An hour later, at the East City Gate of Magnolia.
Marco was dressed casually, carrying a light travel bag, watching his partners hurry over.
Gray's face was still somewhat gloomy; evidently, the news of his senpai Lyon and the demon Deliora weighed heavily on him.
Natsu, on the other hand, was completely the opposite.
He was wound up like a spring, hyperactive and constantly yelling, "S-Class mission! S-Class mission!" Happy flapped his wings and flew around him, excitedly shouting "Aye~" as well.
Lucy carried a bulging backpack.
Her face showed a mix of longing for the Gold Key and nervousness about the unknown mission.
After all, this was also her first S-Class mission.
"Is everyone ready?"
Marco confirmed, having already summoned the Crows.
"No problem!"
Natsu answered first, then hopped directly onto a Crow taxi.
How spirited he was now would be matched by how miserable he'd be once they took off!
"Ready to go anytime, Master!"
Lucy clenched her fist and responded crisply.
She was also full of motivation; after all, that was a "Gold Key."
Happy had already gotten on the Crow with Natsu.
Natsu was currently trying to hypnotize himself, attempting to convince himself that this "Crow" was not a vehicle so he wouldn't get motion sickness like when Happy carried him, but this was obviously futile.
Facing Marco's inquiry, Gray just gave a soft "Mm," then followed onto a Crow.
"Alright, destination Hargeon. Let's go." Marco didn't spare any magic power.
The Crows immediately went full throttle, flapping their wings towards the port city "Hargeon" not far away.
Before long, the salty sea breeze and the unique hustle and bustle of the port hit them in the face.
The Crows landed directly on the dock.
Ships large and small were docked at the pier. Seagulls circled and called among the masts. Porters shouted, and sailors busied themselves organizing ropes. The docks of "Hargeon" were a scene of bustling activity.
As the port city closest to "Magnolia," "Hargeon" undoubtedly benefited from "Magnolia's" development dividends. More cargo ships, more tourists—these were direct benefits for "Hargeon" itself.
Therefore, this city was very friendly to "Fairy Tail" and didn't fear certain unfavorable "rumors and legends."
However, when Marco took the request flyer and led his team to ask the sailors and boat captains on the dock about "Galuna Island," the originally lively and relaxed atmosphere changed instantly.
"Galuna Island?"
Upon hearing this name, the expressions on the sailors' and captains' faces looked as if they had seen a ghost.
When asked if they were willing to be guides, every one of them waved their hands in refusal.
"Not going, not going! Won't go no matter how much you pay! That's a cursed island! Why are you asking about that hellhole? I heard people who get close turn into monsters! At night, you can hear terrible howling coming from the island... Curse, it's definitely a curse!"
The big guys were cursing and swearing.
Clearly, their attitude towards "Galuna Island" was unanimous: a heartfelt fear of approaching it.
These people's reactions made Natsu so angry his hair caught fire.
He had finally managed to participate in an "S-Class mission," only to get stuck at the first step, unable to even find a guide to "Galuna Island."
This wasn't even a case of failing before success; this was failing before even starting!
Blocked right at the doorstep!
"Hey! You cowards! It's just an island! What's there to be afraid of! We are mages of 'Fairy Tail'!"
Natsu stomped his feet and cursed, trying to goad these people while emphasizing their identity as Fairy Tail mages.
This made quite a few people hesitate.
The goading didn't do much, but "Fairy Tail" was still very persuasive.
Marco took off his mask, revealing his face.
To prevent any accidents, such as causing a riot, he always did this in cities other than Magnolia.
This was the trouble of being famous, especially for Marco.
Too many fans, too diverse, covering all age groups. He had to be mindful of his influence.
"Lord Marco?!"
Seeing Marco's true face, the dock became lively again.
Many people began to re-evaluate the danger of this mission.
With Marco here, the danger level of even the most dangerous things would be greatly discounted.
Everyone believed in the strength of Archduke Marco.
"I'll take you."
While others were still conflicted, a middle-aged man stepped forward, speaking decisively and snatching this opportunity.
This middle-aged man leaned against an old wooden crate.
He looked about fifty years old.
His skin was eroded by sea breeze and sunlight like rough bark.
Deep and shallow wrinkles were etched on his face, especially at the corners of his eyes and mouth, revealing the vicissitudes of years of labor.
The whole person gave off a feeling of a hard life.
The look he gave Marco and the others was complicated—probing, hesitant, and seemingly hiding a trace of imperceptible pain deep within.
If one didn't know better, they'd think there was a color palette in his eyes.
"Tell us your story." Marco spoke calmly.
It was truly a complete reversal from just now.
A moment ago, people were avoiding them like the plague; now, they were lining up, many wanting to tag along with Marco.
"I come from Galuna Island. I'm a firsthand witness to all of this."
The middle-aged man nodded and spoke very decisively.
His single sentence almost instantly killed the competition.
Indeed, no one understood "Galuna Island" better than him.
People hadn't seen a "Galuna Islander" come out for a long time, which was one of the sources of the "Galuna Island Curse" legend.
"What exactly is on the island? Is the curse real?"
Hearing that this uncle was an involved party, Gray couldn't hold back.
He asked anxiously, eager to know the answer.
"..."
Hearing Gray's words, the middle-aged man's eyes became somewhat dazed, as if falling into some terrible memory!
"You're the one. Let's set off immediately."
Marco interrupted the middle-aged man's painful recollection and chose him directly, causing sighs of disappointment all around.
Looking at this "middle-aged man" in front of him, Marco looked a bit suspicious.
He felt something seemed wrong.
Did this guy not come out just now because he was assessing their strength?
"Okay! I'll take you there right now!"
The "middle-aged man" came back to his senses. He nodded seriously, gesturing for Marco and the others to board the boat.
He was ready to set off immediately.
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