We celebrated with everyone for a while.
While Nazz and Gray started fighting again and were forcefully subdued by Elusha, Hope walked alone to the quest board against the wall in the hall.
He greeted Nob, who usually hangs around here without taking quests, and then began scanning the various commissions.
There are S‑rank contracts, and of course A, B, C… the lowest are E‑rank tasks, which pay about the same as a regular temp worker's wage and can be ignored.
D‑rank jobs are mostly errands or searching for cats and dogs, but the pay is usually around 10–20 thousand J, offering ease and steady income.
From C‑rank upward, the rewards are substantial—starting at tens of thousands. Hope even spotted an A‑rank job paying 8 million J, a sum that rivals some S‑rank contracts.
However, many of these quests require combat to resolve, and the higher the rank, the tougher and more dangerous they become.
Take that 8‑million‑J job, for example: infiltrate a certain nation's palace and secretly capture evidence of the prince and princess cheating on the king… Honestly, just hearing about it sounds wildly scandalous.
A mission involving a royal scandal—won't they be killed to keep it quiet if it's completed?
In the end, Hope chose a C‑rank quest.
[Eliminate the mutated treemen in the forest, location: Onibas Town, reward: 180,000 J]
Tearing off the contract, Hope returned to the counter and handed it to Mirajen.
Makarov went out again, saying he needed to visit a senior who was much older than him, leaving the guild's affairs to Mirajen, the chief steward.
Mirajen glanced at the contract, hesitated, and said, "Are you sure you want to take this job? Treemen are plant‑type monsters with thick skin and flesh; it would be easier with a partner."
"No need, I can handle it alone."
Mirajen said nothing more and approved Hope's acceptance of the C‑rank quest to eliminate the mutated treemen.
Actually, newcomers must get Makarov's consent before taking a contract, to prevent them from being under‑powered and falling into danger.
But Hope's case was different; escaping Lala Bay's attack and mastering its massive Lu Ban lock both proved he's a capable mage.
That's why Mirajen approved his quest.
After a quick pack‑up and a greeting to Mirajen, Hope set off on foot toward the quest location.
As for why he didn't take the convenient Mage‑Rail, it's because Onibas Town isn't that far from Magnolia.
In truth, Hope wanted to save money… and using the 'Divine Foot' spell just for travel would be a waste.
After about an hour and a half of walking, Hope finally arrived at the quest site.
Onibas is a tourist town with a theater in its center, but the client for this mission isn't in town; they're at a forest farm north of the town.
Hope bought a local specialty iced drink, sipped it while walking, and soon reached the forest farm.
Staring at the almost completely shut gate of the farm, Hope knocked and called out, "Anyone there? Please open the door, I'm a Fairy Tail mage, I'm here…"
Before he could finish, the door swung open.
An elderly man with graying hair, his gaunt face forcing a smile, glanced at Hope and said, "I'm the farm's owner. You're the mage who took my commission, right?"
"That's me."
Hope spoke, revealing the guild emblem on his left forearm—a sort of identification in this world.
Sure enough, when the old man saw the fluttering, fairy‑like emblem, his face lit up and he hurriedly invited Hope inside.
The farm owner explained that their operation now focuses on planting fruit trees and selling produce; they stopped the timber business long ago.
The farm owner quit lumber and became a fruit farmer instead.
How unusual.
When Hope asked, the owner hesitated briefly, then answered honestly, "It's not really a secret. We switched to fruit trees because a treeman helped us; the trees he tended bear perfect fruit, so we never worry about sales."
Turns out, the owner rescued a treeman as a child, and the treeman repaid the favor by caring for the orchard. When the owner later inherited the business, he phased out timber to respect the treeman's feelings.
In short, it's a heartwarming story of mutual understanding and reciprocal effort.
Somewhat unexpected, yet it makes sense.
When the owner mentioned quitting timber, Hope had already started to suspect something.
Treemen are a type of monster, but most are gentle; some even enjoy befriending humans. As long as you don't cut trees in front of them, they're harmless.
"So, sir, what exactly are you asking us to eliminate?" Hope switched gears; from their conversation he sensed the owner's fondness for treemen, which piqued his curiosity about the mutated one.
The owner sighed, "Three days ago a mutated treeman with crimson leaves showed up in the nearby forest. It's savage, ravaged the woods, and now it's set its sights on my farm."
"Fortunately, my treeman friend managed to keep it at bay, but the mutated treeman is powerful, and I'm worried…"
Hope understood: their own treeman couldn't defeat the outsider, and the owner feared his longtime companion might be killed, so he turned to the mage guild for help.
They entered the part of the farm that borders the forest.
From a distance, Hope saw two massive trees rooted in the soil, one with red leaves, the other green—clearly distinct.
Treemen disguise themselves as ordinary trees while sleeping; without the intel Mirajen gave him, Hope might have thought they were just two big trees.
Sensing someone approach, the crimson‑leafed tree suddenly sprang up, turning into a humanoid form and pulling a flaming magical fruit from its branches, then hurled it at Hope and the farm owner.
A fire‑playing treeman?!
Hope's eyes narrowed; this wasn't a regular mutation.
As the fireball whizzed toward them, Hope seized the dazed farm owner, powered his legs, and instantly triggered 'Divine Foot'; the two were whisked backward like a gust of wind.
The fireball struck the spot where they had just stood, blasting a shallow, charred crater and filling the air with a scorching scent.
"That was close…" the farm owner whispered, his face pale with lingering fear.
The crimson treeman, having missed, let out a hoarse, guttural roar, its twisted bark face brimming with rage.
It lumbered forward on heavy roots, shaking the ground, while another, even more powerful magical fire fruit coalesced among its branches.
At that moment, the neighboring lush‑green tree also stirred.
It rose up, transforming into a taller yet gentle‑mannered treeman, stepping in front of the crimson one and emitting a low, leaf‑rustling wail, as if pleading.
But the crimson treeman ignored the plea, hurling the newly formed fire fruit straight at the green treeman.
The green treeman seemed prepared; its sturdy branch‑arms crossed to block, a faint green aura shimmering around its body.
Bang!
The fireball exploded, its force carving two trenches into the ground beneath the green treeman and scorching deep black marks onto its arms.
Yet it stubbornly remained, trying to shield the farm owner and Hope behind it.
Seeing his decades‑old treeman friend sacrifice itself, the farm owner choked, "Please, mage, you must help us."
Hope nodded, his gaze fixed sharply on the raging crimson treeman. He could tell the green treeman was only defending, and its defeat was inevitable.
He needed to subdue the mutant quickly.
"Sir, step back."
Hope said gravely, his inner magic beginning to surge.
He bent his knees slightly, and in the next instant, the 'Divine Foot' spell erupted at full power.