Chapter 11: The Spoils of an S-Class Quest
Ren and Elfman went next door to the inn where the Rune Knights had secured lodging for them. When they entered the temporary office the mayor had set up, he greeted them with a warmth that was almost frantic.
"Mr. Ren, you're awake! Thank goodness!" Mayor Cost rushed over, his eyes red-rimmed but shining with tears of pure gratitude. "Thanks to you and Mr. Elfman last night... my town, my life... I would have been killed."
The mayor was deeply, profoundly grateful to Ren. He had witnessed the entire battle from a "safe" distance, watching in abject terror. The Rune Knights of the Magic Council, who had looked so formidable and professional, were wiped out in minutes by the Phantom Bandit Gang. They had been completely unreliable.
Then... Ren had stepped out.
The mayor had watched as this single, quiet newcomer had dismantled a guild of S-Class-level assassins. He had seen the monstrous, demonic transformation, felt the terrifying pressure that seemed to stop his heart, and witnessed the final, cataclysmic explosion that had vaporized his entire estate.
Fortunately, Ren had displayed his divine might and dealt with all of the opponents; otherwise, the mayor knew he would have been torn to pieces by now.
Ren, for his part, simply nodded, still feeling the phantom ache of a depleted magic container. "You're welcome, Mr. Mayor. You are our client, and protecting clients is the primary duty of us Mages of the Fairy Tail Guild."
"What excellent Mages! What an outstanding guild!"
The mayor hurried to a large, reinforced suitcase on the table. He clicked the latches and opened it.
"Mr. Ren, this is the reward for this quest. 7,000,000 Jewel. Please count it."
Ren's eyes lit up. Elfman, standing beside him, audibly gasped.
The suitcase was filled to the brim with tight, neat stacks of 10,000 Jewel notes. The sheer volume of money was breathtaking.
On average, Elfman earned just over 100,000 J for a standard job, and only a little over 200,000 J for more difficult ones. He would have to complete four or five of those a month, every month, for an entire year to earn this much.
7,000,000 J... he couldn't earn that much even if he worked desperately for a year. Seeing it all in one place, earned in a single night, was truly shocking.
Ren, however, was already calculating. 'This is a full ten-pull on the gacha system. This is what real power brings. This S-Class quest was the right choice, 100%.'
"Mayor, you are too kind. Of course, we trust you," Ren said politely, but his hands were not idle; he directly reached in, his address changing from the formal "Mr. Mayor" to a more familiar "Mayor." He closed the suitcase with a satisfying thud.
The mayor was very happy. "Hahaha! Gentlemen, if you're not in a hurry, why not stay in this city for a few more days? I'd like to properly entertain my two saviors. We can have a feast!"
Ren picked up the heavy suitcase and shook his head with a polite smile. "We appreciate your kindness, Mayor, but there's no need for entertainment. We need to hurry back to the Guild to submit the quest. If we delay too long, everyone in the Guild will worry."
He gestured to the destroyed town. "And with such a big incident here, you must be busy, Mayor. Next time!"
"Alright then! I won't keep you two any longer. Have a safe journey."
"Then we'll be leaving," Ren said, turning to go. "If anything like this happens again, remember to come find the Fairy Tail Guild!"
The mayor smiled bitterly and shook his head. "I don't want to encounter something like this ever again."
Once was enough; if it happened again, his heart couldn't take it.
Ren and Elfman left by carriage. The ride was silent for a long time, a stark contrast to their journey there. The heavy suitcase sat on the seat between them.
In the carriage, Ren opened the money box again. The gleaming banknotes inside were dazzling.
"Gulp!"
Both of them couldn't help but swallow, having never seen so much money before.
Ren reached in, grabbed a huge stack of the notes, and placed it directly into Elfman's lap. It was half the entire reward. 3,500,000 Jewel.
"Huh? Ren, what are you doing?" Elfman was bewildered, staring at the mountain of money in his hands.
"Doing what? What do you mean 'doing what'? Of course, it's splitting the money!"
"Splitting… splitting… splitting money?!" Hearing Ren's words, Elfman was completely stunned, stuttering as he spoke.
"That's right! You came out on a quest with me, so of course, we split the reward!" Ren said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"No, no, no! That's not right!" Elfman quickly tried to push the money back into the box. "I was merely guiding the new Mage, not teaming up for a quest. That's a 'man's' duty! Besides, I didn't do anything on this quest; you completed it all by yourself. I can't take this money!"
Guiding new Mages was an obligation for older members, and they usually didn't take rewards.
Ren held up a hand, stopping him. "You're wrong. You did three things. One, you sacrificed your time to come with me. Two, you protected the client, which was a vital part of the mission. And three..."
Ren's voice softened slightly. "You were willing to use The Beast to save me. I saw you. You were ready to sacrifice your sanity, to face your worst trauma, to give me a chance to escape. That is more than 'nothing,' Elfman. That's what a true 'man' does. This is your share."
