"It's Natsu, after all," Nancy said, waving her hand dismissively. Her gaze turned to Happy, who was still staring intently at the bucket of
"It's Natsu, after all," Nancy said, waving her hand dismissively.
Her gaze turned to Happy, who was still staring intently at the bucket of fish, and she shook her head in amusement.
"These are for everyone. You'll get your share."
Hearing that, Happy's eyes lit up.
"Really? I knew it! Fish is the true romance!"
"Fish is just secondary. It's about awakening humanity's hunting instinct, and the feeling of becoming one with nature. The serious battle of predator and prey, that's the real playground for men!"
Gildarts said, clenching his fist and speaking passionately.
"Gildarts!" Just then, Lucy's voice came from a distance.
Everyone turned to see Lucy and Cana waving.
"Cana has something important to tell you!" Lucy said as she and Cana approached.
Lucy left Cana behind.
Lucy pulled Finn and the others away.
"Huh??" The two men and two cats were confused as Lucy dragged them away.
Only Cana and Gildarts remained.
In the nearby bushes, five heads peeked out.
"What's going on?" Finn asked, puzzled.
"Yeah, I was about to catch a fish…" Natsu said, looking dejected.
He had felt the fishing rod moving.
"Aye~ My fish…" Happy's gaze was still fixed on the bucket of fish.
"I said, the fish aren't going anywhere," Nancy said, rolling her eyes.
"Shhh~" Lucy put a finger to her lips, signaling them to be quiet.
"Don't make a fuss. Just listen."
Gildarts sat on the ground.
His gaze was fixed on Cana, who was standing before him.
He could tell that Cana was nervous.
Her body was trembling slightly, and she didn't know what to do with her hands, finally putting them behind her back.
Gildarts frowned.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"The reason I… I joined the guild was to find my father…" Cana said, her head lowered.
She didn't dare to look at Gildarts.
Gildarts nodded, understanding. "I've never heard of that before. Are you saying that your father used to be in Fairy Tail?"
He looked at Cana, his expression questioning.
Cana clenched her fists tightly, closing her eyes.
Her expression grew even more nervous.
"Do your best, Cana!" In the bushes, Lucy seemed even more nervous than Cana.
Finn and Nancy exchanged a glance, blinking their eyes.
They seemed to realize that there was some juicy gossip about to be revealed.
A dead leaf was blown off a tree by the breeze.
It landed on Cana's head, as if signaling her to make up her mind.
She bit her lip.
"It's… it's you, Gildarts!"
She had finally said the words she had kept buried in her heart for so long.
"Huh??" Gildarts was stunned.
Even the eavesdropping Finn and the others opened their mouths wide in shock.
Lucy nodded approvingly.
"Huh??" Gildarts still didn't understand.
Finn and the others opened their mouths even wider, as if they could swallow a cow.
Lucy kept nodding.
"Ah??!!" Gildarts finally understood.
Cold sweat broke out on his forehead, his eyes widened like saucers, his mouth agape in a scream of terror.
"Because many things happened… I never said anything," Cana said, her head lowered.
"W-wait… you're…?" Gildarts stared at Cana.
"You probably won't believe me," Cana said softly.
Gildarts trembled.
"Who were you born to…? Sarah, Naomi, Fina, Mary, Eliza… No, no! The hair color is different!"
Gildarts lay on the ground, counting on his fingers.
"Then it's… Emma, Layla, Sherry, Kate, Yuko, or Francoise?"
He kept saying name after name.
Even Finn and the others were dumbfounded.
"I knew the old man was promiscuous, but I didn't think he'd be this bad…"
Finn said, his voice filled with admiration.
Lucy narrowed her eyes. "Are you thinking something weird?"
Cana's nervousness completely vanished thanks to the unreliable Gildarts.
She even shouted at Gildarts, her face filled with anger. "How many girlfriends have you had, you old man?!"
Gildarts suddenly stood up. "I know! It's Sylvia, you two are exactly alike!"
"Except for the personality…" He added, realizing his mistake.
Cana clutched her head in despair.
"Agh—This is infuriating!!"
"How could I have such a womanizing father?!" She turned away.
"Anyway, that's all I wanted to say. I don't want to become family with you, so don't get the wrong idea. Let's just be like usual." With that, Cana turned to leave.
But then, a warm embrace enveloped her.
Cana froze, a feeling she had never experienced before washing over her.
"You're Cornelia's child. I'm sure of it!" Gildarts said softly.
It was the gentlest voice Cana had ever heard.
"Why didn't you tell me all this time?" Gildarts asked.
"Because I couldn't… Before I knew it, it was today," Cana replied softly.
"Cornelia was the only woman I ever truly loved. I only married Cornelia," Gildarts said, his arms tightening around Cana.
"But in the end, she couldn't stand my obsession with work, and left eighteen years ago. I heard she had passed away, but I never knew we had a child…"
Gildarts' towering figure trembled slightly.
"I'm sorry… I didn't realize you were my daughter…"
Cana broke free from Gildarts' embrace.
She smiled. "It's okay. I didn't want you to find out anyway."
She turned her back to Gildarts.
"Sorry for telling you the truth, but now I can finally let go of this burden!"
Gildarts lowered his head, his voice filled with regret. "My daughter was so close to me…"
He was filled with remorse.
Cana waved her hand dismissively. "Don't say anything more. I told you the truth, but I'm not asking you to take responsibility or anything."
She took a deep breath. "Let's just be like usual."
"But…" She suddenly seemed to remember something.
She looked at Gildarts, winking playfully. "Let me say it just once… It's so good to have met you, Dad!"
"…" Gildarts' body trembled.
Images of a little girl flashed through his mind.
At the gates of Fairy Tail, a little girl had looked at him with joy.
But he hadn't noticed.
After that, every time he left on a job, that girl would smile and wave goodbye at the gate.
He hadn't noticed the hesitation in her eyes.
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