[Ding! Mission triggered!]
[Mission Name: "Safe Return!"
Mission Details:
Through "Memory of Time," you have returned to the past, arriving in Magnolia six years ago. To ensure the future remains unchanged, you must lead this journey through time, safely bringing your companions back and keeping everything intact.
Mission Progress:
Lead all companions back (Incomplete)
Mission Reward: Random Cloth or skill of the Five Bronze Saints.]
After glancing at the system-triggered mission, Marco closed the panel.
There wasn't much to say about this mission—it was something he had to do anyway.
He just hadn't expected that this single matter would trigger two missions: one for his younger self and another for his present self.
If anything, it could be considered two missions triggered simultaneously.
But clearly, the mission for his younger self was simpler.
The truly difficult one was for his present self, who was responsible for orchestrating everything behind the scenes.
This was evident from the rewards: his younger self only received a random Silver Saint Skill, while this mission directly specified the Five Bronze Saints.
Wearing a mask, Marco appeared in a back alley of Magnolia.
His crows soared high in the sky, keeping watch over the several "actors" and continuously relaying messages back to him.
In the end, Marco decided to keep an eye on Natsu and Gray.
Comparatively, Lucy and Erza were more reliable, and he had already rehearsed with them.
Marco's figure vanished and reappeared not far from where Natsu and Gray were.
He silently observed the duo and the cat, monitoring their every move.
Natsu, Gray, and Happy had actually taken Erza and Lucy's advice to heart.
The trio had made some simple disguises.
Gray wore a yellow wig and wrapped a white headband around his head, while Natsu sported a black wig.
Both had changed their clothes, and even Happy was disguised in a yellow bear onesie.
"This way, we won't be recognized!"
Natsu grinned, convinced their disguises were perfect—and indeed, they were much better than Lucy and Erza's.
The trio didn't do anything outrageous.
They just excitedly walked through the streets, chattering about the changes in Magnolia and gazing at shops that only existed in their memories.
It wasn't that all of them had gone out of business; some had simply relocated. As new ones arrived, old ones naturally departed.
Magnolia had developed rapidly over the years, and shops that couldn't keep up with the times inevitably had to adapt.
"I really liked this place."
Natsu pointed at a restaurant, feeling rather regretful that it was gone six years later.
"That was your doing."
Gray quipped beside him.
The shop had been destroyed by Natsu, and here he was acting all remorseful.
Natsu had even paid a hefty compensation back then—had he already forgotten?!
"Huh?"
Natsu widened his eyes and scratched his head.
He truly didn't remember.
Well, with so much destruction caused, it was understandable.
Just as one wouldn't remember how many slices of bread they've eaten, Natsu wouldn't remember how much damage he'd done.
This is the true value of having worked as a mage for so many years—completing numerous missions and earning substantial rewards, yet having no savings to show for it.
In a way, someone like Natsu is the ideal workhorse for a magic guild: powerful, diligent in taking on missions, perpetually broke, always on the job, never considering retirement, and rarely taking long breaks—essentially a fully automated beast of burden.
"Luckily, these guys still know their limits."
After watching the duo and the cat for a while, Marco breathed a sigh of relief.
For now, everything seemed fine—the two humans and the cat were already heading toward the outskirts, making their way to the small riverside they often frequented.
"Year X778, I had just joined the guild a year ago, and Igneel had only disappeared a year prior. I need to find Igneel!"
Just as Marco was about to leave, Natsu suddenly grew agitated.
"Finding Igneel" was like a main quest that had always defined Natsu's life, ever since he first arrived at the guild.
"Don't be ridiculous! You searched every single day back then and still didn't find him. What's the point of looking again now? Besides, we can't wander too far, or Marco and the others might not be able to find us."
As Natsu triggered his core programming, Gray immediately held him back.
Among the trio, Gray was clearly the most level-headed.
"You're right..."
Natsu paused, abandoning his impulsive thought. He wasn't entirely reckless—he knew Gray made sense.
Back then, he had practically turned the entire area upside down and found nothing, so searching now would be futile.
"Speaking of which, Happy should be joining the guild soon, right? Sometime in the second half of this year?"
The duo and the cat crouched side by side by the river, watching the water flow gently as they reminisced about the events of X778.
It was a year when many things happened—Mirajane, Elfman, and Lisanna all joined around this time, making the guild increasingly lively.
Most of their companions had already gathered.
"Aye! I was born this year!" Happy declared loudly.
In his heart, Happy found this experience utterly surreal—he had traveled back to a time before he was even born and met Natsu, Gray, and Erza from before his own birth.
Suddenly, a familiar, slightly teasing voice broke the riverside tranquility, catching them completely off guard.
"Do you remember how you got your name?"
"Wahhh!"
The unexpected voice startled the duo and the cat so badly that they leaped up in unison, nearly tumbling into the river below.
"Marco! Have you figured out a way back yet?"
Gray turned around and saw Marco standing behind them, now without his mask, and immediately asked.
Gray had assumed Marco had come to fetch them back.
He knew Marco would inevitably track them down—the crows flying overhead had likely been tailing the three of them from the start.
"Not yet. Erza is working on a solution, and Lucy is out looking for you."
Marco shook his head, updating them on the current progress.
Gray was baffled—wasn't the division of labor a bit off? Shouldn't Marco be the one devising a plan and searching for them?
Even if it made Erza and Lucy seem somewhat redundant, the truth was, Marco would have handled these tasks far more effortlessly.
"This is a test for you. Just pretend I never came along. Whether you can return or solve the problem depends entirely on yourselves. I'll be heading back first in a moment."
Marco wore a smile as he addressed the two humans and one cat, completely changing his previous stance.
This left the trio utterly stunned.
"How can this be?!" Happy cried out.
They had been so relaxed precisely because Marco was with them, and now he was going to abandon them here?!
"Exactly so, Happy. I forgot to remind you earlier - if you make any mistakes, you might never be born in the future. The name Happy might cease to exist altogether."
Marco narrowed his eyes at Happy, his face bearing an unsettling smile as he spoke.
These words directly terrified Happy to the point where the poor cat nearly lost his composure!
"H-how... how can that be... Impossible!"