Elfman froze, his hands trembling over the money. "But... I... that form... I almost... If you hadn't won..."
"But I did win. And you were my partner," Ren said simply. "This quest was S-Class. You risked your life, just like I did. You deserve your share."
"But 3,500,000... I can't," Elfman said, his voice thick. "This is too much. It's not right."
Ren sighed, realizing he wouldn't win this way. "Fine, you're a stubborn 'man.' Then don't take half. But you are taking this." Ren took back the larger pile and counted out ten thick stacks of 100,000 J notes. "1,000,000 Jewel. That's not a request. It's your official pay for a 'man's' work on an S-Class quest. You can't refuse a 'man's' reward, can you?"
Elfman looked at the 1,000,000 J, then at Ren's serious expression. After a long moment, he slowly nodded, accepting the money. He felt the money was a bit hot to handle, but he also felt... respected.
"You... you're a true 'man,' Ren," Elfman said, his voice filled with genuine admiration. "Maybe... maybe I should introduce you to my sister, Mira..."
At that exact moment, back at the Fairy Tail Guild Hall.
The guild was bustling with its usual midday activity. Natsu and Gray were, of course, fighting.
"YOU ICE-STRIPPING PERVERT!"
"SHUT UP, CINDER-FOR-BRAINS!"
Tables were breaking, beer was flying, and Cana was cheering them on while chugging a barrel.
Mirajane Strauss smiled warmly as she routinely went to collect the Guild mail from the post-box. Most of it consisted of new quest requests sent by clients. Every day, she needed to organize and record them before posting them on the quest board.
She hummed as she sorted. "Let's see... 'Find my lost cat,' 'Exterminate Vulcans'..."
"Huh?"
At the bottom of the pile was a thick, official-looking envelope from the Magic Council, marked with an urgent seal. She opened it. It was a quest update.
"Quest Update... 'Eliminate the Phantom Bandit Gang'..." Mira's smile faded. "Oh, that's the quest Ren-kun and Elfman took. I hope they're..."
Her eyes scanned the next line.
[WARNING: This quest has been re-designated as S-CLASS.]
Mira's blood ran cold.
[Reward Update: 7,000,000 Jewel. Target Leader: Camille, the 'King of Assassins'.]
The mail dropped from her hands. Her smile vanished, replaced by a mask of pure, abject terror.
Her mind flashed back, unbidden, to that rainy day. To the S-Class quest. To Elfman, covered in blood, screaming, and... Lisanna. Her little sister. The one who never came back.
"No..." she whispered, her hands flying to her mouth. "No, no, no, not again... Elfman... Ren..."
"Mira? What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost," Cana said, lowering her mug.
The entire guild fell silent. Natsu and Gray stopped fighting. Mira never panicked.
"This is bad!" Mira shrieked, her voice cracking. "MASTER!"
She scrambled for the paper and ran, shoving mages out of the way as she sprinted for the Master's office. "MASTER! THIS IS BAD!"
"Pfft—!" Makarov, who had been enjoying a quiet drink, spat it all out as Mira slammed the door open. "What?! What's wrong, Mira? My child, you're as white as a sheet!"
"The Phantom Bandit Gang quest… it's been changed to S-Class!!"
The silence in the guild was deafening.
"What?!!" Gray yelled, his shirt already gone.
"S-Class?!" Natsu repeated, his usual grin gone, replaced by a deadly serious expression. "But the new guy and Elfman took that!"
"What exactly happened?! Why did it become an S-Class Quest?!" Makarov demanded.
Mira quickly handed the quest request to Makarov, her hands shaking so hard she could barely hold it. "Camille... the King of Assassins... Elfman... Elfman is with him, Master! It's... it's just like that time... with Lisanna..."
Makarov read the paper, and his expression also changed dramatically, his small frame radiating a sudden, immense pressure. "Camille, the King of Assassins? That bastard is still alive."
"What?!"
"Camille?!"
Everyone in the Guild who knew the name changed their expressions drastically. This King of Assassins, Camille, was famous. He had taken down countless powerful Mages. It was said that no one targeted by him had ever survived.
"Master, what should we do now?!" Mira was crying now, her composure completely broken. This time, besides Ren, her younger brother Elfman was also involved. Her younger sister Lisanna had died on an S-Class Quest. If her younger brother also died... she didn't know how she would continue to live.
"I'll go myself!" Makarov's voice was a low growl.
At this time, the S-Class Mages in the Guild were all absent. Erza was on a mission, Mystogan was wandering, Gildarts was on his century quest, and Laxus... hmph. Even if they were present, facing the King of Assassins carried great risks.
Just as Makarov grabbed his staff and stormed toward the door, his face a mask of thunder...
Creak——!
The Guild doors opened.
Ren and Elfman appeared in the doorway, looking tired, dirty, and singed.
The guild was in absolute, stunned silence.
"Ren!!" Mira's voice cracked.
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