"This is the person Makarov trusts?"
"A potential candidate for the next guild master?"
"Deception Magic—manipulating the five senses and killing without a trace. What a terrifying ability."
"He seems different from the others."
"That's exactly why he's suited for the role."
"Gentle with family, ruthless with enemies—he seems to draw clearer lines than Makarov ever did."
"But I think someone like that must harbor some darkness within."
"Makarov knows how to handle it."
In the distance, the various guild masters whispered amongst themselves.
"Jehfrit, when did you get here?" Natsu asked.
"Just arrived."
Jehfrit strolled over to the group, leaning his cane against his leg. With a flick of his wrists, two steaming cups of bubble tea appeared from the cards in his hands.
"Ladies, enjoy while it's still hot."
"Thank you," Lucy and Erza said as they accepted their drinks.
"What about mine?" Natsu demanded.
"Forgot."
"You jerk!" Natsu was ready to explode.
"Alright, alright, I'll give you mine."
Lucy quickly intervened before Natsu could embarrass himself in front of all the guild masters. She handed over her half-sipped drink to him, hoping to defuse the situation.
"Hmph, you idiot Jehfrit," Natsu muttered, biting down on the straw that now carried traces of Lucy's saliva. By the time Lucy realized what she'd done, it was too late—Natsu had already gulped down a large sip. Her face flushed bright red.
'Snap' Jehfrit swiftly snapped a photo.
"Hey! What are you taking pictures of?!" Lucy panicked, her voice cracking slightly.
"It's sweet," Jehfrit teased.
"What are you talking about?!" Lucy hastily pulled away from Natsu, putting as much distance between them as possible.
"I meant the tea," Jehfrit chuckled.
"Yeah, super sweet!" Natsu grinned widely, oblivious to the tension.
Happy covered his mouth with his paws, making a comical expression. "Looks like there's something going on~"
"Eeek!" Lucy let out a soft whimper, covering her face with both hands. Through her fingers, her cheeks were as red as apples.
"This thing can't just be thrown around," Erza picked up the cursed flute Lullaby.
"Huh?" She frowned, sensing no significant magical energy emanating from it.
"Where is it, Jehfrit?" Makarov turned to look at him.
"Master, right here." Jehfrit produced the real Lullaby and handed it over to Makarov.
Erza stared at the fake flute in disbelief. "If that's true, why didn't you reveal it earlier?"
"If I had revealed it sooner, we wouldn't have had a reason to fight Eisenwald," Jehfrit explained calmly. "Dark guilds like Eisenwald need to be eradicated completely—not just stopped momentarily."
Had Jehfrit revealed the switch immediately after obtaining the real Lullaby, Fairy Tail would've lost its justification for battling Eisenwald. At best, they'd have been credited with foiling an evil scheme rather than dismantling an active dark guild.
"Besides," Jehfrit added, "the opportunity to confront an entire dark guild is rare. The experience gained from this battle is invaluable."
Erza nodded silently, acknowledging the logic behind his reasoning.
"Wait, when exactly did you switch them?!" Gray shouted.
"At the very beginning," Jehfrit replied nonchalantly.
"The very beginning…?" Gray froze, recalling the train ride where they'd left Natsu behind. That's when Jehfrit had been present!
So from the start, Lullaby had already been switched!
No wonder this guy had remained so calm all day long!
"You—" Gray gritted his teeth but couldn't stay mad. While annoyed, he begrudgingly admitted, "Even though you handled everything perfectly, I still feel like punching you!"
"Not my fault you went wild with your Ice-Make magic in the tunnel and nearly gave me frostbite," Jehfrit shot back.
"Don't remind me!" Gray snapped. "It's your fault anyway!"
"Sorry, sorry. Consider these tickets my apology." Jehfrit pulled out a card, flicking it to transform into two tickets.
"What's this?" Gray asked curiously, taking one.
"Natsu, here's yours," Jehfrit handed another to Natsu.
"ALEX'S MECHA EXHIBITION!!!" Both shouted in unison.
Their reactions were identical—they clutched the tickets to their chests, leaned forward dramatically, eyes sparkling with star-shaped gleams, and wiggled their butts like excited puppies.
"What is this nonsense?" Lucy raised an eyebrow, baffled by whatever could make Natsu react so enthusiastically.
"It's an exhibition showcasing fascinating machines," Jehfrit explained with a smile. Then he looked at Natsu and Gray. "We should go together sometime."
"Jehfrit, you're amazing! These tickets are impossible to get—I've only seen them in magazines!" Natsu gave him a thumbs-up.
Jehfrit smiled modestly.
Buying these three tickets had pushed him to his limit. He'd called in favors from noble connections and spent quite a bit of money.
But experiencing the wonders of the mecha exhibition would be worth every Jewel!
"Hmph, fine, I forgive you," Gray said gruffly, trying to act aloof.
Jehfrit turned to Lucy, offering a sincere apology. "Sorry, Lucy. I bought these tickets before you joined the guild."
"No worries, I'm not really into machines anyway," Lucy waved it off.
"What about me? I want to go too!" Happy chimed in eagerly.
"You're a cat—you don't need a ticket," Jehfrit replied.
"Great!" Happy cheered, repeating excitedly, "Mecha exhibition! Mecha exhibition!"
"Happy!" Natsu called out.
"Aye!" Happy responded.
The duo fell into perfect sync, mimicking robots. Their movements became stiff and mechanical, voices imitating robotic tones: "Robot—I am a robot—"
"Hahaha!" Everyone burst into laughter at their antics.
"Alright," Makarov said. "Children, you've fought hard today. Go rest at the inn."
"Yes, Master," Erza replied, visibly exhausted. Driving her magical four-wheeler across multiple cities today had drained her significantly.
Lucy swayed on her feet, her magic reserves completely depleted. Now that the adrenaline had faded, fatigue crashed over her like a wave.
"Lucy, are you okay?" Natsu, still playing robot, happened to be near Lucy when she stumbled. Quick as lightning, he grabbed her arm to steady her.
"Lucy's used up a lot of magic. If you've got any strength left, Natsu, carry her down the mountain," Jehfrit suggested slyly.
"Ah-ah-ah?! No, it's fine—" Lucy stammered, her face turning crimson.
"Does that mean you can't walk either, Natsu?" Jehfrit taunted.
"Of course I can!" Natsu took the bait, hoisting Lucy onto his back. His arms locked tightly around her legs, holding her securely.
"Mmm…" Lucy's blush deepened as she felt the amused gazes of the guild masters. Too weak to resist, she buried her face in Natsu's scarf, mumbling softly, "You idiot."
"YOUTH! Youth is wonderful!" Jehfrit remarked, snapping another picture.
"You're only a year older than Natsu, aren't you?" Gray eyed him skeptically.
'Whoosh whoosh whoosh'
A bald, chubby figure with tiny angel wings fluttered toward Jehfrit almost instantly. Clutching his thighs tightly, he minced forward with exaggerated steps, speaking in a sickeningly sweet voice: "Little Jehfrit wants a girlfriend now? Our guild has plenty of lovely ladies!"