nucmednet Is there a leg in Chapter 5?
Is there a leg in Chapter 5?
I failed.
These four simple words caused a huge uproar among the guild members who had been quieting down. Everyone, including Nazgray, had an expression of disbelief on their faces.
Although they were extremely dissatisfied, they had to admit that Chess's S-class mage title was earned through hard work and was not exaggerated in the slightest.
And yet, even a man like that couldn't complete the so-called ten-year mission?!
"Really? Even you couldn't do that..."
Makarov, the association president, was equally surprised, his brow furrowing slightly. "What on earth is going on?"
In his estimation, although Chase's strength was not enough to complete the task without taking any damage, it would not be particularly difficult for him to complete the commission; it would just require more time.
This was the fundamental reason he sent Chase out: so he could do quests without having to stay in the guild all day and cause himself trouble.
Upon hearing this, Chess sighed softly and plopped down on the bar counter.
"Following the normal procedure, there were no problems. However, we were unlucky and encountered a giant, completely red dragon near the end."
His tone was quite calm, without much fluctuation, as if he were recounting something very ordinary.
However, these words, when they reached the Fairy Tail guild, were like a nuclear bomb, causing a huge uproar.
"A crimson dragon? Hey, Chase, if I understand correctly, you mean that terrifying creature from legends, not just a simple title?!"
"Do dragons really exist? Just how powerful would such monsters be?!"
"Wait, so you mean you successfully escaped the dragon's attack?!"
……
The crowd rushed over excitedly and surrounded Chase, chattering incessantly.
The newcomer, Lucy, was so shocked by the news that she covered her mouth with both hands and stood there dumbfounded.
"Shut up, all of you! Chase, was that dragon you encountered Igneel?!"
Natsu pushed everyone aside and ran excitedly to Chess, his eyes shining with intense passion.
Chess glanced casually at Natsu, his sharp gaze seemingly able to see through the essence of magic, reaching even the Fire Dragon King Igneel hidden within Natsu's body.
"Although that monster can also breathe fire, unfortunately, its name is not Igniel."
Upon hearing this, Natsu's face instantly relaxed, but then burst forth with passion and excitement again.
"Hey! Did you all hear that? Dragons really exist! I was raised by the Fire Dragon King Ignir!"
Although his guildmates were willing to believe him, after years of fruitless searching for his "father," they had long since lost interest in the Igniel he spoke of.
The news about the dragon that Chase brought back was undoubtedly a shot in the arm, further strengthening his determination to find his father!
"So Chase, did you really fight that dragon? Are you injured?" Mira asked with a worried expression.
Recalling the near-death battle he had just fought, Chase's face was filled with emotion and a hint of loneliness.
"Strictly speaking, that didn't even qualify as a battle. The monster's power was overwhelming. With just one breath of fire, the entire monster army I summoned was wiped out."
"I was no match for it at all. I barely escaped its clutches thanks to a magic card."
As he was talking, Chase suddenly changed his tone and looked at Mira seriously, saying, "But I am indeed hurt. My fragile heart was quite frightened, and I need to go on a date with a pretty girl to soothe it."
"Is that so..."
Mira breathed a sigh of relief upon learning that he was unharmed. Then she raised her fair finger and pointed to Lucy, who was crouching in the corner like a lackey. "What a coincidence. Lucy is a top-notch beauty, both in terms of her face and figure."
"Huh?!?!"
Lucy, who was innocently caught in the crossfire, immediately bristled, her eyes wide open.
As a newcomer with little presence, how could I possibly get caught in the crossfire like this?
Mira, are you just going to sell me out like this?!
"Lucy, she's a bit silly, but as a date, she's barely acceptable." Chase nodded seriously.
Lucy's lips twitched, her inner monologue: What do you mean by stupid? You're a bit stupid, but if you can't speak properly, then shut up!
"It's barely acceptable..."
Mira straightened up slightly, placing her hands folded gracefully on the hem of her burgundy dress.
Her smile became even brighter and sweeter, yet it exuded an inexplicable aura of danger.
"Aha, ahaha, thinking about it carefully, it seems that when I returned to the guild, my emotional trauma was gone."
Chess immediately backed down, scratching his head with a laugh.
Lucy's eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze shifting between the two of them. Her anger at being unjustly offended vanished instantly, replaced by a strong sense of morbid curiosity.
Are they having an affair?
We'll have to ask Nazhabi and the others about this later!
"Alright, it's good that everyone's alright."
Makarov lowered his eyes, feigning a casual expression, and waved to Chess, "But Chess, I need you to report to me the details of this mission."
"Come up to the second floor."
Even though the ten-year mission is extremely dangerous, failure would be tantamount to breaking faith with the client and damaging Fairy Tail's reputation. Subsequent compensation and review work would be essential.
However, he didn't care about such trivial matters; he was more concerned about the mysterious fire dragon that Chase had mentioned.
He couldn't help but feel a mix of curiosity and worry about the creature that only existed in legends, which he had never even seen in person.
Before Chase could respond, a figure eagerly took the lead and ran towards the stairs leading to the second floor.
Natsu was so eager to know more about dragons that he completely forgot the guild rule that only S-class mages were allowed to go up to the second floor!
Boom!
Sure enough, as soon as he ran out, he was enveloped in shadow—a gigantic fist descended from the sky, knocking him to the ground with a single punch.
"Natsu! You are not qualified to come up here yet!" Makarov shouted sternly, showing no mercy whatsoever.
The reason for avoiding speaking to Chase privately with guild members was the fear that the existence of dragons would traumatize the children, making it difficult for them to take firm steps towards higher social classes.
Natsu is actually alright, having been raised by dragons since childhood, but the guild rules can't be broken.
Anyway, given his personality, even if he can't go upstairs with her, he'll eventually get some information from Chess.
This is something that should give Chase a headache.
"Haha, let's try to get promoted to S-class as soon as possible, little Natsu~"
Chess strode past Natsu, who was pressed against the floor, and added insult to injury with a smug look on his face.
"Damn it! I'll definitely be S-rank after this year!"
Natsu gritted his teeth in anger, but due to the guild master's tyranny, he ultimately gave up the idea of forcing his way in.
The warriors who led the charge all chose to compromise, while the other guild members, though incredibly curious, shrugged and obediently returned to their seats to continue drinking and chatting.
In contrast to their well-behaved behavior, one person followed closely behind Chase, leisurely walking up to the second floor.
Makarov glanced back, then silently looked away.
Although Mira's personality changed drastically due to the events of that year, and she is now just a harmless signboard girl, her S-class mage status is undeniable, so he couldn't say much.
"Hey Happy, what's the relationship between Mila and Mr. Chase?"
As Lucy watched Chase and Mira disappear around the corner of the stairs, her gossipy nature finally got the better of her, and she nudged Happy next to her with her elbow.
"Does Lucy want to know?"
Happy's eyes darted around, and he calmly held up one finger. "Trade a whole box of dried fish for it!"
"A whole box? I don't even have money for my own rent yet!" Lucy hurriedly clutched the wallet on her waistband.
Having just joined the guild, she hasn't taken on any decent commissions yet, has no coins in her pocket, and is living a very tight and frugal life.
Where would I get the money to buy fish for this dead cat?!
"Love? Well, I have nothing to say!" Happy turned his head away with a cheeky grin.
"You damn cat!!" Lucy exclaimed angrily.