Chapter 101: The First Mission
"Erza's last mission was to subdue a rampaging demon, so that horn must be her trophy."
As Erza entered the hall and placed the horn on the ground, the entire guild floor trembled. Mirajane took the opportunity to explain to George and Lucy.
"If the horn is this big, how enormous must the demon itself have been? It must have been almost as big as the guild hall. That's terrifying!"
Lucy covered her mouth in shock, while George was equally impressed.
He realized that S-Class mages in this world might be even more powerful than he had initially thought. Taking down a demon dozens of meters tall didn't seem to be much of a challenge for them.
Then again, it might also be that Erza was among the top tier of S-Class mages.
"Listen up, everyone. I've heard a lot of rumors on my way back. They say that Fairy Tail members are always causing trouble. Even if the Master forgives you, I won't.
Cana, is this how you drink?
Bickslow, if you want to dance, do it outside. Don't stand on the tables!
Wakaba, Macao..."
After setting down the demon horn, Erza put her hands on her hips and began scolding the guild members one by one.
Those who were called out didn't dare utter a word.
Even Natsu and Gray, who usually didn't fear the Master and would start fighting the moment they saw each other, were now pretending to be best buddies, their arms around each other's shoulders.
Lucy was completely dumbfounded.
"She really is the guild's big sister, the Queen of the Fairies."
George couldn't help but marvel inwardly.
There's a reason for every nickname, and Erza's was no exception.
Having been in the guild for a while, George had gotten a sense of most members' personalities.
To be honest, most Fairy Tail mages shared a similar temperament. Even if there were differences in strength, no one in the guild bowed to anyone else, and fights were a common occurrence.
Seeing them being scolded without daring to talk back showed just how special Erza's status was among the guild members.
"Are you two new members?"
After finishing her round of scolding, Erza noticed George and Lucy, the new faces, and walked over.
Lucy trembled slightly and quickly extended her hand:
"I'm Lucy, a new member. Nice to meet you!"
"I'm Erza. No need to be so formal. You can think of this place as your second home. We're all your brothers and sisters here."
Erza placed a hand on Lucy's shoulder, her expression serious.
Then, as if remembering something, her eyes lit up:
"So you're Lucy! I heard in town that you defeated the ferocious monster Vulcan with just one finger. Well done!"
"Uh..."
Lucy was completely stunned.
On her first day in the guild, she had indeed fought Vulcan with Natsu while rescuing Macao. But Natsu had done most of the work—she had only provided support. Who on earth had spread the rumor that she defeated Vulcan with one finger?
"I'm George. I joined on the same day as Lucy. Nice to meet you."
George also extended a paw in greeting.
Erza leaned in to examine George and nodded subconsciously:
"Hello, George. I always thought Happy was unique, but it seems he has a counterpart.
Your color matches Laxus quite well. Maybe you could team up with him in the future."
"Color matches?"
George was momentarily confused.
Mirajane chuckled:
"The Master wouldn't want George teaming up with Laxus."
Laxus didn't get along well with the Master and spent most of his time on missions outside, rarely returning to the guild. If George teamed up with Laxus, he wouldn't be able to continue his role as the guild's "firefighter."
"Why not?"
Hearing Mirajane's words, Erza looked puzzled. But after learning that George specialized in repair magic, her expression turned excited, and she scooped George up into a hug.
"George, team up with me!"
She had always held back in battles, worried about damaging the surroundings. If George could repair the damage afterward, her mission efficiency would skyrocket.
"We can split the rewards fifty-fifty."
"N-no thanks. I'm not looking to team up right now."
George struggled out of Erza's embrace, shaking his dazed head as he firmly declined the offer.
Erza had moved too quickly. At such close range, even if he could react, his body couldn't dodge in time.
Under normal circumstances, this might have been a nice perk, given how beautiful and charismatic Erza was.
But right now, Erza was clad in hard armor, and being hugged by her wasn't exactly pleasant.
Thankfully, his physical constitution was strong, or he might have passed out from that hug.
"That's a shame."
Hearing George's refusal, Erza looked genuinely disappointed. She then turned to Mirajane:
"By the way, where's the Master? I have something important to report. Why isn't he here?"
"The Master went to attend a routine meeting."
Mirajane replied.
Erza frowned, thought for a moment, and then turned to Natsu and Gray behind her.
The two, who had been head-to-head in a standoff moments ago, immediately put their arms around each other like best friends when Erza turned around.
"Natsu, Gray, I encountered a troublesome situation during my mission and need your help. Will you join me on this mission?"
"What? Erza is asking for help? This is a first!"
"And it's Natsu and Gray!"
Hearing Erza's words, not only were Natsu and Gray shocked, but the entire guild—except for George and Lucy—erupted in excitement.
Everyone knew that Erza, with her strength, usually took on S-Class missions from the second floor and always completed them alone. She had never needed to team up or ask for help before.
This was truly unprecedented.
"Of course!"
After the initial surprise, Natsu and Gray eagerly agreed.
Although neither wanted to team up with the other, the chance to go on a mission with Erza was too good to pass up.
This was an opportunity for growth they couldn't miss.
"Go prepare. We leave tomorrow."
Seeing that Natsu and Gray didn't refuse, Erza turned and left the guild, still carrying the demon horn.
As soon as Erza was gone, the guild members began speculating wildly about what kind of powerful enemy Erza was facing that required both Natsu and Gray's help.
The guesses ranged from the plausible to the absurd, with some even suggesting it might be a legendary dragon.
"Lucy, George, I need to ask you for a favor."
At that moment, Mirajane suddenly called out to Lucy and George, who had been listening to the gossip.
(End of Chapter)