly don't know," Kazuma said simply. "Too much stuff. Even I've lost track."
And he wasn't exaggerating. The original "Treasury" could already collect treasures from across past, present, and future. Even Gilgamesh himself admitted he didn't know how many treasures he had.
But Kazuma's Treasury had evolved beyond that—it held weapons from other worlds, and the collection only kept growing.
"…I really shouldn't have asked," Lucy muttered, deflated. She was supposed to be the rich one among them, but somehow Kazuma always managed to outshine her completely.
Wasn't she supposed to be the one bragging for once? When would it finally be her turn to show off?
"Erza, what about you?" Lucy asked, quickly changing the subject. "Your magic's 'Requip,' right? How many armors do you have? Must be a ton of outfits too, huh?"
Her curiosity was genuine this time—but mostly, she just didn't want to feel like the poorest one in the group again.
.
.
.
P.S. Drop your stones — every 200 = a bonus.