The Next Day—
Lucy had tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep.
Although Natsu hadn't explicitly stated he was going regardless of the rules, looking into his determined eyes, she felt he wasn't joking.
She had wanted to bring it up last night, but it was already too late, and she was afraid of disturbing the other Guild members or causing a scene.
After hurriedly getting ready, Lucy rushed to the Guild a little past 7:00 AM—the earliest she had ever arrived since joining Fairy Tail.
"Good morning, Lucy. Why are you here so early today?" Mirajane asked, pausing her sweeping as the Guild doors swung open.
"Mira, there's something I need to talk about," Lucy said, skipping the pleasantries and getting straight to the point.
Her face was pale with lack of sleep.
"Here, have some water first," Mirajane said, offering Lucy a seat and pouring her a glass. Though Lucy hadn't run, she had walked briskly and was visibly anxious.
"Ah~ I'm alive again. Thanks, Mira," Lucy said, taking a big gulp of water.
She slammed the glass down. "It's about Natsu."
"Last night, Natsu and Happy suddenly showed up at my place in the middle of the night. They said they wanted to take me on an S-Class Quest to the Stuhl mountain. I refused, but then Natsu said he and Happy would go alone. The way he looked at me… I don't think he was joking."
Mirajane frowned, pinching her chin in thought before replying, "Hmm… Don't panic just yet. Natsu might not have actually gone. Have you checked his house?"
Lucy blinked in surprise, then shook her head. "Natsu's house? No, I don't even know where he lives."
Mirajane smiled lightly, removing her apron. "Natsu's place is a bit remote, in the eastern forest. I'll go with you to check. If he's still sleeping in, we can just wake him up."
...
Natsu's House, Eastern Forest—
Mirajane found a carriage outside and took Lucy to the outskirts of Magnolia.
They arrived at a small, somewhat chaotic-looking house.
Lucy stepped forward and knocked on the door.
Knock—knock—knock.
"Natsu? Happy? Are you home?"
There was no response for a long time.
Lucy glanced back at Mirajane helplessly. "Seems like they're not here."
Mirajane smiled sweetly, but her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Lets break it down then."
"Eh?!"
"It's not unheard of for Natsu to sleep so deeply that he ignores people. We need to be sure."
Lucy nodded, pulling a key from her belt pouch. "Open! Gate of the Golden Bull! Taurus!"
POOF!
As soon as the massive minotaur appeared, he flexed his muscles, his eyes turning into hearts as he gazed at the two women.
"MOOOO! Miss Lucy! And this beautiful silver-haired lady! Your boobs are as perfect as ever!"
Lucy sighed, rubbing her forehead, and pointed at Natsu's door. "Taurus, please, save the perverted comments and break this door down!"
"Leave it to me, Miss Lucy! Anything for a nice view!"
Taurus slammed his giant axe into the ground, dug his hooves in, and suddenly charged forward like a runaway train.
"DYNAMIC ENTRY!"
CRASH!
"Ah!"
Taurus burst right through the door... and plunged headfirst into a massive pile of clutter, trash, and souvenirs Natsu had hoarded.
Squeak...
As the dust settled, the door creaked.
As it turned out, Natsu's door wasn't locked at all—the latch wasn't even secured.
A firm push would have opened it.
"Natsu, Happy, we're coming in!" Lucy called from outside before stepping over the fallen Taurus with Mirajane.
Natsu's house was... unique.
Calling it "spacious" would be an overstatement. It was messy and disorganized, with all sorts of things piled haphazardly.
Mirajane glanced around the empty room and sighed. "It seems Natsu and Happy really aren't here."
Lucy looked worried.
After all, they had mentioned yesterday that failure in an S-Class Quest could be life-threatening, not to mention the punishment of expulsion.
"What should we do? Should we inform the Master?"
Mirajane chuckled softly and shook her head, signaling Lucy not to worry.
"No rush. the Stuhl mountain is quite far; they have to take a boat from Hargeon. Even if Natsu really went, he probably hasn't arrived yet. Besides, doesn't Natsu get motion sickness from transportation? He's probably crawling somewhere."
"Let's go to Raizel's place first. It's not far from here, and Raizel usually knows how to handle Natsu." As she spoke, Mirajane pointed deeper into the forest.
...
Raizel's Estate—
"What a tall red maple tree!"
Lucy widened her eyes, immediately captivated by the vibrant red maple trees upon arriving at Raizel's house.
These trees stood out prominently amidst the green forest, creating a beautiful contrast.
Mirajane tapped her chin lightly with her index finger, recalling, "Raizel planted these trees several years ago... about six years, right? He said he liked the aesthetic."
Lucy then pointed at a glass structure next to the main house.
"Why is there a greenhouse next to it?"
Mirajane squinted and smiled. "That's for growing strawberries. Raizel has a sweet tooth... or rather, he grows them for Erza's cakes. You'll find out soon enough."
Lucy didn't quite understand but nodded blankly.
Raizel was having breakfast when he glanced through the floor-to-ceiling window and saw Mirajane and Lucy standing at his front gate.
Before they could even knock, Raizel opened the door.
"Mira, Lucy? What brings you here so early? Never mind, come in first." He stepped aside to let them in.
Raizel found it a bit strange—why were these two together? Moreover, at this hour, Mirajane should already be working at the Guild.
Raizel gestured toward the dining table with his thumb. "Have you eaten? I still have some breakfast left. I made sandwiches."
Mirajane and Lucy quickly shook their heads. "No, thanks. Let's talk business first."
After exchanging a glance with Lucy, Mirajane turned to Raizel and said, "I'll explain."
"Lucy said that last night, Natsu and Happy went to her place in the middle of the night, claiming they were going on an S-Class Quest to Stuhl mountain. Lucy refused, but Natsu left saying he'd go alone. We checked his house, and he's gone."
Raizel frowned, putting down his coffee. "Did they take the quest flyer? Which quest was it?"
Mirajane closed her eyes and shook her head. "They didn't take the form. I checked at the Guild early this morning—none of the quests on the second floor were missing. Happy tried to steal one last night but was caught by Laxus. However... Happy apparently memorized the details."
"As for the quest, Natsu mentioned the Stuhl Mountains. We'd need to find the client to learn the specific details, as you know."
"Stuhl mountain..." Raizel tapped the sofa lightly with his index finger. "That's quite far. Natsu definitely hasn't arrived yet, so no need to worry too much."
"Right. That's why I didn't inform the Master right away. I wanted to consult you first."
Raizel pinched his chin and thought for a moment before sighing.
"It's fine. I'll go bring him back. As for the situation, just report it truthfully to Gramps. We can't indulge Natsu in this kind of behavior. Put that quest form under my name—I'll complete the quest with him."
Mirajane smiled, understanding immediately. "I see. You're going to supervise them."
"Exactly. I'll make sure they don't die."
Lucy looked at Raizel, fidgeting with her fingers. "Um, Raizel... can I come along?"
Raizel raised an eyebrow.
"Because... because Natsu and Happy invited me yesterday, and I'm a bit worried about them. And... well..."
"You want the rent money, don't you?" Raizel smirked.
Lucy stiffened. "H-How did you know?!"
Raizel chuckled. "It's written all over your face. Fine. You'll get a share of the quest reward, but you have to follow my orders."
Lucy snapped her fingers excitedly. "Of course! Aye, sir!"
It was true that Lucy was worried about Natsu, but the reward for an S-Class Quest was substantial—millions of Jewels.
With next month's rent still uncertain, clinging to Raizel's leg seemed like the best option!