Chapter 16: Another S-Class Mission
The Fairy Queen, Erza. She was the main female protagonist of the Fairy Tail anime. Or perhaps, more accurately, the secondary female lead, but her popularity was that of the main one.
Ren was also a big fan of Erza's character, so he recognized her instantly.
This was his first time seeing her in person. When he had joined the guild, Erza had been away on a mission.
"What's going on?"
"It seems like Erza wants to take an S-Class request, but the Master refused."
"S-Class?!"
S-Class requests were all super-high-difficulty jobs. Even for an S-Class Mage, they were life-threatening. One small mistake could be fatal.
Unless one was an overwhelmingly powerful S-Class Mage like Gildarts, even S-Class Mages rarely took S-Class jobs under normal circumstances.
"Master! I am confident I can complete this S-Class mission!"
Erza declared, looking Makarov in the eye. It had been three years since she became an S-Class Mage. She had passed the trial at fifteen, becoming the youngest S-Class Mage in Fairy Tail's history.
After her promotion, she hadn't rushed to take S-Class missions, as she knew her strength was still insufficient. She had been patiently honing her skills.
She had originally planned to take one last year, but then the incident with Mira happened, so she patiently trained for another year. She was now eighteen.
Hearing that a new member had completed an S-Class mission on his very first job had deeply ignited Erza's competitive spirit. She, a long-standing S-Class Mage, had yet to complete one, but a newbie already had.
That was why she had decided to challenge one.
"No! This job is too dangerous. This isn't a question of confidence, it's a question of strength."
"I have the strength to complete this mission!"
"Why are you so stubborn, you brat?!" Makarov slammed his hand on the table, exasperated.
Elfman muttered, "Why does this scene feel so familiar?" He glanced at Ren. Just a few days ago, Ren had had this exact same conversation with the Master.
"Master, I'm not being stubborn. I genuinely have the confidence to do this job."
Makarov sighed. "Ai! You child... S-Class requests are not that simple. This particular request has been posted for over two years. In that time, seven or eight powerful mages have challenged it. None of them have returned. Do you understand now why I won't let you go?"
"What?!"
"Seven or eight mages all failed?!"
The guild members were shocked. Any mage who could accept an S-Class request was already incredibly strong. For so many of them to have been lost... this mission was far too dangerous.
"Master, I still want to try!" Erza said, her expression serious. Every mission had risks. One could only break their limits by constantly challenging what was above them.
"You child! Why can't I get through to you!" Makarov was furious.
Just then, he glanced over and saw Ren standing by the request board. That brat... he's been eyeing the second-floor missions, hasn't he...
"Fine! I agree."
"Really?!" Erza was overjoyed. From the Master's attitude, she had been sure he would refuse.
"However! I have one condition!"
"What condition?"
"You cannot go on this mission alone. It's too dangerous. I'm assigning someone to go with you. Only then will I be at ease."
As he spoke, Makarov pointed his finger at Ren. "Ren, you will go with Erza!"
Ren was also stunned, pointing at himself. "Me?!!"
"WHAAAAT---?!"
The guild erupted in shock again. Ren was just a newbie who had joined the guild. He had just completed one S-Class mission, and now he was going on a second one? This was insane.
"That's right, you! You've been wanting to do S-Class missions, haven't you? I'll give you the chance. Go with Erza and complete this job. Will you do it?"
[Ding! Accept S-Class Mission: The Legendary Sword? Reward: One 10-Pull!]
"I'll do it! I'll do it! I'll do it!"
Ren's hand shot up the instant he saw the system prompt. How could he not? One S-Class request was worth ten A-Rank requests. And doing ten A-Rank jobs was a massive pain, running all over the place. This was so much more convenient.
Ren quickly walked over. "Master, I'll do it!"
"Erza, you and Ren will complete this mission together. If you don't agree, then I cannot allow you to go alone," Makarov said, looking straight at her. S-Class missions were too dangerous. While Erza's all-around skills were strong, the chance of failure was still high. Ren, though new, had experience completing an S-Class mission. And based on Elfman's report, while his stamina was poor, his full-power burst was easily at the very top tier of S-Class mages.
If Makarov wasn't worried about the kid's head getting too big, he would have promoted him to S-Class on the spot. Having Ren go with Erza was the only way he could feel even slightly at ease.
"I agree," Erza said without a hint of hesitation. She wasn't the type to be reckless just for the sake of it. If there was a way to complete the mission more safely, she would not refuse it.
"Hello, I'm Erza. It's a pleasure to work with you." Erza confidently held out her hand for an introduction.
Ren shook it. "I'm Ren. Likewise."
"Yes, I've heard about you. You defeated the Phantom Marauders all by yourself and completed an S-Class mission. You must be very reliable."
"It was just a stroke of luck."
"You don't complete an S-Class mission by 'luck.' We should spar sometime," she said.
"Er... sure." Ren could see the blazing competitive spirit in her eyes, as if she was already sizing him up for a fight.
"Ren, take a look at the mission," Makarov said, handing him the request form.
Ren took it. This was his first time "officially" seeing a real S-Class request. It was marked with a large, red 'S' to emphasize its danger.
[The Legendary Sword (S): In the temple deep within the Great Western Forest of the Kingdom of Soar, there is a legendary sword. Retrieve the sword and deliver it to the Soar royal palace.]
"The mission itself doesn't look that complicated," Ren observed.
Makarov's face was grim. "The simpler the task, the more dangerous it often is. Seven or eight powerful mages have already been lost on this job."
"I don't know much about the mission itself, but I do know about the Great Western Forest. That's its official name. It has another title: 'The Great Forest of Monsters'!"