Chapter 195: Trip Preparations
"Do we have any intel on this demon? If we're going to subjugate it, we need to do our research, especially if so many others have failed."
Since they had agreed to take the request, Erza was the first to ask for more information. Ultear and the others also fixed their gazes on Makarov, waiting for an answer.
"Hmm. According to the reports from those who failed and made it back, the Demon Sitri is enormous. It uses fire, it's incredibly fast, and its physical strength is immense. Its defense and regeneration are also extremely high."
Hearing Makarov's summary, the girls all frowned.
"Its combat style isn't complex, which just means all of its basic abilities are overwhelmingly powerful. That must be why it hasn't been defeated all these years," Ultear said, her expression grim. A simple opponent could be easy, but it could also be the most troublesome. If your own attack and defense weren't strong enough, you'd be easily overpowered.
"That's something you'll have to figure out," Noah said to the four of them. "This will be your primary mission. You four will attempt to subjugate the demon. I will only step in if I determine you've failed. Consider this part of your training—experiencing a high-difficulty request."
They all nodded, understanding completely. They knew that in most other guilds, no one would dream of bringing their guildmates on an SS-Class quest. Most S-Class wizards couldn't even guarantee their own safety, let alone protect others. The chance to attempt an SS-Class mission with Noah guaranteeing their safety was incredibly rare, and they were determined not to waste it.
"Aside from this one," Noah continued, "I also plan to complete several other requests along the way. Since we're making a long trip, we might as well be efficient."
He pointed to the stack of other request forms. The girls spread them out on the table and saw they were mostly subjugation missions, with only two guard jobs that would only last a few days each.
"Noah, why are all of these subjugation requests?" Erza asked. "Don't you take on other kinds of jobs?"
"I've tried other types," Noah explained. "But they usually take a long time, are a huge hassle, and the pay isn't even that good. So after a while, I just stuck to subjugation. It's the most straightforward. As for these two guard jobs, I only took them because they're on the way and the pay is good."
That explained it. They finally understood why Noah always returned from his "jobs" so quickly. He was mostly just going out to defeat monsters. With his level of strength, such tasks were finished in an instant, and his teleportation magic meant travel time was nonexistent.
They looked over the requests again. There were S-Class monster subjugations as well as regular ones. Checking the locations, they saw that he was right—they were all perfectly lined up on a single route. They could complete all of them, one after another, on the way to the final target.
"Since everyone is on board, go home and get prepared," Noah said. "We're on a bit of a schedule, so we'll head out tomorrow morning."
The four women nodded in agreement.
"Oh, and Noah," Makarov added as they were about to leave. "You all need to be back before the end of the year. We still have the S-Class Trial, and I need examiners."
All five of them were S-Class wizards, and while it was fine for them to go on a difficult mission together, someone had to be back to run the trial. Gildarts was already on his 100-Year Quest, so he was out. Ur was always off on her own high-level training missions and her return time was unpredictable. And Laxus, who perennially refused to be an examiner, was also out training. Makarov had long given up on him.
That just left the people in this room. Noah, who was often at home doing research, had been the examiner for the past few trials. Now that Ultear, Erza, Mira, and Sorano were S-Class, there were more options. But with all of them leaving together, Makarov would be left with no one, which is why he had to remind them.
"I know, Gramps. I'll make sure we're back on time," Noah said. "But I'm not being the examiner this time. Let the girls do it. It can't be me every single time."
Makarov nodded. It really wasn't fair to make Noah do it every year. But he was, frankly, the most suitable candidate: he was strong enough, and more importantly, he was willing. If the others refused, Makarov was fully prepared to ignore Noah's protest and assign him anyway.
But as he glanced at the eager expressions on Erza's and the others' faces, he figured he wouldn't have to.
"Alright, then. Go home and prepare. We'll all meet back at the guild tomorrow morning."
The girls agreed and left the guild together. If they were going on an SS-Class request, they needed to be thoroughly prepared. They decided to split up the work of gathering supplies.
Noah, however, stayed behind to discuss logistics with Makarov. He had monthly deliveries of money and research materials from Jude. Normally, he'd be there to receive them, but with him gone and only Wendy and the other young girls at home, he needed to ask Makarov to accept the deliveries on his behalf.
For this trip, Noah had decided not to simply "zip" to each destination with teleportation. Doing so meant you missed everything along the way. He was going to buy a carriage and a magic-powered car. Since he was traveling with the girls, it would be a waste to only focus on speed.
After settling things with Makarov, Noah went to the carriage dealership and bought a large coach and a magic-powered car. He'd never needed them before, so he had to buy them new, along with some tools and spare parts.
He returned home and spent the entire evening modifying the new vehicles. He reinforced their defenses and durability, improved their suspension for a more comfortable ride, and tuned the magic engine to increase their top speed. While he wanted to enjoy the scenery, he didn't want the trip to take forever.
He finished his work late into the evening, right around the time Erza and the others returned. It was obvious from the bags they were carrying that they had also been busy preparing. Noah didn't ask; he'd find out soon enough.
Everyone was exhausted from the day's preparations. They ate a quick dinner and went to bed early.
~~~
Get early access to 50+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn